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[pukko]

The first ngage crashed and burned so hard that it is impossible to use the name ever again. Had they skipped the first design and released the second model instead, they might have succeeded.

But in general, the market wasn'r ready for it. Phone gaming wasn't a big thing, mobile data was an expensive thing that almost noone wanted to pay for, hardware was a bit too slow etc.

And now, I think the market for a dedicated gaming phone is very small. People select phone on other criterias, and expect to be able to game on any phone

Timing is everything

 

[nampad]

I like to play on portables so I would be interested in a Microsoft handheld although it doesn't have to be a N-gage
Unfortunately, the market is way too risky.

The Xperia Play failed because PlayStation Mobile was a dud. Devices with a 'closed garden' app/game marketplace that dies are, as a rule, failures.

Sony finally decided to drop the issue (they waived the publisher licence fee in May) but it's way too late for the poor Xperia Play. And it wasn't a bad concept or design either.

The Xperia Play launched a long time before the PSM platform. Their respective failures have nothing to do with each other. Don't know what you are talking about.
Actually, most people are unhappy that the Xperia Play is supported by PS Mobile because its old tech is holding the platform back.

The Xperia Play also has access to the Playstore if I remember correctly and there are many games supporting its control inputs.

That said, the Xperia Play got some niche following around the Android handheld fans for emulation reasons. Many preferred it to the bad chinese Andeoid consoles.

 

[Nikodemos]

The Xperia Play launched a long time before the PSM platform.

True, but it was the first part of the Playstation Certified programme (which was based around Playstation Mobile).

That the Xperia Play's tech (Snapdragon S2, Adreno 205) became outdated really quickly, and Sony never followed-up with a more powerful successor is yet another issue.

 

[nampad]

True, but it was the first part of the Playstation Certified programme (which was based around Playstation Mobile).

That the Xperia Play's tech (Snapdragon S2, Adreno 205) became outdated really quickly, and Sony never followed-up with a more powerful successor is yet another issue.

So? It has access to the Google Play store where also Xperia Play optimised games launched. In the end, your 'closed garden' argument is still flawed.

 

[Cynn]

https://vine.co/v/hddTVThxUMw

I was playing Splinter Cell on my NGage the other night. That said, I don't need an NFL TV phone.

XGage, open Dewrito App.

A PSVita phone would be awesome though. Allow it to take Vita carts and buy digital ps1 and PSV games. Add in remote play for PS4 and access to the Google Play store. That's a recipie for win in my book.

 

[Nikodemos]

So? It has access to the Google Play store where also Xperia Play optimised games launched. In the end, your 'closed garden' argument is still flawed.

But the whole issue is that their attempted 'closing of the garden' ultimately failed, causing them to lose interest in the whole thing. Add to that the general money problems.

Which is a pity, since having an Xperia Play-type device as a cheaper alternative to (and a source of develpment funds for) Vita would've been better than keeping the PSP zombie going. But they kinda half-baked it from the get-go.

 

[Wiktor]

I would like a Galaxy Note-sized Xperia Play-like device with WIndows 8

 

[nampad]

But the whole issue is that their attempted 'closing of the garden' ultimately failed, causing them to lose interest in the whole thing. Add to that the general money problems.

Which is a pity, since having an Xperia Play-type device as a cheaper alternative to (and a source of develpment funds for) Vita would've been better than keeping the PSP zombie going. But they kinda half-baked it from the get-go.

It is pretty obvious that you dislike 'closed garden' approaches and I agree that for a consumer, it would be better to have open platforms. I also agree that trying to create an own app ecosystem besides the (also closed) big app stores is very difficult but not impossible. Amazon managed to launch a new platform because they had a good product.

Sony didn't really try in my opinion. They do have the content to push for a successful ecosystem. Just imagine having (nearly) all PS1 games available for your smartphone. That would be a considerable pull effect on consumers. Their Playstation certified attemp encompassed what, like 10 PS1 games? No wonder the platform failed but it had nothing to do with it being closed.

The reason for the failure are way more differentiated.

 

[Nikodemos]

True, those had more to do with Sony's general financial shittyness. Also, Vita flopping hard.

I suspect they initially envisioned something similar with what I had considered, a cheap(er) console-phone (based on the Play's slide-out form-factor) for PSP/PS1/small-scale indie games and Vita for your KZ:Mercenaries, Puppeteers, Tearaways, Rayman Legends and what have you. Funding issues and below-lukewarm reception caused them to just jumble all these ideas into a sort of blob. I mean, heck, look at Nintendo. They have fuckloads more money than Sony and still didn't manage to support both a handheld and a home console. It's a gargantuan effort having just one of each. Having two would be almost sisyphic.

 

[Lazaro]

If Nokia bring back Metal Gear Solid Mobile, Sonic Advance, Pocket Kingdom, Elder Scrolls etc. for the new Xbox/NGage phone. Sure I'll consider it.

 

[McLovin]

They could slap two sticks on the top/bottom of a W8 phone, call it the X-MG(mobile gaming), and nobody would buy it. Nobody is taking that DS/iOS money. Vita is just barely hanging in there.

 

[lastflowers]

Doubt it.

 

[accolade]

I can totally see this happening, as it's the one thing Microsoft has been missing is a entry into the portable handheld market to compete with Nintendo's DS and 3DS line and SONY's PSP and Vita.

People are too buy paying attention to Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia for the Lumina smartphone line are completely overlooking this avenue.

They will probably rename N-Gage to X-Gage, increase the screensize and blow up the hardware to match the Xbox 360, and you have a contender in the portable handheld market, that's still viable since smartphones without a contract cost $400-600 and don't quite equal up to console manufactures ties to game developers.

 

[SporeCrawler]

With MS buying the Nokia Devices and Services division, they now own what was once a portable handheld console manufacturer.

Now imagine for one second that Microsoft is not going to gut and throw away Nokia like Danger, or Rare, or Ensemble, or... you get the drift. Instead, they revive the Ngage concept and flesh it out into the ultimate Cellphone/Handheld portable the world will ever see.

Who would buy such a device? Would it monitor everything you say as you play CoD on it and feed it to the NSA? Would Sidetalking make it's triumphant return?

hahaha... what?

I can totally see this happening, as it's the one thing Microsoft has been missing is a entry into the portable handheld market to compete with Nintendo's DS and 3DS line and SONY's PSP and Vita.

People are too buy paying attention to Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia for the Lumina smartphone line are completely overlooking this avenue.

They will probably rename N-Gage to X-Gage, increase the screensize and blow up the hardware to match the Xbox 360, and you have a contender in the portable handheld market, that's still viable since smartphones without a contract cost $400-600 and don't quite equal up to console manufactures ties to game developers.

sarcasm meter just broke