N-Gage 2 pictures

[Ed Oscuro]

http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/images/n-gage2_2.jpg
Here's a thread:

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?threadid=343845

Features, from what I can tell:

- No camera (despite what it says; this one's running on a Symbian OS)
- Proper MMC port so you don't have to remove batteries to swap games
- Smaller size
- No more sidetalkin'
- It's um G(r)oo(v/f)y looking

[Ed Oscuro]

Oops:

- No MP3 Player
- No Radio
- Brighter
- Hot Swappable MMCs
- Instant Loading

That, from N-Gage-Help.com (http://n-gage-help.com/)

[Dahne]

Isn't the idea to make more of things that sell well?

[Ed Oscuro]

I suppose they'd tell us the goal is to establish a brand name and familiarity as much as possible (to compete with Nintendo and Sony).

Brings to mind a topic title I saw a few years ago: "Should XBOX make a handheald [sic]?"

[Crush Crawfish]

well....It certainly looks better, but it don't mean jack if the games are still crap. and the controls still look awkward. Does this mean the original N-gage will be a future rarity? But will anyone care? Does anyone here actually own an N-gage?

[Ed Oscuro]

Does this mean the original N-gage will be a future rarity?
Heh, that assumes this one will sell ;) Too early to say which console variation will do better in the long run. All those original N-Gage units won't up and disappear, after all.

[baddseed]

They should have re-designed the price tag.... $99.99 sounds about right. Take off anything that makes it cost more. I already have a cell phone (it was free)

[GaijinPunch]

Do you think Nokia was doomed from the beginning? I mean can a phone company that leads in the West, but not the East successfully sell a gadge like that?

[CitizenWhite]

Do you think Nokia was doomed from the beginning? I mean can a phone company that leads in the West, but not the East successfully sell a gadge like that?

I would be inclined to say yes, however, I would have said the same thing about Microsoft with the Xbox, and that machine owns my soul at this point. When I first saw the N-gage, I thought it was going to kick ass. However, price, and the fact you have to disassemble it to change games... well, you know. They can make it better, they had just better get it right the second time, because I doubt they have enough steam for a third go.

[D-ville Gamer]

With Sony's PSP and Nintendo's new dual screen coming i cant see the Ngage having too much success. Only a great game lineup will save the ngage and i just dont see them ever getting more attention from publishers than sony or nintendo.

[GunPanther]

waitasecond.....

You're late with the April Fool's Joke Ed Oscuro!

I mean, why the hell would Nokia make a 2nd version of a system that wasn't even a success?

That's like Uwe Boll making a sequel to the 'highly successful' "House Of The Dead" movie.

:above me:








:2gunfire: GunPanther :snipersmile:

[Parodius]

Mobile phones have a much shorter life-cycle than most videogames, and they have corrected most of the things that kept me from buying one. If I was getting a new phone right now I'd get this new N-Gage.

I played the FIFA title on the original model a few days ago on a store demo kiosk and it is pretty impressive. Far more impressive than any GBA title I have played.

For years I have been saying that Nintendo needs competition in the handheld area and my prayers have certainly been answered. What with the PSP and the NG2.

Ultimately I think Nintendo will lose this battle. Unless they team up with a phone company. Convergence is the order of the day.

I ALWAYS bring my phone wherever I go but I only bother to bring my GBA when I go on a long trip.


FYI: Nokia has 35% of the global mobile market.

[Jasoco]

Interesting.. I guess. Unless the old ones come down in price to say $50 without service, I don't really care about this. Actually, I'm torn between the two designs. I'm actually leaning towards the original's shape. (Side-talkin' aside)

BTW, some of the Signatures on that Forum are RIDICULOUS! @_@

[Ze_ro]

it don't mean jack if the games are still crap

Have you actually played any of the games?

Frankly, I like what Nokia is doing. I'm glad they have the balls to admit their mistakes, and the confidence to keep the thing going. Since the N-Gage has mostly the same internals as the rest of their phones, I'd actually like to see N-Gage become a standard of sorts to the point where as long as you had a Nokia cell phone, you could play N-Gage games on it.

--Zero

[crashdummycow01]

that new design looks badass, and if it were around $99 i'd definitely get one...

i'm guessing since they dropped some features price would go down wouldnt it?

[Algol]

The game buttons still look awfully tiny and are too close together. However, the the D-pad looks bigger and it sounds like you won't have to take the unit apart just to change games. Unfortunately, I think Nokia just has too much competition with the DS and PSP.

[youruglyclone]

I'll probably get it like I did with the n-gage...by getting a new cell phone

[Flack]

I've never used an N-Gage so I can't speak about it specifically, but in my experience I usually prefer a lot of things that do one function each to one thing that does a lot of different stuff. My friend has one of those TV's that has both a DVD player and a VCR built into it. A month after he bought it, the VCR went out. I used to own one of those scanner/printer/fax combo units. Eventually the scanner went out. I guess I'd just prefer to have my MP3 player, my gaming unit, and my cell phone separate.

