Exclusive: Hackers claim to have cracked N-Gage app
And the games are being pirated online, too
Fed up with the fact that the new N-Gage application only works on a few handsets? It seems hackers felt the same way, and have been busy cracking it to work on a host of other Series 60 devices.
We've found one online forum with a download link to the application saying it works on Series 60 v3 handsets including the E65, 5700 XpressMusc, the N73, N71, E51, 6110 and 6210c.
It offers a five-step process to get the app installed on these handsets, as well as installing cracked versions of N-Gage games. No, we're not providing the link here. The forum thread has had over 12,000 views, so it's clearly creating some interest.
It gets worse for Nokia, though. Several forums are claiming to offer cracked versions of N-Gage games, including System Rush Evolution, Mile High Pinball, Space Impact: Kappa Base, Asphalt 3: Street Rules, and Hooked On: Creatures of the Deep.
That didn't take long, and is sure to cause concern within the company, particularly as it recently cited its strict DRM as one of the reasons why gamers would have to re-buy their N-Gage games if they switched handsets.
Is it a big problem for Nokia? You could argue that relatively few people will make the effort to get a hacked version of the app and its games �" even if it is just a case of a few seconds Googling.
During its First Access beta trial, Nokia looked benignly on users trying to get the N-Gage app working on non-supported phones, claiming it showed the pent-up demand for N-Gage.
However, the news that online forums are offering cracked versions of the games will surely raise alarm bells within the company.
