Straight out of the "where did they come up with that for an idea" comes N-Gage.com's Blindfolded boxing. Every week, the top boxer in each international region will win 2x N-Gage' QD's, and two copies of Crash Nitro Kart, Spiderman 2 and Operation Shadow. Congrats to Nokia on recognising you need two of everything to have a good multiplayer prize!
Do most mobile gamers play at the bus stop? On the train? While leaving on a Jet Plane? Mobile Entertainment Analyst takes a look and discovers that 60% of mobile games are played at home. And 4 in 5 of those home players are shunning their PC's and Game Consoles. There's some more nice numbers in there (more women play mobile games, but more men pay for them) so grab a coffee and have settle down to read.
The voting is now open in the N-Gage Awards. You can now vote in three categories Best N-Gage Game, Best Java Game, and Best N-Gage Fan Site (which All About N-Gage is sponsoring). Voting and any feedback recieved will be sent to Nokia as well as publically announced on the site so here's a good chance to let your opinion be heard.
N-Gage users who fancy a mystery can pop on over to this link on the N-Gage.com website and watch a flash trailer for a hitherto unknown Exclusive to N-Gage Game called "The One." We've no idea what genre it is, or any other details, but we love a mystery just as much as the next person...
UK Based Digital Bridges (they of all the Mobile Games in CD Cases in The Carphone Warehouse) has been bouyed by the news that Electronic Arts will strengthen the ties with them to assist in the distribution of mobile games, their connectivity technology and continued development skills. (see the Digital Bridges Press Release). Now can someone remind the BBC that EA have heavily developed titles like The Sims for the N-Gage? And that the N-Gage actually exists?
Nintendo are dropping the price of the GBA SP in the USA, and Europe is sure to be following in the near future (reports the BBC). This puts the main rival to the N-Gage in the Christmas season at under £100 for the unit and a single game (not counting any seasonal promotions that might turn up to bundle Pokemon to the kids). What does this mean for the N-Gage?
More games from the past for the N-Gage, with Christopher this week taking a look at Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. Bringing in some strong franchise names was one of the key launch strategies of the N-Gage, and everyone knew that shots of Lara Croft next to the units would ensure some nice magazine covers (which it did)? But how does it play, and was it a worthy N-Gage Game? Christopher's review covers all that and more.
Todays big announcement... Nokia have shipped one million N-Gage Units (that's both the N-Gage and the N-Gage QD). Of those units, there's been a 10% take up of the N-Gage Arena, the online multiplayer service, with 100,000 registered users. Now for some perspective. It's taken Nokia 11 months to rack up that magic million. In the first six months of Nintendo launching the GBA SP, they sold over two million units - which out-performs the N-Gage sales by a ratio of 4 to 1. Still, from a standing start, and from a company that's never launched a gaming device before, it's an impressive number.
The All About N-Gage Games Database is continually updated with news, links and screenshots of the latest N-Gage MMC Games. While the last foru entries are always noted at the foot of the All About N-Gage home page, you can now follow the latest updates through the Games Database RSS Feed (alternate formats and filtering options are available).
It looks like Sega's N-Gage titles Alien Front and Virtua Cop aren't going to see the light of day. Now before you start moaning and grumbling that this is a bad thing, think again. While both games were pretty good technically, comparing them to titles like Ashen and Pathway To Glory, they didn't help the N-Gage at all. Releasing games and spending money trying to recover from bad 20% score reviews is not what the platform needs just now. I'd say this is a good move if it's true.
Both Rafe and Ewan have been looking at Bomberman on N-Gage MMC card, and while Rafe is pretty happy with the Arcade Pyromaniac, Ewan's not so sure that it's a worth MMC Game. See what they both think in the double-header review of Bomberman.
It's been on the N-Gage.com games list for months (and even longer in the All About N-Gage Games Database), but now Activision and Nokia have officially announced X-Men for N-Gage. The release date has been put back from October 2004 to Q1 2005,and there's some more details on the Arena iteraction (ability to download "new missions and games").
Ewan's been out speaking with Charles Revillon from Gameloft, one of the big companies involved in mobile gaming. What do Gameloft think of the N-Gage, of Symbian OS, of Java Games and the mobile market? Ewan asked all that, and more, in another of our interviews.
London ExCeL sees the Game Stars Live event, and the Nokia N-Gage Tour, with its Crash Nitro Challenge is offering ever attendee the chance to win their own Nokia QD. Can you take on the best high scores from around the UK in a lap of Crash Nitro Cart Challenege? The best lap time each day will win their own QD. Nokia have labelled their key producst on show as the QD itself, Pocket Kingdom, King of Fighters and Colin McRae Rally 2005.
