Archive for the ‘Arena’ Category

Fast and furious, here we go… 

• Tzer2 over at All About N-Gage has put up a new editorial about the full potential of N-Gage. I thought that this was a good article because it serves as a reminder that we are still in the early stages of N-Gage, with only a handful of games as of yet, and no devices with the application pre-installed. Read the rest here.

• Andrew Podolsky over at 1up.com has posted his first impressions of the new N-Gage platform. He notes: “However, the N-Gage is clearly attempting to become the new standard-bearer for mobile gaming, and from what we’ve seen and played, we’re hopeful that it will find an audience this time around.” Have a read.

• And finally, I’ve been tipped off about a new blog (new to me, at least) covering the N-Gage scence. Called N-Gation, it’s put together by hOAx, whos is tossing up videos, reviews, and previews of N-Gage games as fast as he can get his hands on ‘em. Looks like good stuff so far, go ahead and give it a click.

Here are his reviews so far:

• Asphalt 3
• Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep
• System Rush: Evolution
• Brain Challenge
• FIFA 2008
• Space Impact Kappa Base

Have a great weekend everybody!

Good day, N-Gage fans. It’s another fun-filled day at the office as we get ready for N-Gage Go Live.

Redrum is sitting in a corner, pulling out what’s left of his hair. Congested is now hiding under his desk, making strange noises. And here I am, answering your questions, deleting spam, and approving comments with good humor and abundant cheer, but before you ask: No, I can’t give you a go date. So without further fussing, let’s get to the discussing! Here are a few questions for you this time around:

What other mobile gaming websites do you visit besides the N-Gage Arena forums and blog?

What did you think of our old ‘Player of the Month’ feature? Would you like to see it return, and in what form?

Did you show your First Access application to anyone who does not own an N-Gage compatible device? What was their reaction?

Due to popular demand, we’ve opened up our First Access Experience Survey to all who participated in N-Gage First Access, and not just N81 device owners.

 As a thank you for completing the survey, we’ll send you a complimentary Activation Code for a copy of the upcoming game, Mile High Pinball. Once the game is released, you’ll receive the Activation Code via email and/or message board Private Message system. We will also be adding 1000 community points to your profile.

So go fill out the survey and have a great weekend!

If you own our Nokia N81 device, then visit the First Access forums to download the pre-release version of the N-Gage application, start playing games, and have fun!

What is N-Gage First Access?
N-Gage First Access allows Nokia N81 owners to download the pre-release version of the N-Gage application, try and buy N-Gage games, and provide feedback on the experience. It’s a great opportunity to be the first to join the new wave of mobile play.

The features available through this pre-release version of the N-Gage application are constantly evolving, so keep in mind that this offering is only the beginning, and our feature set, game catalog and device portfolio will continue to grow in the weeks and months ahead.

Useful Links
We have set up an entire series of forums for you to ask questions, post feedback, get help, and find others to add to your Friends List. Please use these links to get started:

First Access main forum
Application Download
Frequently Asked Questions
Feedback
Getting Help

Feel free to comment and discuss on this post, but for detailed instructions and discussions, you’ll want to visit the First Access forums.

–ikona

Just a quick note today: We’ve added new forums for all of our announced next generation N-Gage games, and even one unannounced one too (Project White Rock). So drop by and tell us what you think of these upcoming games.

Also sorry about the lack of updates lately. Not only are we working like mad around here to get the next generation N-Gage website ready for our launch date, I’m also getting over a nasty bout of flu.

Just a quick note for those of you first generation N-Gage gamers out there. To help get ready for the next generation of N-Gage, we recently kicked off something we call the Charter Member program.

It’s our way of rewarding the loyal and dedicated core of N-Gage players who are ready for the transition to the next generation of N-Gage. You might even win a next generation N-Gage device!

Here’s how it works. Just go to the Charter Member site, and start participating in the events and group activities. You’ll earn points in the Charter Member Program for doing so, with an opportunity to earn special recognition in the new N-Gage Arena, as well as some great prizes.

Your loyal mod crew, led by Redrum, is standing by and waiting for you to come play.

Check it out!

Scott Howard, the network games product manager for N-Gage, has been on a road show talking to the press about the next generation of mobile gaming, at the Develop Conference in Brighton and elsewhere.

As the write up on Mobile Industry.biz explains,

[Howard] demonstrated how the company has learned lessons from the demise of its dedicated handheld device — focusing on community aspects that can sit around the games across a whole range of handsets.”

Showcasing a raft of functions which should seem familiar to anybody who uses Microsoft’s Xbox Live platform, he explained how Nokia aims to transform the user experience into “smooth, efficient, easy steps”. This, Howard said, could revolutionise the way that phone users perceive the device as a games platform.”

He went on to explain how community and connected gaming are the “lifeblood” of the new N-Gage effort.

Other write-ups include Games Industry.biz and Kotaku, the latter of which notes that the N-Gage is morphing from a “hilarious taco phone” into a connected, community experience.

Just a quick reminder guys, you have one more day to submit your entries in for our Melting Pot II Caption Contest! The competition ends on Thursday, May 31 so get cracking!

We’ll announce the results on the Melting Pot II activity page.

All right Arena fans, you know the drill by now. We’re challenging you to create a funny caption for the picture below, as part of our Melting Pot Month II activity in the N-Gage Arena.

Successfully submitting your caption will earn you ten points on the Melting Pot II Scoreboard, while the funniest caption will get an additional ten points at the end of the month.

Here are the guidelines for this activity:

* Stay on topic! Only post caption entries on this thread, not general N-Gage comments.
* Keep it clean! All comments on this blog are moderated, so no profanity or user-bashing.
* English please! Your Melting Pot Caption Contest entry needs to be in English.
* Sign with your Arena username! Otherwise we can’t give you credit.
* One per customer! You can only enter once, so make your first shot your best one!

And here is the picture to comment on:

That’s it! To submit your caption, just hit add a comment.

SAMPLE:

“Hello, I’d like to order a taco for my taco!”

Submitted by ikona

As the captions are approved, they will be posted, and an updated list of successful caption submitters will be transmitted to Redrum for updating the scoreboard.

At the end of the month, Ikona will choose the funniest web caption and inform Redrum. That user will then receive ten additional points towards the May 2007 Melting Pot II activity.

Have fun!

As part of Melting Pot Month in the N-Gage Arena, we’re challenging you to create a humorous caption for the picture below. Successfully submitting a caption will earn you ten points on the Game of the Month Scoreboard, while the funniest caption will get an additional ten points at the end of the month.

Here are the guidelines for this activity:

• Stay on topic! Only post caption entries on this thread, not general N-Gage comments.
• Keep it clean! All comments on this blog are moderated, so no profanity or user-bashing.
• English please! Your Melting Pot Caption Contest entry needs to be in English.
• Sign with your Arena username! Otherwise we can’t give you credit.
• One per customer! You can only enter once, so make your first shot your best one!

And here is the picture to caption:

That’s it! To submit your caption, just hit add a comment.

SAMPLE:

Soldier 1: “I can’t see my legs!”

Soldier 2: “I’m calling someone who cares.”

Submitted by ikona

As the captions are approved, they will be posted, and each Monday an updated list of successful caption submitters will be updated on the scoreboard.

At the end of the month, we will choose the funniest web caption. That user will then receive ten additional points towards the April 2007 Game of the Month Melting Pot activity.

Have fun!