Microsoft Goes Pocket Gaming?
Hot rumor brewing: Microsoft's
working on a powerful handheld game
system. Details inside.
October 27, 1999
Watch out SNK. Heads up, Nintendo.
Microsoft may be breathing down your
necks.
We've just got word of a possible killer of
a development in the handheld community:
Microsoft may be entering the portable
gaming market.
Rumor has it from sources in the industry
that, along with the X-Box game system
project Microsoft is working on behind
incredibly sealed closed doors, a handheld
game system is also on Microsoft's
research and development table.
It's been reported to IGNpocket that this
handheld gaming system will feature a
powerful 3D graphics chip and processor,
possibly supplied by Toshiba. The unit will
be compatible with Microsoft's Direct X
API, making the unit extremely easy to program for, as well as to port PC
code to. We've also heard that the unit might integrate in some way with
the X-Box console that's reported to be in the works.
All this power could come at a price it's been heard that Microsoft is
targeting this handheld system at the same pricepoint as the X-Box itself:
the $299 area. Because of this price tag, it's assumed that the system is
also being targeted towards the PDA market as well. It will be a do-all
portable device much like a Palm Pilot, with extreme emphasis on gaming.
Can you imagine a version of Quake Arena on the go?
Currently, this is all just rumor, but if Microsoft does enter the handheld
gaming market, expect things to change could the company finally grab
the market away from Nintendo and its Pokmon? We'll be keeping an
ear and eye on this one, folks.
-- Greg Bolcer email: gbolcer@endtech.com web: http://www.endtech.com work: 714.505.4970 cell: 714.928.5476 fax: 603.994.0516