Future in handhelds?

[AtticGamer]

I've been thinking about this and Japan's sales charts have proven it: handheld gaming is getting bigger. Do you think the future will be handhelds with TV-Out and controller supports?

 

I am quite displeased at how people look handheld gaming down, even though it makes more money but since the graphics are not up to home consoles they are seen as simple 5 minute entertainment.

 

Sony took a step and made the PSP a very nice alternative to home consoles by having PS2 quality graphics and TV-Out support and soon with PSP 3000, PS3 controller support. Nintendo has made very good handhelds but in my opinion they have been holding portable gaming back with outdated hardware.

 

I'm planning to buy a PSP 3000 to complement my Nintendo DS Lite and I probably won't be buying a PS3 or Xbox 360, at least until Christmas 2009 because only SF4 and RE5 are must-haves for me. Plus a slim version of PS3 may not be far off.

 

Maybe in the future handhelds will match home consoles in the same generation, like the Atari Lynx did.

[mos6507]

The trend with mobile devices is convergence. PDAS, media players, and phones have all but converged. All it would take to make the iPhone or iPod touch into a great game machine is a bluetooth controller. Meanwhile laptops are getting smaller and cheaper. Bottom line is there is only so much room to carry mobile devices and other than for kids who don't have laptops or cell phones, you're going to want to move towards an all-in-one device.

[godslabrat]

I don't see handhelds ever replacing conventional consoles. There's just too much conventional consoles offer than handhelds can't, at least at their typical price points. Remember, handhelds from every generation tend to be 3-5 years behind the curve. There's a reason for that.

 

Personally, I think handhelds are fantastic, and they're a big part of my gaming lifestyle. Not only do I prefer the more 2D oriented games of the GBA and DS, but I love the convenience of always having the game in my pocket. Sometimes I'll just flip open the DS rather than fire up the home theater system.

[Noelio]

I know what you mean about convergence.

For me the iphone replaced:

 

win mobile pda

palm pda

camera

cellphone

ipod

guitar tuner

calculator

 

Those are the every day items... We could go on about "ibrate" and "flashlight" apps hehehe.

Recently I delved into the world of UMPC with the Acer One 150 model. Emulation heaven!

 

The sucker that I am ordered the pandora (preorder), which will replace my ds/psp fat/gp2x as well as a couple other things I'm sure.

 

I think a universal "docking standard"/connector would be good for mobile gaming, entertainment, data collecting etc and will seal its fate. We only need to look at what USB has done!!!

Basically all your home entertainment devices will converge, too, into a hybrid media center / server system that you sync with. The handheld will be integral to it and will carry all your universal goodies, software, games, contacts etc etc etc.

 

Exciting times!

Edited October 2, 2008 by Noelio

[Atari5200]

tv out I think is the main thing, you could use the system as console and a portable. The Nomad had TV out and controller port. But the thing was giant, hardly portable. The GP2X I believe is TV Out as well as the PSP Slim, but again, what do you expect? It will be to the point where a portable game system will cost as much as a lap top so why not just buy a lap top. Nintendo is getting eaten alive in handheld technology, the PSP and now the Ipod touch being a player. Both of which can provide better games, technologically. They need the most help in bringing something new to the handheld market in my opinion. Almost every portable available on the market is better technically than the DS with more options and more functionality.

[roland p]

My PSP is my main gaming device, it has lots of emulators, graphics are good enough for me. easy to carry around... Much better controls than any non-gaming device (phones, pda's, laptops)

[AtticGamer]

I didn't notice it until recently, but unlike many people, my home consoles are my secondary systems which I use to play games like Resident Evil or other adventure games.

[crazytoy]

I didn't notice it until recently, but unlike many people, my home consoles are my secondary systems which I use to play games like Resident Evil or other adventure games.

 

 

www.handheldmuseum.com is a small but gem out there, lots of information on impossible to find handhelds. Great pictures and information. Please visit www.handheldmuseum.com if interested in vintage and retro handhelds.

 

I just to think Gameboy was the first real handheld burt I was wrong until I look at the 1970's handhelds.

[crazytoy]

Have you ever visited handheldmuseum.com?

