Loading ...Gamertell Review: T-Mobile’s G1 as a game system
Section: Reviews, Originals, Features, Opinions, Handhelds, Cell-Phones, Smartphones, Handhelds-Other, Gear
Product: T-Mobile G1
Price: $179.99 ($399.99 minus $220 instant rebate)
Rating: One thumb up, one sideways; 81/100; B-; * * * out of five.
Pros: A great phone with lot of groovy uses. Mini trackball works wonderfully for games, decent graphics for a phone and nice sound. Also has motion-sensitive controls, touchscreen, mini keypad and GPS that can be incorporated into games. A lot of free games in the Android Market.
Cons: Touchscreen requires full finger pad contact and sometimes slow to respond. Accelerometer is touchy and mini keypad is hard to see. Battery can be exhausted die fairly quickly.
Overall: Do not get this to use it as a game device. G1 owners will, however, enjoy many good and inexpensive games that make use of the mini trackball and proper use of the touchscreen, making it better than the average phone for mobile gaming.
There are few phones that can be called gaming devices. While Nokia has certainly tried the hardest – releasing two called N-Gage and then re purposing the name to include all of the company’s N-series devices – the T-Mobile G1 phone comes in a close third for marketing after those Apple products. Even so, T-Mobile has certainly done well promoting the G1 as a gaming device.
The T-Mobile G1 is a mixed bag when it comes to mobile gaming. It’ll play all of the regular games but also promises so much more with the touchscreen, accelerometer motion controls, built-in mini QWERTY keypad and mini track ball. While it’s certainly better than your average cell phone when it comes to gaming, it still has a few annoyances that keep it from being truly amazing.
Also check out the review of the G1 at sister site Gadgetell.
The Phone
The phone weighs 5.6 oz (155 grams) and, when closed, measures 2 3/16 in. wide, 4 5/8 in. tall and approx. 11/16 in. thick. When opened, it becomes 3 13/16 tall and maintains the same width and thickness.
The model I was sent to try is dark grey with “T-Mobile” logo on the top above the screen, “hTc” on the left side and “with Google” printed in the middle of the back. The G1 has a color touch screen with a visual – and touchable – area that measures 1 3/4 in. wide and 2 5/8 in. tall.
The phone’s controls include, on the face, a green On button, a Home button with house icon, a center protruding trackball and push button, a Back arrow icon button and a red Power/Hangup button. Above those in the middle is a MENU button. Except for the trackball, the buttons are flush to the phone’s shell and all light up when the phone is actively being used.
The right side of the phone also has a slightly protruding camera icon button for tacking picture with the digital camera on the back of the phone. The left side of the phone has a volume +/- button (13/16 in. long).
The keyboard is concealed by the screen which you manually shove to the right. It pushes the screen up and automatically reorients the picture so it is readable from this view. It also exposes a mini QWERTY keyboard with 10 number buttons and a few extra buttons including an up arrow and Menu button (so it is easier top press from the keyboard than (the side button). The other buttons still work so you can still use the mini trackball in conjunction with the keyboard. The keys are very slightly bubbled with F and J having an extra Home Key notch. A few keys have been moved to the bottom row including @, . (period) and a magnifying glass which goes to the Google search screen. The characters are printed in dark grey on light grey buttons with secondary characters printed smaller in orange. The letters of the keys light up when the phone is active which is nice in the dark but makes the letter harder to read during the day.
Scrolling through screens and menu items is performed either by swiping the touchscreen in the direction you want it to move or by moving the mini trackball. The phone also has an internal accelerometer and GPS that can both be incorporated into games.
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Featured Stories
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Is Apple Nintendo’s Problem?
Is Apple Nintendo’s Problem?
Nintendo has seen a significant drop in profits lately and most say Apple’s mobile gaming platform is to blame. Nintendo themselves are even keeping an eye on Apple. Sony and Microsoft is no longer the thorn in Mario’s side. It’s the big “little i”.
Is Apple really the biggest issue Nintendo is facing or is it a larger issue? Most likely, a little bit of both. As a hardcore Nintendo fan, I can safely say that my favorite gaming company has failed me the past few years. It all began with the shoddy release of Twilight Princess, the lack of core titles for the DS and then the Wii games that were off-shoots of “Sports” started to move through the shelves.
What’s left for us? The Moms, families and kids are only going to enjoy their Wii for so long. Then, they will put it down for a new toy that’s promising family fun. I have it on good authority to say this since I’ve sold my Nintendo Wii. Why? Because my kids stopped playing it and moved on to something else.
Nintendo has forgotten about their core audience. They have been pumping out games for a brand new audience that were quite successful. You can only go so far with the “Wii-fit-sports-swimming pool-billiards-backyard party” franchise. Frankly, you can only go so far with any franchise. I have to admit, even Zelda is in desperate need of an upgrade.
