Gamespot Magazine A3D Preview

Two-Fisted Fragging with Assassin 3D ,New gaming add-on provides enhanced 3-D control

HAYWARD, Calif. - August 23, 1996 - Gamers looking for an edge in their next Deathmatch will want to take the Assassin 3D for a test drive. This new controller from First-Person Gaming works in conjunction with your existing analog joystick to provide total freedom of movement in first person perspective games such as Duke Nukem 3D, Descent II, and Hexen. Essentially, your existing joystick controls directional movement, while the Assassin 3D handles the "view," allowing you to easily move in one direction while firing in another, for example.

Although it may look like little more than a souped-up track ball, the Assassin 3D contains a bevy of innovative technologies, including a unique analog-to-digital microprocessor that improves the response time and tracking accuracy of standard joysticks. The Assassin 3D trackball - appropriately dubbed the "Deathball" - is sensitive enough to provide 200 different movement speeds and aiming accuracy of ¼ of degree. And as an added bonus, all of the Assassin’s buttons are programmable, making it easy to create custom moves, or to execute classic maneuvers such as an instant 180-degree flip.

In our preliminary tests with a beta version of the Assassin 3D, we found that after a brief orientation period, it does indeed offer a level of control that is difficult if not impossible to match using conventional keyboard/mouse configurations. The controller’s strengths are most apparent in games that emphasize (or simulate) true 3D gameplay¸ such as Duke Nukem and Descent, versus games that take place in a generally "flatter" environment, such as Doom and all its direct descendants. Currently, Assassin 3D drivers are not available for Quake, but First Person plans to release them in the near future - we can hardly wait.

Although it is the first release under the First-Person Gaming label, the development team behind the Assassin 3D has a long track record in the controller market. Many key members of the company, including founder James C. Barnes and Director of Sales Ron McClure, came from leading peripheral manufacturer Logitech, and were instrumental in the design and marketing of the Wingman and Wingman Extreme joysticks. In addition, First-Person Gaming designed the Wingman Warrior 3D game controller - which has won the personal endorsement of Doom and Quake designer John Romero - under license to Logitech.

The Assassin 3D will be available nationally in September, with a suggested retail price of $99. Look for GameSpot’s full review of this intriguing new controller in the near future.

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