Now Shipping To Canada
Good news for our friends north of the border. We are resuming direct shipping to Canada. We've worked out the import duties and tax implications and we think we've got it all figured out. We'll be shipping everything pre-paid; that means GST, PST, duties, taxes, border agent bribes, you name it, all taken care of. Of course we have to charge you for that, so you'll see that the Canadian shipping option is a little expensive, but when UPS delivers it to your door they shouldn't ask you for another dime. So don't let them tell you anything different!
Happy Gaming!!
San Francisco, CA, May 2008
New Orders Now Shipping Live!
Good news: we've worked through the bulk of our A40 Audio System pre-orders and are now shipping new orders placed on the website live and in real time. So, no need to pre-order any longer. Simply place your new order on the website and your new gear will be on its way to you.
--The ASTRO Team
San Francisco, CA, May 2008
Final Pre-order Email Notifications and Shipments
Greetings, gamers! We've been emailing out instructions on how to complete your pre-orders all last week -- if you didn't get yours, kindly check your SPAM FILTER. It's probably in there.
We've worked through the list and the final wave of shipments are leaving Monday (4/28) and Tuesday (4/29)
New orders are shipping directly from the factory as they are entered.
Enjoy!
--The ASTRO team
San Francisco, CA, Apr 2008
The A40's Have Landed -- a note from our Supreme Commander
SUPREME HEADQUARTERS
ASTRO GAMING EXPEDITIONARY FORCE
You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. A40 Audio System inventory is at the warehouse ready to ship. We will be emailing out instructions on how to complete your order over the next 48 hours. You will be asked to visit the website, enter in your pre-order Customer Code, and complete payment. The eyes of the world are upon you.
Your order will be fulfilled as received, although please note that any NEW orders placed on the website will only be fulfilled after we have worked through the pre-order queue. Estimated delivery time for any NEW orders is the first week in May. Pre-order conversions will be shipped out immediately.
Once you have received your new A40 Audio Systems, in company with our brave Allies, Space Marines, and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the Covenant war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves on Xbox Live.
Good Luck! And let us all beseech the blessing of Star Power upon this great and noble undertaking.
Jordan D. "Reisenhower"
-end-
San Francisco, CA, Apr 2008
MLG Meadowlands 2008 -- Stormy's recap
The season opener of the Major League Gaming Pro Circuit in Meadowlands, New Jersey was the culmination of months and months of preparation -- not only by the players themselves, but also ASTRO Gaming and the MLG. New games, a bigger venue, fresh sponsors and a bigger player pool than ever guaranteed an exhilarating event. Besides seeing Halo played in high definition on Microsoft's next gen system, we saw famous squads Final Boss, Carbon, and Str8 Rippin slogging it out along with all of the amateur hopefuls in the Open Bracket competition on Friday and Saturday.
ASTRO Gaming brought the thunder by deploying our Pro Racks -- already pre-loaded with four daisy-chained MixAmps and connected to every single gaming station at the Pro Circuit event. Furthermore, we hauled a crateful of A40 Headsets to loan out to the entire Championship bracket player pool. Like Menthos and diet Coke, the combination of the Pro Racks and A40 Headsets were an explosive and electric combination -- and the pro teams in attendance couldn't wait to get their hands on the new equipment.
MLG announcers Sundance and Puckett were especially stoked to hear something they'd never heard before -- live streaming of all the players' team chat. A special feature of the A40 Audio System enables high-fidelity team chat to be broadcast in real-time on the live MLG Web Casts on www.mlgpro.com. Combined with the new high-definition broadcasts, this exhilarating eavesdropping from the Main Stage brawls made not being able to attend in person a little less painful.
All in all, 16 of the top 24 teams utilized the A40 Audio System, including two of the top three Halo 3 teams. Special congrats go out to Halo 3 champs Final Boss, and Gears of War winners Infinity. Thanks to all of the MLG production crew, especially the ever-patient and helpful referees and officials, and all of the teams that tried out the A40 Headsets and Pro Racks.
Special thanks to our tireless crew in the ASTRO Gaming booth, and to the gamers that visited us to keep us energized and laughing. We really enjoyed meeting all of you and look forward to seeing everyone in sunny San Diego.
