Comments on: N-Gage to die, partly thanks to iPhone http://www.loopinsight.com/2009/10/30/n-gage-to-die-partly-thanks-to-iphone/ Making Sense of Technology Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:41:05 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Steve W http://www.loopinsight.com/2009/10/30/n-gage-to-die-partly-thanks-to-iphone/comment-page-1/#comment-5982 Steve W Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:46:31 +0000 http://www.loopinsight.com/?p=2352#comment-5982 The idea behind the N-Gage wasn't bad, it was the implementation. The first N-Gage was an awkward design that didn't take into account simple ergonomics (side talking, removing the battery to put in another game). The second model, the QD, was a vastly superior design, but it was a little too late to repair its tarnished reputation. The launch title line-up was not great, either. You've got to have a 'killer app' right away to get people interested, and most of what they had were ported Playstation 1 games and simple puzzle games. It almost instantly became a punch line before the QD could be released to fix the situation and the good software could hit store shelves. And another problem was that the target audience for the N-Gage were the same kinds of young people who wouldn't think twice about pirating games, and all the games came on MMC cards which made them especially easy to crack. Like I said, there were good ideas behind the device, but they stumbled too many times for the general public to take them seriously. Then Nokia decided to fold in the N-Gage concept into most of their other phones, but the name was tarnished from the get-go. The idea behind the N-Gage wasn’t bad, it was the implementation. The first N-Gage was an awkward design that didn’t take into account simple ergonomics (side talking, removing the battery to put in another game). The second model, the QD, was a vastly superior design, but it was a little too late to repair its tarnished reputation. The launch title line-up was not great, either. You’ve got to have a ‘killer app’ right away to get people interested, and most of what they had were ported Playstation 1 games and simple puzzle games. It almost instantly became a punch line before the QD could be released to fix the situation and the good software could hit store shelves. And another problem was that the target audience for the N-Gage were the same kinds of young people who wouldn’t think twice about pirating games, and all the games came on MMC cards which made them especially easy to crack. Like I said, there were good ideas behind the device, but they stumbled too many times for the general public to take them seriously. Then Nokia decided to fold in the N-Gage concept into most of their other phones, but the name was tarnished from the get-go.

]]> By: James Katt http://www.loopinsight.com/2009/10/30/n-gage-to-die-partly-thanks-to-iphone/comment-page-1/#comment-5972 James Katt Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:39:48 +0000 http://www.loopinsight.com/?p=2352#comment-5972 N-Gage was bad when it debuted. It is bad now. And it is bad long after it has died. Nothing has changed. N-Gage was bad when it debuted.
It is bad now.
And it is bad long after it has died.

Nothing has changed.

]]> By: Peter Cohen http://www.loopinsight.com/2009/10/30/n-gage-to-die-partly-thanks-to-iphone/comment-page-1/#comment-5938 Peter Cohen Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:36:26 +0000 http://www.loopinsight.com/?p=2352#comment-5938 The N-Gage *hardware* died a couple of years ago. The *service* is dying because Nokia can't keep up with the App Store. The N-Gage *hardware* died a couple of years ago. The *service* is dying because Nokia can’t keep up with the App Store.

]]> By: Torstein A. http://www.loopinsight.com/2009/10/30/n-gage-to-die-partly-thanks-to-iphone/comment-page-1/#comment-5912 Torstein A. Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:15:38 +0000 http://www.loopinsight.com/?p=2352#comment-5912 That thing is hideous. The total opposite of an Apple product (i.e. minimalist simplicity). That thing is hideous. The total opposite of an Apple product (i.e. minimalist simplicity).

]]> By: Bill http://www.loopinsight.com/2009/10/30/n-gage-to-die-partly-thanks-to-iphone/comment-page-1/#comment-5900 Bill Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:54:37 +0000 http://www.loopinsight.com/?p=2352#comment-5900 Peter seriously? The N-Gage failed due to bad design and a pure misunderstanding of what game players want - and all of this happened years before the iPhone was even announced. Bill Peter seriously? The N-Gage failed due to bad design and a pure misunderstanding of what game players want – and all of this happened years before the iPhone was even announced.

Bill

]]>