European Gizmondo Launch Dates Announced

Following its launch in the UK on March 18th and in Ireland yesterday, officials from Gizmondo Europe have announced that the handheld console will launch in continental Europe on May 19th. The standard version of the console will retail for €349 ($454), with a “Value Pack” priced at €289 ($376). A Smart Adds enabled version of the console will also be available at launch for €189 ($246). The Smart Adds version of the console was only recently made available in the UK and delivers targeted TV style adverts to customers as a compromise for the lower price. The company also plans to open more Gizmondo stores, in the likeness of the one on London’s famous Regent Street. Twenty-one stores in total have been suggested, including branches in Paris (France), Barcelona (Spain), Hamburg (Germany), Stockholm (Sweden) and Milan (Italy). In anticipation of the new launches, Gizmondo has assembled a series of quotes from European retailers, suggesting a level of interest in the product that has perhaps not yet been borne out in the UK. Italy’s Matteo di Silvia, who introduced color television to the country via the company Teleherz, has said: "We feel that now with Gizmondo we are leading an even greater revolution in the electronics entertainment industry by introducing a revolutionary new product to Italy. We know intrinsically that this system will sweep the market, as color television did, and change forever our entertainment priorities." Despite such significant hype, Gizmondo still has a significant battle on its hands, as it faces off competition from the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and, when it launches in Europe later this year, the PSP. The company is putting a positive spin on the situation, though, with Tiger Telematics (of which Gizmondo Europe is a wholly owned subsidiary) co-founder and chairman Carl Freer commenting that, "These launches are landmark achievements for us, and place us several steps closer to our U.S. debut."