State of the Industry - The handheld Market (Post 2)

[ZIO]

As I begin to write this lengthy OP, I want to remind you of this past generation. The Seventh Generation of Consoles.

Nintendo promised a Revolution, and appropriately named their project console just that; The Revolution. Microsoft got the jump on everyone with their XBox 360, cutting the ribbon at Texas in 2005. Sony promised a new format and their PS3 being the cheapest device to play the new format on the market for 599 US DOLLARS.

Years of E3 Jokes abound.

Microsoft took an unexpected portion of the market share well through into 2008. The console saw stunning 1st party support with top selling games such as Halo, and Gears of war. Yes. Only two to name? It seemed to be enough as the 360 soared through sales, leaving the PS3 behind. It offered probably the best online service, even though Microsoft has been criticized for charging for it. But as we sit on this slowly ending ride, we see Microsoft losing a grip on their position above Sony. With so few exclusives between the two, what will set them apart and who will come out ahead?

Sony stepped in extremely confident charging a nasty price for a console and suggesting people are just about required to purchase it. Sporting what seems to be the best visuals of the three consoles and a superior format for their games and movies, what kept them staggering for so long? It could have been the drought of games that was offered. If that wasn't the case, the NO GAEMS meme would never have come to be. But now, in 2011, more exclusives have released for the PS3 and the console is selling like hotcakes. Sony is closing the gap to only a few million and as holiday 2011 comes near, will they push beyond, or fall behind?

Nintendo - the "kiddie" company. The family oriented company. When the announcement of the Revolution's name, Wii, came about, folks were enraged. The style was reminiscent of Apple products. The name was crazy. Everyone thought Nintendo didn't learn from their last two generations. What would occur the next five years would shock folks. Marketing was directed at the elderly, as well as women. The console was a success like no other on the market at the time. A number of successive holiday seasons came and gone with Nintendo topping charts. Limited supply? Psssh. Everyone HAD to have it. But for what reason? What did it offer after that initial excitement? Soon, people noticed. With the lowest attach rate of any console on the market, people found little to play on it as there was too much to choose from and there was very few good fish in that sea. Folks had little faith in the software and games such as Boom Blox, Klonoa, Muramasa, and No More Heroes got overlooked due to the ocean of BAD. Nintendo hasn't seen a decent game released since Holiday 2010, and it's taken its toll. Sales of the Wii have dropped off. The obvious support is lacking, and NoA's recent dismissal of games like Xenoblade has shown an obvious disinterest in the console's final days. Reggie Fils-Aime has expressed disappointment in the people he works for due to this.


And now we stand here today, with the last holiday to hit us before the introduction of the Eighth Generation. A good number of games are being offered for all three consoles. Pockets are going to be emptied. Uncharted 3, Skyward Sword, Gears of War 3, Halo: REMAKE. Multiplatform games like Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3, and Assassin's Creed Revelation.

But, let me ask you - How do you feel of the state of the industry, and how to do you see the future? According to NPD, July (just last month) experienced the lowest sales of the industry since 2006.

As we have taken notice, games are taking longer to develop, require more money to dip into these developments, and many developers do not see profits for these games. For what games look pretty, they sacrifice in other aspects. And as such, they get rated poorly and sales aren't ever what are expected. And for those who do not push the visuals are criticized for not taking advantage of the hardware. We see less in new IPs because those are unfamiliar to the masses, and more of the same. Our actions encourage exploration and innovation remain stagnant. Developers are afraid to branch out. And much like an Artist - if there's no room to try something new, he may never find his true self.

As we reach the Eighth Generation, development costs will only rise. What will developers do? Visuals will Plateau in the coming years, as there's only so much the Human Eye can differentiate, take in, and focus on. There are other aspects to expand on, but what would be the use of it if it all isn't fully appreciated?



I've been gaming since I was Four. That's a good twenty one years. And while I haven't played as much as some, I have kept a good eye out on the industry as I've posted on a board that keeps up on it actively. I'd like to say I know what I'm talking about. But I'm always open-minded when called out for being wrong and will adjust.

I'd like, rather than have an argument, but to have a discussion, as what I've stated here may not all be fact, but I will do research in the coming weeks and add to the OP.

 

[ZIO]

The Handheld Market (Why is handheld still a word that is "misspelled?")

