Friday, January 28, 2005

First Interview with James Beaven head of global press.


First Interview with James Beaven head of global press.
NextGenHandheld: When is the launch expected in North America?
James Beaven: "The date hasn't been set as yet and we're still quoting Spring 2005"
NGH:Will the price drop before launch?
JB: "No, the price will hold at $399 and there are no plans to reduce that
in the short term. The product is already extremely good value for
money, especially when you factor in all the functionality it has built in
- not as extra purchase items or accessories"
NGH:What market will the Gizmondo be targeting?
JB: "Initially, early adopter males aged 25-35. That age group will begin
to get younger as more stock becomes available and we begin to focus on
the music and movie features"
NGH: What will be the likely price range for Gizmondo games?
JB:"There will be three price points for games, starting at $14.99 for the
smaller titles and value packs, up to $30-40 for the blockbusters"
NGH:Will the Gizmondo have a regional lock out?
JB: "It's something that's being looked into at the moment. The initial
line up for games won't be region specific, but it may be necessary to
introduce that on some titles and films to prevent parallel importing. The
Gizmondo itself is a tri-band device, so different cell phone
technology is being developed for certain markets in Asia."
NGH: With the addition of the new Senior VP Mike Morgan,will the direction of the Gizmondo change?
JB: "Mike Morgan's initial remit to develop the sales channels and routes
to market for the Spring launches."
I would like to thank James Beaven for taking time to conduct this interview. Posted by Hello