The 7 Deadly Sins of N-Gage

[Robert Levy]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://gamespy.com/articles/february04/7sinsngage/index.shtml' target='_blank'>http://gamespy.com/articles/february04/7sinsngage/index.shtml</a><br /><br /></div>This article over at GameSpy goes over Nokia's N-Gage (a half phone, half mobile gaming device) and points out some of their key failures. I think there is some degree of merit to the N-Gage <i>concept</i>, but the poor hardware design is really causing a PR nightmare that Nokia is going to have a hard time getting away from. Things like this make me glad that Microsoft sticks to the software side of things and just enables OEMs to compete at desiging the best hardware.

[ClayMJohnson]

A little too bulky for me, but it is loaded with features. “Sin #3: Game-Change Chaos” seems like a really bad design decision. I wonder if Nokia would have left the hardware design to someone else how it would have turned out.

Here is a picture of it in case anyone is curious
http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=264

Clay Johnson

[markpmc]

Things like this make me glad that Microsoft sticks to the software side of things and just enables OEMs to compete at desiging the best hardware.

You're kidding right? M$ has loosened the requirements/specs only recently. Think back a year and you'll see a crop of the same basic devices; the main difference being RAM amount and type.

markpmc

[pete]

I've seen a couple of people using this phone (talking i mean), and it looked very odd indeed. I'd never buy one, if only for that reason. Same thing makes me worry about getting the Treo 600, it's still a bit BIG, makes people wonder what's wrong with you ;)

[JonnoB]

“Sin #3: Game-Change Chaos” seems like a really bad design decision.

I believe this sin alone was enough to cause it to fail in the market. The idea of a portable gaming unit is to be able to play multiple games. This makes it too hard to change. Also, does anyone know - with the battery coming out each time, does my phone have to be turned off during the change?

[Gorskar]

Well I dont suppose its going to stay on with the no power...

[JonnoB]

Well I dont suppose its going to stay on with the no power...

I guess what I should have asked is.... Does it include a backup power source so you can continue your phone call or GPRS connection while swapping out a card?

[Robert Levy]

Things like this make me glad that Microsoft sticks to the software side of things and just enables OEMs to compete at desiging the best hardware.

You're kidding right? M$ has loosened the requirements/specs only recently. Think back a year and you'll see a crop of the same basic devices; the main difference being RAM amount and type.

markpmc

The flexibility that will be allowed in the future is certainly going to shake things up a lot in terms of creativiy, but my point is that by having multiple companies designing hardware there is not a single point of failure. Nokia's hardware design for the N-Gage bombed so the entire N-Gage concept has effectively bombed and repairing that PR is going to be a monsterous task (assuming they decide to event try). Because Microsoft has multiple OEMs building for the same platform, if one of them comes up with a lousy design the platform itself can keep on ticking. It's a difference between saying "don't by an N-Gage device" and "don't buy that Smartphone... this other one is much better".

[xendula]

Also, does anyone know - with the battery coming out each time, does my phone have to be turned off during the change?
Yo have to turn off the phone before opening it up. It says so in the booklet that came with it and actually, you are supposed to switch off any cell phone before you take out the battery or SIM. I learned THAT the hard way. :roll:

[aristoBrat]

It's a difference between saying "don't by an N-Gage device" and "don't buy that Smartphone... this other one is much better".
Oh, kinda like "don't buy an i600 or MPx200 if you have a lot of contacts -- caller ID doesn't work. Buy a SPV e100 or SPV e200 instead." :D