Gizmondo

The Gizmondo is a handheld gaming console developed by Gizmondo Europe. Its development was led by Swedish entrepreneur Carl Freer, who served as chairman of its parent company, Tiger Telematics. The device was originally launched on 19 March 2005 in Britain; although releases in other European territories were planned for 19 May, this never occurred, and it instead only received a limited release in Sweden. It also had a limited release in the United States in October 2005. The Gizmondo was produced and marketed until 2006 when Gizmondo Europe was liquidated.

Powered by an ARM9 processor, the Gizmondo had the usual features seen in handheld consoles of the time (Nintendo DS, Nokia N-Gage) but notably also included a digital camera and a built-in GPS chip. Additionally, it also had mobile cellular connectivity, giving the ability to send SMS text messages and MMS picture messages (although no telephone capabilities), as well as browse WAP webpages and email using its GPRS connection. Software-wise, the Gizmondo runs on Windows CE. First-party game studios were located in Sweden and England to develop video games for the system.

In an attempt to promote the product's launch, Gizmondo Europe extravagantly spent millions on promotions such as a celebrity party at London's Park Lane Hotel, and taking part at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, despite never making a profit. Despite a degree of market expectation it ended up as a major sales failure; this was further worsened by a delay in its American release and the announcement of a widescreen version shortly before debuting there. The company was further overshadowed by Swedish press reports of criminal pasts of its executives, including Gizmondo Europe's director Stefan Eriksson's past as an organised crime figure.

The Gizmondo was conceived by Carl Freer, chairman of Florida-based Tiger Telematics, Inc. Originally the plan was for a GPS child-tracking device before the idea turned into a game system. The device was originally called Gametraq. Tiger Telematics first published on their website in October 2003 about the device being developed. This came in response to Nokia's N-Gage. During December that year, Gizmondo made its debut as a concept product at the Las Vegas CES in January 2004, and later appeared at the German CeBIT show in March 2004. The company and the console were renamed Gizmondo around April 2004, and made an appearance under this name at E3 2004. The exterior design was designed by Rick Dickinson.

London-based Gizmondo Europe Ltd. was formed and became the arm responsible for the game system. British Formula One driver Jenson Button appeared on magazine adverts for the Gizmondo, and also had his own licensed video game for the device, Chicane, though it never released due to a dispute with Tiger Telematics and the developer of the game. In London's Regent Street, Tiger Telematics threw a party with several celebrities invited to promote the device at the time of the March 2005 release. Busta Rhymes, Jodie Kidd and Pharrell Williams were among the celebrities invited, of whom some performed. There were also two television adverts that aired after release. Also, in an attempt to promote the console, Gizmondo's executive Stefan Eriksson took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race of 2005 in a Gizmondo-sponsored Ferrari 360 Modena GTC. Overall, the Gizmondo had attracted much media attention and hype in Britain even before it was released.

In September 2005, Tiger Telematics confirmed a redesigned Gizmondo model for release in 2006. It was intended to have a larger, 4" widescreen screen and upgrades like Wi-Fi, TV-out support, an improved 480 × 272 pixel resolution, a 2-megapixel camera, and a 500 MHz processor. It also included tri-band GSM technology with voice telephony, effectively making it a mobile phone too. It also featured new icons on the buttons. Carl Freer stated at the time of announcement that development of the revision was complete.

The widescreen Gizmondo was announced just a few weeks before the U.S. launch of the Gizmondo, possibly prompting some potential customers to not buy the Gizmondo, and instead wait for the improved model, in an example of the Osborne effect. Tiger Telematics promised to show the device at CES 2006 in January; however, it never appeared there. Shortly thereafter, Gizmondo Europe went bust and thus the new Gizmondo was never released.

The Gizmondo was further overshadowed when, in October 2005, Sweden's Aftonbladet revealed criminal pasts of several executives, causing their resignations including Tiger Telematics CEO Carl Freer. Gizmondo Europe's head Stefan Eriksson was involved in a Swedish criminal organisation, the "Uppsalamaffian" (the Uppsala mafia), while his fellow mafia friends Johan Enander and Peter Uf, both at key positions at the company, had spent time in prison for either fraud, grand theft or extortion. This occurred shortly before Gizmondo's American launch and by this time both Freer and Eriksson had moved to the United States, residing in Bel Air, Los Angeles.