Panasonic Reveals New Online Gaming Handheld

[Tom Goldman]

Panasonic Reveals New Online Gaming Handheld

A new challenger has entered the videogame handheld arena: Panasonic's Jungle.

A new gaming handheld from Panasonic seemingly came out of nowhere this evening after rumors were flying that a mysterious piece of electronics would be revealed on MTV. These rumors turned out to be true with the reveal of Panasonic's Jungle.

After the star of Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory had explained the double-hand pervert wave and dressed up as a rideable human skateboard, his desire to be a jingle writer brought Panasonic to reveal the Jungle through the show, which might be a product not even in the same class as the DS, PSP, or upcoming 3DS. The Jungle is billed specifically as a handheld device for online games.

Details are still sparse, but the Jungle's World of Warcraft [http://welcometo.thejungle.com/] remains to be seen. Either way, it could fill a unique space in the gaming industry, if it doesn't go down like Panasonic's 3DO.

The Jungle has a clamshell design like a Nintendo DS, but incorporates a full keyboard below a touch pad and what look like two D-pads on its lower half. The upper half holds a screen that looks quite large for a handheld. It apparently has various slots in the front for possible memory cards or perhaps a video-out.

More information should be out on the device soon, hopefully including technical specifications, price, and what exactly it'll be able to handle. Hey, wait, are my eyes deceiving me or is that a picture of World of Warcraft being shown on the system in this accompanying screen grab from a promo video? Edit: No, the image is artwork from Runescape. Wishful thinking.

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[teknoarcanist]

Oh, sweet, I needed something to hold my N-Gage up.

 

[Zero_ctrl]

Looks like a Laptop without the computer.

 

[mjc0961]

Uhm... Okay. I hope they won't be offended if I hardly care.

 

[Charli]

Is that WoW? Doesn't look familarly WoW-ish to me. Just a cutscene from some random fantasyish game.

Anyway, sorry what? Panasonic? Really?

'A NEW CHALLENGER APPEARS'

 

[RatRace123]

Aw, no fair. I called dibs on the story, like literally less than 2 hours ago I called dibs.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.236587-New-Panasonic-mobile-gaming-device-announced-on-MTV
so I win, Ha!

Seriously now: I reiterate what said earlier, I forsee another Ngage. Panasonic doesn't really have any experience in the game marketing buisness, and they're going up against Nintendo's DS. That system has outsold all of the big 3's home consoles and the PSP, all put together.

 

[elricik]

A portable device that can play online games...a laptop? I kid I kid. This thing could actually fill in an unused space in the market for portable online gaming, if a lot of people are into that.

 

[Jake the Snake]

And if you listen closely, you will hear the familiar sound of no one giving a fuck about a new handheld. Well that and the battle music of Pokemon SoulSilver.

 

[fulano]

The economy is going way down the shitter by the minute and Panasonic, who already has an uber-failed console under its belt, has just entered the hyper competitive handheld console market. To play online games, no less.

A true sign of the endtimes.

May Raptor Jesus take pity on our souls.

 

[Jfswift]

Oh, sweet, I needed something to hold my N-Gage up.

*grins* that's harsh. XD (I just hope they do better than with the 3do, a little competition never hurts).

 

[teh_Canape]

I might give it a shot, but it depends on the prize, game library and if I would have to pay for online service =P

 

[edgeofblade]

Like anything new, Panasonic, I won't prejudge, hard as it may be, but you will have to prove it to me you are a contender.

 

[Irridium]

Isn't Panasonic responsible for those god-awful Zelda games?
Or was that Philip's?

Either way, I'm decidedly "meh".

 

[InnerRebellion]

If it gives me portable WoW...I will still not buy it. It looks ugly, and I don't want a tiny screen for online games like that.

 

[Antari]

They actually did a great job on the 3DO back in the day ... I wouldn't be suprised if this is good as well. But they usually do what we are seeing. Tell absolutely no one about it.

 

[Catalyst6]

Uh... huh. A portable with a keyboard? It's either going to be completely unusable for gaming or the system will be a slightly smaller laptop.

Still, good for them for trying.

 

[Khakionion]

Once you call plugin-based games "browser-based", there is no difference between them and standalone apps like World of Warcraft. They are both native code running with full access to the OS's APIs.

So, if this is running a Windows-compiled plugin for BSG, then it's a stripped down Win7, and is capable of running any Windows online game.

WoW is not "stronger" simply because it isn't in the browser. Fscking *Crysis* could run in a browser if you wrapped it in a plugin, with no appreciable performance loss.

 

[wyvren2000]

Well, atleast the device can probably run Java based on the fact that they have it displaying the Press Image of Jagex Ltd's Triple Trouble artwork for Runescape as the screen image.

 

[StriderShinryu]

So basically it's a netbook with a different shaped case? I can feel the innovation pretty much blowing me over.. oh wait, I just left the window open.