> > Give it some time! It's only been a week, which is much too short a time
> > for anyone to draw conclusions on N-Gage sales.
The N-Gage is fundamentally flawed in a number of areas, and
Nokia's policy of trying to please everyone is pleasing no one.
I've played on the N-Gage, and FWIW here's what I see as the
shortcomings of the device.
1. Nokia's marketing insists this is a game machine. "We're
hardcore!" is the message, witness the freaky looking
TrendyDude getting his ngage on in a parking garage... Who is
this supposed to appeal to? My background is in gaming, and
all my peers are gamers, and this ad makes them laugh. As a
game machine the N-Gage is weak, and I don't think this is a
point anyone debates. Low resolution, high cost, ridiculous
media changing procedure, appalling controller. If you like I
can detail each point, but suffice it to say as a game machine
the GBA (and I imagine the PSP) will destroy the N-Gage.
There's simply no question that it's not up to snuff.
2. As a phone it's weak. My J-phone has a higher-resolution
screen, and most new models have hot-swappable SD media.
The very idea of holding the thing against your head edgewise
is absurd, never mind what it looks like, how comfortable can
that be? Nokia's set themselves up to be their own worst
enemy, with bizarre design and a business model that it seems
no one understands, and a niche no one wanted filled.
From all the negative comments and press Nokia received pre-
launch I can only surmise that Nokia's either got an ace in the
hole (And it ain't software or hardware) or they've got an
alarmingly misplaced faith in the device. I think it's a rule that
if the press and your customers mock your device you should
re-think it.
The only chance the N-Gage has, IMHO, is as a platform that
will see less ludicrous successors. In the current form it's just
silly, and is more an expensive gimmick than any kind of
serious attempt at market penetration, let alone domination.
Another random thought:
> 1 - Nokia realizes that Americans don't txt
I thought Americans don't txt because they fear the raping
their providers will hit them with for any new service. When I
talk to any Americans about my cool J-Phone they mock it,
claiming they'd never, ever get one no matter the features.
"Just a phone kthx!". And when I ask if they'd get one for the
patheticly small price I'm paying, they all say yes (after they
recover from the shock). Give them a good product at a good
price and they'll buy it, but hose them at every turn and they'll
shun everything you do.
Lawrence.
Received on Sat Oct 25 14:40:26 2003