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Panasonic, first manufacturer of the ill-fated 3DO console, is set to return to the video game hardware business with the revealing of a handheld system, Jungle, designed specifically for portable MMORPGs.

Simon Parkin, Contributor

October 5, 2010

1 Min Read

Japanese electronics giant Panasonic, first manufacturer of the ill-fated 3DO console, is set to return to the video game hardware business with a new handheld system, the Jungle. The company has created an offshoot arm of the business, Panasonic Cloud Entertainment, to handle the Jungle's launch and today unveiled a website featuring a promotional video of the machine. The Jungle is a clam-shell portable system boasting a QWERTY keyboard, a touchpad, dual d-pad controls, shoulder buttons and a high-resolution display. The system features a mini HDMI port, a micro USB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. According to some reports, the device will run Linux OS and, thanks to Panasonic's emphasis on online multiplayer gaming, it seems likely will have, at very least, Wi-Fi capability. The site states: "We began this journey by asking gamers what they wanted. Almost unanimously, we heard calls for online gaming products. Some gamers wanted a handheld, some wanted new content, others new experiences (one dude wanted a tattoo of the Kalphite Queen). In response, the Jungle was born." In the promotional video, the company indicates that forthcoming Bigpoint MMOG Battlestar Galactica will be released for the device, as well as a web show, Online Underground. There is also mention of support for Runescape. The system was also shown today on MTV show, Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, in which the titular skateboarder attempted to create a piece of music using the unreleased device.

About the Author(s)

Simon Parkin

Contributor

Simon Parkin is a freelance writer and journalist from England. He primarily writes about video games, the people who make them and the weird stories that happen in and around them for a variety of specialist and mainstream outlets including The Guardian and the New Yorker.

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