The N-Gage service (also referred to as N-Gage 2.0) was a mobile gaming platform from Nokia that was available for several Nokia smartphones running on S60 (Symbian). N-Gage provided numerous games with 3D graphics into an application featuring online (via N-Gage Arena) and social features. It takes its name from the original 2003 N-Gage gaming device, which it succeeded.
An official promotional image during the 29 August 2007 announcement: The N-Gage application home screen (right) and a game being played (left) on a Nokia N81.
The N-Gage platform was compatible with: Nokia N78, N79,[1]N81, N81 8GB, N82, N85,[1]N86,[2]N86 8MP, N95, N95 8GB, N96, N97,[3]Nokia 5320 XpressMusic,[4]5630 XpressMusic,[5]5730 XpressMusic[6]Nokia 6210 Navigator,[7]6710 Navigator,[8]6720 Classic, E52,[9]E55 and E75.[10] Due to memory issues, hinted in an interview in February 2008,[11] support for the Nokia N73, N93 and N93i was cancelled.[12]
After less than two years on 30 October 2009, Nokia announced that no new N-Gage games would be produced. Some reasons cited for its failure are its bad development model,[13] marketing,[14] and success of Apple's App Store.[15][16] A total of 49 games were released for it. Nokia moved its games onto their Ovi Store thereafter. Games can still be played on compatible devices, but the service and online features are no longer functional after it ceased in September 2010.[16]
Background[edit]
Nokia's N-Gage gaming smartphone from 2003 did not perform as well as expected, and its upgraded QD version didn't improve it either. Instead of developing a new gaming device, there was a change in concept as Nokia explained to the world during E3 2005 that they were planning to put a N-Gage platform on several smartphone devices, rather than releasing a specific device (although their N81 and 5730 XpressMusic models with its two dedicated gaming-buttons next to the screen is being marketed as a phone built for gaming). It was often nicknamed as N-Gage Next Generation by the public.
Working behind closed doors, it took a little more than a year before, at E3 2006, finally announcing the N-Gage mobile gaming service, set for a 2007 release.[17][18] They also started showing off next-gen titles such as System Rush: Evolution and Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep, with the fighting game ONE perhaps being the most visually impressive—even making use of motion capture.
In February 2007, Nokia announced a pilot service in Finland to promote the upcoming service.[19] Nokia showed off previews of the service at the 2007 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California.
On 27 August 2007, Nokia confirmed a previously leaked N-Gage logo is the official logo for the upcoming service.[20]
Launch[edit]
The N-Gage gaming service in its final form was finally announced by Nokia on 29 August 2007. Nokia used the tagline Get out and play to promote the platform.[21] It was supposed to be released in December 2007, but it was delayed as Nokia's team were making sure the service ran 'smoothly'.[22]
A public beta test of the N-Gage application took place from 4 February 2008 to 27 March 2008, though limited only for the N81.[23] This period of time was referred to as 'First Access' and only a public test of the client which could be downloaded for free from the N-Gage website. While not the final version, the user had access to most of the features that the new application had to offer along with three games to try out: Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep, System Rush: Evolution and Space Impact Kappa Base.[24] Later in February, Nokia also released Tetris, Block Breaker Deluxe and World Series of Poker: Pro Challenge for the users to try out. None of the games are entirely free but all offer a limited trial for testing purposes. In order to experience the full game it has to be either purchased or rented.
Shortly after being released to the public, hackers managed to unpack the N-Gage installation file into components, which can then be installed separately, thus removing N81-only limitation. N-Gage was subsequently reported working on other Nokia Nseries devices, such as N73 and N95. In response, Nokia released an advisory asking users not to install this unsupported version as it could cause errors or other issues.
On 20 March, the official N-Gage Blog reported that First Access would come to an end on 27 March, though all downloaded games at that time would still be playable through the application until the updated version was released—which occurred on 3 April.[25]
After numerous delays and many vague release dates, the N-Gage platform was finally (and also quite suddenly) released to the public on 3 April 2008 through the N-Gage official website, though only five phone models are compatible to begin with. This probably has to do with the older models being less powerful as was pointed out in an interview earlier the same year whereas an N-Gage representative mentioned some memory issues with the N73.[11] The launch titles also changed from six to only five: Asphalt 3: Street Rules, Brain Challenge, Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep, System Rush: Evolution, and World Series of Poker: Pro Challenge. The first two titles weren't even included on the original list (which included Block Breaker Deluxe and Tetris instead). The sixth (postponed) game was Space Impact Kappa Base.
