Ad-free Gizmondo ditched for US release

JUST DAYS before the launch of its hand held console in the US, Tiger Telematics has announced that it will not be flogging the ad-free version after all.

Previously, users were offered an ad-free package or a lower cost system bundled with ad software. It has now been revealed that the ad-free Gizmondo will not be released in the US and users will be obliged to watch advertising on their machines.

Users wishing to avoid this can spend 400 bucks on the Gizmondo packaged with Gizmondo Navigator 2006, a satellite navigation program using the machine's own GPS to determine users' locations. More details are available here.

The accompanying announcement was the launch line-up of games for the Gizmondo, which includes SSX3, Fifa Soccer 2005, Richard Burns Rally, Pocket Ping Pong 2005, Point of Destruction and Interstellar Frames 2.

All of this news flies in on the back of news that the Gizmondo is already responsible for miserable losses for Tiger Telematics. Proceeding with such a large scale US launch had surprised many but the loss of the ad-free option will only wound sales further, reckons this reporter. µ