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State Of The Handheld Industry 2005
Jack writes "The State of the Handheld Industry 2005 is back. The yearly feature includes roundtables with journalists and handheld developers. A report by GCAdvanced indicates that this year it is a 4-day feature at Nintendo Insider. The developer roundtable is already up. It talks about not only the GBA, DS, and PSP, but the Gizmondo, N-Gage, and mobile phone gaming. GCAdvanced also reports there is an interview with Nintendo's Perrin Kaplan. Although she seems to dodge some questions, it gives new information about the Game Boy Micro faceplates and Nintendo DS online with the Wi-Fi connection." To provide some first hand opinions, The Game Chair has a piece on the meaning behind handheld gaming.
Good thing there isn't a portable Xbox... man, that thing would weigh like 10 lbs. =)
"I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." -- Sigmund Freud
I play my GBA SP usually everyday and have no desire to get a DS or PSP. I'm sure I'm not alone feeling that way.
Yeah, I'm not really excited about either like I was when the GBA came out...then again, Nintendo said that the DS was supposed to be seperate from the Game Boy line so maybe we'll see a new one next year?
;P
However...that trampoline mini-game on Mario DS almost makes me want to buy one
"A truly wise man realizes he knows nothing."
Why even bother mentioning the N-Gage for that matter...
"A truly wise man realizes he knows nothing."
What I'd really love to see is a PDA/Pocket PC that has a built in analogue pad like the PSP's and some decent face buttons...plus you'd already have the touch screen for normal PDA type use. Throw in one of those mobile nvidia chips and a nice size flash drive or something on it for downloading games, and hell lets add in music too while we're at it...
"A truly wise man realizes he knows nothing."
If a system surpasses 10 Million units sold in it's first year it can hardly be called a flop; and the Nintendo DS looks like it will surpass that point.
What is really holding back both systems right now is that there are dramatically less games being made for them due to the larger cost of development; the Gameboy and Gameboy advance could have a development team of 4-12 people, the PSP in comparison is 20-40 people.
You may not think that Nintendogs is a killer app. That's because you're a gamer. Nintendogs is aimed at non-gamers, and in Japan, it's definitely moving loads of DS consoles. Nintendogs is very much a killer app for the DS, because it makes non-gamers and casual gamers buy consoles.
If you think Nintendogs is not a killer app, you're fooling yourself. It may not be a hit among traditional gamers, but it's definitely shifting DS boxes in huge numbers.
I can honestly say the Nintendo DS was my best handheld purchase since the Gameboy colour . .
(I would say the GBA , but since the DS has all the advantages (bar of course the old GB compat) of the GBA i am smitten
I also own a PSP i imported from japan(which i do also love , but it has functioned as a mobile simpsons episode viewer more than a game console(though Metal gear acid rules and im awaiting GTA VSC stories))
The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
Personally, I really don't like the PSP (it's just an expensive portable PS2 for the most part), but I can see the advantages that it brings. The graphics on the GameBoy have never been all that great. Many games have looked good despite the GB or GBA's inability to throw out high polygon counts. The PSP makes 3D gaming possible on a handheld in ways that it has never been before. However, it seems as though most companies are intent on throwing rehashes of PS2 games on it. I really haven't seen any originality on the system. It has a lot of potential, but right now it seems a lot of that potential is being wasted. The only reason I'd buy one is Lumines, but I'm not paying almost $300 for the experience.
The DS on the other hand is really an odd duck. Like the PSP there is a lot of untapped potential on the system that's going to waste. However after playing games like Kirby's Canvas Curse, I've been blown away by some of the possibilities of the system. The DS is just begging people to think outside of the box and come up with something new and innovative.
The most important thing though, is that consumers have a choice in what type of gaming philosophy they want to subscribe to. You can buy into the innovation and new style of gaming brought about by the DS, or you can get the mainstream rich-graphic games that the PSP has to offer. No matter what your preference is, consumers have more of a choice now.
If Nintendo really wanted to separate the GameBoy line from the DS, then why is the DS capable of playing GBA games?
e2 | LJ
A report by GCAdvanced indicates that this year it is a 4-day feature at Nintendo Insider. The developer roundtable is already up. It talks about not only the GBA, DS, and PSP, but the Gizmondo, N-Gage, and mobile phone gaming. GCAdvanced also reports there is an interview with Nintendo's Perrin Kaplan.
