Mobile Detective Adventure Begins On N-Gage

Meet the world's first mobile detective with Dirk Spanner and the Fallen Idol

Espoo, Finland - Hollywood's classic Film Noir world creates an atmospheric backdrop for this story-driven detective game. Dirk Spanner and the Fallen Idol by Nokia Games Publishing brings classic detective gaming onto mobile devices with unique twists and turns around every corner.

Set in the stylish, yet seedy fictional city of New Haven, Dirk Spanner and the Fallen Idol comes to life through its comic book ambiance. Gripping yet funny stories of conflicts, romance and deception with plenty of movie stars, rip-offs, double-crosses, wigs and moustaches make this an entertaining game that will engage novices through to the most experienced game players.

"Dirk Spanner and the Fallen Idol will re-introduce the long forgotten detective game genre for mobile devices," said Dr Mark Ollila, Director of Technology and Strategy and Head of Games Publishing, Nokia. "With the combination of stunning visuals and enthralling storylines, players cannot help but be spellbound by this game."

Featuring Dirk as the lead private eye, players are propelled into mysterious adventures, battling an array of femme fatales and gangsters. From solving the mystery of a stolen statue and a brutal murder, to uncovering the case of an accidental penguin-related death, Dirk will not rest until the case is solved.

Players guide Dirk through mysterious assignments using the unique one-button, camera-based controls, giving players an intuitive way of exploring the city of New Haven. A jazzy soundtrack helps set the mood for each stage of the game.

Dirk Spanner and the Fallen Idol is expected to be available in the first half of 2008.

About N-Gage

N-Gage is a made-for-mobile games service available in compatible Nokia Nseries and other S60 3rd Edition devices from Nokia. N-Gage makes it easy to find, try, buy, play and manage high-quality mobile games as well as connect to friends and other players in the N-Gage Arena, Nokia's mobile gaming community. Nokia is working with the world's leading publishers to deliver a broad portfolio of games. www.n-gage.com

via [Press release]

Creebies Your Virtual Pet Find Their Way Onto N-Gage

Espoo, Finland - Nokia now offers a world of virtual pet-care so your pet is never left alone again. Creebies, available through the N-Gage mobile games service, gives each player their own 3D Creebi to care for, entertain, feed and even breed!

Supplied with a trailer and some virtual cash, you can customize your new friend and home with various accessories. Soon, the 3D pet will take on its own personality and appearance based on the attention it receives. With care, the pet will grow and become more independent. However, make sure to keep an eye on its individual health meters, which will let you know when its hungry or feeling ill.

"Nokia Games Publishing has brought a quirky game to N-Gage that appeal to all ages," said Dr Mark Ollila, Director of Technology and Strategy and Head of Games Publishing, Nokia. "With Creebies anyone can have the pleasure of owning a pet without the trouble of cleaning up the mess."

Your Creebi can also interact with other Creebies via Bluetooth technology - for instance, they can play games together or even breed. Players can show off their newborns to others or send them to new homes through the Adoption Center in the N-Gage Arena.

Creebies is expected to be available in early 2008.

via: [Press release]

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Coming To N-Gage!

THQ Wireless, Lucasfilm Ltd., and LucasArts to bring Star Wars: The Force Unleashed(TM) to N-Gage

Espoo, Finland - Nokia, THQ Wireless, Lucasfilm, and LucasArts today revealed that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is coming to N-Gage, Nokia's next generation mobile gaming platform in 2008.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed casts players as Darth Vader's "Secret Apprentice" and promises to unveil new revelations about the Star Wars galaxy. The game's expansive story is set during the largely unexplored era between Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.

The mobile version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is in development by THQ's Finland-based studio, Universomo. Using Cell Weaver(TM) technology, the game lets the player harness the Force while assisting Darth Vader in his quest to rid the universe of Jedi - and face decisions that could change the course of their destiny.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Mobile game provides players with unique community features, including tournaments, score uploads and downloadable content, through N-Gage Arena services.

