Gaming N-Gage

[UnsungHero]

So here I was with my friend getting a lift on a bus.
He gets a phone call.
Instead of pulling out a mobile he pulls out his AU$600 N-gage and answers it.

The people on the bus were laughing at him!!!!!!

Friggin' N-gage!

"Oh well!" he said, "at least the games are sweet..."

Sure if you like ports of Tomb Raider and Sonic.

Who else thinks it sucks and would rather not answer a brick with a ring tone?

[DeadSeraphim]

I think they were a bad idea. Handheld games are great, but do you really want to have to answer the phone whilst beating a high-level boss in FF Tactics (example only) From what I've seen Nokia are trying to make phones something their not, a console. Cameras was ok, video was getting a bit extreme but games are just... stupidity. Not to mention the price tag...

[James]

[color=#707875]I know that this isn't the most appropriate place for N-Gage discussions, but it's better than anywhere else. So I've moved it here, as it's game-related.[/color]

[Xyandar]

I was so surprised when I read the price for this thing. I read the back of the box and I knew right then it was so stupid! They just put put some old playstation and nntendo games into a smaller screen.... It is not worth buying at all personally. What if you are at an important part in your game... or at a movie you dont want to skip and u cant pause it and your phone rings?? You are screwed over. You either continue to watch the video and piss of your surroundings by hearing the rings or you answer it and miss a great video that could really mean something lol. I really dont know why they tried to make this but this is just the worst thing they have EVER thought of..

[Shinmaru]

You can't really blame Nokia for trying (well, I suppose you can).

But, yeah, the N-Gage is really cumbersome to use and not only when you're playing games. I'm sure, by now, you've all seen the infamous picture of the N-Gage in "phone mode" (Tony posted an awesome picture of it a couple months back in a thread MaxSonic made about the "N-Guage" - pity it was deleted when MaxSonic got banned, heh).

Really, Nokia got a little overambitious with this. Overall, you get the feeling that the N-Gage is marketed as a handheld console firstly, with all the extra stuff tacked on it. However, buying the system can't really be justified when all the extra stuff doesn't work well. The high price tag is just the kiss of death, heh.

[terra]

Yeah, the N-Gage never struck me as a good idea. As Shinmaru said, the pictures of people using it in phone mode are kind of hysterical.

I think the sales in America can't be the only factor in judging the product, though; sales in Europe and Asia seem to be better. I actually saw people using it when I was in Hong Kong! which really shocked me (that anybody would use it at all, that is), but they do love their games and their cell phones, so perhaps it makes sense to them.

Although, I've misplaced my GBASP (somewhere in my house, I really really hope) and am having difficulty finding it since it's so small. Now, if only I'd bought an N-Gage ...

[Shinken]

Ah, the Nokia N-Gage. The first attempt to bring [i]recognized[/i] games to cell phones. As we all know, it failed miserably and is now regarded with the same amount of respect as a guy talking about his pet rock collection. But the problem doesn't come from the games themselves, it's mostly because the N-Gage is a poorly built piece of... stuff.

Let's just look at it's shape, first and foremost. Anyone who's seen these things in action knows that whay I'm about to say is the 100% undeniable truth: Answering an N-Gage is like talking into a taco. It's clumsy, easy to drop, and it also shares one other aspect with tacos: everything about it is crammed into one small package, and no matter how you try, it just falls apart.

I don't really [i]own[/i] an N-Gage, but I have seen them, and I know that the buttons are pretty close together. It's my personal opinion that the person who came up with the final design of this thing should be dragged out into the street and shot. The buttons are clustered together, which doesn't help you when you're trying to clear that patented [b]Bottomless Pit O' DEEEWM[/b] on Tomb Raider.

As for the idea itself (gaming and cellphones combined), it is possible, probable, and it could be done in a much easier fashion. Just one thing: Next time, don't leave it up to Nokia. :devil:

[NorykoAngelcry]

[color=darkred][SIZE=1]I will be honest. When I first thought about having video games combined with a phone, I was slightly intrigued. I mean, I played Snake. . Snake II, and even some Blackjack and really crappy football on cell phones before, and it was a great waste of time. I even downloaded Prince of Persia (the original version) on my last Motorolla phone, and again, really had a blast. .

But, come on? Trying to port PS1 style games over? That was just a sick dream. When I think of Nokia, I think of being able to drop a cell phone from a ten story building (do not attempt, it may void any warranties) and being able to dust it off and make a phone call. I love Nokias for their durability. . I haven't used any of their newer phones, especially the tacky looking 'text message' phone, or the cumbersome 'camera phone' . . and I am not in a rush to. However, if the circumstance arose, I would definitely be willing to give one of those a shot over ever thinking about owning an N-Gage. . I tried in vain for 13 seconds to play Tony Hawk 'cloned skater' when I first saw an N-Gage. I was dissapointed. Not really a fan of the series, so maybe that added to it? Also tried Tomb Raider. . once again, for like 13 seconds. . akward controls played the biggest downfall for both games.

I am not even wanting to try and use the phone mode from what all of you are saying about it, and I don't dare bother trying to find out what you have to do to use it as such. I also wasn't aware of it's hefty price tag, from what I have heard, I shriek even thinking about people that would consider buying it, let alone coughing up the cash for it. All in all. . not worth a second look in my opinion. Most gaming stores near my house have the display in the front corner of the store, tucked away in a corner, away from all light. I smile thinking that some manager had the foresight to 'hide' it away, while still making it look like, 'Hey, if someone buys one, I get some good revenue, and he's probably out of the door before my better senses come to make me want to kick him in the back of the head for blowing his money like that!' yuk yuk. . shutting up now. [/SIZE][/color]

[James]

[color=#707875]I actually think that the N-Gage could be a fantastic machine, were it designed with even an ounce of intelligence and skill.

Unfortunately, Nokia really demonstrated that they don't understand gaming...or even industrial design, to any great degree. I have rarely seen such a poorly designed product.

Apart from the whole cumbersome issue about using the phone and apart from the weird screen size (and the fact that it is unviewable at various angles) [i]and[/i] despite the awful buttons, there are two even bigger issues.

Firstly, there's the question of media format. The tiny little cards that the machine uses are really no good. Not only are they one of the least durable choices, but they're also quite expensive to produce.

And secondly -- the biggest no-no as far as design goes -- the way that you actually insert games into your N-Gage is ridiculous. You have to pull the back off, remove the battery, put the card in, replace the battery and replace the backing.

o_O;;;;

This process could not be any less intuitive if it tried. I would have to actually use all of my effort to design a more cumbersome product.

N-Gage deserves to fail. It deserves to fail because it's a poorly designed product. If Nokia were to release a new and totally re-designed N-Gage...(N-Gage SP? :-P), that'd be wonderful. And I'd be the first in line to take a look at the new unit. So it's not about hitting on Nokia in general. But at the same time, I don't think the market should tolerate awful products. Nokia needs to learn its lesson and either stay out of the handheld market [i]or[/i] design a superior product; one that is truly attractive for consumers.[/color]