Like Gaming On The Go? Then You’ll Probably Love The Gameband

Android Wear 2.0 and the Apple Watch 3 might be big news for smartwatch lovers, but whilst these do cater for gamers in a small way, they don’t completely scratch that gaming itch. For those people, say hello to the Gameband. Although you’ll hear the cliché "Made by gamers, for gamers" tagline attached to this particular smartwatch, it’s not hard to see why, as the passion for this product is clearly evident from creators FMTwo Game Inc. in the video below.

The Gameband smartwatch is set to be released some time later this year, after being successfully funded via Indiegogo and Kickstarter. There will be four editions available for the Gameband, each with its own perks. These include the standard edition, the special editions: Atari and Terraria, and finally the super special Droid edition. The latter costs $249 (about £195), features a brushed aluminium finish, black leather strap, and Gorilla Glass, but is also shipped with 15 games and nine watch faces. The other three editions all cost $189 (about £148) and come with five games and five watch faces.

CEO of FMTwo Game, Feargal Mac Conuladh, had this to say on the development of the Gameband:

"We think the smartwatch market has fallen somewhat short of its potential; it’s crowded, with lots of similar products, and often at unaffordable price points. With our focus on great specs, and specific gaming functionality, content and design, we want Gameband to open the door to a new audience of smartwatch customer, and we are thrilled to be going after that vision with some amazing gaming partners."

The Gameband isn’t just for games, either, as apps like calendar, dialer, fitness tracking, weather, stopwatch, alarm, and a music player are also available. More games are able to be downloaded via the company’s own PixelFurnace desktop app, as the Gameband can be connected to your PC via a USB cable. Because of this, it’s possible to carry on playing games, specifically Terraria, by using the bigger screen when you’re at home.

Who is this device for?

Well, gamers, first and foremost. It seems unlikely that the average Joe will be into this smartwatch, particularly with the fantastic Apple Watch (still with solid games) being so dominant. Android Wear-powered smartwatches like the LG Watch Style and Asus Zenwatch 3 made a small splash on the scene, but not enough to seriously challenge Apple. Tag Heuer’s Connected Modular 45 is beautifully designed and has a great screen, but is incredibly expensive at around $1,550. We have seen some cheaper models starting to appear, but you’d have to really be a hardcore smartwatch enthusiast to part with those dollars.

The Atari edition is perhaps likely to be the most popular, seeing as retro gaming is so in vogue right now with the Atari console getting a re-release (similar to the NES and SNES re-releases). Games like Pong, Crystal Castles, and Asteroids have been given a fresh coat of paint for the Gameband, but you’d hope there are a lot more fun games that have solid replay value. It’s hard to say right now if the Gameband will be a runaway success, but the rapid crowdfunding and public demand for portable, retro games are a good sign in any event.

If all that sounds like your thing, you can check out more info on specs and how to buy one on the product’s official Indiegogo page.