Is the DS making XB360, PS3 irrelevant?

[Sarkus]

With the huge success of the DS in Japan (and to a lesser extent here) I'm wondering if we are going to see a shift away from the traditional TV console? While the GBA was successful, it seems the DS is appealing to a much larger market. Japan seems much more likely to make this shift than the US, but the impact on developers could be huge.

I guess what I'm asking is whether we will see a noticeable shift away from large console development in favor of DS development as publishers and developers try and take advantage of a fast growing market?

[jblank]

I feel that the high quality of handhelds is for me at least, making consoles not a necessity, for me at least. I sold my XBOX and bought a PSP and now all I have is a DS and PSP, and I couldn't be happier.

[TheMissingLink]

OMGZ WHAT? THE DS IS UGLY LOL ROFL_COPTER KIDDIES ONLY BBQ!!!


You bring up an interesting point...I don't think there'll be a huge shift, but at times it sure feels like Nintendo's making it a priority to support the DS rather than a console. And they're making PSP --> PS3 compatibility, as well as DS --> Revolution compatibility, so I think companies have realized how hot the handheld market is.

[ChaoZ]

Perhaps.

While handhelds have innovative gameplay, they are still quite far away from the depth we're used to in traditional console games. The DS is just as guilty of this as the PSP or GBA. The DS has yet to show it is competent at simulation games, at sports games even. Now, perhaps the next generation handheld will bring it a step closer, but it's also chasing a moving target. Also, while the DS and PSP are entering the multiplayer arena, the experience isn't quite the same as having a group of friends around a large TV. Besides, how are you going to have Guitar Hero or DDR on a handheld?

However, since so much of the development of games has been console, it's not unnatural to see some of it shift to handhelds because of it's relatively lower development costs. You also have to couple that with the relatively lower prices and lower yield of sales.

[Hetz]

I really don't think so. Wake me when a game that has the depth of Oblivion shows up on a handheld....until then, handhelds will always be a diversion for me, nothing more.

[TheMissingLink]

I really don't think so. Wake me when a game that has the depth of Oblivion shows up on a handheld....until then, handhelds will always be a diversion for me, nothing more.

Depth is definitely a big negative for portable games. The upcoming Age of Empires game for the DS intrigues me because of the amount of depth it has (according to IGN), but a part of me thinks it'll still be somewhat cosmetic.

Wonder how long it'll take until we get stuff like Oblivion on a handheld. Definitely won't be the next-gen of handhelds, maybe the gen after that? Just thinking about that sort of weirds me out.

[El Guapo]

I really don't think so. Wake me when a game that has the depth of Oblivion shows up on a handheld....until then, handhelds will always be a diversion for me, nothing more.

Actually, I recently found something that has the depth of Oblivion:



Check it out! You can roleplay and pretend that something exciting is going on!

[Sarkus]

When you talk about the handheld games not having the depth of what we see on our TV's, I think you are missing two factors. First, the handhelds are capable of reproducing the depth of the last generation or two and plenty of gamers consider there were some games with depth then. It ends up being a question of graphical expectations, not depth. Second, the mass popularity of the DS in Japan makes me think they are tapping into a market that has different expectations for gaming. Look at the success of that brain teaser game. Look at the success of Nintendogs.

Think of it this way: old-school gamers from the early days feel like they are now a "niche" within a larger world of gaming. What if the handhelds turn the current generation/concept of gaming into a "niche" of it's own, with a broader, mass-market, concept of gaming taking over. The publishers and developers will generally chase the largest market.

[Windows95]

Handhelds are fun diversions, but for me they can't replace my PC (number one gaming system) or 360 (close second).

Two issues. Depth of the games (they're original, but without more powerful hardware they lack in so many departments) and tiny screens. There's something to be said for lying back on the couch and playing on my TV versus hunched over looking at a tiny screen.

[jblank]

Handhelds are fun diversions, but for me they can't replace my PC (number one gaming system) or 360 (close second).

Two issues. Depth of the games (they're original, but without more powerful hardware they lack in so many departments) and tiny screens. There's something to be said for lying back on the couch and playing on my TV versus hunched over looking at a tiny screen.

Yeah, but like a lot of people, I don't want to play a 40 hour game on my PSP or a 20 hour game on my DS. What I want are games that are fun, but can be played in short increments, and can give me a fun experience every time I play it.

I don't want or need every game to be epic, give me fun games to play for 30 minutes to an hour at a time, repeatedly, and I will be happy.

[YellowKing]

Until they make a handheld with at least a 36" screen, count me out.