Some hours after the launch, Ikona, the man behind the official N-Gage Blog[25] had this to say about the delay: 'We are currently ensuring Block Breaker Deluxe, Space Impact Kappa Base, and Tetris are running smoothly with our new application. These should be available in the showroom next week or two.'
Four days later, on 7 April - Nokia posted their official press release[26] commenting on the release of their new mobile service, and at which point FIFA 08 also became available for purchase.
With this release, the official website also saw a small change in appearance with price tags added to all games available for download, an event calendar, a tab for support on both the application itself and N-Gage compatible devices and much more. Players logged on the website could now also see their Reputation level, N-Gage level, and gathered N-Gage points.
There was also a release party held at the N-Gage chat room shortly after the release, with several members from the N-Gage team attending to answer any questions asked. A few T-shirts were randomly handed out during the three-hour-long event and everyone was also promised a few N-Gage points for coming to the 'party'.
As expected, the launch was not problem-free but numerous people reported having trouble downloading, purchasing and activating games, installing the application and logging on to the N-Gage Arena.
Compatibility[edit]
Because N-Gage is a software based solution, the first generation MMC games are not compatible with the new platform,[27] though some games made a comeback in the form of a sequel (e.g. System Rush: Evolution) or a remake/port (e.g. Mile High Pinball). Similarly, games developed for this next-gen N-Gage platform do not work on the original N-Gage nor N-Gage QD, adding to the fact that newer S60 software, including the N-Gage client and games, aren't binary-compatible with older S60 devices and vice versa.
The N-Gage application[edit]
The application home screen on a Nokia N78 in Russian language
With a user interface that resembles Microsoft’s Xbox Live service, at the top of the N-Gage launcher there are five icons that can be navigated through by pressing left and right on the phone’s thumb pad. These represent the user's games library, profile, friends list, and the showroom.
Home[edit]
The launcher welcomes the user with a Home screen where the last game played is shown along with some quick links to your friends, progress (score table), the Featured Game that Nokia wants to 'highlight' for this week, and your Inbox for messaging within the launcher.
My Games[edit]
This screen shows all the games that are currently installed on the phone—be it a Trial version or the full game (purchased or rented). The ones that are trial versions have a pink stripe that says 'TRIAL' to the far right of the game icon, overlapping what looks somewhat like a battery meter that, once you pay for the game, illustrates your progress with that game. At the bottom of the list of installed games is a quick link (Get More Games) that takes you to the showroom.
Games that are not paid for will show a pop-up every time you play it—asking whether you’d like to try the free trial or either purchase, enter an unlock code (purchased or given through promotions), or rent the game. More on this below.
From this screen, the user may also rate any of the games downloaded from 1 to 5 stars, as well as write a small verdict on it. Traduction jeu point com.
My Profile[edit]
The next tab is your profile which shows how many N-Gage points you’ve scored so far from playing, your reputation level (ranging between 1-5 stars), the number of friends you have enlisted, and your chosen avatar/picture to represent you (will display a white silhouette of a person with an orange background per default). Further down is your current status (offline, online or away—the last two can each be assigned with a personal message), N-Gage Point Level, and a list of what games you have played (Gaming History). Selecting one will not only display how many points you’ve gathered within the chosen game—but also show how well your friends are doing with the same game. From here, users are also able to look at what achievements have been unlocked—or Point Pickups as they’re called.
My Friends[edit]
This is where you go to add a friend to your friends list as well as check them all out. Once highlighted, you may choose to view recent conversations with the player, send them a message, view his or her profile, and rate the player. Messages can be sent regardless of whether the player is currently online or not and your friends list can be sorted by name, availability/status, or N-Gage points gathered.
Showroom[edit]
The Showroom displays all games that are available for download as well as Game Extras for expanding a game with extra content, such as downloading new episodes/adventures for the adventure game Dirk Dagger. Games may be browsed by genre, latest arrivals, or just in alphabetical order.
