Nokia to release new N-Gage this September
by Jared Rea 
{ Feb 5th 2007 at 7:05AM }
You don't have to tell Nokia that the original N-Gage was not the success they had imagined. They already know. That won't stop them from giving it the ol' college try as Nokia plans on rolling out a new N-Gage by this September. In a brief statement on the official N-Gage blog, Nokia makes mention of a September release amidst reassuring that more than two publishers are on board for the new platform.
At the moment, only EA Mobile and Gameloft have known commitments for the new N-Gage with both publishers having already released titles for the original device. With Gameloft holding the lucrative Totally Spies license, we can only cross our fingers and hope for a next generation N-Gage follow-up.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Grunge @ Feb 5th 2007 7:42AM
No offense to Nokia, but the handheld market only really has room for one player - and that player has been Nintendo for about two decades now.
Szu @ Feb 5th 2007 7:45AM
Well, at least somebody will be getting the bronze in the portable olympics now.
Erwos @ Feb 5th 2007 8:21AM
Get the Square Enix mobile games on there and make it quad-band, and I'd get one. We do some international travel, so a GSM phone to supplement our CDMA ones would not be a bad idea.
Renarudo @ Feb 5th 2007 8:27AM
Nokia came at this issue wrong when they tried to compete with Nintendo.
If they try to compete with other Cell-Phone manufacturers, then they'd be making some great money.
I have a Sidekick III, and being able to play a quick game on your phone is convenient when you simply can't whip out a DS or a PSP, mainly because we ALWAYS have our phones on us.
If the new N-Gage had internet functionality and a QWERTY keyboard, I'd expect it to actually do reasonably well.
t_m @ Feb 5th 2007 8:40AM
I thought i read a few days ago that its being released as a development/games platform, rather than a physical device. Did i just imagine that?
I don't see the point of an N-gage physical device anymore... a lot of new handsets can run games with graphics about as good as the DS.. if not better.
I love my DS.. but i think nintendo is gonna have MAJOR trouble maintaining a lead in the mobile market once all cellphones can produce great graphics.
(the DS is HUGE in japan.. but so is cellphone gaming.. brain training mobile, final fantasy mobile, etc..).
I actually think nintendo should ALSO go down the "platform/licensing" route. They could license the nintendo name, controlers, back catalogue and platform to phone makers.. and you could get a Motorola razor DS.
Kendrick @ Feb 5th 2007 8:52AM
I was speculating that maybe any new N-gage platform would be virtual rather than physical. So you didn't imagine it, but it wasn't a confirmed fact or anything.
I'm not quite as optimistic as I was when this news was first breaking. Based on Nokia's current business model, games will probably be distributed electronically rather than on physical media. That's a perfectly valid way to make your software available, but I don't personally like it. I want media in my hand, and I worry if the new N-gage phone will be able to use the MMC card media from the old platform.
Grunge @ Feb 5th 2007 8:56AM
"nintendo is gonna have MAJOR trouble maintaining a lead in the mobile market once all cellphones can produce great graphics."
Well, no, because Nintendo emphasizes innovation and gameplay over graphics. I will repeat - Nintendo has owned the handheld gaming market for almost two decades. It's highly unlikely that anyone will topple them anytime soon, regardless of how good the graphics on your everyday phones get - mostly for the same reason that better computer graphics haven't toppled the console market.
FrankTheCrank @ Feb 5th 2007 9:05AM
That picture says it all!!
Edge of Blade @ Feb 5th 2007 9:11AM
Hey, good luck. Regardless of the commercial failure, I kinda wanted one just for the geek cred.
