N-Gage QD - Nokia's Answer To The Critics? 249
JayBonci writes "According to CNET News, Nokia is preparing the N-Gage QD for release at the end of June. The redesign is an attempt to address design criticisms; such as 'side-talking' and the need to take out the battery to replace the game. Will this signal new life for the console, or is it too little, too late?" We linked to leaked pictures of the N-Gage follow-up late last week on Slashdot Games, and there's further information at GameSpot, which mentions: "When bundled with a service contract, the QD is expected to sell for $99. Without subsidy from a service provider, the phone will go for $199 (with the platform's Tony Hawk title bundled in at that price)."
QD (Score:5, Funny)
Not with a bang but a whimper etc etc
Re:QD (Score:3, Informative)
It's a Nokia, so it may well go off with a bang [abc.net.au].
Re:QD (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:QD (Score:3, Interesting)
The parent said nothing of exploding batteries, they merely said the nokia platform would fade slowly, not vanish overnight.
By the way, any lithium battery will explode violently (and by violently I mean lethally) if you manage to short it out internally. Not just crappy 3rd party batteries This is why you are allowed to take only 2 lithium batteries on a plane, but not 3. The easiest way to test this would be to drive a nail
Re:QD (Score:4, Interesting)
Only in Nokia phones though. No reports of aftermarket parts exploding in other brands of phone.
That's like saying "It's not your Ford that explodes, it's the non-Exxon fuel! If you use Exxon fuel your Ford won't explode.."
Even if the aftermarket batteries are the "explosives" where does Nokia get off making detonators?
Re:QD (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm surprised it even got out the door in the first place. So, of all the people that work for Nokia and had the chance to look at the thing before release, no one was smart enough to figure out that replacing the battery to change the cartridge was a bad idea? Or that side-talking was not comfortable at all?
Makes for a good textbook example on product failures...
Also, one of the biggest mistakes of our time: companies focus too much on what consumers say (mostly companies addicted to CRM systems). They should also listen very carefully to people that chose not to buy (the non-consumers).
Re:Buttons (Score:3, Insightful)
Too little, far too late (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:5, Interesting)
One problem is the fact that they are treading into an area where actual console producers, such as nintendo, would love to smash them in. They could go for another year or two and finally perfect the technology but Nintendo is known for success late in the game, and doing it cheaply.
Nokia doesn't understand yet that their production and licensing is draining their investments and at the same time Giants who specialize in the field of gaming are looking at similar and alternative investments in the field of Mobile gaming....including microsoft. (keep that on the hush hush)
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:2)
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:3, Insightful)
In fact it is easier for me to carry a SP + a couple of cart's and my regular nextel cellphone than it was to carry and use the Ngage.
They can redesign all they want... I know that it will continue to suck in
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:3, Informative)
Hopefully, the GBA emulator will be released this weekend. In the meantime, we have GB/GBC, NES, SNES, Atari ST, TG-16, C64, Colecovision, Xcade and GameGear/SMS emulators to keep us busy.
Oh, and video, mp3, web/email via bluetooth and Palm OS stuff also. And of course, games written for the Zodiac that take advantage of the custom video/audio chips.
I prefer my phone (with bluetooth) as a seperate device too.
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:3, Interesting)
How can that be when practically anybody can make games for series 60 and sell them on for example handango? however, this could be a reason why some companies don't like the platform, it's too open for anybody to enter the market. with gameboy the companies have privilidge of being the exclusive provider to even the most simplest shit(as it takes money to launch even the smallest title).
how can you justify the price of 20-30$ for a game som
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, but when you're competing with Nokia, you don't have to worry about price very much. If you keep it under the $500 mark, you're pretty much going to win, even if you're just selling real tacos.
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:5, Insightful)
It's amazing how often young people I know get new phones. All it takes is for one kid in the school to get it and think it's cool. Then the hundreds of others will "need" it. That's the way cell phone marketing works over here, and I think it's very compatible with the N-Gage.
Though you might think otherwise, the main thing young people use the phones for is games and sending SMS's. Calling each other is too expensive. And Nokia is well aware of that fact.
