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Strong N-Gage Launch Claimed, Figures Disagree
Khyl'Dran writes "According to Gamesindustry.biz, "The first official statement from Finnish mobile phone giant Nokia on the launch of its N-Gage game deck has claimed that the device is sold out at many retailers following a 'very positive' consumer response." However, 1UP have posted US sales figures which reveal "...less than 5,000 units of Nokia N-Gage hardware were sold in the United States in the system's first week of release", after reported sales of 500 units in the UK following launch, and 1UP argue a "...rough comparison [point] would be to the Game Boy Advance, which sold 540,000 units in its first week of availability in the United States."
Problems I have seen with the units, general design flaws:
1. Having to hold the device on the edge to talk on it. Why? Even holding the backside to your head would have been better. Photos of this can be seen in a review at CNN.
2. Having to remove the battery to change games? Again, why? They are just little SD like memory cards, put a standard SD slot with the push to sprint our release on an edge of the phone.
3. The buttons. They feel too much like phone buttons, and not enough like a game console controller button set.
4. The aspect ratio on the screen goes against any other console launched. Thus, poor ports, like Sonic. This game looks and plays better on the supposidly inferrior Game Boy Advance.
5. Nokias marketing. Ok, not a problem with the device, but I don't take well to insult marketing. Insulting the main competition like they did will get them nowhere. Just as Romero calling everyone his bitch didn't exactly sell Daikatana.