N-Gage QD to launch for $99 with rebate

EB Games and T-Mobile will send N-Gage out the door for $100 less than its $199 list price; but will it sell this time around?

Electronics Boutique has already decided the N-Gage QD needs a little help at retail. The company will offer customers who sign a one-year service contract with carrier T-Mobile an instant $100 rebate when they purchase the QD, which goes on sale next Tuesday. The rebate will cut the price of the new model in half, from its list price of $199 to just $99.

EB officials contacted by GameSpot did not say when the rebate offer would end, but they were confident it would improve the updated mobile phone/game deck hybrid's chance of success. "$99 is the right price and a good value for the QD," says EB Games director of business development Nathan Solomon. Last October, the original "side-talking" N-Gage was released at a price point of $299, but its sales were underwhelming. The QD is an upgraded version of the launch model with "front-talking" functionality and a camera, but no FM radio or MP3 player features.

News source: GameSpot