Yeah, that sounds totally unbiased to me.
Go ahead MOD my day!
More opinions here
The gba support was added as an afterthought according to Iwata. I really think the gba support was thrown in just for the added value. I have an orignal (non-sp) gb:a and a few games. Part of the descision making when purchasing the DS was that I could play those games with a backlit display. When people talk about the games for the ds, you always think about how it can play the seemingly unlimited supply of gba games, which are still being manufactured btw. I think thats the main reason they say what they do about the nDS being seperate from the gba, they want to be clear that they still support the gba and production of such games.
Heh, and you think high development costs on a portable system are hindering game development... wait for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Development costs and timeframes have never been even close to this magnitude. These "next-gen" consoles are going to have the smallest libraries ever. I've been saying it all along and people keep claiming otherwise... we'll see soon enough.
http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
I don't doubt that at all, but the real disapointing thing is that the Gameboy and Gameboy Advance were excelent places for a small companies (ie. start-ups). This may be the death of the indie-developer as we know it; about the only way I can see indies surviving is if Nintendo (or the other console manufacturers) creating a 'virtual platform' (ie. emulate old crappy hardware) for indie developers to create games for. Many people may not want to play old-school 2D or simple 3D games, but if a developer produced an interesting enough game it would probably give them enough of a boost to keep going.
Just to throw numbers at the idea:
If 5% of console owners would be interested in paying a nominal fee (ie, $10 or less) to download a less-than graphically impressive independent game (ie. game produced at a graphical quality slightly better than that of the SNES or N64) then if the Revolution had a similar user base to the Gamecube (20 Million give or take) you would have ~1 Million potential customers; if the developer got 1/4 the money and you assumed an average cost of development in the 250,000 range they would only have to sell 100,000 copies to break even.
The numbers are far too optimistic but I think they demonstrate the general concept; if only a small portion of the small portion of users that are willing to pay a small fee for a independant game buy your game, you could still have a very profitable company.
"No one wants an expensive, delicate portable game system..."
I can't speak for the PSP here, but I've dropped my DS off a 6' dresser, ejecting the cartridge, and it's no worse for wear, save for a small nick on the outer casing. I've been carrying it around with me for the past month, and it's continued to function as well as it always has. The DS is hardly "delicate".
As for the games, they're coming. If you remember, the GBA had a pretty lackluster launch as well, but its backward compatibility helped sell units for a while. And unlike the GBA, developers will need a little more time to get used to the DS and PSP. The PSP is almost a miniature console, so former GBA developers are having to deal with 3D graphics, disc input, WiFi, and heavier battery consumption. The DS's new features like the touchscreen, microphone, and WiFi introduce a completely new standard for games, making it a lot harder for developers to simply port older titles or make cookie-cutter sequels.
But this holiday season seems to be the first big wave of titles for both consoles. The DS has Metroid, Advance Wars, Nintendogs, and a wave of WiFi games like Mario Kart and Animal Crossing. The PSP will see the new GTA, Madden, and Infected, to name a few. If you can't see anything you like in the remaining 2005 lineup, maybe handhelds aren't for you.
The GBA port can also be used for expansions, like a rumored rumble pack for Metroid Pinball and an extra song cart for Band Bros. in Japan. The DS needed another port for this kind of stuff anyway, since normal DS cards are way too small to hold things like gyroscopes or motors. It only makes sense to have the expansion slot double as a second game slot, especially since GBA support has been a big draw for the first few months of the DS's lifespan.
On page three of the developer roundtable, there's a question asking whether the developers think that the non-gaming features of the PSP could eat into game sales. Almost all interviewees seem to think that the opposite is true: People will buy the PSP for watching UMD movies and then discover that it can play games, too, thereby bringing in new gamers.
I think this is a bit delusional, but I'm wondering: Has anyone of you bought a PSP solely as a portable movie player? Do you know anyone who has? If you own a PSP, have you even bought a UMD movie?
Sure, two massive easily scratched screens doesn't make it delicate at all. Just because *closed* your DS took ONE fall and survived they must be built like heavy-armor tanks. oh, and all the delicate electronics in the PSP must also be able to handle small-arms fire too.
