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Would you consider purchasing an EVE Keyboard

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Pyre Mage
Libertad Consortium
#1 - 2015-08-07 19:21:08 UTC  |  Edited by: Pyre Mage
I have developed a keyboard devoted to EVE and would like to market it. It has 62 keys and a two line display. It is currently fully functional but lacks a bezel. Several friends of mine say I should finish it out and market it. I am curious if there is a market for it - so, would you consider purchasing it - as a finished product?

How much would you pay for a dedicated keyboard?

Please let me know what you think.

Pyre

PS Take the + off of the URL
Rune Mangeiri
Heaven's Angels
#2 - 2015-08-07 19:30:02 UTC
Maybe if you can explain the features it has. Just looking at your pictures kind of leaves me wondering what I'm looking at.
Steve Ronuken
Fuzzwork Enterprises
Vote Steve Ronuken for CSM
#3 - 2015-08-07 19:34:22 UTC
Bear in mind you can't market it as an Eve keyboard, unless you talk to CCP and arrange a licensing agreement for their trademarks (I'd think. IANAL, of course)

Honestly? Probably not. I have a G13 and I barely use it.

Woo! CSM XI!

Fuzzwork Enterprises

Twitter: @fuzzysteve on Twitter
Pyre Mage
Libertad Consortium
#4 - 2015-08-07 19:53:14 UTC
Actually, I've started a dialog with CCP, but have yet to get anybody's attention. That's why I started this thread, hoping to get somebody in CCP to answer me.

I can market it as just a stand-alone product if needed.
Pyre Mage
Libertad Consortium
#5 - 2015-08-07 19:59:00 UTC
These are the current commands loaded into the kb:

Name Function
H1 Activate High-1
H2 Activate High-2
H3 Activate High-3
H4 Activate High-4
DJG Dock/Jump/Activate Gate
Sc Open Scanner
NA Need Armor
NS Need Shield
OH Over Heat High
H6 Activate High-6
H7 Activate High-7
H8 Activate High-8
AP Auto-Pilot
Mp Open Map
BT Broadcast: Target
BL Broadcast: Location
H5 Activate High-5
M2 Activate Medium-2
M3 Activate Medium-3
M4 Activate Medium-4
DE Drones: Engage
NC Need Capacitor
Or Orbit
AF All-ahead Full
M1 Activate Medium-1
M6 Activate Medium-6
M7 Activate Medium-7
M8 Activate Medium-8
DO Drones: Orbit
NB Need Backup
L@ Look At
Ac Accelerate
OH Over Heat Medium
L2 Activate Low-2
L3 Activate Low-3
BL Activate Low-4
DR Drones: Return to Bay
W2 Warp To:
TO Tactical Overlay
Dc Decelerate
M5 Activate Medium-5
L5 Activate Low-5
L6 Activate Low-6
L7 Activate Low-7
Ap Approach
KR Keep At Range
NT Next Target
AS All-Stop
L1 Activate Low-1
Lf Ship Left
Up Up
L8 Activate Low-8
UL Unlock
Al Align
PT Previous Target
ZI Zoom In
OH Over Heat Low
Dn Down
Rt Ship Right
Lc Lock Target
RA Reload Ammo
ZO Zoom Out
Pyre Mage
Libertad Consortium
#6 - 2015-08-07 19:59:54 UTC
Steve Ronuken wrote:
Bear in mind you can't market it as an Eve keyboard, unless you talk to CCP and arrange a licensing agreement for their trademarks (I'd think. IANAL, of course)

Honestly? Probably not. I have a G13 and I barely use it.



Thanks, Steve!
Zappity
New Eden Tank Testing Services
#7 - 2015-08-08 07:43:27 UTC
CCP should release their own keyboard and only allow input broadcasting with that model. That would be hilarious.

Zappity's Adventures for a taste of lowsec and nullsec.
Mr Twinkie
Semper Iratus Omni Tempore
Goonswarm Federation
#8 - 2015-08-08 09:11:36 UTC
I mean the only reason I see to do this is if you enjoy building stuff. Which I assume you do, so go for it..

