Tiger Telematics goes overboard with Gizmondo press releases
posted Apr 29th 2005 2:19PM
One of the ways that we stay on top of the news here at Engadget is by subscribing to a couple of different services
that mail out tech-related press releases to journalists (to sign up we had to lie and pretend we weren't just some
crappy weblog). Like you'd expect, 99% of the stuff is total crap, but our pals over at Tiger Telematics have been
issuing press releases for their new
Gizmondo portable game console
almost every day lately, often on the flimsiest of pretexts. Is it really necessary to issue a press release promising
an "E3 Extravaganza" or confirming your "Ireland volume allocation"?
Here's are the titles of some of their press releases from the past two months (this isn't even all of them, believe
it or not):
-
3/10 - Gizmondo(TM) Demonstrates Sat Nav at CeBIT
-
3/17 - Gizmondo(TM) Spotted Out on the Piste
-
3/22 - Gizmondo Launch Brings London's West End to a Standstill
-
3/25 - Gizmondo(TM) Confirms Ireland Volume Allocation
-
4/06 - Gizmondo(TM) Grabs More Fathammer Delights
-
4/07 - Gizmondo(TM) and MTV Networks Europe Launch Multi-Level Sponsorship Alliance
-
4/08 - Gizmondo's Got The Power
-
4/19 - Tiger Telematics'(R) Gizmondo(TM) Announces European Street Date
-
4/20 - Gizmondo(TM) Gets Revved Up Over New Game
-
4/25 - Gizmondo(TM) Hits the Ice
-
4/26 - Tiger Telematics' Gizmondo(TM) Prepares for German Debut
-
4/28 - Tiger Telematics' Gizmondo(TM) Promises E3 Extravaganza
-
4/29 - Tiger Telematics' Gizmondo(TM) Confirms Massive Retail Presence for French Launch
There's fine line between "buzz" and "white noise", but you guys have definitely crossed it.
what the hell does this thing do already - looks like a piece of crap to me
Being a writer at another tech site, I would definitely have to agree on this post. It seems like Tiger is very insecure about their product getting overshadowed by other portable gaming systems and has to constantly remind us they are still around. It's getting very old to see multiple press releases each week which are useless to write about.
All I gotta say is Tiger Telematics better look out or they might get t3h lawsuit from Tiger Direct.
They need all the buzz they can get for that stinking thing, even the flies are shying away.
Tiger what? Oh, I am SO confused... Is this a UNIX operating system built on shoddy weirdo parts from a country I can't pronounce crammed into a small case that I can buy without any tech support?
Oh. No. It's just stuff.
And haven't we all grabbed a few fathammer delights in our day?
But it obviously works, you're writing about them.
Tiger Telematics?? Hey TigerDirect, look! A New target! Sickem!
I'd say it's pretty successful. They got mentioned on Engadget as a result of all their efforts, after all.
Who cares if a handful of gadget geeks vow not to buy a product? If it's marketed well it'll sell well; if they pull an N-Gage and never release any worthwhile games, then it'll fail.
Tiger Telematics?? Hey TigerDirect, look! A New target! Sickem!
---
no, Tiger Telematics doesn't have billions in the bank like Apple.
Therefore, no law has been broken.
Tiger Telematics:
- We started off as a flooring business
- We have a crappy product that's going against the likes of Sony and Nintendo
- We're seriously in debt because we're spending our shareholder's money like monopoly money (extravagant launch parties with celebs, driving to the launch in two Ferrari Enzos and a Bentley Phantom)
- We're leasing a shop in one of the most expensive retail locations in the world for our "flagship store" which is usually absent of buying customers
- We've "bought" a bunch of no-name developers who can't seem to put out quality titles
- We didn't meet SEC filing requirements because we were too poor to afford accountants
- We're getting sued by the Board of Regents at the University of Texas for patent infringement
But don't worry about all of that... We're going to keep on over-promising and under-delivering in our press releases and wow you with celebrities and booth-babes at E3 to distract your attention away from all of that...
Oh yeah, I almost forgot:
- Our CEO is reported to be a cult member is this article (and got sued back then too)
http://www.rickross.com/reference/endtimes/endtimes22.html
"And Michael Carrender, an End Timer who first heard Meade's tapes as a student at Northwestern University, is the president of Consolidated Packaging Corp. of Jacksonville. In March, Harris Trust and Savings Bank of Chicago filed suit against Carrender's company, saying that $460,000 of employee contributions and $281,000 in matching company contributions had not been deposited as required under the terms of the company's employee savings plan."
Consolidated Packaging->Floor Decor->Tiger Telematics.
- And Jordan Racing is also suing them over backing out of an F1 sponsorship deal http://tinyurl.com/8ggw8 plus other lawsuit references and financial woes (their latest SEC 10-K)
You can't make this stuff up.
Apparently you can
>Apparently you can
I guess if you're too lazy that to do some due diligence before making an ass of yourself by inferring I'm making stuff up, you're too lazy to type more than three words to back it up.
Or are you drinking the Gizmondo Cool-Aid?
Having tried using the gizmondo in the gizmondo shop, I can officially say it is the biggest pile of tripe ever. It's essentially the most useless piece of convergence pap ever, the OS is slow as hell, the buttons are hard to press, it's very difficult to understand what's going on, and the games are terrible, the only redeeming quality is that it seems to have a nice heft to it, feels solid.
LOL
Chris wrote, "the only redeeming quality is that it seems to have a nice heft to it, feels solid."
Does that mean you feel it would serve as a nice brick for someone to throw in a riot?
Ha, I got this link via GMail.
you want progressive technology? regardless of what the product is, or how questionable it is - any alternative to the industry monopolies that you all buy in to (apple will spell the end for tech evolution if you ipod users keep ignoring the alternative developers) is a positive move. The more developers involved in a tech field will lead to a more varied marketplace. Bide your time, ignore the products you dont like - but dont tear apart the litle guys. Theyll be the ones breaking the mold when you all get bored with the majors.
And if the little guys make something that's crap, let em die...
Hey folks, as someone who works in both journalism and PR, I'd say that Tiger is simply pulling out all the stops to ensure it gets some coverage. After all, not everyone will use every release. Where the company is going wrong is in blanket emailing, rather than carefully targetting specific publications with appropriate releases. But why knock it? Ultimately the consumers will decide whether this product flies or not, and I have to agree with earlier posters that at least there's some people out there keen to launch products which are a little different. After all, you are all the sort of people who no doubt moan about Microsoft's monopolistic business practices. I'd say give the Gizmondo a break. Its E3 stand was creative, interesting and made some impact in a hall full of similar stands. Whether it's actualy any good or not remains to be seen......
'' if they pull an N-Gage and never release any worthwhile games, then it'll fail.''
Eh. N-Gage got some fantastic titles out right now, and some great stuff in the pipeline. N-Gage is still around, it's userbase continues to grow. It's got a steady base now, unlike the Gizmondo.
Trust me, I got involved with these people and they are a bunch of crooks. They have just posted 2004 results with $90m+ loss, yet inflate the share price to $10. They have left a string of unpaid suppliers behind and 'shelved' the orginal UK company (Tiger Telematics Ltd) with heaos of debts and set up Tiger Telematics (UK) Ltd 5 mins later, which has now changed its name a few times to Gizmondo.. My bet is they fail in the US market like they have in the UK... Bunch of crooks!!!!!