Back in the late 80s Nintendo delivered a device that would literally create a market where there was none. The idea was to bring the console experience on the go. And as such, the Gameboy Brand was birthed. The brand would remain strong. Even in the face of competition, the "outdated" Gameboy would outsell its competitors due to an overwhelming library, its bargain prices, and even marketing.

It wouldn't be until round 2004 until we saw a new brand released in the market. The Nintendo DS. Probably the second product by Nintendo to be criticized for its name, first being the Gamecube. The device saw weak sales in its first months and many were unsure of it becoming a success. But time can be a form of magic at times. The DS saw stellar sales, amazing games, and an outburst of support by developers. The DS was more of a success for Nintendo than one could imagine. But then, the leader of this market would see one of its most threatening competitors of the home console market enter the handheld.

Sony brings in the PSP - Playstation Portable. It sported graphics that looked to match the PS2. And to the average consumer in the market, what could be better than more graphics? But, Sony saw things as being better not to ground themselves in just games, and added features such as music playback and video. This device looked like it would topple Nintendo's outdated technology.

What would come after would be expected of the market. The DS was outselling the PSP and would continue to do so consistently, with only seeing a month here and there where it may lose to the PSP. Still. Nintendo kept its lead.

Years later. Nintendo leading the market again. They release the 3DS. Gyroscope, augmented reality, graphics that look to be Wii comparable, and most of all 3D. Nintendo had toyed with 3D before - The Virtual Boy and Gamecube (GCN was capable, just that it ended up not going anywhere and they scrapped it). They thought for sure people would jump at the chance to play glasses less 3D. They thought because of the success of the DS brand, people would go ahead and buy the 3DS at $250. Well the launch came and gone and was recorded as one of Nintendo's best launches ever. But then, in the coming months, what was there to be had? The eshop channel and netflix wasn't ready. Games were missing and sales were dropping significantly from month to month.

Nintendo made a desperate attempt to salvage the 3DS from failure and quickly announced a price drop of $80 - reducing the price to $170 US Dollars.

Nintendo - the leader of the handheld market is now running into major trouble.

The handheld market is a different scene now, thanks to the introduction of smartphones, tablets, and the iOS. Just one year ago, the market of which Nintendo had above 40% control in was was losing it to the iOS, which is taking now 20% and ever rising still. These devices see yearly, and at some points only a few months, of iterations, each better than the next. Smartphones sporting Glasses less 3D now, and tablets like the iPAD 2 half as powerful as consoles? It's only a matter of time until these devices surpass what the 3DS offer, if they haven't already, and the Vita.

Speaking of Vita - The device looks to sport touch pads everywhere, two analog sticks, "sixaxis control" and graphics that almost match the PS3.


Withe the Companies that make gaming devices losing control to the iOS, where will this market head? Can Games win over Apps, or is it a matter of time before the market fizzles into obscurity?

 

[F8AL]

Just letting everyone know that I'll be keeping a close eye on this thread. So keep your replies/posts civilized.

I don't think consoles will ever go away, as most people prefer consoles over PCs. I can see the gap between the 360 and PS3 narrowing down but Sony won't catch up next year when the next gen starts with the Wii U. I know NA isn't the world but the 360 has been outselling the Wii and PS3 in NA for the last past while.

 

[Fuelbi]

I feel like eventually and slowly, consoles will fail if it keeps going the route it's on or at the least not be as strong as they are now.

I do not approve of project 10$, I do not approve of unlock codes, I do not approve of pay to play the campaign, and anything which involves me spending more money. I pay for XBL already and I don't want to spend more money than I should be doing. It is stupid that they're saying that they're not getting enough money when companies like DICE and EA are already making already billions off their new games so why do they need even more than they're already rolling in? The gaming industry was fine before this and nobody complain, but thanks to these people they've now set the gaming industry on a slow steady spiral decline with them charging us for everything on the disc. By this point the price you see on the box might as well just be the price of the disc itself not counting the unlock codes you'll need to pay extra to unlock.

If it wasn't for the fact that I always buy my games new (thank God) I'd be raising hell about this right now.

