N-Gage expectations: The graphics

First in a series of articles looking at our hopes and expectations for Nokia's all-new N-Gage platform.

As our favourite cuddly neocon Donald Rumsfeld put it, there are known knowns, known unknowns, and unknown unknowns. We're not sure what category he'd put Nokia's new N-Gage platform in – in fact, we're unsure if The Don is even aware of the original N-Gage.

Although we bet he would've loved Pathway To Glory.

But anyway, the point we're trying to make is that there are still a lot of unknowns about the new N-Gage, despite it being due to launch in the next few months. So we're going to be taking a look at what we do know about the platform in a series of features, as well as outlining what we hope Nokia will do to make N-Gage a success this time around.

First up, then, the graphics. What we know is that N-Gage will run on several of Nokia's N-series handsets, making use of their graphical processing power. The result? Proper console-quality 3D visuals, running at a silk-like frame-rate.

The video trailer below offers a taste:

It's fair to say that phones with N-Gage inside will kick seven bells
out of existing 3D Java mobile games, visually. But is that enough to make the platform a success? Well, it'll certainly encourage developers and publishers from the console space to create games for it, particularly if it allows them to use existing assets from, say, PSP games. And in terms of winning credibility in the games industry, having the processing grunt to throw around console-calibre graphics will be another plus in Nokia's favour. But that's not the whole story. Console-like visuals will be useless if they're simply allied to console-style control systems. N-Gage's graphical strength is also a potential Achilles' heel, in that it might just encourage developers to port across console or handheld games without thinking about how they'll work on a mobile phone. 3D first-person shooters and complex beat-'em-ups? Grand. Now show us how the hell we control them easily on a numeric pad. This is where Nokia will have to take a strong role, not dissimilar to what Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo do as platform owners in the traditional gaming world. It'll have to work with publishers to ensure they're making 3D mobile games, not just porting across 3D console titles.

Equally crucial could be Nokia's role as a first-party publisher, working with developers to come up with games that use the N-Gage's full graphical potential, allied to innovative one-thumb control mechanisms. You can see that happening already in games such as System Rush Evolution, developed by Ideaworks3D.

It's clear that new N-Gage games will look better than the vast majority of mobile games to date. What's crucial, however, is that Nokia (and publishers) doesn't fall into the trap of thinking that's the be all and end all. Looks aren't everything, after all.

Next week: Connectivity…