 | |
 Original "Classic" model | |
| Codename | Starship (original)[1] Aquarius (QD)[2] |
|---|---|
| Also known as | N-Gage "game deck" |
| Manufacturer | Nokia |
| Type | Handheld game console andmobile phone[3] |
| Generation | Sixth |
| Release date | 7 October 2003[4] |
| Lifespan | 2003–2006 |
| Discontinued | 24 February 2006[5] |
| Units sold | 3 million (as of 30 July 2007)[6] |
| Media | MultiMediaCard |
| Operating system | Symbian OS 6.1 (Series 60) |
| CPU | ARM920T @ 104 MHz |
| Storage | MultiMediaCard, 3.4 MB internal memory (1st gen N-Gage)[7][8] |
| Display | 2 inches (5.1 cm) (11:13)TFT LCD 4,096 colors, 176 × 208 pixels[9][10] |
| Connectivity | HSCSD,GPRS,Bluetooth[7][8] |
| Online services | N-Gage Arena |
| Related | Nokia 7650,Nokia 3650,Nokia 6600 |
TheN-Gage is amobile device combining features of acellular phone and ahandheld game system developed byNokia, released on 7 October 2003.[4] Officially nicknamed thegame deck,[a] the N-Gage's phone works on theGSM cellular network, and software-wise runs on theSeries 60 platform on top ofSymbian OS v6.1.
N-Gage attempted to lure gamers away from theGame Boy Advance by includingtelephone functionality, includingSMS texting, in an "all-in-one" device.[15] Game software was packaged in aMultiMediaCard to be inserted into the N-Gage's slot. Nokia also ran an online service community, N-Gage Arena, which also supportedmultiplayer on some titles, using the phone'sGPRS data connection.[16] Ultimately over 50 games — which included titles by major third-party publishers — were released for the system in a three year period.[17]
The N-Gage was unsuccessful, partly because the buttons were not well-suited for gaming, while it was described as resembling ataco, which led to its mocking nickname "taco phone".[6][18][19] Less than a year later, the QD model was introduced as a redesign of the original "Classic" N-Gage, fixing widely criticized issues and design problems. The revised model was unable to make an impact, and with only 2 million units sold in its two years, the N-Gage was acommercial failure and discontinued in February 2006, with Nokia moving its gaming capabilities onto selected Series 60 smartphones; this was announced as theN-Gage platform or "N-Gage 2.0" in 2007, carrying on the N-Gage name.[20][21]
Nokia officially introduced the N-Gage at the Mobile Internet Conference in Munich, on 4 November 2002,[22] a device that integrated the functionalities ofmobile phones andhandheld game consoles, which some people were increasingly carrying side by side. Its original development codename wasStarship.[23]
The N-Gage had a reported development budget of more than $100 million.[24] Games for N-Gage used to cost $600,000 to $1.5 million to develop.[25] Nokia had attracted a decent amount of large third-party game companies that signed up to develop titles for the platform, includingEidos Interactive,Electronic Arts,Sega,Gameloft,Activision andTaito.[26]
Many of the preloadedringtones and sounds were composed by formerdemoscene musician Markus Castrén, who worked at Nokia during mid-2002. For both the N-Gage andNokia 7600, he wrote ringtones in a variety of populardance genres, as well as creating a small set of sounds inspired by 1980s arcade games; he chose to compose those in achiptune style as music in video games of the time did not stand out as sounding distinctively game-related.[27]
Nokia tested the N-Gage with consumers across Europe from August 2003 until release as part of theN-Gage Tour.[14] With a launch price of US$299[6] (equivalent to $511 in 2024), the N-Gage was not commercially popular.[28] In its first weeks of availability in the United States, it was outsold by theGame Boy Advance 100 to 1.[29][30] Within 17 days of the deck's release, popular retailersGameStop andElectronics Boutique began offering $100 rebates on the deck's price.[31]
In February 2004, with the N-Gage failing to make a major impact four months on, CEO Jorma Ollila claimed that the device would be given until 2005 to be judged whether it was a success or failure.[32] In 2004, a revision was released named N-Gage QD and this retailed at a lower price compared to the original N-Gage device, aided by the fact that it was usually sold with service contracts and applicable subsidies.[citation needed]
In January 2005, UK sales-tracking firm ChartTrack dropped the N-Gage from its regular ELSPA chart, commenting that "The N-Gage chart, though still produced, is of little interest to anyone. Sales of the machine and its software have failed to make any impact on the market at all."[33] Although only directly reflective of the UK market, this was interpreted by some as a serious blow to the N-Gage as a viable gaming platform. Despite this, Nokia reaffirmed their commitment to the N-Gage as a platform, to the point where a new version of the hardware was rumored afterGDC 2005.[34]
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In November 2005, Nokia admitted that the N-Gage failed, selling only one-third of the company's expectations. The product was discontinued from Western markets in February 2006, but would continue to be marketed in India and parts of Asia;[35] the last game to be released in the U.S. for the system wasCivilization in March 2006,[36] and later that year the combat racerPayload in other territories.[37] AtE3 2006, Nokia promoted its next-generation N-Gage which would become theN-Gage service.[38]
The N-Gage is used in a wide physical form with a 2.1 inchTFT display in the centre with aD-pad to the left and numerical keys to the right, among other buttons. This kind of design was roughly used before by theNokia 5510 mobile phone.
