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Gizmondo Europe To Be Liquidated

Posted by Zonk on from the terminator-sits-on-bank-board dept.

20Pfhor7 writes "The English High Court has ordered Gizmondo Europe to be liquidated, according to The Register. Looks like parent company Tiger Telematics' funding plans haven't gone according as they'd hoped, and it may have to sell off its Gizmondo USA operation." From the article: "Tiger said it was considering its own future in the light of the High Court verdict, and of the liquidation of its game studios in Sweden and Manchester, England. For starters, it's now able to eliminate $72m of the $90m liabilities recorded on its balance sheet as of 30 September 2005. It said it was pondering the sale of the whole company, parts of it, or elements of the intellectual property it owns, 'including patents and game rights, and continuing operations in the USA'."

31 comments

  1. So, eh... by Svenne · · Score: 1, Insightful

    What's Gizmondo? And what's Tiger, for that matter? The blurb and the article neglects to mention that.

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    1. Re:So, eh... by VJ42 · · Score: 1

      The Article dosn't explain it clearly either, as far as i can tell, Gizmondo is a company that sells hardware, and Tiger is the parent company.

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    2. Re:So, eh... by damsa · · Score: 1, Informative

      Tiger is a toy company famous for those little portable lcd football games. They launched Gizmondo to compete with Gameboys, Psps, and the like. In Europe there were reports of financial mismanagement at its best and mafia ties at its worst.

    3. Re:So, eh... by somersault · · Score: 1

      Gizmondo make handheld game devices with built in GPS. You could do a google search for them. They had some okay ideas, not exactly groundbreaking, and also they just dont have the might that Sony or Nintendo do when it comes to getting exclusive games or massive funding for new projects.

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      which is totally what she said
    4. Re:So, eh... by F_Scentura · · Score: 4, Informative

      "Tiger is a toy company famous for those little portable lcd football games."

      Informative? You're talking about Tiger Electronics, not Tiger Telematics.

    5. Re:So, eh... by damsa · · Score: 1

      There is a reason for trademark laws and this is a good example of where a good law suit would've been a good idea. You are right, Tiger Electronics made Game.com another portable game console that failed. My comment about the mafia ties still stands.

    6. Re:So, eh... by Fred+Or+Alive · · Score: 1

      I'd presume trademark laws are why the Gizmondo is actually sold by companies called "Gizmondo" (including this example of Gizmondo Europe Ltd), rather than under the parent company's name. Tiger Telematics itself seems to do more stuff with GPS systems for business use, which is presumably a different enough business for trademarks not be an issue.

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    7. Re:So, eh... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Informative? You're talking about Tiger Electronics, not Tiger Telematics

      Informative? You're just making the distinction and not actually informing us about either, nor the product.

  2. Well, I can forget visiting the store then :) by denominateur · · Score: 1

    The last time I was on Oxford Street in London I was pondering whether I should take a look at the device a friend of mine made a lot of money with (by buying stock about 8 months ago and selling it at the peak). I guess I should have taken the chance, now I won't see it anymore!

    1. Re:Well, I can forget visiting the store then :) by damsa · · Score: 1

      They are still selling them in America. Not sure how much longer. You can probably import one. Although I don't think they sell the Bangers and Mash sim over this side of the pond.

    2. Re:Well, I can forget visiting the store then :) by denominateur · · Score: 1

      Don't worry, I'm not English. I appreciate proper food and good housing.

    3. Re:Well, I can forget visiting the store then :) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Retribution: Where you are kicked in the balls for being a moron.
       
      --AC

  3. Crazy idea here by damsa · · Score: 1, Troll

    What are the chances that a Microsoft will buy Gizmondo North America to enter the handheld market. To those that say why would MS buy garbage like the Gizmondo. Its because MS doesn't do things very well in their first interation. Xbox lost a lot of money and things that were not quite right in the first generation got rectified in the Xbox 360 namely the size of the console and size of the controller. The Gizmondo is freakin huge. Thus the Gizmondo can be the first generation abortion that MS is famous for. I look forward to playing DNF on my MS picaXBox.

    1. Re:Crazy idea here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      To those that say why would MS buy garbage like the Gizmondo. Its because MS doesn't do things very well in their first interation.

