Handhelds are the future?

[Mirage]

I find it to be a crazy thought that I would willingly (and permanently) give up a big, high resolution monitor and practically endless storage space for some small crappy device with a 3 inch screen.

No, not until I can have high resolution graphics projected directly onto my retina though a device that is no bigger than a pair of designer sun shades, and it lets me display graphics so good that they are indistinguishable from those generated by a high powered device that generates enough heat to fry my balls off.

[Rostum]

@Rostum:
Well that's problem we both share. I never said that's what you were talking about. I merely showed the difference between the 2 markets for the sake of the thread we're in. As for small studios turning indie, I just wanted to point out they aren't making as much as you think. That Facebook title that you said was making half a million a year, im going to assume is Farmville. Zynga posted profits at around 15 million which means their top grossing game isn't pulling all that hard cash for them. I mean even considering Mafia Wars, Texas hold um (and to a lesser extent) Cityville, that's not really where there making money. They're making most of their money through advertising and lease agreement shares with facebook. Those indie devs being the future is faaaaaaar off is what I was getting at. Me pulling the big publishers into this was to show you CONTRAST. Yes those are amazing feats for small companies, but I think we're talking about those companies taking over in the long run on smaller platforms (like mobile or social networks).

I do appreciate your side of things, however I wasn't really saying that handheld gaming (especially the smartphone area) is going to take over. Just giving a perspective from someone that's in the indie scene after doing contract work for bigger productions, and attempting to start up a studio.

Here's an article about games on Facebook:
Gamasutra - Features - Gaming The New Era Of Facebook
It's an interesting read.

As a gamer I definitely prefer to sit on the couch and watch the HD glory that is console gaming. It's much more comfortable too, can never get used to the narrow PSP/DS/Smartphone devices! In fact I ended up buying an AV/Component cable for my PSP to my HDTV (even if the resolution isn't that great), and sadly couldn't hook in my PS3 controller.

[Jiro]

This syncing business Yearg mentioned seems interesting, but I can't really see handheld gaming "taking over" or making consoles obsolete. Though if we get to the point where we have full VR on our phones, well...

[Loony BoB]

I think it'll firstly go towards what was mentioned earlier in this thread - a merging of portable consoles and home consoles. Tech will get to a point that it becomes normal to simply plug a PSP3 or whatever into a television and get 1080p quality graphics. And after that, Move/Kinect/etc will develop into something that can track your finger movements, meaning you can create a virtual keyboard. Of course, you can't see it, so they put it into your eyes via 3D. This means either glasses that display things in 3D or a hologram. While the 'minority report' interactive hologram style is considered what most people want to get to, I think it will probably the former as it would be more portable. Then you can type away on your keyboard image and move all sorts of things around, point to where your character should go on your 3D landscape, things like that. Perhaps make it immersive and go first person. All sorts of possibilities kick in.

But first, I think they will merge portable and home consoles into a single console that does it all. If you think about it, companies lose a lot of money on consoles but make that money back in game sales. Right now, the home and portable console means they lose money on potentially twice the number of consoles. If they had one console for both, they would make money back faster. At least, I think that's right...

[kotora]

I think it'll firstly go towards what was mentioned earlier in this thread - a merging of portable consoles and home consoles. Tech will get to a point that it becomes normal to simply plug a PSP3 or whatever into a television and get 1080p quality graphics. And after that, Move/Kinect/etc will develop into something that can track your finger movements, meaning you can create a virtual keyboard. Of course, you can't see it, so they put it into your eyes via 3D. This means either glasses that display things in 3D or a hologram. While the 'minority report' interactive hologram style is considered what most people want to get to, I think it will probably the former as it would be more portable. Then you can type away on your keyboard image and move all sorts of things around, point to where your character should go on your 3D landscape, things like that. Perhaps make it immersive and go first person. All sorts of possibilities kick in.

Nah the real future is with neural implants and whatnot. We'd be able to experience an virtual reality that is just as real as anything. Which of course would cause some major global instability, because let's face it the real world sucks balls. Who would wanna go back if you can just plug into an awesome fantasy world where you slay dragons and bang hot elf chicks all day?

[Yeargdribble]

The advent of holodeck technology will mark the beginning of the end of humanity.

