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Panasonic cancels Jungle gaming device production
If you don't remember Panasonic's Jungle, you're not alone. A glance at the online-enabled, portable gaming device's official Twitter feed shows that Panasonic forgot about it, too. There's not been a single update since the device was first unveiled in early October, pining for the affections of MMO players seeking to take titles like Stellar Dawn, Battlestar Galactica and RuneScape on the go. Surprising no one, Reuters is now reporting that the ill-advised device is officially canceled. "Panasonic decided to suspend further development due to changes in the market and in our own strategic direction," the company said. That "strategic direction," apparently, is to not make a device so few would have wanted. Of course, some folks already told you so: "This looks like a non-starter." –Billy Pidegon, M2 Research "I just don't think Panasonic has the right pieces to compete in this space." –David Cole, DFC Intelligence "The absence of strong third-party support will most certainly end in failure." –Jesse Divnich, EEDAR
Analysts weigh in on Panasonic's Jungle
New tech does not always equal gimme gimme -- according to several prominent analysts, Panasonic is set to engage in quite the uphill battle with its new handheld, The Jungle. Both Bill Pidgeon of M2 Research and David Cole of DFC Intelligence told IndustryGamers they believe the unit is "a non-starter." Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets said it looks like "an uphill challenge to launch a new portable gaming device unless there is some meaningful differentiation or access to proprietary content," while EEDAR's Jesse Divnich offered that its success hinges on third-party support, saying that, "with any hardware platform regardless of its quality, the absence of strong third-party support will most certainly end in failure." All valid points, but should these guys be giving the device the benefit of the doubt? As it stands right now, we don't know much about the system other than what it aims to do: give MMO players a dedicated piece of hardware so they can take their games on the go. Given how popular MMOs are (and, in turn, how much of the cash money they generate), from a business standpoint it would seem win-win; nobody else is offering something to MMO players who may want a bit of portability. But, on the other hand, the problem is -- at least according to these analysts -- that the handheld doesn't particularly fill a void that can't be filled by a netbook or laptop.
MMO to go: Panasonic designing a handheld online gaming machine
While game studios are slowly forging a path to bringing MMOs to established handheld devices like the iPhone, Panasonic is looking to flip that paradigm on its head. Eurogamer reports that the company has been developing a handheld device specifically for MMOs and is poised for a major reveal. Called "The Jungle," this clamshell unit boasts a high-resolution screen, keyboard, touchpad, directional pad and several input ports. It is rumored to run the Linux OS and could work with MMO titles such as Battlestar Galactica Online and RuneScape, according to the company. The Jungle's website is scarce on content at the moment, but on its Manifesto page the developers state: "Our mission: Create an ecosystem around online gaming. At the core is a new mobile device concept designed specifically for online gamers. We're also working with leading online game developers to create some exciting new content." Whether there is a significant demand for such a product is up in the air, but this is intriguing enough to follow for the time being.
Panasonic's Jungle portable gaming system emerges, gets shown off on video (update: makes appearance on Rob Dyrdek's MTV show)
Apparently Panasonic has been working itself into a frenzy over a new handheld video game console designed solely around the concept of taking MMORPGs with you everywhere you go -- like you weren't already wasting too much of your life. The makers of the ill-fated 3DO are returning to the gaming world with a portable system dubbed "The Jungle." The clamshell device will allegedly sport a super high-resolution display, features a full QWERTY keyboard along with what looks like a touch sensitive d-pad and button arrangement, and may run atop a custom Linux build. The Jungle will also apparently sport a mini HDMI port, a micro USB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. To our eyes, the system looks a little on the clunky side, with a definite air of something out of Nokia's N-Gage line -- not a good thing for a 2010 device. Alongside the system itself, Panasonic will launch a Battlestar Galactica title for the device, and a web show called Online Underground. We're digging up more details right now, but the company (actually an offshoot of Panasonic called Panasonic Cloud Entertainment) has already set up shop with a site and a few teaser videos. Check out the mysterious new handheld in another pic and some videos after the break (including a look at the Battlestar Galactica title), and stay tuned as we unearth the full story on the Jungle. Update: Well that didn't take long. We'd heard rumblings that the console would make its way to an MTV show, and sure enough, the Jungle has shown up on Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory. Rob apparently is making a "jingle" for the unreleased device, which looks rather huge in the hands of the skateboarder. Obviously Panasonic is desperately trying to create some viral hype around the device (leaks to a few blogs and this MTV appearance), but we're pretty unimpressed thus far. Maybe the jingle will convince us. If you've got video -- send it our way!
The Jungle, Panasonic's new online-enabled portable gaming device
Time heals all wounds -- for Panasonic, the pain of the 3DO must be entirely behind the company because it's entering the game space again with a new piece of hardware: The Jungle. The handheld is specifically geared toward giving MMO players a means to take their game on the go and sports a full QWERTY keyboard and high-res display, plus a touch-sensitive d-pad and buttons. Our sister site Engadget has some more on the technology driving the newly-revealed handheld, so head on over there for more. If you want to see some teaser footage, head past the break for a trailer.
