Nukey Shay Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 If it's from Activision, it's bound to be exciting and original hides copies of Laserblast and Freeway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockman_x_2002 Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 Interesting project, and I'm keeping my eye on it. As a gamer, however, I feel I have to offer my philosphy on cell phones and video gaming: First, there's this notice... Nokia's N-Gage system. Apparently, it was a bomb waiting to happen. Already they're offering discounts on the system. Perhaps the best description I can give for what happened to the N-Gage is to quote from the heading of an article in the Jan. '04 issue of GMR Magazine: "N-Gage M-Plodes." And I think I know why. First off, you have a system like the N-Gage. It can play games and it's a cell phone. Great and wonderful, but it has a $300 price tag. You can either talk on the phone, or play a game, but not both. Now, say you have a Game Boy Advance (SP) and a cell phone (any cell will do). A fair-priced cell phone will probably run you anywhere from $80 to $100, for functionality and even a few extra little gizmos. The GBA does what it's designed to do... play games. Combined price: GBASP $100 + Cell phone $100 = $200. And $200 < $300. So not only are you able to talk on the phone and play a game, it's cheaper to go the GBA and cell phone route anyway. My final point: Game machines are meant to play games. Cell phones are meant to be a phone. And ne'er the twain shall meet. Off my soap box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindfield Posted January 18, 2004 Share Posted January 18, 2004 I don't think the two are quite that mutually exclusive, but I do think that gaming on cell phones is relegated more towards moments of boredom -- quick games of nothing special while waiting for something or someone. Dedicated portable game machines (i.e. GBA), or at least multifunction machines whose primary purpose is games (i.e. Zodiac) are more inclined to be used for more serious gaming, and since they're separate from any other significant feature (i.e. a phone) then their main purpose, if it's a multifunction device, isn't diluted to the point where it can't decide what it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad2600 Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 I'd prefer that it was a title on any of the modern consoles. Otherwise, how are those without cell phones going to play it? My sister has a cell phone and she has to recharge hers every 2 seconds, so I don't get how people can use their cell phones for anything beyond just a phone. It's not like they have a Game Boy Advance SP battery in them. I still think it's cool that there's a new title coming out. No problems with that. Maybe if it's successful on cellies, then it could be ported to consoles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory DG Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 Gotta go with the prevailing wind here. Gaming on a cell-phone isn't the best way to go. I don't think people buy a cell-phone based on what games it will play, but rather what kind of deal they can get. Hence, the phones with more features (games, cameras) don't sell as many. Plus, it's plainly obvious that games on the GBA are more in-depth and more fun to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted January 19, 2004 Share Posted January 19, 2004 I just want to chime in on this as well. There's no better way to ruin a good idea for a game than to relegate it to cell phones. Please guys (that means you, Activision)... don't waste this great opportunity on such a stupid platform! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Yancey Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 My sister has a cell phone and she has to recharge hers every 2 seconds, so I don't get how people can use their cell phones for anything beyond just a phone. It's not like they have a Game Boy Advance SP battery in them. Her cell phone battery is worn out. It needs to be replaced and it should hold a charge much better. I am happy to see the old school Activision guys working on an Activision project together. Ken, tell them I said Hello!! David Yancey Player of Activision games since 1980 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inky Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 I have to agree with the general consensus here, and state that I'd rather see this on the gamecube, or other gaming platform than a cell phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 My sister has a cell phone and she has to recharge hers every 2 seconds, so I don't get how people can use their cell phones for anything beyond just a phone. It's not like they have a Game Boy Advance SP battery in them. Her cell phone battery is worn out. It needs to be replaced and it should hold a charge much better. I am happy to see the old school Activision guys working on an Activision project together. Ken, tell them I said Hello!! David Yancey Player of Activision games since 1980 I was exaggerating to make a point. My sister has a new phone, but it doesn't hold a charge as long as a GBA SP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted January 20, 2004 Share Posted January 20, 2004 I don't think the two are quite that mutually exclusive, but I do think that gaming on cell phones is relegated more towards moments of boredom -- quick games of nothing special while waiting for something or someone. I think that is exactly correct. People who do play games on their cell phones are more likely to either play whatever games came with it, or whatever ones they can easily find and download for free. They aren't going to go out of their way to find (or pay for) games for it, since it's not a real gaming machine in the first place - a Tetris knock-off or game of solitaire will do for most people when they're just waiting in line somewhere. If you're a gamer, you'd probably buy a GBA for portable time-killing anyway, so cell-phone games would be pointless. (I never saw the appeal of the N-Gage prior to its release, and still don't. Looks like I'm in the majority. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raindog Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Boy, they're pushing the hell out of it at my local Gamestop, though.... at the rate they're going, next month if they can get you to buy one they'll throw in every game ever made for the thing.... all 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MegaManFan Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 If they sold one with every game ever made for it as a bundle without cell phone service for under $50.. nah I still wouldn't buy that turd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockman_x_2002 Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Boy, they're pushing the hell out of it at my local Gamestop, though.... at the rate they're going, next month if they can get you to buy one they'll throw in every game ever made for the thing.... all 6 That's probably because by next month they'll go on clearance. $50 a console, and $10 a game. Just like when the Jaguar was on its way out the front doors (of course, one of those jumped into my capable hands. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raindog Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Won't the N-gage be a paperweight if you don't have it activated on someone's wireless service, though? I seem to remember one of the reviews mentioning that if you didn't have a valid sim card inserted, it wouldn't boot at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mos6507 Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 I wish they were getting together to make a 2600 game......that would be awsome. Wasn't Bob Polaro going to work on an all-new title? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mos6507 Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 Companies are making millions on RING TONES. Ring tones aren't even games and they aren't even MP3s but people are paying money for them. Cell phones are the ultimate DRM (i.e. closed system) machines. It's not as easy to get stuff installed on them as, say, on a PDA that can sync to your PC. So it's easy to force people to pay for content like this. Plus, the demographic is for CASUAL gamers, gamers who wouldn't buy a GBA but happen to have cell phones. It was a similar idea behind the Nuon system. Bring games in through the back door through a piece of consumer electronics that already has market penetration. So I can see the potential business model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaXpress Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 I see that potential business model fail every time. It will continue to fail because the kind of person who would seek out and purchase a game, as opposed to playing whatever is free on their phones, will play it on a dedicated game system every single time. The people who insist that we will one day pay for cell games are like the people who insist that soccer will catch on in America. It won't. Both have always failed here because US sports fans like to use their hands and US video gamers dont waste their time on cell phones and they never will. Ringtones are selling on cell phones because they actually, you know, have something to do with the operation of a phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakdin Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 I would, if I lived in the US, DEFINITELY NOT be making a purchase. Sorry. Cell phones are just that, PHONES, not gaming machines. It's great to know that those three guys (and Activision) are trying to breach the envelope here, but so far, no one else has been able to do it...maybe they are the special Genies in the lamp? A curious quick question for those who do play games on phones: during play, what happens when someone calls you? does the game pause or does it block incoming calls? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raindog Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 On most phones it blocks incoming calls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted January 21, 2004 Share Posted January 21, 2004 It was a similar idea behind the Nuon system. So I can see the potential business model. Potential for... utter failure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZylonBane Posted January 22, 2004 Share Posted January 22, 2004 The game will consist of several Atari 2600-type mini games, all-wrapped up into one BIG game. Sounds more than a little like Wario Ware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisbid Posted January 23, 2004 Share Posted January 23, 2004 Sounds more than a little like Wario Ware. nothing wrong with that at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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