Another thing is the price factor. If, as has been stated, it retails for $199 without a service contract, it will be available in Europe probably for 1 EUR with a 24-month contract. That's a decent price, and very afordable for the young. I know many who regularly pay 100 EUR to buy phones on ebay. The phones are usually worth about 300 EUR.
If Nokia is smart (and I think they are), they'll have easy access to this huge market. If not with this revision, with the next.
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:5, Interesting)
Is the N-Gage suffering the same sort of bad press in Europe that it's suffering in the United States? Here in the US, it's been the butt of gaming magazine and website jokes for months, to the point where just mentioning it to any gamer would probably elicit laughter. It's really to the point where the only way they could possibly be less popular is if they sent out a press release announcing that "9 Out of 10 Convicted Child Molesters Agree: The N-Gage Kicks Ass". I'd say that they have a much bigger PR problem to tackle than the Virtual Boy or the 32X ever had.
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:3, Interesting)
However, one German IT site reviewed it in November [golem.de] and gave it a failing grade because it wasn't good at either gaming or a cell phone.
They also report [golem.de] that a German discount chain [www.lidl.de] sold the N-Gage starting April 1 for 159 EUR, without contract binding. It sounds like Nokia is trying to clear out their stock to make way for the new, cheaper version that has fixed a number of flaws that the
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:5, Insightful)
I'd say the Virtual Boy and 32x may even have a better chance of success than the N-Gage.
I speak not only as someone who buys just about anything game related, but also as someone who has many like-minded friends. The major issue that gamers have with the N-Gage isn't the shape, and it isn't the location of the memory card, though both of those issues ARE major turn offs, they ALMOST might could have been overlooked if it weren't for a few other serious factors.
The first buzzkill was the screen. Tall and Skinny Works for early 80's upright cabinets and that's it. It doesn't work for handhelds, and there's almost nothing you can do to make it work.
In a day and age were video is making a push for "WIDE SCREEN", doing the total opposite is the kiss of death. Human vision is wider than it is tall, and we've become spoiled by a wide field of vision. For that reason, the screen layout of the N-Gage pretty much prohibits it from having games most people are going to stand playing for very long.
Next, the button layout is crap. It had all those buttons (in the form of a number pad) and they wasted the chance to do something really innovative by trying to turn the interface into a stylish phone. Only it's not a stylish phone, so they failed that too.
If the N-Gage actually has a future, it won't be in it's current, or even it's newly announced form. It'll require a MAJOR overhaul.
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:2)
"Nokia has spent millions despite the fact that every sensible indication is that the N-Gage is the biggest piece of shit since a meteor made of shit crashed into the planet Crapulon's capital city of Shitopolis."
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:3)
And the games most played on mobile phones? 80's style arcade games. When you are waiting for a bus, or idling away a few minutes of break time, you don't want anything more involving.
Here's a few game types that work better with vertical aspect ratio: vertical scrolling shoot-em-ups, tetris, breakout, bust-a-move, golf, card games, pool, pinball, platform games, any game based on gravity (bomb-jack, lunar lander, gravitar).
Your comm
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:2)
I would agree with that entirely if the Gameboy Advance didn't totally poke a hole right through the argument.
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:2)
GBA isn't a mobile phone, so how does that poke a hole through the argument?
GBA is widescreen to capitalise on a back catalog of games for older full size consoles, which are easily ported so long as the aspect ratio is similar. And those older console games had their aspect ratio decided by the shape of the TV. It doesn't mean that that aspect ratio is the perfect shape for those games. Inde
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:2)
Simple.
The GBA is successful as a game console. The N-Gage is not.
I admit the GBA can't exactly be compared to a cell phone since it isn't one, but seeing as how the N-Gage isn't considered a very good phone either, that makes it an all around loser.
The GBA does what it's supposed to do really well. The N-Gage doesn't do either of it's tasks very well at all.
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:2)
They were. Five years ago. Now, like any corporation that grows too big and powerful, they are just corrupt and decadent.
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:4, Insightful)
Nokia is about 140 years old, has been Finland's largest corporation for decades, and started off by making paper. They are probably no more corrupt and decadant now than they were 5 or 10 years ago - they just made a crappy phone, that's all.