-- Stormy out
Secaucus, NJ, Apr 2008
ASTRO Gaming at MLG Pro Circuit 2008!
It seems like the 2007 Major League Gaming Pro Circuit Finals were just yesterday, but we are already brimming with excitement for a new season. The team at ASTRO Gaming has been very busy in the meantime, preparing shipment of the new A40 Audio System, but also an important new part of the MLG hardware for '08--the ASTRO Gaming Pro Rack.
The Pro Rack will be installed at each and every MLG Pro Circuit station during the 2008 season. ASTRO Pro Racks will be fully populated with four A40 MixAmps--which means over 300 MixAmps will be on the floor! If you don't already know, the A40 MixAmp offers a complete Dolby Digital surround + voice comm solution. MLG players will only need their A40 Headset--simply sit down, plug in the Headset, and you are ready to rock.
Unfortunately, the revisions to the Headset have taken much longer than we anticipated, and they are being produced and shipped right during the first MLG event. The good news is, if you already have a preorder (and you are one of the people that have already put in a request for a demo unit), we'll have one waiting for you to use during the Open Bracket portion of the event. Teams (and their coaches) who break into the Championship Bracket will also be able to try out demo units whether or not they've placed an order yet.
Stop by the ASTRO Gaming booth for a full demonstration of the A40 Audio System, and to pick up your demo units if you have a valid preorder. We'll hand out A40 Headsets to Championship Bracket teams on Saturday during the break after the Open Bracket is completed.
See you there, and good luck!
--The ASTRO team
Meadowlands, NJ, Apr 2008
New A40 Systems set to ship--Pre Order NOW!
As you may have heard, back in December we sold through our entire batch of Limited Edition A40 Audio Systems in less than 48 hours. We moved on to selling the standard edition systems, but demand quickly outstripped our ability to produce and ship.
We are finally catching up to the demand and have made huge improvements to the product in the meantime. We'll be shipping to new customers starting on April 22, but we will still be taking preorders up until that day.
With our production fully ramped up again, we obviously won't have such long delays between the time we take orders and product shipment in the future. But to guarantee that you'll receive your new A40 Audio System in April, put in your fully refundable $50 preorder deposit in today.
San Francisco, CA, Apr 2008
Limited Edition A40's - All Gone!
Please note, the Limited Edition headsets are completely sold out.
Now this is not to say that we don't have headsets for sale - we do. But from here on out, these headsets will have black grills under the speaker tags instead of red, they won't be individually numbered and they won't say A40LE on the headband.
From a materials and functionality standpoint our standard headsets are *identical* to the L.E. ones we just sold out of. They just might not have the same resale value on Ebay that the individually numbered ones will...
Also, to clarify some confusion, the MLG branded edition is not limited in nature, we will be selling those all year long.
As for having to wait until after the Holidays to receive any new orders, we're sorry about that - but remember, good things come to those who wait... AND you'll have something to look forward to after the euphoria of the Holidays wears off...
Happy Holidays!!
San Francisco, CA, Dec 2007
Pre-Christmas Orders All Shipped!
Just a quick update for the lucky few who got their orders submitted before December 13th. All orders have been shipped out, directly from the factory to you. Wherever possible we upgraded shipping to offset the delays caused by our friends at the US Customs House.
UPS tracking numbers were emailed out Tuesday night and it looks like all pre-Christmas orders should be delivered by December 21st at the latest.
If you haven't received yours by Dec 21st, please let us know at support@astrogaming.com
Thanks again for getting your orders in early. The rest of you should expect to see your orders arrive the week after Christmas.
Happy Holidays!
San Francisco, CA, Dec 2007
"The Next Big Thing in Gaming Audio"
Ben Berry of Gaming Nexus was nice enough to stop by and check out the A40 Audio System while we were at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, Washington.
In his column Ben writes: "If you're a regular Gaming Nexus reader, you know how I feel about audio hardware, so when I say the A40 Mixer/Amp is the coolest idea I've seen for audio product in a long time, you know that's saying something. It is essentially a way to combine 5.1 Dolby Digital and Dolby Headphone surround sound with voice communication and amplification of audio input."
