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Debug Mode Newbie

Debug Mode

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500x_juuuuunglefever.jpg
This is Jungle. It's the first portable gaming console designed exclusively for online gaming and MMORPGs. And it's from the company who gave us the 3DO nearly 20 years ago.

 

Sure, the PSP and Nintendo DS have online multiplayer gaming, but it's not the core of what they do. That's why Jungle seems more like a tiny PC, with a full QWERTY keyboard and a touchpad along with the d-pad and shoulder buttons you'd expect in a tiny gaming console—so you can take online games from the PC with you.

 

In case you're not getting it, let me spell out the potential of this device: It could enable MMORPG addicts leave their apartments for the first time in years. So get ready to see that cousin of yours. Might want to have some sunscreen waiting for him.

 

The Jungle looks like almost like the original Game Boy Advance, but bulkier and more rugged, designed to withstand a hail of gunfire. And turned into a clamshell. It is not a dainty device. The heft is cradling a high definition screen so good, a test gamer who got to see it at PAX told us, "The screen resolution is bananas. Everyone was freaking out about it." It's not confirmed what kind of guts are powering it, but it follows that the silicon's gotta be substantial to push decent-looking games on that kind of screen. (And push video out through the HDMI port that the device is rumored to have.) Wi-Fi is obvious, but if it's going to be truly play anywhere, it's hopefully got some kind of 3G powers too.

 

Also unconfirmed, we hear that Jungle runs a Linux OS. Which could make content tricky, since it means games will have to be ported over—you won't be able to just load up World of Warcraft and be on your way, goldfarming while you're in line at Starbucks, since WoW doesn't run on Linux. It's gonna require partnerships and ports, to say the least, and this thing is going to live and die on the content it's got. Or, it's gotta run games in a browser.

 

The screen and processor point to something pricey, as high as $400 depending on what other capabilities it has, but it won't sell unless it's around $200 or lower—which is where a carrier partnership, delivering 3G and subsidized pricing would make pricing interesting.

 

It would take a slightly crazy company to launch something this ballsy—a not-twee, dedicated online gaming machine in a world where you can play a damn good rendition Street Fighter IV on an iPhone—so it's being designed by Panasonic Cloud Entertainment, a tiny(ish) startup company uber-Japanese mega-corporation Panasonic's planted in Silicon Valley. But if online gaming titan Zynga and its ripoffwares can emerge as its own juggernaut from under the teet of Facebook, maybe this thing can work too. Depending on how much it costs and what kind of games it's got, anyway.

 

Personally, I'd love to play some Team Fortress 2 while sitting in the park, watching dogs bounce themselves stupid in the dogrun

Source

 

Uh what the hell are they thinking? This is looking like 3DO all over again.

From what has been gathered, it's looking like this handheld is designed to play brower based MMO's. That's as far as we know. Battle Star Galactica Online is the first confirmed MMO to be supported, Runescape has been hinted at apparently (which doesn't surprise me)..

 

Reports came rolling in earlier that MTV were due to reveal a new piece of gaming hardware at 9:30 EST (literally 8 minutes away at this moment of typing), so we may find out more then, but wow.. I don't see this being succesful.

 

Official website link here

 

 

Okay the video they have to promote the Jungle hints there is going to be a show for it. MTV? Maybe Machanima? They seem to be going all out..

Edited by Debug Mode
Dante Newbie

Dante

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Okay the video they have to promote the Jungle hints there is going to be a show for it. MTV? Maybe Machanima? They seem to be going all out..

 

Going to be shown on some show called "Rob Dyrdek Fantasy Factory"

Will Explorer

Will

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A very strange one this, I still can't see how it can possibly be a success. It'll be interesting to see what deals they line up for content though.

Rummy Newbie

Rummy

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I am rather fond of Linux, but it is rather uncompatible with alot of stuff. Browser stuff I guess is a bit interesting, but this has far too high a price point to make it worth it, surely.

flameboy Newbie

flameboy

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This will do nothing more than run browser based games in my eyes...I doubt we will even see dedicated applications for running these games. So yeah for what it will offer its way too overpriced...FLOP! I'm hoping it does flop and it can be bought for stupid cheap later down the line.

flameboy Newbie

flameboy

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It would surprise me if this was released outside Korea and China.

 

Yeah I guess such a device does lend itself to that kind of market in terms of avoiding rampant piracy.

mcj metroid Newbie

mcj metroid

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As I always say it depends on the price but..