Payment can be made by either using a credit card or paying through the phone bill (network operator). Apart from actually purchasing a game, there’s also an option of renting.
Games can be downloaded directly to the phone over the air (by GPRS or WiFi), or the user may choose to download it to a computer and then install it on to the phone using a USB-cable and Nokia PC Suite.
Reception[edit]
There have been a lot of hands-on articles with the First Access client and they all generally reflect both the positive and negative feedback of the official First Access forum, where N81 users shared their thoughts on what was good and what could've been made better—regarding both the launcher itself and the games currently available. The biggest issues at that point was that of players not being able to 'activate' a purchased game but still having only the trial version to play. A lot of players have also been reporting connection issues.
Head of New Experience, Nokia Play, Jaakko Kaidesoja had this to say to Pocket Gamer in an interview on 21 February 2008 when asked about what early feedback they had received:[28]
'The feedback has been positive and well received within the company and some critical comments were well received as well. We know it's not perfect yet and there are some features people want more of. Those are the things we want to check and get on the roadmap.'
Awards[edit]
Several of the N-Gage 2.0 games were nominated for International Mobile Gaming Awards in 2007.Two out of three N-Gage 2.0 titles received an award:[29]
On 8 May 2008, Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep won a Games Award during the 2008 Meffy Awards in Cannes.[30]
Updates[edit]
Prior to the closure of N-Gage service,[31] Nokia released updates for the N-Gage application on a regular basis and the first update was made available on 2 October 2008. Dubbed v1.010_131, this update included the following major changes:
Version 1.20(1459) was released on 13 May 2009 but didn't do much more than eliminate a few bugs. On 18 August 2009, version 1.40(1557) introduced a new start-up icon, welcoming screen, and way of breaking down the installed games. The speed of the application itself was slightly improved as well.
Updating the application may be done through the app itself—by using the 'Check for Updates' function on the device, or it can be downloaded in the 'Get N-Gage' section on N-Gage.com.
Technical details[edit]
In order for the N-Gage platform and games to run smoothly, all N-Gage compatible mobile devices share a common set of specifications.
Screen: landscape or portrait 320 x 240 pixels (except N97, with a 640 x 360 pixels screen, graphics are stretched and displayed in a letterbox format to keep aspect ratio)
OS: Symbian S60 3rd edition (S60 5th edition on N97)
Interface: 5 way (up, down, left, right, center) directional pad, Dedicated action buttons Circle and Square (Mapped onto keypad '5' and '0' in portrait mode) and 2 contextual buttons. Touch screen interactions were not supported (N97 emulated the actions buttons into the on-screen buttons)
Connectivity: 3G or Wifi (Required for the connecting to the N-Gage platform for downloading games, online functions such as rankings and multiplayer)
CPU: ARM11 with speed ranges from 369 MHz (N81) to 600 MHz (E52)
GPU: 3D Graphics Hardware Accelerator supported (games running on devices such as the HW-Accelerated N95 have enhanced performance)
Audio: Stereo channel
N-Gage games are packaged differently than normal Symbian applications and have the extension '.n-gage' and can only run via the N-Gage application. The game resources are protected by DRM.They cannot use any native Symbian APIs, instead they use a proprietary API from the N-Gage SDK.
The N-Gage API is in fact an extension of the RGA API available in the Open C++ plug-in.[32]
Only select companies are allowed access to the N-Gage SDK. To gain access they first must be approved by Nokia and sign a NDA.
Games library[edit]
N-Gage game 'ONE' running on Nokia N81
As of 23 October 2009, there were 49 games released officially on N-Gage. Many other games were cancelled with the shutting down of the N-Gage service[31] (see below).
Some of these games are sequels or remakes or ports of the first generation N-Gage MMC games.
Other games that were reportedly in development but are cancelled include:
Closure of N-Gage[edit]
On 30 October 2009, Nokia announced that no new N-Gage games would be produced, effectively shutting down the N-Gage platform. All N-Gage services, which includes purchasing of games and various online features, had reportedly ceased operation by the end of 2010.[31]
On 31 March 2011 Nokia closed their DRM activation service, leaving customers unable to reactivate their purchases in the case of a device format or software update.[90] No transition of their purchases was made to the Ovi store, and no compensation was given because, according to support staff, software purchases are only supported for one year.