I can't even loan stuff to my friends because of those ****ty unlock codes. My friend loaned me MK9 to me and thanks to the fact that that game uses an unlock code for the online, I wasn't able to enjoy the online experience fully. I wanted more than just 2 ****ty days to play, I wanted at least a week so I can decide for myself if I want to buy the game. Thanks to that move, I am not happy I'm not going to buy MK9 since I vote with my wallet

 

[F8AL]

^
This post is so full of truth.

 

[Master Xanthan]

Only games I play that come from EA are Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Bioware deserves better than EA honestly. Ubisoft is also using that 10 dollar thing but the only good game they have is Assassin's Creed. Resistance 3 is also using it but.....well who cares it's Resistance 3 lol. Project 10 dollar is still annoying though.

 

[theeboredone]

Going off what Fuelbi said, it does seem like gaming companies are digging themselves a hole by providing all these locks and requirements that must be paid via cash to play. But so it goes, if people are willing to pay, they will keep pushing our limits. Eventually, there will come a point where sales will go down despite having expensive DLC, online codes, etc. etc. and gaming companies will have to revert back.

Personally speaking, I'm already pissed, so I refused to buy say...BF3, because I do not want to support this online pass code thing nonsense. I'm already on the verge of DLC prices, and this is simply a no for me.

I will say that I generally buy used games from places like Craig's List, saving myself anywhere from 20-30 dollars on games. I understand used games hurt the industry somewhat, but I will more than happily skip on a game if it means I have to re-invest back into a used game by means of force.

PC gaming is more in a rut compared to consoles given the simplicity of going out and buying a console. And I know the PS3 was expensive at launch, but I do think Sony (and other companies) won't make that mistake again. Just look at the price of the Vita. It's 250, which I think is a great price.

My solution would be to go the route of Minecraft, LOTRO, etc...where you get the game for free or buy it relatively cheap. If you want to become better or advance further, you will need to pay more. For example, if I buy COD 10 for 30 bucks, I get the campaign mode, online mode that is limited to the stages I can play, what perks I have, what guns I can use, how I can customize my character, etc. So if I want everything, I can pay the full 60. If I want just some extra guns, I can put in 5 bucks to it. It's a risky business venture, but I think it can work.

 

[GunmasterLombardi]

PS Vita will be the last handheld I buy.

EDIT: Online Pass is complete idiocy. If the game is good more people will buy it new.

 

[Deleted member]

we grew up in the golden era of video games

except instead of ok games nowadays most are complete POOP, and only seem to get worse and worse

POOOPY

so, to answer your questions, games are bad now, most are catered to the average dumb *** with pretty graphics, and achievements for walking a certain distance, gameplay is dumbed down in exchange for gimmicks and the new wii creates an even more crappy control scheme from the wii's. people are getting milked for money, but it doesn't matter cuz 90% of the population is ********, companies want $$$$$$ and kill projects like megaman legends 3 and create a 30 dollar patch called ultimate marvel vs capcom 3 and 6 months later it will be hyper mvc3

i dont see games getting better, in fact it will be a miracle if games stay the same ABYSMAL quality, I can only see it getting worse. games suck now

milking stupid idiot people for fine but why dumb down the gameplay? stupid idiots will still buy it..

actual challenge for decently skilled players is almost gone, the hardest difficulty = normal difficulty of old games

==

still some 'gems' though, like diamonds in a pile of buffalo diarrhea

==

some other thoughts, despite poop quality of games, you could attribute a good part of lower sales to our current failing economy, average person/ families are starting to lack money for 50-60 dollar games

 

[Vinylic.]

I highly doubt the prices will go down 20% in the next gen. But it's worth looking foward into darkstalkers 2.
Nintendo is going to the next level, gentlemen. Family is broken in half.

