Gizmondo US launch set for October 22

Given that there are only seven weeks to go until the Xbox 360 hits, and Microsoft still hasn't set its starting lineup, gamers may be a little frustrated with having so many unanswered questions so close to launch. Those gripes are being put into perspective today with the announcement out of Jacksonville, Florida-based Tiger Telematics that its Gizmondo multipurpose handheld gaming system has finally received a US launch date, and it's just over two weeks away.

The Gizmondo will launch in the US on October 22, days shy of the one-year anniversary of the system's UK release on October 29. The system will be available at two price points: $399 will buy the system no-strings-attached, while $229 will net a system with Smart Adds. Already implemented in the UK Gizmondo, Smart Adds is an advertising service that sends commercials up to 40 seconds in length to a user's system up to three times a day. They don't interrupt gameplay but will play automatically when a user quits to the system menu.

As far as the launch lineup goes, the Gizmondo will ship with a dozen games for certain: Fathammer Classics, Trailblazer, Hockey Rage 2005, Gizmondo Motocross 2005, Toy Golf, Pocket Ping Pong 2005, Sticky Balls, Ball Busters, Richard Burns Rally, FIFA 2005, SSX 3, and Chicane. A Gizmondo representative added that Colors will be available at launch or shortly thereafter, and that the company has "intentions of introducing" 90 games by year's end.

Still unannounced is a list of places gamers will be able to buy the system. Tiger hasn't yet announced which retailers will be selling the Gizmondo. However, the unit will be available through mall kiosks and online through Tiger's Web site.

Leaving things to the last minute seems to be a recurring theme for the Gizmondo launch. Tiger Telematics previously announced an August 11 US release date for the Gizmondo, only to retract it in a statement on August 5.

Though the American launch of the Gizmondo hardware is not yet in the books, Tiger is already working on the next iteration of the system. A widescreen Gizmondo was announced last month, and it will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this January.