N-Gage QD (Every Day) Announced by Nokia

NOKIA PRESS RELEASE April 14, 2004

Nokia Welcomes The N-Gage QD Game Deck To The Mobile Gaming Family!

Great mobile gaming in a compact package with new design and enhanced gaming features

Helsinki, Finland - Nokia today announced the N-Gage QD mobile game deck, the latest addition to the N-Gage platform. The N-Gage QD is a compact device with a hot-swappable multimedia (MMC) slot for instant gaming, longer battery life, improved gaming controls, brighter screen, powerful smartphone features and the new N-Gage Arena launcher application. Gamers will be able to play all of their favorite N-Gage titles, connect to the worldwide mobile gaming community over mobile networks via the N-Gage Arena as well as take part in close-range mobile multiplayer gaming via Bluetooth wireless technology.

The planned range of prices is expected to be from 99 Euros/$99 with a contract to 199 Euros/$199 as an unsubsidized, untaxed retail price. The N-Gage QD game deck is expected to be available in May 2004 for Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific and in June 2004 for the Americas. The N-Gage QD will be available in two versions: a GSM 900/1800 variant (Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific) and a GSM 850/1900 variant (Americas).

"After six months on the market with the N-Gage platform, we wanted to expand our device portfolio based on the feedback we've received," said Nokia's Senior Vice President of Games, Ilkka Raiskinen. "With improved gaming ergonomics, gamers can now start to play games at the push of a button and enjoy the increased responsiveness of the game keys. We also added support for hot-swap MMC and extended the battery life. For phone calls, we reoriented the speaker and microphone to support 'classic talking'."

The N-Gage QD game deck supports existing N-Gage game titles as well forthcoming N-Gage exclusive titles like Ashen, Pathway to Glory and Pocket Kingdom: Own The World, and blockbuster hits like The Sims: Bustin' Out, Crash Nitro Kart and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 2004.

The new N-Gage Arena launcher makes accessing the N-Gage Arena even easier than before. The launcher is a software application preinstalled on the N-Gage QD device that allows gamers full access to the N-Gage Arena community directly from their game deck.

Once installed, the launcher is accessed from an icon in the game deck's main applications menu, similar to other N-Gage software.
Using the launcher via a GPRS connection, N-Gage Arena members can communicate with one another, download exclusive content, access rankings statistics, participate in events and activities, and more. Existing N-Gage users will be able download the N-Gage Arena launcher from www.n-gage.com in May 2004.

The N-Gage QD game deck also supports advanced smartphone features such as personal information management, XHTML browser, email and the possibility to download and install additional Series 60 applications.

The N-Gage QD game deck will be showcased at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, California from May 12 to 14, 2004. The N-Gage booth (South Hall, 1524) will also have the latest in high-profile exclusive N-Gage titles and blockbuster hits. For more information on the N-Gage QD game deck, log on to www.n-gage.com/qd.

About N-Gage
The N-Gage game deck is an innovative mobile device that is creating an entirely new market for the games industry. Built for active gamers, the N-Gage platform is the first mobile and connected game deck to feature online high-quality 3D multiplayer gameplay over Bluetooth wireless technology and GPRS. The N-Gage device also offers unique online games services as well as a comprehensive and growing games catalogue from the leading game publishers. Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Nokia and N-Gage are trademarks or registered trademarks of Nokia Corporation.

Ewan wrote:There's an increased focus on the gaming elements.

I think that's the key point I have an issue with in the new design here. If they're focusing in on gaming, then surely the thing should support stereo audio? OK, if they strip out the MP3 player & radio, I can see that that decision might follow Nintendo's philosophy of "It's all about the games", but the lack of stereo sound seems like a cost-cut too far to me. There's no sense in a modern games console not supporting stereo output, though. To me, that could be a deal-breaker for a lot of people...

i'm gonna buy an N-Gage this week. I think the N-Gage has much better features than the N-Gage QD. I think the QD is an downgrade from the N-Gage. Same screen, no MP3, no Radio, no Stereo, no USB and same OS version. Its only smaller and has hotswap MMC's, but i dont need hotswap MMC's cause i put the games on my own MMC.

Thats why i'll buy the 'normal' N-Gage. I'll take the sidetalking for granted.

Holy crap!!!
Nokia have really fucked up now, who's gonna buy this pile of shite?

No MP3 or Radio or AAC record function, is this a freakin joke?

This will be the biggest flop yet.

The games are crap anyway!!!!!!!!!!!

People would buy it cos of cool MP3 playabilty with a few half ass games to play when they were really bored.

I wouldn't have an N-Gage2 if you gave it to me.

also its only dual band, being a american thats living in england a tri-band phone comes very useful.

This is not N-Gage 2, it is N-Gage budget. They've fixed the side-talking and the MacGyver-style MMC swapping, hoping everyone sick of these probs will buy this unit, and then they took all the goodies away...

I think the executives at Nokia are lauging their asses off at anyone buying this as an upgrade to N-Gage...

I don't see it as an upgrade - new users can decide if they want features or price point. Existing users will continue to be supported and in fact shuoldn;t see any difference in support from Nookia on the device.

RoYaL21 wrote:i'm gonna buy an N-Gage this week. I think the N-Gage has much better features than the N-Gage QD. I think the QD is an downgrade from the N-Gage. Same screen, no MP3, no Radio, no Stereo, no USB and same OS version. Its only smaller and has hotswap MMC's, but i dont need hotswap MMC's cause i put the games on my own MMC.

Thats why i'll buy the 'normal' N-Gage. I'll take the sidetalking for granted.

as i can clearly on the picture...

theres a 2 socket on the top of n-gage QD, one for head phone... which to be for stereo headphone because of the icon embossed on the cover, and the other socket looks like a one point to another point with a rainbow looking line, maybe this is the USB connectivity???

if there's no mp3 player intergrated on the device, there's a lot of good mp3 software that you can install

mjsee wrote:theres a 2 socket on the top of n-gage QD, one for head phone... which to be for stereo headphone because of the icon embossed on the cover, and the other socket looks like a one point to another point with a rainbow looking line, maybe this is the USB connectivity???

mjsee wrote:if there's no mp3 player intergrated on the device, there's a lot of good mp3 software that you can install

But it will be MONO! So no use IMHO

mjsee wrote:theres a 2 socket on the top of n-gage QD, one for head phone... which to be for stereo headphone because of the icon embossed on the cover, and the other socket looks like a one point to another point with a rainbow looking line, maybe this is the USB connectivity???

Socket 1 is a 2.5mm mono headphone jack
Socket 2 is the A/C socket for the charger

N-Gage QD does not have USB connectivity.