"We're proud to be able to deliver the next chapter in the Star Wars saga on the N-Gage platform," said Gregg Sauter, Director, Publishing, Nokia. "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Mobile game will take advantage of the N-Gage platform's robust native development environment to provide the ultimate mobile gaming experience, including powerful graphics, connectivity and community elements."

"THQ Wireless is dedicated to creating an awesome mobile Star Wars experience that delivers on the concept of unleashing the Force. The N-Gage platform makes it possible for us to release a rich mobile gaming experience to entertain as wide an audience as possible on N-Gage compatible devices," said Adam Comisky, vice president of THQ Wireless.

"The launch of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will be a major entertainment event in 2008, and bringing the game to the N-Gage mobile gaming platform is a big part of that because it means that millions of people around the world will be able to access the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed world right in the palm of their hand," said Howard Roffman, President of Lucas Licensing.

[via: Press release]

Nokia N82 - The Next Episode - Video!

Fed up of Nokia N82 photos? Here's a short clip from Symbian-Freak so you can take a break from still images for now.

Surprise, surprise the D-pad works just like the one from N81! I guess N82 really has it all, even more what N95 has.. Since I'm not a (so) fan of touchscreens, what else can I ask for such device! Oh, I almost forgot Nokia intentionally made its keypad tiny flat. Now I'll ask Nokia - Can you still remake the numeric keypads?! =)

Wow! More Nokia N82 Live Shots!

You two are lucky guys R.A.O. and Apoc. The fellas over at symbian-freak were fortunate enough to get their hands on the much anticipated camera centric Nseries N82 phone! Here are some of the juice gals and guys.





Want more? Head on at Apoc's cool site! If you haven't heard of N82, in short it's like Nokia N95 with smaller screen but better camera with xenon flash in a bar type form. Unofficial specs here.

[via: Symbian-Freak]

Nokia N81 8GB Support Pages Online-See You Soon!

As most of us know, when Nokia starts to publish online support pages for a device, it only means that the phone is just around the corner and more likely (as past experiences tell) be available within the next few weeks! Nokia has recently launched the support pages of next king of music phones - Nokia N81 8GB! So let the countdown begin!

Go to N81 8GB support page.

Nokia N81 vs. N80

Can't get enough of Nokia's latest music and gaming centric phone N81?! Here's a long video preview together with N80ie! They also showed a nice looking shooter game at the last part of their demo. I think that's the latest Space Impact version, if I'm not mistaking.

[via: Cellulare Magazine]

More Video Demo For The New N-Gage!

Games galore for Nokia's latest N-Gage! The graphics kinda look like between PSone's and PS2's level.. Not bad for a gaming music phone combined (N81)! In fact, brilliant! Do I sound like Ron Weasley from Harry Potter?! LOL

System Rush Evolution


Asphalt 3: Street Rules


Asphalt 3: Street Rules (Actual Hands-On)


One Who's Next?


Bounce Boing Voyage

Demo Of Snakes SubSonic For The New N-Gage

One of my favorite games since I got my first Nokia phone was Snakes. If you come to think of it, the idea is quite simple but the game has a very addictive gameplay even though graphics back then was just pure black and 'backlight'. With Nokia's refreshed N-Gage platform, look at how this game has evolved!

Video Previews of Nokia N81, N95 8GB, 5310 & 5610

Can't get enough of Nokia's amazing new phones?! Here are some actual hands-on previews of N81, N95 8GB, 5310 and 5610 XpressMusic!!! I wonder what happened to the 'all black' bad boy 5700?! Oh my, the latter may be just a photoshop makeover afterall! Anyway, check out how N81's navi-key works just like an iPod!