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:2, Interesting)
As it has it's own operating system you can install new programs. It has an mp3 player, a radio, real one to watch movies and can play games, far more than any other handheld console. And it's a phone to boot, a perfect reason to carry it around with you at all times.
Fair enough, the games at the moment are pretty uninspiring but there's some great stuff on the horizon including quite a few n-gage onl
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:2)
What cell phone prices AREN'T artificially inflated? Many providers have a cheap-o phone that they offer as a freebie and then make up for it by gouging on any other phone. I can understand a palm/phone (Kyocera 7135, e.g.) being pricy, but $650? I know for damn sure that the Motorola V60i I used to have (before telling Verizon to go piss up a rope) sure doesn't seem to have $179 worth of 2-year-old technology in it.
Alltel's freebie
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:2)
Ones sold in Europe. You get virtually all phones free or massively subsidised with a contract.
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:2)
"Verizon Wireless, how can I help you."
"Hi, I'm having a problem."
"Well, you're eligble for a phone upgrade"
"I don't want a phone upgrade."
"With a new 2-year contract you can save $150 dollars"
"I don't want to sign another contract. I want you to tell me why the phone doesn't work in my bedroom where it has for the past year."
"Without a contract, that model will be 200 dollars. You shou
Re:Too little, far too late (Score:2, Insightful)
Is there anything on N-Gage 2 (nee QD) that couldn't have been technically and commercially implemented on the original N-Gage, released around 9 months ago? Nope.
Did Nokia listen to the critics who pointed out the faults inherent to the original (pre-release) N-Gage. Non, non, non!
Is N-Gage 2 "revolutionary" or "innovative" in any way? Nein, danke. No aspects to the interface are compelling in any way - there are no shoulder buttons, analo
Finally! (Score:2, Interesting)
As now there a few decent games for it(and some experienced developers), it's cheapish, and actually usable.
I just hope it is compatible with the old games.
Have fun!
http://www.holepit.com/ [holepit.com]
Re:Finally! (Score:3, Informative)
I just hope it is compatible with the old games.
According to a followup to the original 'leaked images' post [ngagegaming.com]"All games will be compatible with both versions of the N-Gage, however"
They also say no MP3 player or radio in the new version.
Re:No MP3 player?! (Score:4, Insightful)
Lack of radio is slightly annoying tho.
Good Ideas 101 (Score:5, Funny)
Wait!--they are going to make their cell phone/game system a functional phone? What a great idea.
Oh--they're also going to make it usable as a gaming device? You don't even have to take out the battery to change games anymore?
This thing is going to be awesome.
I bet someone in R&D is getting a big bonus for these ideas.
Dudes! They can't take away my sidetalkin'! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Dudes! They can't take away my sidetalkin'! (Score:2)
Convergent products (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Convergent products (Score:2)
No, that's just Hong Kong. Every once in a while you discover a place that is so immersed in consumer materialism that it makes even Madison Avenue blush. Hong Kong is one of those places.
Re:Convergent products (Score:2, Insightful)
Do you remember the 'all in one fax, scanner, printer, copier, modem' units that were all the rage a couple years ago?
Do you remember which of those functions it was really good at?
Probably not. 'Cuz they sucked at all of them.
Convergence devices have always promised to be a panacea
It's too little, too late. (Score:4, Interesting)
The Gameboy. Perhaps problem is the wrong word. The Gameboy is awesome at what it does. It's a handheld video game console. It's not a bastardized cell phone pretending to be something it's not. It does one thing and it does it very very well. It's hard to unseat a product like that.
The downfall of hybridizing products like this is two fold. You're targeting two different customers. One's who want a badass cellphone and will occasionally buy games. They're not hardcore gamers, they're just looking for diversion from time to time. You're not going to sell massive amounts of carts to them. Then you have the other type of customer: the ones who don't need a cell phone, don't want to change their current cell phone, or can't get a cellphone. Children fall into that latter category. People/Parents aren't going to buy the thing just to play games on and ignore it's functionality as a cellphone.
