Handheld Consoles Going Extinct?

[SBboundBRONCOS]

Wouldn't iPad and smartphone gaming technically qualify as handheld gaming?

And by the way Vita you can Facebook, watch Netflix and surf the web.

yes but i wouldnt call them handheld consoles.

imo you can use the vita as other options but its gaming first and foremost with ios its the othey way around.

personally i think many of us are just out growing handhelds. they are still very popular with little kids however so i dont think they are going anywhere just a different market.

not to mention back in the day it was easier for the handhelds to keep up with the big dogs because they were not that far behind in terms of graphics and gameplay. now weve taken such a huge leap with the 360 and ps3 that even tho the vita looks great its nothing like games on your home system

[DenverBlood]

Wouldn't iPad and smartphone gaming technically qualify as handheld gaming?

And by the way Vita you can Facebook, watch Netflix and surf the web.

[BroncoFanNC]

You also have to compete with Ipads and other tablets in 7" and 10" versions.

The gameplay obviously wouldnt be near the vita, but the screen size, web surfing, and multimedia capabilities make it a far more useful tool if you are going for that singular item you can grab and go.

[broncoFan!]

I agree for grown ups because we care about things like that.

But the point I was trying to make with my nephews is they couldn't care less about screen size. Whenever I see them the 10 year old always walks in with his DS in his face.

Kids still love them and probably always will. They are easier to satisfy. However things like wii and kinect may be a reason why handheld sales are going down. But if a kid is happy with it a parent will always buy the cheaper product. Except Vita is hardly cheaper anymore.

I think DS is though and I know leapsters are.

I don't think they are a thing of the past. I think they are just a thing of our past as we are now interested in bigger and better things.

That's awesome lol! I was the same way as a kid, heck even now I will occasionally buy the latest Nintendo handheld just for the heck of it. I hope they don't go extinct, things like Pokemon and Mario are a part of my past as well haha and I like it that way.

[DenverBlood]

Bingo.

I think that is a key part of the problem in handheld consoles. They used to be ground-breaking games, and now they are just kind of something from the past, and outdated.

I agree for grown ups because we care about things like that.

But the point I was trying to make with my nephews is they couldn't care less about screen size. Whenever I see them the 10 year old always walks in with his DS in his face.

Kids still love them and probably always will. They are easier to satisfy. However things like wii and kinect may be a reason why handheld sales are going down. But if a kid is happy with it a parent will always buy the cheaper product. Except Vita is hardly cheaper anymore.

I think DS is though and I know leapsters are.

I don't think they are a thing of the past. I think they are just a thing of our past as we are now interested in bigger and better things.

[broncoFan!]

I love my Vita. Don't understand why it's failing. Although I just never have time to play mine since my son was born.

Doesn't help that they never put any games out for it though. I have 0 interest in anything but Madden.

Well small interest in Assassins creed.

I think the problem is everyone wants bigger and better tv's these days. Why play a game on a 9 inch screen if you can play on a 60 inch screen? Honestly outside of buying that Madden I will probably only buy games on PS3 from now on that are on both. For that very reason.

Exclusives to Vita would get my interest if they had any.

By the way my nephews still love Nintendo DS and they have those leapster things now for even younger kids that my nephews absolutely love. So they aren't extinct yet.

And I don't think they ever completely will be with kids.

Bingo.

I think that is a key part of the problem in handheld consoles. They used to be ground-breaking games, and now they are just kind of something from the past, and outdated.

[DenverBlood]

I love my Vita. Don't understand why it's failing. Although I just never have time to play mine since my son was born.

Doesn't help that they never put any games out for it though. I have 0 interest in anything but Madden.

Well small interest in Assassins creed.

I think the problem is everyone wants bigger and better tv's these days. Why play a game on a 9 inch screen if you can play on a 60 inch screen? Honestly outside of buying that Madden I will probably only buy games on PS3 from now on that are on both. For that very reason.

Exclusives to Vita would get my interest if they had any.

By the way my nephews still love Nintendo DS and they have those leapster things now for even younger kids that my nephews absolutely love. So they aren't extinct yet.

And I don't think they ever completely will be with kids.

[THEdraftnik]

I think it's hard for people to buy handheld consoles when for a cheaper price they can select from a vast collection of apps for their phones instead.

I have both a droid and iPhone, and I can play Pokemon for free along with COD zombies at any time.

[broncoFan!]

So... is the handheld generation going extinct or what? It seems like the PS Vita isn't really kicking off, and the Nintendo 3ds seems to be like Nintendo's last stand or something.

What do you think? Are handheld consoles a thing of the past?