The Beginning of the End for Handheld Game Consoles? | Gamers ...

The rise of powerful mobile phones, tablet computers, and cheap downloadable games has worried lovers of dedicated handheld game consoles for months, even years. ?Why would I spend $170 on a Nintendo 3DS when I can get Angry Birds on my iPhone for 99 cents? ?Why would anyone carry around a PlayStation Vita when I can play Infinity Blade 2 on my iPad and still do a billion other things with the greatest of ease? ?As an advocate for portable consoles ever since I fell in love with my original Game Boy so many years ago, I?ve always hidden my apocalyptic anxieties by declaring the mobile phone/tablet computer faction as a separate market. ?Those are devices for social games, right? ?For shallow, quick, pick-up-and-play games. ?Nothing could ever replace the hours of deep gameplay, stellar graphics, and physical controls only found on a dedicated gaming system. ?Surely not!

?Frankly, I?m not so sure anymore.

Despite any earth-shattering sales figures displayed about Apple or Android downloads, I always felt safe knowing our PlayStation Vita?s and Nintendo 3DS?s were protected by one collective higher power: the developers. ?Rovio releases Angry Birds Space? ?Oh, that?s cute. ?Don?t mind me as I play Uncharted on the bus at near-PS3 quality. ?Words With Friends, huh? ?Sorry, I?m racing my buddy across the country in Mario Kart 7 from a Starbucks. ?I had this knowledge of superiority, and remained content because of it. ?No one could touch us, the ?real gamers.?

But alas, this may finally be the beginning of the end.

Recent rumors and announcements have shaken the only shield I had left in the assertion that dedicated and secondary portable gaming devices could exist together forever, living in harmony, separate but equal. ?First, as touched on in my rumors article earlier this week, Bethesda is hiring for iOS game development. ?I cannot speak for anyone else, but franchises like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls signify the most ?core?/?non-casual? gaming experiences imaginable. ?If Bethesda succeeds at creating a fully-featured worthy title from either of these universes for an Apple device, a dedicated system becomes that much less necessary for a home console-like experience on the go.

If you?re not convinced yet, Overhaul Games drove another nail into the coffin today with the announcement of Baldur?s Gate: Enhanced Edition on the iPad. ?It?s true, see for yourself:

I hate to admit it, but that looks awesome?

Call me crazy, ladies and gentlemen, but the era of dedicated gaming consoles is coming to a close. ?There, I said it. ?Us industry folk like to dance around the issues and avoid absolute declarative statements, but I?ve seen all I need to see. ?Now, Baldur?s Gate and Skyrim Lite aren?t going to kill Vita and 3DS in their tracks upon arrival, yet big-name titles by big-name developers on mobile phones and tablet computers will only tempt other developers to make the switch themselves. ?And really, if you?re going to make a game, why not create one for Apple or Android, each with install bases that tower over the number of Vitas and 3DSs in hands and homes today.

Take care of your portable game consoles. ?Spend some quality time with them, wrap them up tight, and kiss ?em goodnight. ?I love them as much as you do, but, like a terminally ill relative, that love doesn?t change that fact that they won?t be around much longer.

For now, keep living like everything is okay. ?Just don?t be surprised when you realize they?re gone.

?

Source: http://www.gamers-association.com/2012/03/the-beginning-of-the-end-for-handheld-game-consoles/

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