Ok, we're not going to
say we're not kicking 'em while they're down or anything, but it looks like the
US launch of the Gizmondo didn't do a
whole lot better than their Euro launch of the console, and as a result Tiger Telematics' hand looks like it's being
forced by collections on those many millions of piled up debt. So what's a company to do in the face of such monetary
adversity? Hemorrhage some IP, of course. In order to keep the SEC and their investors at bay after missing massive
loan repayments last October and November, they're putting Smart Adds (you remember
Smart Adds, right?) up on the
block in order to deflect some of that $22.3 some-odd million that's long since come due. Basically, in other words,
Tiger's started cutting up the cookie in order to keep from drowning -- but make no mistake, their heads are still deep
below water. Not that any of this should be
coming as a
surprise to anyone who reads Engadget, right?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Eli @ Jan 17th 2006 1:52PM
Is there a reason to make fun of these guys so much? Other than that they aren't Sony or Apple.
lupinstel @ Jan 17th 2006 2:00PM
Yes! I am glad you asked. Another reason to make fun of them is that one of their launch titles is called "Sticky Balls". Another reason is that everything about this system sucks.
JinKazama @ Jan 17th 2006 2:23PM
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm so how long until these babies are $29.99 at Big Lots. Hopefully not long I could really do some cool homebrew things with that thing in my spare time...
nanio @ Jan 17th 2006 2:26PM
megapixels!!
W00ter @ Jan 17th 2006 2:36PM
Completely agree with #1.
Why are you guys using the company as your punching bag? Your users are influenced by what you write and just because their system was delayed and does not meet the high standards of Engadget, doesn't mean that it should be bashed. Hell, if Apple or Sony released a similar product, I doubt you guys would react the same way.
Aseem @ Jan 17th 2006 2:45PM
I want to reiterate what #1 and #4 are getting at. Lately it seems there has been a deluge of Engadget effort wasted on highlighting technology items that are not up to par. The entire 'keeping it real fake' series comes to mind.
I understand that occasionally a product comes along that is interesting in its mediocrity, but I don't see a justification for the bravado with which the writing staff is attacking obviously weak targets.
To go on a limb, I would assert that the vast majority of your readership instantly recognizes shoddy tech products, and rarely are amused at the pot shots and time taken towards them. This isn't to say Gizmondo isn't pure trash, it is, but the point is that we all know it.
I implore you to return your focus to the peaks of technology rather than tap dancing on what we all know is the sludge at the bottom of the pile. Thank you.
Darien @ Jan 17th 2006 3:01PM
...are #1 and #4 serious? The device *IS* a joke and deserves to be bashed at every opportunity.
John @ Jan 17th 2006 3:09PM
Guys, I think Engadget is just acting like a fan. They bring us all the latest tech news, along with their thoughts and opinions, which is what I value most about the site. Anyways, look at the darn thing, its fugly as hell. Let me know when these babies are $9.95 or something on clearance.
Thanks,
John
ken fager @ Jan 17th 2006 3:51PM
I'd rather play my Virtual Boy.
Sly Si the Super Spy @ Jan 17th 2006 3:53PM
I didn't think it read like it was bashing them, its written in disbelief. I'm not saying competition is bad, but why did Tiger Telematics even try to release this? Why did people invest millions in an obvious failure? Not to mention the fraud stuff reported before.
Shrek @ Jan 17th 2006 3:53PM
Why is this device a joke? By the way number 2, sticky balls was to be a psp game originally, other than that its an alright game, the hardware works well, hmmmm yeah I own one so I actually know about these things!
another worthless piece of 'blog' media coverage.
But yeah, good oh gizmondo, looking foward to a tasty next couple of months.
sinisterdesign @ Jan 17th 2006 4:11PM
i would like to think if Sony or Apple released something this CRAPPY, engadget (and us, the readers) would bash it EVEN MORE.
this gizmondo game system has had a long history of crappiness. have you guys seen the games for this thing? look it up on gizmondo.com. check out something like FIFA Soccer and compare it to the PSP. it looks very similar to my old Sega Genesis, just on a smaller screen. of course, it's hard to FIND actual screenshots, mostly just Flash title screens. oooo, Angel Fish is another good one. i used to play that game in the arcade when i was a kid, what was that called?
how did Gizmondo think they could get into an already crowded, cutthroat space? people like to point out that the PSP is getting killed by Nintendo and that PSP is awesome and has Sony's massive market budget behind it.
i passed by a gizmondo booth at the mall this weekend. i stopped and thought, "did that say 'gizmondo'??" it was just outside the Apple store and totally deserted...
i'm glad engadget not only points out the new, exciting, fabulous tech, but also points out the turds so we don't step in them.
Jensonb @ Jan 17th 2006 4:37PM
Hello, we here in the Gizmondo fan community find all of your derogitary comments to be totally invalid.
Gizmondo is a brillliant sustem which dared to be different. If you cite poor games, I would advise you to get over the belief that any game on a portable console which is not better looking than the better Dreamcast games is, at this stage poor.
Why don't you try actually playing a Gizmondo and its games? The company behind the Gizmondo has, we admit, made some major mistakes, but are moving to rectify them.
