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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.]
Brazil's TecToy cranks out Mega Drive Portable handheld
While Sega's Nomad handheld didn't exactly take off, Brazil's TecToy nonetheless looks to be ready to take its own shot at a portable Genesis console, although it's new "Mega Drive Portable" appears to be decidedly more limited than Sega's offering. The biggest drawback, as you might have guessed, is that the handheld drops the clunky cartridges in favor of twenty built-in games, including Altered Beast, Ecco, Kid Chameleon, and Sonic & Knuckles, to name a few. On the upside, it does at least appear to be a good deal more portable than the Nomad, and you'll also apparently able to hook the device up to your TV for some bigger screen gaming. If that's enough to put you in a nostalgic mood, you'll be able to grab one of these for about $110 when it hits Brazil on December 5th.[Thanks, Sapuca]
