Panasonic Jumps Back Into Gaming With A New Handheld: The Jungle

With the iPhone and iPod Touch taking over bigger chunks of the portable gaming market each quarter and giants like Sony and Nintendo doing everything in their power to cling on to what they can, it seems pretty crazy to get into the portable gaming space right now. Well, someone call up the nut-house, because we’ve got a new contender: Panasonic.
Yep. Almost 15 years after their 3DO gaming console (remember that?) suffered an early death, Panasonic is dipping their toes back into the gaming waters with the launch of a new Online Gaming-focused business segment called Panasonic Cloud Entertainment (or, as they call it, PCENT, which is an acronym I don’t think anyone on the product naming team tried reading aloud), with plans to launch at least one device — tentatively known as “The Jungleâ€￾.

Panasonic is keeping their cards really close to their chest here, as they’re seemingly not quite ready to completely announce it. With that said, we’ve been sent a copy of the text that should be going live at TheJungle.com later today, along with a copy of a video that will be embedded on the page.

More on:
http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/10/0...th-a-new-android-powered-handheld-the-jungle/

 

They would probably make more cash releasing the M2 and having us console nerds buying it for the collection.

But who knows if this things is easy hacked and usable like something as gp2x/hacked psp with cool media support and lots of homebrew it will sell quite ok, tho panasonic will not make much cash on it.

 

Innovation not imitation you muppets!

 

Can't see this taking off at all..

 

Feel the Jungle vibe baby! :katamari: :smashed::dance:

Anyway, now you've all stopped raving around the living room, this looks like a Pandora but done wrongly. Panasonic are one of the very few companies that probably have the cash reserves to actually release a competitor to the PS3/360 and this is what they decide to create!?!

My mind will continue to boggle for the next couple of hours :katamari: :shrug:

 

PANASONIC, YOU ARE...

 

This has got to be a joke. How on earth can they be serious about this? Didn't they see what happened to the PSP Go and that had a known and "loved" name to it?

 

This is what happens when you put people who don't know shit about games to make you a gaming related product. Where exactly is the appeal Panasonic?

 

damn i wished it was called M3! :Rock:

well, the might have a chance if they are REALLY aggressive (like 99$) and homebrew friendly, but i don't really think it'll be so...

in any case it'll be fun! are they planning a worldwide launch?

 

Zimbabwe only for now..

 

Sadly no:

http://welcometo.thejungle.com/

http://kotaku.com/5655580/the-jungle-the-official-info-on-panasonics-new-online-handheld

 

That's not really fair, the GP32 was as successful as expected. And their current model, GPWiz is doing well too with a strong (albeit niche) following.

 

A hippy gamer's machine filled with indy games would be "something different" , but you'd need the cash to support these people and the proper marketing/presentation of the product. You'd also need an industrial design to reflect the market you are targeting. I wonder if Panasonic would hire gaming lawyers.

 

I think most people consider steady profit to be a much better indicator of success.

That said, I can't see this project achieving either, to be honest, until the technology gets bundled into a more useful device (or at least, one with a broader appeal).

 

Is it me or does it feel like they saw the Pandora and though "hey, we can make one of those!"

=|

 

This thing looks like it's gonna be as big as a portable DVD player. Nobody's gonna be able to carry it in their pocket, which just limits the appeal even more.