LONDON-Gizmondo Europe Ltd. has created a “new game innovation fund” to financially support emerging developers looking to produce games for the forthcoming Gizmondo gaming device.
The subsidiary of Florida-based Tiger Telematics Inc. hopes to spur developers’ interests in creating games specifically for the Gizmondo and its global positioning system functionality that incorporates a player’s physical location into games.
“The GPS will do to games what 3D did, really adding that edge to what is possible,” said Mikael Astrom, Gizmondo acquisition manager. “It’s not all about great graphics anymore.”
At least two games are already in the pipeline for the Gizmondo, which is set to launch in the United Kingdom in the fourth quarter of 2004 and in North American markets early next year.
Gizmondo also signed two letters of intent covering sales, account management and distribution of the new gaming device in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Redline Marketing, headquartered in Minnesota, and Texas-based Tartan Sales will coordinate and apportion the agreements on geographic and account bases.
