Handhelds No Longer Relevant?

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There is a lot of back and forth between Microsoft and Sony about the relevance of Handheld consoles these days. With the influx of high-powered, small and sleek smartphones do consumers really want to carry around a clunky handheld gaming device? Especially when titles on the iOS are starting to utilise the Unreal 3 engine with ease?

Is that why the 3DS didn't do that well? Are people just over the whole handheld console experience?

I'm opening this up to all the forums so we can get a mixture of opinions on this topic. Keep the discussion flowing guys, I'm keen to hear what you have to say :)

27/06/2011

Melbourne, Victoria

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roquefort

No problem.

I do think that standalone handheld games may die out eventually, but don't forget the kid demographic. Some of those little goobers will play Pokemon for hours on end and then gleefully show off their accomplishments. I think there will always be a market for portable games with that kind of playability.

29/06/2011

California, USA

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Heller

Currently I live with my Aunty and Uncle and my four younger cousins. Ben, who just turned 7 on Sunday received an iPod Touch for his birthday.

He already has a DSi and he hardly uses it, yet ever since his dad got an iPad a few months ago he is always playing games on it. Now he has his own iOS device and I haven't seen it leave his hands.

I think that says a lot - his parents aren't inclined to spend $50+ a game for him, yet when he wants a game on the iOS it costs less than $15.

29/06/2011

Melbourne, Victoria

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Matteh

I think that's why so many people thinking iOS handheld gaming > Nintendo/Sony handheld gaming, Heller. It's the cheapness of games that are available on the App Store. You can buy so many games via the App Store for the same amount that you can buy one game from gaming stores.

30/06/2011

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deicide

the argument annoys me. you guys are talking about initial layout, not value. 60 bucks can get me a pokemon game on release, and i can put days. not hours, DAYS worth of play into it. where as with ios games, ill be lucky if i get an hour or two out of them. so for me, i dont care about the initial price, its how much game time ill get.

30/06/2011

Bitch i look like Goku, Dragging in my old school!

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Matteh

Angry Birds would like to tell you to GTFO. :P

I agree, most games on the App Store do not have much play time, but there are a few that can be played, replayed and replayed again.

30/06/2011

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Zekuromu

I played my Pokemon Platinum for about 400 hours. (love)

I played that aeroplane game that is on iPhone (or w/e) on my PS3 for about twenty minutes.

Let's face it; iPhone/Pad games suck. (love)

30/06/2011

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Matteh

Kurogane said:
Let's face it; iPhone/Pad games suck.

Infinity Blade wants you to STFU. :P

30/06/2011

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Zekuromu

I don't even know what that is.

If it was that great, I would have known about it. (*)

30/06/2011

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Matteh

Lol, because you only know of good things...right? :P

Check it out here . Just look at those screens. *_*

30/06/2011

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deicide

doesnt look that great. probably rapes your battery life though.

30/06/2011

Bitch i look like Goku, Dragging in my old school!

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Matteh

Indeed it does, but from what I hear about the 3DS, anything rapes the battery life of that. Plus, battery life for handhelds are always dodgey.

The iPad has great battery life, by the way.

30/06/2011

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King

ipad is shit for gaming

i spent 18 bucks on this game from square enix and it turns out its not even worth half that [Rage]

Kurogane said: I played my Pokemon Platinum for about 400 hours.
I played that aeroplane game that is on iPhone (or w/e) on my PS3 for about twenty minutes.
Let's face it; iPhone/Pad games suck.

this

30/06/2011

You need some brain cells. Suck them out of Malaka.

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Matteh

@King - What did you buy?

30/06/2011

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King

@princess chaos rising [MOG]

30/06/2011

You need some brain cells. Suck them out of Malaka.

Kudos: 63,926

Zekuromu

Matteh said: Lol, because you only know of good things...right?
Check it out here . Just look at those screens.

Yes. I bet every iPhone/Pad gamer has heard of Pokemon, but has every Pokemon gamer heard of Infinity Blade?

Those screens look good though, but this won't convince me to buy a 400 dollar phone for one game that'd probably disappoint me. [MOG]

30/06/2011

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Matteh

King said: @princess chaos rising

Am I your princess? [MOG]

Oh, I see. :P

Always read the reviews! [Rage]

Kurogane said:
Matteh said: Lol, because you only know of good things...right?
Check it out here . Just look at those screens.

Yes. I bet every iPhone/Pad gamer has heard of Pokemon, but has every Pokemon gamer heard of Infinity Blade?
Those screens look good though, but this won't convince me to buy a 400 dollar phone for one game that'd probably disappoint me.

Obviously more people have heard of Pokemon, as that game has been out for over a decade as opposed to Infinity Blade that's been out less than a year.

I wont deny that Pokemon is better than Infinity Blade, but what I will deny is that there are no good games on the App Store, because there are.

30/06/2011

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Psycho42

I'm not a huge fan of Infinity Blade - I found it boring - but I have spent multiple hours on games such as Modern Combat 2 (MW2 rip off for iOS) and Game Dev Story, easily more than I've played my 3DS at all.

30/06/2011

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Zekuromu

But more people knew of Pokemon during a year than people did infinity blade. [MOG]

Sure there's good games on the iPhone, but I imagine they're few and far between and that they suit a more casual fanbase.

Dear Matteh,

Can you be my princess too?

Yours sincerely,

Dear Romeo.

30/06/2011

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Matteh

@Psycho42 - OMG, I spent so much time on Game Dev Story. [MOG]

@Kurogane - I'll admit, about 80% of games on the App Store are probably terrible. But some are worth checking out, that are very good.

I'm no trollop. [MOG]

30/06/2011

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Bloard

The Spent about $100-ish on the App Store and I suppose it is worth it compared to the majority of DS and PSP games. However most of them are just trash you play for 10 minutes then just sit on your iDevice forever (evil) The only games I really played alot were Fruit Ninja, Tap Tap Revenge 2, Looptastic and Angry Birds to a point. But Angry Birds really isnt that good and is mega boring.

30/06/2011

League of Legends Summoner Name - Millapede

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Zekuromu

@Matteh I'm very disappointed you didn't take note of the "Dear Romeo" part. (evil)

30/06/2011

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mahoney1

As long as Sony and microsoft make money then of course they are relevant.
They are generally targeted to a young audience, I personally havent played a handheld since the original game boy days

30/06/2011

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deicide

mahoney1 said: As long as Sony and microsoft make money then of course they are relevant.
They are generally targeted to a young audience, I personally havent played a handheld since the original game boy days

sony and nintendo. microsoft dont have a handheld yet. i play handhelds all the time, and im about to buy a gba sp for some more epic times.

30/06/2011

Bitch i look like Goku, Dragging in my old school!

Kudos: 186,154

Heller

Basically this is how I see the whole situation.

Handhelds to me were always marketed towards kids, or people who simply could not afford current generation consoles.

Now we are getting full blown 10+ hour games that are the same as their console counterparts (in terms of quality) and the handheld device themselves are costing an arm and a leg.

When a family is deciding whether to buy a DS or an iPad they are probably going to choose the iPad - it's something that will be relevant and able to be used by all in the family while the DS may only be used by one or two members.

01/07/2011

Melbourne, Victoria