Who is steering the SS N-Gage towards the iceberg?
Published by Ewan Spence at 8:51 UTC, September 9th 2009
You are only as good as your last performance. It's an adage that performers live by, and one that content producers are all too familiar with. It's also the case with online services and content offerings. Irrespective of their future plans for the N-Gage (see here), the next-gen N-Gage platform is still with us. And how good is the platform? Here's why it matters.
Can the N-Gage coast along on the glory of titles like Reset Generation, Dance Fabulous or One? Short answer to this one.
No.
Because of the nature of the N-Gage platform, and the steady stream of games (stop laughing over there in the corner), their target is constantly moving. The games that get the most attention will be the most recent ones. Because of the casual and shorter term nature of the games (with some notable exceptions), the last few games released will be the ones that the system is judged on.
And the last few games from the N-Gage team have not placed the platform in the best of lights. This all came to a head in my head (as it were) with the last release – Guitar Hero World Tour. Now I've already reviewed this title as an Ovi store release. Let me save you reading the full review... It's bad. Really bad. Poor sound, bad controls, and it gives off all the appearance of a cheap cash in on a name (and that name probably lets it sell buckets).
And this was given pride of place for a fortnight as the latest N-Gage game. That's going to help the platform no end. Not.
You are only as good as your last release.
Yes, N-Gage has lost its way a little bit lately. There have been some staff departures that have impacted on the development side, and their departed community manager has not yet been replaced... but there must be someone inside Nokia pulling the levers. Someone had to press the web button marked 'publish' for Guitar Hero World Tour (and all the others). That person must have a superior, and somewhere in that chain is the person who is, right now, Mr N-Gage.
And that person is the one ultimately responsible for the current slide in N-Gage quality. I wonder if they've actually sat down and played these games as they go out the door? Let's assume that they are – that means they're played the game, they're aware of the goals of N-Gage (“N-Gage is mobile gaming at its best!”) and decided that yes, this 'cheap cash-in of a java title ported from a basic handset to the top of the line smartphones' is “gaming at its best” and “exceptional games”.
Really.
Because the alternative is that Nokia don't care any more about N-Gage, nobody has any professional pride in making sure that what is going out is more than just filler, and that a brand that has been placed on millions of phones and is still actively advertised is being destroyed through negligence.
To be honest I'm not sure which option I want to be true. What I know is that I look at the current state of the N-Gage and I see a poor platfrom, struggling to breathe or find an identity.
-- Ewan Spence, Sept 2009.
Categories: Industry, Editorial Thoughts, Games
Platforms: N-Gage, S60 5th Edition
News Discussion
games that make n-gage account for about 25% of the total titles... the likes of hooked on creatures of the deep, dirk dagger, reset generations, space impact, one to name a few..
while others are ruining the image, when n-gage was 1st launch it was a high grade premium gaming platform, now a bunch of crap games got in the line-up and it's no longer cool...
Sadly, I think it will soon go from "Iceberg dead ahead!" to "Is there anyone alive out there?". And all this without even a hint of "Paint me like one of your French girls". Sad.
I have several games/utilities from small publishers and each of them had no trouble upgrading my license when presented with proof of purchase, my old IMEI and registration code and my new IMEI. The only company that couldn't and still can't manage that process is Nokia with N-Gage games.
As a result, I've abandoned N-Gage. I never got my licenses transferred to my new phone. I don't play those games any more. I don't buy N-Gage games any more either. N-Gage is done.
I really wouldn't like them to filter the content that much. Someone's crappy title could still be a small group's cult hit, and if the developer and publisher want to put in the time and resource to bring it out, great!
The real issues with N-Gage, to me, are the customer support issues mentioned here and perhaps the lack of clout in making sure there are good games on the platform in addition to anything else. I mean a steady stream of good games, keeping with the as-good-as-your-last-performance thing. ;)
It's a shame but they didn't let people know how easy it is to transfer games.. just like the way they do silent advertisement in US.
lol
the N-Gage edition had 2 minute "MP3-Styled" songs and (on most phones) had 15 songs to play, which is only 15 less than the DS Counter-part (which kills your hand after 2 songs). Not to mention online score boards etc - as you can probably tell im a GH Fan, but i did not like DS or the Symbian version - but i really enjoyed the N-Gage version, nice quick dose of fun at work (espically on Expert) :D
regarding the "N-Gage" concept in general over the past few months it has seemed to go down hill a little, nothing "exciting" at nokia world, no N-Gage blog poster posting rumours, nice and other interesting stuff.....atm its just a platform "left in the dark" and tbh its getting treated worse than the original platform ever was!
Thanks.