3GWeek - Asia’s Mobile News

There is a serious legal issue behind N-Gage. Does Nokia realize it?

N-Gage, Nokia mobile gaming platform which I reviewed (and reborn) a month ago seems to have a little problem today! Yeah … big company sometime tent to love to make problem isn’t? BBC had reported a serious news that N-Gage gamers have gone crazy at Nokia after learning that their N-Gage mobile game which they bought for their handsets are locked to a such specific device forever. Means that when a gamer changes or upgrades to a different Nokia handset they have to purchase the games again if they want to continue playing.

But why?

Perhaps I know the reason why. I think Nokia just want to protect their right and mobile game makers (EA, Gameloft, etc) here. Well, since those games (there are 30) are bought and downloaded directly to the phone, users or even Nokia itself can not guarantee if the users will move the game or keep the game inside Nokia device when they upgrade or change it.

Case study, just for example … Thus, let’s say that an N-Gage gamer sell his/her device to other people. This condition however will harming the legal issue on that game. The handset buyer which never purchase that game suddenly will enjoy it without having to purchase it legally via N-Gage website. If the condition is presumed to be like this then it is acceptable if Nokia issue this unfriendly rules. But if Nokia has another argument on this case, sure we just want to know officially why?

Source: BBC Image courtesy of Fonearena