You could call Gizmondo the handheld machine that wouldn’t die. But actually, it did die– it’s just that its come back to life again. At least that’s what Gizmondo chairman Carl Freer hopes.
Freer says that the failure of the handheld game console back in 2005 wasn’t due to it being substandard but was a result of poor business practices.
"From my point of view the product didn’t fail, the company failed. Gizmondo is, in my opinion, the first multi-function handheld device." The originally launched machine was not only able to play games but also integrated an MP3 player, GPS device, video player, messaging and digital camera all in one compact package.
Gizmondo went bankrupt after the comapny went through a hard year with problems with management and the less than warm reception the Gizmondo received upon its debut.
In what may be the understatement of the year Freer said, "We could never compete with Sony or Nintendo in content." But in saying so, he indicated that the new Gizmondo will be driven by independent software developers instead of trying to get big-name games on board as he did with EA in his first attempts to market Gizmondo. His company spent over $15 million in trying to secure three EA exclusives for the upstart handheld.
To prove his point about going to independent game developers, Freer says that his company will be offering free software developer kits to anyone who wants one in an attempt to jumpstart games for the Gizmondo. He said, "I’m taking a step back. I’m putting the product out there and letting you guys handle development."
No timetable was announced to when it will launch again but if Gizmondo makes it the second time around, it will be the first game console to entirely rely on independent game developers for content. And for that, we hope Gizmondo becomes a success.
