Gizmondo brand to return in 2008

The ill-fated Gizmondo brand name, which disappeared in 2006 after the firm filed for bankruptcy, is to return this year.

The Gizmondo handheld device, which was originally launched in the UK in March 2005 for £229, sold poorly and the firm was forced to close its doors just one year later.

The unit, which features GPS, a 0.3 Megapixel camera, MP3 playback and more, saw a total of 14 games planned for it, though only eight were ever released.

Now the firm is to re-launch after it unveiled its gizmondolive.com website today, promising users a 'Gizmondo live marketplace' and the chance to 'Create your own games'.

No further details are available at present, but controversy is already causing problems around the launch after online reports claimed the former boss Stefan Eriksson was released from prison yesterday.