Nokia N81 Preview


Nokia N95 8GB Preview


Nokia 5610 XpressMusic Preview


Nokia 5310 XpressMusic Preview


Nokia N81 8GB


Nokia N81 8GB


5310 & 5610 XpressMusic + N95 8GB & N81


Nokia N81


Nokia N95 8GB


Nokia's New N-Gage Gaming Platform


Nokia N81's TV Ad


Nokia 5610 XpressMusic Multi-Tasking Demo


Nokia N81 Teaser

AWESOME!!!

N81, N95 8GB, 5310 & 5610 Official! Where's N82?!

Nokia unveils four devices optimized for entertainment, music and games

Nokia today unveiled four new mobile devices specifically optimized for entertainment, music and games. Each device offers dedicated music or gaming keys, expanded memory, large screens and extended battery performance to provide quick and easy access to entertainment content. The devices range in price from 225 to 560 EUR and are expected to begin shipping later this year.

"From the compact Nokia 5310 XpressMusic music phone to the fully-featured Nokia N81 multimedia computer, Nokia offers a range of entertainment-enabled devices for consumers who want their music, games and favourite media with them wherever they go," says Kai Oistamo, Executive Vice President, Nokia. "We believe these full-featured, well-designed devices will be very popular and will help bring Nokia's Internet and music services to life."

Nokia N81 and Nokia N81 8GB: Entertainment made simple

With dedicated music and gaming keys, 3.5 mm headphone connector and 3G and WLAN connectivity, the Nokia N81 multimedia computer is a true mobile entertainment powerhouse. With a sleek, polished surface and keys that light up when you activate them, accessing content on the 3D multimedia menu is fast and intuitive. Equally impressive, the Nokia N81 is configured to find, buy, manage and play music and games purchased from the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage games service. The estimated retail price of the Nokia N81 is 360 EUR before subsidies or taxes. The Nokia N81 8GB is expected to retail for 430 EUR before subsidies or taxes. Both versions are expected to begin shipping in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Nokia N95 8GB: Stunning screen, massive memory

The Nokia N95, the world's greatest multimedia computer, just got greater. With all the key features of its predecessor, including a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, built-in A-GPS, WLAN, HSDPA and an innovative 2-way slide, the Nokia N95 8GB now offers up to eight gigabytes of built-in memory. The N95 8GB also boasts a new luminous 2.8" QVGA display - one of the largest ever for a multimedia computer - so that watching videos, browsing the Internet or viewing maps is easy. With its expanded memory, the N95 8GB offers up to 20 hours of video* or up to 6000 songs**. The N95 8GB multimedia computer is expected to begin shipping in the fourth quarter of 2007 with an estimated retail price of EUR 560 before subsidies or taxes.

Nokia 5310 XpressMusic - Small in size, big on music

With a sleek aluminium finish, the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic phone blends an array of features with an iconic design. At only 9.9mm thick and weighing less than 71 grams, the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic fits comfortably in a pocket or purse. Equally important, the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic offers up to 18 hours of music playback, memory for up to 3,000 songs** on an optional 4GB microSD card and dedicated music keys. With a 2-megapixel camera and a bright 2-inch QVGA screen with up to 16 million colors, the Nokia 5310 XpressMusic is expected to begin shipping in the fourth quarter of 2007 with an estimated retail price of 225 EUR before taxes and subsidies.

Nokia 5610 XpressMusic - Edgy design, sharp sound

The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic comes ready to rock with an iconic Music Slider key making music easy to access with a flick of the thumb. Aluminum side panels accent the all-black high gloss finish and large 2.2-inch, 16 million color display of the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic. The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic offers crystal clear sound and up to 22 hours of music playback and memory with capacity for 3,000 songs on an optional 4GB microSD card**. More than just a phone and music player, the Nokia 5610 XpressMusic features a high-quality 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and dual LED flash. The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic uses 3G technology, making downloads, web-browsing and video calls faster and easier. The Nokia 5610 XpressMusic is expected to begin shipping in the fourth quarter of 2007 with an estimated retail price of EUR 300 before taxes and subsidies.