We appreciate the kind words Ben!
Check out the full story here.
San Francisco, CA, Sep 2007
Toshiba Laptop Winner Announced!
Congratulations to Henry Desmarais for winning the drawing for the Toshiba Satellite X205 Laptop. Thanks to everyone for stopping by the booth at PAX. See you there again next year!
San Francisco, Aug 2007
Prototype Field Testing All Wrapped Up
Astro Gaming's extensive field testing program of the A40 prototypes has officially wrapped up. For the past twelve months we have had dozens of pro console and PC gamers putting the A40 prototype systems to the test at tournaments and LAN parties around the country.
The response has been fantastic - in fact, almost too fantastic. After several strong showings, including first-place finishes at MLG and WSVG events, we have created a backlog of teams clamoring for our systems. With only a few prototypes to go around we are officially wrapping up our field testing program until final production of the A40 Audio System is complete.
Special thanks to Fonzi, Foulacy, T2, Cpt Anarchy, xXx, Carbon, Str8 Rippin, 20ID, Nice Like Rice, Legendz, Redemption, Team Huge, the MLG crew - Sundance, Mike, Mimi, Tucci, Dave & Catherine - the WSVG, the CGS and on and on and on...
San Francisco, CA, Aug 2007
Team Mixer Rack Debuts at MLG Dallas
Astro Gaming unveiled its much anticipated Team Mixer Rack this weekend at the MLG Dallas event. The Rack has slots for five mixers (four players and a coach) and is designed to be a standard fixture at all 4v4 gaming stations. With digital audio feeds direct from each xBox and fully-distributed USB power, the team rack will make it a breeze for any team to hook in and experience team gaming at it's meant to be.
As for the tournament itself, the #2 ranked team Carbon took full advantage of the A40 prototype system - totally dismantling the competition and cruising all the way to a First Place finish. Congrats to Carbon and thanks as well to perennial Top-10 teams Nice Like Rice and Legendz for continuing to test out our products and give us feedback.
Check out Stormy's Flickr Page to see the photos from the tournament.
Dallas, TX, Jul 2007
MLG Meadowlands: "Sopranos Country"
ASTRO Gaming traveled to Secaucus, New Jersey to catch the Sopranos season finale live at the Bada Bing and to hit up the second installment of Major League Gaming's 2007 season. It may be double overtime for the old ASTRO A40 Audio System prototypes, but the systems continue to shine in their old age. Hit up ASTRO's Myspace blog for a full rundown of the weekend.
Also check out Stormy's Flickr Page to see the photos from the tournament.
Secaucus, NJ, Jun 2007
You've got questions, we've got... T-shirts!
While we've been pretty hard at work putting the finishing touches on the A40 Audio System, we recently took time out to answer some of your Frequently Asked Questions. In our FAQ, we answer all of your questions about the features and benefits of the A40 system, in addition to talking about our warranty and why you'd want to place a preorder.
And before we forget to mention it -- have you seen our new, super swanky ASTRO T-shirt designs? These ultra-soft shirts look great and are just one wash away from being completely broken in -- and guaranteed to be a part of your starting lineup. We love them so much in the office that we don't even mind that we look like a traveling baseball team when we all go off to lunch together.
San Francisco, CA, May 2007
MLG Charlotte: "City of Upsets"
ASTRO Gaming traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina for the first regular season Major League Gaming tournament for 2007. Hit up ASTRO's Myspace blog for a full rundown of the upset-filled weekend!
Also check out Stormy's Flickr Page to see the photos from the tournament.
Charlotte, NC, Apr 2007
MLG kicks off '07 season this weekend!
ASTRO Gaming is gearing up for the first regular tournament of the 2007 Major League Gaming season during April 13 - 15, in Charlotte, NC.
We are dusting off the now-famous A40 prototype for a final run through the bracket -- Str8 Rippin' and the upstarts of team Redemption will be vying to knock off last year's champions, Carbon -- and perennial powerhouse Final Boss.
Will you be there in person? Check out the revolutionary A40 Audio System prototype for yourself at the Pro Players lounge on Friday and Saturday (AM). Lead Producer Josh "Stormy" LaTendresse and VP of ASTRO Gaming Jordan Reiss will be there to answer all of your questions.
