Microsoft Game Studios to Port Games to Gizmondo

GamesIndustry.biz has the story that Microsoft Game Studios will be porting games to the Gizmondo handheld device. The "handheld console" is set to recieve some of the Microsoft greats, such as Age of Empires and Mechwarrior. From the article: "The system runs Microsoft's Windows CE operating system, which may explain in part the software giant's willingness to support it."

Nice specs, but!

[BrookHarty]

Mp3, WMA/WMF, Mpeg4, Bluetooth, GPS, Triband GSM/GPRS, 400mhz CPU, 64 Bit GFX Acceleration, 240x320 GFX, MMC/SD Card, Camera, Poly Ringtones.

But WTF, 4 buttons! This thing needs an attachable thumb board!

Re:Tiger electronics

[El]

Windows CE, the ultimate in Operating systems Yes, but "Ultimate what?" is the question... as in "Ralph Nader is the ultimate in losing presidential candidates!"

Hmm, Gizmondo == Xbox Portable

[blueZhift]

OMG! This Gizmondo _is_ an Xbox Portable, if not in name, at least in spirit. Here we have essentially a Pocket PC device running the Pocket PC OS (yeah yeah, Windows CE) built for gaming. Games were being written for Pocket PCs anyway, now developers can probably port many of those games to the Gizmondo with relative ease. This is an analogous situation to the N-Gage with respect to cell phone gaming, but without the side-talking!

Will it be successful? Hmm, now that Microsoft has entered the fray, that lends Gizmondo some serious street cred with the development community. And MS gets a chance to test the portable market place a bit without the nasty losses console makers have to take on hardware sales. Heck, they even get royalties since the Gizmondo uses a Windows OS. This should be interesting.