Gizmondo Returns – Is It April Fools Already?

Hmm, maybe they could twist my leg to buy it

On the same day that former Gizmondo boss Stefan Eriksson gets out of jail, a new website has been launched touting that the beleaguered handheld will be making a comeback this year.

That’s just a coincidence as it turns out – Gizmondo’s revival is being headed up by former chairman Carl Freer. Still, my predominant thought is: WTF?

You’d be forgiven for not remembering Gizmondo, because it originally had around 14 games (half of which never even saw a US release) and no advertising. It bombed. Nonetheless, its new website makes some interesting promises. Once you get past the opening statement of “The legend is reborn” that is. Legend? Larks.

Aside from the 2008 comeback, it alludes to an “open source environment,” a “Gizmondo live marketplace” and the ability to “create your own games.” Despite my disdain, that could turn out to be rather special indeed.

It has the potential as a platform for indie developers to go and sell their games direct to market – no doubt that would get ex-Sensible developer Jon Hare doing backflips after his recent comments about games become mere products.

For the rest of us who remember Psychon and Rocks ‘n’ Gems with fondness, a portable Net Yaroze to make homebrew would be pretty neat.

Still, would you even think about buying one after last time?

View the website – what little of it there is – here.