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Nokia N-Gaging digital distribution

Online store sells N-Gage games direct company site; titles downloaded to PC, range in price from 20 to 30 euros.

Nokia N-Gage owners probably aren't parading their handhelds around town much these days, as getting anything to show off on the system is becoming harder and harder. As Sony's PlayStation Portable and Nintendo's DS have swallowed most of the market share, the catalog of games available for the hybrid cell phone/handheld has dried up.

A quick search on the Web sites of major online retailers Amazon.com and EBGames.com shows very few N-Gage games available, and those that are available are at least a year old and retail for $2.99--a far cry from their original $35 sticker prices.

However, there is one place that N-Gage owners can buy new games--the newly announced Nokia N-Gage online store. The Web site provides digital distribution of N-Gage titles that can be downloaded onto PCs and then transferred to the handheld. Games can be sampled for free, then purchased for 19.99 to 29.99 euros ($25 to $37), depending on the title, and transferred to an MMC card.

There are currently 10 games available from the store, including One, Pathway to Glory, and Mile High Pinball.

In case anyone was wondering, a statement from Nokia says that the company is still developing the N-Gage platform. The company has also said that future versions of its phones will be able to run N-Gage-quality games to "expand the N-Gage platform's rich connected multiplayer experience across a wide range of Nokia's multimedia devices."

60 Comments

  • Seraphim_24

    Posted Jun 12, 2006 7:59 am GMT

    Ngage... it still exists?

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Jun 11, 2006 9:24 am GMT

    the n-gage was crap

  • mattxavier

    Posted Jun 10, 2006 10:28 pm GMT

    well said nirvana175, well said. Lets keep the N-gage alive.

  • nirvana175

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 11:14 pm GMT

    As it has already been said, there's no point in comparing DS or PSP to the Ngage. Ngage must be compared to other mobile games, and for what it does, it does everything pretty well, and addition to that you can play some cool games that are more detailes than your average .SIS or java games.

    I bought my Ngage (original, not QD) back in 04 and used it as a phone one whole year. Now I just use it for playing, and if you fork some cash to buy a 256 or 512 MB MMC you can store a lot of mp3/games there. I can easily see myself playing Ngage, java and SIS games like 3 - 5 years from now.

    It is one of the most original/capable phones I have ever used.

  • Sieg_15

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 1:49 pm GMT

    They do have some good exclusive titles for the N-Gage. You just haven't bothered to look.

  • funky_muzic

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 12:18 pm GMT

    I can take a crap and sell a downloadable version of it for $20! Maybe if Nokia had some decent exclusive games they would be doing better.

  • mattxavier

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 10:29 am GMT

    I can bet my favourite Manchester United Jersey that half of you guys have not even used the Ngage. How many phones in its price grade can boast of its durability, features and asthetic beauty? I'm always proud to use my phone in public as it stands out.You guys should stop criticising, if you don't like it then don't buy it, its as simple as that.

  • Donkeljohn

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 9:53 am GMT

    The N-Gage is no more dead than Disco . . . well, I at least listen to some disco.

  • JoeAdvanced

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 9:24 am GMT

    I had an n-gage and was so excited for the launch because before psp/ds there was only gameboy and it wasnt producing anything new, But n-gage had wireless multiplayer action. At first it didnt but had kickass download ghosts for tony hawk that i played constantly, and the graphics weren't bad. It was really a conversation starter with girls going out. But yeah, they're butchering the license now. As much i wished the n-gage succeeded it didn't really have much support. AND WHY OH WHY, are they selling games for $30? Just better to sell at a decent $5-10. But oh well. RIP Ngage...At least it lasted longer than gizmondo

  • blackIceJoe

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 9:17 am GMT

    They should just give up and make games for the PSP and DSthat way they can say we died with are system but at least we can still make money.

    Just think if they where to port there games to other systems it would not cost them that much and they can bring in some money.

  • Sieg_15

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 9:01 am GMT

    @faizali86

    Actually, only the original launch titles back in 2003 weren't good, except for Tony Hawk and Sonic N but they were ports. The N-Gage titles released in 2004, after the N-Gage QD released, and 2005 were actually pretty damn good.

