Nokia Admits N-Gage Sales Below Expectations

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Nokia Admits N-Gage Sales Below Expectations

Posted by simoniker on Sunday February 22, 2004 @07:01PM from the just-you-wait dept.

Thanks to the UK Financial Times for its article discussing Nokia's first public acknowledgment that the Nokia N-Gage 'mobile game deck' has not performed to expectations. According to the article: "'The sales are in the lower quartile of the bracket we had as our goal,' Jorma Ollila, the Finnish group's chairman and chief executive told the FT.", and it was further noted that "Nokia has set a target of selling 9m of the devices in the first two years, but the company has now corroborated early evidence from game stores that sales have been sluggish." Nokia had previously reported positive results in the short post-launch period, despite apparent evidence to the contrary, but the FT article ends with the Nokia chairman's comments that "the N-Gage had to be given until November 2005 before it could be judged a success or failure."

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Give it by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-22 19:15 · Score: 4, Interesting

Give it a total redesign. Get rid of the taco shape, make the cartridges easier to swap in and out, drop the price to near free once you sign the phone contract and then maybe it might sell.
1. Re:Give it by gl4ss · 2004-02-22 21:52 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  if they 'fix' it(the non 'standard' screen), then it will become less desirable for people who do their homework(what is standard anyways? 320*240?)..
  
  as now(the current n-gage) it's a pretty damn cheap series60 phone(with more ram than 3650/60 too).
  
  why is it important? because of all the 3rd party software available for series60(irc, opera & etc) that seperates it from a plain gaming device.
  
  they will redesign it of course(who thought they would sell the same design for 2 years??), maybe drop the mp3 chip too(though the mp3 chip is quite handy when you have 128mb+ free for mp3's when you have a 256mb mmc).
  
  sonics 'problem' is that it was not designed for the screen in the first place(screen that's pretty good for shooters actually). the screen with the 'borders' is a screen that's scaled from the 'big' view(you can get unscaled screen on too, by press of a button). in fact most of the games so far have been just cheap ports, and I mean really cheap(the dev costs can't have been that high).
  
  as to providing it for nearly no cost with plans, that's up to the telecoms(besides, such tying is illeagal here as it becomes impossible for the consumer to consider how much is he paying for the phone and how much for the connection, this law didn't hurt adaptation at all btw, if anything it helped it).
  
  anyways.. some sort of gaming is going to be continued to be published for their more powerful phones so they might just as well try to get a bite of that. coding for them is relatively simple anyways.
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
2. Re:Give it by PainKilleR-CE · 2004-02-23 02:43 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  if they 'fix' it(the non 'standard' screen), then it will become less desirable for people who do their homework(what is standard anyways? 320*240?).
  
  320*240 is more or less standard, but then cell phones follow different rules, and have different standard dimensions from gaming systems or PDAs. Still, to solve problems like homework you would use the same solution most PDAs use: allow display rotation, or set it up so that most applications run with more vertical space, while most games can run either way, according to the developer's needs. As long as it's comfortable to use as a gaming device in widescreen mode, it'll be fine for most ports. If it can be somehow comfortable to use for gaming in either direction, then it'll just be an added bonus for shooters and such (I find that an interesting note, too, since SquareEnix announced some time ago that they were going to start developing cell phone games, and the first game they announced was a shooter).
  
  --
  -PainKilleR-[CE]
Well.... by Grahhh · 2004-02-22 19:18 · Score: 5, Funny

If it makes them feel any better, it sold considerably better than my expected 0 units.
November 2005, eh? by thelenm · 2004-02-22 19:23 · Score: 5, Funny

"Well, we sorta kinda sold less than 25% of what we thought we would, but as far as it being a success or failure... just give us another um, 21 months. Then we'll be able to judge."

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Is this correct? by woohoodonuts · 2004-02-22 19:24 · Score: 5, Interesting

How can they expect mass appeal whenever they're offering these things for $380? I can go buy a freakin gamecube and a PS2 for less than that, then go sign up for a phone plan and get a phone for free.

The pricing point in this article can't be correct. I just can't possibly fathom how they would expect people to run screaming into the stores for these things when they're charging this much.
Nokia hire me by heldlikesound · 2004-02-22 19:24 · Score: 4, Funny

"the N-Gage had to be given until November 2005 before it could be judged a success or failure."

for $100k , I'd tell them a year and nine months in advance that it was a complete failure.

--

Cloud City Digital: DVD Production at its cheapest/finest
Specs... by woohoodonuts · 2004-02-22 19:38 · Score: 5, Informative

For those unknowing (the websites don't really cover this.)
There is a nice FAQ about the NGage here

N-Gage Specifications

CPU: 104Mhz ARM processor 12-bit CPU
Maximum Simultaneous Colors: 4096
Resolution: 176 x 208 pixels
Size: 133.7 x 69.7 x 20.2 mm
Weight: 137 g
Operating System: Symbian OS with Java 2 Micro Edition support
Memory: 4MB internal

N-Gage Features

High performance mobile 3D gaming
Gaming-optimized design and functionality
Bluetooth
Digital music player and recorder
Stereo FM radio
Nokia Audio Manager PC software
New design concept, new UI experience
Multimedia messaging
Full email support (IMAP4, POP3, SMTP, MIME2)
Content with XHTML browser
Tri-band EGSM 900/GSM1800/GSM 1900
Series 60 UI enabling application multitasking
Slave USB 1.1. for digital music download from PC
MP3, AAC, Midi, WAV ringing tones
WAP over GPRS

The author of this was: Scott Tsukamoto
1. Re:Specs... by polyp2000 · 2004-02-23 00:28 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  A few days ago I dropped my old 7650 which consequently bust it. I upgraded to a 6600. From what I can see the internal architecture and memory capacity is pretty much the same. Hence my joy of joys when I swapped memory cards with an N-Gage owner down the pub last night. Using the Blizzard Install application was able to play Tony Hawks and Sonic on my phone that doesnt look like a taco! I havent tried any of the others yet but suspect favorable results.
  
  nick ...
  
