Helix - Handheld Game Platform From Ex-Palm Staff 27
madopal writes "It seems Reuters is reporting that some ex-Palm officials have announced a new gaming platform called Helix. The company is called Tapwave, but there's nothing on their site yet." This article in the San Jose Mercury News has a few more details - apparently, the unit will even feature an analog joystick and trigger buttons, and with its Palm OS organizer functionality, is apparently aimed at an older, more crossover audience than the Gameboy Advance.
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Trademark problem (Score:2)
Well, I would hope not, but with the whole Phoenix (Web browser/BIOS/Database/Car) naming fiasco, don't count on it. Kind of makes you wonder if they researched this at all before coming up with this name?
Re: (Score:1)
Re:Trademark problem (Score:2)
So I'm guessing not.
Re: (Score:1)
Sounds good but... (Score:3, Insightful)
-baron
Re:Sounds good but... (Score:1, Redundant)
I like my brother, and all, but I don't want to have to sit close enough to smell him when whooping him at F-Zero Advance.
Re:Sounds good but... (Score:1)
Re:Sounds good but... (Score:1)
They'd probably use bluetooth and IR so the gaming device can connect to your phone or network and use that. But then you get problems with different phone's software modems and bluetooth breaking on Nokias because of their driver issues.
I think it's far more likely for portable Internet gaming to s
Re:Sounds good but... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Not going to work (Score:2)
Because now SEGA's developing GBA software.
History and marketing (Score:2)
Well, no, they didn't. Because the competitors went after a different market.
Nintendo's Game Boy has the 12 year old kid market sewn up, but there are people like me who'd go for a system that offered something other than endless cutesy platform games.
Yes, OK, that's a slight overgeneralization, but believe me--I wanted something like a Game Boy Advance to replace my A
stupid english majors (Score:2)
Ummm
Re:stupid english majors (Score:1)
They should ask themselves this before they build. (Score:3, Interesting)
Will MP3 player features compete with the iPod?
Will the gaming features compete with the GB SP?
If not, we are going to have another device that does three or four thing, but does them really poorly.
I'm dreaming of a smallish device (flip style, deck of cards) that will be a great cell phone, a great PDA, and a great mp3 player, and maybe play games... But i still think we are about two years off from that.
I'm interested in the next Handsprings, but they still seem so plasticky and the bezels add some much to the size...
Re:They should ask themselves this before they bui (Score:2, Insightful)
It doesn't say if it will include the Palm organizer application suite, however.
The Fathammer [fathammer.com] 3D demos I've seen have been impressive...
Re:They should ask themselves this before they bui (Score:2)
The developer page also doesn't say how much RAM will be in these things, or if they'll include a hard drive ala iPod. My guess is it'll be strictly RAM of one sort or another, if their claim of "less than 6 ounces" is true, s
Re:They should ask themselves this before they bui (Score:2)
Not to mention that I've already got a Palm I don't use...
Re:They should ask themselves this before they bui (Score:2)
ya, it is using the palm OS.
Will MP3 player features compete with the iPod?
Given sufficent storage media and a good sound chip it whould do fine.
Will the gaming features compete with the GB SP?
they claim a vast improvement on graphics, but the Turbo Graphics 16 portable, and the Neo-geo portable attest that that is not the deciding factor.
If they can figure out a way to make the controls better than a normal PDA it should be good... as it is Pokemo
Ahem. I am 25 and I have a GBA SP (and a GBA). (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Ahem. I am 25 and I have a GBA SP (and a GBA). (Score:1)
I don't want PDA features in my gaming device though. I want more power.
Competition will be good but I can't wait to find out what nintendo have instore for us next...
I don't have an SP yet, not sure about the design as I have large fingers - might be a good option for my daughter though.
Re:Ahem. I am 25 and I have a GBA SP (and a GBA). (Score:1)
I have full-sized adult fingers, and the SP is actually more comfortable than the classic GBA design. Not sure exactly why, but it is. The tilt to the screen and better tactile feel of the buttons helps, but the overall grip is better too.
For example, I got past a boss in Metroid Fusion that had been giving me problems with the old GBA, the first time I tried him with on my SP.
I'm
Re:Ahem. I am 25 and I have a GBA SP (and a GBA). (Score:1)
Hehe. me too! Except I have full sized adult fingers of someone that is 6'7"...
More Sophisticated Gamer? (Score:2, Insightful)
Connell and Lim said the target audience for the Helix consists of people 18 years to 34 years old who have largely "graduated" from Nintendo Co. Ltd.'s (7974.OS) Game Boy Advance portable gaming unit.
What audience are they talking about there? this is almost troll-like rhetoric i'd more expect to find on a pro-xbox anti-everything else messageboard.
maybe it's the audience that doesn't kn
Crossover audience??? (Score:2)
Does it say "priscilla" in golden letters and is shiny purple all over? I dont think it would appeal to me much, I'll stick with GBA SP I think.