News and Reviews....
READY For GIZMONDO ? August 2005
By Robert Lieto
Releasing on August 11 is the Tiger Telematics product "GIZMONDO". A portable entertainment device that touts a built-in digital camera, Internet capability, messaging, GPS device and multimedia game player, all for $399.00 MSRP. A separate device with built-in advertising through Smart-Adds will sell for $299.00.
SMART-Adds clips will run for 20 - 30 seconds, and then a barcode coupon will appear along with mapping directions on how to get to the retailer's nearest location. Plus, there also will be downloadable previews of music, movies and other special offers exclusive to Gizmondo.
The US launch will see 15 to 20 games, mostly first party titles from Gizmondo, at $20 to $40 each. One hundred (100) games are expected for the system by year's end. Gizmondo sold some 560,000 devices in Europe through preorders. Several video game analysts hadn't seen the device, and those who did aren't high on the machine.
Like the SONY PSP machine the Gizmondo plays music and movies. The company is in negotiations with movie studios for content. The Gizmondo uses 64MB SD cards for games, music and movies. Also expected is a downloading service for movies and music from a PC to the Gizmondo.
Technology will be a key selling point for the device. Game developers are integrating the camera, Gyroscope and GPS into game play. In addition to importing a picture of a player's face into a game, the camera can recognize real-world symbols and images and transport them into the game experience. The GPS will allow a gamer to play a role-playing game and have a current time of day and weather directly impact the game. The Gyroscope will let players tilt the Gizmondo to control the perspective in a first-person shooter.
Gizmondo has a 2.8 inch screen. It runs on Windows CE and is capable of playing Windows Media Player formatted MPEG4 movies, games and music (MP3s) and also supports Bluetooth for wireless gaming.
Comment ..... Head to head with SONY. It is not the first time a new gaming product has entered the field to push aside the others with something new. The outcome is whether the product catches on with the young gaming players. Will they make use of its unique features to make the product a fad and must have? Although the product does not have a telephone it does have internet service which could lead to VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) and make it a truly all in one pocket machine. We will have to wait and see.
UPDATE: November 2006 You might not have seen many GIZMONDO devices after looking high and low, because the tale of the company has taken some very bizarre turns. Remember the $1 million dollar ENZO FERRARI that was crashed in Malibu this past summer, well that car was being driven by Bo Eriksson, the former executive of the bankrupt video game company Gizmondo Europe. It seems that Gizmondo Europe tanked and Bo decided to bolt to the United States with the Ferrari and a few other exotic cars, he rented a multimillion-dollar California mansion and was living pretty hit on the hog. Because of the car crash in which estimated speeds of 160 MPH were calculated and the investigation of who was driving the sliced in two auto, turned up Mr. Bo Eriksson, After a plea agreement, Bo was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty to embezzlement and drunken driving charges and will be deported after his sentence. So long Gizmondo.
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