Nokia - Handheld Console

Discuss video games from NES to PS2 to PC to whatever.

Moderators: Big-O Ryan, Big-O Mark, DADINK13, fuuucckkers

Post Reply
User avatar
Anthony
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1532
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2002 5:10 am
Location: Rochester, New York
Contact:

Nokia - Handheld Console

Post by Anthony »

LONDON, England -- Mobile phone giant Nokia is set to muscle in on Nintendo's handheld games console territory.

The Finnish phone firm is to unveil a cellphone that doubles as a handheld gaming device.

The move, which is expected to be announced on Wednesday, is seen as a challenge to a market dominated by Nintendo's Gameboy Advance, which was launched in March 2001.

Nokia's product -- called N-Gage -- looks similar to the rival hand-held console, which in its first 18 months on the market sold 24 million units worldwide and 71 million games.

Boasting a color screen and GSM technology that will make it usable in Nokia's major markets including the United States, the N-Gage is the Finnish company's first foray into handheld gaming.

Like Nintendo, Nokia said it would also become a publisher of games, which will be developed on wafer-sized memory cards.

The Japanese games publisher Sega will develop for N-Gage, including its familiar Sonic the Hedgehog character.

Ben Keen, executive director of market research firm ScreenDigest in London, said: "(Nokia) will have to set up a massive publishing unit to get the games to compete with the Gameboy library of games.

"We're talking a massive investment."

Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's Executive Vice President for Mobile Phones, told Reuters: "Nintendo is the one owning this market."

But, he added: "The mobile games market is underdeveloped."

N-Gage will allow multiple gamers to play against each other over short-range wireless Bluetooth connections or the wider-area mobile phone network.

Gameboy players, in contrast, can play against each other only when connected with a cord.

Another plus for Nokia is it will be entering into a potentially huge market segment for wireless gaming.

While Nokia has yet to announce price and launch details, Nintendo sells its Gameboy Advance for less than 100 euros and has announced a successor with a brighter screen to be launched in March for around 130 euros.

It receives around 12 euros in license fees from publishers for every game sold.
I think that anyone that attempts to take on Nintendo in this arena needs to rethink their game plans. Better handheld game systems have tried to compeat with Nintendo's Game Boy but have failed evertime. There really is nothing that I think will change this currently. The only advantage they have is it doubles as a cell phone.
Image
PhaseDMA - Check it out
My AIM+ FAQ
User avatar
Moon Child
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 318
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2002 6:45 pm
Location: Bowling Green, Ohio wishing I was with LP
Contact:

Post by Moon Child »

This doesn't sound like its gonna be a good thing for me... heheh. :twisted:

The only question I have is what will happen if you receive a call in the middle of a game? Will it automatically be set to voice mail?
~Maeg

Resident LP Fanatic

*Nobody likes you when you're 23* - Blink 182

Image
User avatar
Anthony
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1532
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2002 5:10 am
Location: Rochester, New York
Contact:

Post by Anthony »

It would be nice if you just press "send" to answer the phone and it would pause.
Image
PhaseDMA - Check it out
My AIM+ FAQ
User avatar
Moon Child
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 318
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2002 6:45 pm
Location: Bowling Green, Ohio wishing I was with LP
Contact:

Post by Moon Child »

That would be ok if you were playing a game by yourself, but what if you were connected to others... It could terminate the connection, well, maybe unless there was some way to work it with call waiting.
~Maeg

Resident LP Fanatic

*Nobody likes you when you're 23* - Blink 182

Image
User avatar
Anthony
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 1532
Joined: Thu Sep 12, 2002 5:10 am
Location: Rochester, New York
Contact:

Post by Anthony »

That would be kinda annoying though if someone was playing a game with mean and I was forced into a pause screen because they got a call. Oh well just another failed product I bet, but nice attempt never the less.
Image
PhaseDMA - Check it out
My AIM+ FAQ
User avatar
Moon Child
Veteran
Veteran
Posts: 318
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2002 6:45 pm
Location: Bowling Green, Ohio wishing I was with LP
Contact:

Post by Moon Child »

It would still be cool though... I could see myself getting into trouble playing it in class :twisted:
~Maeg

Resident LP Fanatic

*Nobody likes you when you're 23* - Blink 182

Image
User avatar
Timelessblur
Extreme Groupie
Extreme Groupie
Posts: 800
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2002 9:06 pm
Contact:

Post by Timelessblur »

I think is a great idea but it will never have games as good as gameboys because it primary funtion will be that of a cell phone. Now I could seeing it being a great help to cell the phones because it give people some more stuff to do with the phone but I would not buy it on the fact that I would waste time in class playing with the phone and I aready get in enough trouble for that
http://www.myimgs.com/data/timelessblur ... omulan.jpg
Yeah I know I got pulled in but its a nice way to kill time
my link for kings of Choas
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest