Handheld gaming has lost its way

CVG writes:

"I adore handheld gaming. I have ever since I first laid eyes on the original Game Boy in 1990. Vita and 3DS? Both day-one purchases. So it pains me to admit that my interest in dedicated portable consoles has hit an all-time low."

[remanutd55]

have some gamers lost their ways? lol, psvita has brought me back to handheld gaming, i love the system and the games.

[GraveLord]

Same here. I can't believe portable-friendly Uncharted turned out to be. It actually makes sense dusting off the artifacts with the touchscreen or piecing together the maps and stuff. Fun stuff.

[Soldierone]

I can't put my Vita down. If they keep releasing good games I love it. It actually brought me back into general gaming as a whole, instead of simple shooters non-stop lol

[ritsuka666]

'Handheld gaming has lost its way

Not for Nintendo. I disagree with the statement saying Handheld market is dead, look at Resident Evil: Revelations and Mercenaries, OH and the 3DS has original games like KID ICARUS. What does sony have? Ports. I want games and Sony has always lacked games, sure they attract 3rd party developers but hardly have any good IP's. At least Nintendo makes sure to make quality games.Awn..

[boybato]

humor me.
3ds year one,what was your games????

[Baka-akaB]

cue in the part when someone mention exclusive vita games that are worth it , but of course the retort that "those games still dont matter/ or not your fancy" will conveniently follow .

Not worth the hassle ...

@boybato

Lol not worth the hassle .

[Apollosupreme]

I own both and in the first year of the 3DS it was @#$%'in boring a hell from launch almost until the Christmas rush when finally we started getting some good stuff like Mario and the cart racer. What games were interesting in that boring window? Ports. Zelda and Star Fox come to mind and not much more. Steel Diver would have been a .99 cent game on a phone and Ghost Recon, while entertaining, clearly wasn't designed to put the 3DS' hardware(3D, the whole gimmick of the system that got me and many others to buy it) to the test.

I can objectively say that Sony's offering from launch through Christmas of it's first year is vastly more rich than what Nintendo brought to the table when they launched and ran through to Christmas. They also had the foresight to design the thing with a second stick. What Nintendo did only months after launch with that sloppy add-on stick insulted me. Sony's only downfall is the pricing during a time when many markets just aren't willing to splurge due to the economy. They got the early adopters but they weren't going to get the rest without either a price cut or major sales. Waiting for Christmas was too long in my opinion but whatever, I enjoyed mine since launch and I love the fact that almost all PS1 and PSP games are also at my disposal, along with the growing list of remote play PS3 titles. Then there is the Vita library itself which is surprising large and rich for a console less than a year old. Then you have their new mobile games section that has some fun fast gaming offerings.

You sound like a stereotypical fanboy. You don't own a Vita and you've barely used one if at all, admit it. This childish nerd system wars b.s. will always an annoyance but I don't understand it...

[FriedGoat]

I too had both from launch, You are certainly correct. The Vita blows the 3ds out of the water.

As it currently stands I'm having a lot more fun with my Vita, 3DS is just gathering dust.

[Kingthrash360]

I Had the same comment on another article, your right on.

[CyborgNinjaGreyFox]

hand held gaming sales are going down the hill as we speak

[Apollosupreme]

Gaming sales in general are going downhill. So what's your point?

[BLuKhaos]

Retail sales maybe but digital sales are going up.

[Kingthrash360]

Not only gaming, but the entertainment bis is suffering as a whole. Are economy is crippled and almost everything is feeling it, gamers will always love gaming on the go. Sales numbers can't determine what gamers want in today's economy. Almost all my friends who want a vita/3ds simply cant afford them right now.

[NYC_Gamer]

I disagree,Nintendo is doing fine in the handheld market.

[LOL_WUT]

Thats the only thing thats keeping Nintendo afloat ;)

[Luke_fon_Fabre]

My favorite kind of gaming is handheld gaming.

[metalgod88]

Isn't the Nintendo DS the most sold system of all time? I could be mistaken, but I know one of Nintendo's handhelds has outsold all other systems. Handheld gaming IS NOT dead and writers really need to stop writing these articles. What's the point..really. You want people to go buy one right now? I don't understand the purpose. Thanks for letting us know how you feel, and sorry you feel that way. However...