MrPolarBare @ Feb 5th 2007 11:37AM
I think Nokia has one huge advantage over the DS and PSP...it's a phone. If they would design the device properly for videogames (more traditional controls, and a wide-aspect, not narrow aspect screen ratio), then this device could be a hit. There is no reason Nokia shouldn't own the ONLINE portable gaming market. I mean, you don't even need Wifi access, it is a phone! Nintendo is the big player in the portable market, but if it has an Achilles heel, it is it's online play. Get the right developers on board, making the right games, on the right type of hardware and it could be a big success. Obviously for some reason that is harder that it sounds, because Nokia couldn't even come close to doing it last round. Another benefit of the system is since it is a phone, they should be able to subsidize the price of the unit when you purchase cell phone service.
MrPolarBare @ Feb 5th 2007 11:37AM
Oh, and one more good thing about the device is that you always bring your phone with you, or at least I do. On the other hand, I almost never bring my DS with me, it is pretty much reserved for bathroom gaming :) due not only to it's larger size, but the fact that I don't want a million different portable devices in my pocket at one time. My phone is my number one priority, so it will always be in my pocket before anything else is.
One thing that could hurt the NGage is the strenght that Windows Mobile gaming is getting. With the new iPhone coming out, I anticipate Microsoft to push gaming even more on Windows Mobile.
32_Footsteps @ Feb 5th 2007 9:49AM
"Well, at least somebody will be getting the bronze in the portable olympics now."
Given the size and scope of cell phone gaming already, it would be the same as the current bronze medalist in portable gaming - the PSP.
Fatass of Kickassness @ Feb 5th 2007 9:50AM
Hey t_m, name ONE single handset that can run even near the same graphics as the DS.
Some run in 3d, but they're still slow-frame-rate, crap-animation mobile games.
lzaffuto @ Feb 5th 2007 10:07AM
Maybe Nintendo should release a cellphone version of the Gameboy.
ill trooper @ Feb 5th 2007 10:10AM
""nintendo is gonna have MAJOR trouble maintaining a lead in the mobile market once all cellphones can produce great graphics."
Well, no, because Nintendo emphasizes innovation and gameplay over graphics. I will repeat - Nintendo has owned the handheld gaming market for almost two decades."
This is sort of a moot argument in my opinion, because while Nintendo's GameBoy/DS series has dominated, it's nothing compared to the phone market - while the DS, the top-selling "system" of the newest hardware with over 10 million sold (including the 360, the PS3, the Wii), it's only a drop in the bucket of nearly 990 million phones sold in the same ammount of time (number from Steve Job's keynote releasing the iPhone). And the reality is that right about the time the majority of kids mature, they switch from gameboy to cell phone, and the portable device turns into something else for the user - less Pokemon and more text messaging.
The amount of adults with phones, the people who don't want to carry a DS and a phone, dominates the amount of people who do carry both, with people who carry a phone and their iPod somewhere in between.
The common device here is the phone. It's why Nokia keeps trying this, it's why Apple has their phone coming out, it's why Casio is about to release a phone.
Nintendo could do well with creating flash/java versions of their software, enabling a broad base of hardware to use the "innovation and gameplay" you talk about, Grunge.
Software is inevitably going to be the profit monster in this portable field.
Plus... Next-Gen Side Talkin'!
