Is it good for gaming?
There is no doubt that RIM’s latest device, the BlackBerry 8700, is one sexy, sexy beast. With the 8700’s increased power and lush screen, the Waterloo-based company has taken a big step towards making the BB a device for people other than email crazy business execs. After violently mugging one of those email crazy business execs, QuicklyBored was able to get its hands on the 8700 to see how it will change the growing BlackBerry gaming niche.
Vital Stats
Size:
11 x 6.9 x 1.9 cm
Weight:
134 grams
Memory:
64 MB flash, 16 MB SDRAM
Display:
Type: LCD (color)
Size: 320×240 pixels
‘How does it feel, baby?’
The newest member to the BlackBerry family is slightly wider and shorter than its cousin, the 7100, but is just as thin. This is a marked improvement over the older 7200 line, which always felt clunky and awkward to carry around. Aesthetically, the 8700 is also a step up, with the casing now streamlined and with a shimmering, high-tech finish. RIM has finally released a BB that doesn’t look like something you’d feel ashamed about hanging from your hip (of course, we here at QuicklyBored would never actually use a hip-holster, because we know it’s the modern day pocket protector).
While slimmer, the 8700 is a little difficult to use one-handed like the 7100, but you’ll probably want to hold it two-handed to type anyways. Typing is easier than on the 7100, as RIM has managed to cram a full QWERTY keyboard on the face of the device; the keys are a little stiffer than on the old 7200, but it’s nothing to cry to mommy about. The 8700 also features some much needed phone specific buttons as well as an additional programmable button on the side of the device opposite the scrollwheel. In combination with the scrollwheel, this new button allows for a lot of new gameplay possibilities on the BB, or at least consistently comfortable controls.
The biggest improvement to the 8700 has to be its wonderful screen. Weighing in at 320×240 pixels, the display is bright, crisp and colorful, significantly upping the BB’s appeal to gamers. The 8700 also doesn’t suffer from the backlighting problems the 7100 did when used outdoors in daylight. One BlackBerry developer we talked to confirmed the 8700’s superiority, saying “once you have it, you’ll never go back to the 7100.”
‘He’s got game’
Combined, all these new elements to the 8700 really up the ante for BlackBerry gaming. The device we were given came with Proteus, a 2D space shooter from Magmic Games, and it receives a much needed boost from the power of the 8700. What was once a slightly dull and sluggish game on the 7100 is now an intense, action packed free-for-all against a continuous onslaught of alien fighters. This game screams; sometimes it’s almost a little too fast.
Proteus has been given a graphical boost as well, with crisper enemy ships and nicer looking power ups. However, the true impact of the 8700 on Proteus can be seen in the game’s sensation of blasting through outer space. The 8700’s processing speed and beautiful screen really makes it feel like alien scum are flying directly towards you, aching to take you out.
While the BlackBerry 8700 can’t do 3d, which would make games like Proteus really stand out, it is still a significant step forward for BlackBerry gaming. Sleek, fast and beautiful, there is no other device to get if you need a BlackBerry and like to play games. Significantly, the 8700 is a great new addition to a line of devices from RIM that are appealing beyond the standard BlackBerry demographic, and make platforms like the N-Gage even more irrelevant than they already are. The 8700 can give you a good phone, great emailing/web browsing and pretty games with better controls than almost all cell phones. Now, if you can only convince your boss to upgrade the office for “increased productivity.”
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