Both Nokia XpressMusic handsets are compatible with the recently launched Nokia Music Store, offering consumers a wide music selection to be downloaded via PC.

Music accessories - More music for all ears

Recognizing the increasing role of mobile phones in music consumption, Nokia and globally-recognized audio manufacturers, including Altec Lansing, JBL, and Philips will offer a range of music accessories matching the XpressMusic handsets in design and functionality. The partner accessories, including headphones, docking stations and speakers, will be identifiable by "For Nokia XpressMusic Phones."

Also introduced today were two Nokia branded enhancements. The Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-503, compatible with Nokia XpressMusic phones with stereo Bluetooth support and the small, but powerful Nokia Pocket Speakers MD-6, compatible with Nokia XpressMusic phones with 2.5mm / 3.5mm connectors.

* Capacity based on H.264 750-Kbps video at 320-by-240 resolution, combined with 128-Kbps audio. Capacity is half of this with H.264 1.5 Mbps video at 640-by-480 resolution, combined with 128-Kbps audio (near-DVD quality).

** Capacity based on 3:45 per song with 48 Kbps eAAC+ (M4A) encoding on the Nokia Music Manager.

NOKIA: GO PLAY
Latest Pictures and Happening from London

Jussi Nevanlinna talks about Ovi by Nokia





[via: Press Release]

Nokia Reveals Next Gen N-Gage Games Service

Life just got more entertaining with the new N-Gage mobile gaming service. The service allows you to try all N-Gage games for free from any one of the tens of millions of compatible Nokia devices in the market. Once captivated, you can conveniently download and buy a game on your device or PC and continue the fun. You can also share the fun by connecting with friends, challenging players around the world, and participating in community activities in the N-Gage Arena.

"As we expand our focus from a dedicated game phone to a gaming service, we are making getting and playing games even easier," said Jaakko Kaidesoja, head of the games business at Nokia. "The N-Gage service combined with powerful devices, world class titles and brands, and interactive social networking features, takes the mobile gaming experience beyond traditional boundaries."

The N-Gage service will be available globally in November 2007. At that time, the free N-Gage application can be downloaded from http://www.n-gage.com (PC or mobile) and installed in compatible devices. Later, the N-Gage application will be embedded in a wide range of Nokia devices, including the new Nokia N81 and Nokia N95 8GB, so consumers can play straight out of the box.

Furthermore, support for N-Gage continues to grow with EA SPORTS(TM) FIFA 08, The Sims(TM) 2 Pets, Tetris®, and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® being developed for the platform as well as new publishers Capcom and Vivendi, and its famed Crash Bandicoot®, on board. Nokia Publishing also announced new titles: Snakes Subsonic and Bounce Boing Voyage.

"With the new N-Gage experience, fans of some of our most popular franchises like FIFA or The Sims can play and stay connected with other fans. With millions of compatible Nokia devices already in the marketplace, we're very excited to help bring quality mobile gaming expriences to the fingertips of a global audience," said Barry Cottle, Senior Vice President and General Manager, EA Mobile.

The indicative pricing for N-Gage games sold through the N-Gage store will range between six and 10 euros excluding local taxes and can be bought with a credit card or charged through operator billing where available. Operator billing is supported in over 20 countries and credit card billing is available globally. Daily and weekly game licenses are also available at lower prices and all games are free to try before purchase. Moreover, whether you choose to get games over the air or over the internet, managing your games catalog is a breeze with simple store and sync to your PC.

Aside from that, Nokia also announced the reincarnation of their 2 popular games namely "Snakes Subsonic" and "Bounce Boing Voyage" especially for the new N-Gage gaming platform. Full story below:

Nokia famed Snakes Subsonic back for another bite!

The most iconic mobile game in history is back. Slither your way through four elemental zones - Earth, Wind, Water and Fire - supported with 3D graphics. Each zone breaks down into 10 levels that glow and pulse with music driven gameplay, delivering a total of 40 levels of play.

