Baldur's Gate. On your phone?

[JPS]

http://sorrent.com/games/baldurs/index.jsp

 

The award-winning RPG series comes to your mobile phone! One of the most beloved Dungeons & Dragons interactive adventures ever, Baldur’s Gate set the standard for character development and storyline. Explore the treacherous dungeons of the Forgotten Realms where treasures are plenty, magic & monsters abound and fantastic adventure awaits.

 

Yes, it seems to be true, and no, it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the original story. And no, I'm not about to go buying a mobile phone that supports Java just for this...

[Mahault]

Is the world really so lonely and boring that people must be attached to their mobile phones all the time? Hm.

[seanas]

Is the world really so lonely and boring that people must be attached to their mobile phones all the time?  Hm.

no, but the world *is* full of public transport, which is the ideal ecology for mobile phone growth.

[jester]

I never pick up the phone when at home. Instead I hop on a tram or bus and talk away with people on the phone(s), sitting next to me and to the people they talk to on their phones. Life is a journey.

[seanas]

you talk with strangers having mobile conversations, jester? ha! i should have interviewed you for the research i completed recently - it would have been interesting data

 

(which of course has nothing to do with BG mobile games...)

[jester]

You can play games like fill out the blanks (since you cannot hear what their partner on the other phone says) or guess the next word.

 

Yes, I do get enough fresh air and fruit.

[Mahault]

Jester, have we met? Vienna, metro, two years ago...

 

Problem here is now you have all these people in social situations who are so withdrawn into their phone world that they do not pay much attention to the immediate reality. Gets annoying.

More relevant to the topic of this thread, assuming one has played the original Baldur’s Gate wouldn’t this version be just substandard? Eh, I don’t get it.

[jester]

Jester, have we met?  Vienna, metro, two years ago... 

That was you? Yes, now that you mention it. I recognize your face.

[julwise]

Problem here is now you have all these people in social situations who are so withdrawn into their phone world that they do not pay much attention to the immediate reality.  Gets annoying.

Yeah, it's weird. You never see people walking around alone without busying themselves with a cell phone. It's like people are so afraid to be alone, or to seem alone in front of other people. At least that's how I interpret it. We should all be able to walk around alone confidently, lol.

 

But on topic, I don't think BG on a phone is a particularly great idea. Or any long-term type of game. If i'm going to play a game on my phone it's going to be in order to waste some time when I show up early for something. I don't want to have to think about finishing it after a few minutes of play, it's too much of a commitment for a phone.

[JPS]

For the record, I never take my phone with me unless I know I'm going to need it, but I still never talk to people. But I suppose that's a national character thing...

 

As for the game, I assume that it can be easily paused and saved in case you have to take your eyes off the phone (or if somebody calls you. I hear people still use phones for that every now and then). Other handheld gaming devices (game boys and the like. I don't have one myself and don't plan to get one, but some friends of mine do, and sometimes I don't manage to avoid hearing about them, despite my best efforts) have long and involved games and operate under the same premises (umm... "you carry it with you, and sometimes you have to stop playing and interact with other people", that is).

 

The game looks a bit primitive, but not more so than, say, the games at Yahoo or some similar site. They're Java games too, come to think of it. And Near Infinity uses Java... phone modding, anyone?

[Pekka]

Play BG with your phone? Right...

 

When I was young, 'mobile' phones weighed a few kilos and were carried on back.

http://www.co.missoula.mt.us/acs/radios/PRC-70.htm

 

My phone is not the newest model (don't have even colours in it!) and I use it - as a phone. I guess mobile phones will soon lose this feature and be instead equipped with Geiger counters, searchlights, lockpicks - you name it.

[Idobek]

It's like people are so afraid to be alone, or to seem alone in front of other people. At least that's how I interpret it.

I am forever being told that I am not normal because of my willingness to do things alone.

[julwise]

I prefer to play long involved games in an isolated space of time. I've owned a gameboy before and I only ever played it at home or while camping or the like. I just can't get into playing something for a few minutes at a time, it's far too easy for me to lose track of what i'm doing.

 

I'm not much of a phone person though either. The only conversations I like to have on the phone, apart from talking to my parents, are those of the "what time are we doing X" variety. I actually tend to get annoyed when people call me and want me to stop what i'm doing just to hear about their day or whatever. I'd much rather talk in person.

[jester]

I think the immersion is not the same and mobile gaming is based on a tricky premise at best. In fact, if the game is any good, your mobility suffers (physical and mental mobility), if not the game fun is rather questionable. Graphics don't mean that much to me. I still enjoy Fallout from time to time, but most games especially CRPGs)are simply not suitable to be played at the size of a middle sized post it.

[Guest Aristothenes]

Basic hack-n-slash, some RPG elements (Buy weapons, change stats, have feats)

Story in 1 line: Someone creating trouble between Mulhorand and Faerun, you must stop them!

 

From the size of the download on my phone less than 500KBytes, don't expect a complete masterpiece, as it is handphones are wretched for mobile gaming.