Just in case you somehow missed this on Friday, the N-Gage platform has gone live. You can download the application from the N-Gage homepage if you have one of the compatible phones - currently the N81, N82 and N95. Apparently, N73, N93 and N93i support is coming 'soon'. Once the app is on your phone you'll be able to head to the N-Gage store to download compatible games and compete against other players.
This is an important moment for mobile gaming. Until now, the most reliable way of getting hold of mobile titles has been via your operator portal, but often the navigation of these sites leaves a lot to be desired with back catalogue games hidden away - deep, deep away - far behind the top ten list of recommended downloads, usually paid for by publishers. N-Gage promises to be an accessible cross between an iTunes-style digital download service and an Xbox Live style community. Gamers will also be able to play demos of every game on the service - a stark contrast to the operator portals where customers usually have to make a purchase in order to play a game.
So yes, this - alongside iPhone and perhaps Google's Android - is the beginning of a new mobile games industry. It's about time.
