N-Gage games now available through Ovi Store

. Promised some time ago, N-Gage games have finally been made available through Ovi Store, in the form of free trials which can be unlocked into full versions through an in-game purchase or rental option. Although Ovi Store and N-Gage remain separate brands right now, it might make sense for Nokia to merge them, as discussed below.


Arguably, both Ovi Store and N-Gage would enjoy benefits from a merger.

- Ovi Store would provide a better overall sales infrastructure

- Ovi Store would provide hundreds (eventually thousands) of non-N-Gage games too

- N-Gage would provide exclusive criticially-acclaimed first party games which would not be available anywhere else

- N-Gage would provide online multiplayer gaming and community features, something Ovi Store currently lacks

- A merger might give Nokia the excuse it needs to replace and/or ditch the "N-Gage" brand, which has arguably held back their gaming platform rather than helped it. Just to make clear, this writer thinks the new gen N-Gage platform itself is great, but the name reminds people too much of the old gen N-Gage phone of 2003.

- A merger would make life much easier for third party publishers who want to release titles as both normal versions and N-Gage versions


However, it's very important to note that talk of a merger is speculation on our part. Nokia hasn't said what they will do in this regard, though they have expressed a general long term wish to unify their online sales channels.

Via Allaboutsymbian