How Much Time is Left for Video Game Handhelds?
How many of you still have a Game Boy or a PSP lying around that you regularly use? How many of you have one at all? My guess is that one of the answers might be “Yes” while the other is “No” or that both are a “No”. That’s a good sign of handhelds fading away, isn’t it? There are a lot of reasons why, but the biggest ones are probably pricing on newer handhelds/games and mobile gaming. The question of whether you would want a handheld to play a game that you could also play on your smart phone/tablet comes up a lot. With mobile devices getting more powerful, how much time is there before we see handheld game consoles go away for good?
I bought an iPhone last month and I love it. It’s easy to use and I can even play games on it when I have some downtime. The screen makes games look sharp and most of them are super easy to pick up and play. I hadn’t owned a handheld since the first Nintendo DS so I’ve been a little out of touch with those type of games, the iPhone changed all that. Most of the games that I had for the DS were the simple ones you’d find on the App Store: puzzle games, strategy, and even some first-person games. I couldn’t help but draw a comparison between the two and thinking how amazing it is to have those type of games on a phone!
Uncharted: Golden Abyss is $49.99 on the PS Vita, I bet I can find a game just as fun for $40 on the App Store
Since the purchase, I have no need to buy a handheld ever again. The new Playstation Vita is like an iPod Touch to me, every feature on it makes it look like my phone, except for the phone part. The 3DS offers nothing groundbreaking either, 3D support for games on phones are steadily starting to come out if I really wanted that. It seems that every time you try to compare a smart phone with a video game handheld, you really don’t see much of a difference, let alone comparing it to a tablet. Looking at pricing, handhelds are about as expensive as a smartphone, most notably the iPhone, but the games are getting more pricey too. Games on the Android store and Apple’s App Store don’t go over $10 most of the time when games for a 3DS or Vita could cost you $40 or more. When you look at data packages for these phones, you’ll end up at about the same cost but smartphone will be more attractive since it is a phone AND it plays games.
Games on both platforms are similar enough that a handheld could act as your back-up
So where do these handhelds fit now? Carrying around a smartphone and Vita isn’t the smartest thing unless you’re really concerned about the battery life of your phone. I compare it to the two headsets I have for my Xbox, I use wireless ones that require a charge. Sometimes I’m in the middle of a multiplayer match and my headset dies, I simply throw that headset on a charger and put the other, fully charged one on. That’s the only plausible situation for a handheld now if you have a smartphone, use the handheld as a back-up or vice versa. If someone were to try and sell me a Nintendo 3DS for $150 or a Playstation Vita for $250, they’d better put up a damn good argument up of why I would want one.
I realize that not everyone has a smartphone but tablets are on the rise just as much. You can get a tablet for a little more then say, a PS Vita, and then your treated to the same great gaming experiences there is to be had on any mobile device. I can’t help but think there’s no where for handhelds to go now. You want mobile gaming, buy a smartphone, that’s one less device to carry around. You want a bigger screen/more features but don’t need a mobile phone or already have one, buy a tablet. Where can handheld consoles fit in?
What do you think about handhelds nowadays? Do you see a place for them in today’s mobile gaming market? Let us know in the comments below
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As far as I'm concerned, there are multiple reasons as to why mobile gaming is still not sufficient enough to dominate traditional handheld gaming, and the fact that many mobile devs seem to be thinking so is absurd to me. I believe they both have their own places in the industry, and those should not be confused.
There's a reason as to why Rovio is publishing their top franchise on the same platform they said is full of "$40 pieces of plastic", their trilogy now ironically being one of them.
Yea, there is a place for both but the handheld market is no doubt hurting from the popularity of mobile games. Handheld devs need to think out of the box nowadays to make their system of choice stand out from mobile devices. For example, I can do everything on my iPhone that I can do on a PSVITA so why buy one?
The games on an iPhone are so much simpler than dedicated handheld games such as Vita and 3DS. That's why they're so cheap. They are simple. Now, the iOS does have a few legitimate games that you would expect to see on a dedicated handheld, but those are very uncommon and most of them control poorly. Also, even the most complicated games on iOS are ports of decade old games like Final Fantasy Tactics. The rest of the hardcore games that try to use modern technology on the iOS end up sacrificing a lot. Infinity Blade looks fantastic, but the combat is repetitive and it is all on rails. No exploration. Games that actually have exploration. Usually crappy controls, extremely short campaigns, are poor rip offs of games done better on other platforms like Modern Combat or Hero of Sparta.
Cell Phone games certainly have their place to waste a few minutes in public where taking out a handheld would be a bad idea, but if you want games with actual substance, you need a dedicated handheld. The iOS can't touch games like Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance or Ninja Gaiden Sigma Plus.
I think that the way games are being made now, they are getting so big that the games are meant to be played on a PC or console, or that people don't want to experience said game on the go. I can't get behind buying a Vita or DS and lugging it around with me because I don't want to play a game like Uncharted or Kingdom Hearts on the go.
There are a good bit of people who like playing certain games wherever they are but then the other half goes with the big titles being played at home on a console or PC and casual mobile games on the go.
To be honest I don't agree at all. I currently own all of the current gen consoles which includes a PS3, an Xbox 360, and I also have a 3DS, and a PSP, no PSP Vita tough. However, I can honestly without a single doubt within my mind say that I have played Kingdom Hearts 358/2 for about 20 hours, while I have games like Arkahm Asylum for the PC, along with Crysis 2 just screaming to be played with. And to be honest, I don't think handhelds will ever get replaced. The idea is that one, handhelds are by all means very long lasting in terms of how strong and durable they are.They have games that look amazing, along with the fun factor. Sure, you have games like Crysis 2 which has great graphics, and is phish pash in terms of how entertaining it is. But, the idea is that with every new game comes a new DRM or some sort of new way to make sure the consumer gets less and less benefits. However, handhelds have hardly changed whatsoever. To be honest, I currently have over 4 games for my 3DS, and none being 3DS games (because they are somewhat expensive). However, the fact at hand is tha tI never once had to actually type a code into my DS to say that I was the one who bought it. Same goes for my PSP, and to be honest, if the same thing goes on with all handhelds in the future, I will be sure to advocate and to without a doubt buy handhelds instead of consoles. So, no, I totally disagree with this article. But an opinion is an opinion.
It's A-OK to disagree. The popularity of mobile games has affected the handheld market in my opinion and I think the numbers will show that. The lost revenue for handhelds might not make it worthwhile anymore in the future for manufacturers to support handhelds like the Vita as aggressively as previous handhelds.
This article is stating that I think there is a clock counting down now because of that. You don't agree and that is fine because an opinion is an opinion and yours is every bit as good as mine is (if it is at all). Thank you for your comment!
There is no way an iphone can play games like Uncharted or Gravity Rush like the Vita. Mobile gaming has it's fun moments but for me those last 5 minutes and then I never play them again. I have a Samsung Galaxy SII Skyrocket and I also have a Vita. I download games on my phone for my kids. I just don't get the same experience on my phone as I can get from my Vita.
Phones don't have analog sticks, multiple buttons that don't take up the screen, and a back touch pad like the Vita. Even the 3DS, which I don't like, has more functions than a smartphone.
Great piece Matt but for me I just love having a dedicated handheld for gaming and my phone for calls and misc. other little things it does.
Thanks for the input, Daze. I appreciate you reading!