Yet another new, doomed handheld: Gametrac

[Ze_ro]

Looks like there will soon be yet another powerful (yet ultimately doomed) handheld debuted at CES. Read all about it, and check out the completely obscure, odd-angled picture of the device.

Some buzzwords from the article:

• Microsoft is backing it
• It'll run Windows CE.NET
• 400 MHz ARM9 processor
• 64-bit graphics accelerator
• MPEG4 movie playback
• MP3 audio playback
• SMS and MMS text messaging (hasn't this fad disappeared yet? Who really cares about text messaging?)
• High resolution JPEG digital camera (?)
• Bluetooth 2 and GPRS wireless networking
• Tri-band GSM for wireless connections, but not cellular voice communications
• 2.8", 320x240 screen

They say they'll be showing three titles at CES (yet they don't name any of them), and they don't mention anything about the price.

I find it curious that this thing has all the capabilities of a cell-phone, yet it won't let you use it as a cell-phone. Interesting.

--Zero

[Bratwurst]

If it plays movies and mp3s then chances are good there is some sort of rewritable media being used, and when you look at the processor specs and the resolution (320x240!!) this would make it the perfect showcase for a SNES / Genesis emulator.

[Sylentwulf]

And it will only be $300, like the PSP, and every other doomed handheld ever released.
I REALLY had my hopes up for Sony, until I heard the release price.

[zmweasel]

And it will only be $300, like the PSP, and every other doomed handheld ever released.
I REALLY had my hopes up for Sony, until I heard the release price.

Sony officially announced a $299 MSRP for the PSP? When and where was this?

-- Z.

[kai123]

http://www.nurve.net/ngear/

Here is another one for you look at. It is from the guys who are making the xgamestation thing. Found it at www.insertcredit.com

[jonjandran]

And it will only be $300, like the PSP, and every other doomed handheld ever released.
I REALLY had my hopes up for Sony, until I heard the release price.

Sony officially announced a $299 MSRP for the PSP? When and where was this?

-- Z.

In one of the latest game magazines they quoted a Sony rep as saying " Sony might price the PSP at the same price point as the GBA SP "
The magazine said it was probably not true but here's hoping it is.

[GameGuru]

In one of the latest game magazines they quoted a Sony rep as saying "Sony might price the PSP at the same price point as the GBA SP". The magazine said it was probably not true but here's hoping it is.

Yeah I don't see this happening. The technology alone would make it cost probably $300 or more to make, that would be a huge firesale!

[devilman]

[*]SMS and MMS text messaging (hasn't this fad disappeared yet? Who really cares about text messaging?)

Maybe they're catering for a worldwide market with that one? From an article on the BBC site from May it says that in the UK alone, we send 1.7 billion text messages a MONTH.

[Slipdeath]

http://www.nurve.net/ngear/

Here is another one for you look at. It is from the guys who are making the xgamestation thing. Found it at www.insertcredit.com

that looks really fake

[zmweasel]

In one of the latest game magazines they quoted a Sony rep as saying "Sony might price the PSP at the same price point as the GBA SP". The magazine said it was probably not true but here's hoping it is. :D

Yeah I don't see this happening. The technology alone would make it cost probably $300 or more to make, that would be a huge firesale!

It wouldn't be a "firesale" -- it would be Sony competing on price point, as it knows it has to. In any case, we won't know an official MSRP until E3 '04.

-- Z.

[Sylentwulf]

I've read from multiple places that they're guessing around $300.
Multiple well-informed sources don't usually guess more than $200 off the mark, and unless it's priced at $100 (ok, maybe $150) it's NOT going to compete.

[zmweasel]

I've read from multiple places that they're guessing around $300.
Multiple well-informed sources don't usually guess more than $200 off the mark, and unless it's priced at $100 (ok, maybe $150) it's NOT going to compete.

"Multiple well-informed sources"? Eh. My sources (developers, publishers, ed-in-chief journalists) are as well-informed as any, and their speculations are all over the place.

I agree that a $299 PSP would bomb, but I don't think it would fail at $149 or even $199, considering its capabilities. Again, I can't wait for E3 '04 to end the price-point guessing.

-- Z.

[Flack]

On that NGEAR thing ... I never trust a picture leaked to the net that says "confidential" written on it. That reeks of a hoax, imho.

On the PSP ... I have no ties to insiders anywhere, but I can tell you I'm done buying $300 gadgets. That is just TOO much for me to play games on the go. My laptop or my GP32 will just have to do for the time being. If you can get a PSOne and an LCD screen for $100 or so, there's no reason to pay 3x that for mobile psx games.

[Ze_ro]

Gametrac promises three titles on display, as well as the system's music player, text messaging system, and a new multimedia advertising system, "Smart Ads." The prospect of a handheld game player that can receive animating junk mail may give some gamers pause

Anyone else notice that? I just noticed it now when reading the article again... Considering the amount of spam and telemarketing calls I receive, I think I'll pass.

... of course, hackers will find a way to disable that within about a week of release anyways.

--Zero

[MarioAllStar2600]

This thing sounds really cool. But $300 seems liek a little much. Im really dissapointed that the PSP is goign to be $300. But maybe it will give Nintendo even more of a chance to stay in the market.

[zmweasel]

This thing sounds really cool. But $300 seems liek a little much. Im really dissapointed that the PSP is goign to be $300. But maybe it will give Nintendo even more of a chance to stay in the market.

Nothing to be disappointed about yet, since the PSP's price point has yet to be announced; everyone's just guessing at this point, and their guesses are all over the place. E3 '04 will be the PSP's unveiling, and will bring with it an official MSRP.

-- Z.

[Sylentwulf]

"Multiple well-informed sources"? Eh. My sources (developers, publishers, ed-in-chief journalists) are as well-informed as any, and their speculations are all over the place.

I agree that a $299 PSP would bomb, but I don't think it would fail at $149 or even $199, considering its capabilities. Again, I can't wait for E3 '04 to end the price-point guessing.

Maybe not the most INFORMED sources, but gamepro, any Ziff-Davis publication (EGM) Reports on Lik Sang, and Gamespot, as well as IGN.
ALL of these have quoted around $300 as a launch price. While I'm not bed-buddies with any god-like developers and publishers, I trust what is being repeatedly sent through multiple sources to the public in general, because those places are gonna get NAILED if they're wrong.

[kai123]

Sorry but I am not crapping my pants over some specs. I will wait and play one in the store before I decide.

[TheRedEye]

Rather than getting offended and allowing your pride to be hurt, wulf, why don't you just link us to an article from one of the online sources you just listed? We're still just taking your word for it, and you're taking their word for it, and we still don't know where this price speculation is coming from.

I'll give you an example of a source. Gizmodo reports that a Koei representative "wouldn't be surprised" if the PSP was sold for 60,000 yen (about $550).

Unreliable, probably untrue, but it's a source. Your turn.

[Sylentwulf]

Most weren't online, I'm not going to buy a scanner and find the magazine articles, and I don't keep links to every article I read online But if I can find them, I'll be glad to link up to them. It wasn't so much as my pride being hurt as it was the "I'm the know it all connected hub of the videogame industry" attitude ZMweasel had to act like when he replied

I don't have to be right, and frankly, I hope to hell that I'm wrong, cuz I'd really like to get one, but no way for $300.