If you want your N-Gage games on your new phone, you’ll have to buy them all over again, reports All About N-Gage today. On the surface, the news sounded wrong. Afterall, an N-Gage user has the option of downloading the games to their computer first and then side-loading them over to the device. To be sure, I asked Nokia (NYSE: NOK) if it was true, and they said the headline was correct for all the reasons you might suspect: Piracy. The response: “N-Gage activation codes only work on the device where they were first activated. As with any digital media there is a potential risk of piracy and this policy is one of the ways Nokia is dealing with piracy and ensuring partners receive their rightful revenues from its platform. If users need to repair their device, the activation codes will be reissued. Also, if you purchase a new N-Gage compatible device, you will need to purchase your games again.” It seems like Nokia is shooting itself in its own foot with this policy. Although piracy needs to be addressed, it doesn’t seem like it would want to discourage users from upgrading their handsets. 

• @ CTIA: Nokia Quietly Launches N-Gage; Details From the Show Floor