"Snakes Subsonic delivers the next evolution in mobile puzzle games," said Dr Mark Ollila, Director of Technology and Strategy and Head of Games Publishing, Nokia. "It's an exciting combination of accessible gameplay fused with stylized presentation. The result is a rollercoaster ride in puzzle solving unlike anything on mobile."

Intuitive and responsive controls are a key element to the Snakes experience. Players will need the reflexes of a rattler to navigate the four zones. The all important race against the clock adds to the excitement as you battle to pick up power-ups, shields and other hidden secrets.

In single-player mode, players can work through each elemental zone or can take on other players online in match-ups and tournaments - best time wins. Players can track rankings on leader boards and view lists for the Top 50 for each level of game play.

Once the rollercoaster ride through the 40 beautifully rendered levels has been mastered, there are a further 20 that can be downloaded directly to the device via the new N-Gage platform launching this fall.

Bounce Boing Voyage springs to N-Gage

Enter the surreal world of Bounce Boing Voyage for the N-Gage mobile games service by Nokia. The evil Hypnotoid has taken over the world of Pongpingy by hypnotizing all its creatures. Your mission is to guide the Bounce ball through different lands to save the world from the rule of Hypnotoid.

"It's the age-old-story of ball meets evil hypnotic block, evil hypnotic block hypnotizes ball's friends, ball has to save world," said Dr Mark Ollila, Director of Technology and Strategy and Head of Games Publishing, Nokia. "But it's not just a great story. Simple controls and beautiful graphics combine to make this a game for everyone."

Bounce Boing Voyage is an evolution of the original Bounce - moving from 2D to 3D as it makes its debut on the N-Gage service. However, some things never change; Bounce Boing Voyage is still pick-up-and-play mobile fun.

Bounce Boing Voyage challenges players to guide the spherical hero through three puzzle-filled lands, offering something new in each level. Experience surreal landscapes filled with unique creatures, mind boggling puzzles and engrossing missions as players journey on to save the world. To complete the quest, players need to master several one-thumb game play modes as well as all three ball forms - Bounce, Rock and Mud ball - in order to solve puzzles based on memory and agility.

---

Too bad, Philippines is not included in the registration list! =( I hope Nokia can arrange this soon or else...

[via: Press release]

"Ovi" Nokia's New Internet Services Brand Name

Nokia today introduced Ovi, the company's new Internet services brand name. With the introduction of Ovi, Nokia is expanding from a focus on mobile devices to offering a range of Internet services. Ovi, meaning 'door' in Finnish, enables consumers to easily access their existing social network, communities and content, as well as acting as a gateway to Nokia services.

As part of Ovi, Nokia announced the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage, two services that make it easy for people to discover, try and buy music and games from a blockbuster range of artists and publishers, including exclusive content only available through Nokia. Also under the Ovi umbrella is Nokia Maps, a navigation service that offers maps, city guides and more directly to compatible mobile devices. Nokia aims to bring more Internet based services to Ovi in the coming months.

Speaking at the Nokia Go Play event in London, Nokia President and Chief Executive Officer Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo presented Ovi and the new Nokia services for consumers, and spoke about the company's future plans as an Internet company: "The industry is converging towards Internet driven experiences and Ovi represents Nokia's vision in combining the Internet and mobility. Nokia is the number one mobile device company in the world. Looking into the future, we will deliver great devices, combined with compelling experiences and services, to make it easy for people to unlock the potential of the Internet."

"We started this journey with our navigation services earlier this year and we are now combining all our services into a single branded offering - Ovi by Nokia. Over the coming 12 months, you will see us integrate new user interface elements, service suites and web communities to Ovi," added Kallasvuo.

Ovi - one key opens every door.

Ovi (http://www.ovi.com) is the gateway to Nokia's Internet services, including the Nokia Music Store, Nokia Maps, and N-Gage games. It will also be an open door to web communities, enabling people to access their content, communities and contacts from a single place, either directly from a compatible Nokia device or from a PC. The first version of Ovi.com is scheduled to go live in English during the fourth quarter of 2007 and additional features and languages expected to go live during the first half of 2008.

