Handhelds, WiFi, and you.

[doubleplus]

I recently picked up an N-Gage QD in addition to a GameBoy Advance. Both have their merits (GBA is probably more powerful, but the N-Gage has emulators and limited multiplayer capability), and both have me thinking rather seriously about the future of online gaming within the handheld market.

Technology is continually getting smaller, and the concept of a wireless network card being built into either the N-Gage or the GBA's future generations seems almost inevitable, but I've always been interested to see what type of demographic there would be for such an option. Nokia's N-Gage Arena currently offers little other than a global ranking system, but with Worms World Party and Pocket Kingdom in the works, the idea of playing head to head(s) with other people is sounding more and more like an option for people during a commute or when they can't reach a PC.

Which brings me to the topic of WiFi. While they don't seem to be part of the market now, they're definitely on the way. And true wireless internet connections means massively multiplayer games, as well as multiplayer FPS battles. With Nintendo seeming to pull toward the handheld market again, and Sony entering the fray, could we see something in the next few years that is designed with a multi-platform handheld systems in mind?

As I mentioned before, Pocket Kingdom and WWP seem to be dabbling in the field, and if it's successful might pioneer another MMO boom, only this time on a literally smaller scale. But will it stop there, or will designing MMORPGs with a different player base in mind generate some new ideas in this industry of Tolkeinesque bunny bashing?

Sony and Nintendo also may benefit from getting into a WiFi market, since their machines are dedicated to gaming, and they both have established franchises which could morph into MMORPGs rather effectively (Zelda online MUST happen! /fanboy).

What do you guys think? Am I jumping the gun here? Will people be interested in taking their catassing to the streets?

[Krakrok]

They already do this in Japan on their GPS cell phones. You have to walk around at night in the local park to find and battle a certain type of monster that only spawns at night in the park. Oh and don't forget to walk up to 42nd street to collect the "Super Shiny WoopleFoozle". I think there is a variant in the US but it requires a Nokia 6600 phone and it may or may not be an actual "game" (might have to do with social networking instead).

For wifi to be effective you need it to use the cell phone network by default and if you come within range of a wifi access point it switchs over for higher speeds.

[Moroni]

Good thoughts from both of you. I can say since I'm a commuter I'd really enjoy being able to do some multiplayer gaming from a handheld device. But how advanced can games on handhelds become? I highly doubt even the DS could run anything as complex as a MMOG just because of the RAM requirements alone. Perhaps if they keep things light weight like in a console RPG where battles are instanced and the math isn't overwhelming.

[Jayce]

The big issue to me would seem to be interface.  Someone is going to have to get really creative to come up with something that's as easy and flexible as today's paradigms, but small enough to fit on mobile devices.  

Most all of the mentioned issues are surmountable by more technology (RAM, calculation speed, graphics).  But people's hands aren't getting any smaller.

[personman]

But people's hands aren't getting any smaller.

Form factor is a huge part of mass consumer acceptance.  I've been a skeptic they'll ever be anything but a series of youth market-centered fads ever since my first handheld game.

I'm not saying a dumb business - just the opposite.  But we're not going to have a discussion of PC vs Console vs Handheld dominance anytime soon.  Maybe once handhelds are simply compatible decks with larger host systems founf in arcades, etc.

[Arnold]

But people's hands aren't getting any smaller.

Form factor is a huge part of mass consumer acceptance.  I've been a skeptic they'll ever be anything but a series of youth market-centered fads ever since my first handheld game.

I'm not saying a dumb business - just the opposite.  But we're not going to have a discussion of PC vs Console vs Handheld dominance anytime soon.  Maybe once handhelds are simply compatible decks with larger host systems founf in arcades, etc.

Woah, I've never seen that one before.  I had a Mattel football (and later, basketball) game as a kid.

[Volm]

I was thinking about something like this at work the other day. Whoever could make a sims online type game for the NGage (or hell, even regular cell phones if they can) would have a huge hit.

Catass on the go has a lot of potential.

[AOFanboi]

Whoever could make a sims online type game for the NGage

Apparently, the n-Gage version of The Sims: Bustin' Out will have "connectivity features".

As an aside, I liked the screenshots for the DS version of Urbz: Sims in the City; for instance, you can buy scratch lottery tickets, and use the touch screen of the DS to physically "scratch the card". Plus that game will probably have some connectivity, too.

[schild]

As an aside, I liked the screenshots for the DS version of Urbz: Sims in the City; for instance, you can buy scratch lottery tickets, and use the touch screen of the DS to physically "scratch the card". Plus that game will probably have some connectivity, too.

