N-Gage is a handheld console released by Nokia in 2003. Essentially is a combination of a gaming console and a mobile phone, giving the ability to the user to make calls and send texts. The buttons on the console are the same of a mobile phone. N-Gage runs Symbian OS and manufactured by Nokia with "Starship" as the code name of the Project.
N-Gage came with a lot of extra features. For example, multiplayer gaming is possible with the use of Bluetooth or Internet (via N-Gage Arena service) connection. The most popular games of the console are Pocket Kingdom: Own the World and Pathway to Glory. Also, it has the ability of MP3 and Real Audio/Video playback. In addition, a lot of PDA (Personal Data Assistant) features can be found.
The N-Gage came also with a lot of disadvantages. In order to play a game, the user has to insert a cartridge. However, the cartridge slot is next to the battery plastic cover. As a result, in order to insert the game, the battery plastic cover and the battery itself must be removed first. The location of the speakers and the microphone is also considered flawed. They are located at the side of the console, making somewhat funny to try to speak or hear someone, since the user has to put the side the console close to his/her ear. In addition, the screen height is bigger that the width, something quite odd since the opposite was a standard until then. Some of these flaws Nokia tried to fix later launching N-Gage GD in 2004.
Nokia N-Gage and Nokia N-Gage QD were failed, in a commercially point of view. A good example is that in the first weeks after the launch, N-Gage sales vs Game Boy Advance sales were 1 to 100. N-Gage and N-Gage QD sold 3 million units, a lot less than Nokia predicted and discontinued in 2005. The last game released for N-Gage was Civilization, in March of 2006 and Payload, in November of 2006, for N-Gage QD.
