SteelSeries' WoW Mouse Isn't Screwing Around

SteelSeries doesn't screw around when it comes to making computer gaming peripherals. At BlizzCon 2008 this past weekend they unveiled a World of Warcraft branded gaming mouse that could very well be the most feature-packed pointing device I've ever laid my hands on. The World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse packs an impressive 15 fully programmable buttons across its stylish surface, which can be modified to glow in any of 16 million colors with varying intensities. The software for the device is styled after the WoW interface, allowing for up to 10 different profiles for your different characters, even importing your character information directly from the WoW Armory to make things all convenient-like. It seems like it would be a bit over-complicated for the average user, but Steel Series assured me that even a novice computer user will be able to easily configure the mouse to suit their particular play style, with over 130 predefined game commands included for easy drag-and-drop macro creation.While I didn't get much time to play around with the software itself, the mouse has a very nice feel to it, just as I've come to expect from SteelSeries. The extra buttons worry me a bit, but supposedly they will be inactive when you aren't actively playing the game, functioning just like any other high-quality pointing device. The only downside I can see, aside from possible button confusion, is the price. I'm not sure how many casual WoW players are willing to drop $99 on a mouse, even one as lovely as this. Then again, the package will come complete with a loot card from the World of Warcraft CCG, and free in-game items are a powerful motivator. The World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse should be in stores next month. I'm looking forward to seeing how it handles some hot Death Knight action, as well as having something new to blame for my complete lack of PVP skills.