Gametrac Delivers a New Era of Handheld Gaming
Tapwave and Nokia face new competition from a feisty gaming platform with GPS tracking and…direct marketing?
By Jennie "Lady Spades" Sue | Jan. 10, 2004
2003 marked a new era of mobility, convenience, and connectivity in gaming. With the gaming industry's advancement into mainstream acceptance (via an annual gross of $7 billion), technology manufacturers and publishers are taking games more seriously and are looking towards games as a profitable gain.
The introduction of the Gametrac at CES in Las Vegas added several new ingredients to the multi-platform mix that gives the Gametrac its name: a GPS tracking system and MMS advertising. All reminiscent of Orson Wells' 1984 with dreams of big brother feeling a bit snugger in your bed than you had ever imagined.
Let's take a look at some of the specs before taking a bite into the meat of the taco-shaped (sound familiar?) handheld. The Gametrac comes with an ARM9 400Mhz processor with a 64-bit graphics accelerator. For multiplayer gaming, the Gametrac uses Bluetooth and GPRS and is constantly linked with GPRS for wide-area network gaming and usage over five different continents. The sleek silver machine also cross pollinates with other forms of entertainment including a movie player, an MP3 player, a digital camera (currently predicted at two megapixels) and SMS and MMS messaging functions. All these operations are accessed through the Windows CE .NET operating system.
Games can be installed through an MMC/SD card or downloaded remotely through the mobile phone network. The unit comes with a 2.8-inch TFT color screen, an eight-way D-Pad, left and right triggers and four face buttons.
If that wasn't enough to whet your appetite, then here's the meat
The GPS tracking system on the Gametrac is just the technology needed to introduce a new form of futuristic gaming where physical and mental gameplay is involved; where searching, finding and meeting people can be one of the goals. In the works is also a game currently dubbed Colors. The game, where the participants are members in a gang, is played across a wireless network. "We utilize all aspects of Gametrac functionality in this game," says Patrik Wallgren, head of global public relations at Gametrac. "We believe that the future lies in new types of gaming, not repetition of used concepts."
Scared yet? This powerful and sophisticated little organism is also the next gen device to keep in touch with (or keep tabs on) your friends and family. The built in GPS tracking system can track and locate a person of up to one meter away (via their Gametrac or cell phone). Yes, it's that precise. Hmm…insert here, conjured up images of spy cameras and phone bugs (and we thought it was cool when "Invasion of Privacy" was the title of Ratt's album). But no worries, for those with cell phones, the Gametrac sends a request for approval to the cell phone user which can be accepted or not.
And now, a commercial break
Yes, as connectivity and accessibility over handheld devices increases for the consumer, the same goes for manufacturers, publishers and advertisers. The Gametrac opens up a new media channel for advertisers by functioning as a hybrid medium of direct marketing in a multi-media format. That means that the user can receive advertisements and commercials as an MMS. And though it does not interrupt the current gameplay, a message will appear with "MMS received" once the user changes functions, and will be required to view it before continuing. The GPS tracking can also serve as a geographical marketing tool allowing restaurants and stores to send advertisements, reminders and messages to Gametrac users as they pass by the vicinity.
The Gametrac is expected to be released in Europe in April 2004, and the company will start looking into the U.S. Market in Fall 2004. •
http://www.gamespy.com/ces2004/gametrac/
