Handheld video game console | telephone:Nokia N-Gage: Handheld Game Console and Cell Phone

The N-Gage is device that doubles as a handheld game console and a cellular phone. It was an attempt by Nokia to capitalize on the fact that many gamers were consistently carrying both items separately. It was released in 2003 for $299, but it was almost immediately clear it could not compete with its contemporaries, which included the Neo Geo Pocket Color and the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. In its first weeks, the GBA reportedly outsold the N-Game 100 to 1. In less than a month, many retailers were offering $100 discounts on the product. Its failure was primarily due to a combination of its high price, and the fact that the buttons - which were designed for a cell phone - were not conducive to gaming. The system's launch games were also considered weak compared to other handheld systems.

Nokia continued to attempt to break into the video game market by releasing an updated handheld console - the N-Gage QD - and then by offering game applications on its smartphones. However, in October 2009, Nokia announced that the company will no longer produce new N-Gage games, and the N-Gage service will fully cease at the end of 2010.