Developing the SteelSeries Wireless Mouse

Developing the SteelSeries Wireless Mouse

Whether you're going for a world first boss kill, attempting your first Heroic dungeon, or just working your way toward the level cap; the tools you use can be the difference between a critical failure or an overwhelming success. A good mouse is one of the most important tools you can invest in, and it's hard to beat a mouse specifically designed to meet all of the challenges in your adventures ahead.

This is the World of Warcraft Wireless MMO Gaming Mouse.

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When we got together with SteelSeries to design this mouse, we tried to consider all the hurdles players would encounter on their journeys in Azeroth. There were clearly a number of hurdles we could fix with innovative mouse design.

  • 11 Buttons. We've been developing mice for World of Warcraft for years now. Over that time it became obvious to us that extra buttons are great. They allow you to transfer some of the duties of your overworked keyboard hand over to your mouse hand. Most players can only reach a limited number of keys without having to look down at the keyboard, so balancing out the responsibilities of each hand reduces that bottleneck and improves your reaction time overall. It also became obvious to us that extra buttons can be a bad thing, because having too many buttons simply moves the bottleneck from one hand to the other. We felt that 11 buttons really hit the sweet spot. Advanced users can even use Alt, Shift, or Ctrl combinations to increase the number of commands the extra buttons can access.
  • In-game Setup. The extra buttons on World of Warcraft mice are the only ones that can be set-up from within the game. Setting up your mouse through other software can be a time consuming and frustrating task. These extra buttons are easily assigned to commands, just like the keys on your keyboard. You simply go to your keybind menu, select the command, and click the button you want to assign it to.

SteelSeriesMouse_WoW_Blog_Thumb2_GL_550x200.jpg

  • The Feel. We spent extra time developing this mouse so we could be sure to find the best surfaces. The rubberized side walls allow you to get a solid grip on it, which is especially great for those situations where you have to pick up your mouse and adjust positioning. The matte surface on the top allows your skin to breathe easier. The edges where these surfaces meet are designed so you don't feel any discomfort or notice they're even there.
  • Ergonomics. Proper ergonomics isn't only about the shape of the mouse. It includes other things like button placement and pressure sensitivity. When we were designing the buttons on this mouse, we made sure of several things. We spread the extra buttons between all of the fingers rather than putting them underneath just one, reducing the need for precision and decreasing the amount of time it takes to issue multiple commands. We made sure that all of them were well within reach without getting in the way. Since most players are already accustomed to using 3-5 buttons on a standard mouse, it only made sense to leave those in their original position. We even made sure the buttons took just the right amount of pressure to activate, allowing you to avoid accidental clicks without putting extra stress on the fingertips.
  • The Looks. While good looks are completely subjective we spent a painstaking amount of time developing and refining the aesthetics on the mouse and charging station. We wanted something that would say World of Warcraft without screaming it. We wanted the mouse to stand out, yet still be a part of your gaming rig. I think we’ve achieved all of this and more.

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Like the trusty Hearthstone you’ve carried on your travels, or your favorite companion pet that has always stood by your side, we hope this mouse will be the tool that accompanies you through all your future adventures in the World of Warcraft.

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Comments (97)

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Rebelofplate
Skullcrusher
Rebelofplate
11/12/2012
Definately gonna be mine when it comes out.
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Ðallinze
Argent Dawn
Ðallinze
09/12/2012
il may stick to my naga this time:)


