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Friday, December 5, 2003
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New mobile game console to offer GPS positioning
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The latest entry into the mobile console market, a unit called
the Gametrac, is set to offer GPS positioning and data
communications functionality, as well as music and movie
playback.
The system, which is being developed by Tiger Telematics
subsidiary Gametrac Europe, is due for launch in Q2 2004, and
sports a comprehensive feature-set for a mobile device, including
Bluetooth support and a built in digital camera.
Interestingly, however, the device doesn't seem to be built to
allow voice calls - making it very much into a game system with
added wireless functionality, rather than a replacement mobile
phone. It will however support MP3 music and MPEG4 movie
playback.
The GPS functionality is an unusual addition to the offering, and
while it certainly offers potential for interesting gameplay
twists - knowing the physical location of everyone in an online
game could be a powerful tool in the hands of a good game
designer - it seems mostly to have been incorporated with parents
in mind, as it will, in theory, enable them to track the location
of their wayward offspring wherever they may be.
In terms of games, the Gametrac will use the Mophun software
platform, licensed from Synergenix, for 2D and 3D game engine
functionality. Mophun is already used in a number of high end
phones from Sony Ericsson, and should allow the majority of Java
wireless games to be ported to the Gametrac easily - or simply to
run straight off, without modifications.
The system itself is laid out like a GBA-style handheld console,
with a 4.2 x 3.5cm screen (offering 320x200 resolution in 16 bit
colour) sat between an eight-way d-pad, four face buttons and two
shoulder buttons. The camera lens is on the back of the unit.
It's not known what exactly will be inside the system in hardware
terms, but we do know that it'll take removable SD memory cards
(the same as those used by the N-Gage), and it seems likely that
some form of XScale processor (the current evolution of the
popular ARM processor family, a very low end version of which
also powers the GBA) will sit at the heart of the device.
Gametrac Europe seems very serious indeed about its launch,
having secured sponsorship with the Jordan Formula One team
throughout the coming season, and it is working with UK-based
electronics supplier Plextek, with an initial order of 25,000
units of the console already placed. That may seem low, but it's
expected that the first roll-out of the hardware will be in the
UK only.
Of course, the real question is how much the system will cost.
According to respected UK tech news site The Register, which
revealed most of the detail about the system earlier this week,
the Gametrac will launch for around £126 without a SIM, and
mobile networks Orange and T-Mobile are planning to offer it for
£60, presumably tied to a data-only tariff.
It's easy to write off the Gametrac at this early stage. It's
entering a marketplace where Nintendo rules the roost with the
GBA, the N-Gage continues to disappoint despite the backing of
mobile phone giant Nokia, and the shadow of Sony's PSP looms ever
closer. However, it's a brave experiment, and its target audience
seems to be kids and young teens rather than adults (like the
N-Gage and PSP), which instantly makes it into a more interesting
prospect. If Gametrac can find a way to market the device without
going head to head with Nintendo's pint-sized behemoth, there may
well be a slice of the market that's prepared to pick up on this
new entrant. |
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