 

I've been thinking about this and Japan's sales charts have proven it: handheld gaming is getting bigger. Do you think the future will be handhelds with TV-Out and controller supports?

 

I am quite displeased at how people look handheld gaming down, even though it makes more money but since the graphics are not up to home consoles they are seen as simple 5 minute entertainment.

 

Sony took a step and made the PSP a very nice alternative to home consoles by having PS2 quality graphics and TV-Out support and soon with PSP 3000, PS3 controller support. Nintendo has made very good handhelds but in my opinion they have been holding portable gaming back with outdated hardware.

 

I'm planning to buy a PSP 3000 to complement my Nintendo DS Lite and I probably won't be buying a PS3 or Xbox 360, at least until Christmas 2009 because only SF4 and RE5 are must-haves for me. Plus a slim version of PS3 may not be far off.

 

Maybe in the future handhelds will match home consoles in the same generation, like the Atari Lynx did.

[Video]

I'd say yes

 

I don't see handhelds ever replacing conventional consoles. There's just too much conventional consoles offer than handhelds can't, at least at their typical price points. Remember, handhelds from every generation tend to be 3-5 years behind the curve. There's a reason for that.

 

Personally, I think handhelds are fantastic, and they're a big part of my gaming lifestyle. Not only do I prefer the more 2D oriented games of the GBA and DS, but I love the convenience of always having the game in my pocket. Sometimes I'll just flip open the DS rather than fire up the home theater system.

 

Yeah, but at the same time, there's been less and less improvement from one generation to the next from console to console. Just look at the 360, or PS3 over say the X-box. Then look at the X-box or PS2 over the PSX. The jumps are getting smaller, a nother couple of generations and you won't tell the difference on a traditional viewing surface between a console and a handheld....

 

That's of course why I've been saying the next big thing isn't HD, it's 3D. Expect over the next 5 to 10 years to be a mad rush to bring out the first mass produced 3D sets, games and gear, and then you'll see a bigger gap from console to handheld as the 3D viewer simply won't be as portable as a 2D variant. Yes, I know 3D sets and a few games and movies are out now, but I'm talking a real push to get it out in the mainstream, not just the few thousand people who can afford it (and care to) currently

[liveinabin]

I think, in all fairness, we're only beginning to see how big a leap over the last gen, the current gen is. Early PS3 games were just fancy PS2 games, for instance, but there are some crazy advances being made now (Little Big Planet is an obvious candidate).

 

On handhelds, I think the decreasing cost of small, high quality screen technology has made handhelds more popular than they ever were. However, there are a lot of game types that just don't work as well on handhelds (cinematic games, like Bioshock and Racing games like Motorstorm). You need a big-ass screen to really get into those. And, alongside the rise of handhelds, we're seeing the rise of bigger and bigger TV's. People are always going to want big screen gaming. Handheld consoles will always be really popular, but they're always going to play second fiddle to the TV based systems.

[godslabrat]

That's of course why I've been saying the next big thing isn't HD, it's 3D. Expect over the next 5 to 10 years to be a mad rush to bring out the first mass produced 3D sets, games and gear, and then you'll see a bigger gap from console to handheld as the 3D viewer simply won't be as portable as a 2D variant. Yes, I know 3D sets and a few games and movies are out now, but I'm talking a real push to get it out in the mainstream, not just the few thousand people who can afford it (and care to) currently

 

(emphasis mine)

 

I think your point is reasonable, but I'm going to respectfully disagree. The market is only now starting to accept the transition to HD tvs, and most of that is due to SD options being systematically eliminated. It'll take another 5-10 years just to get everyone re-adjusted to watching tv and having a rough understanding of the difference between DTV and HDTV (like you, I'm speaking of the non-enthusiast users). Try to move a new 3D standard into this market, and you'll be greeted with great resistance.

 

Beyond that, I don't think that there's enough push for the studios and developers to make 3D material. 2-D works better for some things, and I'm inclined to think that electronic entertainment largely falls into that category. Maybe I'm wrong, I've got no crystal ball here.

[ianoid]

And bicycles should replace cars.

 

I shouldn't be such a troll. I look forward to their seamless integration as a part of all gaming, like Dreamcast sort of feebly tried with the VMU. I would love to be using the iphone touch screen to play games on a TV console.

