Handheld and desktop for solitary experience, console for pick-up-and-play.
I... Wait, what?
PC doesn't fit well for games imo because PCs are for other things. Also, for being considered the master race, most PCs have incredibly poor specs for games. Yes you can upgrade your PC or buy a new one but most people aren't going to do that and I sure as hell am not willing to. What someone needs to do is release a console for PC. Basically a complete external upgrade you simply plug into the PC and turns your PC into a game machine, sort of like OnLive except the box itself runs all the games.
I use my PS3 to watch movies, that doesn't mean it's not well suited for games.
Most PC games have a wide variety of video options so they can be ran on a wide variety of computers. For example, my dirt-cheap laptop which I bought to write papers and fiction can run Diablo III, StarCraft II and Civilization V no problem.
I do like the idea of a quick and easy upgrade box that you can just plug into your PC to run games off of, mostly because I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to computers, but I don't imagine it being much cheaper than just buying a new graphics card.
Console has some problems too. People get a TV to watch TV. If you try to play on it you get in the way and you'll be shoved off. You're forced to schedule around everyone's TV watching habits. It is kind of selfish in a way since TV can be watched my multiple people but usually only one person can play at a time and it requires massive hours of investment before a game goes into full swing. So in a way gaming doesn't make sense for TVs aside from casual or multiplayer experiences. And by multiplayer, I mean with friends/family on the same TV. Then there's motion controls, which aren't always casual, but make sense for TV simply for the fact they can't be done anywhere else. (p.s. How come console controllers don't have TV remote functionality. Not even volume controls. I guess handhelds spoiled me)
If getting kicked off the TV is such a big problem then I'd suggest looking into getting a personal TV to station in your room/other living space exclusively for console use. Most older televisions (hell, even some small HD TVs) are actually really cheap these days. And even if money is a problem many computer monitors also have inputs for game consoles.
Or you could just buy a Wii U if none of those are really options for you.
Anyway, if I'm going to play a long game that I can really sink it I'd rather it be on console or PC where I can sit in a nice comfy chair with a controller/keyboard. I'd like to disagree and say that handhelds are best suited for pick-up-and-play style arcade games over everything else. Hell, the original gameboy was designed with the on-the-go Japanese lifestyle in mind so that people could play games while they waited on the subway. In the US that translates to a quick little games while you're riding the bus to work. Something that you can start and stop at any point in time with zero commitment.
This is why I've been dying for a DS player. If I could play Bravely Default, Shin Megami Tensei IV or Fire Emblem Awakening with the comfort of a controller and television that would be wonderful. It would certainly beat straining your eyes on a tiny screen while your back gets sore from being hunched over or your arms get tired from holding the damn thing up for hours on end.
If I haven't made it obvious, I hate when RPGs are on handheld. Shifting around to find a comfortable way to sit and hold your 3DS/Vita/GameGear every twenty minutes is not how I want to spend my free time.
For the vast majority of games, handheld is the best and is what should become the future. Many types of experiences lend themselves more naturally toward handhelds, such as RPGs or any games with lots of reading, math, or management elements, since it's akin to reading a book/magazine. Nobody uses their TV to read, so console gaming should focus more on cinematic experiences.
Maybe it's because I grew up on PS1 RPGs, but I really don't see what's so bad about reading dialog on a TV. If anything, the larger screen makes it easier compared to the eight-size font you find in handheld games. At least with books the text is printed in a manageable size. Unless you've made the terrible mistake of trying to read a twelve hundred page novel packed into a horrible six hundred page block of text AKA airport format.
And again, as I said, if I'm going to be spending a long time on a single game I'd rather it not be on something designed to be played on a bus. My back, neck and arms can't take it.
Therefore, some types of games are less suitable for tv than others. Console games should be more passive, faster paced, or arcade-like. I think of TV as an arcade cabinet which begets a social atmosphere. There's nothing wrong with having a variety of games to appease all audiences, but I think it wouldn't hurt when creating for a given platform to focus on that platform's strengths. Handheld and desktop for solitary experience, console for pick-up-and-play.
I'd disagree. Handhelds are damn near exclusively made for arcade-like experiences, since they're designed to be picked up, play for a little bit, then shut off as your bus comes to a stop and you get off. Consoles are made to be a centerpiece for you to sit in front of for hours and hours.
It sounds to me like you've just had a hard time using your consoles whenever you'd like and have turned to handhelds as a result. Nothing wrong with that, but you can't deny the purpose of handheld gaming is quick experiences.
