More details of Tectoy's Zeebo 3G gaming console emerge

We recently caught wind of the Zeebo, a new 3G network-based gaming console that's supposedly launching soon in Brazil. Details were pretty hard to come by initially, but now we've gotten some more solid information on the upstart system. It turns out that manufacturer Tectoy is partnering up with cellular carrier Claro, whose 3G network will enable the system to have a constant, free-of-charge connection -- and Qualcomm, which holds a 43 percent ownership in the company. As far as specs are concerned, the Zeebo will apparently run on a BREW-based OS and house an ARM CPU running at 528MHz, with a Qualcomm Adreno 130 graphics core (?), 1GB NAND flash memory, 160MB RAM, 128MB DDR SDRAM and 32MB stacked DDR SDRAM. Marketed to the "growing middle class" of developing countries, the Zeebo will launch in Brazil, where its developers say the downloadable-content format should help combat rampant piracy. The cost of the system is expected to be 599BRL (about $264) with games costing between 7-30BRL (around $3-13). Hit the read links for more details.

Read - Zeebo Incorporated
Read - The Zeebo Console

[Thanks, Francisco]

[ArcticFox @ Nov 16th 2008 4:14PM]

So mobile phone level hardware in a massive box?

[Aguiluz @ Nov 16th 2008 4:31PM]

That's quite "PSP-ish" hardware to me, but I don't know about the GFX chip.

CPU has more cycles, more RAM than PS2/PSP, so that's something.

[Pip @ Nov 16th 2008 4:38PM]

Meh, it has a better chance of being successful than my Phantom console does ;)

[JohnTitor @ Nov 16th 2008 5:02PM]

judging from the Qualcomm GPU, it's also probably a Qualcomm CPU, thus this thing is a really big G1 without android

[tbone @ Nov 16th 2008 4:16PM]

aw man, my holiday game console purchase has become more complicated.

[broli @ Nov 16th 2008 4:21PM]

This thing has a RAM museum inside.

[Osayi @ Nov 16th 2008 8:19PM]

lol Good one.

[Alex @ Nov 16th 2008 4:24PM]

Sure, the specs are that great. However, I really believe that this concept will work and will eventually become the mainstream. Being able to simply download your games is something that we have been longing. Because of it, costs are much less and convenience is much higher. Can't wait for the big boys like Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo to step deeply into this concept.

[Alex @ Nov 16th 2008 4:25PM]

Correction: "Specs aren't that great."

[Hung @ Nov 16th 2008 4:43PM]

umm... i think its done very much deeply by sony.

[MyHeadisFed @ Nov 16th 2008 5:14PM]

I think the new 360 dash will enable this too...I might be mistaken though maybe it just has the ability to copy games from discs onto the drive.

[Hung @ Nov 16th 2008 5:29PM]

Oh, what the fuck? Hey Engadget, why are usernames case-sensitive?

Hung = hung = HUNG.

Do you know what it feels like when you read a stupid comment, then see your name next to it? I had to upload a picture of a Velociraptor riding a bicycle to distinguish myself.

FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

[Jarhead2012 @ Nov 16th 2008 4:34PM]

If the games are exclusively downloadable, I sure hope that they're small...

[Peste @ Nov 16th 2008 4:51PM]

They just don't need to be small, I hope they'll be at least, fun.

[maxter @ Nov 16th 2008 4:58PM]

Why? Considering the great telecommunications infrastructure we have here in Brazil anyone sure could download gigabytes through 3G.

[/sarcasm]

Jokes apart, I'm with you. And I hope that Claro expands its 3G network for the whole national territory. I live in between two of the largest brazilian economical centers (Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo) and I still don't have 3G, radio-based Internet access or even ADSL (no joking, I have to live with EDGE)! Still, I love my country and I think some day it's all gonna be better!

[Jarhead2012 @ Nov 16th 2008 5:06PM]

This, coupled with the fact that you only get 1GB of memory (though it's an improvement over the Wii's memory), means that games will HAVE to be relatively small. Hopefully the developers can do good things with such space constraints.

[Jarhead2012 @ Nov 16th 2008 5:09PM]

In addition, the system will have to allow for people to re-download things they've already bought, so that you can delete and re-download games at a later date.

[loocas @ Nov 16th 2008 4:42PM]

Well, at least there's one thing certain: it sure won't play Crysis.

[maxter @ Nov 16th 2008 4:48PM]

Are we still making Crysis jokes?

[iEye @ Nov 16th 2008 4:50PM]

Can it play Frogger?

[Matt @ Nov 16th 2008 4:59PM]

Will it blend?

[deyanimay @ Nov 16th 2008 5:19PM]

Will frogger blend?
Yes, but i still wouldn't eat him.

[brandon @ Nov 16th 2008 5:25PM]

3G pong!!!!

[Sir Keekles @ Nov 17th 2008 11:36AM]

It plays Quake, it must play Doom!

