Back in September, we met up with AK Racing at EGX to discuss current goings on, plans for the future and have a general catch up.
AK Racing are by no means a young upstart on the gaming chair scene. Established in 2001, they have been in the business longer than many and evolved out of the custom racing seat movement of the ‘90s. Unlike many of their competitors however, AK Racing have direct links to a manufacturing OEM based in Asia, which can allow for more agile development of new designs rather than not-so-novel variations on a well-worn theme.
Until recently AK Racing’s involvement in the EU market was somewhat hands-off, opting to channel their efforts (both marketing and product development) through a distributor. Unfortunately, this status quo was far from ideal; resurgent demand, new competition and the unique nature of streaming as a means of driving brand awareness necessitated a change in direction. Now teams have far closer ties to regional markets while maintaining deep links with their Asian OEM.
Short term effects are more profound for retailers than the consumer, especially these without their own in-house gaming seat brand. In the long-term however the benefits have the potential to be considerable. In particular, long-term support should be far more comprehensive and responsive, and new product development can be actioned with a greater understanding of each region’s unique requirements.
You can see more of AK Racing’s range at https://www.akracing.com/ and don’t be at all surprised if they’re a far more visible presence at events such as EGX than they have been until now.
AK Racing are by no means a young upstart on the gaming chair scene. Established in 2001, they have been in the business longer than many and evolved out of the custom racing seat movement of the ‘90s. Unlike many of their competitors however, AK Racing have direct links to a manufacturing OEM based in Asia, which can allow for more agile development of new designs rather than not-so-novel variations on a well-worn theme.
Until recently AK Racing’s involvement in the EU market was somewhat hands-off, opting to channel their efforts (both marketing and product development) through a distributor. Unfortunately, this status quo was far from ideal; resurgent demand, new competition and the unique nature of streaming as a means of driving brand awareness necessitated a change in direction. Now teams have far closer ties to regional markets while maintaining deep links with their Asian OEM.
Short term effects are more profound for retailers than the consumer, especially these without their own in-house gaming seat brand. In the long-term however the benefits have the potential to be considerable. In particular, long-term support should be far more comprehensive and responsive, and new product development can be actioned with a greater understanding of each region’s unique requirements.
You can see more of AK Racing’s range at https://www.akracing.com/ and don’t be at all surprised if they’re a far more visible presence at events such as EGX than they have been until now.
