N-Gage 2 Announced

Team Rocket Elite writes "According to Gamesindustry.biz Nokia's at it again. They plan to make it more like a normal phone and to fix the issues with changing games and using it as a phone. From the article: 'Nokia is planning a major press event on April 14, which will probably feature the first look at the new device.'"

A resounding "meh"

[Naffer]

Sure, a phone that plays video games is a nice idea, but it probably doesn't work all that well in practice. I've got a flip phone that I've had for just about a year. I've dropped it, scratched it, and subjected it to all manner of abuse. It sits in my pocket and gets slammed into walls and sat on. I don't carry my GBA everywhere because I don't need it everywhere.
In all honestly if I'm going to carry around an expensive phone with extra features, I'd rather have a phone with a really kick-ass internet browser. I'd love to be able to look stuff up when I'm on the go without having to screw around with mobile sites. WAP doesn't do anything for me.

Re:A resounding "meh"

[obeythefist]

I've got a 3G smartphone, a Motorola A920. The phone is great. I've installed java games, I use Opera to read books in HTML, I keep a few MP3's to listen to, I can take photos and pretty much anything else you might want to do. The only thing missing is a TV tuner.

The reason I got a smartphone instead of a PDA is that I carry my phone around everywhere, always. It makes sense to. It doesn't make sense to try and juggle a PDA and a phone and a gameboy and a camera around. So games might be better/easier on the dedicated hardware of a gameboy, but I guarantee if I owned both, the games on my phone would get much more playtime, because I have it with me, always. This is why eventually Nokia have a good chance of succeeding.

Likewise, in case you think web browsing on a phone is cool, I have to tell you it is. But 3 charges me 1c/kb downloaded. So it's absolutely prohibitive to even bother despite the fact that I'm carrying Opera in my pocket. Maybe in the future web browsing will happen. The technology is there, but there's more greed than need.

Re:A resounding "meh"

[StocDred]

This is why eventually Nokia have a good chance of succeeding.

Until Nokia gets games of the same length, quality and polish, they have no chance of succeeding. Just because you're willing to settle, don't assume everyone else will.

But 3 charges me 1c/kb downloaded.

Hiptop. $20/month for unlimited kb (plus all other data services, IM, email, Terminal), and the web browser actually works and looks like a computer screen.

Re:A resounding "meh"

[obeythefist]

Hiptop. $20/month for unlimited kb (plus all other data services, IM, email, Terminal), and the web browser actually works and looks like a computer screen.

I'm sorry. I neglected to mention I'm in Australia. Australian ISPs would rather string you up and bleed you dry than give you any more bandwidth than they absolutely had to by contract and competition law, thanks to the tithe requirements of Telstra and Ziggy. Nice to know you americans still get really great, cheap internet access unlike us third

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:A resounding "meh"

[obeythefist]

But you're willing to carry around game cartridges?

Nope, this is why I keep the games in my phone's memory. It's a smartphone, not a portable playstation.

Re:A resounding "meh"

[DrSkwid]

I'd rather have a phone with a really kick-ass internet browser. WAP doesn't do anything for me.

Nokias (and probably all modern Symbians) ship with Opera Mobile, aint that kick ass enough ?

I pay $3 per Mb once I go over my first Mb so it's worthwhile buying a usb bluetooth hub and carry round the drivers on a 3" cd rom / usb stick so you can co-op connected PCs you encounter :)

TROLL ALERT -- DO NOT MOD PARENT UP !

[Recoil_42]

the link goes to

http://chkpt.zdnet.com/chkpt/zdpp01/bearload.com /l 659jldS3v7/msl/1094.jpg

aka, bearload.com/l659jldS3v7/msl/1094.jpg

Which department again?

[CelticWhisper]

Less like talking into CmdrTaco? Uhm...he might want to know about this...

Handheld only maybe?

[SphericalCrusher]

Why don't they just make an all out handheld console? They already have enough phones... no one wants to play games on their cellphone. And if they do, why not just port games to the cellphone?

Anyhow, they aren't going to win with Nintendo even if they make a handheld console, shaped like a phone, that plays games...

Re:Handheld only maybe?

[gauauu]

See, I don't agree. As much as I think the first NGage was a waste, I was thinking yesterday, and I would be incredibly happy if my GBA-SP functioned as a phone also.

I think people would love a phone/gaming device, if and only if it was actually good at doing both.

(I know I would)

Re:Handheld only maybe?

[pragma_x]

Somebody please mod the parent up.

Hey, Nintendo, are you reading this?

Give us a a cellphone cartridge, w/microphone port, for the gameboy and I'll give you a market of people ready to go buy a gameboy for the first time.

Besides, you don't want Nokia horning in on the portable gaming market, now do you?

This soon?

[zaunuz]

Seems to me like thise is the shortest time every between the release of an original and a sequal. Around half a year if i remember correctly.

Wouldnt it be better of improving the old model (fixing issues related to switching games and such) instead of releasing a new version? I bet there are many out there who starts thinking "Damn, and I who just bought N-Gage 1..."

I take it for granted that they will make it backwardscompatible with the games from the current model, so that those who have bought the

Re:This soon?

[wibs]

I bet there are many out there who starts thinking "Damn, and I who just bought N-Gage 1..."

Nobody bought an N-Gage.

Re:This soon?

[eoyount]

Seriously, though. Has anyone ever seen one of these outside of a store? I've never seen anyone who owned one.

Re:This soon?

[brkello]

Wouldnt it be better of improving the old model (fixing issues related to switching games and such) instead of releasing a new version?

I don't understand what is insightful about this. They are doing exactly what you are saying for them to do, improving the old model. Are you saying it won't look the same, or it will be totally redesigned from the ground up? Because that is the only realistic way that this product can be improved. It's just a name, why call it N-Gage 1 when you can call it N-Gage 2...