[baron calamity]

Can playing games on the DS improve my gamerscore? If not I'm not interested. :p

[CeeKay]

What's the battery life on a PSP or DS these days?

[HankRaptor]

Man, I just dont get all the DS love... Bad graphix clunky design.. Im confused...

[jblank]

Man, I just dont get all the DS love... Bad graphix clunky design.. Im confused...

So am I........because I don't know why people think its a bad design or that it has bad graphics. I've had mine about a month and a half and I love the dual screens, and think the graphics on the system are fine. Give me great gameplay over new shiny, flashy graphics any day of the week. Neither it or my PSP are gonna look as good as an XBOX 360 or a PS3, but they aren't supposed to, both deliver loads of fun, great games, and a more than solid gaming experience, which is what most people want out of a handheld.

[jblank]

What's the battery life on a PSP or DS these days?

I typically charge my PSP once a week, and my DS twice a month. I play my PSP probably a total of 5 hours or so before it gets to 20% or so, which is when I charge it.

[Depward]

Man, I just dont get all the DS love... Bad graphix clunky design.. Im confused...

Bad graphix doesn't neccessarily mean bad games

What the DS excels in is ingenuity. It presents games in a whole different way than the norm. It gives the gamer something other than the "typical gaming experience." Games like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney simply cannot be played on any other handheld or stationary console along with others such as Ouendan, Meteos, Feel the Magic, Mario & Luigi 2, Trauma Center, and otherwise. It also implements specific DS elements to games that can be played on other consoles, such as a slick and easy way of playing the new Age of Empires game (coming out this week!), the "Magic Seals" for Castlevania, and more.

If your main concern is graphics, then perhaps you can't get excited for a DS. If you're excited about experiencing games in ways you haven't before, then that would be a reason to be interested in one.

Maybe all of the love people are giving the DS is due to how it makes us all excited to be playing original and creative games again.

[Freezer-TPF-]

I have never owned a handheld console other than my Palm PDA, which I have played a few games on. But the DS has caught my interest due to the innovative features. I'll be very tempted to pick one up once more lite strategy/rpg-type games are available for it.

[jblank]

Man, I just dont get all the DS love... Bad graphix clunky design.. Im confused...

Bad graphix doesn't neccessarily mean bad games

What the DS excels in is ingenuity. It presents games in a whole different way than the norm. It gives the gamer something other than the "typical gaming experience." Games like Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney simply cannot be played on any other handheld or stationary console along with others such as Ouendan, Meteos, Feel the Magic, Mario & Luigi 2, Trauma Center, and otherwise. It also implements specific DS elements to games that can be played on other consoles, such as a slick and easy way of playing the new Age of Empires game (coming out this week!), the "Magic Seals" for Castlevania, and more.

If your main concern is graphics, then perhaps you can't get excited for a DS. If you're excited about experiencing games in ways you haven't before, then that would be a reason to be interested in one.

Maybe all of the love people are giving the DS is due to how it makes us all excited to be playing original and creative games again.

Its about as often that Halley's Comet comes around that I agree with Depward, but in this case, he is 100% correct.

[Mattc0m]

Biggest put off for handhands for me is controls. I just couldn't imagine playing Halo 2 on the PSP, nor could I imagine playing Civ4 on a DS. They're nice pick up and play games, but when I want to game for more than 30 minutes (at home) I don't even consider picking up a handheld. Depth is also a good reason.
I also like my graphics - not so much shiny high-resolution stuff, but I love walking around big cities, with lots of enemies or NPCs on screen, and I love cool looking explosions and weapon effects. Those things you can't get on a handheld, though PSP is kind of gaining in that area, I just really hate it's control.

[KiloOhm]

Man, I just dont get all the DS love... Bad graphix clunky design.. Im confused...

So am I........because I don't know why people think its a bad design or that it has bad graphics. I've had mine about a month and a half and I love the dual screens, and think the graphics on the system are fine. Give me great gameplay over new shiny, flashy graphics any day of the week. Neither it or my PSP are gonna look as good as an XBOX 360 or a PS3, but they aren't supposed to, both deliver loads of fun, great games, and a more than solid gaming experience, which is what most people want out of a handheld.

I agree, I scratch my head when people say the graphics are bad. They are typical Nintendo bright and clean. Granted they are not a huge leap from the GBA but for a handheld they are fine for me. Plus you have to consider the PSP is twice the cost so of course it will have more horsepower in the graphics dept..

Now the dual screens I'm still mixed on. I still have a real hard time stopping looking at one screen to look at the other. Maybe it's me because even my wife while playing Mario Kart noted how she was using the lower screen to see what was coming when she go inked (that never occured to me...). I can't get myself to look back and forth between them. Hopefully I'll get used to it.