Nokia Music Store - all the world's music in your pocket

The Nokia Music Store (http://music.nokia.com) offers millions of tracks from major artists, independent labels as well as a broad range of local artists from around the world. The store is accessible via a desktop computer or directly from a compatible Nokia device, such as the Nokia N81 or Nokia N95 8GB multimedia computer. Browse for new music, buy what you like or add a song to your wishlist to download later. You can easily transfer your purchased songs to your mobile device and with the built-in music player, create playlists on the go and manage your music collection.

The Nokia Music Store offers full track streaming on your PC as well as individual track and album purchase. The dynamic recommendation engine and genre-based instant playlists provide access to show you what others are enjoying. The store opens across key European markets this fall with additional stores in Europe and Asia opening over the coming months. In Europe, individual tracks cost EUR 1.00 and albums from EUR 10.00, with a monthly subscription for PC streaming for EUR 10.00.

N-Gage - mobile gaming experience

N-Gage offers an easy way to find, try and buy great quality games directly from your compatible Nokia device. Selecting the N-Gage application on your compatible Nokia device, you can preview available games, connect with your friends, read reviews or download a free demo. Buying games is easy, either with a credit card or by charging to your monthly phone bill. Companies like Electronic Arts and Gameloft are making some of their biggest brands available through N-Gage. The application is expected to be available for download from http://www.n-gage.com in November 2007.

"We know that people want integrated access to great content without the constraints of having to sit behind a computer or in front of a TV. With the Nokia Music Store and N-Gage services, you can access the best in music and games directly from your Nokia Nseries multimedia computer," said Anssi Vanjoki, executive vice president and general manager, Multimedia, Nokia. "We expect the mobile device to become the most popular platform - the 'fourth screen' - for enjoying your digital content. Ovi brings our Internet services vision to life, where people can create, share and consume facts, feelings and emotions wherever and whenever."

Nokia also announced several new devices and enhancements, providing a range of design and technology choices for consumers.

[via: Press Release]

Next-Gen N-Gage Platform To Be Announced Tomorrow!

According to The New York Times, Nokia will finally reintroduce their N-Gage gaming platform this week (a.k.a. N-Gage 2.0, most probably at Go Play event in London tomorrow) with new game developers and new phones especially for mobile gaming. Nokia says that it has sold a whopping 125 million units of its S60 smartphones across the globe. N-Gage games will make their debut this fall on a few of those sold models (most of em I think would be the Nseries ones), but the company will extend the service to the rest of the Series 60 line over the next year.

I'm sure N93, N95 and other high end S60 phones to be announced tomorrow will certainly have better graphics than 'normal' S60 phones. Apparently because of the hardware installed on em... No wonder they are a bit pricey. Don't ya know that the current N95 has a dual CPU?! Here's more, N76 "the computer done beautifully" has more SDRAM than N95 for running applications and games simultaneously? That's strange.. No wonder N95 says "Memory Low" more than N76! =)


Meanwhile, ProjectNeXt have been busy the other day uploading these great clips for us!




[via: The New York Times]

Crash Bandicoot Franchise For Nokia N-Gage!

Nokia is really heating up their next-gen N-Gage platform by means of consecutively announcing game partnerships with the world's top notch developers! This time, they are collaborating with Vivendi Games Mobile, responsible for the Crash Bandicoot game. Ooh, August 29th here we come! Full story below.

Nokia, the world leader in mobile communications, announced today that they are teaming up with Vivendi Games Mobile, a division of Vivendi Games, to bring the legendary Crash Bandicoot ® franchise to Nokia's new N-Gage mobile gaming platform launching this fall.

