TORONTO (djc) – On my Motorola C333 cellphone, I play this racing game called MotoGP. My standard for mobile gaming is quite low, so I don’t expect mind-bending graphics or intense gameplay. Still, I’m disappointed by the game’s lacklustre looks and its one-track monotony.
Nokia wants to change those negative perceptions. It’s like the cool kid trying to be even cooler: The world’s largest cell-phone maker is jumping into the mobile gaming market with its launch of N-Gage, the first phone/game deck combo. The $11-billion (US) company is flashing some impressive specs, but the public will have to judge whether a marriage of video games and cell phones will rule the school.
N-Gage’s appeal rests on its technology and networking. Nokia is blending a tri-band GPRS phone with a full-colour gaming platform, priced at $450. The additions of Bluetooth networking, an MP3 player, an FM radio and a 64MB memory card round out the powerhouse designed to trump Nintendo’s Game Boy. Leapfrogging the leader doesn’t daunt the Finland-based company, considering the possible bounty — wireless gaming will reportedly generate $8 billion (US) by 2007.
“We’re almost creating a new segment that doesn’t exist today,” says Yuri Rebello, director of engineering for Nokia Canada. “We’re bringing people an online environment and pushing interactivity.”
Rebello points out the multiplayer function on the toggle-pad game deck, explaining how users can compete wirelessly over the GSM phone network via Bluetooth. A sign of Nokia’s commitment is the recent acquisition of Sega’s multiplayer online games business, dubbed SNAP. This computer server technology will enable Nokia to keep scores for multiple gamers and will be featured in N-Gage’s first multiplayer game Pathway to Glory. SNAP is also used by PlayStation 2, whose own wireless unit will hit shelves next year.
Another feature unique to N-Gage is ghosting, a gaming option that allows a user to send a play-by-play record of a game to a fellow player via SMS or MMS. The receiver can play back an opponent’s game and the player can simultaneously try to match moves and beat them.
N-Gage’s 30-game catalogue is pushing tried-and-true names: Tony Hawk Pro Skater, Splinter Cell, Tomb Raider and FIFA Soccer 2004. Games cost between $45 and $55. Other games include: Rayman 3, NCAA Football, MBA Slam, MotoGP, The Sims Bustin’ Out and many more.
The target users are hardcore gamers between 18 and 35, says Rebello. He hopes, this demographic will have the foresight to buy a product that integrates three devices while still enjoying online gameplay and killer graphics.
N-Gage boasts a 104 MHz processor, a backlit 176 x 208-pixel display (with 4,096 colours), and a Symbian interface that blasts cell-phone games out of the water. Nokia officials believe the deck’s graphics are superior to Game Boy’s, and one Finnish exec was quoted as saying, “You are getting a console-quality game on your handset.”
Although cell-phone gaming is a killer app that’s growing every year, several constraints have held it back. Screen size and battery life impede a gamer’s appetite, and manoeuvering small keys frustrates console fans. But not all buyers are as picky as Halo-obsessed teens; Rebello says, “it’s surprising to see who plays games on phones, from businessmen on downtime, to travellers waiting for a plane.”
Nokia has that cool-kid attitude that isn’t cocky as much as it is adventurous, desiring to break out of the routine of being cell-phone king. A dive into mobile gaming has been a successful recipe for Nintendo but Nokia’s still the new kid in town — the rest of the class will have to decide whether Nokia fits in with the crowd.