[El Guapo]

Man, I just dont get all the DS love... Bad graphix clunky design.. Im confused...

So am I........because I don't know why people think its a bad design or that it has bad graphics. I've had mine about a month and a half and I love the dual screens, and think the graphics on the system are fine. Give me great gameplay over new shiny, flashy graphics any day of the week. Neither it or my PSP are gonna look as good as an XBOX 360 or a PS3, but they aren't supposed to, both deliver loads of fun, great games, and a more than solid gaming experience, which is what most people want out of a handheld.

I agree, I scratch my head when people say the graphics are bad. They are typical Nintendo bright and clean. Granted they are not a huge leap from the GBA but for a handheld they are fine for me. Plus you have to consider the PSP is twice the cost so of course it will have more horsepower in the graphics dept..

Now the dual screens I'm still mixed on. I still have a real hard time stopping looking at one screen to look at the other. Maybe it's me because even my wife while playing Mario Kart noted how she was using the lower screen to see what was coming when she go inked (that never occured to me...). I can't get myself to look back and forth between them. Hopefully I'll get used to it.

I think Mario Kart is the game so far where it's most useful to have two screens. I also use the lower screen when I'm inked, and also when people are coming up from behind me. That way I can tell when I'm about to be passed, and also can use it to try to hit people with bananas and bombs that I drop behind me.

[Arkon]

I don't care how original and fun the games are, I can not play handhelds. The eye strain is horrible and my hands cramp up very quickly. I get sick if trying to play one when travelling. The real question to me is why are none of the fun and original games, that everyone raves about, on normal consoles?

[jblank]

I don't care how original and fun the games are, I can not play handhelds. The eye strain is horrible and my hands cramp up very quickly. I get sick if trying to play one when travelling. The real question to me is why are none of the fun and original games, that everyone raves about, on normal consoles?

A lot of them are. Neither consoles nor handhelds have a monopoly on fun and original games, and some games are just very well suited to a portable system, so thats where they end up.

[fancydirt]

Perhaps someday technology will allow for the most powerful graphics rendering and other such to be in a handheld unit and also to be able to wirelessly have it display its output on your TV through whatever home entertainment system is standard then. Until that time, handhelds will be a great way to bring good games anywhere, and consoles will be a great way to play good games on a big TV while sitting on your couch with a comfortable controller. The line isn't even close to getting blurred to the point where one will render the other obsolete. Lots of others have already listed the numerous things we get on conoles that handhelds can't compete with yet.

As has been mentioned, there are fun and interesting exclusive games on every system/format out there. Some genres are definitely optimal with certain control schemes, I know Halo and Civ IV were mentioned as not being handhelf friendly games, but a lot of us would take it a step further and say that they aren't even console friendly games either (I love my keyboard and mouse!). Still, most games that work well on a console work equaly well on a handheld with graphic capabilites being the primary bottleneck in execution.

[Dirt]

No, it's not making the PS3 or the Xbox360 irrelevant. It's both Sony and MS's long term strategy to make their products an all in one entertainment machine, not just a gaming console. The games are just a gateway into your home.

[KiloOhm]

I don't care how original and fun the games are, I can not play handhelds. The eye strain is horrible and my hands cramp up very quickly. I get sick if trying to play one when travelling. The real question to me is why are none of the fun and original games, that everyone raves about, on normal consoles?

A lot of them are. Neither consoles nor handhelds have a monopoly on fun and original games, and some games are just very well suited to a portable system, so thats where they end up.

To add to this:

Most of the time I want to be totally immersed into the game so I run it on my PC downstairs.

Sometimes I want to play games while watching TV with my wife - The DS is perfect for this, especially since I can "close" it and put it in suspend mode, this is an awesome feature.

It's not that we buy handhelds because the games are better, we buy them because of the convienience. Designers design console games for quick anywhere play unlike most PC games that may require hours of time in one sitting to play. It just depends on what "mood" you're in.

[HankRaptor]

Maybe I just havent found that killer game yet for my DS. But I hate Animal Crossing and Nintendogs, Feel the Magis was cool but too short and so was Wario Touched.. I wont get Mariokart, because if I play Mariokart one more time Im going to scream...... I will dig up my DS when the new Mario game comes out... The games are too short and while I TOTALLY agree its cool that they are trying something new with the DS I have yet to find a game I cant put down.

[Meghan]

Have you tried Trauma Center? That's the game that really shows off the machine, I think. So people would argue for Kirby Canvas Curse, otoh.

Personally, I think the DS would handle Civ 4 just fine (with 2d graphics, of course.)