About Creative

Creative Announces the All New Sound Blaster^® Tactic3D Line of Gaming Headsets for A Completely Immersive 3D Audio Experience

SINGAPORE - 9 November 2010 - Creative Technology Ltd. today announced the new line of Tactic^3D™ gaming headsets featuring THX TruStudio Pro™ technology for a completely immersive 3D audio experience. The Creative Sound Blaster^® Tactic^3D Alpha™ and Creative Sound Blaster Tactic^3D Sigma™ gaming headsets are the first Sound Blaster headsets to feature customisable profiles, for a precise audio experience every time.

“Creative gaming headsets are the only headsets in the world to deliver a true 3D immersive experience - with sound coming from around you, above you and from below. As games have evolved and 3D video has become the norm, Creative headsets with THX TruStudio Pro are the perfect complement, providing gamers with a completely immersive, mind-blowing 3D audio and video experience,” said Steve Erickson, VP and GM for Audio-Video Group at Creative.

“We've taken our THX TruStudio Pro audio technology suite and given gamers control of every nuance of the way their games sound, allowing them to customise their own TacticProfile™, which can then be shared with other gamers. We have even included pre-configured profiles from world-renowned gamers such as Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel and members from international professional gaming teams compLexity and Dignitas, allowing gamers with one click of their mouse to reconfigure the headset audio properties to the exact specification of the professional gamer,” said Ryan Schlieper, Product Manager for Gaming Audio at Creative.

The THX TruStudio Pro audio technology, developed by the legendary sound engineers at Creative, in conjunction with THX, uses proprietary advanced algorithms that allow sounds to be recreated above, below and all around the gamer, surpassing the limitations of typical 5.1 and 7.1 headsets. It also allows gamers to hear voices and sounds in amazing detail regardless of how far away they are, making the Tactic^3D line of headsets the optimal way to fully experience audio in the next generation of 3D gaming.

THX TruStudio Pro Surround™ delivers a 360 degree surround sound gaming experience so gamers can hear sounds clearly from the front, back, above and below. “The difference between hearing sounds just to the left of me versus to left and above me is huge when playing in a tournament match. THX TruStudio Pro Surround gives me the advantage I need versus using standard 5.1 and 7.1 headsets,” said Yfran "Eafra" Garcia, professional FIFA player.

THX TruStudio Pro features proprietary THX TruStudio Pro Crystalizer™ real-time audio restoration technology, which enhances in-game sound by restoring low and high end frequency curves lost to compression. “With THX TruStudio Pro Crystalizer, we hear details that you just aren't able to hear otherwise, which gives us a definite competitive advantage,” said Alex "Sodah" Ringe, professional World of Warcraft player.

THX TruStudio Pro Smart Volume™ addresses the problem of abrupt volume level changes in games by automatically and continuously measuring volume, and intelligently applying gain and attenuation to compensate for those changes. “In critical gaming matches, there is a lot going on audio-wise. You have team leaders calling out instructions, gun fire and other audio cues happening all around you. Having THX TruStudio Pro Smart Volume is important because it allows me to hear everything in the map, near or far,” said David "Xp3" Garrido, professional Counter-Strike player.

THX TruStudio Pro Dialog Plus™ enhances voices during in-game communication for clearer dialogue, allowing the gamer to hear the dialogue over the rest of the sounds and over ambient noise in the listening environment. “Whether you are listening to dialogue or listening to your team strat caller, it's critical to be able to hear commands clearly and THX TruStudio Pro Dialog Plus allows voices to cut through in-game audio even in the most intense situations,” said Michael "Twix" Shane, professional World of Warcraft player.

Explosive THX TruStudio Pro Bass™ produces heart-pounding, customisable bass levels without compromising signal integrity. “It is always satisfying to get a frag with the rocket launcher. It is even more satisfying with THX TruStudio Pro Bass enabled,” said Brian "dkt" Flander, professional Quake Live player.

All of the features within the THX TruStudio Pro software suite are completely customisable and can be saved with the TacticProfile feature, so gamers do not have to modify their settings every time they play.

Key Features of the Creative Sound Blaster Tactic^3D Alpha Headset

• 40mm Neodymium drivers for great gaming audio performance
• Optimised lightweight design for marathon game play
• THX TruStudio Pro software suite for an immersive audio experience
• Customisable TacticProfile enable gamers to save their own settings or use pre-configured settings from pro-gamers
• Programmable VoiceFX for voice morphing into in-game characters or during VoIP chats
• Detachable noise-cancelling microphone allows headset to be used as great sounding headphones
• Dual Mode™ USB 2.0 adapter enables headset to be used in analogue mode
• Non-tangle flat ribbon cable

Key Features of the Creative Sound Blaster Tactic^3D Sigma Headset

• All of the features of the Creative Sound Blaster Tactic^3D Alpha, plus:
  • 50mm Neodymium gaming-tuned linear high-resolution drivers
  • Steel core headband for a precise fit with maximum durability

Pricing and Availability
The Creative Sound Blaster Tactic^3D Alpha and Creative Sound Blaster Tactic^3D Sigma will be available at the online store at creative.com/shop and authorised dealers in Asia from mid December 2010 onwards at the suggested retail prices of US$59.99 and US$89.99 respectively. Pricing and availability may vary according to region.

For more information about the Creative Sound Blaster Tactic^3D Alpha and Creative Sound Blaster Tactic^3D Sigma, please visit www.soundblaster.com.

About Creative
Creative is a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products. Famous for its Sound Blaster^® sound cards and for launching the multimedia revolution, Creative is now driving digital entertainment on the PC platform with products like its highly acclaimed ZEN^® MP3 and portable media players. Creative's innovative hardware, proprietary technology, applications and services leverage the Internet, enabling consumers to experience high-quality digital entertainment - anytime, anywhere.

# # # 

This announcement relates to products launched in the Asia Pacific. Availability is subject to change without notice and may differ elsewhere in the world according to local factors and requirements. Sound Blaster, Tactic^3D, TacticProfile, Dual Mode and ZEN are trademarks or registered trademarks of Creative Technology Ltd in the United States and/or other countries. THX & THX TruStudio Pro are trademarks of THX Ltd. which may be registered in some jurisdictions. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.