Put a GBA and either a PSP or DS up against each other and see which one lasts. Your a fool to think either new portable is more durable. Hinges, large screens, delicate optical drives, yeah I must be crazy to think the way I do.
http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
Flamebait?!? Because I clearly stated my opinion on the matter of the new portables... hrmm, I guess if a totally solid opinion backed with fact is flamebait then just about everything on Slashdot is too. To all those who state Nintendogs is the DS killer app, I never said *I* didn't enjoy it nor did I say it wasn't selling units overseas... what I was stating is that here in the States at no retail outlet is Nintendogs flying off the shelves especially a new DS and Nintendogs in the same bag. Take the fanboy goggles off (I love Nintendo) and realize the DS nor the PSP have a killer app and are suffering as a result. Plain and simple.
http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
I have both a DS and an SP, and I really don't think the DS is much, if at all, less durable than the SP. Nintendo tends to make some pretty durable things. The Gamecube at the game store I worked at fell off the shelf so many freaking times and it still kept working fine, while the PS2s broke when you looked at them funny. The DS is built of the same stuff as the SP, so I don't see why it would be less durable.
"What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.
I don't think Nintendogs is out in the US yet. Those as far as it being a "killer app", in the only store I've seen a display about it in the manager laughed and mocked it when I asked him about it. I'm not thinking it's going to sell to well out here.
I'll agree w/ you that the DS doesn't have a killer app yet. WarioWare was fun, yet short, SM64 was fun too, yet a remake, and nothing else I've seen really looks worth it yet, though there's a lot of games coming out that look really really good. Metriod Hunters, Final Fantasy 3, Lost in Blue, Lunar 3, Sonic Rush, etc. Which is much better than the PSP, where I've seen *no* games that interest me.
"What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.
A game that's not commercially available for over a month shouldn't be expected to fly off the shelves.
I'm a game reviewer so I get games all the time, I don't cover DS titles so I was not up on the public release date, my bad. But still, I find it hard to believe that this is going to appeal to americans in any way shape or form. It is a fun novelty but not a killer app, nor even a game really.
http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
Whereas many of the people posting have mentioned that they are interesting in having a device that does one thing [and does it well]. there are alot of parents that are interested in buying one device for their kids instead of 4. thats the PSP appeal. im not going on record saying whether thats better or not, but as a parent on a budget and kids that want an ipod, a portable media viewer, a playstation, and portable video games for the ride to and from school, etc. i think the PSP would appeal to that demographic since its more economical.
if you buy a PSP and use only one of its functions, whereas its just playing games, or just watching movies, or as alot of people here have stated, just playing homebrew; you are getting your monies worth. excluding play-yan importing, if you buy a gameboy and decide not to play games, you dont really have any use for it.
UMD movies are selling at a pretty decent clip. with more and more movie companies getting on the UMD bandwagon i dont really see the correlation. perhaps as gamers we cant really see the idea of movies bringing in new consumers to play games. the movie aspect isnt bringing in as many new non-gamer customers IMO, but it surely is making an impact on the industry. that cant be denied.
Well, a few points:
1. It is a killer app in Japan, so Nintendo has to say mission accomplished even if it isn't successful in the US. Sure, they may still need to find their American killer app, but it's still important to the DS's success anyway.
2. I don't see how you can say, "it's not a game." Is the Sims not a game? Is Creatures not a game? It's a game, it's not your cup of tea is all.
All the creatures will die, And all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai. (Jubai, 1605)
"Just because *closed* your DS took ONE fall and survived they must be built like heavy-armor tanks."
That's the point of the clamshell design. To keep the innards protected. I'm not sure what you expect out of a system. Should I be able to run it under a train with no damage? Unless you routinely drop your personal electronics from high office buildings, the DS should hold up fine.
"Put a GBA and either a PSP or DS up against each other and see which one lasts."
A closed DS could easily outlast the original GBA, because the clamshell design protects both screens. As for the following:
Hinges - the GBASP had a rather prominent hinge and most consider it to be one of the most durable handhelds created.
Large screens - the DS's screens are roughly the same size as that of the GBA, just with a higher resolution.
Delicate optical drive - again, not an issue with the DS. I already said that I don't have experience with the PSP's durability.
Again, you seem to have awfully high expectations. The DS can handle any routine abuse, and if you're repeatedly dropping it from more than six feet in the air, maybe you should stick to consoles with those easy-grip controllers. I generally don't need my portable to block bullets for me, as my left thigh probably isn't my most vulnerable target point anyway.