 

The games are really good for handhelds, but there are a couple of things missing. One is the immersive nature of playing on a TV or widescreen- both sound and picture size are important. Aside from that, although portable game has made huge strides, console and PC games just have alot more depth.

 

I think that screen size is the biggest thing, and the AV connection will be bigger in the next generation than the current, if the handhelds can push enough pixels to actually look nice on a big screen.

Edited October 10, 2008 by ianoid

[AtticGamer]

Cars vs Bikes? Worst analogy ever.

 

I believe that either home systems will become smaller or portable systems will catch up and replace them. Remember, in the 90's no one thought home consoles would replace arcades, yet they did.

 

Dual Shock 3 control is supported by Resistance: Retribution for PSP. One can think that PSP is becoming a PS3 accessory or PSP is becoming like a home console. Either way is a future I would like to see.

 

Playing the home game on a handheld via Wi-Fi and when at home play on the console on the big screen is the ideal combination in my opinion, and Sony seems to be pushing it.

[nathanallan]

I've been thinking about this thread and reading when replies are posted. There seems to be a couple of branches of handheld gaming-- the high end machines like the PSP and the low end machines like the ones that are good and tough but have all the games built in, like the AtGames portables. Quick and dirty, they work for people like me that don't have time or money to devote to games while waiting in lines. The AtGames MegaDrive fits the bill (as would an Atari one, but that's a different thread). The PSP and high enders are good for when you have a lot of time to kill and devote to some serious gaming. One of these days, I might have that kind of time... but anyway.

 

Seems that's the way handhelds are looking, cheap as you go devices and high-end technological marvels you hope you don't get mugged over.

 

Nathan

[Video]

That's some good points Godslabrat.

 

I think the biggest reason HD"s finely starting to take off though, is actually price. While a few years ago, I'd easly double and not impossibley triple the price of a TV, by getting an HD, I actually have one now, cause, well, my old set (that was 25 years old at the time) finely crapped out on me, and eh, it was a hundred bucks more to get the HD set over the same size SD one, so I figured, why not. Of course, it's a 720 instead of a 1080, but I'll probably wait on that till those come down in price still.

 

It's kinda like DVD, it took off only when it matched the price of VHS, and HD will too, when it matches the DVD price (though I see a trend lately in DVD's being more expensive, probably to try to push people towards the HD counterpart)

 

Of course, for the player, the biggest thing holding them back, is all this technical bullshit. I mean, 480P is technically technically an HD format, though most people wouldn't know that. and the few that do just call it ED, since it's just full SD when it comes down to it. (instead of the 240 your average SD set shows) But then you got 720, 1080, and they mix things up buy throwing i and P on the end, and most people I've talked to have no clue what those even me. Oh yeah, and if you don't have an HDCP compatible set (unfortuenatly, I found out my new HD isn't) your not going to view your fancy new Blue ray or HD in anything higher than DVD resolution anyways (and whast gets funny there, is all of a sudden, if you got a 360, or any upscaleing DVD player, you can actually view your DVD's in a higer resoloution than your HD stuff.

 

Eh, but with 3D, I figure somebody will get their heads out of their asses, and make something that will be universally compliant, no fancy new sets to buy (reall, an old shutter style and a standard TV would work, just need a player) but there's no reason the movie shouldn't also play on a multilayered polarized 3D screen, or work in that crappy red/blue oldschool 3D thing.

 

Come to think of it, when Inphaze hits the consumer market in a few more years, that's probably going to be it's selling point, hell, with 1TB discs, it's certainly got the storage space for full HD 3D videos.

[Reaperman]

well I don't know about sony, but I'm guessing nintendo will release their next console as a baseball-sized sphere with 6 touch sensitive screens on it, a complex gyro motion-sensor and two motion tracking wearable rings for basic control. Called the "pWi" (pronounced Peewee).

 

God I hope I'm kidding...

 

I'm more interested in what's going to come out of the retro handheld shops. Now that FC mobile showed us what we all knew was possible, I'm sure SNES and genesis units aren't far behind--and the 16-bit clones do a much better job with their systems than the FC-on-a-chip units.