"Vivendi Games Mobile is one of the most respected publishers in mobile gaming," said Gregg Sauter, Nokia's director of third party publishing. "Crash Bandicoot is a gaming icon as well as a global powerhouse, having sold more than 33 million units worldwide. With its fun appeal to people of all ages and incredible graphics, the Crash Bandicoot franchise is the perfect fit for N-Gage."

"We are excited to offer Nokia customers the opportunity to enter the thrilling world of Crash Bandicoot and play a number of award winning titles from the popular Crash® franchise," said Paul Maglione, president of Vivendi Games Mobile. "We look forward to working with Nokia to offer entertaining, innovative mobile games that tap into the performance and innovation of the N-Gage application and Nokia's mobile devices."

Crash Bandicoot follows the original storyline where the crazy marsupial must save the world. Jam packed with action and comedy, the player must take on the role of Crash to defeat the game's villain and mad scientist, Dr. Neo Cortex. More information about the Crash franchise can be found at the official Crash Bandicoot Web site at http://www.crashbandicoot.com

[via: Press Release]

Capcom Ready To Bring Games To N-Gage in 2008!

Nokia and Capcom today revealed that Capcom will be publishing games on N-Gage, Nokia's next generation mobile gaming platform, in 2008. Capcom is the first Japanese based publisher to show their commitment to N-Gage, which makes its global debut later this year, ushering in a new era for games on mobile devices.

"With our global reach, it's important to have strong, well respected global partners", said Gregg Sauter, Director of Third Party Publishing, Nokia. "For many years, Capcom has been entertaining consumers around the world with exceptional gaming experiences. We've now reached a point with mobile technologies where companies like Capcom can deliver a whole new level of mobile entertainment. The N-Gage platform will enable this evolution with devices that deliver enhanced graphics and a development tool kit that allows for online tournaments, communities, multiplayer games and, of course, global distribution."

Speaking of the announcement, Yosuke Yoneda, Director of Capcom's European Mobile Division, said "Capcom is dedicated to creating great mobile games, and believes that N-Gage will allow us to bring some of our most famous franchises to the platform. Our dedication to quality and creative thinking has seen the company produce a series of ground-breaking titles, with stunning visuals and in-depth game play, never before seen on the mobile".

Capcom has been highly successful in the mobile market as a result of the company's commitment to innovation and faithful conversion of some of the world's greatest video game franchises. With classic titles such as Mega Man, Street Fighter and Resident Evil, and contemporary brands such as Phoenix Wright, Capcom has captured a wide audience of fans, in terms of age, gender and game playing ability.

N-Gage games are created in a native development environment, allowing developers to take advantage of Nokia devices with advanced graphics and physics capabilities which deliver extremely sharp, clear and fluid game experiences to users. The N-Gage platform provides flexible opportunities for operators and publishers alike. Games can distributed digitally over the air through operator networks or over the internet to a user's PC, which allows for larger file downloads and therefore games with enhanced audio and graphical elements.

[via: Press Release]

Next-Gen N-Gage Platform Demo

Wanna see how Nokia's latest gaming platform works?! Check it out:




Nice logo animation (reminds me of SEGA Dreamcast though) =)

For actual games coming to the new N-Gage platform, click here

I-Play To Bring Casual Games To N-Gage Platform

Nokia today revealed that I-play, the mobile entertainment company, will be delivering a line-up of casual games to the N-Gage platform launching this fall. The first two titles to be introduced in 2008 include, World Rally Championship, the official license of the FIA WRC, and Super Mah Jong, an epic tale based on the ancient spiritual game Mah Jong, from the makers of Jewel Quest(TM).

"I-play brings a diverse games portfolio to N-Gage, and we're excited to have them on board," said Gregg Sauter, Director, 3rd Party Publishing, Nokia. "The N-Gage toolset provides the opportunity to deliver new features and richer experiences to consumers through I-play's strong portfolio of content. We look forward to this cooperation." David Gosen, CEO, I-play commented: "We're very excited to be cooperating with Nokia. The awareness that the launch later this fall alone will bring to the consumer and the mobile industry will help propel mobile gaming to the front and centre of entertainment consumed on the mobile."

