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AT&T announces deals with OpenPeak, Zeebo, American Security Logistics
Well, it looks like AT&T is maintaining a steady pace with its non-cellphone news during CTIA (in addition to cellphone news, of course), with it now following up yesterday's announcements with another three. That includes a deal with OpenPeak that will see AT&T provide 3G service for the company's OpenTablet device (now slated to be available in "late 2010"), and an agreement with Zeebo to provide mobile broadband for the company's gaming / entertainment / education console. That's currently only available Brazil and Mexico, but Zeebo is apparently "planning for commercial opportunities in the domestic market " sometime next year. Rounding things out (for now) is a deal with American Security Logistics, which has announced that it will be using AT&T to wirelessly connect a whole range of location-based tracking devices -- including everything from cargo shipments to pet tracking to Alzheimer's patient monitoring. Alright, AT&T. Anything else left up your sleeve? A 3G-equipped sleeve, perhaps?
DICE 2010 featuring speakers from Naughty Dog, Zeebo
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences has announced a few additions to the lineup of speakers for next year's DICE (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) summit in Las Vegas. Naughty Dog game designer Richard Lemarchand, Zynga chief creative officer Brian Reynolds (previously a designer on Civilization 2 and Alpha Centauri), and Zeebo's Mike Yuen will speak at the summit. Hopefully Yuen will discuss the hot topic of what the deal with Zeebo is. Jamin Brophy-Warren, editor of the new Kill Screen magazine, will moderate a panel discussion between writer/director/producer Navid Khonsari, Raven Software lead designer Manveer Heir, and Dmitri Williams, and new media professor Dmitri Williams. Once again, this is DICE, the summit taking place in Las Vegas from February 17-20, 2010. Not the EA-owned developer, in case you were wondering why they were bringing a bunch of speakers in.
Resident Evil 4: Mobile Edition ported to Zeebo
Zeebo, the 3G console available in countries like Brazil, Russia and China, reminds us that right after food, water and shelter, access to Resident Evil 4 should be a top priority for all developing nations. It was revealed yesterday that Capcom will use the MascotCapsule eruption engine to port the well-received mobile version of RE 4 to the platform. You know, it's funny, we know Resident Evil 4 was a classic, but we never expected it to become the new Tetris -- ported to every system imaginable. Which reminds us: Shinji Mikami, be forewarned: You're probably going to have to grow a beard.
Zeebo releases in zee Brazilian market
UOL Tecnologia reports that Tectoy's Zeebo, the 3G console first revealed at GDC earlier this year, is now available in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For those that lost the Zeebo in the OnLive shuffle, the console's main thrust is its free connection to a 3G network, which allows it constant access to its library of download-only titles. The other major selling point is its price, which rests at R$499 (~US$299), while games can be had for only R$7-30 ($3-13). Three titles are bundled with the system: FIFA 2009, Need For Speed Carbon and Brain Training. The system also comes with free credits to download Prey Evil, Quake, and Quake II.See the Zeebo in action (and in Portuguese) after the break.[Via Engadget]
Zeebo lands in Brazil, inspires revolutionary fervor in the hearts of gamers worldwide
According to UOL Tecnologia, Tectoy's Zeebo game console is on sale now in the city of Rio de Janeiro, with availability to spread across the Brazilian countryside later this year. As expected, the system is going for a MSRP of R$499 (that's about $299) and ships with three games in memory: FIFA 2009, Need For Speed Carbon, and Brain Training, all in Portuguese. Additionally, the device ships with credit for three free downloads: Prey Evil, Quake, and Quake II. And as expected, this bad boy includes a free 3G connection via Claro, enabling additional game downloads in the R$7-30 ($3-13) range. Video after the break.
GDC09: Introducing the Zeebo, Tectoy's 3G console venture
With another GDC already underway, a new contender has announced plans to jump into the console market ... well, sort of. Enter Tectoy and its 3D network-based console, the Zeebo, which relies purely on downloadable games (from the grave, the Phantom says, "Sup?"). The Zeebo will reportedly launch in Brazil this July and then in other similar markets in the following months. At launch, the console will reportedly come preloaded with the mobile games Quake, Evil Prey and Action Hero 3D. Before any of us could cry foul, the manufacturers have said the Zeebo isn't meant to compete with the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3. The console will have a constant, free-of-charge connection to a 3G network courtesy of Tectoy's partner, Claro, one of the largest cellular providers in the Americas. According to the console's specs revealed at Engadget, the system will focus less on power and more on providing content to developing and emerging regions -- specifically through downloadable channels to combat rampant piracy. Capcom, EA Mobile, Namco Networks, PopCap Games and THQ have already confirmed support for the emerging console. Games for Tectoy's Zeebo will range in price from 7 to 30BRL (about $7 to $13) with the console priced at 599BRL (about $264) -- a bargain compared to prices of current generation consoles in the target markets.
Zeebo heading to Brazil in May, India and Russia next year, China in 2011
We've talked about the Tectoy-backed Zeebo before, but now we've got a little more insight into its plan of attack straight from its presentation at this week's Game Developers Conference. The Qualcomm-powered, 3G-equipped game console is heading to Brazil first a little earlier and cheaper than initially anticipated -- it'll launch in May for the US equivalent price of $200, about one-third the cost of buying a Wii locally. It'll come bundled with a handful of titles and give you the option of download the original Quake and a few others for free. All the rest will presumably fall under that US $3 to $13 price range they announced in November. Following that, expect it to show up in Mexico later this year, India next year, and Eastern Europe sometime in the middle of 2010. China is expected to follow sometime in 2011. No word yet on when or if the company's planning to try its luck in other regions.
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]
Tectoy's Zeebo gaming console to run on 3G network in Brazil
Tectoy's announced the Zeebo, a 3G network-based gaming console that will supposedly launch in Brazil in July of 2009, then spread to other markets in the following months. The console will apparently be constantly connected to a 3G network for no cost to the gamer, with all games and content paid for and downloaded via said network (which sounds suspiciously like the never-realized Phantom). In theory, this would mean lower costs for the consumer while cutting down on piracy. Titles that are to be preloaded in the Brazil launch of the system include the mobile game Action Hero 3D, Evil Prey, and Quake... not exactly state-of-the-art, but according to its manufacturers, the Zeebo is not meant to directly compete with platforms like the Wii, Xbox 360 or Playstation 3. Instead, the system will be aimed at "emerging" gaming markets, including those which could not normally afford expensive hardware and games. Confusingly, the price mentioned for the console is a steep $599, with games set to cost between $10 and $30 -- not exactly the most affordable item we've ever heard of, but we'll keep our ears to the wall for further updates should the Zeebo ever come closer to existence. And, comparison to the Phantom aside, we hope it does.Update: We're aware of the craziness of the $599 US price tag, but the source does specify US dollars, though we're unsure of whether it's a typo or the actual price. Update II: Thanks to a tip from a reader, we've confirmed that the US dollar price of the Zeebo will be $258, or $599 in Brazil. Not a bad deal![Via Folha Online; thanks Fabio V.]