vB Easy Archive - NYTimes: NOKIA to announce n·Gage plans

Pages: 1

NYTimes: NOKIA to announce n·Gage plans
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: penk

the article

27.08.07 NYT has a short brief about NOKIA and their plans to re-launch the n·Gage platform. not a ton of new info, and not too much confirmed that wasn't already, but it's a short read.

the good: the games will be available this fall, compatible with select handsets, but "the company will extend the service to the rest of the Series 60 line over the next year".

the bad: no new n·Gage handset

the ugly: "The original N-Gage and its successor were anything but perfect. The phones were primarily intended to compete with portable gaming consoles like the Nintendo DS and the Sony PlayStation Portable. Convenience was apparently an afterthought. Owners had to remove the battery to insert gaming cartridges and had to hoist the bulky device to their heads and hold it sideways to make an actual call. Gadget hounds dubbed it the Frankenphone."

gee, the goog says "Frankenphone" is a VoIP handset, and adding "n-gage" to the search only coughs up links to this very article. and why doesn't the QD get a bit more love? that sweetie had cheektalking and HotSwap! HotSwap, baby, HotSwap!!

BTW: nothing new at FutureWatch for this date

Posted by: angel_wing0

i want a ngage phone, not just platform

Posted by: jontymisra

Arent they trying to implement this into all upcoming fones?

Posted by: penk

yes, but we can dream, can't we?

from what is happening tomorrow, i'd say the N81 may be the closest we'll get to the n·gagʒ.

Posted by: angel_wing0

Quote:

Originally Posted by penk

yes, but we can dream, can't we?

from what is happening tomorrow, i'd say the N81 may be the closest we'll get to the n·gagʒ.

n81 its like n91 8gb i imo

Posted by: jontymisra

That was my first impression too. A glossy N91..

Posted by: penk

yes, me thinks the N81 is looking good.

engadget seems to think so, too and has some keen pics to prove it.

< sniffle > n·gage.com just doesn't look right anymore... but we have the initial compatibility list: N73, N93, N95 and the new kid on the block - the N81!

Posted by: angel_wing0

yip its an application, not a device anymore

Posted by: angel_wing0

Quote:

Originally Posted by penk

yes, me thinks the N81 is looking good.

engadget seems to think so, too and has some keen pics to prove it.

< sniffle > n·gage.com just doesn't look right anymore... but we have the initial compatibility list: N73, N93, N95 and the new kid on the block - the N81!

i wonder how they are going to put it in the older phones without the two touch buttons?

Posted by: penk

you mean like the N73, N93, and N95?

i wondered that myself, when the first N81 shots appeared to have the earpiece gaming buttons, but didn't really go further with the thought.

the descriptions for each device lists either "Portrait gaming" or "Landscape and portrait gaming". all mention portrait and landscape except for the N73 and N95 noGB, so nuts to them.

i theorize it has to do with the accelerometer, and since the N93's focus was the camera (heh heh...) as well as the N95, they had it. i think. don't flay me if that's wrong, but those little buttons are there, and the N95's media keys are just a slide away.

so, now the question is: "Will all new n·gage games feature both portrait and landscape play?"

Posted by: angel_wing0

^ i dont think so, that is game-realted imo.

Well the n93 does have soft keys near the screen

Posted by: penk

giving more thought to my accelerometer thinking, it's likely wrong. or at least, portrait-to-landscape switching probably won't be automatic.

last thing i want happening during play is to jerk the handset out sideways in an over-zealous, super-enthusastic in-game dodge or swerve and then have the screen flip to another view. (too many broken 2600 joysticks and now wii-damaged screens prove just how much we get into video games...)

OT: egads. poking around trying to find a descrptive phrase i came across this: (Broken) Arm Spirit

Posted by: angel_wing0

..aka overkill