If you follow technology news you might have heard about Razer quite a few times. Its a big gaming hardware manufacturer that now has plans to develop new technology geared exclusively to women while making sure that said tech is not condescending. Min-Liang Tan, the company’s CEO, has spoken out against the often-seen practice of painting an existing device pink and then marketing it directly to women.
Talking to Polygon Tan said that gamers no longer have the stereotype of guys in basements attached to them. That has long been dispelled, adding that Razer believes in being inclusive. Tan also said that Razer doesn’t want to “condescend to women with PR marketing ploys.”
He revealed that when Razer goes to ergonomics during the design process of a new product it takes women into consideration, Tan has actually be quite vocal about this in the past as well. “But painting it pink is condescending,” says the CEO.
These comments come a few days after Razer unveiled the new series of its Neon Kraken headphones and headsets. Available in six fluorescent colors, Tans says that some of these will appeal to women but does say that they weren’t designed only with women in mind. The new series is a special editing of the company’s popular Kraken headsets.
One can raise the argument that how does a company really design a product that appeals to women? They don’t wear headphones in a unique fashion or handle a keyboard in a manner that might seem foreign to men. Some might even say that this is needlessly being made into a gender issue.
The fact is that there will always be different views on this subject but at least Razer is willing to look beyond painting technology pink.
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