I-play's portfolio for the N-Gage platform will focus on casual, 'one-thumb' games for the mass market. These games will include prestigious licenses, like the World Rally Championship, which have I-play's casual development philosophy at their core. I-play games provide an easy to play, difficult to master 'dip in and dip out' playability, with a focus on fun for the N-Gage player.

About I-play

I-play brings the best in mobile entertainment to an audience of over one billion people via a network of more than 120 carriers worldwide. I-play has been creating mobile games since 1998 and continues to spearhead the creation of mobile entertainment for the next generation.

I-play is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oberon Media, the world's leading casual games company. Oberon's Game Centre platform, is the industry standard and has been adopted by many of the world's largest corporations. The platform combines casual game content, merchandizing and features to fulfill each partner's specific needs. Oberon Media's publishing arm works with the industry's best, award-winning game developers to produce the top-selling casual games, which can be played in more than a dozen languages on PC, web-based, mobile and console platforms.

Founded in 2003, Oberon Media is headquartered in New York, with offices in North America, Europe and Asia.

For more information visit us at http://www.iplay.com/

I-play is a trademark and trading name of Digital Bridges Limited.

[via: Press Release]

Next-Gen N-Gage Video Game Previews!

Take a look at how great the graphics will be in the Next-Gen N-Gage Platform! The graphics are pretty BRILLIANT for a game being played on a mobile phone men!

[via: ProjectNeXt]

Next-Gen N-Gage Will Launch On 4Q 2007!

The big news is that Digital Chocolate has signed up to make games for N-Gage, and according to O'Driscoll, there are 35 games in development for the platform, although not all will be out when it launches this year.

However, he also said that N-Gage is due to roll out "during Q4" this year. That sounds like a minor slip from its previously announced launch date of September, but hopefully means we'll have N-Gage games in our hands by Christmas.

We should note that he was referring to the European launch, so it's possible that the platform will launch somewhere in September, to iron out any last-minute teething problems.

In terms of strategy, Web 2.0 is clearly a big influence on the platform, in terms of social networking, user-generated content and connectivity. He also talked about what mobile brings to Web 2.0 services, allowing people to access them on the move.

But what does it mean for games, and specifically the new N-Gage stuff? He revealed some stats indicating that gaming is already popular on the company's high-end phones.

Apparently, 85 percent of Series 60 handset owners are playing the preloaded games on their handsets, while 45 percent are playing downloadable games a few times a week. However, when you look at all mobile users, just 5 percent are actually downloading games.

"We need to move to a point where we're creating true mobile games, as opposed to just putting existing games on the mobile," he said. "We know what the barriers are, yet we're not doing a great deal to resolve them."

So, more Nokia research. Apparently there's three different categories of mobile games - solo gamers, social gamers and passive gamers. It's the social gamers that Nokia is focusing on, who want gaming to be "a catalyst for social interaction" (think Web 2.0 again).

Apparently this category includes 22 per cent of mobile users across the world, so it's a decent potential market – and unsurprisingly the target market for the next-gen N-Gage.

O'Driscoll also talked about what's needed to get more people playing mobile games, including "better games at higher prices", a better buying experience, free demos and multiple ways to buy a game, and more connectivity and the ability to share games with friends.

He gave few specifics on new N-Gage games, although he did promise "Xbox 360 quality graphics" in the future on Nokia's Nseries handsets (although bear in mind that's still on a mobile phone sized screen).

O'Driscoll also showed off the N-Gage shopping experience, although this has been reported before – the combination of a mobile portal, an online iTunes-style store, and the ability to try games before you buy them.

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In case you do not know, Nokia is currently working on cross platform games that will make some of its games playable not only on NextGen N-Gage game capable S60 phones but also on our desktop PCs! Pretty cool, isn't it?


[via: Pocket Gamer]