Gizmondo delayed by recession

The relaunch of the Gizmondo handheld gaming platform has been delayed by company head Carl Freer because of adverse economic conditions apparently.

The Gizmondo originally launched back in 2005 but the company was forced to bankruptcy by poor sales and an association with organised crime through certain members of the company. After the release of Stefan Ericksson from jail in early 2008 though the company was rapidly relaunched.

The credit crunch however has impacted on that relaunch and prevented the Gizmondo from hitting a Q4 2008 launch deadline.

"Unfortunately, we've had to reschedule the launch of Gizmondo. It's due to the economic climate in the US, as well as in the rest of the world. It has affected us in our ability to fund and get funded in regards to the manufacturing of components," Carl Freer told The Nordic Link.

"We've had some very, very touch and go moments here for three months. It has affected everyone. I was at one point thinking of abandoning the whole project, because I didn't see a way out of it; a way to fund it.

"I don't have half a billion dollars or 300 million dollars. You can only try and do your best," he said.

The company apparently ran into problems with manufacturers too, prompting Freer to rethink the entire design. The Gizmondo will now apparently relaunch as an open platformed, 3D enabled smartphone - but we'll believe it when we see it.

"If you look at gaming devices today, they consist mainly of the Sony PSP and the Nintendo DS. There are a few other renegades, the Game Park and so on, but what we are talking about is creating a fully wireless Pocket PC, one that also has a gaming engine," added Freer.

Are you interested in the Gizmondo, or are you satisfied with youur DS? Let us know in the forums.