There are two ways Nokia could have pulled it off. They could have either hooked up with Nintendo and sold a phone that also played Gameboy Advance games. Thus they'd have a huge library of games, and both audiences are tailored two. Or if they really wanted to compete, they should have created a standalone console that wasn't tied to the cell phone.
I'm a good example. I've got a Gameboy Advance and it's great. I've also got a Motorola v120 that I love. I'm not going to trade up my favorite cellphone just for another portable. Now, if it played GBA, I'd be tempted. I don't often carry my GBA with me, except on travel, but I always have my cell phone. If it played GBA games they might stand a chance of convincing me. Or if they had badass games, they could probably convince me to buy a stand alone unit. But as it stands, their hybridization model just isn't appealing. And they don't really have any titles that are must haves... That's just not a formula for success.
Sony may have something though with the PSP though. If they or Nintendo tried to do a hybrid with a cell phone, they'd probably do alright.
Re:It's too little, too late. (Score:3, Interesting)
It *still* lacks shoulder button, but it fits so nicely in the hand, way better than GBA or GBA SP. Of course, it still lacks decent games...
Also, it's smaller than the Nokia 6600, so for a phone it's a good size, compared to the first model.
In any case I hope to see competition in the handheld gaming market! :)
Re:It's too little, too late. (Score:2)
The downfall of hybridizing products like this is two fold....
For me, it's pretty clear that they're targetting teens, where cell-phones are in vogue and they're playing games too. The major flaw IMHO is the price (which is way out of range from common teenager's pocket) and the design. Games are pretty much priced right (IIRC $30, about the same price as GBA games). If they want to be a bit more aggressive, they can price it a bit lower, like $25 or even less. Now in this news they said they've fixed i
Re:It's too little, too late. (Score:2)
Re:It's too little, too late. (Score:2)
Re:It's too little, too late. (Score:3, Insightful)
Both not viable alternatives. Nokia pushing Symbian OS. Switch to another OS or make an emulator with limited CPU/memory for niche product is not practical.
Re:It's too little, too late. (Score:2)
It should be exchanged for old for free (or with huge rebate), or original owners would feel cheated.
Original owners are morons for buying it in the first place. They either have way too much expendable income and didn't bother to do their homework before making a purchase of this size, or they are just retarded enough to buy something with so many glaring problems. I think they deserve their fate.
Missing it completly (Score:3, Insightful)
Think: handheld game console + cell phone = ? Mobile online gaming of course! Even the demo game shipped with the N-Gage supported that. Of course for now the GPRS charges are killing it, but it the near future, this is going to be huge!
Re:It's too little, too late. (Score:2, Insightful)
Boy, do we live on different planets... My (mostly european) experience says kids absolutely 'need' a cell phone, change to a new one often and would kill for a cooler devices/phones. I'm not saying this
Re:It's too little, too late. (Score:2)
here are offical ...... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:here are offical ...... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:here are offical ...... (Score:2, Informative)
Hmm. (Score:2, Funny)
So they taped a gameboy advance to the front? Well, it sounds a little bulky, but it'll probably do the job.
It's all about the applications support (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:It's all about the applications support (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:It's all about the applications support (Score:2, Interesting)
MP3/FM Support? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:MP3/FM Support? (Score:5, Informative)
I'd love to, but... (Score:2)
Package Version Date Notes / Monitor Download
This Project Has Not Released Any Files
[View All Project Files]
No files exist to download. I've looked and looked, and all I see is a pretty PR stating that they released something in March. But I can't download it, and I can't find it, so they might as well have released a paper hat for all the use I'm getting out of it.
What I want is something I can use under Linux that'll produce movie files that RealOne on my N-Gage wil
Re:I'd love to, but... (Score:2)
Helix. For the S60 player, start here [helixcommunity.org], register if you have to. Once you're logged in the complete set of files includes everything you need to produce files on Linux, MacOS and Windows.
