Due to the ongoing global pandemic this year Consumer Electronics Show is a completely online business. Game hardware manufacturer ASUS takes the digital format of the show to the extreme ROG Cetatea XV, a free download on Steam that is a (small) first person shooter part, a fantastic virtual hardware showroom part.
ROG stands for Republic of Gamers, the luxury gaming brand ASUS, as seen on laptops, desktops, video cards, monitors, graphics cards, motherboards and more. ROG Cetatea XV is a high-tech operations base for this fictitious organization, whose player is an operator. The game begins with the player waking up in their neighborhoods, where a naughty robot named Omni greets them and offers to take them on a tour.
The tour takes the player to a virtual showroom, where the ASUS 2021 hardware range is displayed. Hardware such as the Zephyrus Duo 15 SE, an exciting new gaming laptop with a secondary screen that can be raised to open an outlet hidden air to promote cooling. I found out about Zephyrus Duo 15 by walking up to it in the game showroom and clicking on it.
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Each product in the showroom receives its own very detailed 3D model, with specifications and details on the left and interactive articles on the right. Click the keyboard switch to the left of the ROG Claymore II keyboard and the keys on the virtual board fly, pointing to the soft optical switches below.
Aside from exploring and clicking on secrets, there aren’t a lot of real games in there ROG Cetatea XV. There is a shooting range, complete with online rankings, but there is only one usable pistol and it is very rudimentary.
Check out the video below for a quick, uncommented tour of the Citadel, including a quick look at the photo gallery.
It’s advertising, of course. ROG Cetatea XVThe main reason for its existence is the sale of ASUS stuff. But heck, what an attractive way to interact with the company’s CES 2021 range. Give me this over a boring press release or web catalog any day.