Dogz Comes to N-Gage, But Stays in the Kennel

[Ewan]

T'Zer takes a look at the latest N-Gage release, but isn't at all impressed with what's on offer. It's not as good as The Sims: Pets that's also available on the next-generation N-Gage system and it's "possibly the worst game on the platform." Why? Read the review to find out.

Read on in the full article.

[Attila]

I wonder if the execution or the original idea is worse

how many 12 years old girls out there have NGage2 capable handsets after all...

[Tzer2]

I wonder if the execution or the original idea is worse

Believe me, the problems are in the execution. :-)

how many 12 years old girls out there have NGage2 capable handsets after all...

Well, if you look at Nintendogs for example, that was definitely bought by a lot of adults as well as children. I think the audience for these kinds of games is a lot wider than people realise.

And the compatible handsets are getting cheaper too, the 5320 launched for about 200 euros plus taxes so it'll probably be closer to 150 euros plus taxes by next year.

[Attila]

I'm with you on the high number of adults buying Nintendogs, but I also think that they buy them for their kids

also: NGage2 phones might be getting cheaper, but they also know waaaaaaay too much for a little girl. what's the point of getting her a Mobile Multimedia Computer with excel editing, video manipulating, gps tracking, internet browsing etc etc when all she needs is a phone with occasional gaming?

Have I mentioned that if there is one thing I dislike about Nokia handsets, then it would be their complete lack of personality and clear definition of target user? just check out the last 15 phones and the only "different" device is the E71 - everything else is the same, does the same, knows the same, except one has rounded edges and black finish while the other has a different texture for the buttons. there was no new phones for little girls, heavy duty handsets for sports people, big buttons for people with vision problems or just big thumbs...

so if you really think little girls should be having NGage2 compatible phones, then I say those phones should look like they were made for little girls and not for twenty-something businessmen from the City.

[Tzer2]

I'm with you on the high number of adults buying Nintendogs, but I also think that they buy them for their kids

I am telling you, there are lots of adults who play Nintendogs. :-)

I'm a huge fan of the game, and appreciate this genre very much indeed.

We've got to break these stereotypes of who plays games. For example, a lot of people still think video games are mainly played by teenage boys, whereas they're actually now a minority of gamers.

NGage2 phones might be getting cheaper, but they also know waaaaaaay too much for a little girl. what's the point of getting her a Mobile Multimedia Computer with excel editing, video manipulating, gps tracking, internet browsing etc etc when all she needs is a phone with occasional gaming?

N-Gage isn't just for Nseries, it's also going to be in cheaper simpler models like the 5320 (in fact cheaper models are probably where N-Gage and S60 will get most of their users in the future).

The 5320 is being marketed for young people, maybe not 12 year olds but definitely older teenagers.

The only way N-Gage will get a healthy userbase is if it spreads to cheaper models (and S60 is heading that way very fast).