Comments on: Hooray For DRM Once Again: Those N-Gage Games Are All Locked Up UPDATED

By: Nick

Nick — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:25:50 +0000

Personally, limiting purchases to one handset has always put me off paying more than a couple of pounds for a game. I agree with AAN that the contrast between N-Gage and Music Store is extremely frustrating, and must be a barrier to sales, both of phones and content.

However, here may be light at the end of the tunnel - ironically from elsewhere within Nokia. Their site MOSH has recently launched hundreds of free, ad-funded games - including some from mobile game developers that I (as a very casual consumer) recognise immediately. Now this is clearly at a very early stage, some of the games don’t work properly on my n95, some are old and frankly rubbish, but I downloaded 6 or 7 last night, will play them all at least a couple of times and be exposed to the ads at the start and end of the application.

Obviously, this model all depends on the ad-revenue that can be gained - but surely this is a better idea than the old-world economics of DRM and locked content?

P.S. - Just re-read my comments and realised it sounds like a big ad for MOSH. It’s not - DRM just drives me crazy!!

By: Christian

Christian — Mon, 26 May 2008 02:26:13 +0000

I dont think the problem is the DRM system, it isn’t the DRM technology itself who applies such limitation like locking content to a single device. Further can your content rights easily be transferred to a new or second device, the DRM technology was made for that as well. I agree that those applied limitations render the service itself more or less useless but the technology can’t be blamed for that, here are more the business cases of that company starting with N limiting a take off.

By: Hooray For DRM Once Again….. « BlogsOnMobile

Hooray For DRM Once Again….. « BlogsOnMobile — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:54:51 +0000

[...] Courtesy of MobHappy by Carlo Longino (Source) [...]

By: » The internet has flipped out over the news that purchasing an N-Gage game will limit it to only working on one handset. Read the reactions: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Thumb Report

Thu, 22 May 2008 13:04:11 +0000

[...] an N-Gage game will limit it to only working on one handset. Read the reactions: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. var disqus_url = [...]

By: krisse

krisse — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:20:04 +0000

Doing completely without DRM is not a realistic option for Nokia, because third party game publishers will insist on DRM, and all gaming platforms need third party support.

On the other hand, I don’t personally think DRM is actually needed that much because N-Gage games are so cheap and easy to download straight onto the phone over the phone network, with the price going on your phone bill. People can buy them on impulse, because there’s a minimum barrier to purchase: a few clicks and the game is yours, wherever you are, you don’t even need a credit card.

BUT… I’m not a third party publisher, and they are generally big fans of DRM, so I don’t think Nokia has a choice in the matter.

However, there’s DRM and there’s DRM: some forms are less restrictive than others. N-Gage games might be tied to one phone at a time, but there’s no reason why they couldn’t be moved from one phone to another when the user upgrades. The current situation of one phone forever is daft.