It’s a laptop with three screens built for gaming, a machine that claims to be the first of its kind. And it’s been stolen.
California-based gaming firm Razer says two prototypes of its yet-to-be-released laptop were swiped from its booth at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Sunday. And it’s willing to pay $25,000 to find out who took them.
“Our teams worked months on end to conceptualize and develop these units,” CEO Min-Liang Tan said on Facebook, describing the theft as potential industrial espionage.
“It is cheating, and cheating doesn’t sit well with us,” he said. “Anyone who would do this clearly isn’t very smart.”
Razer describes the laptop, named Project Valerie, as “a new standard for immersive entertainment.” It says the device’s three built-in 17-inch screens will replace the cluttered multiple-monitor setup that gamers favor.
It was unveiled at CES on Thursday, three days before the two prototypes were taken from Razer’s press room at the annual tech conference, according to the company.
Razer is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for any information that leads to the identification, arrest and conviction of the thief.
“We have filed the necessary reports and are currently working with the show management as well as law enforcement to address this issue,” Tan said.
The Consumer Technology Association, which produces CES, said it regretted the theft and would work with law enforcement officials and Razer.
“The security of our exhibitors, attendees and their products and materials is our highest priority,” it said in a statement. “We use a wide variety of security measures at our show to combat theft.”