Instead of using cables,multiplayer gaming was accomplished withBluetooth or theInternet (via the N-Gage Arena service). Its main CPU was an ARM Integrated (ARMI) compatible chip (ARM4T architecture) running at 104 MHz, the same as theNokia 7650 and 3650 phones.
The original phone's design was considered awkward: to insert a game, users had to remove the phone's plastic cover and remove the battery as the game slot was next to it. Another feature was that the speaker and microphone were located on the side edge of the phone; this often resulted in many describing it as talking into a "taco phone"[39] or "Sidetalking", or simply that they had one very large ear, because the user held the edge of the phone against the cheek in order to talk into it. Usual for a phone, but unusually for a game system, it had a screen taller than it was wide, with a size of 2.1" and resolution of 176 X 208, giving an aspect ratio of 11:13; at the time most televisions were 4:3.
Accessories for the N-Gage included extra batteries, car chargers, wirelessBluetooth headsets, and travel cases.[26]
Following criticism of the N-Gage design, Nokia revised the model as the N-Gage QD,[b] unveiled on April 14, 2004[42] and released on May 26, 2004.[43] It revised the original N-Gage's physical design, being smaller and rounder, with other cosmetic changes on its face. It corrected the flaw of the original's cartridge slot placement with a more convenient one on the bottom of the device as opposed to behind the battery. This design also moved the earpiece to the face of the device, rather than on the side, as in the previous model.
Although it uses the same Symbian S60 software, some features available in the original system, such asMP3 playback,FM radio reception andUSB connectivity, were removed from the new device.[44] Later in August 2005[45] Nokia marketed the Silver Edition of N-Gage QD with a few cosmetic changes, and the replacement of the two specialist gaming buttons (5 and 7) with standard keys.
In October 2021, photos and information about a prototype for a cancelled hardware revision called the "N-Gage IC" were posted to theAtariAge[46] and ObsureGamers[47] forums by two independent collectors: Timo Weirich (Germany) and Leo Ashomko (Russia). The prototype is cosmetically similar to the base N-Gage QD but came with an integrated camera, a 123 MHz processor, Symbian OS 7.0 with Series 60 2nd Edition and USB mass storage as well as hardware MP3 decoding from the original model.[48][49][50]
Besides its gaming capabilities, the N-Gage is a 2.5GGPRS data supportingSeries 60 smartphone, runningSymbian OS 6.1, with features similar to those of theNokia 3650 (it does not have an integratedcamera, however). It is able to run all Series 60 software (other than those that require a camera) and comes with the standard features such as anemail client,WAP, andXHTML browser; it also supportsJavaMIDP (J2ME) applications. The N-Gage Classic is tri-bandGSM on frequencies 900, 1800 and 1900; the N-Gage QD revision on the other hand was released in two dual-band variants for the American region and another for Eurasian markets.[51] Furthermore, the QD runs the same software version despite Series 60 2nd Edition having already come out by the time this revision was developed.[51] The original N-Gage includesMP3 andRealAudio/RealVideo playback, anFM radio tuner, and also supportsMMS picture messaging.[52][53] However the QD version removes MP3 and FM support.[44]
Exclusive to the device was N-Gage Arena, an online service run in-house by Nokia which consisted of anonline community where users could play against each other online on certain titles, chat and post onmessage boards, view and upload high scores on a global scoreboard, and receive game tips news.[54][55]
Before the launch of Nokia's first in-house N-Gage title,Pathway to Glory, a one-level demo was released to journalists to allow them to sample the game and understand the concepts behind the turn-based wargame. This demo was subsequently placed on the N-Gage.com website as a free download. Undaunted by the 16 MB download size, fans jumped on thePathway to Glory demo. The success of the download paved the route for future titles. On June 6, 2006 Nokia announced that people also could buy the games digitally.[56]
There are 58 full titles available for N-Gage. Two of the titles were not released in North America:Flo-Boarding (Germany and UK only) andSega Rally (Australia and Brazil only). All but three titles (Payload,Snakes,Virtua Cop) were available for retail purchase. One more game was bundled with the N-Gage (on the Support CD): an exclusive version ofSpace Impact Evolution X, that was later made available toSymbian S60v2 phones. Other than N-Gage titles, the device supports native Series 60 games andJava ME applets written specifically for Series 60.
