Nokia bullish in spite of flagging N-Gage
Platform to remain. Rework rumours do the rounds
Nokia has reacted bullishly to the somewhat hostile games market, insisting that its N-Gage phone/console hybrid will continue to receive full support.
This comes in the face of flagging sales and a gaming community that has shown little more than mocking apathy towards the device, now in its second generation.
"We are a product company. That's a virtue, not an evil," Nokia Chief Financial Officer Rick Simonson told the Reuters Technology Summit. "How we're going to play the gaming business across the whole portfolio is what you need to keep an eye on, and part of that is including with [sic] the N-Gage game decks, obviously. Our approach to this is, let's continue to take what we've learned, what we've done right, and where we need to make corrections, and that's in retail, in games development and in the deck itself. Mobile gaming is here to stay, the question is how the value chain is created and who can take advantage of it," he said.
However, rumour has been escalating for some time that Nokia is poised to can the N-Gage outright if its adoption rate failed to improve. What’s more, talk of a reworked unit has been doing the rounds of late, with many analysts predicting the Finnish cellular will make an announcement at this May’s E3.
This comes in the face of flagging sales and a gaming community that has shown little more than mocking apathy towards the device, now in its second generation.
"We are a product company. That's a virtue, not an evil," Nokia Chief Financial Officer Rick Simonson told the Reuters Technology Summit. "How we're going to play the gaming business across the whole portfolio is what you need to keep an eye on, and part of that is including with [sic] the N-Gage game decks, obviously. Our approach to this is, let's continue to take what we've learned, what we've done right, and where we need to make corrections, and that's in retail, in games development and in the deck itself. Mobile gaming is here to stay, the question is how the value chain is created and who can take advantage of it," he said.
However, rumour has been escalating for some time that Nokia is poised to can the N-Gage outright if its adoption rate failed to improve. What’s more, talk of a reworked unit has been doing the rounds of late, with many analysts predicting the Finnish cellular will make an announcement at this May’s E3.
Companies:
Nokia
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Comments
Showing the 20 most recent comments. Read all 21.
cashton2k 3 Mar 2005 21:22
2/21
whos gonna buy a PSP when they can buy a DS? or a calculator for that matter
Ditto 4 Mar 2005 09:03
3/21
Yeah, with the new generation of consoles I can't see the N Gage doing that well.
I think most people would go for a DS/PSP.
I think most people would go for a DS/PSP.
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kid_77 4 Mar 2005 09:39
4/21
Chris Ashton wrote:
or a calculator for that matter
Who's gonna get a calculator when you can get an abacus? etc etc.
Mendez 4 Mar 2005 10:14
5/21
Rod Todd wrote:
It's a dying dog. And it's cruel to do anything but put it out of its misery.
Dying?
It's so f**king dead, there are maggots living in its eye sockets and freshly hatched flies buzzing out of its ass.
I take my hat off to Nokia. It did a fair job, and listened to feedback to bring the QD. Given the graphical power of GBA, it wasn't wholely lacking - except for in the quantity of the games available for it.
I hope we see more of from the company, as mobile phones are just so s**t for playing games it hurt - literally and figuratively
pero 4 Mar 2005 11:43
6/21
Rod Todd wrote:
I mean, c'mon, what sort of retard* is going to buy a N-Gage when they can get a PSP?
Can you make phone calls with a PSP? Do you carry your PSP everywhere you go?
N-Gage is an excellent phone which can also be used to play great and fun games (did anyone actually try playinig something like 'Pathway to Glory' before they started calling N-Gage crap)?
I don't need a PSP because if I want to play excellent 3D games, I'll do it on my PS2 or my PC. If I want to watch a movie I'll get a DVD and watch it on my big screen TV. And, if I have a couple of minutes spare time while waiting for the bus, then I'll play a short and fun game on my N-Gage because, as it is my phone, I always have it with me.
Different people have different needs. Calling somebody a retard just because they have needs different than yours isn't really very mature, now is it?
kid_77 4 Mar 2005 11:46
7/21
Woohoo! My first experience of an N-Gage fanboy!
pero 4 Mar 2005 12:05
8/21
kid_77 wrote:
Woohoo! My first experience of an N-Gage fanboy!
If calling me a fanboy is the best you can do in a reply, then I know I'm right. Thx. :)
kid_77 4 Mar 2005 12:09
9/21
pero wrote:
kid_77 wrote:
Woohoo! My first experience of an N-Gage fanboy!
If calling me a fanboy is the best you can do in a reply, then I know I'm right. Thx. :)
Knowing you're right is all that matters. Keep up the N-Gage fight, Sister!
shearDS 4 Mar 2005 12:29
10/21
forget about the gba sp outselling the n-gage i bet even the original gameboy outsold the n-gage!
Ditto 4 Mar 2005 12:34
11/21
shearDS wrote:
forget about the gba sp outselling the n-gage i bet even the original gameboy outsold the n-gage!
Probably by about 20/30/40 or many more times...
NiktheGreek 4 Mar 2005 13:54
12/21
pero wrote:
N-Gage is an excellent phone which can also be used to play great and fun games (did anyone actually try playinig something like 'Pathway to Glory' before they started calling N-Gage crap)?
All respect, but the N-Gage couldn't really be classed as an "excellent" phone.
As for the games, people were unimpressed (and rightly so) with the launch titles, and have continued to be unimpressed with the system's software save for Pathway to Glory. In fact, a quick look over at Gamerankings.com with the regular search criteria (a game needing at least 10 reviews to be listed) shows that Pathway to Glory is not only generally agreed to be the system's best game, but the only one with an average score above 80%, and the only exclusive with an average above 60%.
