Nokia Plans for a New N-Gage
- January 02, 2004 13:55 PM PST
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Despite slow sales and mixed reviews, Nokia intends to stay in the game.
According to the LA Times, Nokia is not about to give up on its ambitious foray into the handheld console market. Despite disappointing sales with analysts putting worldwide sales figures at 200,000 units, the Finnish phone maker plans to release a second version of the N-Gage console along with 80 games for it next year."The way we see it, we're just on level one of this game, and we're trying to get to level two," said Nada Usina, Nokia's general manager of entertainment and media for North America. "We're in this business for the long haul. We're in this game because we want to win it."
Rather than a completely new system, it is more likely that the new version will be an ergonomically redesigned N-Gage, fixing woes like having to take out the battery to switch games, or facing ridicule from aesthetically conscious friends when putting the taco-shaped console to your face to talk on the phone.
The competition is stiff, with Sony planning to launch the PSP next year, and with the Game Boy Advance already enjoying a high volume of sales. With the GBA selling as low as $79.99 in some retailers, it would be difficult to lure potential N-Gagers, especially if the next version still retains the hefty $200 price tag.
