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Diggory Laycock · Oct 6, 2003, 06:25 PM

It goes on sale from midnight tonight:

http://www.n-gage.com/

Do you think it will sell or not?

- - e r i k - - · Oct 6, 2003, 06:27 PM

Not as long as I have my T610.

Axo1ot1 · Oct 6, 2003, 06:28 PM

There were kids lined up around the block to pick those up yesterday at the video game store across the street.

mishap · Oct 6, 2003, 06:30 PM

Just dont play for too long...run the batteries out.

Making the phone useless...

BasketofPuppies · Oct 6, 2003, 06:44 PM

You have to take the unit apart, insert the game, put the unit back together, wait for it to power up, and then go through the menu system and select games in order to play.

Not to mention that the N-Gage costs three times as much as a Game Boy Advance SP and has a vertical screen that makes playing many games difficult.

No thanks.

The real battle will be between Sony's upcoming PSP and the Game Boy Advance followup that Nintendo has hinted at. The N-Gage will be dead on arrival.

mitchell_pgh · Oct 6, 2003, 07:07 PM

I wonder as to how hard it will be to pirate the SD chips?

MindFad · Oct 6, 2003, 07:12 PM

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
I wonder as to how hard it will be to pirate the SD chips?

Probably not hard at all. The things is so expensive, a pain in the ass just to actually play the game (the unscrewing the back to insert a game), its battery life is probably abysmal....

I imagine it'll be a flop, though they are advertising like crazy for the thing at game stores. Anyone remember the Game.COM? Yeah ... I had one.

*hides in shame*

ambush · Oct 6, 2003, 07:14 PM

Depends on the price pretty much.

And I don't need the cell phone.

I really donno.

Beewee · Oct 6, 2003, 08:05 PM

Originally posted by MindFad:
Anyone remember the Game.COM? Yeah ... I had one.

*hides in shame*

Anyone got a picture of it? Just curious.

Adam Betts · Oct 6, 2003, 08:17 PM

Neck-Gagging

MindFad · Oct 6, 2003, 08:25 PM

Originally posted by Beewee:
Anyone got a picture of it? Just curious.

Don't let the picture fool you�the thing is humongous. It had a touch screen, though, and you could keep addresses and stuff in it. That was cool, at least. You could even go online with it (needed a special hookup, and I didn't know **** about the internet at the time). And it was more powerful than the GB at the time. Had slots for two cartridges (they were tiny). I had the one game it came with (kind of like mine sweeper) and Mortal Kombat. It was cool for a few months.

Mine doesn't work anymore, though.

Beewee · Oct 6, 2003, 08:42 PM

Originally posted by MindFad:

Don't let the picture fool you�the thing is humongous. It had a touch screen, though, and you could keep addresses and stuff in it. That was cool, at least. You could even go online with it (needed a special hookup, and I didn't know **** about the internet at the time). And it was more powerful than the GB at the time. Had slots for two cartridges (they were tiny). I had the one game it came with (kind of like mine sweeper) and Mortal Kombat. It was cool for a few months. Mine doesn't work anymore, though.

What did it cost?

smitty825 · Oct 6, 2003, 11:17 PM

It is a Nokia Series 60 phone, which means that it should sync fine with iSync, though!

Teronzhul · Oct 6, 2003, 11:48 PM

Nokia N-Gage is a good idea with poor execution in my opnion. From what I've seen the graphics are sub par for what technology should allow. Basically the PSX is gonna wipe it all over the floor, and so will the next big thing from Nintendo. I'm a pretty hardcore gamer, and I'm not interested in it in the slightest. As far as I can tell, the NGAGE is just a repackaged 3650 without an IR port. Hell, you can already play DOOM on the 3650. I expect Nokia will learn a LOT from the N-Gage. The N-Gage 2 I think will be a much better and more competative unit. With the proliferation of cell phone games and the move to integrate PDA's with phones etc, I think this is all just natural evolution.

Eug Wanker · Oct 6, 2003, 11:53 PM

The thing is too big for a phone.

At least it plays AAC music files though.

MindFad · Oct 7, 2003, 12:30 AM

Originally posted by Beewee:
What did it cost?

I'm not sure, actually. I'm pretty sure it was at least $99, maybe a little more, but I couldn't say for certain, and I couldn't google up much history on it.

malvolio · Oct 7, 2003, 01:34 AM

C'mon, you gamers, buy those N-Gages! The national economy of Finland is riding on them.

scaught · Oct 7, 2003, 01:39 AM

a girl at my work has had the N-gage for a couple weeks now. ive had a chance to look at it and give tomb raider a try for a few minutes.

the screen is tall and skinny. the graphics were subpar and moved really quite slow. sound was ok i guess.

i predict an absolute, total and utter flop.

Truepop · Oct 7, 2003, 01:43 AM

I think they pissed away 100 million in ads.

Unless they can get marathon or pathways to run on it. other wise I am sticking to my T | T and t68i

Jim Paradise · Oct 7, 2003, 02:11 AM

What's with the ugly pic of Sonic in SonicN?

Naz · Oct 7, 2003, 02:29 AM

$300 yeah right...

on the other hand I own 2 GBAs
I need a GBA SP

N-Gage no thanks

Naz · Oct 7, 2003, 02:32 AM

Judge_Fire · Oct 7, 2003, 03:43 AM

No, Nokia's design dept. has been getting too experimental lately - the 'remove battery to switch games' thing is hideous.

But this is a learning experience they can afford. Just wait for the next one. Hopefully, game downloads/online play etc.

