Sometimes I get the feeling I am the only one who realises a failed company before it’s set up. In fact, I’m sure everyone else does before the company realises itself.
Take for example the Gizmondo, the handheld gaming device. It had no chance. It was competing against Nintendo’s stronghold in the handheld gaming market, also the PSP and the mobile gaming market. But still, they thought “I know, we’ll set up another handheld devied, with GPS, and a mobile built in”. Lovely idea, but it cost a small fortune. Knock in the fact that they had no deals with the big games developers (or any good ones for that matter). Add to that, the hugely expensive shops on Regent Street etc, and , BAM! 1 year later, it’s nowhere.
Anyway, my point is, how the hell could I be reading this today? The article talks about a new “mobile operator” called UK01 running on localised GSM frequencies, only operating where there is a Wifi base set up by Spectrum Interactive. So in other words, you can now use your mobile, only in certain, localised areas. Does anyone remember Rabbit? The mobile service where you had to stand outside a shop, station, or bus stop and talk? It collapsed ‘cos of the mobile taking off. Fair enough, it was difficult to think it might work at the time because people would still use a payphone rather than fork out £200, but it still crashed overnight (you still see Rabbit logos on old shop fronts sometimes).
Now I’m not always right. I made a gamble that HD-DVD would take off over Blu-Ray, and look how that turned out. I didn’t see the tremendous bribe factor in that though. But I really can’t see this mobile venture taking off. I’d put a tenner on it, anyone?