jaysins @ Feb 5th 2007 10:17AM
Nintendo though hasn't always been innovative over gameplay and it has worked for them in the past. Look at GB color to GBA. Just an upgrade in graphics and it sold very well. Just because you don't care, does not mean other people do not care about graphics. Plus mobile phone processors are becoming a lot more powerful and ATI and Nvidia both have announced mobile phone gpu's that could make the phone a viable gaming platform. Nintendoo would not loose much if any market share because mobile games on the phone look better, the problem is everyone has one. Way more people have a mobile phone than a DS. More people have a nokia phone than a DS believe it or not. If you were able to play engaging and fun games though your phone, which you are going to buy regardless of what system nintendo has, than the DS seems like less of a value since you already have a gaming platform in your hand at no perceivable cost to the buyer. All that is lacking is fun and original games that are exclusive to the phone and worth buying. You can get a NES emulator on any phone that is decently quick and supports java MIDP 2.0. You can get SNES and SEGA emulators on any recent S60 nokia phone. I've personally not been really interested in a DS because I can just play cool games like chrono trigger and super mario on my phone and it satisfies my personal portable gaming needs (though I'll admit I am not a big hand helder). I don't see a lot of people owning to portable systems and if my phone can do it anyways and has some good games why buy another? Owning multiple portable systems doesn't have the same pull as owning multiple consoles. Phones are also the biggest risk to the ipod and mp3 players I think. Why carry something else and spend extra money if you do not have to? My girlfriend and I just bring our phones to the gym and this is from a person who owned every new generation of media player since cassettes include MD, which I'm ashamed of ;) I have no desire for a new mp3 player. I think if it started to hurt nintendo's sales they would come out with a portable unit that you could make calls from or instead license their software. I bet nintendo makes a move after the DS. A DS that can make phone calls would be pretty cool and you could get online without wifi. Nintendo already seems to be moving in that direction with internet and chatting via DS and the latter would be an awesome upgrade. Plus with Bluetooth headsets it doesn't really matter it is a little bit akwark holding has you don't need to hold it. My personal prediction is a change by 2010.
ackmondual @ Feb 5th 2007 10:19AM
I thought Nokia took the hint the first 2 times when the Ngage and Ngage QD weren't really successful. But then that's kinda the sickening thing.... that companies that don't quite get it but can keep going at it anyways b/c they have too much many while others with some neat ideas are forced to close down shop b/c they're startups (Tapwave) or just losing too much $$ (Sega and many other companies that had hardware)
.
@ #6
""I love my DS.. but i think nintendo is gonna have MAJOR trouble maintaining a lead in the mobile market once all cellphones can produce great graphics.
(the DS is HUGE in japan.. but so is cellphone gaming.. brain training mobile, final fantasy mobile, etc..).
I actually think nintendo should ALSO go down the "platform/licensing" route. They could license the nintendo name, controlers, back catalogue and platform to phone makers.. and you could get a Motorola razor DS.""
Your typical, higher-end cellphone user is going for features like text messaging, sending pics, vids, internet, digicam, mp3 player, and/or GPS. Games isn't really there other than for casual flicks. If cellphones do get the graphics for games, then that's gonna cost ALOT of $$. In the past, many of these converged gaming devices, despite being feature rich, costed $300+. If it's a gaming cellphone we're talking about with fancy graphics chipset, then we can likely expect $400+. It's also gonna make the phones much bigger to fit all those extra specs for gaming.
As much as some ppl would like to have a 7 in 1 converged device, that would simply be a HUGE mistake for Nin. Nin has a tremedous advantage by holding on to exclusives through their hardware and theirs only. Also aids in keeping quality control in line. If they'd licencse their games to cellphones, now they gotta worry like PC game makers do... they'd have to make sure their games run on a wide variety of hardware, screen resolutions, and mobile operating systems, and that's just too much of a hassle when with the current DS/GBA setup, you already have a user base of 10million+ and growing, and since the hardware is not only made for gaming, it'll also only costs $80 to $130 for the consumer. FAR cheaper AND better looking than any gaming cellphone would ever be.
Je2037 @ Feb 5th 2007 10:40AM
Maybe when iPhones and the like become $100-200 and take carts this will be an issue. Then theres the compatibility issues with different phones not to mention getting phone calls while in game, battery life, etc. The convenience of handhelds will dominate.
Grunge @ Feb 5th 2007 10:41AM
To address a few points here:
The 990 million cell phones aren't for games. I would guess that only a fraction of those are used for gaming, so you can't really count them as a competing platform. If you wanted to make a more valid argument, you would use software sales and attach rates. This is again, why we don't say that the computer is beating all the consoles, even though the computer is found in something like eighty percent of homes.