They have the po' tax in Urbz? There's only one possible response to that. roflmao.

Anyway, here's my set of problems with the NGage:

1. The resolution on the screen is ass. I have a Toshiba 4050 and the res is 480x640 on a vertically aligned screen. The NGage is like 2xx by 1xx. Unacceptable.

2. They don't use the Sprint network. The cheapest unlimited internet plan on AT&T, T-Mobile and Cingular  is $30 a month, not even including talk time. Sprint's unlimited internet plan + sprint to sprint calling + nights/WE that start at 7pm + 500 minutes a month is $59.99 total. The other phone companies can't remotely match that. Particularly not the Sprint to Sprint calling.

3. I use the net a lot on my phone. It's slow. They say it's fast, it's not - it's slow and crappy. Japan's network is apparently quite swift, but given that the entire country is smaller than Virginia, I can see why.

Number 1 was the real reason I didn't buy one, the screen res turned me off a LOT. Though I did enjoy the THPS demo on it. Now if only they can convince me to change cellular carrier.

[Alkiera]

2. They don't use the Sprint network. The cheapest unlimited internet plan on AT&T, T-Mobile and Cingular  is $30 a month, not even including talk time. Sprint's unlimited internet plan + sprint to sprint calling + nights/WE that start at 7pm + 500 minutes a month is $59.99 total. The other phone companies can't remotely match that. Particularly not the Sprint to Sprint calling.

Around here (Western NY), not using sprint is a selling point...  Sprint's network here blows chunks.  Coverage isn't very good, and where there is a signal, it's crackley.  My current phone is a prepaid on Sprint's network... when I'm done with it, I'll probably get a phone on Verizon, whose ads about having great coverage aren't just marketing hype.

--
Alkiera

[schild]

It doesn't look like the N-Gage is supported by Verizon. It seems to only work on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Cingular. All of their prices are total ass and would probably help explain the completely lackluster sales of the N-Gage.

[Righ]

GSM. Verison doesn't do it. It uses some shite American "standard".

[schild]

As far as I can tell, GSM is more prevalent in Europe while the majority of America uses Sprint/Verizon's 3g service. Don't be patriotic or anything, mr. arnold.

[Righ]

Europe. Mmmm. Did Europe absorb all of Africa, most of Asia, Australia and most of South America while I was out? GSM is an international standard. One that was adopted by virtually every member of the ITU excepting the US. The US decided to try and force Qualcomm's CDMA down everybody's throat. The first 3G systems were implemented in Japan using TDMA GSM. The next ones came from Europe using GSM. So 3G doesn't mean CDMA and its inherent cell pollution issues.

[Azhrarn]

From what I've heard, Verizon is working on adding GSM support *soon*.  But no idea what the timeframe on that is going to be.  Bleh :/

[AOFanboi]

Did Europe absorb all of Africa, most of Asia, Australia and most of South America while I was out?

No, they did that ages ago, but had to let go of them last century. :)

That said, GSM won the current generation, but the 3G war between CDMA2000 and W-CDMA is far from over. Same shit seems to be affecting the emerging WiMax stuff as well. (The WiFi split between 802.11 a and b/g seems to have been resolved with 2 victory points going to the latter.)

The GSM vs. CDMA stuff was funny when they started looking for a mobile network for Iraq: American companies tried to push "their" technology, despite that all neighbors were on GSM... Some US politicans even went so far as to say GSM was French (and hence non-CotW), despite that the major GSM technology manufacturers are Finnish (Nokia), Swedish (SonyEricsson), Asian (Samsung) and... American (Motorola). In fact, I can't think of a single French company producing GSM equipment...

(Okay, Siemens of Germany is a non-CotW manufacturer.)

[Moroni]

Every major carrier I have looked at has provided some sort of GSM coverage. I did not really think of Verizon though. I did know GSM was pretty much standard for the majority of the free world, but how much longer does it really have before another technology takes over?

[koboshi]

Ok so now both the Nintendo DS and the Playstation Portable have IEEE 802.11 WiFi.  Does this mean that you can play online while riding the bus to work?  Not around here (D.C.) it doesn’t, there aren’t nearly enough hotspots.  And what of those pay-for-hotspots in places like starbucks, can the DS or the PSP negotiate with those?  What CAN I expect from the new connectivity?

[Azhrarn]

You can expect to form a local LAN with whatever people happen to be using the same console as you within 50 feet or so of you.  While the n-gage doesn't have 802.11, it does have bluetooth and the cellular connection.  So you can use the cellular connection to play on the bus, if you find any games you like. ;)

[sidereal]

You can expect to wait for WiMax for persistent metro-wide connectivity.