Tapwave Discontinues Zodiac Handheld Business

According to an official statement released on its homepage today, handheld gaming hardware company Tapwave has officially dropped support for its Palm-based Zodiac handheld. Although recent reports indicated that the company was moving away from making branded products, it seems that this transition has happened relatively swiftly, with a message informing consumers: "We are sorry to inform you that the Zodiac business was discontinued and service and support are no longer available as of July 25th 2005." The Zodiac went on retail sale in the U.S. in June of 2004, after previously having been available only online. At this stage it was priced at $299 for the 32MB version and $399 for the 128MB version. The system had some low-level support from U.S. publishers, largely with licensed titles produced by Tapwave, such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, Doom II and Spy Hunter. However, the handheld never gained wholescale support from either publisher or consumers, and it seems that Tapwave has now closed down its Zodiac-related operations completely. The official website also notes: "If you have an outstanding claim with the company, Uecker and Associates will be contacting you shortly." Since this firm is a well-known official Bay Area-based receiver for companies that are no longer trading, it is believed that Tapwave itself is no longer in business, though the company has not released any official statement to that effect.