      They'd buy up garbage because they know they can sell it at a huge profit since most of the R&D stage has been paid for already. Ripping off other companies is how MS survives, after all.
    2. Re:Crazy idea here by PhotoBoy · · Score: 1

      Well the Xbox1 controller was rectified not long into the Xbox1's life with the controller S, and as for the 360 being smaller, it's barely slimmer and it only manages that because the power supply is in a huge external brick. The 360 would be bigger if they'd incorporated the PSU into the case. I don't think MS did much wrong last generation, but it's too early to judge the 360 really. True they lost money big time on the hardware but they didn't care about that, they wanted the most powerful console and didn't really care it wouldn't become much cheaper to manufacture over its lifespan. Xbox1 was more of a brand awareness exercise, the whole reason MS triggered this next generation early is so they could get onto something cheaper to make.

      As for MS buying the design, there are plenty of Windows CE devices out there that MS could borrow the design of and slap on a d-pad and buttons, I don't see why they would need/want to buy into a failed brand.

    3. Re:Crazy idea here by damsa · · Score: 1

      My point in tongue in cheek comment is that after the first failure, they can go one and release 2.0 which in turn they will release 3.0. Ms version 3.0 is always the first usable version. NT 3, Windows 3.0, Word 6, Explorer 3.0 etc.

    4. Re:Crazy idea here by F_Scentura · · Score: 1

      "What are the chances that a Microsoft will buy Gizmondo North America to enter the handheld market."

      Zero.

      "To those that say why would MS buy garbage like the Gizmondo. Its because MS doesn't do things very well in their first interation."

      ? They didn't do significantly bad. There are a lot of great games for the Xbox, and the hardware was certainly competitive. Microsoft has a history of shoddy first incarnations of software, but their hardware divisions have made very quality devices for as long as I can remember.

      "Xbox lost a lot of money"

      It takes a lot of money to enter an unfamiliar (and unfriendly) market. I don't see how investing in a poorly-run company with questionable practices is the solution to this.

      "and things that were not quite right in the first generation got rectified in the Xbox 360 namely the size of the console and size of the controller."

      Firstly, while the dual-shock is a great controller for fighting games, the Microsoft controllers have been near the top-of-the-line for PCs for quite some time now. Even though the original controllers were omgsohuge, they were always comfortable. The new gen controllers are top of the heap at this moment.

      Seriously, I have no idea why you think this company's worth investing in, and your attacks on Microsoft are laughable. Not that they don't have their own problems, inefficiencies, or reasons for concern, but please pick a functional criticism next time.

    5. Re:Crazy idea here by F_Scentura · · Score: 1

      "My point in tongue in cheek comment is that after the first failure, they can go one and release 2.0 which in turn they will release 3.0. Ms version 3.0 is always the first usable version. NT 3, Windows 3.0, Word 6, Explorer 3.0 etc."

      Xbox 1.0 was perfectly usable, using the console as a loss-leader is not a "failure". Not to mention that this the console was also driven by Microsoft's need to please stockholders by diversification, growth into other markets. It succeeded with flying colors, even if they haven't made a significant blip on the Japanese market yet.

    6. Re:Crazy idea here by Fred+Or+Alive · · Score: 1

      But Windows NT 3.1 is actually the first version of Windows NT, they used that number to bring it on par with the then current version of non-NT Windows. Unless you mean NT 5.0 (Windows 2000), in which case you're probably right.

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    7. Re:Crazy idea here by damsa · · Score: 1

      It takes a lot of money to enter an unfamiliar (and unfriendly) market. I don't see how investing in a poorly-run company with questionable practices is the solution to this. Gizmondo Europe was the poorly run company with the questionable practices. I was saying they should buy Gizmondo North America which is still alive today.

      If they buy a company, then they also buy experience within that familiar market.

      Kidding aside. Why Gizmondo would be good for MS?

      Gizmondo already has a powerful system running Windows CE.
      Gizmondo has a Car Nav system. Right now MS is flirting with media products for the car however they don't have any after market products. Apple right now has mindshare with their iPod products. MS right now probably has the best stand alone map software but no Nav functions. Gizmondo Car Nav would be great addition.