Nintendo would be stupid to take their games to other platforms. The reason? Nintendo makes money not only off of their games, but off of other people's games too. Companies like Capcom or Ubisoft pay Nintendo for the privilege of publishing on their system. Since Nintendo's first-party games always drive the sales of their systems, put those first party games on phones would lose them both the licensing and system streams of revenue.
Stop citing the iPhone as a gaming device. It's not - gaming is something that Apple doesn't care about, and hasn't stressed as a potential application.
Nintendo would also be stupid to enter into the phone arena. Why? Because they're a game company. Sony already made the mistake of thinking that people want proprietary movie formats and convergent media technology. Nintendo isn't likely to repeat that.
arrrgh @ Feb 5th 2007 10:58AM
I don't think many of you understand that those 990 million phones, for the most part, are BARELY FUNCTIONAL by many of our standards (us being tech-savvy gamer types). Go on the bus and check out the majority of phones people whip out. It's 2007 and most people still don't even have MP3 ringtones, or even colour screens! It's usually a 3-5 year old piece of old handset crap that many people think is "ok" for making phone calls and texting, which is what they do. Do you really think these people will upgrade their phones (for $300+)just for gaming? oook....
jaysins @ Feb 5th 2007 11:01AM
I don't think the devices have to be huge. Look at the Nokia N95 that is coming out. 5 megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi, 3G with secondary camera for video conferencing, music and video playback capabilities, VGA video at 30fps, smart phone, 3D graphics and it's a pretty small phone with a ton of stuff. So the device does not have to be that large. And features can always be knocked out, like GPS or the 5 megapixel camera or video conferencing. The key to getting cost down is through contracts and if they can sell the hardware at cost or close to it because of revenue generated by software purchases.
ackmondual @ Feb 5th 2007 11:15AM
@ #14 #15
""I have no desire for a new mp3 player. I think if it started to hurt nintendo's sales they would come out with a portable unit that you could make calls from or instead license their software""
but again, that's the thing. That's b/c you and I would never get an ipod (I use my PDA for music), millions of others have an ipod for their mp3 needs. Some make use of itunes or want the sheer capacity of 60GB. That's something today's phones, even the iPhone (capacity) just simply doesn't have
While practicall every1 has a cellphoen these days, keep in mind the primary reason they have one is b/c they use it to make calls. TXT mess, internet, and email are extras that cells handle nicely. There are better devices out there for everything else. It's like saying there are many PC users out there, so games there will be a smash. However, it's mostly the cheap/free games like flash games and Solitaire that are mostly played. Many PCs aren't really geared towards retail PC games, and many users don't really have an interest in them. I see cell phone gaming industry the same way. Cell phone games will be a smash as well, but it's going to be limited mainly to simple flash games like Bejeweled and maybe a cell version of Rainbow 6 for up to $5.99. To produce PSP or DS quality gmaes on phones will require charging $20 to $40 a game. And without the userbase that GB/DS/PSP have, it's a hard sell
gamedude420 @ Feb 5th 2007 11:56AM
nintendo should just make a new gameboy, have it have a large hdd so it can be an mp3/movie/palm computer. pretty much pmp as an extra feature. and be a cellphone/wifiphone. have the cellphoen hardware on a special designed cartridge. and make it so that the nintendo and other cellphone provide can offer upgrades via special cartridges (the system in the future could even use the main system hardware, but its controlled by nintendo sorta like apples iphone)
Grant @ Feb 5th 2007 11:56AM
my motorola Q(or any windows mobile phone for that matter) has emulators available for it.
entire NES and SNES catalog vs. N-gage.... no chance.
i mean sure, the n-gage does feel better in your hands and is more comfortable, but unless they get some real hardware in there, it's gonna be the same 3rd rate garbage they had last time around.
hopefully this time they realize people don't want to dissemble their phones to change games and that sidetalking is NOT cool. i mean i hate to compare it to my Q again, but it has aboout the same front surface area, yet the Q (and every other Smartphone) uses normal talk orientation. and has a side flap with a push in and click slot for the memory card... kinda the same way a cartridge slot could work.