[Jarhead2012 @ Nov 16th 2008 4:42PM]

I think I speak for quite a few people here when I say, "What the hell?"

[maxter @ Nov 16th 2008 4:42PM]

Man, what's wrong with you? It's your second post with the same content (if that can be considered content)! Oh my...

[Kawaiipikachu @ Nov 16th 2008 4:46PM]

Good concept & hopefully its becomes succesufeul .

And lets hope downloadable content contains Digital Rights Managment instead of Digatal Restruction managment that a lot of people complain about .

[brandon @ Nov 16th 2008 5:27PM]

Haha digital "rights"

Digital rights my ass!!!

[brandon @ Nov 16th 2008 5:28PM]

Or should I say "digital LACK of rights"

[The Walrus @ Nov 16th 2008 9:21PM]

@Brandon
Two words: So ace

[mabhatter @ Nov 16th 2008 10:22PM]

actually it will have the ultimate DRM.. it's welded shut!!!! You can only download, so you can't put any physical media that can be hacked. To nip the rampant piracy it's a pretty good idea. I'd expect the next gen Xbox to have no physical media (nic, controller, USB) either, all wireless and done on Live and just include a massive 1TB hard drive and weld it shut. (the prices should be reasonable in the next 2-3 years)

[htd @ Nov 16th 2008 5:10PM]

with games like quake1, I really have no idea what they are smoking...

[Alex @ Nov 16th 2008 5:33PM]

They better release this in Argentina, there is also widespread piracy over here and except for the PS2, all consoles are tremendously expensive. And we also need a proper videogame market. Now if AAA games were at 30 dollars, then piracy would be gone for good. I haven't seen a game worth 50-60 dollars in a while.

[Thi mam(kris120890) @ Nov 16th 2008 5:41PM]

"where its developers say the downloadable-content format should help combat rampant piracy"
That would be the 1GB Flash.

[Sam K @ Nov 16th 2008 5:45PM]

but can it play crysis?

[captain underpants and the bringdown gang @ Nov 16th 2008 6:42PM]

with a little bit of modification....sure.

[digitallysick @ Nov 16th 2008 5:56PM]

I feel the idea is excellent but the hardware is garbage, why not put in better graphics, and ram , the 3g console is great

[Viakenny @ Nov 16th 2008 6:42PM]

I still blame Brazilian taxes for this.
We could get an Xbox 360 for $315 USD if the taxes were just 5%, instead of $854 USD for a 360, even if it had a Media Center remote and/or PGR4 and Too Human.

[Ignatius @ Nov 16th 2008 6:54PM]

Your best bet would just be an international seller on eBay.

[nikster @ Nov 16th 2008 10:56PM]

the problem with ebay is that you then get taken in by customs. customs in these countries make up stuff and hold your things hostage until you pay tea money.
where i live DHL and FedEx (local branch) are actually in with customs so they'll come to your door with the goods and allow you to conveniently pay your bribe right then and there. that's customer service!

[Frastoglegnia @ Nov 17th 2008 5:43AM]

That might be true for you, strapping young nikster, but the only one getting my "tea money" is the ineffably noble James Lipton. His dyed beard is just so dreamy. M-m-m. . . .

[belard @ Nov 16th 2008 6:50PM]

It's a joke. If you've ever chatted with a brazilian, they don't say lol or hahaha. They say something along the lines of HAUIEHAUIEHAIUEHAUIE or QUIAQUIAQUIAQUIA or some other weirdness. Don't rate him down if you didn't even understand the post, there are some lamer jokes around here.

[Unknown @ Nov 16th 2008 7:04PM]

first one to install linux wins!

[Jarhead2012 @ Nov 16th 2008 7:10PM]

@ belard

The post got bashed and ranked down because it had no relevance to the topic, and made no sense. Jokes are meant to be funny.

[Viakenny @ Nov 16th 2008 7:35PM]

I think someone would say "kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk"

[nick @ Nov 16th 2008 7:45PM]

I don't understand why game systems are so exotic when the part that makes money is the software. Just use a normal platform, hell use those new mobo's with build in geforce 9300/9400's, throw in a cheap intel cpu and run some custom distro of bsd. Is this rocket science or something?

[Barry @ Nov 16th 2008 8:25PM]

It is rocket science, actually.

[Ford Mustang @ Nov 16th 2008 8:34PM]

This thing has about as much chance as the Virtual Boy.

[Osayi @ Nov 16th 2008 8:42PM]

Given the specs, it seems Zeebo might be going for something like Apple's Web Apps. Maybe that's why it doesn't need a whole lot of storage. Or maybe I can't come up with a better explanation for why phones will have more storage than gaming devices in 2009.

[Valicore @ Nov 16th 2008 8:46PM]

kkkkkk, that's right lol. I totally didn't get that when I started talking to brazilians.