|
| |
|
|
Only a few days ago, things were looking very rosy for Nokia and their first foray into the world of videogames; the N-Gage. Not only was it set to be the most powerful and feature-packed gaming handheld the world has ever seen, but with backing from top developers like Sega, THQ and Eidos, it could well match even Nintendo's mighty catalogue of Game Boy Advance games. However, with the pre-E3 conferences now over and done with, and all the major companies showing their hands, the N-Gage might end up stuck between two very different markets.
First, however, the good news. Not only has Nokia fixed a launch date for their neat little games machine, but it is currently set for a worldwide simultaneous release. Yep, come the 7th October this very year, consumers around the world should be able to get their grubby mits on the console; at least that's the theory. We've heard worldwide launch mutterings with consoles before and, to my knowledge, it's never succeeded, so it'll be interesting to see if Nokia can pull it off, or whether delays will set in closer to the Winter. Next up is the price, which you might recall from previous coverage was promised to be "under €500" which many pessimists took as being €499 (approx. £330). Fortunately, things are far better than that, with the confirmed price being £185; not bad considering the gadget's MP3, FM radio and phone capabilities. However, as a mainstream games console this is still pretty high, prompting scepticism that it will be out of the price range of a lot of gamers, and limited only to hardcore techies.
However, if that was all the information concerning the N-Gage for the entirety of E3, all things considered it would still be a good show for Nokia. Early reports indicate that the games are looking good, with fancy 3D graphics showing off the console's superior power compared to the GBA, and with game cartridges costing just £25 each gamers may see the device as a long-term investment. Unfortunately, though, at the same time that Nokia were unveiling their portable gaming plans, so were Sony, and this is where things could get tricky. With their portable Playstation (dubbed the PSP) promised to have the ability to read 1.8 Gb disks, play movies and far greater power than the PlayStation, any announcement from Nokia couldn't avoid being overshadowed. Let's not forget, though, that anything Sony produces is likely not to hit shelves until well into 2004 (if not 2005, since dev kits are rumoured to be still in production, not ready for release until this Winter), and the price point could end up well north of the £300 mark.
Overall, Nokia's N-Gage will still be a remarkable piece of kit when it appears later this year, and we can't wait to get our hands on one. Unfortunately, if the PSP delivers on its promises, Nokia's little handheld will end up stuck between both Sony and Nintendo, and may not have the marketing muscle or the gaming history to overcome either. Whatever happens, the handheld market is where the action is, and the next few years are certain to be very interesting.
Marc Hull
|
|
| |
| |
Go Back To Main Page 
Go To Top Of Page