Normally, we don’t post stuff about company finances here on Marooners’ Rock, but when something so newsworthy comes in, we just have to share. Today, Mad Catz reported that their fiscal third quarter was a pretty big deal, and one can’t help but agree.
Mad Catz, known for their high quality gaming accessories, saw an incredible 90.6% increase in net sales from the previous year quarter. With the economy the way that it is now, those are some damn good numbers. For North America, Mad Catz net sales rose 129.6% to $56.4 million (60.7% of quarterly sales), while European net sales rose 52.9% to $35.1 million (37.8% of quarterly sales). Other countries didn’t see as large of a boost, but they still managed to give the company an increase of 14.4% to 1.4 million (1.5 of quarterly sales).
It was also rather interesting to see which console saw more accessory sales, and the numbers may surprise some of you. The Xbox 360 reigned supreme, accounting for 31% of total sales, a number that was the same as last year. Coming in second was the PlayStation 3, which accounted for 19% of total sales compared to the 17% in the 2010 fiscal year. Third was the Nintendo Wii, which had 19% of the total gross sales compared to 14% the previous year. Fourth was PC, which actually saw a considerable dip as it only managed to represent 12% of the total gross sales versus 23% just a year ago. Handhelds saw a small dip as well, accounting for 2% instead of the 3% last year.
In Q3, Mad Catz released a lot of accessories for various platforms, with some tied to big franchises. The accessories were:
- Cyborg R.A.T. 9 Wireless Pro Gaming Mouse
- Cyborg Gaming Lights with amBX Technology for the PC
- Rock Band 3 product range, including wireless Keyboards, Mustang ProGuitar, PRO-Drums and PRO-Cymbals Kit
- Mad Catz Wireless Racing Wheel for the Xbox 360 video game system
- Three Licensed Limited Edition Call of Duty: Black Ops Tritton Powered Professional Gaming Audio Headsets for console & PC.
The rest of the 2011 fiscal year, along with the one for 2012, is shaping up to be another big one for Mad Catz. We’ll see the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Arcade FightStick, accessories for Gears of War 3, and they have entered into an agreement with Microsoft to come out with licensed, co-branded headsets under the Tritton and Xbox 360 brands.
So readers, what Mad Catz accessory is your favorite? If you haven’t tried one of their accessories, is there a particular reason why? Do you have a tendency to only buy first-party accessories? Share your thoughts, stories, and comments below!