the oddest thing is none of that's innovative in my eyes, just kinda common sense. does nokia think illogical things are "innovation"? at least the QD made a little more sense... but still?
nokia, what the hell are you thinking?
gamedude420 @ Feb 5th 2007 12:03PM
oh i forgot, also let the system be able to download virtual console games via internet from cellphone or wifi from anywhere or direct for wii.
as wel as gamecube games. (make it so you can send gamecube games to you gameboy phone via the wii or purchase via virtual console.
it would compete with everyone.
nintendo is number 1 in the handheld market, tops all gamesystems and mp3 players.
so why not ad on those features. sony did it with psp (granted the psp isnt doign so good compared to the nintendo lineup in term of hardware sales and no where near them in terms of software, and no cellphone games are topping gameboy/ds game sales)
Randy @ Feb 5th 2007 12:02PM
When will you guys learn. Nintendo has Nintendo.
As long as they can back themselves with their highly praised games, they will sell, regardless of hardware. If Squarenix released FF13 on 360 or Wii instead of PS3, you would see the shift dramatically. The fans just follow these things. Nintendo has an audience that loves the games they make. Some of them may only love Zelda. Some may only love Mario or Metroid. Some love more than one. Some may even love Pokemon. They buy Nintendo to play Nintendo. Everything is else is just extra gravy.
Nintendo can obviously pack in more hardware sales by selling more games that people other than their fans enjoy, which is exactly one of the angles they are working. Bring in Square and Konami's Metal Gear. Capcom's RE, and as many other fans base series and they can bring some of those people with them.
But they still have that fallback base. Nokia doesn't.
gamedude420 @ Feb 5th 2007 12:05PM
oh i forgot, also let the system be able to download virtual console games via internet from cellphone or wifi from anywhere or direct for wii.
as wel as gamecube games. (make it so you can send gamecube games to you gameboy phone via the wii or purchase via virtual console.
it would compete with everyone.
nintendo is number 1 in the handheld market, tops all gamesystems and mp3 players.
so why not ad on those features. sony did it with psp (granted the psp isnt doign so good compared to the nintendo lineup in term of hardware sales and no where near them in terms of software, and no cellphone games are topping gameboy/ds game sales)
Lunaclown @ Feb 5th 2007 1:09PM
I'd buy it.
ill trooper @ Feb 5th 2007 1:23PM
My citing of 990 million phones was not meant to imply '990 million phones get used for gaming,' but rather, to emphasize that nearly 100 TIMES more pocket-sized devices are sold in that market than the current hand-held gaming market - and within the next few years, many of these phones could be as powerful as the DS is.
The reason for mobile phone totin' citizens to lug a GameBoy around will be minimized. OF COURSE there will be people buying DS and PSP-like objects, but it's still such a small percentage of what's going on in the world of mobile phones - it's just naive to think that if portable gaming is mildly interesting to someone, they won't opt for a cheap downloadable game instead of buying a piece of specialized hardware (i.e. PSP) to get their fix.
If you already owned a capable phone, and a specialized version of NintenDogs (let's say no stylus input) was available for $9.99 to play on your phone within minutes, many people would likely do that instead of going to the store, buying a DS and the cart, and then having to carry another device around and keeping it charged.
"Stop citing the iPhone as a gaming device."
I never did. But I will now, because like all phone companies offering downloadable games, they like to make MONEY, and I think you'll see all the same 'bejeweled/tetris/solitaire' pass-time games that I see dozens of people play on their phones here in the subways of NYC show up on the AT&T/Apple phone platform - they already have them available for the iPod.
Kent Houseman @ Feb 5th 2007 6:43PM
Man we got the N-Gage fan boys (the saddest fan boy there is) coming out of their hiding spots. Go to gamefaqs if you want to see this madness.
Another botched release and doomed N-Gage. And another 3 years of these guys shoving this crap in our face.