  --
  Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
What went wrong by Kris_J · 2004-02-22 19:49 · Score: 3, Insightful
I'm sure that most people's lists of what Nokia did wrong with the N-Gage is as long as my arm, but there were only two basic mistakes.
- Focussing on gamers while producing patronising advertising for that very group.
- DRM -- specifically, rigging games to only play on the N-Gage, from an MMC card with no way to install them on a bug MMC flash card or play them on other perfectly capable phones in the same family
The N-Gage's layout is perfect for games, while its Symbian Series 60 OS is a really nice smartphone OS. For some, it's the best S60 option because you can buy it off-plan and unlocked. For others it's the best S60 because it's the cheapest.
If Nokia had just released it quietly as a gaming-oriented S60 phone and the games had been available on CD and MMC, then it would probably have exceeded all expectations and been the homebrew (game) programmer's phone of choice.
1. Re:What went wrong by Frac · 2004-02-22 21:28 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  No, the two basic mistakes were:
  
  1) You have to turn off the N-Gage, and take out the cover and battery in order to CHANGE GAMES. Not to mention the fragile games were the size of a triscuit.
  
  2) Anyone using an N-Gage as a phone will look like an idiot holding a taco sideways.
N-Gage a failure? Nooooo... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-02-22 20:01 · Score: 5, Funny

N-Gage couldn't possibly be a failure, it's the biggest thing since the virtual boy.

I was so shocked to read this.
Taco Phones by BrookHarty · 2004-02-22 20:03 · Score: 4, Insightful

I really thought the phone was cool, untill you I saw someone use one, they hold it like a taco. WTF was Nokia thinking!? Same with the Nokia 3300, nice display and full keypad, but its a Taco phone.

Really, great features, but you fell like a dork using one. I think the best phone from Nokia right now is the 3620, normal dialpad, cameraphone, and tons of features.

Myself, I want a sony P900, no thumb board (for ssh). :(
1. Re:Taco Phones by smcn · 2004-02-22 21:01 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  What are you talking about? These people don't look like dorks at all!
Re:November 2004? by secolactico · 2004-02-22 20:18 · Score: 3, Interesting

And even then they'll only buy it for the phone, not the gaming.

Only if they are giving them away with cell phone plans. That thing is too bulky and cumbersome compared with phones of similar (minus gaming) features.

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No sig
Re:November 2004? by Irish-DnB · 2004-02-22 22:24 · Score: 5, Insightful

I actually think it'll be the other way around. A friend of mine owns one and it is so awkward to use as a phone that it's only real use is as a console.

--
If it's too difficult, I can't understand it !
It deserved to sell badly. by pommaq · 2004-02-22 23:01 · Score: 3, Interesting

But I'm not going to declare it DOA just yet. Yeah, the N-Gage had so many design flaws and stupid decisions I can't even begin to count them (and I gotta wonder what those finnish engineers were smoking), but the idea is still sound. I played Pandemonium on one of these monsters a few days ago, and... it's not too shabby. The N-Gage sucks - I agree - but you have to keep in mind that phone companies roll out new models OFTEN. I think the people at Nokia have learned a few lessons and unless they get cold feet from this debacle and terminate the N-Gage, version 2.0 will probably be quite nice. As long as they stick to their standards (as in 100% backwards compatibility) and keep improving the model, it could really turn into something nice. Integrating phone/pda/handheld gaming isn't such a bad idea, really, but the devil is in the details and Nokia screwed up. If they can listen to consumer feedback and improve the phone, they might end up with a winner.
1. Re:It deserved to sell badly. by fwitness · 2004-02-23 00:15 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  "...the N-Gage had so many design flaws and stupid decisions I can't even begin to count them..."
  
  My problem is with the poor design decisions, not with the design flaws. The N-Gage doesn't seem to have any real flaws, just conscious improper choices. The original PS2 had design flaws, i.e. with not playing DVDs, lasers going bad etc. However, having to disassemble the phone to change games is something they actually discussed and felt comfortable with.
  
  That's what I can't stand. It's one thing to hear someone say something stupid. They may not know better, but when a group of people choose to be ridiculous, well, my sympathy goes way down.
  
  --
  -- I have fans? Wow.
2. Re:It deserved to sell badly. by acxr+is+wasted · 2004-02-23 00:53 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  That's what I can't stand. It's one thing to hear someone say something stupid. They may not know better, but when a group of people choose to be ridiculous, well, my sympathy goes way down.
  
  Reminds me a lot of these guys.
  
  --
  "Come on, let's go drink till we can't feel feelings anymore."
Re:Final Comment by Mr_Silver · 2004-02-23 01:01 · Score: 3, Interesting

As in, yes we promise that we won't screw Symbian up as badly as we screwed up this whole N-Gage thing...
They won't. Mainly because they can't afford to.
Nokia are shit scared (like every other manufacturer - bar Motorola) that Microsoft are going to muscle into the mobile phone industry and take it over. If that happened, all mobile phone manufacturers would be relegated to producing hardware on flimsy margins and licencing the OS from Microsoft (a la the current PC situation).
The biggest thing that Symbian has in its favour is that the Microsoft Phone OS is truely truely aweful. However it won't be like that forever.

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