Move over, consoles — mobile is the future

Was it SmartGlass that first tipped you off? How about the Wii U’s new GamePad? The promise of the Sony PlayStation Vita cross-play games? How about the huge number of traditional console game companies showing off their latest entries for the mobile arena of smartphones and tablets from Apple to Android? This year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), a sprawling, industry-only conference of the biggest names in video game entertainment, has gone mobile in a big way.

[acronkyoung]

At the end of a long day of work you're probably going to find me in my basement, plopped down on a couch, with a NES/SNES/Genesis/N64 controller in hand. It'll be nostalgic comfort before I go to bed. Remembering how games used to control.

[darthv72]

will be more about multipurpose than dedicated. So the likes of a portable device being used as a console seems fitting.

hook it up when you want to play games on a bigger screen or unhook it when you want to take it with you. Its a concept that may have been ahead of its time a few years ago but we are coming back around to where it would be more viable.

[miyamoto]

in my experience a super phone like my Galaxy S2 has potential as a gaming device but not there yet.

Wireless mirroring like Air Play or Xbounds are not perfected yet.

Control pad adapters are not popular yet.

New haptic tactile feedback touchscreen bound for the touchscreen is not here yet

5" smart phone like the Galaxy Note is not mainstream either.

PS Vita is the perfect mobile hardware. It has everything except a phone calling functionality save for Skype. It could have done better if it used an open but customized Android OS with tons of games right out of the box on top of its exclusive games.
For Apple or M$ to allow PS Mobile games on their hardware is a tough sell.

The 3DS should have been designed to be the Wii U gamepad.

[linkratos]

"The 3DS should have been designed to be the Wii U gamepad."

No. Why would anyone want this? I want my controller to be primarily designed as the controller. Which is what Nintendo did and there is no latency and it actually feels light and ergonomic like a real controller but with a screen in the middle.

[miyamoto]

@ linkratos

"I want my controller to be primarily designed as the controller. "

That is exactly what I meant with...

"The 3DS should have been designed to be the Wii U Gamepad." from the start.

[Fishy Fingers]

Until my mobile device can provide great visuals, wirelessly to my TV/monitor and support a plethora of input devices. Pads, keyboards and mice. I'll have a need for a 'dedicated' device.

There's no denying that the mobile industry is growing and advancing faster than any other though. It's amazing what were carrying in our pockets these days.

[darthv72]

I can see mobile devices docking to a tv like the psp go can do. then again, if you get an incoming call i guess you would need to have it handy to answer.

[Fishy Fingers]

Fair point. It's more a preference. Id still like to be able to operate what's on the TV screen from the device itself. Internet, flicking through music or media. Whatever it maybe.

Just how I picture it I guess. Who wants a 2 metre cable, uglying up their fancy tech :)

[frostedjuly]

dream on

[hennessey86]

How am I meant to use my Fantatec GT2 on the train, the simple fact is only certain games can go mobile. I can't see sim racers carting there rigs around, by the time they have set them up on the bus it will be time to get off, plus I don't think the other passengers would appreciate the sound of a V8 in the morning

[GamingPerson]

WiiU, Smart Glass, PSVita & 3dS all now have touchscreen like a smart phone. But Smart phones don't try to be like psVita's or 3ds's.. just saying Console makers are reacting to the smart phone boom & not the other way around.

[stephmhishot]

No dedicated buttons = awkward experience. For years critics said the PSP couldn't offer a satisfying gaming experience because it only had one analog nub, now we're supposed to believe that you can have a compelling and satisfying gaming experience with no buttons at all?

[RememberThe357]

Hahahaha Shut up and get off my gaming website.

[avengers1978]

HaHaHaHa was what I was going to say too... Show me a phone that can run God of War, Uncharted, or Gears, Diablo 3, or SWTOR

[Rai]

Move over, idiot, not everyone wants to play on a small screen.

[TheGamingArt]

Wow, did it ever dawn on you that a portable handheld will be able to eventually either stream or just connect to a television. Really guys... really. Do you know of a feature called Air Play? Do you know about the PSPs ability to hook up to a tv? Put the pieces together. The future is a handheld. When you get home, you can just plop down and remote it up to the big screen. Now, for your rude idiot comment * derp.

[Rai]

I have a psp and I have the stupid thing that connects to the TV but I never use it. There are so many problems with that idea.

first we would need to keep the mobile plugged in if we want to play for more then 3 hours, playing for more then 3 hours on a handheld can hurt someones hands.

Second if we want to stream the games on the TV we would need to buy a tv that allows us to stream games.

Third if we go with mobile then it would mean we took a step backwards because we need to keep it connected to the TV and keep the device connected to something else to keep it charged. We can game with wireless controllers now, why would anyone want to game with a device connected to 2 things. Also as the device continues to charge the maximum battery life will drop, then your left with a handheld that isn't really a handheld anymore.

[TheGamingArt]

*sigh* you don't understand the concept of future do you? Also... controllers have a battery life too and that was NOT a step back... derp. You're basing everything off of current rather future tech. Battery life will get better and cords will become a thing of the past.

[Rai]

Of course I'm basing this on current tech, what are you basing it on? I know battery life will get better as time goes on but that doesn't mean we won't need to charge it.

Controllers have battery life but the difference is that I can buy 3-4 controllers for the price of 1 handheld. Also I don't have to worry about losing my save file when my controller turns off.

[kevnb]

seems like the media wants us to think so, sadly they are very good at convincing the masses...

[MilkMan]

WOW this article is AMAZin..ZZzzz.

[the worst]

mobile games will not take over
maybe 15 to 20 years for now

[Reborn]

It won't take over. Some nice booths doesn't indicate mobiles wiping out consoles. Both will continue to exist side by side. Since they have different purposes, that's what I believe.

[Dno]

HAHAHAH this is a funy article being as the most talked about things at this years E3 was new CONSOLES!!!

LMAO!!!! cracks me up everytime.

[thebudgetgamer]

I'm looking forward to trading in the Gears and Uncharteds of the world for angry birds.

[tigertron]

Angry birds on your phone or Uncharted in glorious HD? hmmm, such a hard decision. /s

[FarCryLover182]

No $%#*(# thank you!!!

[deletingthis34675334]

Desperate for hits?

[BitbyDeath]

I have a Galaxy S2 and while there is an S3 out now i'd still consider it as a pretty powerful phone.

Yet Plants Vs Zombies is horrible on it.
Maybe it was a bad port but for such a simple game the graphics are downright ugly compared to consoles/PC and it freezes at least every 5 mins. I ended up deleting it after just 3 levels.

If mobile gaming is the future it is many many many years away. And hopefully at a time when touchscreens are a thing of the past.