Video games - Nokia back in the game
WEB EXCLUSIVE
The store is always open, it's easy to access and inexpensive, and no one needs to worry about appearing to be playing with a taco.
Welcome to Nokia's new approach to providing video games on the go. The Finnish phone maker, still recovering from its disastrous foray into the handheld gaming market, has adjusted its approach to the competitive industry.
Rather than producing a gaming device to compete against Sony and Nintendo, Nokia has produced a line of cell phones capable of playing games available for download from an exclusive website (n-gage.com).
Sure, cell phone games are nothing new, but the N-Gage site does not offer those graphically-challenged, gimcrack games that are available as free downloads on any number of websites.
These are high-end titles that could easily drive a device like the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP. But Nokia doesn't want to go down that route anymore. It tried once before and it wasn't pretty.
Back in October 2003, Nokia launched the first-ever mobile online-gaming device. The Nintendo GameBoy was available but it was not capable of going online unless it was wired up to a TV.
At the time, tech geeks were forced to carry both mobile phones and handheld game consoles, taking away valuable pocket space from their pens and glasses.
Nokia decided to combine phones and gaming into a single unit and the N-Gage was born. It had a large LCD screen in the middle, surrounded by buttons. It looked like a futuristic device with cell phone capabilities.
It went much further than that, however. The N-Gage also included an FM stereo, Web browser, MP3 player, a daily calendar and organizer as well as a Real One player with movie clips. Multiplayer gaming was accessible via Bluetooth or the Internet. In the latter case, players used the online N-Gage Arena service to find like-minded players and strike up a game. The Arena was a community forum that also provided downloadable content, tips and hints for games, a chat room and news on upcoming events.
Unfortunately, the system was a dramatic failure, partly due to its high price of $299 and lack of enticing games, which were also abhorrently expensive at $45-$55 each. To insert one of the wafer-sized games, you had to conduct minor surgery, removing the back plate and the battery to access the game port.
The device was also mercilessly mocked for its triangular resemblance to a taco.
It was revamped and relaunched in July 2004 as the N-Gage QD but the damage was done. It was soon overshadowed by the Nintendo and Sony handhelds. The latter did not have cell phone functionality but that feature was not enough to save the N-Gage, which has the ignominious distinction of being listed on gamepro.com's list of the 10 Worst-Selling Handhelds of All Time.
The thing Nokia had going for it, was the quality of its games. Unwilling to let that go completely, the company announced in 2005 that it would shift its N-Gage games from a cartridge-based model to an online service available for download to its N-Series smartphones.
The phones, available since early 2007, are essentially mini-computers with integrated GPS, an organizer, a slew of multimedia capabilities as well as built-in Wi-Fi for wireless Internet access and maps application covering over 100 countries, a camera with video capture at 30 frames per second, a screen which supports 16 million colours for DVD-like quality, a music player with stereo speakers, an FM radio, and mega memory.
The phones also have a built-in accelerometer, a tilt sensor that flips on-screen images if the phone is turned.
The latter is ideal for gaming, enabling landscape and portrait-style games.
A smart phone?
More like brilliant.
The N-Gage service, which feeds the game aspect, came on stream in April 2008. It features an updated Arena, where players can meet to compete as well as keep track of friends, games, scores and their online reputation, as voted on by friends and foes alike.
The games are available for purchase for a 24-hour period, one week, or permanently. They are reasonably priced from about $3 to $15, depending on how new the game is and how long you want it.
Before you ever have to commit to buying anything, you can download a game and test it through limited play. With superb graphics, online features, and rich gameplay, these made-for-mobile games fill your day with fun.
They're not time or money-wasters like most of the useless muck out there for phones. The N-Gage titles are legitimately challenging, and well worth the effort.
Best of all, you no longer have to go to the store and sheepishly purchase a game cartridge for that electronic taco. The online store is private and always open.
So here for your interest and enjoyment is a preview of games that have been announced and are headed for N-Gage in 2009.
CREEBIES
A modern Tamagotchi. Each Creebi has its own virtual genome that determines its appearance and personality. Your Creebi is also affected by the attention it receives. If a Creebi stays hungry or tired for a long time, its health is affected. When bred together, it is possible to create an almost infinite variety of unique Creebies.
MEGA MONSTERS
Smash, crush and stomp your way through fully destructible 3D cities to gain more power, strength and speed. This is what happens when a mad scientist gets his hands on a borrowed gene splicer, a surplus government nuclear reactor and a supply of adorable animals.
YAMAKE
Play, make and share mobile minigames created from your own content. Use the photos, sound, video clips and text as building blocks of your picture puzzles, quizzes, card wars, amusements, and other minigames. Upload your creations and download minigames made by others and posted in the N-Gage Arena.
Other games on the way include: Dance Fabulous, Million Dollar Poker, Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition, Need for Speed Underground, Pandemonium, Prince of Persia, Spore Origins, The Sims 3, EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA Tour, Tomb Raider Underworld, Worms World Party.