Also, what's up with N-Gage's Tomb Raider? I've been meaning to ask that. Two different thrift stores in town always have brand new shrink wrapped copies. What is that game worth? Is it that bad?

[Griking]

I can't believe that with the losses and failures of the original one that they'd even think of making another. Also, isn't it a little quick to have another design already? Don't these things take years to plan and design.

Good luck I say. That is good luck getting developers to make games for it again and good luck getting Gamestop and EBWorld to carry it again.

[SoulBlazer]

Yes, I HAVE played a lot of the games available for the N-Gage, and I STILL say that it sucks. The games are either all ports from PSX games, or badly created and designed versions of modern games. They needed a 'killer game' to launch this system and it STILL does'nt have one.

[Oobgarm]

Also, what's up with N-Gage's Tomb Raider? I've been meaning to ask that. Two different thrift stores in town always have brand new shrink wrapped copies. What is that game worth? Is it that bad?

Depends. How much did you like the original Tomb Raider? It's a perfect port. Nokia was dumb for getting behind that game so heavily. Lara's popularity was waning to begin with, and porting a 7 year old game to a new system was just a waste.

In regards to the new redesign, I don't like it. The N-Gage design had a certain charm to it, and set it apart from all the other phones. People see mine and are amazed at how it looks, and even moreso when I show them what it does. This one can go either way, depending on how Nokia markets it.

I don't think anyone has noticed, but Nokia has changed their stance on the N-Gage and they're treating it more like a cell phone with added features rather than a game player. I think they realize that they aren't going to be able to break into the handheld market unless they get some killer games and drop their price point. Sadly, with all the features this phone has, the price remains high. Dropping some of the features like Mp3 and radio will help lower the cost a bit, but I think the novelty of the device will suffer as a result. Killer games will not be a sight on this system, unless the upcoming RPG game does everything they're touting. My N-Gage rep goes on about that RPG game everytime I see him. *shrug*

Ah well, I've got mine, and I'm happy with it. That's all that matters. However, give this new design a fully function web browser, much like the T-Mobile Sidekick, and I'll buy one if it's not too expensive. ;)

[autobotracing]

Oops:

- No MP3 Player
- No Radio
- Brighter
- Hot Swappable MMCs
- Instant Loading

That, from N-Gage-Help.com (http://n-gage-help.com/)



I will not buy the new one.If they put the mp3 player in I would get it.Im still looking for a ngage and I have a ps2 and stuff for trade.

[drwily008]

For years I have been saying that Nintendo needs competition in the handheld area and my prayers have certainly been answered. What with the PSP and the NG2.

Ultimately I think Nintendo will lose this battle. Unless they team up with a phone company.


DUDE...Whatever. No way N-Gage is even a contender. As for PSP it'll be a piece of shit and the first 800,000 units will break. Sony has to be the worst quality control company in japan. I still have my original B/W Gameboy from 1989 and it works...perfectly.

[crashdummycow01]

As for PSP it'll be a piece of shit and the first 800,000 units will break. Sony has to be the worst quality control company in japan. I still have my original B/W Gameboy from 1989 and it works...perfectly

*cough*nintendo-fanboy*cough*

lol it does look like nintendo is struggling .. they're selling way less gamecubes than they predicted they would... they seem to be coming out with a new handheld every few months and they all basically do the same thing but have a different design..

as for the nintendo DS... YAY this is what i've been waiting for all my life... because everytime i play a handheld, i think... if only there were another pointless screen to distract my eyes while playing... and i knew nintendo could do it! ... i'm not gonna buy the nintendo DS... i'll prolly wait a week or 2 and get the Nintendo DS SP when it comes out

[Jasoco]

Also, what's up with N-Gage's Tomb Raider? I've been meaning to ask that. Two different thrift stores in town always have brand new shrink wrapped copies. What is that game worth? Is it that bad?Well, let's put it this way. I got my copy for $7 off eBay brand new BIN.


DUDE...Whatever. No way N-Gage is even a contender. As for PSP it'll be a piece of shit and the first 800,000 units will break. Sony has to be the worst quality control company in japan. I still have my original B/W Gameboy from 1989 and it works...perfectly.I agree, but I feel I must say that the Game Boy was the only Nintendo system I had die on me. My original, I got it in 1989 as well, but I played it to death. It died in about 1993. Just plain died. But I don't blame it. It was its time to go. I gave it a lot of use. And I got a replacement colored version for Christmas.

I think the Game Boy series will be around for a looong time. WITHOUT a Cell Phone.

