Tiger Telematics, the manufacturer of the Gizmondo, was founded in the early 2000s in Sweden. In late 2003, the buzz began circulating around a new system called the "Gametrac". In August 2004, the as yet unreleased device was renamed the "Gizmondo". It was released in England on March 19, 2005, in Sweden in late summer 2005, and in the USA on October 22, 2005.
Prior to its release, the Gizmondo was expected to be a huge success. Extensive advertising was put out, and launch parties featuring celebrities were thrown - the company had blown through many millions of dollars before the first console was sold. The system had internet, text messaging, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and GPS - features never before seen on a handheld video game system. As a handheld game system, it was relatively powerful, being capable of 3D graphics capabilities approximately on par with the Sony PlayStation 2. The price was $400, but if you opted for a "Smart Adds" enabled unit, the price was cut to $229.
What Makes It Obscure?
The Gizmondo isn't the most obscure system out there. This was a video game system with lots of hype that was released in the Internet era. It has gotten its fair share of fame, including a mention as "Worst Console of All Time" by GameTrailers. One of the main executives behind the Gizmondo, Stefan Eriksson, had ties to the Swedish Mafia and got in a well-publicized car crash that split an Enzo Ferrari in half. Amazingly, no one was killed in the crash, and Eriksson was sentenced to two years in prison.
The Gizmondo was discontinued on February 6, 2006, when Tiger Telematics went bankrupt. Having spent just 11 months on the market, total sales were less than 25,000.
It is probably the most spectacular console failure in history, and while it isn't the most obscure, it does have the most interesting story.
Stefan Eriksson's wrecked Enzo Ferrari, from wreckedexotics.com
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