So please, I opersonally ask you to get a new hobby and stop reading Engadget. They are no better than the shoddy, god forsaken "journalistic", The Register.
south @ Jan 17th 2006 4:42PM
Whenever a tech company fumbles as spectacularly as this one, I'd hope Engadget would tell me all about it. I mean, it's not as though they've been letting Sony off lightly in recent times, either...
PEZ @ Jan 17th 2006 4:56PM
Microshaft should buy them and fund an XB-Portable with the Giz WideScreen II. Since it runs on CE anyway.
Oh, that would be funny.
MadaMadaDane @ Jan 17th 2006 6:10PM
Big surprise here!
These guys are literally crooks. See Story: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=12547
I wonder if they plan on considering giving back the $230,000 cars the company execs bought themselves out of company money, in addition to millions in bonuses and bloated salaries for them and their wives.
Gizmondo is the stillborn child that was inevitable from a company like that.
otrgamemast @ Jan 17th 2006 6:30PM
I dont see the need to bash a product you have never PROPERLY used. To give a proper comment on any product you cant just look at the news and make a comment on it based on that, you have to use it for at least a few weeks. Have you ever used it? I dought you have used it more than these demo pods at the shows and such. If you would have used one you would realise that the music function is better than the PSP's, the movies function is good but the screen lets it down and the games are good and are atually made for a handheld console. I dont want to play a clone of GTA when im on a 10 minute bus journey, thats not what handheld gamings about.
Have you ever thought of the fact that it has GPS and dares to try something new in a market where major players are shitscared to do anything new or radicat incase it gets rejected. There is nothing new on the PSP at all. At least the NDS tried a totch screen out and had a go at inivating. PSP does nothing for inovation at all.
Virtuous @ Jan 17th 2006 7:31PM
Tiger should have never shipped the Gizmondo. If Nintendo fanboys can bash the PSP, we can bash the Gizmondo.
Bill @ Jan 17th 2006 9:35PM
I was at a very popular mall in Atlanta this weekend and there was a Gizmondo booth. The mall was packed to the point where you could barely move around but the Gizmondo booth didn't have any visitors. There weren't any employees either but no one seemed to even stop to take a peek at the displays.
In contrast the Apple store a few shops down was PACKED...literally a line out the door. It was kind of weird actually, like they were about to announce some new product or something.
Virtuous @ Jan 17th 2006 11:03PM
Last night in San Diego there were several times more people at the Apple Store than at the Sony Style store. Apple knows how to entice people. I bet there were more people in the Apple Store than in any of the other non-department stores.
flash games @ Jan 18th 2006 12:16AM
Wow. This thing is going to go over as well as the N-Gage.
Virtuous @ Jan 18th 2006 3:54AM
Nokia sold over a million N-Gages worldwide. I bet Tiger sold less than 10,000 Gizmondos.
Counsel @ Jan 18th 2006 8:53AM
I guess I will have to research the topic and make a blog entry...
I value Engadget's opinion. However, I think that being overly critical doesn't help me make a decision and says more about the writer of the article than the product he/she is writing about. WE all go 'over the top' somethimes, but hopefully we can learn from our mistakes (and yes, I have made them too).
Has anyone here 'attempted' [something] --to make something, accomplish a task, cook a meal, run a race, or something else-- and not had it live up to everyone else's standards?
If they are crooks, they should be investigated and charged. However, I look to Engadget to tell me two things: The Specs, and whether the product, in their opinion, is worth buying.
C
Jeff Minter @ Jan 18th 2006 3:35PM
I have never heard of this company or product.
I'm still waiting for Engadget's Nuon review.
Jeff Minter @ Jan 18th 2006 3:44PM
Is this a new model of a Sega Game Gear for 2006?
or possibly the rumored Sega Dreamcast Portable?
Doesn't Tiger Electronics sell Furbies? and Game.Con?
Carlos Mencia @ Jan 18th 2006 3:49PM
[quote] Last night in San Diego there were several times more people at the Apple Store than at the Sony Style store. Apple knows how to entice people. I bet there were more people in the Apple Store than in any of the other non-department stores.[/quote]
However there are more people at Wal*Mart's than all of the Apple Fruit-N-Nut stores combined.
Carlos Mencia @ Jan 18th 2006 3:50PM
[quote] Last night in San Diego there were several times more people at the Apple Store than at the Sony Style store. Apple knows how to entice people. I bet there were more people in the Apple Store than in any of the other non-department stores.[/quote]
However there are more people at Wal*Mart's than all of the Apple Fruit-N-Nut stores combined.
Latino's would never buy this type of thing.
~C~
JB @ Jan 19th 2006 4:17PM
they are down for they can not even pay there employees I know because they owe me money from when I ran one of the stores and they did not pay me or any of my employees also I found out yesterday that all of there stores are closing down
Aaron @ Jan 22nd 2006 6:37PM
Engadget bloggers, keep up the great work. I love nothing more than reading about a company like Tiger Telematics and how they follow the business model of a late 1990's .com. Also the Keepin' it real fake are fantastic! Suff like this always gives me a chuckle because when I was a kid I was balls to the wall for this garbage. I remeber playing with my game.com (with 14.4 modem)and fighters megamix. I found that rad peice of technology the other day and wanted to go back in time and kill a 12 year old me.