How can Handheld gaming come back from the brink?
- Thread starter Night_S1ash
- Start date
I don't think it's dying, I think it's just migrating to phones in the same way that MP3 players and cheap digital cameras are. People are owning fewer separate devices.
and soon the mp3 players are going extinct 
Just bring out some games for it(vita). I love my Vita, it's a fucking beast of a machine, but I own 5 games for it(madden, gravity rush, uncharted, metal gear solid and hot shots golf[it came free]). I'm getting AC liberation next week. Other than those, none of its titles excite me. Also, make them retail titles. I don't want to have to buy expensive new cards just to download(it takes forever!) my games( pay twice essentially). Hell, that's one of the few hurdles holding me back from going full pc gamer(to be fair, pc memory costs a lot less).
... Why can't Smartphones be considered Handheld Gaming Systems? Sure, they're also phones, but they also play music, play video games, stream the internet... Seems to me that Smartphones emulate Game systems more then they do phones...
OT: I don't think Handhelds need saving. When the 3DS has sold 22,190,000 Units as of September [http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1209.pdf], I don't think they really need saving. The Vita? It sure could use some help, but other then that, the Handheld Market is fine.
OT: I don't think Handhelds need saving. When the 3DS has sold 22,190,000 Units as of September [http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/library/historical_data/pdf/consolidated_sales_e1209.pdf], I don't think they really need saving. The Vita? It sure could use some help, but other then that, the Handheld Market is fine.
But it's not really a comparative market is it? The games on your iphone are generally very simplistic, compared to stuff on the (3)DS, there's shovelware sure, but it doesn't detract from the good games that there are, and you can spot it a fucking mile off, buy shovelware and you deserve to be out of pocket. Handhelds already do offer a richer experience, Pokeyman games, Zelda games, better FF, Mario games, Prof Layton, Pheonix Wright, Animal Crossing, Blazblue, Cooking mama if that floats your boat, Kid Icarus, MGS 3, Rayman etc etc.Zachary Amaranth said:
Those games are most definitely worth the price of admission, and are nowhere near the simple 99p games that exist on the iphone.
eh? The amount of dosh Nintendo have made off of handheld devices may well be enough to construct a ship /and/ buy a ticket to whatever planet you're from if you think that. I mean you were around during the 90s and early 00s right?Strazdas said:
You've named a handful of games on two combined platforms with hundreds of games overall.elvor0 said:
I'm sure someone could name a bunch of games that are full and fleshed out and worthwhile games for iOS and Android, but that doesn't make them the standard on either device. The primary source of those Nintendo titles you mention are Nintendo franchises. Nintendo is behind a finite number of the titles in a much larger pool of games.
And honestly, look at the comparable games. How much does Angry birds cost on the DS vs on Droid or iOS? What about other games shared by the respective systems?
And you can spot shovelware a mile off on Android, as well.
There's often a lot of price disparity even on comparable systems with comparable games. Nintendo's retro games versus a lot of Sony's, for example. While Sony isn't exactly a saint here, they're definitely the lesser of two evils a lot of the time.
I don't think dedicated gaming handheld systems have a chance of making a comeback. Multi-function devices like iPods are getting cheaper and more ubiquitous, and have relatively engaging games. Hell, even GTA Vice City is coming to iOS and Android soon, and despite complaints about the controls being bad, you can't really argue with it being downloadable at a $5 price point. It's just too damn convenient and cheap.
It makes more sense (price-wise) for parents to buy an iPod for their kids than to buy a Vita or 3DS. And for adults who want to game on the go, the best games are the ones you have with you (i.e. already on your phone). I mean, a lot of the time I'd love to have a DSLR on me to capture quality photos, but it's just not convenient enough to carry around all the time. This is the same reason people take a lot more photos with their phones than with their dedicated cameras: they have their phone on their person all the time.
It makes more sense (price-wise) for parents to buy an iPod for their kids than to buy a Vita or 3DS. And for adults who want to game on the go, the best games are the ones you have with you (i.e. already on your phone). I mean, a lot of the time I'd love to have a DSLR on me to capture quality photos, but it's just not convenient enough to carry around all the time. This is the same reason people take a lot more photos with their phones than with their dedicated cameras: they have their phone on their person all the time.
Fix the pricing of games!!!!
I love my PlayStation Vita but the thing has barely any fucking games and the games in my country are $40-$70 to boot I don't see how Sony can expect to compete with Tablets and smart-phones if...
A) it doesn't have enough games
B) the Games are to Expensive
C) the games that are there are 50% of the time either glorified tech-demos or simply shit
Now Nintendo it looks like they're doing better than Sony IMO because they are actually releasing games for the fucking 3DS and DS and the games aren't $40-$70, that right there means they will do better than SONY but whether its enough to stop the march of apps remains to be seen.
I love my PlayStation Vita but the thing has barely any fucking games and the games in my country are $40-$70 to boot I don't see how Sony can expect to compete with Tablets and smart-phones if...
A) it doesn't have enough games
B) the Games are to Expensive
C) the games that are there are 50% of the time either glorified tech-demos or simply shit
Now Nintendo it looks like they're doing better than Sony IMO because they are actually releasing games for the fucking 3DS and DS and the games aren't $40-$70, that right there means they will do better than SONY but whether its enough to stop the march of apps remains to be seen.
