N-Gage Mobile Games

N-GAGE MOBILE GAMES SERVICE
Phone models N81, N82, N95, N93i, N93, N73
From Nokia
Price: $4-$16 each game

Mobile phone technology has improved to the point where your humble handset has become a viable gaming platform. One of the leaders in the push to make mobile gaming more commonplace is Nokia.

Their clunky phone-gaming hybrid device, the N-Gage, may not have taken off back in 2003, but a newly released N-Gage application can now be installed on a variety of different Nokia phones for use with the new N-Gage mobile games service.

This virtual store allows you to browse and sample games in demonstration form on your phone before purchase. The application also provides a user profile that tracks your scores (similar to the Xbox Gamercard system), as well as a friend's list so you can easily tee up multiplayer games. The current catalogue spans classics like Tetris, The Sims and FIFA Football, with games like Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Metal Gear Solid Mobile on the way.

While there's no denying the software has evolved, actual mobile phone hardware still isn't very gamer-friendly.

The N81 has a few dedicated gaming buttons so you can hold the phone horizontally, but responsiveness still leaves a bit to be desired. At least you can now try before you buy.

source : http://www.smh.com.au/

Nokia launches N-Gage global mobile games service

The world's largest cell phone maker Nokia on Monday launched the N-Gage mobile games service that enables customers to buy and download games onto their handsets.

The new service, which is limited to handsets in the Nokia N81 and N95 series, will let users try out the games before paying for them. Some 30 games — at a cost of €6 to €10 (US$9-16) each — are currently available, but the number will be increased to 60 during 2008, Nokia said.

Nokia delayed the launch of the new service after its earlier N-Gage games failed to attract customers. However, Nokia said it was encouraged by feedback from "thousands" of people in more than 100 countries who took part in an eight-week pilot.

"Together with the N-Gage community we will keep developing the N-Gage experience further by adding new games and features that take advantage of rapidly evolving mobile technology," said Jaakko Kaidesoja, from Nokia's games division.

Nokia, which last year sold nearly 440 million handsets accounting for 40 percent of all global cell phone sales, is based in Espoo near the Finnish capital. It employs 112,000 people worldwide.

source : http://www.iht.com/