  • justiceboy13

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 8:56 am GMT

    ngage sucks.
    DS>>>PSP>>>N-Gage>>>Gizmondo

  • yboucher

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 8:54 am GMT

    jackassultima: what you don't understand is that MOBILE (WIRELESS PHONES) gaming is in a different niche than DS and PSP. Since the launch of the original N-Gage, that niche has been refined, and Nokia definitely understands that they are not competing with Sony and Nintendo. Therefore, your arguments are almost pointless, considering that both HANDHELD games, and MOBILE games are enjoying a LOT of growth these days.

  • marco888

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 8:10 am GMT

    why would they put N-Gage in the ring with PSP and DS. They are stupid...

  • Doolum

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 7:27 am GMT

    With handheld monsters like the PSP and the DS out there in the wild,no wonder why the N-Gage was not to survive for long...well as far as the games are concerned.My N-Gage i use it ony to make calls ad send text.Gaming? i have my PSP for that

  • roadrunner1178

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 6:39 am GMT

    $3 is cheap. If you can find the system cheap enough.

  • Maquis_UK

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 6:11 am GMT

    is it April Fools Day again already? are NOkia having a laugh? ( yes, I meant to type NOkia )

  • shizwill03

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 5:56 am GMT

    Wow.

    Well if they integrate the N-Gage platform into their cell phones it should be very profitable.

    Nokia phones are pretty sweet. If they integrate the technology and provide it to domestic cell phone carriers [Preferrably T-Mobile, my carrier] I will DEFINATELY pick it up.

  • jackassultima

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 5:52 am GMT

    yboucher nokia will never suceed in the mobile games market when competitors like sony and nintendo are prepared to put considerable money into their products. Just a look at gamespot's front page shows you that the n-gage is in the category "mobile" while a previous generation handheld - GBA - has its own tab. That is how well the n-gage has done and will ever do.

  • Maui00

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 5:45 am GMT

    Come on guys. N-Gage is a really good mobile phone

  • Paul_TheGreat

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 5:44 am GMT

    Just give up Nokia.

  • siberdib

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 3:15 am GMT

    As a NGage QD owner, its quite a decent phone, I must have played Rifts on it for hours. Not to mention Civilisation which came out a few months ago.

  • t-roland

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 2:51 am GMT

    What, n-gage is still trying?

    I doubt they will ever succeed...

  • bluemonkeyuk

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 1:38 am GMT

    What is wrong with some of you people? It is a phone and music player first and foremost with the added benefit that you can play games sometimes. How is that hard to comprehend?

    Nokia are the dominant company in the phone market. They intend to incorporate N-Gage compatibility with all future phones. This was like a testbed to develop the technology before installing it across their range. It's not a loss, it's a learning experience for them.

  • faizali86

    Posted Jun 9, 2006 12:43 am GMT

    n-gage and n-gage qd sucked. hardly any good games to play, and what made the qd even worse is the stripped down features to make it "more suitable to people who only want to play games on the ngage". that was a dumb excuse nokia made. the game library on the n-gage really sucks. but when it comes to functionality, i think the n-gage is quite alright. the idea of playing n-gage games on all nokia phones is a sensible move i think.

  • bulldog7

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 11:57 pm GMT

    i can't believe this.... really?

  • Karjah

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 10:44 pm GMT

    N-gage tried to launch a system that could be a camera a phone and a gaming protable in one.

    ps3 is trying to launch a game console an mp3 player and a pc/webbrowser in one.

    Both are not very well veiwed by the majority of the gaming world.

    Both are very expensive on release.

    I see many similarites here.

    Poor Sony.

  • marios4th

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 10:35 pm GMT

    I have the original n-gage from 2003 until now.For me it's the better phone until now.I have the n70 and i think the n-gage is still better. It's a very strong gaming phone.And the 2007 nokia will realise the new n-gage and believe it may be better from the psp.

  • vaejas

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 10:22 pm GMT

    No Final Fantasy, no weiner.

    Siiiide-talkiiiin...

  • yboucher

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 10:14 pm GMT

    Actually, the N-Gage QD still VERY MUCH holds up its own vs. some of the more powerful current-model phones like, say, the N70, which is barely better, but carries a sticker price of MANY hundreds of dollars more than the QD, Which can still be found dirt cheap at http://n-gage.letstalk.com , btw. I've been a proud owner of a QD for a little more than a year, and working for a major mobile game developer, i see a LOT of phones from all over the world come and go by my desk. I still say the QD is one of the top 10 best phones, even if it's 2 years old.

    And I'm not even getting into the new N-Gage Arena that will span all of Nokia's phones... it's gonna be a serious step forward for mobile gaming.