F U Nokia...F U.
Feeple @ Feb 6th 2007 12:39AM
That dude is just so happy to be sidetalkin'.
redspear @ Feb 5th 2007 2:39PM
Wow,
These comments are amazing. I have a lot to say about this. I don't even know where to begin. first some quick points.
1. Cell phones are not standardized. They range in everything from design to input to technical prowess and OS.
Standardization is what makes consoles succeed even the most powerful console can't compete with the most powerful PC. It is however easier to program for the most efficientally to get the most juice out of the machine allowing for better experiences since the Developers already KNOW everything what to program for with a PSP, DS, XBOX 360, Wii, and PS3. PCs on the other hand have a large variation but it is still limited to at least 2 major platforms OS X and Windows.
Cell phones on the other hand will have to be programed for Windows Mobile, Palm, Symbian and propietary Operating systems to gain any type of massive marketing hold. This means that the games will have to be simplified and hinders the more advance games that can be done easier on a portable or console or PC.
2. 990 million cell phones.
yes there are that many but they are not owned by gamers in fact most of them do not play games. Many are prepaid phones and a very small percentage are able to play games at all. Quite a few of these don't even have screens on them at all. this is like saying that there over 200 million TVs in the US so that means that there are 200 game consoles but than again at least TVs are standard...NTSC and ATSC in the US PAL in Europe SECAM in SE Asia.
3. Input. The PSP failed as a multimedia device because of its form and its input for all things media(movies MP3). While phones will be good for games like Solitaire, Bejeweled, (and Dice games when the phones with motion sensing come out later this year) with extremely simple setups they suck for games like pac man simply because it is annoying as hell to play on any phone like my MDA or RAZR. Your Nintendogs example is a good example for this simply because it is the touch screen which makes the game work in the first place limiting its sucess solely to PDA phones capable of such graphics ie none in the US and only in asia atm.
Cell phones have a ton of blocks in the way for gaming dominance. This does not mean that gaming does not succeed on cell phones it just means that it plays second fiddle to the portables.
ATM there are 36 Million DSs(By the end of this year it will have passed 60 million) out there 18 Million PSPs and 80 million GBAs. That puts the count at 134 million portable game machines out there meant for gaming that follow 3 standards versus 990 million phones meant for calling and the exact breakdown that are gaming capable uknown to us right now. All I know is that not one high end cell phone has sold 36 million yet.
phones are more money than a cheap portable and less capable for gaming in terms of standard, lifetime, input, and for the majority capability.
By the time phones have started to make bigger inroads in too gaming Nintendo and Sony will have realeased their next console. Sonys will probably be called the PSP Six-Axis Touch and who knows what Nintendo will do.
redspear @ Feb 5th 2007 2:41PM
BTW I own a MDA 3, DS and PSP. I know the gaming experiences they all offer and base my opinion on that.
I can't wait for the Athena to come out
ill trooper @ Feb 5th 2007 5:02PM
"990 million cell phones... this is like saying that there over 200 million TVs in the US so that means that there are 200 game consoles... RedSpear"
REALLY NOT AT ALL "like what I'm saying." I agree with many things you've brought up, but you're really stretching what I said with that 'reinterpretation' of my point. Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft would look at your '200 million TV sets' number and see that as a lot of POTENTIAL customers - this is what I'm suggesting by bringing up the 990 million phones.
I can't emphasize enough: I am not trying to say that 990 million users are ready and waiting to play mobile games, but rather I'm trying to say, Look at it the other way: Hey, if only 5 percent of those people are gamers, that matches the amount of DSs sold. If only 5% of those phones sold are capable of supporting a common flash or java engine, you are already at the level of the DS, with the convenience of instant purchase and downloadability.