A black van will pick me up later today for saying this, but I've been eyeing the latest SonyEricsson phones, as some friends have them and are happy.

Apparently, judging from Naz's pic, the radiation levels have increased, too.

J

ambush · Oct 7, 2003, 07:01 AM

Originally posted by malvolio:
C'mon, you gamers, buy those N-Gages! The national economy of Finland is riding on them.

damn right.

BasketofPuppies · Oct 7, 2003, 07:30 AM

Originally posted by malvolio:
C'mon, you gamers, buy those N-Gages! The national economy of Finland is riding on them.

Hey, the national economy of Japan has been in recession for the past fourteen years. And not only that, Nintendo lost money during its last fiscal quarter.

Diggory Laycock · 07:49 AM

I don't plan on getting one, but I can see the attraction for some people (ignoring the game switching User Experience problem.)

- Bluetooth multiplayer gaming - GBA should have this.

- GPRS built-in, they are apparently planning a network gaming service for next year.

- It's a 60 series phone - so It has a shed-load of Symbian apps already available for it (including a GameBoy Emulator! http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook/1001405.html),

- Being a Series 60 phone it will work with iSync (with a few tweaks to iSync)

- People already play Java games on their normal series 60 phones here in Europe, so A phone / Game device isn't so silly as it sounds.

- N-Gage Arena - an online community for N-Gage owners, allows uploads of "Ghosts" (Think Mario Kart) , HIgh-scores & Replays (which apparently are always available, it constantly records the game display into a 10 second (I think) buffer).

Until The GBA goes online N-Gage will have some innovative features.

gadster · Oct 7, 2003, 09:28 AM

Originally posted by Naz:

BasketofPuppies · Oct 7, 2003, 10:15 AM

Originally posted by Naz:

See? That's what happens when you try to figure out what Fooly Cooly is about.

macbiff · Oct 9, 2003, 09:30 AM

Originally posted by Diggory Laycock:
- Being a Series 60 phone it will work with iSync (with a few tweaks to iSync)

do you have any instructions on what to do to make it hook up with iSync? I kept having trouble adding the n-gage to the list.

ligux · Oct 9, 2003, 12:21 PM

Too expensive and low quality.
I think I can wait everyday until I get home and have a game or two with my XBOX.

nobitacu · Oct 9, 2003, 12:57 PM

This thing is much too expansive, it has failed even before its launch.

Ming

Diggory Laycock · Oct 9, 2003, 12:57 PM

Originally posted by macbiff:
do you have any instructions on what to do to make it hook up with iSync? I kept having trouble adding the n-gage to the list.

No - Sorry, what I meant was that Apple Would have to tweak the source code of iSync so that it would work with the n-Gage.

It will not work with iSync at the moment.

macbiff · Oct 9, 2003, 01:06 PM

ah ok.

thought it was otherwise. just have to drag via BT transfer for now then.
thanks.

Disgruntled Head of C-3PO · Oct 16, 2003, 03:52 PM

Here is some interesting info:
"His verdict isn't far off our own opinion of the N-Gage at present. It's a fascinating device and a bold move by Nokia into a new market, but it's also horribly flawed in a number of crucial ways. The tiny screen, the lack of analogue controls, the need to remove the battery to change games, the lack of a volume control - all of these smack of lazy design and a fundamental failure to understand that the needs of a game device are different from the needs of a phone. N-Gage promises a game console, and what it delivers is a standard Series 60 mobile phone with a swish logo and a decent d-pad."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content...e=new&aid=2233

And:

"According to the latest figures, only 500 were sold in a massive 6,000 retail locations."
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content...e=ret&aid=2408

MindFad · Oct 16, 2003, 05:58 PM

Two students I know from school who work at two separate GameStops that each received shipments of 300 each let me know that not one was pre-ordered or sold. That's 600 friggin' N-Gages, zip sold. It's going well, I see.

Adam Betts · Oct 16, 2003, 06:09 PM

I've seen this one coming a millions years ago. Sad that Executives at Nokia didn't.

They deserved to be flopped

Sarc · Oct 26, 2003, 09:44 PM

jeez ... when are the these ppl. gonna learn.

follow sjob's advice:
repeat after me

a phone is a phone
a palm is a palm
a gaming console is a gaming console

I just can't understand how they released this crap ? don't they ask focus groups for their opinions first ?

Superchicken · Oct 26, 2003, 10:32 PM

Originally posted by Sarc:
jeez ... when are the these ppl. gonna learn.

follow sjob's advice:
repeat after me

a phone is a phone
a palm is a palm
a gaming console is a gaming console

I just can't understand how they released this crap ? don't they ask focus groups for their opinions first ?

The problem is right now a computer mannages to be a TV, phoneish IM service, web browsing terminal, typewriter, sterio etc.

People naturally want to do this with hand held devices. The problem is the computer grew into these roles, right now people are trying to shove hand helds and phones into this area.

Landos Mustache · Oct 26, 2003, 10:44 PM

You have to take out the battery to change games? Ha ha, retarded.

Superchicken · Oct 26, 2003, 10:49 PM

no doubt

Krypton · Oct 27, 2003, 08:33 AM

Originally posted by Eug Wanker:

At least it plays AAC music files though.

Yes, but it doesn't play .m4a files, that oh so logical extension chosen by Apple

Diggory Laycock · Oct 27, 2003, 08:40 AM

It syncs with iSync 1.3

shabbasuraj · Oct 27, 2003, 09:03 AM

tried it yesterday...

it sux...

lates...

The Godfather · Oct 27, 2003, 01:45 PM

Adding a cell phone circuit to a GBA SP would be a better idea.