With smartphones getting more and more accesible, and handheld consoles suffering from below-standard sales, what do you think about it? Is it Google Play or iOS the way of the future? Are handhelds getting in the past? Is it worth it to have both devices to be used together? Which is better? What's your opinion on this?

I have both a PSP and LG Optimus One, and after playing a little bit with my smartphone, I realized I started to play less and less with my PSP and only having it with me during long trips, basically because of my phone's battery: If I keep playing too much on my cellphone, I won't have enough battery to listen to music, browse the web or call/text someone without draining all of my battery by the end of the day.

That's also one of the reasons I'm not into Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play, having a high-end smartphone with a promise of being a cellphone-console hybrid, probably won't have my battery lasting that much long. Another aspect is that touchscreen controls are way to uncomfortable on games made for controllers. I love classic games, and having emulators, from NES to GBA on my cellphone was just amazing, but it's impossible to play Metroid Fusion without the shoulder buttons, or Mega Man without the precise physical feedback that are the A&B buttons. And I'm not into Angry Birds or Cut the Rope, unless I have like 2-3 minutes of free time.

But yet again, I'm not actually someone that likes to have his pockets full of expensive gadgets, so I normally bring my smartphone and leave my PSP at home. And that's actually a fair question I make when I'm thinking about buying a 3DS for Christmas. Is it worth it? Will I actually buy that expensive (for me) gadget only to play with that instead of my smartphone? Is that the reason why both the 3DS and Vita are having problems selling their hardware? That's what makes (in my opinion) this war a tie.... of course until there is a smartphone with actual gamepad and an insanely effective battery.

What are your opinions about smartphones vs. handhelds?

I still want a physical game pad, the iPhone or any android phone won't have that unless you count the keyboard but it's no gamepad.

Ah, i have the EXACT same problem as u. /o'\ My sister has a 3DS thankfully, which makes me able to see it for myself, but still the choice is hard...

Let's think about this logically though. \('-' ) i'd say...

• how often do u use ur smartphone vs. ur handheld? if u only use ur handheld maybe for 1 hour every 3 months, that's prolly how far ur 3DS will go.
• i'd also say... has the amount of time u've spent on ur handhelds been decreasing w/ each new addition? i.e., u used ur Gameboy more than ur Gameboy Advance, ur Gameboy Advance more than ur DS, ur DS more than ur DSi, etc.
• Lastly... i'd say are there any other costs ur funds could go to? Like maybe they could go to buying a new Smartphone. Or maybe u've been wanting to buy RpgmakerVX ACE, or a better-quality laptop.

The fact u havent bought it yet already shows u aren't completely faithful whether u'd use it. Plus, there'll always be new additions of technology.
My sister tells me she likes her 3DS though, so i guess it also depends on what kind of gamer u r. i haven't seen her really buy any games though, if there r even as many as there used to be for previous generations.

Personally, im not going to buy a 3DS though. i havent been very excited to get one since it came out, so i prolly wouldn't if i got one...
U should prolly get a used 3DS, if u do choose to buy it. \o/ >.<

For me thats a hard battle

pro's:

handheld:
game production quality
built for gaming and design to game with
many high production games
made by a popular console company.

smart phone:
touch screen for interactive
extra features like ingame purchases
better multiplayer
faster(depending on brand and phone)
more games(less quality)


cons:


handheld system:
games are expansive
less multiplayer support
less interactive



smartphone:
low quality(most of the time)
short games
robs you money
not made from popular game company's
most games are remakes
a lot of newbie style games
a lot of normal apps get mixed for games



Hope this helped against choosing

My pick:console
reason: high quality

I myself would rather have people or companies rather, make my games because I know I will somewhat like there content. On the other side of the argument the smart phone has quite a bit of games, that are as low as 50 cents and other than Elder scrolls I haven't played a game more than two months. I cant afford a new smart phone and my daughter threw my old one in the sink so i'm stuck with an old bar phone so I have to enjoy Monster Hunter Freedom Unite 2 on my PSP untill I can save enough money for another to experiment on this subject. More info later though.

well It's an interesting one isn't it.

Smart phones today feature multicore chips that run in the gigahertz, and having an entire gigabyte of ram is also not uncommon.

Yet a handheld, has actual buttons.
However handhelds these days are so big that it really is a 2nd high end device you are carrying around.

I would say get a phone. perhaps one of the new windows phones, as they are apparently very good for gamers.

I think the key is to play the right kind of game for you're phone.
Consider what you can comfortably play with a touch screen and play that.

RPG's and strategy games yes.
Games involving Viceral 3d combat no.

and as for battery, if you get a phone with a removable one...why not just carry a spare :-)

Windows phone still does not support Pandora and that's a no go for me, sure you can play xbox indie titles but I'd rather have a more polished game to be quite honest.