Some gaming websites e.g. Pocket Gamer[91] link N-Gage's failure to the overwhelming competition it faces from the AppleiPhone, while Ovi Gaming[92] cited poor implementation and support from their parent company, Nokia.
See also[edit]References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=N-Gage_(service)&oldid=893005041'
The N-Gage is a PDA combining features of a mobile phone and a handheld game system developed by Nokia, announced on 4 November 2002 and released on 7 October 2003.[2] It runs the original Series 60 platform on Symbian OS v6.1.
N-Gage attempted to lure gamers away from the Game Boy Advance by including telephone functionality. This was unsuccessful, partly because the buttons, designed for a telephone, were not well-suited for gaming. The original N-Gage was described as resembling a taco, which led to its mocking nickname 'Taco phone'.[4][7][8]
Nokia introduced the N-Gage QD in 2004 as a redesign of the original 'Classic' N-Gage, fixing widely criticized issues and design problems. However, the new model was unable to make an impact, and with only 2 million units sold in its two years, the N-Gage and its QD model were a commercial failure, unable to challenge their Nintendo rival.[9]
The N-Gage was discontinued in November 2005, with Nokia moving its gaming capabilities onto selected Series 60 smartphones. This was announced as the N-Gage platform or 'N-Gage 2.0' in 2007, carrying on the N-Gage name.[10][11]
Design[edit]
A disassembled N-Gage, showing each layer of hardware
The N-Gage is used in a wide physical form with a 2.1 inch TFT display in the centre with a D-pad to the left and numerical keys to the right, among other buttons. This kind of design was roughly used before by the Nokia 5510 mobile phone.
Instead of using cables, multiplayer gaming was accomplished with Bluetooth or the Internet (via the N-Gage Arena service). The N-Gage also included MP3 and Real Audio/Video playback and PDA-like features into the system.
Besides its gaming capabilities, the N-Gage was a Series 60 smartphone, running Symbian OS 6.1, with features similar to those of the Nokia 3650 (it does not have an integrated camera, however). It was able to run all Series 60 software (other than those that require a camera), and JavaMIDP applications as well. Its main CPU was an ARM Integrated (ARMI) compatible chip (ARM4T architecture) running at 104 MHz, the same as the Nokia 7650 and 3650 phones.
Development[edit]
Around 2000, gamers increasingly carried both mobile phones and handheld game consoles. Nokia spotted an opportunity to combine these devices into one unit. Nokia announced in November 2002 that they would develop the N-Gage, a device that integrated these two devices. Its original development codename was Starship.[12]
Release[edit]
With a launch price of US $299[4] (equivalent to $407 in 2018), the N-Gage was not commercially popular.[13] In its first weeks of availability in the United States, it was outsold by the Game Boy Advance 100 to 1.[14][15] Within 17 days of the deck's release, popular retailers GameStop and Electronics Boutique began offering $100 rebates on the deck's price.[16]
N Gage Installer Official Site
In February 2004, with the N-Gage failing to make a major impact four months on, CEO Jorma Ollila claimed that the device would be given until 2005 to be judged whether it was a success or failure.[17]
In January 2005, UK sales-tracking firm ChartTrack dropped the N-Gage from its regular ELSPA chart, commenting that 'The N-Gage chart, though still produced, is of little interest to anyone. Sales of the machine and its software have failed to make any impact on the market at all.'[18] Although only directly reflective of the UK market, this was interpreted by some as a serious blow to the N-Gage as a viable gaming platform. Despite this, Nokia reaffirmed their commitment to the N-Gage as a platform, to the point where a new version of the hardware was rumored after GDC 2005.[19]
N-Gage promotion at E3 2006
In November 2005, Nokia admitted that the N-Gage failed, selling only one-third of the company's expectations. The product was discontinued from Western markets, but would continue to be marketed in India and parts of Asia.[20]Nokia did continue N-Gage promotions at E3 2006.[21] The last game to be released in the U.S. for the system was Civilization in March 2006 according to Metacritic.[22] In November 2006, Nokia released its last game for the N-Gage QD, combat racer Payload.[citation needed]
As of August 2007, it was estimated that Nokia had shipped more than two million N-Gage game decks.[23] The 'N-Gage' brand name still had a poor reputation within the gaming media and among the few consumers who recognized the N-Gage brand, due to the weakness of the system's first games and the original model's limitations.[24] Nokia had more than 50 games available for the system.[25]
