It appears Panasonic intends to launch a new portable game machine — one designed to let online gamers and fans of massively multiplayer online role-playing games take their games wherever they go.
The clamshell device that includes a keyboard and d-pad is called the Jungle. And although Panasonic has not issued any official statement about the machine, the company appears to have launched a vague website around it, and has apparently revealed limited information to a few tech blogs.
According to the Jungle's short-on-details website:
All we can say for now is that this mean little machine features a kick ass display, touch pad, keyboard and other gaming controls that we'll be saying more about soon.
And under the site's Mission Statement section it says:
We began this journey by asking gamers what they wanted. Almost unanimously, we heard calls for online gaming products … In response, the Jungle was born. Our mission: Create an ecosystem around online gaming. At the core is a new mobile device concept designed specifically for online gamers. We're also working with leading online game developers to create some exciting new content.
The Jungle site — which launched with the above music video introduction — also announces the arrival of a related weekly show called "Online Underground" and teases a "Battlestar Galactica Online" MMO.
Meanwhile, the device was teased Monday night on the MTV reality show "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory" in an episode in which skateboarding star Dyrdek is asked to create a jingle for the new game gadget. (Hello product placement.)
What does it all add up to? According to CrunchGear, this all comes from Panasonic's new online-gaming-focused business called Panasonic Cloud Entertainment. They report that the Jungle will be the name not only of the gaming handset, but of a larger online gaming brand.
While details are scant, some video game pundits are already questioning the device's viability.
Gizmodo has reported that the Jungle runs on a Linux OS. "Which could make content tricky, since it means games will have to be ported over," writes Matt Buchanan. In other words, you couldn't just run a PC version of your favorite MMO.
And according to PC World, the Jungle "doesn't stand a chance." Writer Matt Peckham asks, "Why, in a world flush with sleek, pocket-sized gaming handhelds would we want something bigger and heavier?" He describes the gadget as "a chunky old-school flip-top that looks like something dredged from the late 1990s."
Brian Crecente, editor for games blog Kotaku, has some design concerns as well. "I can't see myself carting around what looks like a super-sized 1980s pager," he writes.
So far, I have to agree with the skeptics. Sure, I can see how "World of Warcrack" lovers might want to keep the game going no matter where they are, but even if the game is ported, would you really want to play it on that small of a screen?
Panasonic officials are mum about additional information. But perhaps when more details emerge, I'll get excited about a trip to the Jungle. Until then, I can't help but wonder if the thing isn't doomed to meet the same fate as Panasonic's short-lived 3DO game machine. Remember that one?
