The N-Gage QD isn’t the N-Gage 2, it’s more of a redesign on the original unit. That’s what a gamer would say, and from that viewpoint, they’d be right.
But Nokia, no matter what they say, still considers the N-Gage to be a device type inside Nokia. In the same way they have a section called "Camera Phones" and in that area they have three or four phones with different feature sets (and price ranges to match) the N-Gage (or "Gaming" section) is now revealing this strategy.
Exhibit A: The original N-Gage device will be sold alongside the new N-Gage QD device. Everyone who’s really determined to have a device with a Radio, MP3 Player and USB connectivity along with his or her gaming experience, will continue to be able to get it in the first device. If you want the smaller, cuter device, which has more focus on the gaming experience and nothing else, then you need the N-Gage QD.
Exhibit B: Compatibility. For all the worries about original N-Gage users being left behind, the technical specifications on the QD are identical to the N-Gage. Same memory, same operating sysem, same colour depth on the screen. The changes are all in the cosmetics of the machine, and are designed to give the consumer a style choice, rather than a hardware choice. Think of it in the same way that you could buy a regular X-Box with one controller, or one with two controllers, or a crystal X-Box with access to X-Box live for three months.
In short, the QD shows the N-Gage is a platform, not just a single device. Nokia are building up a market share, and are happy to give the N-Gage three Christmases to establish itself.
If you look at the changes in the N-Gage QD, it’s clear that someone in Nokia has been listening carefully to the focus groups and the chatter on the Internet. The sore points are changed, they’ve made it smaller and more phone like, but they’ve made sure the existing users don’t feel short changed.
The previews of the new games due out in the next 2-3 months show that Nokia have listened to the complaints about the games. We still have some generic titles (Crash Bandicoot has been on every platform under the sun) that are carrying a lot of quality in them. We’re finally seeing some Nokia specific titles. Ashen looks like a gothic Doom, and the mysterious Pathway to Glory is due to be unveiled on May 11th.
Nokia have put their cards on the table, and the next few months will consolidate and build on the foothold they have in the gaming market, or whether they slip down and join the GP32 and the Neo Geo Pocket. ES