 

[theeboredone]

we grew up in the golden era of video games

except instead of ok games nowadays most are complete POOP, and only seem to get worse and worse

POOOPY

so, to answer your questions, games are bad now, most are catered to the average dumb *** with pretty graphics, and achievements for walking a certain distance, gameplay is dumbed down in exchange for gimmicks and the new wii creates an even more crappy control scheme from the wii's. people are getting milked for money, but it doesn't matter cuz 90% of the population is ********, companies want $$$$$$ and kill projects like megaman legends 3 and create a 30 dollar patch called ultimate marvel vs capcom 3 and 6 months later it will be hyper mvc3

i dont see games getting better, in fact it will be a miracle if games stay the same ABYSMAL quality, I can only see it getting worse. games suck now

milking stupid idiot people for fine but why dumb down the gameplay? stupid idiots will still buy it..

actual challenge for decently skilled players is almost gone, the hardest difficulty = normal difficulty of old games

==

still some 'gems' though, like diamonds in a pile of buffalo diarrhea

==

some other thoughts, despite poop quality of games, you could attribute a good part of lower sales to our current failing economy, average person/ families are starting to lack money for 50-60 dollar games

I disagree with you somewhat, but I do agree with you on some points. I don't think gaming is going downhill, given there are still those gems each year we can enjoy playing. The basic formula for each genre is simply taken and altered some while retaining its core values. It applies to a lot of things in this world.

Mario Brothers at the core has always been about jumping on goombas, kicking shells, platforms, and power ups. Look at current gaming today, and isn't that same formula in place for current Mario games? Heck, look at other platforming games. Uncharted provides kicking enemy butt, platforming, and power ups (guns).

Games like FF1, Chrono Trigger, etc had basic RPG elements and if you look at today's games...they still retain those basic RPG elements. You gain exp points, you can do side quests, you have to go save the world. There might be some differences here and there such as the job system, the way you obtain your stats (sphere grid), but the game still has its core values.

At the same time, the way I see it...the explosion of FPS games this generation has been numbing to me. I really don't care for any fps games that come out these days, because there are so many. I always thought Halo 3 showed very little improvement compared to Halo 2, and that is very evident in the CoD series. FPS games are the hardest for me to be pleased by, cause it seems like the same old, same old. With that being said, I am looking forward to what BF3 brings to the table.

As technology improves, so will the "gimmicks" as you say. It starts with motion controls, but even through these growing pains, how could we say...get to something even more better...say VR?

Overall, I think we're just hit by nostalgia hard to not remember any of the generic or bad games from previous generations. If you asked me for your typical game on the Xbox or PS2...I honestly could not give it to you. It becomes more hazier as I go down the generations. I do agree that I sometimes wish that developers would put more time and effort into creating something new, especially for sequels...but eventually, even that well has to run dry at some point right?

At the same time, as we the consumer continues to buy, then the developer will continue to become lazier and ease back on their products. It's become pretty evident in game series like CoD, Madden, etc.

 

[finalark]

I'm not going to be like "OMG VIDEO GAMES WERE SO MUCH BETTER WHEN I WAS TWELVE" because of the direction that we're going. I don't think its the games themselves that are bad, no, IMO this gen has been one of the best in terms of the games that we've had. What's been ****ing us over is the business choices made.

Things like project 10 dollar, unlock codes, DRM, and other nonsense made to discourage buying used games or to nickle and dime us to death is what's killing the gaming industry. The games themselves are fantastic, but forcing us to play money for content already on the disk or to access additional features after we've paid the full price is causing consoles and PC gaming to become a sinking ship.

 

[Deleted member]

Going off what Fuelbi said, it does seem like gaming companies are digging themselves a hole by providing all these locks and requirements that must be paid via cash to play. But so it goes, if people are willing to pay, they will keep pushing our limits. Eventually, there will come a point where sales will go down despite having expensive DLC, online codes, etc. etc. and gaming companies will have to revert back.

Personally speaking, I'm already pissed, so I refused to buy say...BF3, because I do not want to support this online pass code thing nonsense. I'm already on the verge of DLC prices, and this is simply a no for me.

I will say that I generally buy used games from places like Craig's List, saving myself anywhere from 20-30 dollars on games. I understand used games hurt the industry somewhat, but I will more than happily skip on a game if it means I have to re-invest back into a used game by means of force.

PC gaming is more in a rut compared to consoles given the simplicity of going out and buying a console. And I know the PS3 was expensive at launch, but I do think Sony (and other companies) won't make that mistake again. Just look at the price of the Vita. It's 250, which I think is a great price.