See you there!
On the net: Major League Gaming
Charlotte, NC, Apr 2007
ASTRO Gaming makes splash with kickoff bash
The ASTRO Gaming crew and their 400 closest friends and family turned out on Friday, February 23 for a little live music, some friendly competition, and a ginormous bag of fun.
We rocked our faces off playing Guitar Hero. We overdosed on blue sparks with 16-player Mario Kart: Double Dash on a two-story screen fed by four projectors. We probably drank too much.
Thanks to everyone who came out and helped us celebrate the birth of the A40 Audio System and ASTRO Gaming.
Can't wait for the sequel.
(Hit up Stormy's Flickr page for the embarrassing party shots)
San Francisco, CA, Feb 2007
Joshua "Stormy" LaTendresse joins Astro Gaming
Astro signs audio/video ninja to all-star roster
Officially joining the Astro team for 2007 as Producer is Joshua LaTendresse, a uniquely qualified consumer electronics and gaming industry veteran.
LaTendresse comes from an extensive audio/video background, including time at Monster Cable Products, co-authorship of Gaming Hacks from O'Reilly Books, and four years of handing out free advice on "The Hook Up"--an A/V advice column for gamers on the staggeringly popular webcomic, Penny Arcade. Recently, he was the PC Editor for GamesRadar.com and a writer for the world's best-selling PC gaming magazine, PC Gamer.
His status as an industry insider comes from living and breathing the gaming lifestyle, with a desire to propel gaming hardware into the next level of quality and cutting edge culture.
San Francisco, CA, Jan 2007
Str8 Rippin' takes first in NYC
Str8 aces the competition in the Big Apple
Putting the prototype A40 Gaming Audio System to its final test, Str8 Rippin' made quick work of the Halo 2 competition at the World Series of Video Gaming finals today. In a field made up entirely of Major League Gaming teams, Str8 Rippin' waltzed through the double elimination tourney without dropping a single game--and without a serious challenge, for that matter.
This event marked the end of the Astro A40 Gaming Audio System's prototype test run: four tournaments, 20,000 miles of travel, 100 manhours of gameplay, and four top-three finishes. Thanks to Str8 Rippin' for being such kick-ass product testers... looking forward to the next season!
New York, NY, Dec 2006
Astro and Str8 Rippin' in the mix during Major League Gaming finals
Str8 Rippin' rolls to third-place finish in Vegas
With $100,000 on the line, Str8 Rippin' once again put the prototype Astro A40 Gaming Audio System to the test - this time at the Major League Gaming finals in Las Vegas. With the field narrowed to just eight elite teams, culled from over 1,000 Halo 2 teams over the course of the 2006 season, the MLG Final was host to the world's best Halo 2 players--bar none.
While a first-place victory eluded Str8, they clearly distanced themselves from the best of the rest as they secured their third consecutive third-place victory in as many months--and pocketed a cool $30k for their efforts.
Team Carbon continued their remarkable late season success, earning a hard-fought victory over Final Boss to take home the $100,000 check and lay final claim to the #1 Halo 2 team in the world... at least for this year.
Las Vegas, NV, Nov 2006
Astro Gaming Launches
Astro Studios spawns new gaming firm with impeccable pedigree
World-renowned product design consultancy Astro Studios enters the consumer product fray with the formation of Astro Gaming: a developer and retailer of professional-grade video gaming equipment. Led by Jordan Reiss and Brett Lovelady, Astro Gaming is setting out to create a consumer electronics company with two parts fashion, and two parts technology.
For much of the past 12 years, Astro-designed products have permeated American culture. From the ground-breaking Nike Triax Running Watch in 1994 to the exquisite Xbox 360 gaming console in 2005, Astro has helped some of the world's best known brands extend, refine and expand their brand DNA into iconic tangible products--creating over five billion dollars of revenue for its clients.
Built around a veteran team of Astro product designers and drawing on the talents of some of Silicon Valley's most sought-after engineers, Astro Gaming is embarking on a journey to create the lifestyle electronics brand for this digitally-fed, media-savvy generation.
San Francisco, CA, Aug 2006
