Posbro rolls out world’s first WiMAX gaming device

In a hugely competitive market that’s all-but dominated by Japanese gaming titan Nintendo, the idea of launching a new handheld gaming device is akin to taking on Apple’s iPod in the MP3 player arena. Yet, although history has shown that portable gaming devices without the Nintendo brand label invariably fail, Posbro is hoping its G100 can prove the exception to the rule. Korean manufacturer Posbro rolls out its new

Korean manufacturer Posbro rolls out its new "Flyvo G100" mobile gaming device, which offers WiMAX connectivity and a touch-screen interface. Credit: POSBROSo what does the G100 offer that the likes of Nokia’s N-Gage and Tiger Telematics’ Gizmodo didn’t? Well, it would appear that Korean creator Posbro is lauding the ‘Flyvo’ G100 on its claim to being the world’s very first high-speed WiMAX device – but will that be enough to help the handheld carve a niche alongside the Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable?Recently unveiled at the WiMAX World USA 2007 exhibition in Chicago, the G100 looks like a traditional PDA (or even iPhone) handset and offers up a four-inch widescreen TFT LCD screen, which is also touch sensitive, much like the dual-screen Nintendo DS. The screen section slides upwards to reveal four face buttons, and a directional pad, with two separate shoulder buttons sitting atop the bottom section of the device, behind the screen.Wireless connectivity for the G100 is provided by WiMAX, a technology equivalent to that of current 3G and 4G mobile phone networks, while also functioning on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology too. Upon release, the G100 will operate on the 2.3GHz and 2.5GHz bands.Considering its unproven positioning in the mobile gaming field, it remains to be seen whether the appearance of the G100 will prompt development studios and publishers to create dedicated software for Posbro’s device. If that doesn’t happen, then the G100 will likely slot into the mobile phone gaming market, with its wireless connectivity providing a potentially decent platform for downloadable games usually found on PC or as Flash-based offerings.That said, the graphical prowess of the G100 is also somewhat of an unknown factor at this juncture when compared to the DS and PSP – and even existing gaming mobile phones – and any aesthetic failings could see its ambitions crumble despite the possibilities opened by touch-screen controls.Posbro, a subsidiary of Posdata, has offered that the G100 could well be available by the close of 2007, though any initial rollout is more than likely to be restricted to the Korean territory rather than a global introduction.