My solution would be to go the route of Minecraft, LOTRO, etc...where you get the game for free or buy it relatively cheap. If you want to become better or advance further, you will need to pay more. For example, if I buy COD 10 for 30 bucks, I get the campaign mode, online mode that is limited to the stages I can play, what perks I have, what guns I can use, how I can customize my character, etc. So if I want everything, I can pay the full 60. If I want just some extra guns, I can put in 5 bucks to it. It's a risky business venture, but I think it can work.

its already happening and people that swear by it tell me it will make more money than a standard fee

i've been told that free with "cash shop" or unlock more features(LOTRo) is making more money nowadays then straight up buying a product/ buy product then buy some more

league of legends, because it is free, simply has WAYYYYYYy more people playing it then HoN and this leads to more revenue from its shop where you can buy skins, characters( that you can get with in-game money you earn also), etc. LoL won out in the
(money) war and HoN pretty much waved the white flag and copied LoL's formula a month ago

Team Fortress 2 is also similar, and after the game became free and you can buy items (that you can craft/find/trade), thousands-million(s)(?) of people started playing it, leading to $$$$.

so free with cash shop incentives that aren't ludicrous to those that never spend money is a viable, perhaps better option for making money then charging a fee

 

[Fuelbi]

You know I honestly feel that microtransactions is a damn great idea that could lead this industry somewhere great. I mean, have you seen me on TF2? I already bought the game in the Orange Box back when it was P2P and I swear I've spent probably what? 30-40$ on it already not counting all the stuff I plan on buyin in the future? I spent 40 ****ing dollars on Deus Ex an it wasn't even for the game. He'll, I'm not interested in playing it, the game is just literally a bonus for me. I swear if they can sucker money out of me like this where I've spent more than am actual game, then they have to be doing something right if they can leech this much money from me if I'm not even complaining about it

Seriously microtransactions can lead to many good games and it's a way for me to save cash if I dislike it.

At least thats better than buying a full version of a CD game then spending 10$ unlocking the online then another maybe 30-40$ on overpriced DLC which ends up giving them twice the amount of money I spent in the first play

 

[JoFTWin]

I've come to find that I'm spending less and less money on console games nowadays (handhelds have been a savior for me this gen, cheaper to maintain and more risk taking games). And if my money is spent on console games, they are usually single player, with Batman arkham city being my most anticipated game for this year. I just don't like the idea of updating multiplayer games constantly with 6 month later sequels, non-free DLC, etc. It makes me feel like my purchase is being basterdized. Which is why like some of you said above, the business practices this gen really irk me.

And I'll admit, as an RPG fan I'm a bit dissapointed in this gen, but I'm not "anti-FPS" or anything, I just wish more RPG developers would step up to the plate as far as consoles go (the genre flourished on handhelds this gen as many of you know).

All in all, the future could or could not be dim. The development costs of games can only go down and I think that this generation will probably go on for another 2 and a half or 3 years so in the late part of the life cycle, we may see an amazing increase in the amount of great games being developed out of nowhere. At the very worst though, things will just stay the way they are until this gen is over.

Sidenote: I'm very interested in how the Vita may or may not create handheld gamers out of console gamers. It's really going to bring dead on current gen console experiences to the handheld world, along with some "quick, portable" ones too. People say the PSP tried that already but I don't think it was done to the extent that the Vita plans on doing it.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

From polls on various sites, at least 50% of gamers nowadays don't care about gameplay in games, only graphics. I think a graphical plateau with have devastating effects on the industry. I've already seem people bashing the wii-u for being only slightly better than XBOX 360/ PS3.

I'm curious to see how well the XBOX 3/ PS 4 will look in graphics. The general populous is expecting a double in graphics, and that could only lead to insane pricing and long production time for games.

 

[finalark]

I'm just going to throw out there that gamers have always had a stupid fixation on graphics. For example, if you somehow forgot, the Genesis' entire advertising campaign was based off of how much better the Genesis' graphics were compared to the S/NES.

This graphics fixation is nothing new and as always been around. These days games boast about their multiplayer more than their graphics usually.

 

[F8AL]

I'm just going to throw out there that gamers have always had a stupid fixation on graphics. For example, if you somehow forgot, the Genesis' entire advertising campaign was based off of how much better the Genesis' graphics were compared to the S/NES.

This graphics fixation is nothing new and as always been around. These days games boast about their multiplayer more than their graphics usually.

Blast processing?

 

[finalark]

Blast processing?

Indeed.

