Nearly 15 years after the demise of the 3DO, Panasonic is breaking back into gaming hardware with a new handheld dubbed The Jungle, designed specifically for online gaming and MMOs.



Details are limited at the moment, but according to reports from Gizmodo, Crunch Gear, and others, The Jungle will feature a full QWERTY keyboard, dual d-pads, shoulder buttons, and a touchpad. The design resembles some of Nintendo's earlier handhelds, namely the Game Boy Advance, with a clamshell enclosure that allegedly sports a high-resolution display.

Specific technical elements of the device have not been announced, though it is believed that it will be based on Linux, feature HDMI output, and possibly even incorporate 3G networking.

Currently only one game has been confirmed for The Jungle; a new MMO called Battlestar Galactica Online. A web show named Online Underground has also been linked to the device, produced by Machinima.com.

A website for The Jungle has been established, though information is scarce aside from a short teaser video.

Read more: http://gear.ign.com/articles/112/1125473p1.html#ixzz11WEM4kN3

What are your thoughts?

Welcome.

Well I think Panasonic picked a very wrong time to enter the handheld-gaming industry. There's the Nintendo 3DS to be released next year, and the Playstation Portable (PSP) in circulation which would make it very difficult for Panasonic in terms of sales.
And looking at the features of the Panasonic handheld gaming system, it doesn't quite have anything new or spectacular.

Since its designed specifically for online gaming (which foreigners love), it'll be quite a competition. Though I don't think it can surpass the handhelds in circulation.

My thoughts though, I might be wrong.

This would be useless in the third world.