To be fair, Nokia has made the right moves in it's bid for handheld success. It got well-known franchises on board from day one, addressed the design flaws of the original unit and has continued to support the system. However, the public simply doesn't care and the quality of the games is generally agreed not to be astounding.
Still, here's hoping Alien Front's worth playing. I love the Dreamcast version, and it's the only kind of sequel we appear to be getting. Oh, and if WWE Aftershock is as bad as it was when I played it in September, steer well clear.
SPInGSPOnG 4 Mar 2005 19:12
13/21
pero wrote:
Calling somebody a retard just because they have needs different than yours isn't really very mature, now is it?
Your needs are obviously quite different to mine.
Mine aren't special.
pero 5 Mar 2005 14:02
14/21
Rod Todd wrote:
Your needs are obviously quite different to mine.
Mine aren't special.
Mine aren't special.
And mine are? And what is so special about them? Is it that I want to play big and immersive 3D games from the comfort of my home and on a TV/monitor with a big screen? Or is it that, when I'm out and have 15 minutes to spare, I want to be able to play short and fun games, but I don't want to be lugging around a special device just for that, so I would prefer doing it on my phone? Do these things make me a retard, Rod?
SPInGSPOnG 6 Mar 2005 08:09
15/21
pero wrote:
Is it that I want to play big and immersive 3D games from the comfort of my home and on a TV/monitor with a big screen?
Nothing wrong with that!
Or is it that, when I'm out and have 15 minutes to spare, I want to be able to play short and fun games, but I don't want to be lugging around a special device just for that, so I would prefer doing it on my phone? Do these things make me a retard, Rod?
It's the part that thinks that N-Gage games are good (they would have been jhudged poor on the 12 year old GameGear!), and the part that thinks that he laughable N-Gage is a decent phone.
Oh, and the part where you get so riled by a stranger you don't know (and presumably don't care about) calling you a retard in a crass generalistion.
tyrion 6 Mar 2005 13:52
16/21
pero wrote:
Rod Todd wrote:
Your needs are obviously quite different to mine.
Mine aren't special.
Mine aren't special.
And mine are? And what is so special about them? Is it that I want to play big and immersive 3D games from the comfort of my home and on a TV/monitor with a big screen? Or is it that, when I'm out and have 15 minutes to spare, I want to be able to play short and fun games, but I don't want to be lugging around a special device just for that, so I would prefer doing it on my phone? Do these things make me a retard, Rod?
Whooooooosh!!!
pero 6 Mar 2005 14:43
17/21
Rod Todd wrote:
It's the part that thinks that N-Gage games are good (they would have been jhudged poor on the 12 year old GameGear!), and the part that thinks that he laughable N-Gage is a decent phone.
Well, I happen to like N-Gage and some of its games, and so do a lot of other people. If you don't, that's OK, you're entitled to your opinion, and I respect it. I certainly won't be calling you a retard because of it.
Rod Todd wrote:
Oh, and the part where you get so riled by a stranger you don't know (and presumably don't care about) calling you a retard in a crass generalistion.
Riled up? Hardly. Namecalling aside, you were wondering why would anybody buy an N-Gage when they could get a PSP. I simply tried to explain why.
DoctorDee 6 Mar 2005 15:08
18/21
pero wrote:
[Well, I happen to like N-Gage and some of its games, and so do a lot of other people.
C'mon. Be realistic.
If "a lot" of people liked N-Gage games, they'd still be being released!
The N-Gage shart was one of the shortest-lived of any ever run by ChartTrack.
pero 6 Mar 2005 16:03
19/21
DoctorDee wrote:
C'mon. Be realistic.
If "a lot" of people liked N-Gage games, they'd still be being released!
If "a lot" of people liked N-Gage games, they'd still be being released!
N-Gage games aren't being released anymore? That's news to me.
And I'm not being unrealistic, I do realize that N-Gage has very poor sales and that if things don't get better soon it will most likely be discontinued. But I also think that Nokia deserves some support and help in trying to succeed in this Sony/Nintendo ruled market, instead of constant bashing and ridiculing it seems to be getting.
I mean, how many other handheld devices allow you to play a MMORPG (albeit, very simplistic) with players from all over the world, while driving on a bus?
SlickShot21 6 Mar 2005 17:42
20/21
Come on Pero,
The only good thing about N-Gage is that no-one would even want to Mug you for it.
Its just hopeless.
I guess its already retro...
Its not that bad...But...well you wouldnt see me with one.
If you like it thats you, If you just wanted a fone that couldplay games you could have just got a Siemens SX1.
It can play N-Gage games dont you know.
lol
The only good thing about N-Gage is that no-one would even want to Mug you for it.
Its just hopeless.
I guess its already retro...
Its not that bad...But...well you wouldnt see me with one.
If you like it thats you, If you just wanted a fone that couldplay games you could have just got a Siemens SX1.
It can play N-Gage games dont you know.
lol
Mendez 7 Mar 2005 09:06
21/21
tyrion wrote:
pero wrote:
Rod Todd wrote:
Your needs are obviously quite different to mine.
Mine aren't special.
Mine aren't special.
And mine are? And what is so special about them? Is it that I want to play big and immersive 3D games from the comfort of my home and on a TV/monitor with a big screen? Or is it that, when I'm out and have 15 minutes to spare, I want to be able to play short and fun games, but I don't want to be lugging around a special device just for that, so I would prefer doing it on my phone? Do these things make me a retard, Rod?
Whooooooosh!!!
ROTFLMAO