/tensegadoeswhatnintendonts

 

[ryuu seika]

I am massively disappointed with the current generation. It seems to be a choice between dark, bloody, mindless shooters and violence on the Xbox, the same thing but with slightly more offline focus on the PS3, or low quality, gimicky minigames galore on the Wii.

Where are the kinds of games we had in the good old days?

Where's the fun gone?

 

[Fuelbi]

I am massively disappointed with the current generation. It seems to be a choice between dark, bloody, mindless shooters and violence on the Xbox, the same thing but with slightly more offline focus on the PS3, or low quality, gimicky minigames galore on the Wii.

Where are the kinds of games we had in the good old days?

Where's the fun gone?

Honestly, every game these days looks depressing. That's why I like games like TF2, Mirror's Edge, Sonic Colors, etc. At least they looked all colorful and happy and not so war torn like every single CoD map besides Nuketown ever made. Honestly, what's so wrong with color in video games? I want ****ing color and not the same pitch black map I see all the time that makes me want to cut myself out of how depressing it is

 

[finalark]

Where are the kinds of games we had in the good old days?

You mean either the countless "mascots with 'tude" or the even more numerous "dark angsty JRPG hero who must use the power of friendship to save the world?"

Ever generation had its own version of "brown/gray war-torn FPS" and contrary to popular belief there are a ton of games these days that are colorful and avoid that cliche. I remember one cop show I saw a while back where these police were looking for a red truck used in a hit-and-run. One of them points out how you only really notice that there's a lot of red trucks when you go looking for them. In other words, if you go looking for something you're going to notice it more often. People say that there are no more JRPGs, and yet if I were to post a list of all of the JRPGs that were released this gen the list would be overwhelming.

Again, there's nothing wrong with the games, its something wrong with the business choices made.

 

[¯\_S.(ツ).L.I.D._/¯]

You mean either the countless "mascots with 'tude" or the even more numerous "dark angsty JRPG hero who must use the power of friendship to save the world?"

Ever generation had its own version of "brown/gray war-torn FPS" and contrary to popular belief there are a ton of games these days that are colorful and avoid that cliche. I remember one cop show I saw a while back where these police were looking for a red truck used in a hit-and-run. One of them points out how you only really notice that there's a lot of red trucks when you go looking for them. In other words, if you go looking for something you're going to notice it more often. People say that there are no more JRPGs, and yet if I were to post a list of all of the JRPGs that were released this gen the list would be overwhelming.

Again, there's nothing wrong with the games, its something wrong with the business choices made.

I agree a lot with this post. All you have to do is look at the list of games coming out this holiday season to see that the game quality isn't suffering.

Also I think a lot of the reason that last months sales were so terrible is that companies see the summer as no man's land of the gaming year and don't want to release their titles because they want the boom in sales come the holiday season, which is a big problem to me. I understand it from a business perspective but the games are going to make millions either way, and it makes me feel like the game companies don't care about the gamers and just the green. Same thing with the 10$ **** for online games, that's ridiculous. Be glad gamers appreciate your work enough to purchase it, don't try to nickel and dime them to pad your pockets that little bit more.

 

[JoFTWin]

You mean either the countless "mascots with 'tude" or the even more numerous "dark angsty JRPG hero who must use the power of friendship to save the world?"

Ever generation had its own version of "brown/gray war-torn FPS" and contrary to popular belief there are a ton of games these days that are colorful and avoid that cliche. I remember one cop show I saw a while back where these police were looking for a red truck used in a hit-and-run. One of them points out how you only really notice that there's a lot of red trucks when you go looking for them. In other words, if you go looking for something you're going to notice it more often. People say that there are no more JRPGs, and yet if I were to post a list of all of the JRPGs that were released this gen the list would be overwhelming.

Again, there's nothing wrong with the games, its something wrong with the business choices made.

Preaching to the choir. I agree completely.

 

[ZIO]

Not sure if anyone cares, but I added Handheld gaming on post 2.

I suppose i'll get to responding to y'alls post soon.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

Nintendo just needs to release some **** games on the 3DS. Who knew that releasing a system without games would lead to people not buying it?

I think you should add how phone games and tablets are a concern for handheld games, not just the Vita/ PSP. Angry Birds creator said that minigames on phones are the future of the industry, which I think is absurd.