So, what will this one look like?

[SynapseLapse]

Maybe it'll be like talking on a burrito?

Wow! N-Gage 2

[ssand]

With the huge success the original N-Gage had, It is certainly well deserved to make a successor! I can't wait to get my hands on this one
/sarcasm.

Tenacious Finns

[0x0d0a]

Those are some tenacious Finns. That device has been insulted, chewed on, and bashed in just about every forum out there. Not only did they *keep* pushing it and doing ads for it, but now they're putting out another.

If nothing else, they get an 'A' for effort.

And an A for expediency

[cgenman]

They went from Announcement to Failure to Sequel in just over a year.

It's almost like mid 90's SEGA.

Re:Tenacious Finns

[gl4ss]

the name has to resemble n-gage for the sake of making game compatibility obvious.

plus, this new version, being mostly of the same internals can't have been that expensive for them to develop(heck, n-gage itself is basically just stuff they had already developed hacked together.)

though imho they should have made 6600&all that are capable(hardware wise) of playing the n-gage games to be able to do so without having to jump through hoops(getting cracks).

some of the best stuff available are not official

Giving It A Chance

[BigDork1001]

I felt like washing my hands after trying the first N-Gage, I felt so dirty after touching such a piece of crap. But I am not gonna just curse this one to the rubbish pile because of N-Gage 1. Perhaps Nokia will learn from the long list of mistakes it made with N-Gage and actually produce a quality machine. Lets not judge until we actually see the thing

Re:Giving It A Chance

[Scrameustache]

Perhaps Nokia will learn from the long list of mistakes it made with N-Gage and actually produce a quality machine. Lets not judge until we actually see the thing

I'm having none of that! I curse this as of yet non-existant machine and hope it'll be an even worse seller than the first ngage abobination.

I just hope this debacle will serve as a warning to other companies: Don't piss off your market by insulting them for having bought the allready existing competitor's product, and for god's sake, don't sell

Re:Giving It A Chance

[Rallion]

True, true, but they really might want to give it a new name. I mean...well, just look at the other comments.

One good thing to come of this

[jaydeejee]

another chance for us to go Totally Sidetalking Style! [sidetalkin.com] I'd still rather have a Gameboy advance

What happended.

[Lord Graga]

Boss, the N-Gage didn't sell well.
You are fired. Director, go make me another one!

Shouldn't be too hard to fix

[Sentry21]

The N-gage (version 1) was a neat idea, but there were a few flaws. It was a game machine, a cellphone, and an MP3 player, but the cellphone aspect had some flaws. And the game aspect had some flaws. And you know what, the MP3 player aspect may have had some flaws, because I couldn't figure out how you'd get the damn things on there ('It can play MP3s? Really? How do you download them onto it?' 'I haven't got the foggiest idea.')

The N-Gage 2 needs a few things to wsucceed where its predecessor failed so spectacularly. It needs to change games easier. It needs to be simpler to control where possible (using a numpad to control is less than intuitive, so the manual is a necessity). It needs to not look stupid as a phone. Finally, it doesn't need, but should certainly have, hardware 3D acceleration. Keeping in mind we're dealing with basically PS1 ports, it shouldn't be that hard to make a tiny chip to do this, considering how light-years ahead of the PS2 3D acceleration has leaped.

Here's hoping.

--Dan

Re:Shouldn't be too hard to fix

[shrik3]

...the cellphone aspect had some flaws.

*gasp* you have to talk into it sideways, that "flaw" has been hyped out of proportion. I find it more difficult to open a shell-phone than to align my N-Gage the right way around.

And most people forget the bluetooth support, which means you can use a *wireless* headset.

When my phone rings, I just glimpse at the display to see who's calling (if I don't recognize the caller by a custom ringtone) and lightly press the button on my headset.

And the game aspect had

Re:Shouldn't be too hard to fix

[Sentry21]

*gasp* you have to talk into it sideways, that "flaw" has been hyped out of proportion. I find it more difficult to open a shell-phone than to align my N-Gage the right way around.

It's not a question of alignment, it's a question of conveniance and comfort. It's a lot easier for me to hold my clamshell phone than an N-Gage, and when I'm using my clamshell, I can hold it up with my shoulder for a few moments while I do something with both hands. Not so much luck with the N-Gage.

The bluetooth headset point

Nokia should've launched it at CeBIT 2004

[motown]

I don't get it. If Nokia was actually planning to announcce this N-Gage 2 this quarter, then why didn't they do so at the annual CeBIT tradeshow in Hannover this week? That would've been the ideal public launch platform. Nokia is one of the most popular exhibitors there every year.

In fact, Nokia was still marketing the N-Gage 1 really heavily at that fair.

This could very well be an April Fool's joke, if you ask me...

If Nokia was smart they'd partner with Tapwave

[Thag]

If Nokia was smart they'd partner with Tapwave, which has a killer platform in the Zodiac but not enough games. Nokia has games but not a good enough platform. They'd have to add cellphone functionality to the Zodiac, but that's a pretty straightforward problem.

Re:If Nokia was smart they'd partner with Tapwave

[shrik3]

They'd have to add cellphone functionality to the Zodiac, but that's a pretty straightforward problem.

If some prejudiced people think they look stupid talking into a N-Gage, how can you make them slap a Zodiac in their face?

A good idea

[indros13]

I'm glad to see that they are trying a revision. While it took them too long to realize that people don't exactly like phones styled after Mexican food, I think the idea of a game system-phone combo is a winner. Just like a digital camera, a handheld is something you often don't realize you want to have until it's too late. Stuck in a line? Taking the bus? It's there!

I'd imagine that the N-Gage 2 will still get a lot of flak because of its predecessor, but I'd be surprised if they make the same mistak