Zeebo launches 3G wireless game console

Zeebo's got game.

Zeebo, a closely held company partially funded by Qualcomm, unveiled its 3G wireless video game console on Monday, with plans to begin shipping the device to the Brazilian market next month.

(Credit: Zeebo Inc.)

With its device priced at $199 for the Brazilian market and plans to offer it for as low as $149 once it starts shipping in volume internationally next year, Zeebo is seeking to attract users in emerging markets.

The consoles will also come with four games preloaded and the ability to download a fifth game title for free. Zeebo noted the games will be designed for the local markets with relevant content to the country.

Game publishers, such as Electronic Arts and Capcom, are porting various console to high-end mobile titles to the Zeebo platform.

Eventually, Zeebo is aiming for users in markets where Internet access is limited or slow to connect their PCs and Netbooks to its ZeeboNet Wireless Network. The network uses 3G broadband wireless cellular service.

[odubtaig]

"Eventually, Zeebo is aiming for users in markets where Internet access is limited, or slow"

...where people still haven't made it past 56k modems and so won't be as dismayed by the abominable speed.

Although at that price, you'll probably be able to get it for free on contract, in the UK anyway. You can already get a 'free' PS3 or laptop on the more expensive tarrifs.

[ma2oliveira]

According to the article, "Zeebo is seeking to attract users in emerging markets", which rules out the UK, I would say.

In Brasil, the low-income families targeted by Zeebo, mostly have limited or no home phone service, due to the relatively high cost of a landline. On the other hand, they are major consumers of pre-paid mobile phones. Add the fact that broadband data service is usually (in Brasil at least) bound to higher cost phone or cable video services, and the possible advantages of using a 3G network for content distribution become apparent.

In a related issue, low-income families here mostly do their gaming at cybercafés/webcafés, known as "LAN houses", which can be found almost everywhere and are very popular places to socialize (both on-line and off-line). So, for the Zeebo console is well accepted, it will have to compete favourably with those.

This leads to the following two questions:

(a) COST: how much will the games cost (not addressed on either of the Zeebo websites [1][2], apart from a mention of Z-credits [3])?

(b) PLAYABILITY: will the titles (the Zeebo Brasil site has a short list [4], missing from the Zeeboinc site) prove to be interesting enough (i.e., in comparison with higher resolution and perhaps richer-experience PC games available at the "LAN houses")?


Links:
[1] http://www.zeebo.com.br
[2] http://www.zeeboinc.com
[3] http://www.zeebo.com.br/zcredits.aspx
[4] http://www.zeebo.com.br/games.aspx

[Hitokijb]

for what they said... the games will be available most by R$8~15... wich is really cheap... and he come already with Need For Speed Carbon and Fifa Soccer 2009...

[ma2oliveira]

I neglected to mention that in Brasil, landline bills are billed by the minute, above and beyond the basic fee, which usually includes 200 minutes or so. An example basic fee is 59 reais, a bit less than 20 euros, but a lot compared to the minimum wage of 460 reais.

So 56K access would be really expensive and out of the question, leaving as sole competitor, "LAN House" use. And black/grey market consoles (still expensive) and games (not so expensive).

I expect that the ZeeboNet download airtime will not be charged, unless (a) the cost of Zeebo renting 3G access from the local mobile service providers is high and (b) the total cost, game + airtime, comes out to be (much) less than "LAN House" use.