Gizmondo's Spectacular Explosion 57
Over at Wired, Randall Sullivan writes about the spectacular breakup of Gizmondo. The discussion of the short-lived portable console's reign begins, of course, with the well-known car accident: a perfect metaphor for an imploding company. The article goes on to discuss the sordid past of Bo Stefan Eriksson, and how his role with Gizmondo never stopped his collusion with some of society's more sordid elements. From the article: "It wasn't long before Eriksson imported his wingmen from the Uppsala Mafia. Johan Enander, who had served more than two years for crimes including grand theft and extortion, handled security for Gizmondo functions. Peter Uf, who had spent more than five years in prison for fraud, was named a Gizmondo director. The company opened a glass-fronted corporate headquarters next to Farnborough Airport, and expensive Ferraris and McLarens dotted the parking lot. To add to the glitter, in 2004 Gizmondo purchased a 75 percent interest in a London modeling agency called Isis, ensuring that there would be plenty of beautiful young women at its parties and events."
This is an excellent article (Score:2)
Re:This is an excellent article (Score:5, Informative)
The best article on this subject, if only because of the absolutely spectacular flowchart attached to it, appeared on GameRevolution [gamerevolution.com] back in April. It kinda makes you consider tinfoil hats from a different perspective.
You mean this? (Score:3, Interesting)
Gizmondo! Now mit boobies! (Score:2)
I know that beautiful women unrelated to the product at hand are a time-honoured schtick in the industry (e.g. the "classic" E3 booth babes), but that really, really strikes me as unfathomably scuzzy.
I guess it's like the old saying goes: if you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, bamboozle 'em with bosoms.
That's what bothers you? (Score:2)
I mean, "Momma, can I mow the lawn?" What kind of game title is that?
Where do I apply? (Score:1)
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Foreign Investors: "Hello, nerds. We are buying your studio. Please to create software for our device. We have lots of money."
Nerds: "This prototype is sweet! This is going to be fun!"
(several months later)
Foreign Investors: "We are out of money. Please to close your studio now."
Nerds: "How is that even possible? We had lots of money!"
Foreign Investors: "We invested it."
Nerds: "In what, pray tell, did you invest our entire budget?"
Fo
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Ever get cut off by some yuppie jerk (Score:5, Interesting)
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(I use Firefox but the videos play in Windows Media Player.)
Troll? I think not. (Score:1)
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You called him a moron. That's not exactly "just giving a heads up."
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Yes, but a repentant one. ;-)
Ok. The proof is in the puddin', so to say...... (Score:1)
And......Zango it is! (Score:1)
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I don't know what kind of bizarr
Explain myself? (Score:1)
Sure, you may not even see stuff like that when your browsing, but others can and probably do. At the time I posted, I was sitting in front of a borrowed machine. And, for circumstances of my own, have been doing so for far too long. Matter of fact, A
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Why do people automatically say that if someone drives a fast, expensive car that they have a small penis?
That is a particularly disturbing generalization if the driver is a woman.
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Why do people automatically say that if someone drives a fast, expensive car that they have a small penis?
You must drive one of these "fast, expensive cars", don't you?
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Wow, you must think you are so witty. Actually I don't. I drive a 98 Subaru Forester. My dream car would be a Mazda RX7 r2 with the twin turbo. Hardly $150k, but definitely fast, and with 50/50 weight distribution making it a beast in the corners.
But I love how you assume that just because I defend people with expensive flashy fast cars that I drive one. The fact is I think the reasoning behind the grandparent's comment is completely basele
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Apparently you can't detect sarcasm. It was a joke; don't take everything so damn serious. I knew that the position you've taken was going to come up, so as the first to voice it, you got responded too. (Sorry if I hit a nerve?)
FWIW, I think that production cars at the six figure level are more about status and power, rather than greed or having a "serious driving machine". When a person drives one, or hell, even sits in one, many people change. Even if they aren't aware of it, a person may see thems
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I don't even have a car. What does that mean? I must know!
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Oh wait, I don't.
damn
is Gizmondo a front for mafia and or some agentcy? (Score:1)
about the crash... (Score:1)
This site is LITTERED with ZANGO infected files... (Score:1)
Re:This site is LITTERED with ZANGO infected files (Score:2)
Clean the spyware off your machine and you'll stop seeing Zango links. Then, with any luck, you'll be able to live down this embarassing ordeal. As long as you don't install any more spyware, that is.
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See the "car crash videos" link in the upper-right corner of the article? That takes you to the page with the Zango links.
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Of course, the real issue is that no one is pointing to that page, yet this fellow is hell-bent on his Zango warnings for those pages. So either he's already infested (seems likely to me), or he likes to make mountains out of mole hills. Whatever.
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I hear ya about the format, though. Executeable code launched from a movie? Whose brilliant idea was that?
Hubris Wins (Score:2)
Sadly, the mindset to work such blatent lies seems to coincide with a juvenile need to collect shite and "play fancy." This is by far one of the most telling aspects of the story: It was motivated by intense greed.
I've b
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After all my wins of "things" - I always lack from the inability to connect to more people by just buying stuff. Skip that expensive lesson and just try to meet more people (adult classes, bike/book/art clubs, community theatre, dart/bowling/pool leagues). These days, I use the neighborhood potluck concept to bring people together and play silly boardgames. This cascades into weekend bike rides, hikes, dog babysitters, recipie sharing, and lots of laughs.
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Balance in all things... works out for the best, whether it be natural vs. technological, 'health' food vs. 'junk' food, posessions vs. experiences, or any other set of conflicting extremes.
Extremes just aren't healthy, physically, psychologically, or spiritually. It's pretty sad that it takes acts of extremism and desperation to cause change in our society these days... In fact, it takes something pretty extreme for anyone to even notice that something is happ
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This would make a great movie (Score:4, Interesting)
On a side note, I noticed the names of the launch games, one being "Mommy, Can I mow the Lawn?". That just seemed to ridiculous to be a serious launch title. Sounds like it was made up to tell investors off. I can picture in the office:
"uh, yeah, we have, um, a launch title or 2 for the Gizmondo. It's called uh (looks outside office window), Mommy, can I mow the lawn? Total PSP killer!".
I read the whole 6-page spiel and was more entertained by the whole scam story than the game console itself. The same can be applied for the Phantom console.
So, any other scam artists want to release a game console?
Fascinating story, but... (Score:2)
the unbeliveable part (Score:2)
Pricing (Score:2)
Phantom? (Score:1)
After all, the Gizmondo device actually EXISTED.
Boxer? (Score:2)
However, the description of Eriksson and the images are pretty glamorising, he looks like a Sin City tough guy [wired.com]. I was told by one of his old classmates that he used to be known as Fat Steve in school, and if you look up the images from the net where he stands next to the car, he still looks pretty chubby and he has a surprisingly open and boyish fac
Phantom again (Score:1)
GREAT READ, but the last line was the best! (Score:1)
I know I am!
nothing like >300 hp for a dime and a nickel!