Panasonic returns to gaming systems with the handheld Jungle

October 5, 2010 By Ryan Fleming

Panasonic returns to the handheld gaming market with the Jungle, a device geared specifically to play MMOs and online games.

Panasonic has introduced a device that could be the next big thing in portable gaming! It probably won’t be, but it could be. Panasonic is back once again in the gaming market, this time with a handheld unit called the Jungle. While this might sound like a rival to Nintendo and Sony, and maybe even to the iPhone and iTouch, it does have a few things that will make it stand out. It may still fail spectacularly, but it will stand out.

Developed by Panasonic Cloud Entertainment, a small Silicon Valley-based startup carrying the Panasonic name, the Jungle is being aimed specifically at the MMO and online gaming crowd. The specs haven’t been released yet, but from what we do know, it will feature a QWERTY keyboard, touch pad, dual D-pads and a mini-HDMI port. Beyond that there are unconfirmed rumors that it will be Linux based and it could have 3G.

If the Linux OS rumor is true, that might also present some unusual issues if Panasonic intends this game for the MMO market, as it claims. Most games would need be ported over for the device, which could be an issue. The Linux OS is still unconfirmed at the moment, but it will be interesting to see how they handle the OS.

The Jungle also seems to be a brand, rather than just a single handheld unit, although the device will also be called the Jungle. The official website that just went live, is still lacking in details, but it does list an upcoming game called Battlestar Galactica Online (a browser-based MMO based on the TV series), and new show, Online Underground, produced by Machinima.com which has already begun.

The Panasonic Jungle is the first foray into the gaming market for Panasonic since the slow and painful death of the 3DO nearly 15 years ago. For those that don’t remember the 3DO — and there are many that don’t — it was a console produced by Panasonic that debuted in 1993 with the stunningly high price tag of $699.95. It was a technically sound device that had the backing of EA, but the department went out of business in 1996 following extremely low sales.

The Jungle sounds interesting, but until more details emerge, color us skeptical that a new device from a company with a spotty gaming record can crack the handheld gaming market. Nintendo is the king, Sony has the hardcore gamers, and Apple is making huge strides as well, but this is definitely a product worth watching.

Showing 3 comments

The Nielsen Guy at 2:47am 6th October 2010 Beginning of part 2 Not to mention, not many people are aware of this but Panasonic had their own "Toyota incident" back in the early days of DVD. If some of you recall purchasing a first generation DVD from them in the late 90's (e.g.: DVD-A110, DVD-A120, DVD-A310), you may have experienced a pre-mature failure of the laser pick up unit. Based on reports scattered all over the web, Panasonic knew they had a design flaw on the laser pick ups due to excessive heat but decided to keep it quiet since they knew it would cost them big bucks. Thus, when a player broke down during the warranty, they would fix it for free as they should. However, once it was past the warranty, they would insist on charging the consumer for repairs even if the consumer had proof there was a known defect of the unit. Talk about a company that has little regard for the hand that feeds them. I haven't purchased a single product from them since 1993 and I'm happy to say it was the best decision I've ever made; no sense in throwing good money towards an awful company. Dave
The Nielsen Guy at 2:46am 6th October 2010 I used to work for Panasonic in the day of the 3DO and back then I will say that they have no idea on how to market anything especially a new game platform. Suffice it to say, Panasonic will always be "the Japanese company of Japanese companies". Meaning: they might know how to make a product better than a company that invented something but don't expect them to ever be a leader in respect to innovation; they're just a follower. The 3DO system is the perfect example of what's wrong with them. They totally missed the boat in trying to make a profit on the hardware and not realizing the real money is in the licensing of the software. If they had played their hand like Sony did w/ the PS1, 3DO could very well have been the dominate gaming standard today. End of part 1
studly stan at 1:00pm 5th October 2010 This does not make any sense to me at all. If I am a hardocore gamer, I want a big screen and the highet screen refresh rate possible. If I am a portable gamer, I have the entire Nintendo/PSP universe already and if I don't... well, there is always my android/iPhone to play on. This one has abysmal failure written all over it. This is Panasonic's Kin.