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N-Gage dies. Again

Ovi is the next of kin

N-Gage dies. Again
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Nobody who pays any attention to the mobile gaming world will be surprised to learn that N-Gage, Nokia’s beleaguered games platform, has been pronounced dead for a second time.

In an interview with Mobile-Ent.biz, Nokia’s Mark Ollila explains, “We are not releasing any more games on N-Gage, although the store - the ability to buy N-Gage games - will remain open until at least September 2010, and the N-Gage service will run through to the end of 2010."

From the off, the N-Gage platform has faced unexpectedly severe handset compatibility issues, and when Apple’s App Store went live and promptly revolutionised the world of mobile gaming, the imminent demise of N-Gage became inevitable.

This doesn’t spell the end for Nokia’s mobile gaming ambitions, though. A dedicated gaming platform may have died, but the broader App Store-style Ovi platform is ready to take up the slack.

"The message is that Ovi Store is the place to find and purchase mobile games. It's our one-stop shop for games."

Rob Hearn
Rob Hearn
Having obtained a distinguished education, Rob became Steel Media's managing editor, now he's no longer here though.