Palm OS Based Gaming Device Nears Release

Sokie writes "During the past few weeks Tapwave, a startup founded by a couple former Palm employees, has been slowly unveiling the features of their upcoming Helix (Flash heavy link) handheld gaming device. So far, the specs include a 480x320 16-bit color display, dual Secure Digital (SD) slots, Bluetooth connectivity for wireless multiplayer (Wi-Fi available through SDIO), multiple analog controls including triggers, ATI Imageon graphics, and dual rechargable lithium ion batteries (no word yet on battery life). In addition to some cool sounding hardware, several prominent game companies are already signed on to develop games for the Helix, including Activision and Midway. It will also run traditional Palm apps like Calendar and Address Book. Tapwave will continue to unveil a new feature each week for the next few weeks, and the product is supposed to launch in September or October and retail for about $299. PC World has some additional info."

Comments

Meh

[luekj]

Who cares if Tapware is putting out a 'Gaming Device'.

Everyone knows you need developer back up to get anywhere in the 'gaming handheld' business.

Oh well, hopefully the controls are good enough that it could encourage some good homebrew/port games

fp!

Re:Meh

[cloudless.net]

I had the same concern but the article says:
"...several prominent game companies are already signed on to develop games for the Helix, including Activision and Midway."

Now I am just waiting for Square Enix to join, but it probably won't happen.

Re:Meh

[luekj]

A lot of developers also apparently signed on for the GP32 like Capcom and SNK but nothing seemed to happen outside of the korean market.

The one thing that would seem to entice more developers is having the device based on a system (like palm os, coincidentally) that would potentially be future cell phone tech and thus be easily portable to the lucrative cell market.

If some synergy between handheld/cell software got going, it could get interesting and actually non-spartan for this device and devices like it.

This sounds really cool and all...

[fishynet]

But who are they targeting with this product? Who wants an expensive "gaming" device?

Re:This sounds really cool and all...

[enjo13]

I've had a couple of long conversations with the Tapwave people. They are most definitely targetting the 25+ group who see the Gameboy as a toy. The device is pretty compelling.. it offers PDA functionality in a pretty slick form factor that wouldn't look out of place in your average office or work environment.

What you have to realize is that they're not looking to take over the gameboy market. They don't need to sell a bajillion units to succeed in their business model.. their goals are to find a niche market and I think they have a great chance to do pretty well.

Re:This sounds really cool and all...

[Lemmy Caution]

That may be so, but I'm in the 25+ group (and then some), and I *am* self-conscious and sensitive enough about my professional image to be reluctant to pull out a GameBoy Advanced - it's too toylike. But I have no such qualms about pulling out a GBA SP. And I'd rather have my game accessory be physically distinct from my PDA, because I'm usually playing the GBA in slow moments, when I may need to grab my PDA quickly for something work-related. The advantages of having 2 discrete devices far outweights the benefits of convergence in this case.

I don't see much of a future for either this or the N-Gage, to be honest. I think Nintendo has more to worry about from Sony. But the truth is, too, I see handheld gaming as hitting a plateau: there's only so many compelling titles for those games, and I predict we're going to see consumer behaviour focus on larger screens again in the near to middle term.

Every possible iteration of an idea.

[lifebouy]

First there was the gameboy advance with its PIM cartridge. Now there is a palm device that plays games. Why oh why cant they all just get along?

Good luck against Nintendo & Sony!

[MtViewGuy]

I have my doubts this new machine will be successful.

The reason is simple: you need high-quality first- and third-party games in order to make it popular--and I haven't heard of such announcements from the makers of Helix.

Nintendo's Game Boy series have done well not only because of the fairly wide range of games developed in-house, but also games developed by third parties. Sony's upcoming PSP machine will likely get quite widely support from third parties, too, given Sony's marketing muscle.

Re:Good luck against Nintendo & Sony!

[Txiasaeia]

...you need high quality...games in order to make it popular...

Gameboy has done well because of battery power, plain and simple. It doesn't matter *how* l33t the games are, if you run out of juice after a half-hour.

Re:Good luck against Nintendo & Sony!

[Anonymous Coward]

I think you're missing the point. TapWave are hoping to piggyback on the already successful Palm platform.

The Palm family already includes a bunch of market 'targeted' devices...like all of marvellous line of Sony Palm handhelds, smartphones (GPRS/CMDA) from Handspring/Kyocera/Samsung and various 'rugedised' Palm devices for the industrial market.

I see Tapwave as just another Palm device that fills a certain market that's been missing from the Palm picture to date...that's serious handheld gaming - there are plenty of good 'lite' Palm games already - but nothing that can hold a candle to the GBA gaming experience imho.

Tapwave will hopefully change that and as long as they can supply several games that show off their hardware and keep the price at a sane level I can't see why these guys won't do well.

Hell, even the fact their device will do portrait/landscape display is enough to convince me to buy one...(but then I'm a Palm geek that works in a company writing Palm s/w so I might be biased).

Yours anonymously.

great! Now I know what to do in meetings

[civilengineer]

Just play on it and act like I'm taking notes. Nod occasionally when I win or lose a game to let the speaker know I'm hearing.

So..

[bmantz65]

its basically a Palm without the 'productivity' software?

Late 2003 eh?

[LordoftheFrings]

The website says that it will be released in Late 2003, meanwhile, the site itself is not complete (many links say In Two Weeks, etc) AND there are no pictures of the device at all. The good news is, I hear it's shipping with Duke Nukem Forever.

oh for shame on them...

[reiggin]

Now I am forced to upgrade AGAIN just after I poured all this money into my color Zire so I could finally play Giraffe and Minesweeper like I thought they were meant to be played. But now they're telling me that I can play Tetris multiplayer and be the envy of all my Clie lovin' friends?!? Well, hell yeah, I'll buy it!

What's that? Something about a GBA for 1/3 the price?? LALALALALALALALALALALA!!!!! I can't hear you! lalalalalalalala...........

I think this device has promise

[Tim_F]

However, $299 US is way too much for a portable device. The GameBoy has remained the king of the handheld market because of price. Both the Lynx and the GameGear (the only comparable devices, the NeoGeo Pocket floundered due to a lack of software) failed to gain market share because of their expensive price (alright, lack of software had a little bit to do with the demise of those systems as well). Still, my point remains. If Sony and this company want to steal Nintendo's handheld thunder, they need to keep their prices low.