[edczxcvbnm]

I don't think handhelds are the future. I always had trouble getting into the handheld market until I realized that, for the most part, they are trying to replicate the home experience on the go. I just want something stupid to play on the go for 1-4 minutes at a time. I recently got an Android phone and I love Angry Birds. Exactly what I want on the go. I can play for less than a minute and feel like I accomplished something. Just a quick stupid fun game.

I like sitting back and playing an expansive game for a couple of hours without all of the distractions of the world. The portable world has me hunched forward looking down at my lap with all of the distractions of the world.

I think with technology like the Wii (motion controls) and the Kinect (video controls) the home market will always be there as those cannot be replicated as easily on a handheld. You are now going to be swinging your 3DS around like a sword and be able to look at the screen and you can't play Dance Central when the screen in 2 feet away from your face.

[ljkkjlcm9]

Tech will get to a point where you don't even have to plug the portable system into the TV, it will connect wirelessly. Portable consoles will be home consoles, one in the same. The system will be the controller when you play on the TV, and you can take it on the go at any time. Beyond that, it will be like those commercials where you see a guy go from one room to another picking up the movies exactly where he left off. The systems will do the same thing, connect to one TV in the living room, decide to go to your bedroom and continue right where you left off, even being able to play on the system as you go from one to the next.

THE JACKEL

[edczxcvbnm]

I would be more inclined to believe that if the industry could at least do it with wires and only the PSP allowed you to hook up directly to your TV and even then it wasn't a 1st gen PSP thing. It was later release of the 2000 and 3000 line if memory serves me correctly.

[Vyk]

I would be more inclined to believe that if the industry could at least do it with wires and only the PSP allowed you to hook up directly to your TV and even then it wasn't a 1st gen PSP thing. It was later release of the 2000 and 3000 line if memory serves me correctly.

Yeah the one draw back to my PSP 1000, not being able to play my emulated games on my TV, that would be pretty awesome

[ljkkjlcm9]

I would be more inclined to believe that if the industry could at least do it with wires and only the PSP allowed you to hook up directly to your TV and even then it wasn't a 1st gen PSP thing. It was later release of the 2000 and 3000 line if memory serves me correctly.

we are talking about the FUTURE right?

Sony will probably be one of the first to do it too, having their own TV's as well as portable gaming. You may find it farfetched, but in the next 15-20 years? highly plausible.

THE JACKEL

[Miriel]

I don't know if it counts as a handheld, but I LOVE playing games on my Ipad. I actually wish that SE games were available on the ipad. That would be neat.

I know a lot of professionals who got the ipad for business reasons (using it during meetings, consultations, credit card transactions, etc) but all of us just use it to play games.

[Yeargdribble]

I don't know if it counts as a handheld, but I LOVE playing games on my Ipad. I actually wish that SE games were available on the ipad. That would be neat.

Haven't you heard about FF III? It's basically going to be an up-res'd DS port for iOS devices.

[edczxcvbnm]

I would be more inclined to believe that if the industry could at least do it with wires and only the PSP allowed you to hook up directly to your TV and even then it wasn't a 1st gen PSP thing. It was later release of the 2000 and 3000 line if memory serves me correctly.

we are talking about the FUTURE right?

Sony will probably be one of the first to do it too, having their own TV's as well as portable gaming. You may find it farfetched, but in the next 15-20 years? highly plausible.

THE JACKEL

Ah but there is my problem. I for see technology of televisions and games going further. Holographic VR further =D I don't foresee the handheld screens doing that and by the time they can at the level of a console then I would imagine the next level of VR would take effect. That is why I don't think the console will ever be obsolete in favor of pure handhelds.

The processing power can always be shrunk but I think the future of how we use visuals will require more of a full room. It is kind of like I said w/ the Kinect. You are not playing dance dance what the smurf ever on the bus. Certain games demand the home console and space of the home to do it. Sure they could just make a portable system and you could just hook it all up and only play that game on your TV and never on the road. They could make it but they will not for much of the same reason RTS games are primarily PC games that get the occasion ty port that no one really cares about and is clearly just a quick cash-in to try and get a few more bucks out of the game.

I do believe that handhelds can be the future leader of the industry and be the main driver of sales.

[Del Murder]

I know I play much more handheld games than console games now. I didn't even own a current generation console until last year. I'm an old school type gamer, and many handheld games have that old school appeal (New Super Mario Bros., Castlevania, FF ports). I don't know if handheld is the future of gaming per se, but they definitely are the games I look forward to more. What other game can you play while you watch TV!