Tapwave set to refocus on OEM partnerships

Handheld console manufacturer Tapwave looks set to cease manufacturing its Zodiac range of devices, with the company revealing that it intends to move its business model away from retail products and towards partnerships with other manufacturers.

Tapwave's devices are based on the Palm OS platform and boast impressive multimedia and PDA capabilities as well as an ATI graphics chip to drive an admittedly fairly meagre line-up of game software.

Now, in the face of competition from Nintendo's DS and Sony's PlayStation Portable, Tapwave intends to "transition from offering Tapwave branded retail products to developing new co-branded products for OEM partners," according to senior VP of marketing Byron Connell.

"These partners will be introducing future multimedia products based on both the Zodiac technology platform and Tapwave's next generation technologies," he explained to dedicated Tapwave website Tapland.

Tapwave launched its devices in mid-2004 in North America, supported by a small catalogue of games from publishers such as Electronic Arts, Atari and Sega, including versions of Duke Nukem 3D, Doom II, Spy Hunter and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.

This was followed with a launch in Europe last October, but so far the device has failed to make significant headway in the market in either territory.