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Yesterday, Nokia made the announcement of the new N-Gage QD Game Deck, an evolution of the N-Gage with improvements in all the right places. We still had some questions that needed answering after the initial press release, so our writer James sat down with Yuir Rebello, Director of Product Engineering for Nokia Canada for a Q&A session to clear a few things up. Here's what went down:

James: Hi, Yuri, I'd just like to say we'd like to thank you for your time. We're sure you're a busy guy, so let's get things started ASAP shall we?

Q: First off, Nokia's announcement today about the QD is making waves. Gamers Wanted, myself, especially are really excited to see what this new rendition can bring to the table for Nokia.

A: Thank you, we are very excited about the announcement N-Gage QD as well. Nokia is extending its brand to the games industry by bringing an exciting new dimension to the games experience. This also demonstrates Nokia's continued commitment to establishing itself in the games arena with the help of mobility.

Q: Do you think that the release of this new version of the N-Gage will be enough to help Nokia gain significant ground in the handheld market?

A: The release of N-Gage QD demonstrates our commitment to the games industry. Nokia is making industry history by bringing mobility and interactivity to the games business. Together with top game publishers, developers and operators, Nokia is optimizing its game devices to offer consumers a truly rich and interactive mobile gaming experience.

Q: What sparked the desire to release a new version of the N-Gage so early in the systems life? The original model has only been on the market for about 6 months.

A: Nokia wanted to expand its game device portfolio. With improved game ergonomics, gamers can now start to play games at the push of a button.

Q: Would I be safe in assuming that the improvements made on the QD model were all implemented using feedback from the press and public? What did you find to be the biggest issue gamers had with the original model? How did you tackle the problem with the new QD model?

A: We improved gaming ergonomics, added support for hot-swap MMC and extended the battery life. For phone calls, we moved the speaker and microphone to support classic talking.

Q: Have any improvements been made to the operating system in the QD Deck?

A: No. The operating system is the same as in the original N-Gage deck.

Q: It takes quite some time for the N-Gage to start up, is this going to be addressed with the QD model?

A: One of they key features of the N-Gage QD is the hot-swap MMC allowing for instant gaming instead of powering down the device to change games.

Q: Battery life on the original N-Gage was very short, and one of the main concerns for gamers. How long will the battery for the QD Deck last?

A: The battery life on N-Gage QD for gaming is 5-10 hours depending on whether you are playing multiplayer over Bluetooth.

Q: In the press release, 2 prices were named for 2 different versions of the QD. Could you explain the difference between the 2 different versions? Which do you expect more gamers to flock to?

A: The unsubsidized price is the full retail price. The price with contract refers to a subsidy given by your cellular service provider for signing a cellular service contract. In Canada, the retail price is expected to be $249(199 US). Currently no announcements have been made about a contract price in Canada. Which version the consumer selects will depend on their needs for cellular service.

Q: A lot of gamers felt that the starting line up of N-Gage games was rather lackluster. Since then, the games released seem to be getting better. Is this a trend we can continue to expect of N-Gage games in the future?

A: Absolutely. You will start to see many popular titles coming out soon and some of these titles will include special N-Gage-only features. For example in The Sims: Bustin' Out, there are unique N-Gage only collectible items and multiplayer features. You will also start to see some new N-Gage Nokia published titles such as Ashen and Pathway to Glory. We expect our games library to exceed 50 game titles by the end year.

Q: Developer support for the N-Gage seems to be on the rise, what do you think the cause for the increase in interest is?

A: The N-Gage platform offers the opportunity to create unique, high performance games that can take advantage of its online and multiplayer functionality. Based on the feedback we've had so far, games developers are really excited by the prospect of network-aware games -- games that take advantage of the Bluetooth and GPRS connectivity.

Q: Of all the games being released for the N-Gage in the next year, what's getting you the most excited?

A: Personally speaking, the game I am looking most forward to is our new titles that will have massive multiplayer online capabilities such as Pocket Kingdom and Pathway to Glory.

Q: What is your opinion on the Nintendo DS, and do you think it will have any effect on the strategy Nokia is taking with the N-Gage?

A: The N-Gage platform is not competing with the traditional pocketable games devices. It is creating an entirely new category in the games market through mobility, connectivity and as a converged device. The N-Gage platform differs from existing products because of its wireless multiplayer and online capabilities that allow totally new games, games services and business models.

Q: Where do you see the handheld gaming market in say, 5 years?

A: We see mobility and online multiplayer gaming as the two most important things that will happen in the games industry in the coming years.

Q: Do you think Nokia will still be a part on the scene?

A: Absolutely. Nokia is well-positioned to bring its leadership in mobility to the gaming industry. Mobility will bring an exciting new dimension to the games experience, since the mobile phone is a personal device that travels with its user, providing the user with more freedom than ever before to play games.

Q: Does Nokia have any plans to release a successor to the N-Gage in the future?

A: The N-Gage platform will have a range of devices over the coming years. Right now, it's too early to speculate about future devices, but it's clear that we won't be launching any other new devices during 2004.

Q: Finally, what can we expect from the N-Gage at E3?

A: The N-Gage QD game deck will be showcased at this year's E3. The N-Gage booth will also have the latest in high-profile exclusive N-Gage titles and blockbuster hits.

James: Thanks for your time.

Yuri: It has been my pleasure.