Bring that issue alongside Nintendo’s current handheld competition and you have a major problem. Apple is starting to dominate in that category. Wait a second, the iPhone/iPod Touch isn’t a handheld system! It’s not? It fits in your hand and you play any game that you can play on other systems. I should say it is.
Nintendo DS requires wi-fi to get into the shop or to download. The iPhone requires a cell phone signal and that’s all. Nintendo DS games cost between $10 and $40. iPhone games cost between $0.99 and $7.00. Even popular games like Command and Conquer and Civilization cost around $6.00.
Apple has a big advantage over Nintendo in the ease of getting your games, organizing your games and they are much more cost effective. Plus, the accessories needed and the price of the games are in Apple’s favor as well.
Nintendo long ago lost a good part of their core audience. They didn’t seem to care since the core audience stuck around for the DS. They moved to a new market with the Nintendo Wii, bringing in the family gaming system and allowed Microsoft and Sony to take their core console gamers.
Apple has moved in on their handheld market in a big way. Not only have they taken a large chunk of the core handheld audience, but they are also taking the casual audience as well. This isn’t the end for Nintendo. It isn’t time to scream doom and gloom or get ready to plan the funeral of Mario. It is time for Nintendo to start looking closer at their audience, the behavior of their audience and who is holding the market shares. -
5 Awesome Nintendo character tattoos
5 Awesome Nintendo character tattoos
Like other uber geeks, we are the beautiful people and we have awesome taste in tattoos, clothing, games, tech, gadgets and nostalgia. A generation grew up on Atari, Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and the Mother of video game entertainment of the 1980’s – Nintendo. We proudly wear our dorky gamer badges on our bodies for all to see.
There are probably hundreds of thousands of Nintendo tattoos out there. We scoured the web to find our 5 favorite Nintendo character tattoos.
#5. Hey. Hey Listen!
Why Navi? Of all things, why Navi?! Because you said that as soon as you saw this tattoo. She’s embedded into your brain, the constant screaming of “Hey, hey hey listen!” and this brave man has made sure everyone will remember it. The tattoo is really well done, but we all hate him just a little bit.
#4. Stars and Ghosts, oh my!
This tattoo comes complete with invincible stars and a Boo. It’s quite obvious this girl loves her Nintendo. We love her half-sleeve and her stars. The original photo by Kotaku stated this woman’s husband was the tattoo artist. We love both of them just a little.
#3. 8 Bit Mario
Memories of throwing your controller when Mario died, moving the controller with Mario to make him jump and wanting to kill Toad when your Princess was in another castle come to mind when looking at this tattoo. The original tattoo is credited to artist Jon Poulson on Flickr.
Number 2 and number 1 are after the break
#2. Mega Man 8 Bit
8 bit art is win. Well done 8 bit art of Mega Man on your arm? A lot of win. Orginal source unknown (if someone knows it, please catch us on Twitter so we can credit it!)
#1. Samus Aran
Samus Aran will kick your butt.
Nothing else needs to be said about that. Unreality showed off this piece along with some other great Metroid themed ink.
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E3 2010 Predictions
E3 2010 Predictions
E3 2010 is a couple of months away. As usual, everyone is making predictions and speculating what huge announcements are coming. A lot of talk is revolving around Sony and Microsoft this year. There are hopes of long-awaited games finally coming out in the public eye.I wonder if Duke Nukem will finally come out? Sure. Right.
For E3 this year, I have a couple of predictions of my own. I am hoping that Nintendo redeems themselves and announces a new Legend of Zelda game. I see the game releasing during the 4th quarter of 2010. Gears of War 3 is another prediction. I don’t see it releasing in the 4th quarter of 2010. I see an announcement at E3 with the possibility of release in 2nd or 3rd quarter of 2011.
I asked on Twitter what your predictions for E3 are from The Geek Media’s Twitter and my personal Twitter. The answers after the jump.
@MemBirdman : “I predict a combined 137 minutes of stage time for Natal & Touch during the press conferences. That might be conservative. :/”
@Mifio: “APB launch date announcement, Uncharted 3… And thats all I really care about.”
@DCSilverwing: “ok, my official prediction (based on nothing) Elder Scrolls, and SOME kind of TRON game…”
@Leto: “I don’t have a lot of expectations, after a few flops in March. Hoping that more of The Old Republic is shown off though.”
@MemBirdman: “I predict that Shigeru Miyamoto will do something during the Nintendo press conference totally awesome and mildly pedophilic.” (Wait…what?)
What are your predictions for E3?
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Is Apple Nintendo’s Problem?
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