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Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory game will be released for Nokia's N-Gage platform. The console and PC version of the game, developed by Ubisoft, won a number of awards at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, including official show awards for Best PC Game, Best Action Adventure Game, and a Special Commendation for Graphics.

The N-Gage version of the game is being developed by Gameloft through a licensing agreement with Ubisoft. It is slated to include full-3D to interactive features and multiplayer options via Bluetooth wireless technology and the N-Gage Arena. Gameloft has converted a few other Tom Clancy titles for gaming on mobile handsets, including Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow and more.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Chaos Theory isn't expected to be released for the N-Gage platform until the first quarter of next year.

N-Gage

Nokia's sequel to its N-Gage gaming smartphone, the N-Gage QD, is slated to be released on July 27, more than a month after it was originally supposed to ship in the United States. Nokia started shipping the N-Gage QD game deck in Europe, Africa and the Asia Pacific back in May.

One of Nokia's goals with the N-Gage QD is to offer it at a lower price than the original, which sold for $300, more than most users were willing to pay. The new model is listed for $199. Nokia wants carriers to offer it for $99. In addition, Nokia’s first stab at a mobile gaming platform didn't sell well, nor did it receive good reviews. The N-Gage QD is supposed to be more compact and easier to use.

The new model runs the dozen or so games already produced for the original N-Gage. However, the N-Gage QD is more compact at 5.05 ounces and 4.65 x 2.68 x .87 inches., has a hot-swappable MultiMediaCard slot for easier game switching, longer battery life, improved gaming controls, a brighter screen, and a new N-Gage Arena launcher application.

The new launcher aims to make it easier for gamers to connect to N-Gage users around the world over mobile networks via the N-Gage Arena. The launcher is accessed from an icon in the game deck's main applications menu, similar to other N-Gage software. N-Gage Arena members can communicate with one another, download exclusive content, access rankings statistics, participate in events and activities, and more. The new launcher is being made available to owners of the original N-Gage. As with the original, N-Gage QD owners can participate in close-range multiplayer gaming via Bluetooth.

Gamers will be happy to know that the company has eschewed the "taco" style of the original N-Gage for a more traditional and more flattering phone style. According to Nokia, the changes listed above are a result of the feedback they've received. Senior Vice President of Games, Ilkka Raiskinen, said "with improved gaming ergonomics, gamers can now start to play games at the push of a button and enjoy the increased responsiveness of the game keys. We also added support for hot-swap MMC and extended the battery life. For phone calls, we reoriented the speaker and microphone to support 'classic talking'."

The N-Gage QD is available in two versions: a GSM 900/1800 variant (Europe, Africa and Asia Pacific), already shipping, and a GSM 850/1900 variant (Americas). As with all other Series 60 smartphones, the N-Gage QD also offers personal information management, an XHTML browser, email and the possibility to download and install additional Series 60 software.

Mobile Gaming

JupiterResearch, a division of Jupitermedia Corporation (the parent company of this website) announced back in May that the addressable audience of portable gamers will nearly double from 23 million to 43 million by 2009.

According to JupiterResearch, the addressable audience of portable gamers are users of dedicated game devices such as Nintendo's GameBoy, users of hybrid game devices such as Nokia's N-Gage or Tapwave's Zodiac, and gamers that play more than five hours per week on their PDAs.