I've actually heard that UMD movies have been selling better than PSP games for some time. But that's mostly because of the big drought of games between launch and the holidays, and people want to justify their purchase. I don't know anyone who wants to buy a PSP solely for the movie playback. They'd all much rather get a cheap laptop or a portable DVD player. The general consensus for the new Final Fantasy movie is that PSP owners will probably buy the UMD version, but everyone else will buy it on DVD rather than buy a PSP for it.
I think that by the time some decent PSP games start shipping (read: GTA), the novelty of UMD movies will die off, unless Sony starts shipping movies with some PSP-only features.
I agree, I'm not arguing. I simply state that the PSP is not durable... at all. The DS is better than the PSP (and yes Ninty makes great stuff) but the two screens, especially one being used with a stylus/kids is not that durable long term. two screens are nice (albeit a fairly useless gimmick) but they do present a bit more delicate unit overall. I'm not saying they are going to fall apart out of the blue due to shoddy construction, I'm just stating they aren't workhorse portables like the old brick GB that could stop a bullet and then play a good round of Tetris in celebration... and that I'd take the GBA SP over the DS and PSP - Which is what the general consumer is showing to be the case with their dollar votes right now.
http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
"and that I'd take the GBA SP over the DS and PSP - Which is what the general consumer is showing to be the case with their dollar votes right now."
Not in Japan, where the DS and PSP are each outselling the GBA by a factor of about 3:1. I imagine the same thing will begin in America once some decent games are released.
Jesus! Did you read what I said... you simply stated exactly what I originally said way back in the original post that was moded "0, flamebait."
Yeah, everyone will want one once (and if) solid titles begin to appear. No shit. TFA was about the CURRENT state of handhelds, and the current state is bleak. Small libraries, no killer apps, and some other assorted issues. Who would even argue this or claim it to be flamebait?
http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
I've said this 100 times already. Meteos is super-awesome and SHOULD be a killer app!
I'm totally addicted to it now and I do not understand why Lumines is so much more well known? Maybe because Lumines was the only good game available during the PSP's launch.
I own Mario DS, Warioware, Yoshi Touch & Go, and Meteos, and Meteos is by FAR the best game out there. It's totally amazing. I even got my girlfriend into Meteos, I borrowed my brother's DS and the two of us played single cartridge multiplayer for an hour! That's probably the longest she's ever played a videogame for.
I'd like to check out the new Kirby game too, I heard it's sweet also.
Personally, I'm a one-function guy
oh really? so when you build a new computer do you buy an all in one motherboard or do you buy a seperate video card, sound card and network card?
Dude. Playing music is not something the PSP does well. It's far too big. 1gb flash players cost the same as a 1gb memory cart for the PSP.
Playing movies on the PSP is a real pain in the neck and the wallet. If you have more than 1 kid all bets are off. Can you imagine the fighting going on in the back seat? A few GBA SP's and a bunch of games would keep kids far more entertained.
I'm sure there are a few people out there who actually have a use for watching movies on the thing, but even then a portable dvd player would probably be a better choice for those people. I'm sure they can play music cd's and maybe even mp3's by now.
If I get a PSP it'll be for the games.
you apparently have not had your hands on this thing. first and foremost the 16:9 screen on the PSP [even at the smaller size] will beat most portable dvd players at the same price. you should definitely check one out. the screen is usually what sucks most people in. its superb quality and after you actually watch video on it, you would never try to compare it to a huge bulky portable dvd player again.
Dude. Playing music is not something the PSP does well. It's far too big. 1gb flash players cost the same as a 1gb memory cart for the PSP.
Playing movies on the PSP is a real pain in the neck and the wallet. If you have more than 1 kid all bets are off. Can you imagine the fighting going on in the back seat? A few GBA SP's and a bunch of games would keep kids far more entertained.
okay, playing music could be better. yes, but playing music is in fact something that the PSP does well. its not meant to be the size of the ipod, since i am assuming thats what you are comparing it to. its not meant to be that size because it functions as more than just a music player.
as far as the memory goes. i would agree that it is expensive to buy memory sticks, but you also have the option to not buy any. even though the default one sucks, sony has finally smartened up and decided to release memory with the system.
buying PSPs for a bunch of kids is probably not the easiest solution unles you have money to burn, but i guarantee that you will save cash in the long run. you buy one product instead of: (music player + video game system + portable dvd player + emulator device + photo viewer) X ~2 batteries per device X the number of kids you have.