So 5% gaming potential from phones and users, a hypothetical number for my example - That's over 49 million people in one year! A little under half of what the PS2 sold in it's 6-year lifetime. This speculative number represents a high potential for profit for a game developer to create a simple, fun, cheap downloadable game for a common engine that phone companies might get together and implement. Yes, true, it may not be there yet - but with the money at stake (see the success of ringtones as a potential roadmap) these companies will make it happen.
I like my DS, I like dedicated gaming devices. I don't want the internet to make me sound like I think phones are better for gaming, blah blah blah, so I'm trying to make it very clear: I'm only trying to speculate that when these mobile companies get it together, there is going to be a much larger market than the rather specialized hand-held (DS, PSP) market there is now.
Mobile gaming has been discussed on this site before and while the general consensus is "the games suck," it's growing faster than the committed handhelds and the profit potential is huge.
http://www.demo.com/demoletter/forecast_112b_for_mobile_games.php
One last thing, redspear, and I do agree with many of your points, as a symbian-OS phone owner, as well as a DS, but I wanted to respond to when you wrote to me...
"Your Nintendogs example is a good example for this simply because it is the touch screen which makes the game work in the first place limiting its sucess solely to PDA phones capable of such graphics ie none in the US and only in asia atm."
Don't get me wrong - I theorized on a specialized version without stylus input, which would amount to basically a Tamogochi. A 'nurturing' game less advanced than the DS version is. But if it had hundreds of animations, various behaviors and sharing/visiting with other phone dogs, it could be done - not the same experience, but then if you really loved it on your phone, you could also go buy the DS and play a deeper version - but in an upshot of convenience, an adult might not mind constantly checking in on a virtual pet on a phone, since he or she already has it on them, primarily for phone calls. So it's win/win, for nintendo and casual gamers.
Jim @ Feb 5th 2007 5:24PM
Nokia managers obviously don't drive Ferraris?!
losburritos @ Feb 5th 2007 9:17PM
The next gen N-GAGE games will be designed to run on ALL Symbian 60 OS devices (Samsung, Nokia, SonyErickson, Sagem... etc etc). Those games will either be as good as the current crop of games (higher res) or better. And understandably, there will be some unique games requiring 3D Acceleration which most of the top Nokia phones will be able to run thanks to the ATI Mobile chip.
In other words, by the end of 2008, a HUGE majority of the phones being released in the market will be able to run the next generation N-GAGE games.
jaysins @ Feb 5th 2007 10:33PM
I think you have made a few erroneous but some good points redspear. By the way, the most constructive conversation on a joystiq forum I've ever seen.
Standardization is very important for consoles and handhelds. In the cellphone market you have TI, Intel and Samsung with their respective processors leading the pact and there is a healthy selection of OS's to boot. There is also however I little programming language called Java and I would say at least to close to the majority if not the majority of phones support java MIDP. Java works differently than most languages in that it is for the most part platform independent. The game would still need to be somewhat adapted to the specific platform but the Java language makes this much easier and cost effective to do this. Just look at java games and see how many phones are supported. This is by individuals too, imagine what a big company like nokia could do.
I see a lot of potential in mobile gaming in the future. Nvidia and ATI wouldn't be readying GPU's for the platform if it didn't at least have some potential. Also, the further support it garners from the gaming industry, like in the instance of Nvidia and ATI, the more likely it is to become something viable and good and hopefully garner customer support eventually. I, and others are not saying it is just going to happen. But I do expect it to eventually gain steam and eventually put some pressure on Nintendo. Not that it will cripple them at all in the near or intermediate future, just put a little pressure on them.
Look at how well the sidekick sells. It is overpriced imo, but does internet and such well and is definitely the right dimensions for a gaming handheld. Imagine having a good gaming platform, good cellphone with internet and your mp3 player in such a device. I think that's the way things are going but who knows. Nintendo will always have it's exclusives and until that goes away, should always sell well. But not everyone is a diehard for Nintendo games either and the potential to take away from the strictly handheld market is there. I think nokia will eventually get it right ( I love their phones ) and grab a few gamers.