Originally Posted by MaxSMoke
I stated pretty much the same thing on an Engadget forum a few months ago. Packing around several gadgets is a real pain. People often only have room for just one object with them. And if you're going to take only one gadget with you, it's going to be a cellphone.
The real question is, how could they make this work? After all, the Cellphone is designed for dialing numbers and talking to people. It's not something you look at once you start using it, since it's up against your face. It needs to be comfortable to talk on for long periods of time.
The handheld gaming system, on the other hand, needs to be comfortable to play on for long periods of time. You need to stair at the screen, so the screen must be very large. And it needs adequate controls available to manage these complicated 3D games. Even the PSP, with it's 17 control buttons and analog stick, is still seen as having limited controls to really manage a 3D game.
So how do you fit ALOT of buttons and two joysticks on a phone, with a HUGE display, and without making the phone too uncomfortable to talk on for long periods of time?
And bear in mind, you can't make this too big either! It's got to be very small, and yet still have a VERY large display and numerous controls. It's also got to fit a large battery for long periods of gameplay and long periods of talk time. And it needs as much CPU power as possible. No small order.
A bluetooth headset can get around the talking problem, if you're used to using wireless headsets. I dunno about you, but I've tried Bluetooth headsets and found them to be too annoying to use much. I feel stupid leaving it on my ear, and it's too fragile to put in a pocket. Sometimes it doesn't connect at all, and it's yet another device I need to remember to charge. Too bad they don't make the headsets built into the phone itself.
The N-Gage tried to mix a phone and gamepad controller together. They did a pretty good job, but it was lacking in these ways:
1. Screen was FAR too small.
2. The controls were too close together.
3. The CPU was FAR too slow for 3D games.
4. No camera! (I use mine all of the time)
5. Made a lousy phone.
How about a contest to see who can design the best cellphone/handheld gaming device? Maybe we can ask Microsoft to consider using the design for their handheld X-box, should they ever make one.