Gizmondo Launching 14 Game Lineup In North America

[Jon Westfall]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://us.gizmodo.com/gadgets/portable-media/gizmondonext-stop-usa-132121.php' target='_blank'>http://us.gizmodo.com/gadgets/porta...-usa-132121.php</a><br /><br /></div><i>"That’s correct my friends, you heard right. Gizmondo really, really will be launching its 14 game lineup in North America on 22 October. Definitely looks like at least two of the games will be from EA and other publishers, like Microsoft and Buena Vista are to follow."</i><br /><br />If you've been eyeing Gizmondo games yet lamenting it's lack of availability, well this is the news you've been waiting for. Today is October 22, so lets see if the games appear ;)

[snorbard]

Chris Morris over at CNN is not impressed.
"Gizmondo Quixotic effort to unseat Game Boy, PSP " - http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/19/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/

[Pony99CA]

Launching on a Saturday seems a bit odd, unless you're trying avoid press coverage. But check out the launch video (http://gizmondo.com/us_launch_intro.asp) at the Gizmondo Web site -- it's pretty cool.

Steve

[Typhoon]

Looking at the intro/ad, I am still not impressed... I think it will sink. There will be very few people who will spend $230 - 500 for it. The DS costs $150 and the PSP costs $250. What are they thinking? I think they are trying to sell a delusion to the stores who are willing to buy the systems to sell.

[mrchampipi]

Yea very sad. I used to believe in this console, but it finaly appears to be plain crap. Misses power, misses decent developers suport (and no, EA's Z dev teams don't count) ...

Only thing I'm still curious about this gizmondo is the upcoming games that will use the console's original features: "gyroscopic camera" for control, gps used in some game, and augmented reality (all 3 annonced by Tigger at last E3).

[Pony99CA]

Looking at the intro/ad, I am still not impressed... I think it will sink. There will be very few people who will spend $230 - 500 for it. The DS costs $150 and the PSP costs $250. What are they thinking? I think they are trying to sell a delusion to the stores who are willing to buy the systems to sell.
Well, if it has good games, it could be worth the $230. On the surface, it has all the features of the $250 PSP and more. The downside is getting ads at that price.

At $400, you get a GPS navigation system. Have you priced PDA GPS navigation systems? If so, you'll realize that $400 is a pretty good price (assuming it works well, of course). It's using CoPilot, which is an established name, so it has promise, I think.

Of course, if it's slow and has a bad user interface like the CNN review said, that won't help.

I still think this device has a lot of promise, but I also don't think it will succeed. There's too much strong competition in the gaming space from the Nintendo DS and PSP to buy an unknown system like this. I think their best hope will be to pitch it as a navigation system that also plays games.

Steve

[arb]

This device looks huge.... but I have seen other pictures showing it not so big. I too believe this system will flop, not because of competition in the field but because it is trying to appeal to too many vertical markets, GPS, GPRS, Camera, Video Player, MP3 Player, Personal Maid :). I personally do not like the Sony PSP because it has too many issues, mostly from Sony. ( Flashing the ROM comes to mind) How many times have you flashed the "Rom" in your GBA?

Now I will say that Gizmodo company has another unit on the horizion which looks a lot like the PSP and has a larger screen. Maybe this company will end up like Nokia with the nGage.

Time will tell.....

[Typhoon]

I think the only thing that can help this company succeed is a really good list of game titles. I can imagine if they ported some really good games, I can imagine someone buying the system. Games like Neverwinter Nights, etc.

[Pony99CA]

I too believe this system will flop, not because of competition in the field but because it is trying to appeal to too many vertical markets, GPS, GPRS, Camera, Video Player, MP3 Player, Personal Maid :). I personally do not like the Sony PSP because it has too many issues, mostly from Sony.
Well, you may not like the PSP, but it seems several million people do like it (including me, for what that's worth).

So did anybody run out and buy a Gizmondo now that it's been available for a week in the U.S.? :-)

Steve

[Typhoon]

Count me out