Pocket Kingdom: Own the World received a handful of glowing reviews when it was released, andPathway to Glory was Nokia's first self-published success. These games came perhaps too late to have much effect in improving the perception of the N-Gage hardware itself in the eyes of consumers or press.[57] Nokia had projections of at least 6 million sold decks in three years instead of only 3 million.[58]
It was also noted that although Nokia touted the device as ahandheld game console, it was in reality a standard NokiaSymbianSeries 60 1st Edition smartphone in a different form factor and without any enhanced hardware chips for gaming capability. Pirated games released on the platform could be run as normal on devices of the period such asNokia 3650.[59]
Apple had theNewton. Sony struck out with theBetamax. I.B.M. blew it with thePCJr. Every technology giant has one or two failed products it would rather the world forget. But Nokia, the world’s largest cellphone manufacturer, wants everyone to remember its most famous misfire, the 2003 taco-shaped video game-cellphone hybrid, the N-Gage.
The "N-Gage" brand name still had a poor reputation within the gaming media and among the few consumers who recognized the N-Gage brand, due to the weakness of the system's first games and the original model's limitations.[61] Despite this, Nokia attempted another shot at N-Gage in 2007, which itself would last only two years.[62]
In 2004, Nokia claimed in a press release that it had shipped its millionth deck, represented as a company milestone despite falling short of the company's initial projection of six million decks by the end of 2004.[63] However, this number shipped does not give a reliable picture of the actual sales of the deck.[31] Nokia ultimately shipped over 2 million N-Gage decks by 2007.[64]
There is some disagreement in sources about the actual number of N-Gage decks sold. Nokia initially claimed 400,000 sales in the first two weeks the deck was available. However, independent market research firms Chart-Track and Arcadia Research claimed that the N-Gage had sold only 5,000 decks in the United States in that time, and 800 decks in the UK. German magazineGamePro talked about 15.000 sold units by mid 2004 in Germany.[65] Critics suggested Nokia was counting the number of decks shipped to retailers, not the number actually purchased by consumers.[66] Nokia later admitted this was the truth.[29]
The new N-Gage, also referred to asN-Gage Next Gen orN-Gage 2.0, saw a change in concept asNokia explained to the world duringE3 2005 that they were planning on putting N-Gage inside several of theirsmartphone devices, rather than releasing a specific device. In August 2007, the new N-Gage platform was finalised and was released in April 2008. It was compatible on manySymbianS60 smartphones with hardware acceleration capability. The service was discontinued in October 2009.
The N-Gage QD game deck is expected to be available in May 2004 for Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific and in June 2004 for the Americas.
Nokia-branded mobile devices | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nokia 1000 series | |||
| Nokia 2000 series | |||
| Nokia 3000 series | |||
| Nokia 5000 series | |||
| Nokia 6000 series |
| ||
| Nokia 7000 series | |||
| Nokia 8000 series | |||
| Nokia 9000 series (Nokia Communicator) | |||
| Nokia 3-digit series (feature phone) | |||
| Nokia Asha |
| ||
| Nokia Cseries | |||
| Nokia Eseries | |||
| Nokia Nseries |
| ||
| Nokia Xseries | |||
| Nokia 3-digit series (Symbian phone) | |||
| Lumia |
| ||
| Nokia Internet Tablet | |||
| N-Gage | |||
| Nokia X family | |||
| Android smartphones2 | |||
| Nokia Originals2 | |||
| Nokia C series2 | |||
| Nokia G series2 | |||
| Nokia T series2 | |||
| Nokia X series2 | |||
| Miscellaneous | |||
