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Zeebo Ships In Mexico
3G wireless console Zeebo, positioned by Zeebo Inc both as an affordable game system and education platform, has shipped to over 2,000 stores in Mexico.
The console, which launched in Brazil in June, aims to tap an enormous new market for gaming, as we found out in an interview with Zeebo founder Reinaldo Normand in April. Designed to navigate the dangerous waters of piracy, pricing and patchy wired internet infrastructure in Brazil, India, Mexico, Russia and China, it’s an attempt to extend videogames outside their traditional, and increasingly saturated, stomping grounds of Europe, the US and Japan.
The platform offers users wireless access to downloadable games, educational content, email and social networking sites. Retailing for 2,499 Mexican Pesos (approximately $189), it comes with a game controller, full sized keyboard, five free titles - Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D, Pac Mania, Tekken 2, Zenonia and Zeebo Family Pack - and one hour of free internet access, as well a Z-Credit card for making purchases.
There are currently more than a dozen Zeebo games available, with more than a dozen more expected to be released between now and January. Once downloaded, all content is stored inside Zeebo’s internal flash memory.
Publishers and developers supporting the platform include Activision, Capcom, Digital Chocolate, EA Mobile, Gameloft, Id Software and THQ. Mexican content providers will also be bringing locally-optimised games to the platform.
“For Mexican consumers who are faced with a difficult choice between a personal computer to support their children’s education and a videogame system to enjoy family entertainment, Zeebo offers the consumer a compelling alternative,” said Zeebo Inc CEO John Rizzo.
Acording to the company, Zeebo is “33 per cent less expensive than the nearest videogame system similarly configured”.
The console’s Mexican release is being supported with a TV, print, outdoor and online advertising campaign, while 150 stores will have Zeebo demo kiosks with full time product demonstrations.
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Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court 30 Monmouth Street Bath, UK BA1 2BW
England and Wales company registration number 2008885
Way too expensive for what it is.
Its taking unfair advantage of the latin american consumer, who hasnt had a chance to get any console from the current big names (legally).
The biggest worry is what games are going to be released, and how much of a role is the educational side of things going to play.
This is an audience who are of lower strata than many other audiences and their exposure to the media is very limited, so whatever exposure they get its very influential in the development of values, as well as outside views.
So looking at the amount of games, which portray life as a consumer ridden culture, or a violent ridden social landscape, the audience, specially the younger ones will be a lot more susceptible to this concepts and have less of a chance at getting other points of view which would help to put these games into a more realistic perspective.
I just hope that this encourages, and alloes local developers to develop games for their own coutries and cultures. I am from Colombia and I have many friends doing website development, and its some of the most advanced and interesting I have ever seen.
$200 for PS1 generation games? I haven't felt that sorry for Latin America in a long time.
Then again, the people really being ripped off here might be the first world investors spending money on this company. Zeebo claims to be cheaper now, but we know Sony can undercut their price in a heartbeat.
Pretty cool - I hope it works out for them. The early publisher/developer support they've already received is encouraging.
I am always interested in "independent" games consoles, sometimes they have far better features than the main-stream companies. some of the handhelds are far superior to either the DS, PSP and iPhone, look at the Pandora for example
This should be interesting, I would definitely will go later to the local shop and check the prices on the games and see the console first hand. The official site doesn't mention the costs of extra controllers and other accessories but so far sound like a good gift for a money conscious family with kids.
Wouldn't it still be cheaper in the long run to get a PS2 and just buy the cheap as chips pirated games at local markets and such?
Yeah, this is interesting.