 

[theeboredone]

Hm, I wonder what is defined as a handheld gamer? I'm pretty sure it's not on the basis of "Just because you own an Iphone, you're counted as the mass of ios gamers." In any case there have been tons of other genre games this generation, but every generation is known for a distinct genre. Last gen, it was the PS2 and their JRPGs, while this year is FPS.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

Hm, I wonder what is defined as a handheld gamer? I'm pretty sure it's not on the basis of "Just because you own an Iphone, you're counted as the mass of ios gamers." In any case there have been tons of other genre games this generation, but every generation is known for a distinct genre. Last gen, it was the PS2 and their JRPGs, while this year is FPS.

I really hope we move onto something else.

To be honest, I think PS1 was better known for JRPG's, what big hits were on the PS2? Kingdom hearts, Final Fantasy 10...

 

[Master Xanthan]

Nintendo just needs to release some **** games on the 3DS. Who knew that releasing a system without games would lead to people not buying it?

I think you should add how phone games and tablets are a concern for handheld games, not just the Vita/ PSP. Angry Birds creator said that minigames on phones are the future of the industry, which I think is absurd.

That sounds like a depressing future for games. I've never played angry birds and I never really plan to buy it honestly.

 

[finalark]

I think Nintendo's problem is that they tried to pull a PS2 with the 3DS. Way back in 2000 when the PS2 came out it managed to be ridiculously successful (and even kicked SEGA out of the console market) despite having jack **** at launch and hardly anything noteworthy for a while. Why did this work? The PS name alone was powerful enough back then to get people excited for it.

That doesn't work anymore, Sony tried to do the same exact thing with the PS3 and failed. Then Nintendo tried to do the same thing with the 3DS, relying off of the DS name, and they're failing pretty hard.

 

[ZIO]

The PS2 was successful not just for name alone, but for the same reason PS1 took off - the media formats to which was compatible with the console.

When the PS1 launched, it sported the CD and was able to play music back on your TV for any music CDs you had lying around. That was amazing. On top of new technology and amazing audio capabilities.

The PS2 did something similar. not only being a better hardware than the Dreamcast, it could play back DVDs. Think about that? It was the cheapest DVD player on the market that also played DVD movies and played your music. Backwards compatible to PS1 games as well.

What does the 3DS have that they could market that is anything like the PS2? No new format or features that really set it apart from the competition besides Glasses less 3D.

 

[finalark]

The PS2 did something similar. not only being a better hardware than the Dreamcast, it could play back DVDs. Think about that? It was the cheapest DVD player on the market that also played DVD movies and played your music. Backwards compatible to PS1 games as well.

You seem to be forgetting that the PS3 can play Blue-rays, is vastly superior to the 360 in terms of hardware and when it was first launched was the cheapest blue-ray player on the market. Exactly like with the PS2, even having a terrible launch line up. However, it didn't work a second time.

And I don't think that being able to use the PS1 as a CD-player is what made it successful. For its generation it was the cutting edge in games and had titles that were miles above its competitors. Yes the Nintendo 64 had some amazing, ground-breaking games from Nintendo but the third party support was so bad that it ended up being a console with a handful of awesome games but not much else. And the Saturn? Well, due to SEGA being stupid almost all of the games that made the console a hit stayed in Japan.

What does the 3DS have that they could market that is anything like the PS2? No new format or features that really set it apart from the competition besides Glasses less 3D.

They're relying off of the glasses-less 3D to set it apart from the competition and are hoping the DS name would carry it. Basically what the PS2 did at launch only Nintendo failed.

IMO this shows that Nintendo relies way to heavily off of gimmicks and not games these days.

 

[ZIO]

I did not forget the PS3 and it's Blu-ray. That was a format the industry wasn't ready for, and as you can see from sales, is not doing so hot currently. It was a format Sony was trying to push when DVDs were still thriving. The situations are different.

Sony just happen to step in at the right time for both the PS1 and PS2 as their respective support of formats helped push those consoles.


Nintendo banking on 3D, and where's the content for 3D? There was content for DVDs and CDs. This is where it is different.