  • yboucher

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 10:13 pm GMT

    [This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

  • N-DAWG88

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 9:41 pm GMT

    i wish the damn thing would just go quietly

  • EvanO_O

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 9:32 pm GMT

    $3 is pretty reasonable though...even if the handheld is dead.

  • SARSROX

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 9:23 pm GMT

    It's kind of neat that Nokia is still in the game. (No pun intended.) The gaming platform was weak, but bundled with a phone, mp3, radio, and movie player, it was pretty good deal. Of course, there are much better phones available now. Nokia isn't developing games only for the N-Gage, but for all N-series phones now. I think that Nokia should just let go of the N-gage, but continue developing for the N-series phone. If the price wasn't so outrageous, I would pick up an N93.

  • TrailorParkBoy

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 9:20 pm GMT

    why is nokia even bothering

  • John_of_Fire

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 9:02 pm GMT

    I still want a N-gage but T mobile doesn't carry them anymore. I wish they were easier to get a hold of rather than having to pay 150 outright. The QD seemed like a quality phone. Mine is a POC and have had to replace it multiple times and I don't hear a lot of good things about most phones.

    I don't think this will help them too much though. Even though they seem to have a new game coming out every month, (Warhammer looks fun) but they don't look to be around much longer in the US unless they can get companies to carry them again.

  • Drachman

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 8:26 pm GMT

    The phone had some nice features, I liked the built-in radio and bluetooth. Both of those features were ahead of their time. The games however, were lackluster to say the least. Not to mention the original N-Gage phone used a band that most of the towers in this area don't support. After a month using my phone on Cingular's service, cingular decided to stop supporting that band and thus my N-gage became unusable. I had to pay to get a new phone (again) and then they charged me to move the service again. My N-gage sits on a shelf in my closet, still in it's original box, not because of Nokia, but because of Cingular.....

  • cesarotromundo

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 8:20 pm GMT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

  • mattxavier

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:54 pm GMT

    I have had my N-gage since 2003 and it still works very well, the only thing is that I never really played games on it. I use it mostly to listen to MP3s and radio stations (It has an in built radio) in comparison to the junk other people the Ngage is a class ahead especially in terms of price. I can see myself using this phone for at least 2 more years I drop it alot and it still works perfectly. One major con with the Ngage is that it does not have a camera another is that the back cover has to be removed to change MMCs of Memory cards. I would like Nokia to develop more Ngages and games, their phones are the best . A proud N-gage owner

  • TripSkyWay

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:46 pm GMT

    The QD is decent, though slightly dated graphically. The audio is also pretty poor. Pathway to Glory is a great game, as is the free Snakes game. Digital download might enitce me to pick up the pathway to glory sequel.

  • Sieg_15

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:42 pm GMT

    Word from an actual N-Gage QD owner, its not as bad as people make it out to be. Games are actually fun, functionality is decent enough, not bad phone.

  • MVHSmatt08

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:41 pm GMT

    Word from the wise Gh3tt0Child, don't bother with the N-Gage trust me

  • Sieg_15

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:38 pm GMT

    Only place you can find one now is from Letstalk.com, Nokia's online retailer.

  • Gh3tt0Child

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:28 pm GMT

    I wanted to get the Ngage a long time ago but i cant find it at the cingular store anymore

  • Sieg_15

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:15 pm GMT

    To a degree, yes they are rbarahona. Nokia's new phones coming out are actually really good, just gonna cost too much for a gamer. One of the new phones, called the N93, is expected to retail for around $599. As far as features goes, its packed full of them, too much to state right now. That's the problem as the new N-Gage enabled phones are simply too much that no sane gamer will want to pay for when they will probably buy a next gen console instead.

    And yes, N-Gage wasn't a bad idea but horribly executed it was.

  • zeroking420_666

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:14 pm GMT

    darn i thought the n-gage die why wont u just die n-gage... piece of crap

  • rbarahona

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:10 pm GMT

    Nokia is losing it's technological edge in some european countries. The N-Gage wasn't a bad idea, but it was poorly executed. However this way of distributing new games could be the boost that the handheld needed. However I already own a cellphone and I really don't want to change it for an N-Gage, that's why I got a DS and a PSP.

  • Sieg_15

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:05 pm GMT

    Apparently enough people that you responded .

  • DarkSan00

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:03 pm GMT

    [This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]

  • Sieg_15

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 6:58 pm GMT

    That's because you know you aren't skilled enough to actually play the games, Ruin7

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