Ewan Spence has written an editorial for AAN arguing that the N-Gage app ought to be beefed up with the very best S60 and Java releases to supplement the N-Gage releases:
http://www.allaboutngage.com/features/item/Lets_See_More_Games_in_the_N-Gage_Client.php
What do you think?
Personally I'd love to see the best S60 and Java stuff on N-Gage, I can't see any downsides to it.
Like Ewan says, most Java and S60 games are rubbish, but Nokia wouldn't sell most games, they'd just sell the very best of the best titles.
There is so much good stuff out there if you know where to look, and the N-Gage app would be the perfect way to cut out all the hassle of trying to find decent phone games. Seeing things like Sola Rola and Lament Island on N-Gage would be absolutely brilliant, these games are excellent and they deserve a place on anyone's phone.
What's more, if N-Gage provides an effective way for phone developers to reach a mass market, it would spur these developers into doing full N-Gage games too, so everyone would benefit.
Are series60 games still being developed? New releases seem to have pretty much stopped since NGage became live, with exception perhaps a couple of titles.
I would hope they are still being developed(being an N93 owner) and have been curious about this for some time. Like you've mentioned previously, the quality looks basically even, only difference is they lack teh specific NGage features such as points, NGage arena etc.
Would love to see a K-Rally sequel, with proper competative online play, but guessing if that was to happen it would likely be an NGage title as opposed to S60. I guess S60 has that one big advantage of being available to far more handsets though.
Tetlee wrote:Are series60 games still being developed? New releases seem to have pretty much stopped since NGage became live, with exception perhaps a couple of titles.
Yeah, for example Westward and Platypus are rather good and released on S60 this year. But you're right that there isn't a huge number of new releases.
But... if N-Gage DID include the best S60 releases it would give developers a bigger incentive to develop for S60, because they'd know there was an easy way for people to find and buy their games. At the moment there's no obvious way to buy S60 games, N-Gage could solve that problem (in fact that's what it was supposed to do in the first place, I have no idea why Nokia refuses to publish stuff like K-Rally for example).
Tzer2 wrote:Yeah, for example Westward and Platypus are rather good and released on S60 this year. But you're right that there isn't a huge number of new releases.
Ah, must have missed those, will check out the reviews and download the demos now, thanks:icon14:
the biggest problem i see with allowing java is the network's sell java games via their wap site's and it would make them very reluctant in allowing nokia to put n-gage on their branded firmware .
i heard most was already unhappy with n-gage as it is, but they probably realised it'll be a good marketing tool to sell phones
but i feel such a plan like this would tip them over the edge
The networks are (unfortunately) a factor, but why would they be okay with N-Gage/S60 games and object to Java games?
(BTW, from what I understand, some networks are actually using N-Gage as their games portal in exchange for a share of the revenues, so they shouldn't have a problem with it at least.)
No i dont think the N-Gage app should sell the best of Symbian games - mainly because it would then become a "gaming distrubition service" rather than a platform.
To me N-Gage is a "virtual market platform" just like Xbox Live Arcade, its same games that are distributed on PSN, but come with achievements (and sometimes online play). If the N-Gage start selling multiple N-Gage games and s60 games (or so) it wouldnt be as much fun and enjoyable. Keep it dedicated to N-GAGE Games!
Emo185 wrote:No i dont think the N-Gage app should sell the best of Symbian games - mainly because it would then become a "gaming distrubition service" rather than a platform.
Sola-Rola, Gothic 3, Puzzle Quest, Elven Chronicles, Cyberpunk: The Arasaka's Plot, Blades & Magic and Rally Master Pro are all very good java games, and I wouldn't mind seeing those on N-Gage at all.
Puzzle Quest is probably the best handheld game I can think of, so a N-Gage version would be very welcome. Preferably the "real" version released for 360/DS/PSP and so on, and not the mobile phone version, even thought it's good too.
This gets to the heart of the problem really:
Do N-Gage users want a wide selection of games of varying quality and length, as there is on the PC, or do they want a very limited range of high quality titles?
Some want one thing, some want another.
Maybe the best option is to see what people actually buy on the platform, then tailor releases to suit what's popular.