Syncing I can't help with because I don't properly use any computer-based PIM. Voice Dialing, I haven't gotten around to sorting out, but I'm guessing you need a Bluetooth headset for i
Re:I'd love to, but... (Score:2)
Is there a market for such an application if priced around 15$ ? If there is, it will be written soon (may be even by me, but I would have to buy a plam). It may be even on sale already, check handango.com (disclamer - I'm not affiliated with handango in any way for now). If there is no at least couple of thousand people ready to pay for it no one will bother with writing it commertially, though somebody could write it for himself and
Poor product presentation (Score:3, Interesting)
Price (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Price (Score:2)
Too little too late? (Score:3, Insightful)
Nokia and Software Patents (Score:4, Insightful)
I for one will not buy any more Nokia products.
N-Gage (QD) value (Score:5, Interesting)
The fact people are almost fanatical with their dislike with the N-Gage has never made sense to me. I guess one problem was that it was marketed as a game console even though it's still primarily a cell phone (with an innovative SideTalking (tm) interface
I can understand that people prefer the $100 Gameboy as portable console or that they don't wan't hybrid device or that they just don't like the design, but people seem to take "hating the N-Gage" very personally.. Is this just another episode of the "One True Console"-wars, or what?
Re:N-Gage (QD) value (Score:3, Interesting)
A Series 60 phone with MP3-player, Bluetooth, Calendar, Java support, FM-radio and some Gaming capabilities for $200 (or even the original $300) was IMHO never that bad a deal..
Yes its a phone, but talking on it not only makes you look silly its also very difficult due to poor placement of the speaker and mic. Yes it plays games but the button layouts are poor and the screen flickers making playing for more than 10 mins painful on the eyes.
The reason it got such bad press it that it was a very poorly t
Re:N-Gage (QD) value (Score:2)
misunderstandings (Score:5, Insightful)
It's not a destination, it's a journey.
The day after tommorrow there won't be phones, mp3 players, games consoles, or even computers as we currently think of them.
As it is why buy and ipod when your phone is going to have a Gb of storage and an mp3 player next year?
Interfaces will vary according to function, so you'll still have a keyboard and montior on your desktop, and a pad and a stylus in your palm, and a TV and huge speakers in your home.
But the storage and processing and comms will all be the one package that you'll carry around everywhere you go.
Nokia want a piece of that, the N-Gage is a step down that path.
Their building expertise and experience and making relationships with crucial content developers.
Microsoft, Intel, and Sony also see themselves as possible players in the space.
who's going to win?
My money's on the guys that embrace open standards and open source, simply because all this stuff is going to have to play together really well.
Anyway Nokia are trying to make the best product they can for now, but even if the next dozen N-Gages are flops have to keep trying to get it right.
Re:misunderstandings (Score:3, Funny)
Re:misunderstandings (Score:2)
N-Gage was a cool platform. QD won't be. (Score:5, Interesting)
From a computing standpoint, the thing was awesome. It ran Java apps, so that meant that within 24 hours of owning one, I had already downloaded a messenger client so I could be on all the IMs 24-7, no matter where I was.
Then there was the ogg player, the Gameboy emulator, etc. All for free.
Plus, it could understand Palm Pilot files, so no need to carry around both if all you use in the Palm is the address book. With a 512MB card, it was like carrying around a giant USB key, one that I used both under Linux AND Windows.
However, this new one looks as if it takes all the funcionality away with it's awkward button layout. It's never been easy to type on a cell phone. With this design, it'll be practically impossible.
And since I never played any N-Gage games on it, 'cause they were terribly boring and the platform was no good as a game machine, I agree with an earlier poster-- QD= Quiet Death. I won't be buying another one, that's for certain.
Re:N-Gage was a cool platform. QD won't be. (Score:3, Interesting)
It also has a faster processor. There's a camera too that can shoot movies (although the camera quality is a bit crappy so don't buy one for that).
Re:N-Gage was a cool platform. QD won't be. (Score:2)
The whole reason I bought the phone was because my Philips phone was broken. I wouldn't do it again, bu
Selling Ice to Eskimos or Condoms to Lesbians (Score:5, Insightful)
They have a large stake in the cell phone market, in a sense they're trying to sell a gaming device to people who just want a cell phone. People who want a cell phone will buy a cell phone, possibly one of Nokia's. Their cell business will eat away potential customers of N-Gage. People who want mobile gaming AND cell phones will buy a Gameboy and a cell phone.
