Ever since the explosion of mobile gaming especially on the iPhone, most game journalists shoot down any talk of handheld game devices.
Yes I can see their point when factors like convenience and price of the games chip in but not everyone eats from the same bowl. Their arguments are even made stronger with the weak sales of the recently launched Nintendo 3DS which had a poor launch and has had to cut prices.
Well for me, I’m completely opposite these opinions and get frustrated at journalists who have sunk too deep with their own consumer behaviour and automatically shade everyone as the same.
The Sony PS Vita to be released early 2012. Some are already calling its doom even before launch.
Of course mobile gaming is huge but everyone needs to think critically for once. People buy phones primarily for calls and extra features like its software, e.g Apple IOS or the Andiod devices. The phone market is obviously bigger than gaming in terms of penetration and this has given many people the opportunity to get into games. I think gaming took off on these devices due to the lower barrier of entry from the low price and simple game mechanics.
But for someone like me seeing that I had the first Android phone ever (Google G1) and and Ipod touch with experience on playing games on both, I hate smart phone/mobile games. And here’s why. I do not like games that are solely based on touch screen cause it doesn’t feel good to play (Buttons are still awesome!). Why people play Street Fighter on an Iphone makes me confused. I’m also not into very simple mechanic games like Cut the Rope.
Some people might argue that handheld games are console like and they would prefer to play that at home. A valid point but not all handheld games are like that! Take my PSPgo for example, I’ve enjoyed countless hours of simple but deep games like Pixel Junk Monsters and Disgaea. Such games with interesting stories or deep content are lacking on the App store. At least to my knowledge.
Another argument I’ve heard is that handhelds like the PS Vita are too heavy or to big to carry around. But wait, these same people are raving about games on the Ipad!? A tablet probably two times or three times bigger than a PSP or DS.
I know mobile games appeal to some but some people should understand that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. And not everyone has an iPhone! It’s quite irritating hearing even industry analysts like Patcher talk like everyone has one. Handhelds are here to stay and I’m always excited and supportive of them whether it’s from Nintendo or Sony.
It’s quality over quantity.
What’s your opinion?
