Astro Gaming has been the official headset for PAX conventions for the past eight years, but the recently concluded PAX West stands out because of the partnership that was announced between the audio company, Adult Swim and Cartoon Network. To promote the new line of products, Astro revealed special limited edition headsets and themed speaker tags at PAX West featuring the shows Rick and Morty, Adventure Time and Steven Universe. Additionally, Rick and Morty creator Justin Roiland was at the event to meet fans and sign autographs.
Cristopher “Soup” Lee, Astro Gaming’s director of partnerships and licensing, spoke to [a]listdaily about revealing the partnership with Adult Swim and Cartoon Network at PAX West, and how it marks the start of bigger things to come.
How did the partnership to create Adult Swim and Cartoon Network-themed speaker tags come together?
We’re huge fans of Adult Swim and Cartoon Network, and Rick and Morty is a personal favorite. When we found out that the Adult Swim and Cartoon Network creators and crew were fans of Astro, it was only natural for us to combine our forces and work on something really special together for the Astro headsets.
How did you decide on which TV shows to feature with the PAX West limited edition headsets?
We wanted to feature them all! Adventure Time, Steven Universe and Rick and Morty are all such amazing shows that appeal to a wide variety of different fans and gamers; we wanted to get something out there for everyone who loves those shows, and there’s no better event than PAX to do it! These limited sets were just the beginning—we’ve got even more stuff planned for the future.
How do the Astro Gaming, Adult Swim and Cartoon Network brands match together?
We have a lot in common, actually. Sound is important to our fans; whether you’re gaming, watching a show or listening to music, Astro products deliver on that premium audio experience. We’ve worked very closely with both the Cartoon Network and Adult Swim teams to create these tags using their amazing art and iconic characters so fans can customize their Astro headsets and have the best of both worlds (sound and style), whether on the go with A38s or at home gaming on A40s. We also brought Justin Roiland, the co-creator and voice of Rick and Morty, out to PAX West for a meet and greet and signing to continue to tell that story of how closely we work together on these products.
What does it mean for Astro to be the official headset for PAX?
We’re family. Astro has been the official headset of PAX since 2008, so we’ve had a long and strong relationship with Penny Arcade for not only West but all the PAX shows for many years. In addition to the 300+ headsets we provide for the PC Freeplay area at PAX, we also have our headsets featured in over seven different partner booths at West. PAX has always been a great way for us to engage with our fans directly and let them experience the quality and comfort of our products while also delivering an immersive audio experience with partner games and content at the show.
What are some of the products that were shown?
PAX West is the official unveiling of our partnership with Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. We’ve got Rick and Morty, Adventure Time, and Steven Universe limited edition speaker tags, A40 TRs, our Mixamp Pro, brand new headset stands, as well as our licensed mod-kits and we’re also demoing the upcoming A50 wireless headsets that you can experience in our booth which feature the all new A50 mod-kit system and new charging base station for PC, Xbox and PS4.
How many different ways were there for attendees to experience Astro Gaming audio products at PAX West?
Not only can attendees try our products at the Astro booth but also in the Freeplay area, as well any of our PAX West partners’ booths. We had over 500+ Astro headsets on the floor at PAX for fans to try out. As the official headset of PAX, our headsets will continue to be available for people to try out at all the other PAX shows in case you couldn’t make it out to PAX West this year.
What would you say sets Astro products apart from the competition?
Astro has always been a leader in the space. At our core we’re gamers, some of us are even former professional gamers, so when Astro came together it was to solve glaring issues with gaming headsets on the market like comfort, quality, style and communication, and we delivered. Astro has been building on that promise to give fans that premium audio experience that is immersive and comfortable.
Audio is important to us and our partners, so we work very closely with the development teams to create these products that truly deliver the best-in-class audio gaming experience for their content. With the mod-kits and custom speaker tags, fans have even more freedom to customize their Astro gear and really express themselves making these products their own. Gaming is a lifestyle and Astro will continue to highlight that story with our partners, products and fans.
