STACK #148 Feb 2017

GAMES FEATURE

visit stack.net.au

Each month, STACK takes a brief look at what’s happening in esports, both locally and overseas. esports Round-Up Junglist with

T here’s no off-season in esports, but the “transfer market” has been very active over the break – and none moreso than the movers, shakers, and combo breakers at team Echo Fox. The esports organisation’s massive swoop on the fighting game community poached Street Fighter stars Justin Wong, ChocoBlanka, Tokido, as well as Mortal Kombat players SonicFox and Scar. Echo Fox is rumoured to have silly amounts of money -- enough for top tier players like Justin Wong to finally consider playing Street Fighter full time. These legends are being consolidated at a tumultuous time for the sport, as a mere three frames of invincibility being taken away from the Shoryuken in Street

Fighter V is causing quite the controversy. 2016 was the year mainstream sporting brands staked their claims in esports, and the trend has now kicked into high gear. FIFA players are being signed to top tier football clubs such as Manchester City, Valencia, Schalke, and more. Interestingly, these deals don’t require the player to actually play with the club they’re representing. NBA teams seem particularly

Street Fighter V

interested, with the 76ers, Miami Heat, and Boston Celtics' player Jonas Jerebko picking up esports

to make these moves in the esports space now. The industry moved $900 million in 2016, and is projected to grow for many years to come. But with shorter- term contracts and higher player turnover than traditional sports, these multiplayer moguls might take care not to invest in a brand only to have five flaky millennials leave and start another.

teams -- the latter’s acquisition being Renegades, also known as the Aussie team who had

Mortal Kombat X

to move to California just to find decent competition. The aforementioned Echo Fox’s “silly money” comes from another NBA player, Rick Fox, and even Shaq is getting in on the act after buying NRG eSports. It makes business sense

Corsair K55 RGB

Corsair's K55 RGB gaming keyboard is a solid bet for anyone looking for an entry-level model.

One of the first things that hits you when you unbox one of the K55s is the sleek and sophisticated design. It’s not over- the-top, but it doesn’t look like a budget option

for a surprisingly sharp duo for the price. However, it would be more logical for the wrist rest to be integrated into the keyboard, as we don’t see anyone opting to go without it. It’s also covered in a smooth rubbery surface that guarantees comfort. If that wasn't enough, Corsair's K55 boasts six customisable macro keys for you to set up your own combinations. Whether you opt for super complex key bindings or the more simple one-key configurations, the macros make life a lot easier. It's even got its own set of multimedia controls that eliminates fumbling around with your headset in-line controls. All up, with its sophisticated design and no bells and whistles set-up, the K55 is a great gaming keyboard for those looking for an entry level model. Add the macro keys on the side and the multimedia controls for your music, and there’s not much better bang for your buck.

either; it fits somewhere

in between. Then you plug it in. Corsair’s

K55 features impressive, backlit RGB lighting, offering 16.8 million colour combinations for you to customise to your requirements, with three individual zones for maximum personalisation. The keys themselves are anti-ghosting, and are supremely quiet – none of that annoying clicking you'll find in a mechanical keyboard. The legs beneath the keyboard provide a more stable platform for you to kick butt, and there's a detachable wrist rest, making

T he K55 RGB is one of your more user-friendly, won’t-scare-you-with-too- many-buttons Corsair keyboards. Boasting fully customisable RGB lighting and quiet, responsive keys, it’s a great buy for anyone looking to ease themselves into the market – perhaps for a console gaming extraordinaire looking to make the jump to PC?

FEBRUARY 2017

58

jbhifi.com.au