[RetroYoungen]

Damn. It's still ugly. But when I can find a cheapo one, like for $20 with a game or two (as opposed to the $199 bundle of system, three games and an accessory GameStop wants) I may pick one up.

I would think tat the absolute failure of the original N-Gage would get Nokia thinking about making a NEW, and BETTER console than just making more of something that isn't selling. Doesn't that seem like bad business?

[Syxx573]

First... Nokia just needed to get rid of the phone part. The mp3 player function is cool.

Second... before they spent money making the new design, they should have gotten some more ideas about the button design... probably from ... people who actually play games....

Nokia has a good idea with the vs mode over the network but they need better hardware.

[ubersaurus]

I'm really hopin N-gage xyanide is good.

The major thing the console needs is a great exclusive game. I don't mean a port from gba or ps1, I mean a game that can't be found anywhere else that's really good. If it had that, THEN it'd probably get more respect. There's nothing really wrong with the platform, other then the lack of exclusives.

[drwily008]

*cough*nintendo-fanboy*cough*

lol it does look like nintendo is struggling .. they're selling way less gamecubes than they predicted they would... they seem to be coming out with a new handheld every few months and they all basically do the same thing but have a different design..

as for the nintendo DS... YAY this is what i've been waiting for all my life... because everytime i play a handheld, i think... if only there were another pointless screen to distract my eyes while playing... and i knew nintendo could do it! ... i'm not gonna buy the nintendo DS... i'll prolly wait a week or 2 and get the Nintendo DS SP when it comes out You accuse me of being a nintendo fanboy. The fact of the manner is that I work at a very busy video game store and have worked at various game stores (3 different chains)for over 8 years. We have broken PS2's come into the store on a daily basis. I KID YOU NOT...EVERY DAY AT LEAST ONE PERSON COMES IN W/ A BROKEN PS2. They vary in model #'s from Spch-30,000 to the spch-39,000 and the serial #'s range from PT1xxxxxxxxxxx to PT6xxxxxxxxxxx (and the PT6's just came out last summer). As a matter of fact there is even a class action lawsuit against them, jump on board WHEN your ps2's break at no cost to you. And before this we used to get at least daily calls on Model #1001's Playstation 1's and needing to turn it on its side to make it work...then it would die permanantly. I too have fell victim to Sonys trap wasting over a thousand dollars on replacing broken PS and PS2's (hey they had good RPG's). PS One mini's are almost all broken (I would say at least 3/4's of them have broken lid locks). Oh yeah I love Sega but the dreamcasts used to break once in a while (very sporadic cases). In conclusion sony has absolutely no quality control or they do it on purpose to sell additional units so they can boast big numbers. And that is what I was trying to say in my first post. To even think that the N-Gage will contend is absurd, I hear it being bashed on this website, others, in this very thread, and in my store. Neat concept but they got a bad name for themselves very early in the game (just read SEANBABYS preveiw in EGM).

[portnoyd]

This has been said several times before - but the design isn't the problem. Of the games trickling in to Funcostop, none have even roused my interest. A side scrolling Splinter Cell? Whoop whoop.

Granted, I've only played Tomb Raider, and it's not even because the game was a good port, do I not want to bother with it. None of the NGage releases crosses into the curiousity zone, let alone the will-buy-it-because zone. The Tomb Raider seemed like a flawless PS1 port, but I don't like TR to begin with.

In cinnead's defense, talking to my friend who works at a Funco, they get a barrel of Sony products in, busted. I don't see how Sony's portable will be able to turn that trend around.

And crash, I don't see how cinnead's post makes him a fanboy. Saying the GB still works is a statement instead of an opinion.

dave

[Oobgarm]

IGN just posted a feature on the new design - dubbed the QD.

http://ngage.ign.com/articles/506/506283p1.html

[Ed Oscuro]

*Looks at empty Mountain Dew LiveWire 20 oz. bottle*

*Looks back at N-Gage QD*

LOL

[Jasoco]

*Looks at empty Mountain Dew LiveWire 20 oz. bottle*

*Looks back at N-Gage QD*

LOLI don't get it...

Anyway, Game Informer has an article too. It says the letters "QD" purposely stand for nothing.

I don't mind the new design at all. But I'll be hard pressed to buy it. Unless it's really cheap and only plays games. The only games I actually want to play are Taito Memories and Bubble Bobble.. Or is that the same one? Then it's one game. And it's the only one I'm absolutely interested in. I'd rather have a good EXACT ARCADE PORT of BB on my GBA. Don't know about Old & New, (Not sure if it's an arcade port or a new compilation. I want the original. The one they ported to the Saturn and PSX. The one I fell in love with.) but I would kill for a good GBA BB. (And I'll probably import Old & New if I have to. But I hate the scrolling. It sucks.)