Nokia's N-Gage hits the N81 next week in pre-release form

It's a good time to be an N81 or N81 8GB user, since Nokia's got some pre-release versions of full N-Gage titles just for you as of next week. Nokia's hoping for some feedback with this "N-Gage First Access" setup, since the full service isn't quite ready to go yet. Of course, the N81 has game demos on it out of the box, but this time it'll have "exclusive access to the pre-release version of the N-Gage application and one or more N-Gage games!" They're certainly taking their own sweet time getting the relaunch of N-Gage ready, but given the failure of its first two iterations, perhaps we should be grateful Nokia's waiting to get it right this time. But seriously, hurry up already.

[Via NokNok; thanks James B]

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Dec 14th 2007 9:22AM]

Buy an 360, PS3, or a Wii. Videogames are much more fun on those than on a phone.

[Rich @ Dec 14th 2007 9:31AM]

I agree but I get funny looks when I try and play Halo 3 on the train.

[Dale @ Dec 14th 2007 9:54AM]

Personally, I'm happy carrying a phone, an iPod and a Nintendo DS but some people want just a single device that does all three.

[K.R @ Dec 14th 2007 9:32AM]

I don't understand why they keep using the name N-gage.... wouldn't they want to create a new name rather than use the name of a product that flopped badly.

[daedalus @ Dec 14th 2007 9:45AM]

The side of that phone looks like it would fit snugly against the side of my head

[SkyScrap @ Dec 14th 2007 10:40AM]

Personally, I don't even know why the N-Gage QD flopped. Playing games like Worms, Colin McRae or Pathway to Glory was just great. Also multiplayer worked well, when there were enough other players online.

I'm very much looking forward to that, and there's also a promotion tour here in Germany. --> http://www.naechste-episode.de/

[Pdexter @ Dec 14th 2007 10:55AM]

Fifa has been great. Got N95 8GB, but it's kinda iritating that they arent giving the N series flagship one these too. Thought i understand that they want to separate N81 as the gaming phone(even if my N95 8GB could probally deliver more with its 2.8 screen and better hardware =)).

[Matt Peckham @ Dec 14th 2007 11:15AM]

When they are $99 with contract, I will be interested in buying again. Heck, I think my QD was $49.99. And it was the best phone i've had. Too bad it had a software glitch and they wouldn't reflash the rom or I'd still be sporting it instead of my crappy Samsung I spent WAY too much on.

[Constable Odo @ Dec 14th 2007 11:32AM]

Didn't N-Gage already fail, so have they done something to improve upon this gaming experience? I would have thought it to be a good idea to play simple games on a handset.

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2146487/nokia-holds-fire-mobile-gaming

[roole @ Dec 14th 2007 11:37AM]

Ewwww..... looks like a cheap trinket.

[Blex @ Dec 14th 2007 5:51PM]

I would get this phone but i want a Sidekick LX. If this phone has a full QWERTY keypad, i would consider to look into it because i bet no one is going to get it. Everyone else has a sidekick and nothings wrong with that but I want something no one has.