      MS would probably want to enter the hand held market some time. Even if Gizmondo is not launched by MS. MS can use the knowledge gained by its employees on issues of handheld gaming. This also allows MS to prevent Sony and Nintendo from hiring away these people. Granted these people may not be great hires, but who knows.

      MS wants to enter the hand held entertainment/communication market that Nokia left. Mobile gaming is the last frontier in gaming. MS wants to be on top of that.

      MS bought WebTv. Is webTv profitable? No. Is hotmail profitable? no. But combine the technologies of hotmail, messenger, webTV and gaming and you have Xbox Live which is profitable. So there, my case why MS should be looking into buying Gizmondo.

    8. Re:Crazy idea here by damsa · · Score: 1

      I was actually thinking of NT4. But a case can be made for Win2k.

    9. Re:Crazy idea here by damsa · · Score: 1

      Well you can argue that the original Explorer/Mosaic was usable and also was a loss leader. Remember you had to pay for Netscape back in those days. But the first one where people said Explorer is getting to just as good as Netscape and took signicant market share is version 3.0. Right now Xbox can't touch the PS2 in the market like Netscape back in 93 or 94. But version 3.0. I hate to admit it Xbox will be really good.

    10. Re:Crazy idea here by PhotoBoy · · Score: 1

      Not pedantic at all, it's all useful info.

      IIRC Internet Explorer 3 was the first version of IE, MS called it version 3 to match it to the version number of Netscape at the time. It was quite a clever tactic by MS used to hide the fact they had nearly missed the Internet boat. It's funny to think back to a time when people thought MS would be too slow to get into the internet market!

      Come to think of it, that was the same reason for calling it the Xbox 360, because MS wanted a name with 3 in it to match PS3 rather than be on the "lesser" version number of Xbox 2. :)

    11. Re:Crazy idea here by Fred+Or+Alive · · Score: 1

      Actually, there are v1 and v2 Internet Explorers, it's just that v3 was the first one Microsoft really pushed. (AFAIK it's the first one Microsoft actually bundled with an OS)

      Xbox 360 is a rather obvious ploy to avoid <football results voice>Xbox 2, PlayStation 3</rfv> though.

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  4. bleh by sumday · · Score: 1

    was anybody even anticipating that gizmondo thing? I remember seeing it being paraded around by some scantily clad ladies at some gaming convention in london. It didn't catch my interest much, but i can safely say that it's some sort of handheld console thing that nobody would have bought even if it did make it to market. So this news is like a bit like "infinium labs files for bankrupcy". Only, even less people will care.

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    1. Re:bleh by morgdx · · Score: 1

      Except they did actually release a bona fide product that you could take home, run games on, write games for, etc, etc, etc.

      The last version released was £229 in the UK and had about 20 games when it launched alongside the DS last year. It made the N-Gage like mistake of including a telephone, although it didn't make you look like you been attacked by a frisbee wielding Ninja when you made a call.


      http://jfin.org/jFin pure java open sourced financial library

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      http://jfin.org/jFin pure java open source financial library
  5. Whew by voice_of_all_reason · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Thank I live in America, where if the government can confiscate and sell your property for no discenable reason, they'll at least try and cover it up.

    1. Re:Whew by gabebear · · Score: 1

      Oh, come on, that's not true... The American public is just to apathetic. The governemnt doesn't even seem to be trying to cover anything up anymore.

      On a more serious note, the U.S. is probably one of the worst developed nations in this regard.

      Plenty of land stealing in America's history as well(see Native Americans).

    2. Re:Whew by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Plenty of land stealing in America's history as well(see Native Americans).

      To do that I'd have to go to either a casino or an AA meeting.

  6. Gizmondo US by Photon+Ghoul · · Score: 3, Informative

    I don't know how many offices they have in the U.S. - but I drive by their Austin TX office every day on my way to work. Lately that building looks pretty deserted... No cars, the marquee with spiffy sayings hasn't been updated and just looking through the windows while driving by looks dead.

  7. That's sad. by OpenGLFan · · Score: 1

    That's sad -- it looked like decent hardware. A Geforce 3d accelerator and a reasonably powerful ARM processor. If they'd gone the GP2X open-source route they'd have sold three times the consoles. Even if they are ugly as sin.