 

[Fuelbi]

I agree with Finalark. To me Nintendo hasn't advertised anything about the 3DS that doesn't feel like a remodeled DSi with better graphics, 3D and a couple of more apps on it. The lack of a good library besides OoT3DS (which I already don't like in the first place) doesn't help me at all distinguish it with it's predecessor.

And I think the app market can evolve into something more, but I honestly do not think that games like Angry Birds are going to take over other franchises like CoD. I'm sorry, but I honestly can't take it seriously since the game is an amazing time killer but a horrible actual video game. Playing Angry Birds is like the equivalent of playing a well made flash game on the internet. I don't think that the app market is actually going to rise up and actually make a contest to consoles/handhelds. I do agree that the apps have the capability of being something more amazing than what it is, but it's not going to end up becoming that great. Especially since the games are all touch pad. Unless there's not some sort of controller type thing I can use on these things, using your fingers to input commands is horribly inprecise. I can't play games like Sonic 2 on my iPhone for **** unlike an actual console with an actual controller where I don't accidentally press back on the in game pad or outside of the game pad circle

 

[finalark]

I did not forget the PS3 and it's Blu-ray. That was a format the industry wasn't ready for, and as you can see from sales, is not doing so hot currently. It was a format Sony was trying to push when DVDs were still thriving. The situations are different.

Sony just happen to step in at the right time for both the PS1 and PS2 as their respective support of formats helped push those consoles.

I still believe that Sony thought that they could do the same thing with the PS3 that they did with the PS2, seeing the 360 as just another Dreamcast.

Nintendo banking on 3D, and where's the content for 3D? There was content for DVDs and CDs. This is where it is different.

I still think the idea is similar. Relying off of a feature (DVDs for PS2 and 3D for 3DS) with hardly any good software and the product name.

 

[theeboredone]

Currently, it's impossible for me to play games that require accuracy on my android phone. With that being said, I am curious to see how Dead Space plays on the Ipad given you have a bigger screen to use.

I think the Sony Xperia Play could have been great had it been designed better. Either we truly don't know the limitations of phone/gaming, or Sony just botched the whole concept from day 1. The games dropped frame rate, and overall, sales were not all that great due to the poor library. Though the control system was pretty nifty imo.

In any case, I think what the 3DS screwed up on was that these days, your systems need to have multiple functions. Going off of what Zio said, the PS3 and 360 also thrive because they have HD, Netflix, Hulu, internet, music, photos, media sharing via pc, and etc. The Wii had some of these things too, but were still a bit stuck backwards with their system menu and of course, lack of HD.

The 3DS has netflix, but I'm not sure it's something I would get behind if I had the option of choosing from the Vita, 3DS, or a phone. The 3DS has apps? Are they any useful or appliable? Finally, while you can put a phone in your pocket and get a full day's worth out of it battery wise, the 3DS (and Vita) can only go for so long.

 

[JoFTWin]

Games are what attract gamers to gaming dedicated handhelds. Forget iOS, Android, tablets, and all of that. I read this one comment on Kotaku that basically hit the head on the nail as far as that issue goes. They said:

"Have you ever heard of Angry Birds selling iPhones? No.
How about the new Pokemon selling DSes? All the time."

This statement pretty much sums up how I feel about people saying smartphones will overtake the handheld gaming market. All Nintendo or Sony has to do is make amazing games we want to play and it's a wrap..it's really simple, especially in Nintendo's case.

 

[ZIO]

Be that as it may, the industry is changing and the iOS IS intersecting the hanheld market while not being a "direct competitor." They are alternatives. And they seem to be alternatives in high demand.

I'll find the link some how. Because I was sure I read that the iOS now accounts for more than 20% of the handheld marketshares.

 

[theeboredone]

Iphones and Android Devices are definitely phones first, games second to most consumers. With that being said, games have shown to be graphically good (although short) such as Dead Space, Infinite Blade, and RAGE.

I still think it's ways away, probably about 5 years minimum for phones to make a far enough leap where they can compete with handheld systems.

 

[finalark]

The problem is with Ipods being game devices is that they are entire touch-screen based, which will never replace buttons because touch screens lack the accuracy that traditional controllers have. Anything more complex than Angry Birds falls to pieces on Ipods/Androids.

I have Shining Force on my Ipod and I can tell you that that game is much easier to play with a Genesis Controller than with the touch screen.