Scuf Gaming has built its business around eSports. Since launching in early 2011, the company has established the Scuf brand as the go-to controller for console eSports games like Call of Duty and Halo. Approximately 90 percent of console pro gamers use Scuf controllers.
Duncan Ironmonger, CEO, chairman and co-founder at Scuf Gaming, told [a]listdaily that from inception, he always wanted the custom-built controllers to be the face of the Scuf brand. As a result, there are very few articles with him or other executives from the company talking about the products and what they do in their Atlanta, Georgia headquarters.
“I wanted people to talk about the brand,” Ironmonger said. “We like to be thought of as a community brand in that people associate with it by definition of what we invent and integrate into these controllers, and how that helps them improve their game.”
Scuf has just launched two new controllers today, the SCUF IMPACT and the SCUF Infinity 4PS PRO. Ironmonger compared the leap from the older Infinity 4PS to Infinity 4PS PRO to the type of innovations Apple applies when it moves from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone 7s. The Infinity 4PS PRO includes two removable paddles, which are recessed into the back of the controller body, improved switch technology and circuit boards for better click through rates on the paddles.
“The SCUF IMPACT has been in development for 15 months and it’s the first controller we designed with a different size and shape and more aggressive angles,” Ironmonger said. “We can fit four paddles in the back now and there’s a USB cable retention space that pros use when they’re playing games wired.”
Scuf Gaming has built its business on building controllers by hand based on how customers choose to customize them online. Ironmonger said the company has always been cognizant that one controller size does not fit all hands.
The company has focused its marketing efforts on working with pro gamers and influencers. A couple of hundred of these gamers were sent the new controllers early so they could do video unboxings and reviews to connect with their fans. Many of these “affiliates” aren’t paid partnerships.
“They genuinely love the products and they want to use them,” Ironmonger said.
That love has created a trickle-down effect on awareness, according to Ironmonger. Scuf Gaming has partnered with leagues like MLG with the Call of Duty World League, UMG Gaming and Gfinity.
“It’s through these types of pro gaming events that people hear about the brand,” Ironmonger said. “The functional features of our controllers are most advantageous to people who can benefit from the increased dexterity of the hands with the paddles. The pros are going to get the biggest advantage, and then the people who watch them.”
Scuf Gaming did a recent audit of its brand with a consultancy group and found it appeals to pro gamers, high-end gamers, affluent casual gamers, obsessive gamers and “loud and proud gamers”—people who don’t have a lot of money, but have a loud voice on social.
“The brand is designed to appeal to all of these groups because in addition to the pros wanting an edge in competition, there’s the aspirational side of everyday gamers wanting to play better than they currently are,” Ironmonger said. “We see Scuf as a critical tool for any level of competitive gaming, whether you’re competing in a professional or amateur league, or just playing at home.”
More recently, the evolution of competitive gaming with EA Sports’ Madden and FIFA and 2K’s NBA 2K has opened up additional opportunities for the brand.
“We’re seeing a lot more uptake in games like FIFA, which is really taking off on competitive level,” Ironmonger said. “EA has really gotten behind that now. There are more console titles getting competitive with actual prize money from leagues and developers. We’ve seen increased interest across all genres of games, but there’s a natural connection between eSports and sports games.”
Scuf Gaming has been granted 29 patents to date and has another 62 pending. Ironmonger said the company is continually looking at new and innovative ways to improve input devices.
Microsoft licensed Scuf Gaming technology to create its Xbox One Elite controller last year, although not many gamers realize this. But those controllers did expose more gamers to Scuf’s patented paddles and hair triggers, which is key for the brand.
“My vision was always that paddles would become a standard feature for controllers the same way the smartphone is the standard device when you speak with friends and colleagues,” Ironmonger said.
In February, Scuf Gaming received a strategic investment from H.I.G. Growth Partners, the dedicated growth capital investment affiliate of H.I.G. Capital. Ironmonger believes this investment will help the company scale things to next level while growing into new areas within its “input device” wheelhouse.
“We’ve been around six years and stayed true to our original mission to create better products for gamers,” Ironmonger said. “The controller input device can take many forms.”
Moving forward, he sees virtual reality and mobile controllers as new opportunities for the company.