What they've done is put themselves in a no win situation. They're trying to sell things that people either don't need or don't want.
Ice and Condoms.
LK
Well, let's see what's happened. (Score:5, Informative)
In positives steps, the new N-Gage QD is:
* A bit smaller (nice of them).
* Hot-swapable MMC (not a big deal, really).
* Better battery life (YAY).
* Separate OK button (double YAY!).
* The d-pad and buttons seem ok (E3 well tell if they're any good).
* Auto-run for inserted MMC games (eeh).
* Vibration/enchanced speaker for games.
* Quick-game key (handy if they had good games).
However, there are some significant drawbacks for those who want some of the features of the original phone:
* It's dual-band (EGSM 900/1800) -- no more 1900 support (the band we use in North America). No more GSM phone use in North America with N-Gage QD.
* Also no more radio support, which also means no more recording radio (I listen to the radio a lot when I've listened to the MP3s I have too much).
* And no more MP3 or AAC support (which is the main use for my phone besides a phone).
* Movies? Nope!
Essentially, it's a $200 USD Gameboy in North America, since it has none of the features which redeemed the original N-Gage, except the ability to play AAA-quality gaming titles on MMC.
I don't know how the folks at Nokia can claim that the N-Gage games are AAA-quality titles. I guess most Gameboy games are AAAAAAAAAA-quality titles, because every single one of the games I've tried has sucked so fucking much. But, hey, at least I got a phone/mp3 player/movie phone/mms capable/colour with calendering device out of it. Purchasers of the N-Gage QD won't get that at all.
I don't think Nokia will be back for a third round, considering they've lost the second round right here. If they'd managed to get any decent titles, it might be a different story, but no one except maybe Nintendo seems to have the ability to float a platform with 1st-party titles. Without really great 3rd-party wooing via buckets of money (MS) or sheer momentum (Sony), there's no way to get into the game market. Sorry, Nokia, but I think we'll just have to agree to disagree.
Re:Well, let's see what's happened. (Score:2)
It actually comes in two versions - one for Europe (GSM 900/1800) and one for North America (GSM 850/1900), which means you'll have dual band support on both continents, which is great. The downside is that it'll no longer work when you're travelling across the pond.
Re:Well, let's see what's happened. (Score:2)
It's still too big to use as a mobile (Score:3, Informative)
Re:It's still too big to use as a mobile (Score:2)
Re:It's still too big to use as a mobile (Score:2, Informative)
One small thing.. (Score:5, Insightful)
Is even $200 (if it's even that much) really expensive for all that? For me, it is definitely not. I'm unaffiliated with Nokia; I just like this particular device because it's very useful and cheap phone which allows me to do everything I wish and lots more.
Re:One small thing.. (Score:2)
For a lot less than $200 too.
Finally! (Score:4, Funny)
It's *not* the N-Gage 2 (Score:4, Informative)
But.. they've taken out MP3 support, the radio and still haven't added a digital camera. The display is a little small by current standards too.
My guess is that the "N-Gage 2" will be announced in a few months time with another model name (what the heck does QD stand for anyway) and will have more features, and maybe a better screen.
Doing it this way means that they should still be able to shift the original N-Gages still in the supply chain, then they can announce the "N-Gage 2" later.
There's a useful independent writeup of the N-Gage 2 here [mobilegazette.com].
This will sell well (Score:5, Informative)
- It no longer looks stupid
- You can hotswap cards (upto 256MB MMC cards)
- Its a *full series60 phone for 199$ with upto 256MB memory for apps/MP3s*. Web browsing, email, downloadable Symbian apps...
While the screen is still small, considering that you previously had to pay 400$+ for these features I think its a great deal. Lack of triband sucks for US guys, but I honestly could not care less.
I was already 'sold' on the first one as a cheap phone with good feature set, but the 'sidetalking' issue killed it for me personally and I skipped it when it became obivious that an improved version was coming. It just looked stupid and I didn't feel like using a HandsFree-kit. Nokia fixed the major issues, is selling it cheaply considering the feature set as a *phone*, and as a bonus it has some promising titles incoming. Those buying it as a 'gaming machine' first may be disappointed. I'm looking at a phone that has some added features, and as such I'm happy with what I see.