"In case you're not getting it, let me spell out the potential of this device: It could enable MMORPG addicts leave their apartments for the first time in years. So get ready to see that cousin of yours. Might want to have some sunscreen waiting for him."

 

And that's why it's going to fail

 

PSP Go might soon have a challenger for being the shittiest handheld on earth soon :heh:

 

wonderswan has that covered forever

wonderswan_color%5B1%5D.jpg

Edited by mcj metroid
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Debug Mode Newbie

Debug Mode

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This thing will fail immensely if it doesn't get more support. Browser based MMO's could get the casual gaming market interested with stuff like Runescape, but Farmville already has support on the iPhone and iPod touch thanks to their app store.

 

The fact it's Linux as well doesn't bode well for supported titles. They should really have aimed for a partnership with Blizzard, imagine the riches if they got WoW on it..

dwarf Newbie

dwarf

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Day 1 buy. It looks really sleek, exudes sex appeal, plays the best genre of games around, sits at a great value, and basically I have no idea why noone else has made one yet, seeing as they're so useful and not pointless, or shit.

Goafer Newbie

Goafer

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God damn, people are quick to jump on the "it'll fail" bandwagon. At least wait and see how well it's supported when it comes out.

 

I personally think it's fantastic. Mobile MMORPGs? Awesome.

 

The only problem I can see is, if someone is paying monthly for an MMORPG, they aren't likely to buy many other games. I know my gaming spending pretty much went down to zero since I started playing WoW. And if people aren't buying games, Panasonic aren't making money. I'm guessing it will be more than just MMORPGs though.

dwarf Newbie

dwarf

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To be fair, I've always wanted to play 300+ hour long MMOs in short bursts, on the go, on a small, overcrowded screen, with a fiddly interface, on a system that'll struggle to get a workable connection.

In effect, the target market is infinite.

Debug Mode Newbie

Debug Mode

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God damn, people are quick to jump on the "it'll fail" bandwagon. At least wait and see how well it's supported when it comes out.

 

I personally think it's fantastic. Mobile MMORPGs? Awesome.

 

The only problem I can see is, if someone is paying monthly for an MMORPG, they aren't likely to buy many other games. I know my gaming spending pretty much went down to zero since I started playing WoW. And if people aren't buying games, Panasonic aren't making money. I'm guessing it will be more than just MMORPGs though.

 

The reason why I'm so quick to jump on the conclusion that it'l fail is because the only real success with what they said about the device on MTV last night is that it's pretty much confirmed to be aimed at the very fickle casual market. Considering Nintendo has eaten a lot of it, it's going to be tough..

 

They need a LOT of support. I can see it being very succesful in the Korean region due to the high volume of basic, easily runnable casual MMO's they have there which are very succesful (Maple Story springs to mind heavily due to the lack of online in the DS version), so mobile versions of those could be gold there.

 

But here? Runescape support is probably the biggest they have and it's still unconfirmed, so that could be a massive boost. But browser MMO's are usually designed for every laptop, so it may just be cheaper to have a netbook with an air card which are also very cheap that link into your mobile phone 3G data use agreements now. It's going to be a very tough market.

mcj metroid Newbie

mcj metroid

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Not the Gizmondo then? ;)

 

I suppose in the wondeswan's defence it did have

Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy II

Final Fantasy IV

 

but only because square wanted to piss off nintendo.

 

God damn, people are quick to jump on the "it'll fail" bandwagon. At least wait and see how well it's supported when it comes out.

 

I personally think it's fantastic. Mobile MMORPGs? Awesome.

 

The only problem I can see is, if someone is paying monthly for an MMORPG, they aren't likely to buy many other games. I know my gaming spending pretty much went down to zero since I started playing WoW. And if people aren't buying games, Panasonic aren't making money. I'm guessing it will be more than just MMORPGs though.

 

Ha I know I'm only taking the piss really, It's all about the support and price really. Then we'll know.

 

I don't know much about/ like mmorpgs to be fair so I seriously doubt i'll even think about this.

Rummy Newbie

Rummy

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I personally think it's fantastic. Mobile MMORPGs? Awesome.

 

I do actually quite like the idea as well, as MMORPGs in alot of respects can be very 'pick up and play' in their nature, it's just a shame this probably will be too high pricewise, and crap for support. They must have gone for a linux base to keep costs down, but it also kind of merks anything that isn't browser based.

Emerald Emblem Newbie

Emerald Emblem

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Did they learn nothing from Atari? Nintendo dominates the handheld market, while PSP has the remains, there is little audience for this product. Just get a laptop.

Edited by Emerald Emblem
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