Handheld gaming is stronger than ever, just not with handheld consoles. Droids and tablets are the future of handheld gaming.
Quite frankly at this point, when we can easily have a fully featured touch-screen based computer that can run games and fit comfortably in your pocket why would you want anything less?
Maybe you want a controller? Some tablets have built in bluetooth, which to me just says that at some point (probably right now) I'll be able to use the DualShock3 with it. Boom, problem solved. Welcome to the future.
The console producers won't be able to keep up with this new market, mark my words.
I mean really, if you look carefully at it those handheld gaming devices were just a step in this direction anyway, we're just at that awkward point in evolution where the obviously better functioning system is in place and ready to take over, but the old ways haven't been totally ditched. Think like Blockbuster last year (well, okay maybe like 2 years ago).
Quite frankly at this point, when we can easily have a fully featured touch-screen based computer that can run games and fit comfortably in your pocket why would you want anything less?
Maybe you want a controller? Some tablets have built in bluetooth, which to me just says that at some point (probably right now) I'll be able to use the DualShock3 with it. Boom, problem solved. Welcome to the future.
The console producers won't be able to keep up with this new market, mark my words.
I mean really, if you look carefully at it those handheld gaming devices were just a step in this direction anyway, we're just at that awkward point in evolution where the obviously better functioning system is in place and ready to take over, but the old ways haven't been totally ditched. Think like Blockbuster last year (well, okay maybe like 2 years ago).
I don't think smartphones have much to do with the 3DS and Vita selling. I think the problem is that there's hardly any good games for either of them yet. This seems to happen a lot with new console releases nowadays, but give it another 5 years or so and the 3DS will have had quite an awesome library of games accumulate.
Since when was handheld gaming on the brink? You'd have to be delusional to think that somehow smartphone apps are replacing actually quality handheld games, I've played enough of both to know that there's just no comparison.
What's happened is a new market has opened up on smartphones that caters to a much more casual audience who just want a quick diversion and don't want to pay lots of money.
These are people who wouldn't have gone out to buy the 3DS anyway.
similarly the gamers willing to buy expensive handhelds and full games for them probably aren't interested in trading Metal Gear Solid or God of War for Angrybirds and Cut the Rope.
In short the two markets can each thrive on their own, there isn't a war between them.
Ya, don't see it. Give Nintendo some credit, they know what they're doing, they'll stay competitive in whatever way they can.
What's happened is a new market has opened up on smartphones that caters to a much more casual audience who just want a quick diversion and don't want to pay lots of money.
These are people who wouldn't have gone out to buy the 3DS anyway.
similarly the gamers willing to buy expensive handhelds and full games for them probably aren't interested in trading Metal Gear Solid or God of War for Angrybirds and Cut the Rope.
In short the two markets can each thrive on their own, there isn't a war between them.
Essentially you're saying that apple and google, companies with little experience and relatively mild interest in video games, are going to completely outperform a company who's entire focus is video games and who has lead the portable gaming market for decades.AnotherAvatar said:
Ya, don't see it. Give Nintendo some credit, they know what they're doing, they'll stay competitive in whatever way they can.
I see your point, but those gamers are going to be an increasingly niche market. Smartphones have essentially ruined the tradition pricing scheme for dedicated game companies like Sony and Nintendo. Let me put it this way: in 1995, it seemed perfectly reasonable to pay $20 for a CD. Napster changed everyone's conception of the worth of music, and then iTunes came in to redefine the pricing scheme. Once you go cheaper, you can't go back to more expensive. Besides, the only things differentiating smartphone games from dedicated handheld games are:OlasDAlmighty said:
1) graphics (increasingly less and less so, because smartphones are REALLY catching up here)
2) hardware controls (a valid complaint for some, but probably not the majority of mobile gamers)
I suppose you do make a point since I rather played Angry Bird on my smartphone than to fork our for a Nintendo 3DS.
Well since we know that the next handheld from Nintendo won't be 3D but even without the 3D gimmck, the future handheld better be good for me to want it.
Well since we know that the next handheld from Nintendo won't be 3D but even without the 3D gimmck, the future handheld better be good for me to want it.
You have a good point. Though they try to resist and deny it, sooner or later game developers are going to have to significantly cut the price of their games to compete with the changing atmosphere of the market.ThatGuy said:
And they should, they've been charging too much for these games for a long time, the android market is just proving how much more efficient they can be.
That doesn't mean however, that people won't be willing to pay more for bigger titles more suited for a regular handheld. Resident Evil 7 won't be a $2 android app, it'll still be a full game and it'll still be sold for much more than AngryBirds.
Hand held gaming is on the brink? That's interesting, I had no idea.
...Probably because I've seen no indication of it at all.
Just because people who've never played a gameboy in their life started paying millions of dollars for angry birds doesn't mean the ones who always played handheld consoles are going to stop buying them.
...Probably because I've seen no indication of it at all.
Just because people who've never played a gameboy in their life started paying millions of dollars for angry birds doesn't mean the ones who always played handheld consoles are going to stop buying them.