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Der Neustart im letzten Jahr gelang: Die Firma FUNC, die schon 1999 Gaming-Equipment unter die Spieler brachte, erlebte im Jahr 2012 ihr Comeback. Die Schweden legten zuerst mit dem Surface 1030L Mauspad vor und dann mit der MS-3-Maus nach. Dabei konnten beide Produkte nicht nur durch ihre Qualität und ihre Features überzeugen, sondern auch durch das Design, das sich FUNC wohl insbesondere auf die Fahne geschrieben hat. So sind beide Produkte von der Verpackung bis ins letzte Detail durchgestyled. Wir haben den Relaunch von FUNC zum Anlass genommen, uns mit Calle Conradsson, dem Brand Manager von FUNC, zu unterhalten. Calle stellte sich allen unseren Fragen, die wir im Interview hier zusammen gestellt haben.
Hardwareluxx: The new FUNC and the old FUNC: What is the difference between the old company and the new one?
Calle: I think that we (Func) are going from being a mouse pad company to a brand that brings forward products in other categories such as mice is the biggest difference between the old and the new Func.
Hardwareluxx: What is the philosophy of FUNC?
Calle: Our stated mission is to perfect the gaming experience through products designed for functionality. We bring products with a functional purpose and with usability in mind. What we try to say with this is that our products should not stand in the way for you while you're gaming, nobody should have the feeling of "if I only had a better mouse to justify my skills".
[figure image=images/stories/galleries/news/dbode/Func1Entwurf.jpg link=images/stories/galleries/news/dbode/Func1Entwurf.jpg alt=Erster Entwurf]Der erste Entwurf der MS-3 von FUNC[/figure]
Hardwareluxx: Take a view back to the last year - how was it to start FUNC again?
Calle: Ohhh, last year has been so much fun, giving back Func to all the fans out there who's been waiting, it demands a lot of work for all involved to live up to the expectations but it makes it even more fun when people believe in what you do. Func has indeed a very genuine history and is actually one of the first companies to develop products especially for gaming.
Hardwareluxx: FUNC MS-3 was the first mouse you introduced. It got tremendous good feedback. How did you start to develop it? Can you show us the way from the first scratches to the final product?
Calle: The MS-3 project was initiated in August 2011. Ideas became goals and we studied anatomy and ergonomics to create a better understanding how we should design the mouse body in order to achieve the most important aspect; an ergonomically designed grip from where the user can reach all available buttons with minimum corrections of the hand position. We dug deep into the thumb zone, 2 buttons isn't enough for many players, we added buttons with usability in mind, we do not wanted lots of corrections of the hand position.
[figure image=images/stories/galleries/news/dbode/Func2Entwurf.jpg link=images/stories/galleries/news/dbode/Func2Entwurf.jpg alt=Dritter Entwurf]Es wird ergonomischer: Der zweite Entwurf der MS-3 von FUNC[/figure]
Hardwareluxx: There are so many companies making gaming products - how will you try to separate from them?
Calle: We always try our best to listen to our customers, to bring forward what they really want; a better gaming experience and fewer problems while you play. Our product developers work really hard to make every detail well thought through. We take this quest very serious and I think that will make us winners.
Hardwareluxx: How expensive can a gaming mouse get - does it make sense to do very luxurious things for over 100 Euro?
Calle: If it is what it takes to satisfy our customers, yes! You guys decide what we need to build but honestly I don't think there is many of us that really appreciates lots of bells and whistles rather than having reliable products on your desk that do their job and doesn't stand in your way in critical moments.
[figure image=images/stories/galleries/news/dbode/Func3Entwurf.jpg link=images/stories/galleries/news/dbode/Func3Entwurf.jpg alt=Dritter Entwurf]Hier ist die charakteristische Form der MS-3 bereits erkennbar[/figure]
Hardwareluxx: What are your plans for the future? Are you looking into other gaming products as well?
Calle: In matter of fact, we do. We are working with many interesting ideas right now, how we can improve functionality and usability on other type of products for gaming. If everything goes as planned, some new products can be expected already in June during Computex in Taiwan.
Hardwareluxx: How will you improve MS-3 over time?
Calle: Its hard to say, it has recently been launched and we are happy with the results; especially the ergonomical design and the button positioning. We worked under a long period to make the MS-3 great for all kinds of games but there is always things that can be improved such as software functions and interface. The MS-3 is a mouse for everyone, no matter which kind of category of games you play, we do not try to make a model after a specific game category, rather a mouse that works for all kinds of games.
[figure image=images/stories/galleries/news/dbode/Func4Entwurf.jpg link=images/stories/galleries/news/dbode/Func4Entwurf.jpg alt=vierter Entwurf]Der letzte Design-Durchgang: Hier sieht die MS-3 schon fast aus wie die Verkaufsversion.[/figure]
Hardwareluxx: Thinking about new ways to use the PC/notebook/tablet, will that be a challenge to develop new ways of gaming gear as well?
Calle: There are many trends in the gaming industry that needs to be taken under consideration, mobile device gaming is growing, we buy more and more games online rather from a physical store and the free-to-play category is growing fast. PC gaming is becoming more legitimate and enters the living room from a dark corner in your home and the pro gaming is no longer a synonym for geeks. It will be a big challenge to adapt to all these trends, definitely but we will try our best to be on our toes and confront those challenges.
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Wir bedanken uns bei Calle Conradsson für das Interview und für die interessanten Bilder, wie die MS-3 entstanden ist.