26 May 2005
Next-generation mobile game deck?
 Nokia took pains to say that this was just a concept, and not a product under development. On the flip side are standard phone buttons, while on this side a slide out set of gaming controls and a 16x9 screen deliver a stylish gaming experience in a smartphone package.
(Jim Louderback/Ziff Davis Internet News)
LOS ANGELES - Instead of keeping it as a separate platform, Nokia on Tuesday rolled out plans to move its N-Gage gaming platform into select smart phones, due in 2006 and beyond.
The N-Gage gaming platform, including 3D graphics and more, will be available for Nokia phones using the upcoming Series 60 operating system, the company announced at E3 (the Electronic Entertainment Expo) here.
"It`s going into a broad range of smart phones," said Robert Sears, community technology manager at Nokia Corp. But not all of them - at this point, the phones will require N-Gage`s standard 176x208 screen resolution.
(*Click to enlarge)
Nokia also announced that a redesigned N-Gage will be announced this fall. This "next-generation gaming platform" launch will include devices, content and partners. But the existing QD will not be phased out—the company plans on selling it through 2007 and beyond.
(*Click to enlarge)
The platform will be built around a refreshed Texas Instruments OMAP chip set, delivering what Nokia described as real 3D graphics in a handheld platform. The video demonstration of that performance was impressive, albeit obviously canned.
The company showed two working concept smart phones running N-Gage games, along with demos of all of the games. The most interesting concept, however, was onscreen only - a concept phone with a slide-out 16x9 screen for gaming. View our slide show to see the concept phone, along with the working smart phones with N-Gage technology inside.
Also below are few sample screenshots generated by the new 3D graphic engine.
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