Welcome to Nokia's new approach to providing video games on the go. The Finnish phone maker, still recovering from its disastrous foray into the handheld gaming market, has adjusted its approach to the competitive industry.
Rather than producing a gaming device to compete against Sony and Nintendo, Nokia has produced a line of cell phones capable of playing games available for download from an exclusive website (n-gage.com).
Sure, cell phone games are nothing new, but the N-Gage site does not offer those graphically-challenged, gimcrack games that are available as free downloads on any number of websites.
These are high-end titles that could easily drive a device like the Nintendo DS or Sony PSP. But Nokia doesn't want to go down that route anymore. It tried once before and it wasn't pretty.
Back in October 2003, Nokia launched the first-ever mobile online-gaming device. The Nintendo GameBoy was available but it was not capable of going online unless it was wired up to a TV.
At the time, tech geeks were forced to carry both mobile phones and handheld game consoles, taking away valuable pocket space from their pens and glasses.
Nokia decided to combine phones and gaming into a single unit and the N-Gage was born. It had a large LCD screen in the middle, surrounded by buttons. It looked like a futuristic device with cell phone capabilities.
It went much further than that, however. The N-Gage also included an FM stereo, Web browser, MP3 player, a daily calendar and organizer as well as a Real One player with movie clips. Multiplayer gaming was accessible via Bluetooth or the Internet. In the latter case, players used the online N-Gage Arena service to find like-minded players and strike up a game. The Arena was a community forum that also provided downloadable content, tips and hints for games, a chat room and news on upcoming events.
Unfortunately, the system was a dramatic failure, partly due to its high price of $299 and lack of enticing games, which were also abhorrently expensive at $45-$55 each. To insert one of the wafer-sized games, you had to conduct minor surgery, removing the back plate and the battery to access the game port.
The device was also mercilessly mocked for its triangular resemblance to a taco.
It was revamped and relaunched in July 2004 as the N-Gage QD but the damage was done. It was soon overshadowed by the Nintendo and Sony handhelds. The latter did not have cell phone functionality but that feature was not enough to save the N-Gage, which has the ignominious distinction of being listed on gamepro.com's list of the 10 Worst-Selling Handhelds of All Time.
The thing Nokia had going for it, was the quality of its games. Unwilling to let that go completely, the company announced in 2005 that it would shift its N-Gage games from a cartridge-based model to an online service available for download to its N-Series smartphones.
The phones, available since early 2007, are essentially mini-computers with integrated GPS, an organizer, a slew of multimedia capabilities as well as built-in Wi-Fi for wireless Internet access and maps application covering over 100 countries, a camera with video capture at 30 frames per second, a screen which supports 16 million colours for DVD-like quality, a music player with stereo speakers, an FM radio, and mega memory.
The phones also have a built-in accelerometer, a tilt sensor that flips on-screen images if the phone is turned.
The latter is ideal for gaming, enabling landscape and portrait-style games.
A smart phone?
More like brilliant.
The N-Gage service, which feeds the game aspect, came on stream in April 2008. It features an updated Arena, where players can meet to compete as well as keep track of friends, games, scores and their online reputation, as voted on by friends and foes alike.
The games are available for purchase for a 24-hour period, one week, or permanently. They are reasonably priced from about $3 to $15, depending on how new the game is and how long you want it.
Before you ever have to commit to buying anything, you can download a game and test it through limited play. With superb graphics, online features, and rich gameplay, these made-for-mobile games fill your day with fun.
They're not time or money-wasters like most of the useless muck out there for phones. The N-Gage titles are legitimately challenging, and well worth the effort.
Best of all, you no longer have to go to the store and sheepishly purchase a game cartridge for that electronic taco. The online store is private and always open.
So here for your interest and enjoyment is a preview of games that have been announced and are headed for N-Gage in 2009.
CREEBIES
A modern Tamagotchi. Each Creebi has its own virtual genome that determines its appearance and personality. Your Creebi is also affected by the attention it receives. If a Creebi stays hungry or tired for a long time, its health is affected. When bred together, it is possible to create an almost infinite variety of unique Creebies.
MEGA MONSTERS
Smash, crush and stomp your way through fully destructible 3D cities to gain more power, strength and speed. This is what happens when a mad scientist gets his hands on a borrowed gene splicer, a surplus government nuclear reactor and a supply of adorable animals.
YAMAKE
Play, make and share mobile minigames created from your own content. Use the photos, sound, video clips and text as building blocks of your picture puzzles, quizzes, card wars, amusements, and other minigames. Upload your creations and download minigames made by others and posted in the N-Gage Arena.
Other games on the way include: Dance Fabulous, Million Dollar Poker, Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition, Need for Speed Underground, Pandemonium, Prince of Persia, Spore Origins, The Sims 3, EA Sports Tiger Woods PGA Tour, Tomb Raider Underworld, Worms World Party.
© Copyright (c) Lower Mainland Publishing