Edited October 14, 2008 by Reaperman

[Video]

Shut your hole, Nintendo might be reading this

 

Yeah, seriously, as the dirve for digitla media comes and pushes hardcopys out of the way, what will happen to us oldtimers? I mean, we all want our stuff to be valueable, but willl it be when the market is flooded with all the stuff nobody wants as they go strictly digital? (eh...who cares, I'll play my old crap till I die)

[AtticGamer]

It's a pity no handhelds with old games built in are made in tabletop format, it's my favourite look.

[Atari5200]

the fact still remains that there are already products on the market that can do the older stuff and a hell of a lot more. GP2X, now the Pandora. They may be little known, but they are still available. The original GP32 is still to this day an impressive little system. Now Iphone and I pod touch are getting into the mix, and systems like the didj, I think Nintendo is the one that has to worry. Their dominance in the handheld marketing is probably going to be getting gobbled up sooner than later, especially if they want to continue producing systems that are technically sub par.

 

OFF TOPIC: what is this HDCP? And how do I know if my tv is affected? gonna go google as well. EDIT: well i tried google and I don't understand any of the technical side of it. I think I might be safe though, my HDTV is only a couple years old and has HDMI

Edited October 15, 2008 by Atari5200

[AtticGamer]

The DS has its power on games, the hardware does have its limitations for racing games and 3D open world games with lots of NPCs (GTA), but original and old school 2D games are prominent on the system, it just needs more fighting games. The 2 screens do seem to intimidate developers and with a more advanced (and standard) system like the PSP, it's easy to see why some games don't appear on DS.

[MegaManFan]

The future will be a rechargeable handheld with wireless HD TV output that you can point at your screen for a quick game of GTA13, pause and save, stick in your pocket and continue playing on the subway on your way to work, then sit down at your desk and point it at your computer monitor to finish a mission before your boss comes over to make sure you're being productive - which is why they'll include a handy "video feed off" button on the side.

[Video]

the fact still remains that there are already products on the market that can do the older stuff and a hell of a lot more. GP2X, now the Pandora. They may be little known, but they are still available. The original GP32 is still to this day an impressive little system. Now Iphone and I pod touch are getting into the mix, and systems like the didj, I think Nintendo is the one that has to worry. Their dominance in the handheld marketing is probably going to be getting gobbled up sooner than later, especially if they want to continue producing systems that are technically sub par.

 

OFF TOPIC: what is this HDCP? And how do I know if my tv is affected? gonna go google as well. EDIT: well i tried google and I don't understand any of the technical side of it. I think I might be safe though, my HDTV is only a couple years old and has HDMI

 

I hear you there. Now that so many companies are makeing relatively cheap handhelds at good quality, Nintendo no longer can truely corner the market on cheap handhelds. I figure they'll start pushing for better, heh, maybe the next handheld will be a portable Gamecube? (eh,...battery life would hold that back, but, heh, maybe another generation down the road)

 

As to the off topic, I think HDCP stands for High Definition Copy Protection (similar to Macrovision on cassettes and DVD)

 

If you have it, no problem, your TV will play at it's max resolution whatever the format your playing on it. If you don't have it, well, games, upconverters, etc will still work at whatever compatible resolution you set them to, but HDDVD's and Blue Ray will (supposedly) automatically drop their resolution to 720x480, same as a DVD. Note I had Supposedly up there, as many people are haveing troubles, some players won't work at all without HDCP, and some will only put up a text saying it's not HDCP compatible.

 

As I said, I figure all then numbers, p, i etc, and this HDCP on top of that is what is killing HD right now, if they (movie companies) weren't all anal about it, it might have been addopted more quickly. Price would still get it down a bit, but heck, I bought a DVD player fairly early on, even with a high price cause I could see it as a good deal in the mid 90's, I don't really feel the same about HD

 

It will cost around $100, but you can buy a HDCP bypass box that will filter out the HDCP and still let you use your old set at it's resolution, like an old Macrovision remover. But it kinda sucks haveing to get one just to play the damn thing.

 

As for how to tell if your set has it, well, if you already have the player and it plays, it probably has it, but most HDCP TV's I've seen have HDCP stamped on them somewhere, useually on the front bezel with the resolution information cause it's still an unknown enough thing to make it seem more special.