Tapwave Announces Portable Video Game System

The company will target what it terms as more sophisticated gamers, aged 18-34 years old who have "outgrown" the Nintendo Gameboy Advance. The Helix will have twice the color palette of the Game Boy Advance and nearly 16 times that of the N-Gage. According to Tapwave, it will also offer a screen resolution significantly sharper than either one and a much larger screen size. Other features include the ability to play full-motion video in a number of formats, MP3 music playback, a photo viewer and all the productivity applications that are part of the Palm OS. The company has also garnered partnerships with big-name hardware and software companies. Hardware companies involved in developing the Helix include ATI, Sony, Motorola, and Yamaha. Among the software companies licensing games for the device are Activision, Infogrames, and Midway. Pricing and availability have not yet been announced.