Every year, hardware manufacturers around the globe think up loads of wild and crazy ideas, and actually put them into production, and attempt to sell them to us, the players. Here is my top 5 pieces of hardware that did actually sell, but are fatally flawed in some way…

5. Headset Microphone.
Yes, I know it is quite a useful piece of hardware, but you have to bear in mind that it has little or no use in games. Games like Novalogic’s F22 Lightning 3 have voice communications between team members, which is quite useful instead of typing the message out, but this raises your ping increadibly, and this can mean only one thing – Almost Certain Death! Keep the mic for ICQ voice messages!

4. The Beatmania DJ Deck Thing.
Think about it, this is a peripheral for a "Parappa ‘da Rapper" style game, that can just as easily be played with the PSX controller. Go figure…

3. Elsa "3D Glasses".
Before I start, no, they are not glasses with different coloured lenses, but are instead twin LCD shutters. Using the software provided, it is possible to have a different image from the screen going to each eye, but in such a way that you do not notice it. It does work suprisingly well, although disorientating at first. A bit expensive for something that adds to the gameplaying experience, not make your gameplay better.

2. The Microsoft "Dual Strike" Joypad.
It is essencially a joypad in 2 bits, but joined together by a hinge. It’s made with FPS games in mind, but the range of movement of the hinge is too slow and too small to do any real damage to your opponents with. It’s yet another piece of crap.

1. The Boomslang Mice.
Yes, I know that top games players use this as their "weapon of choice", and that they are designed so that you are more accurate and responsive while you are playing, but they don’t quite agree with many people. For a start, the mouse ball is lower down the mouse, so it is closer to the ball of your hand. Also, the internals are more sensitive than most normal mice, so therefore allowing for faster turning and movement. Strangely, neither of these are easy to get used to. It takes literally ages to get used to it, thanks to it’s over sensitivity. It’s buttons (That take up about half the size of the mouse in the first place) are way too big to be of any use, and too sensitive to boot. Completely useless for Windows navigation, and difficult to use in deathmatches. And the price is a complete and utter joke! Sorry Razer, but you have to do better than that!