Say the name George Lucas and the name Star Wars comes to mind.
But now it seems that another word, Razer, might be associated with that name, because the Singapore-based gaming hardware company has just acquired George Lucas’ THX for an undisclosed sum.
THX Acquisition Links To Razer’s Plans To Expand
The reason behind Razer’s acquisition of THX is simple – to up their game with their audio products, says CEO Min-Liang in an interview with Tech In Asia.
“For now, the benefits are clear. We’ve got some of the best gaming headsets out there but the rest of our audio products are not as broad,” he says.
Audio products aren’t the only thing Tan has set his sights on with the buying of THX.
As THX is a company that develops home theatre sets, speakers, concerts, and even gaming consoles and video games, he hopes to make use of the technology for other ventures.
“Longer-term, we’ve got the ambition to be one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world,” he says.
According to THX’s press release, the acquisition comes after an active growing period for THX, where they expanded their certification program to live entertainment and concert experiences in the last few months.
Senior vice president of Audio Research and Development at THX, Laurie Fincham, explains that both companies will be able to benefit each other from the merger.
“With their focus on quality, design and innovation, Razer supports our vision to optimise and deliver the best audiovisual experiences to audiences worldwide,” he says.
What Is THX?
If you’re not familiar with what THX is, take a listen to this intro that comes before many well-known movies you’ve seen in the cinemas.
Remember it now?
The company was founded by Indiana Jones and Star Wars creator George Lucas in 1983 as a special audio division for Lucasfilm to ensure high quality sound in movie theatres.
The creation came upon when Lucas was creating his 3rd Star Wars film, Return Of The Jedi, and realised he could improve the way moviegoers enjoyed the cinema experience with a surround sound system.
Since it became independent in 2002, THX has expanded its repertoire from studio and cinema to consumer electronics, content, automotive systems and live entertainment.
THX also dabbles in robust audio-video education programs.
Both Will Be Operating Independently
Despite being acquired by Razer, THX will operate separately, but both companies will work together behind the scenes.
“We will function as a standalone unit. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if we launched a few joint products with Razer,” says THX’s CEO Ty Ahmad-Taylor, in his post in the Medium.
THX will retain all of its existing staff of 50 people and will hire around 15 extra staff to expand its core certification businesses.
With these two big companies partnering together, we’re excited to see what they come up with. This could mean better sound quality for all you gamers out there.
Razer is also known to venture outside its comfort zone, so look forward to exciting and new ideas from both THX and Razer soon!
Feature Image Credit: Digital Trends