Or could someone else point out a comparable phone for 199$? If we ignore triband, what other phone at that price offers all the non-game features that N-Cage QD has? Please enlighten me!
Two things Nokia got right... (Score:2, Interesting)
Over here in the UK, the N-Gage sells for UKP100 on a pay-as-you-go connection. That's under half the price of the 6600, which has fewer features than the N-Gage (no MP3, no radio, etc). Knock it all
Official site (Score:4, Informative)
Nokia's Official site is here [n-gage.com]
Nokia's official press release... (Score:2, Informative)
One thing to point out (Score:5, Insightful)
Don't believe me? I swear on everything that is true in this world that the following was excitedly exclaimed from a Fry's in Campbell, CA, just a scant few months ago:
"Mommy! Mommy! It's American Idol for the Gameboy Advance!"
The kid was ten. The game was not purchased.
Don't get me wrong. I own a GBA. Hell, it's my second one, since I lost my first one. There's a good dozen games on the system that are actually playable -- the Castlevanias, the Metroids, some of the work coming out of Squaresoft. But even if the hardware is the spiritual successor of the SNES, the software selection is embarassing, bordering on mortifying.
And Nokia knows all this -- they know there's a pent up demand for gaming that scales to people who don't need to beg for a candy bar. Sony knows this -- and could actually destroy Nintendo on a whim, simply by releasing a handheld Playstation 1 (and re-releasing
a small chunk of the old library on new media). But everyone seems to be skipping a generation of failed machines (the "Don't Be Sega" effect?) and trying, better or worse, to do portable, multiplayer 3D gaming right.
And if you don't think MS is in this game, you're not paying attention to those "portable video players" with DRM support and space for a gamepad.
There's alot at stake here. I'm frankly surprised to still see Nokia still involved -- if nGage was any worse, the FCC probably would have refused to certify it on principal -- but you can't fault their recognition of the potential size of this market. Nintendo may have owned this space since the 80's -- but they've gone from the company that returned quality to video games ("Nintendo Seal of Quality" meant something) to
Yay.
--Dan
Better photos and analysis from GameSpy (Score:3, Informative)
Has a lot of cool pictures of the the N-Gage as well as a hands on preview.
It almost makes me want one of these things (Never had any desire for that old ugly thing)
Now It's About The Games (Score:4, Insightful)
It is no surprise either that the redesign came out so fast. Nokia makes cel phones! Cel phone designs and features seem to change on almost a weekly basis. So it is likely that Nokia is accustomed to working on short design and manufacturing cycles. Indeed, this may be why they felt they could release the first N-Gage with all of the design errors. Again, this is not good news for Sony or Nintendo who are accustomed to longer cycles.
In the end, it will be the games that decide who makes real money in the portable space. If Nokia gets traction, we'll see a real fight. I would guess that Nintendo is most at risk because they haven't had a real fight in the portable space in yea...like ever. Sony I think will recognize the threat and use their muscle and money to get exclusives for the PSP early. But the PSP had better not be too late to market, or they'll be looking at the 3rd or 4th iteration of N-Gage by then. Finally, one wildcard here is Microsoft. MS has said they're not interested in the portable market. That said, MS makes the best development tools in the business, if it suddenly becomes easy to develop for Nokia using Visual Studio
Re:You have got to wonder... (Score:3, Insightful)
Given that the new one is losing Tri-band (a must for international travellers) and the FM radio (also handy for travellers and others), I'm particularly content with mine. Meanwhile, if the updated model provokes a few more games releases, well that's g
Re:formula for disaster (Score:2, Funny)
Re:formula for disaster (Score:5, Funny)
Women listen best when you talk "into the taco".
Trust me.
LK
Re:formula for disaster (Score:2, Funny)
Unless you piss them off and then it's like "talk to the hand coz the taco ain't listening".
Re:N-gage Reviews (Score:2)
Re:Looks fine to me. (Score:3, Insightful)