I love my vita and play it just about every day. If the vita has taught me anything about handhelds, it's that they are very much alive and are capable of simply amazing things. People are always wanting to game on the go, and a handheld system such as the 3DS or the vita allow them to do that. I feel that the vita is a bit on the pricy side though, but for what it can do and how responsive everything is, I'd say it's well worth the price.

And just because sales for handhelds may be going down, doesn't mean the gaming is dead. They may become discontinued 10 years from now...but usually at that point, something better comes along. Even if it is discontinued, people will still be playing on these things. Unless you burn each handheld, this form of gaming will never die.

[Apollosupreme]

The writer didn't mean handheld gaming is dead.

He doesn't like the direction its headed down and that's his opinion and he's free to make it and if you don't like it you don't have to read it.

Personally I love my Vita and I own a 3DS as well, although it's collecting dust because most of the games seem to childish for me now... I can still understand the appeal though, I mean I bought one on launch day. I wish there were more games like the 3DS Ghost Recon and more mature games in general.

[H4all]

what can i say..

Agree for Ps Vita and 3Ds
Disagree For Justin beiber.. :D

[Soldierone]

I hope Sony has a plan to fully connect Vita to PS4, make it an awesome feature. Drop the price, and get people to want a Vita to go alongside their PS4. Sure all the nintendo fanboys will go "but but but ours comes in the box!" who cares. Include one Vita in the box, and make it so standard controllers are completely functional at all times. Just make the Vita add some awesome features, and above all else it lets you take the SAME GAME on the go. WiiU can't do that.

At minimum make a bundle that is cheaper for already Vita owners that includes a PS4/Vita docking station. So the games sync up while playing. I don't care if the visual look better on PS4, its the same game I'll be fine. Just like need for speed.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

Vita, 3DS, Android and Open Source Portables, iOS, and retero portables.

Handheld gaming is better than ever.

[tubers]

So true.

[i8urCAKE]

Nexus tablet with Nvidia + ps3 controller + HD games = win

[tubers]

+ emulators = more win

Handheld games have become much more accessible.

[Ult iMate]

...except you can't play that on the go.

[Hicken]

What part of that is handheld? The controller? Cuz the tablet would be sitting in your lap, in that case. And that's not very portable.

[Kingthrash360]

I wouldn't call a tablet a handheld gaming system, any time you have to connect a controller to something its lost its handheld title because your holding a controller not the system, plus having a ps controller in one pocket and a tablet in another isn't too comfortable. Not to mention charging the controller then having to charge the tablet so wires would be an issue too... All that to play micro games... Yeah, doesn't make the handheld cut.
I'm not knocking the tablets here I like my galaxy but I wouldn't call it a handheld.

[linkenski]

The thing that makes me like the 3DS better than the Vita, is that it doesn't try to offer big-screen gaming experiences on a smaller screen (like Uncharted 3 for PS3 to Golden Abyss on the Vita).
To me handheld gaming should offer games that feel different from typical console games. It's good that we have those titles as well like OoT 3D, RE: Revelations and such, but i always end up loving the simple games more. I wouldn't want to play Mass Effect 2 on my 4 inch tiny screen. I wouldn't want to play CoD BLOPS on it either. What i want is a game that wouldn't have the same charm if it was played with a regular joypad and was on the 40" tv-screen.

Super Mario 3D land is a good example. It is a 3D mario but it tends to lean more towards fixed camera angles and shorter levels, than Super Mario Galaxy for Wii. It's easy to pick up and play, and it makes the 3DS unique in its own way compared to the other big consoles.

[one2thr]

Im guessing that, you're not a big fan of innovation or console like quality on the go, based on what you have stated above?...

[tubers]

I think it's already proven that "simpler" games have been better for on the go devices where you don't have to put too much reflex and similar effort.. easy to pick up then drop..

My only beef with VITA-heavy-3D complex are load times. GR, UCGA, ACL and specially Wipeout.. ugh..

What makes the 3DS great is the mass appeal.. Mario, Pokemon, Animal Crossing, Nintendogs, Disney Princesses and Gordon Ramsey games :P

[r21]

You do know OoT, RE: Rev are console quality games. Hell OoT was a port of the console game. Probably one of the reasons why 3DS is enjoyable to their owners, same as the PSV, its that these handhelds offer console quality games on the go :D

[chukamachine]

I have a Samsung s2.

My son has a 3ds/vita.

There are a few games playable on the Samsung. Best racing one is need for speed most wanted.

Mobile phones still do not touch handhelds.

As for graphics/games.

VITA all the way imo.