SciTech
The Battalion
Page 4 • Tuesday, October 14,
Gaming on the go: handhelds shake up marke
By George Deutsch
THE BATTALION
For the first time since the days of the Sega Game
Gear in the mid-1990s, Nintendo has some competi
tion in the handheld video game system market. Two
companies are set to unveil their portable gaming sys
tems this month — Nokia is debuting its N-Gage and
Tapwave its Zodiac — and another, Playstation, has
announced many of the specifications for its new
portable, the PSP, set to debut next year.
Before running out and dropping $300 on a new 32-
bit piece of handheld hardware, gamers should be aware
of what they are getting — and in some cases, not get
ting — for their gaming dollar. The increased competi
tion in the market should, in theory, drive prices down
and game quality up, but that remains to be seen.
It would be difficult, but not impossible, for
Nintendo to lose its grip on the handheld market, which
it has dominated since 1989 with the original Game
Boy. For the past several years, Nintendo has had the
only handheld system on the market for which games
were still being produced.
The GBA SP, Nintendo’s latest in the popular line
of Game Boys, currently supports hundreds of games.
It is reverse compatible, allowing gamers to play old
Game Boy Color and original Game Boy games on it,
as well as GBA games. This gives a huge advantage to
Nintendo, as it already has an established library of
games.
The GBA also underwent a facelift, and it now fea
tures a sleeker, slimmer look in the form of the GBA SP.
Arguably its biggest advantage, though, is that it has a
suggested retail price of $99.99, a far cry from the $300
cost of other systems. The GBA is also compatible with
the Nintendo GameCube, and it features in-CPU mem
ory capabilities, meaning it can save games without an
additional memory unit.
The GBA, however, will have to compete with supe
rior hardware and software, not to mention the other
features its competition has, such as cell phones and
PDAs. For many GBA owners, the novelty might also
have worn off, as it has been on the market for more
than a year.
First in line to dethrone Nintendo is Nokia and its N-
Gage. The N-Gage’s biggest selling point is that it also
functions as a cell phone and MP3 player. It will retail
for $299, and will support many popular titles for its
launch, such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, Tomb Raider
and Red Faction II. It will also offer a USB con
nection and memory card compatibility.
Unfortunately, some may find game load
ing to be a chore. Players must shut down
the N-Gage system and take out the battery
to change games, and when used as a
phone, the N-Gage can make you look like
you’re “talking on a taco,” according to
Game Informer Magazine. Still, with
Nokia’s hardware capabilities and name
recognition, the N-Gage looks formidable.
Next in line is Tapwave’s Zodiac,
which features a back-lit LCD screen,
analog control stick and rumble effects,
according to www.tapwave.com. The
Zodiac’s biggest lure is that it also functions
as a PDA and MP3 player. It features a touch-
sensitive display screen. The Zodiac will also be able
to play movies, and it features its own graphing calcu
lator. It will sell for $299, and it has memory card
compatibility.
Tapwave’s Zodiac, however, has the unenviable task
of trying to develop name recognition from scratch in a
market where name recognition is everything. With lim
ited launch titles, the Zodiac has to set itself apart from
the competition by developing a fan base and proving it
doesn’t need a cell phone to stay competitive.
Last is Sony’s PSP, which will not debut until
2004. Sony is promising gamers that the PSP
isn’t “old technology squished into a handheld,
like the GBA” in its trade magazine, the
Official U.S. Playstation Magazine.
The PSP will play games and movies,
and it will also support surround sound,
according to www.playstation.com. It will
offer wireless LAN support, allowing
gamers to compete with each other wireless
ly. Sony has said that to remain competitive,
it will sell the PSP for less than $250.
The PSP’s biggest challenge will be to
remain competitive even though it is being
released a year later than its competition.
This year of downtime will give the GBA, N-
Gage and Zodiac more time to develop games
and a fan base. Only time will tell whether Sony
can usurp this.
The handheld video game market is definitely being
shaken up. Gamers should ignore the hype and expen
sive ad campaigns and buy the system that best meets
their gaming needs.
Photo courtesy of Came Informer Macaw
The Nokia N-Gage (top) will function as a portable
game player, cell phone and MP3 player. It will
retail for $299, and it will feature games sucf
Tomb Raider and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell.
Photo courtesy of Game Informer Magazm
Not only does the Tapwave Zodiac (above) play
games, it also works as a PDA and MP3 play
er. It can also play movies, and it has atoucli
sensitive screen and a graphing calculator.
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How does your religion
view organ donation?
Assembly of Goo
Donation is highly supported by the denomination.
The decision to donate is left to the individual.
Baptist
Buddhist
Catholic:
Christian Scientist
Organ donation is encouraged as an act of stewardship and
of compassion for those who are suffering.
Donation is a matter of individual conscience.
A high value is placed on acts of compassion.
Organ and tissue donation is an act of charity and love.
Pope John Paul II has stated that Christians should accept
this as a challenge to their generosity and fraternal love.
The decision to donate is left to the individual.
Episcopal
A resolution in 1982 recognizes the life-giving benefits of
donation. All Christians are encouraged to become donors
M as part of their ministry to others in the name of Christ,
who gave His life that we may have life in its fullness. M
Hindu
1X11 n: pen dent Evangelical
Islam
The decision to donate is left to the individual. Organ
transplantation can be used to alleviate the suffering of
other human beings.
The decision to donate is left to the individual.
Nothing in Scripture contradicts organ donation.
NTusIirn scholars belonging to various schools of Islamic law
have cited the principle of the priority on saving human life
and have permitted organ donation and transplantation as a
necessity to procure that noble end.
r da ism (^All Branches)
Organ donation is a contemporary Mitzvah. When a human
life can be saved, it must be saved.
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TVT ETH O D 1ST
Donation contributes to the well being of humanity and can
be "an expression of sacrificial love for a neighbor in need.’*
The United JSdethodist Church encourages all Christians
to become organ donors as part of their mininstry to others
in the name of Christ.
Alembers are encouraged to be organ donors.
www.donorworld.com
1.800.355.7427
www.organ.org
1.800.788.8058
ET THE FACTS
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AMILY
SIGN A CARD
Talk to your spiritual leader about organ
donation. Then, talk to your family
about your decision to donate.
Come talk to us at the MSC or Blocker
Building on October 14 th from 9am-3pm.
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