But as for selling it, EVE really has no need for a dedicated board. Pressing F1 - F6 isn't hard for anyone... Not to mention you can rebind everything else already.

MAMBA/The-Culture Head of IT

Dramiel - An EVE Bot for Discord

!!Hosted Dramiel Service!!
Pyre Mage
Libertad Consortium
#9 - 2015-08-08 14:07:09 UTC
Mr Twinkie wrote:
I mean the only reason I see to do this is if you enjoy building stuff. Which I assume you do, so go for it..

But as for selling it, EVE really has no need for a dedicated board. Pressing F1 - F6 isn't hard for anyone... Not to mention you can rebind everything else already.



Thanks, Mr. T
Pew Terror
All of it
#10 - 2015-08-10 03:02:57 UTC
Love what you did, but tbh this is very far from a product.

You really need to step up the production quality, just slapping together a 5$ HID USB controller and a couple of cheap pushbuttons is noy gonna cut it. Look into CAD designing your keyboard, get proper keys (cherry switches or use arcade switches (SANWA etc)), get a prototype 3D printed, get it alu laser cut when finished.

All of this is nowadays cheap and accessible to an individual.
Pyre Mage
Libertad Consortium
#11 - 2015-08-10 04:13:08 UTC  |  Edited by: Pyre Mage
Pew Terror wrote:
Love what you did, but tbh this is very far from a product.

You really need to step up the production quality, just slapping together a 5$ HID USB controller and a couple of cheap pushbuttons is noy gonna cut it. Look into CAD designing your keyboard, get proper keys (cherry switches or use arcade switches (SANWA etc)), get a prototype 3D printed, get it alu laser cut when finished.

All of this is nowadays cheap and accessible to an individual.




Thanks for the advice. What you see currently is merely proof-of-concept. My intent with this thread is to discern whether this idea is worth pursuing. Obviously, my next step would be to design the bezel and begin dialog with CCP for licensing the logo. Only then will I start sourcing suppliers for better quality parts.

I have several ideas for betterment of this as a marketable product, such as active lighting for the module buttons; but only if the demand can be identified will I put forth the effort. Otherwise, it will remain as my personal game keyboard as it has completely changed how I play EVE.

My question still remains: would you consider purchasing this as a finished product?
Desmont McCallock
#12 - 2015-08-10 06:49:49 UTC  |  Edited by: Desmont McCallock
Only if you put it on KickStarter you will see any serious response and in the meanwhile can raise the needed capital to fund your endevour.
Jarno Midumulf
Riders of Sleipnir
Backdoor Crashers
#13 - 2015-08-10 10:24:48 UTC
it looks nice!

the downside i see now is that it's very square...
I think it looks better if you make it more rectangle
Pyre Mage
Libertad Consortium
#14 - 2015-08-10 18:37:45 UTC
Jarno Midumulf wrote:
it looks nice!

the downside i see now is that it's very square...
I think it looks better if you make it more rectangle


Yeah, I'm seeing a much rounder bezel in my head...with backlit keys...
Generic Marketting Character
Doomheim
#15 - 2015-08-13 10:03:25 UTC
While the idea is novel, as steve said most people have macro keyboards, gamepads - and guess what. They never get used, and they can be used for multiple applications.

It's a cool concept, and personally as a hacker something that I think would be fun to build for yourself, I don't really see an avenue for making it commercially viable.
Somal Thunder
Pator Tech School
Minmatar Republic
#16 - 2015-08-19 00:49:25 UTC
The whole dream for an EVE keyboard died when they prevented ejecting while you have a weapons timer. Also, not being able to self destruct immediately kind of kills it. If I don't need a glass-covered flip-switch button thing, maybe even key-operated, to self-destruct or eject or in some other way GTFO my ship immediately (and save them snakes or whatever) then I don't need a keyboard.