Why The Nokia N-Gage Was A Complete Failure – SlashGear

The N-Gage wasn’t exactly the worst Nokia phone, but for a communications device with dedicated gaming hardware, it wasn’t such a stellar attempt either. One of the biggest complaints was the N-Gage’s bulky form factor, which had already been an issue since its pre-production unveiling. Another gripe involved Nokia’s odd design decisions, which required users to dismantle the N-Gage’s back cover and battery every time they wanted to swap in another game. For a phone that was meant to be a handheld gaming device, it didn’t help that the N-Gage utilized cellphone-like buttons that were “mushy,” along with a tiny 2.1-inch display in portrait orientation (via Phone Arena). This made the actual gaming experience cumbersome.

Meanwhile, using it for phone calls felt awkward given its unusual taco-like shape. Now, outrageous design aesthetics are still one of the most prevalent compromises in gaming phones, but during the N-Gage’s release, it was a social stigma that was even more palpable. Nokia’s first gaming phone attempt didn’t offer the best experience as either a cellphone or a dedicated portable gaming console in the first place. Then there are the N-Gage games, which consisted of fewer titles than those in the massive games library of Nintendo’s cheaper alternative (via IGN). That’s not to say it was inferior though, as the N-Gage’s features were ahead of its time, even making wireless portable gaming possible courtesy of Bluetooth. Unfortunately, not everyone was ready for it just yet.