(FOR THE HORDE!!!!!)
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Destructîon
Stormreaver
Destructîon
07/12/2012
sry blizz, stayin by the MX518! even got 2-3 unused extras.. hehe
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Zoob
Nordrassil
Zoob
06/12/2012
Looks like a remodelled 'Logitech' MX Darkfield gamer mouse in all honesty, but a little more tacky. :P
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Fastmulan
Tarren Mill
Fastmulan
06/12/2012
ordred<3 this mouse is awsome
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Darkankh
Turalyon
Darkankh
03/12/2012
Looks naff
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Kuaiwei
Defias Brotherhood
Kuaiwei
02/12/2012
G600 beats them all.
All the razers and various "mmo" mouses.
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Dòttzz
Grim Batol
Dòttzz
10/12/2012
@Kuaiwei: hahahah thats the stupidest thing i have ever heard, naga beats g600 in everyway
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Waskie
Twisting Nether
Waskie
02/12/2012
LOOL, im really nevver gonna buy a Wireless game mouse:P
but it looks kinda nice, only like the Cata one more :)
@Waskie: The mouse actually works both in Wired and Wireless modes, it’s completely up to you if you want to play with the best latency and responsiveness possible or the freedom of movement that wireless provides.
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Chinsozai
Baelgun
Chinsozai
01/12/2012
im gonna give an mail to Santa and is gonna be so:" Dear Santa give me the Wireless MMO Mouse or im gonna broke youre neck" :D
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Moononbaby
Boulderfist
Moononbaby
29/11/2012
looks a nice mouse think i might get it soon
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Holydread
Lightbringer
Holydread
28/11/2012
Now that... is one sexy mouse.. lol
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Valéssa
Defias Brotherhood
Valéssa
28/11/2012
Useless for left handers, skip it.
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Brutalös
Defias Brotherhood
Brutalös
28/11/2012
i really would like to buy that. but is it avalible in south africa?? :O
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Víera
Argent Dawn
Víera
02/12/2012
@Brutalös: Another South African :O..... but booo horde :p
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Fastmulan
Tarren Mill
Fastmulan
06/12/2012
@Víera: horde rocks:))
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Dòttzz
Grim Batol
Dòttzz
10/12/2012
@Fastmulan: Horde sucks :)
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Mistrzjacek
Outland
Mistrzjacek
28/11/2012
santa claus ^^
@Mistrzjacek: Christmas loot, Ho Ho Ho! ;)
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Dragonkingg
Laughing Skull
Dragonkingg
30/11/2012
lol ^^
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Bgskuddz
Stormrage
Bgskuddz
27/11/2012
they should have spent some of the development money on updating software for the Zboard so us poor soul's who spent our hard earned cash could use all our functions again. £105 for a mouse Big WoW! wonder how long they will support the software on it though???
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Rhalok
Burning Blade
Rhalok
27/11/2012
Just like other SS mice, the gap between 2 fingers for left and right click is too wide. Very poor design.
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Skrkatko
Drak'thul
Skrkatko
27/11/2012
nice
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Nytxyoo
Outland
Nytxyoo
27/11/2012
razer naga ftw
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Fatism
Darksorrow
Fatism
27/11/2012
Razer --> SS.
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Jadeofarc
Draenor
Jadeofarc
26/11/2012
I can appreciate the amount of time and development has been taken to produce this, and its very nice but my god £105 for a mouse... :/
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Zulkcuk
Chamber of Aspects
Zulkcuk
26/11/2012
In Turkey, price of this mouse is 1 month house rent of 3 ppl family.

Peace.
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Conductive
Blade's Edge
Conductive
26/11/2012
sexy
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Sumyla
Drak'thul
Sumyla
26/11/2012
so expensive :/
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Totic
Kul Tiras
Totic
26/11/2012
I am so happy that it is steel series making the mouse. I have a steel series gaming mouse, it is so comforting, and therefore I know this mouse will be perfect. Will deffently buy this mouse when I can afford it.
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Graendal
Twilight's Hammer
Graendal
26/11/2012
This mouse is far, FAR superior to the Naga. I'll never go back.
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Blademasteer
Jaedenar
Blademasteer
25/11/2012
razer naga the best..
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Jòélla
Stormrage
Jòélla
25/11/2012
WTB friggen left handed gaming mouse.
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Rejuvinate
Ravencrest
Rejuvinate
25/11/2012
@Jòélla: My friend customized his old Razer Naga to left handed for his boyfriend. Not sure how easy it is, he is Technical Engineer-ish something (not sure how to say it in english:p)
Maybe check with Razer custumor support if it is hard?

(Yes i spoke of a guy with a boyfriend, let them, they're happy...)
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Echtwaar
Argent Dawn
Echtwaar
25/11/2012
Very beautiful mouse.
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Flazzer
Zenedar
Flazzer
25/11/2012
nice<3
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Desolatom
Wildhammer
Desolatom
24/11/2012
Why can't you get razer to make your products :(
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Enchantor
Kazzak
Enchantor
24/11/2012
not a ergonomic feeling thats mouse. nice looking. but Prefer Logitech gear. more performance.
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It's nice and all that and i want it, but i find my razor naga more useful with the buttons than this one. Maybe i will get it for my school mac. Seeing i have to use a mouse in SketchUp and other design programs.