The N-Gage Will Rise Again

The New York Times has an article up this week talking about Nokia's third attempt to get their N-Gage brand into the minds of gamers. This time it's a service, not a device, and the company is betting that branding mobile games will be a better tactic than their previous attempts. "The Ideo and Nokia executives concluded that users mainly want to play against their friends and, at the very least, they want to know the skill level of their opponents. As a result, the new N-Gage permits users to see what games their friends have on their phones and whether they are online. They can also see how many points a person has earned in the game, as well as how much time they devote to solitary play versus group play. The researchers also asked players what their greatest frustrations were. High on the list was buying a game that turned out to be disappointing. In the new N-Gage service, customers will be able to sample games free before buying them. The selection will lean toward the casual side of gaming, with soccer and fishing titles and the popular puzzle game Bejeweled, among others. Nokia has not yet discussed prices."

Comments

Dis-N-Gage

[Bloodmoon1]

I think that the N-Gage brand is already firmly entrenched in the minds of gamers, but for all of the wrong reasons. I know that as soon as I read the title, the first thing that came into my mind was "not again". Anyone who bought an N-Gage when they first came out is probably still very bitter about how that all went down, and most people, I'd venture, will at least remember what a mess the whole thing was.

I don't know why Nokia is so dedicated to the brand, but they seem determined to get every cent possible out of it. Though at this point, I think they might as well just start trying to sell rebranded industrial waste as a child's toy. It seems to work pretty well for most places...

Re:Dis-N-Gage

[Bloodmoon1]

While I think you have the best angle possible for the N-Gage pinned down, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's a good angle and it really doesn't mean that it will work.

The whole "teen branding" thing has been proven to more or less not work when it comes to technology. Teens often do not have the technological savvy (knowing how to use MySpace and an IM program to propagate the decay of the English language is not the same as possessing sound technological abilities and understanding, a point that is lost on most people when they discuss how knowledgeable today's 20 and Under group is on technological issues) to have new technology effectively marketed to them, and they almost never have the financial resources to actually purchase anything without begging their parents or working a shitty job that makes them appreciate money and realize what is and isn't worth their cash. (See: The Hip-e computer, if you can find it anywhere)

On the sound of the name N-Gage, I was never sold on that one, especially if you're trying to market it to the teen crowd. Basically, you need a target to not only know that there is a word "Engage", but that is savvy enough to understand the play on words associated with it here, and to think that reworked English is cool. These are not typically things you will find in one package.

On the youth not knowing the name "N-Gage", you have a valid point, most of today's teens probably won't remember the name. However, they will probably have some friends who do remember and who will brief them. Additionally, and this goes back to the undesirably of a demographic that usually has to beg its way to purchases, their parents will stand some kind of chance of remembering the N-Gage as that shitty Game Boy knock off that cost to much and seems to have died out quickly. This will only be helped by the aggressive advertising campaign that Nokia ran for the N-Gage the first time around. All told, friends and parents of teens will likely veto either the purchase or financing of N-Gage branded products. Like another poster replied, it's the same thing that would happen if you called a HD-DVD format BetaMax II. It would be dead in the water from the foul taste it left in everyone's mouth that was around for it the first time.

There is nothing good, or even old really, about the N-Gage brand. While 4 years may have been a while ago, Nokia has actually done a very good job of keeping news about shitty N-Gage products in the main stream over the years, so really, N-Gage has been a more or less common concept for the last 4 years. They should just call future versions the Death Stick or something. They can't do any worse than N-Gage.

Rise again?

[Anonymous Coward]

To rise again, wouldn't it had to have risen once before?

NGage indeed.

[MrCopilot]

I've got a NGage QD sitting right here.The games I've tried tend to suck. Using it as a phone is uncomfortable to say the least.

I'd prefer Nokia continue to work on their Tablet products. If the NGage is destined to becomes a gaming service, my only hope is it will be available for 770 and 800.http://europe.nokia.com/770

All in all a great idea, horribly executed. If the cost hadn't been next to nothing I would feel I wasted my money.

HA, Article tagged Patrick Stewart..........Classic