Global technology giant Panasonic has announced its latest gadget, called Jungle. The company that first manufactured the ill-fated 3DO wants another stab at the gaming space, this time with an online-focused handheld console.
Jungle claims to be both a mobile device made specifically for online gamers on the move, and a new ecosystem for MMO games. It's been designed around making online games portable, and releasing addicted web-gamers from the shackles of their desktop.
Best not to expect World of WarCraft or Team Fortress 2 on the go, however. The only announced game so far is Battlestar Galactica Online, a browser-based MMO based on the hit Syfy series. Couple that with rumors that the device runs on Linux, and you're probably looking at Java and Flash games – think FarmVille, Runescape and Maple Story – instead of EVE Online.
The bulky clamshell machine certainly looks rather capable, though. It has a touchpad, a full QWERTY keyboard, traditional gaming buttons and a high-resolution display. Presumably, it packs a 3G connection too, or you’ll be stuck to Wi-Fi hotspots.
It does, however, conjure up memories of other handheld platforms that have failed or vanished into vaporware. Remember the Pandora, the Tapwave Zodiac or the Gizmondo?
Besides staring down Apple's iPhone, Jungle faces stiff competition from the established players in the handheld games space. Nintendo will launch 3DS, featuring stereoscopic 3-D visuals, in Japan on Feb. 26. Sony is rumored to be creating a new PSP that's also an Android phone.
Panasonic's gaming CV isn’t exactly glowing, either. 3DO bombed in 1993 when it entered an already oversaturated market, going head-to-head with the PlayStation and Nintendo 64. Poor third-party support didn’t help, but the $700 price tag was the final nail in the coffin. Three years later, it was discontinued.
The Panasonic Q, a Japan-only hybrid media box that crammed a Gamecube and a DVD player together, was slightly more popular – but mostly because it allowed hackers to easily pirate Gamecube games. Whoops.
The announcement comes just days after Panasonic announced its upcoming phone, which shares technology and a name with the company's range of Lumix cameras. The device claims to take the N8's title for "beefiest mobile camera" away from it, with a 13.2-megapixel snapper.
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