Sales[edit]
There is some disagreement in sources about the actual number of N-Gage decks sold. Nokia initially claimed 400,000 sales in the first two weeks the deck was available. However, independent market research firms Chart-Track and Arcadia Research claimed that the N-Gage had sold only 5,000 decks in the United States in that time, and 800 decks in the UK. Critics suggested Nokia was counting the number of decks shipped to retailers, not the number actually purchased by consumers.[26] Nokia later admitted this was the truth.[14]
In 2004, Nokia claimed in a press release that it had shipped its millionth deck, represented as a company milestone despite falling short of the company's initial projection of six million decks by the end of 2004.[27] However, this number shipped does not give a reliable picture of the actual sales of the deck.[16] Nokia ultimately shipped 3 million N-Gage decks by 2007.[23]
Reception[edit]
Pocket Kingdom: Own the World received a handful of glowing reviews when it was released, and Pathway to Glory was Nokia's first self-published success. These games came perhaps too late to have much effect in improving the perception of the N-Gage hardware itself in the eyes of consumers or press.[28] Nokia had projections of at least 6 million sold decks in three years instead of only 3 million.[29]
Devices[edit]N-Gage Classic[edit]
The original phone's taco-shaped design was considered awkward: to insert a game, users had to remove the phone's plastic cover and remove the battery compartment as the game slot was next to it. Another clumsy feature was the speaker and microphone being located on the side edge of the phone. This often resulted in many describing it as talking into a 'taco phone'[30] or 'Sidetalking', or simply that they had one very large ear, because the user held the edge of the phone against the cheek in order to talk into it. Usual for a phone, but unusually for a game system, it had a screen taller than it was wide, with a size of 2.1' and resolution of 176 X 208, giving an aspect ratio of 11:13; most televisions and portable game screens were 4:3.
N-Gage QD[edit]N-Gage service[edit]
The new N-Gage, also referred to as N-Gage Next Gen or N-Gage 2.0, saw a change in concept as Nokia explained to the world during E3 2005 that they were planning on putting N-Gage inside several of their smartphone devices, rather than releasing a specific device. In August 2007, the new N-Gage platform was finally finalised and was released in April 2008. It was compatible on many SymbianS60 smartphones. The service was discontinued in October 2009.
Software[edit]
Before the launch of Nokia's first in-house N-Gage title, Pathway to Glory, a one level demo of the game was released to journalists to allow them to sample the game, and understand the concepts behind the turn based wargame. This demo was subsequently placed on the N-Gage.com website as a free download. Undaunted by the 16 MB download size, fans jumped on the Pathway to Glory demo. The success of the download paved the route for future titles.
There are 58 full titles available for N-Gage, but only 56 of these saw North American releases. The titles that were not released in North America are: Flo-Boarding (Germany and UK only) and Sega Rally (Australia and Brazil only). All but three of these titles (Payload, Snakes, Virtua Cop) were available for retail purchase. These are:
Along with those listed above, one more game was bundled with the N-Gage (on the Support CD): an exclusive version of Space Impact Evolution X, that was later made available to Symbian S60v2 phones.
See also[edit]References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=N-Gage_(device)&oldid=900794630'
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N Gage Installer Official Site
Posted by3 months ago
Hi there,
I just bought a Nokia E75 today, and I'd like to play some N-Gage games on it.
I transferred my old installer V1.0 (1345) used by N95 to it, but it couldn't run: The phone says it succeeded in installation, but the icon was nowhere to be found. Seems like only the newer versions of it (supposedly 1459, or ideally, 1557) can be run on E75.
Then I checked everywhere on the Internet, to no avail, because my phone isn't hacked, which means I can only run the official installer. I guess this platform is just too old today: there is just no official one to download.
So I'm wondering if there is anyone to email one? I'd really appreciate that. :-)
-------------------------------------------update---------------------------------
Problem solved. I find some way to crack my phone and installed the platform. Now I'm enjoying it. If there is someone like to know how to do it, I'm willing to help. ;-)
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