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Revision as of 15:55, 14 April 2005 by Xevious (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Gizmondo is a handheld gaming console with GPRS and GPS technology, produced by Tiger Telematics. The unit itself is relatively expensive, and as such analysts are dubious about its ability to compete in the crowded portable videogames market.
Gizmondo was released in the United Kingdom on March 19, 2005, initially priced at £229. However, the price of the unit has since fallen to £129, if the user agrees to be sent three adverts per day through the Gizmondo Smart Ads service. The device is due to be released in the US and mainland Europe later in 2005. A catalogue of about 20 games is being prepared for the gadget, including The Great Escape and Conflict Vietnam. The games portfolio is being increased through Tiger's recent purchase of Warthog and a deal made with SCi.
The British-backed gadget faces stiff competition from handheld gaming devices made by Nintendo and Sony, as well as the Tapwave Zodiac.
The Gizmondo device includes a lot of functions inside its black cover and is aimed at gamers and those that want more from their game-playing gadgets. It can be used to play games, music tracks and movies. It can take and store digital photos and be used like a mobile phone to send text, multimedia and e-mail messages.
The phone service to enable people to send messages is being provided by pre-pay Vodafone accounts bundled in with the device. It also works with GPS (Global Position System) so can also be used as a navigation aid or to support a variety of location-based services. The GPRS and Bluetooth wireless data systems onboard mean that it can be used for multi-player gaming.
The gadget is currently available from the Gizmondo store on London's Regent Street and from several other retail partners. Although the device rolls together an impressive list of functions, it will face serious competition from the established names in mobile gaming. The Nintendo DS handheld went on sale on March 11 in the UK, and priced at £99 costs far less than the Gizmondo.
External links
- Gizmondo home page
- GamingMoz - Gizmondo games documentation.
- Gizmondo Gadget hits the shelves - BBC.co.uk on Gizmondo release
- Tiger Telematics