Update: Telecom responds to N-Gage focus

[bahn]

Just minutes after Nokia's first look of its revolutionary new gaming device known as the N-Gage, rumors and speculation has been circulating like mad...

While official price and ship details are remain tight-lipped, highlights currently released to the public include software support, features and availability. Although Nokia has established a exclusive partnership with Sega, many are concerned as to how the respective gaming and mobile phone users were respond to the new product.

"Big boys" Nokia and Sega's entry into the ring could signal the end of the "availability for all" ethos prevalent in the mobile gaming community. Concerns about cost and interoperability between handsets and networks means N-Gage's much-awaited launch could be more of a false dawn than a blaze of glory.

"The promise of anytime, anyplace gaming could go the way of picture messaging - consumers unwittingly limiting their choice of games by not subscribing to the right network or owning the same handset," says Anders Holst at Telecom One (owners of dedicated mobile gaming channel TX1*). "Gamers can already bypass these issues by downloading the latest games from independent mobile content providers like TX1. Our games are geared to work on all the latest handsets irrespective of network, type of contract or games developer involved. We are working with the best developers to bring the widest choice of quality games to all the gamers out there."

<font size="1">*TX1 is the first TV channel totally dedicated to mobile games. It is totally network and operator independent, which means that anybody can download the featured games, whether they're subscribed to O2, T-Mobile, Orange or Vodafone on monthly, or pay-as-you-go contracts. The channel is available on Sky Digital channel 689 and via the sister website www.tx1.com.</font>

In other related news, there's a disclaimer in the official press release by Nokia which states the following...

"*Notice to US Consumers:
This device has not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission. This device is not, and may not be, offered for sale or lease, or sold or leased, in the United States until authorization is obtained."

so we (in the U.S.) can't get all that excited just yet...well, unless you import

[Wildkat]

As a cell phone its GSM, which is the least supported cell phone standard in the US.

The will need a CDMA version to even get me slightly interested, unless they sell a version that isnt a phone at all.

[unit003]

they need to run a few ad promo's before they get any interest. I'm sure there's people who'll love it once they see something like this on the market.