Handheld vs. Home Console Gaming

[Fierce_LiNk]

You rarely find somebody who is equally keen on both. Usually, people tend to lean towards one more than the other.

 

As great as the DS and the 3DS have been for me, I just prefer home console systems. It's what I will always drift towards. I love being able to look at a big tv screen and interacting with that. For me, gaming takes place in the living room or the bedroom, with a controller in my hands. I might be doing something else in the meantime, like listening to music, but that's how it usually works for me.

 

Even when I used to take train or car journeys, I never really felt comfortable gaming outdoors. Even if I'm sitting outside or on the field, there's just something about handheld gaming that doesn't click with me.

[-Dem0-]

Hmmm, thought we had a thread like this before?

 

Anyway I used to be a console guy but ever since the 3DS came along in 2011 it's been my most played console overall. Now that the Wii U is going to be seeing some big titles arrive this might start to change.

 

So really, wherever the games are, I go.

[MoogleViper]

I'm exclusively a PC gamer now, but previously I've always been firmly a home console gamer. Even though I bought the GBA at launch, and imported the DS from America before launch, I didn't play them much, and over 90% of the time I did was sat in my bedroom. I've never really seen the need for portable gaming, generally if I want to game I'm in my house, if I'm not in my house then I'm usually doing something, and don't have the opportunity to game. I can understand somebody who does lot's of travelling on public transport, and therefore has lots of time waiting for/riding the train/bus to game, but I lived somewhere with very limited public transport, and I can't play games or read in a car due to travel sickness. Therefore the only time I've ever really utilised portable gaming is on the plane for the annual holiday.

 

Even when I have caught public transport or otherwise, if I don't have a bag with me then I don't like carrying too many valuables, and when I'm in public I struggle to enjoy things like gaming, as I can't relax to do it. I've never been one for the casual play, i've always had to have intense, 4 or more hours, escapist gaming sessions. Most people will play a game whenever they have 20 minutes spare. If I have anything less than an hour then I consider it not enough time to play games.

[Daft]

I don't see a distinction. They're both machines that play games and if the games are good, I'm not bothered what it is on.

 

I only ever play games at home, for the most part. When I'm out and about I'd rather take a book with me.

[Hero-of-Time]

I play both but I really prefer console gaming over handheld. I just like seeing all the action take place on the big screen rather than on a small one. Although when playing RPGs I do prefer them on a handheld. That way I can level up/grind while having the TV on in the back ground.

[Jimbob]

I only have the handheld as something to do on my commute to work and back. I'm hardly on it at home. I much prefer playing on the Home consoles compared to handheld. If i am out and about at events, i take the 3DS with me. If a game is out on handheld or home console, i choose the home console first everytime.

[pratty]

I too prefer home consoles.

 

However I think if i was say a student or somebody living abroad for a year, travelling light with no TV of my own, with the quality of games available on the DS and 3DS and I could easily cope with just a handeld. The 3DS XL is like a mini-laptop, and with it playing console quality games it really does feel like a console in your hands.

 

And there are some big games exclusive to the 3DS, including sequels to home console games like Luigi's Mansion. I find that Nintendo give me little choice but to try to play both, I mean if I'm a fan of mario games, I've just got to play Mario 3D Land right?

[Jonnas]

Handhelds are better. In the past few years, it's been really hard to play on my Wii due to issues with space and availability of the TV. And now I hear even that TV broke.

 

With handhelds, you can just pick up and play, anywhere, anytime. More freedom. The only major flaw I see is lack of local multiplayer with most games.

[Aneres11]

Without a doubt - handheld.

 

The DS and 3DS have been the best 2 consoles I've played the last generation. And the 3ds is just going from strength to strength.

 

It suits my personal preference for shorter games too. I don't really like games that never end, or take 100's of hours to get the most out of. Handhelds tend not to have that too much - and I like the pick up and play style of a handheld more.

[Happenstance]

PC or home console for me. I dont play games when I go out anywhere and while I will play my Vita or 3DS around the house, I would much rather be playing the games on my Monitor/TV. I also prefer the type of games they have much more in comparison to hand held ones.

[Miharin]

I will always prefer handhelds - no hassle. I spend most of my living time in front of a computer anyway and hardly ever have the will to power on a console, except my PS3 which is mostly a Netflix slave

[Grazza]

GameCube and PS2 were the last consoles I really enjoyed. I started to prefer handhelds with the DSi XL, and that continued with the 3DS.

 

Consoles seem more hassle than they used to. Handhelds have their own screen and you don't have to give it any more thought, but consoles require you to choose a TV, sit in the right place etc. To be fair, maybe this is just because I didn't choose my last TV all that carefully. Controllers are always wireless now, which is something I dislike. At best they need recharging, but the Wii was just awful how I had to keep swapping the batteries every few minutes. Although to be fair, the PS3 solution is perfect, so maybe this is another thing I'm making too much of a fuss about.

 

The bottom line is that I'll still play consoles, but handhelds are so good now there are hardly any drawbacks to them (if any at all). Graphics are good, resolution is decent. Maybe I just need another experience that I enjoy as much as certain PS2 or GameCube games, but for now I'm happy if everything's on handheld.

[Miharin]

I can safely say that I gave a lot of time back then to my Gamecube connected to my little TV in my room, hooked up with a proper RGB SCART cable so when you turned on the cube, my TV instantly turned on as well and switched to the proper channel ^^ There was no hassle. Now I must turn on my HDTV which takes time to boot up, and choose with a remote from the bazillion inputs the right HDMI one. Well, back then I didn't have like 15 different consoles either...

[nekunando]

I remember Nintendo saying quite recently that the architecture of their next handheld and home console would be much more similar than the Wii U and 3DS, something which I assume is with an eye on connectivity..

 

However, I'm starting to think that it could be much better to create something that is basically both The Wii U is almost like a step in that direction already but with the power of the next handheld potentially reaching the same heights as we're currently experiencing with Wii U, I think it could be great if you have your device that you can take with you everywhere but can also connect to your TV at home, through some sort of console-style hub if necessary!

 

I haven't really given all the possibilities and logistics much thought but it might be even better is Nintendo didn't have to split their resources between two consoles, instead having one console that can deliver it all. All those great games in one place would be amazing

 

I'm sure someone will tell me it wouldn't work for any number of reasons but it's an interesting thought

[Oxigen_Waste]

I don't care about playing "anytime, anywhere". If I ain't at home, I'm certainly not gonna be gaming. I used to when I went on "vacation" with my parents, but ever since I started going on vacation by myself and actually doing something with my vacation time instead of just hanging around on a beach town doing absolutely nothing worthwhile (will never understand why people do this for their vacation, tbh) I don't think I've ever used a portable as intended anymore. I play portables in bed and on the toilet.

 

But I preffer home consoles/PC. Mostly because developers don't respect portables. The fact that Nintendo are the biggest name in portable gaming and yet chose to release absolutely meh games like Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, MP Hunters and a port of Mario 64 on the DS while releasing all the good stuff on the Wii says alot. Developers always pack the portables full of second tier material. And they suffer for it, obviously.

 

And then there's stuff like Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate, with 2 versions. The portables always get stuck with the lesser, dysfunctional version. Developers don't care.

[Jonnas]

I can safely say that I gave a lot of time back then to my Gamecube connected to my little TV in my room, hooked up with a proper RGB SCART cable so when you turned on the cube, my TV instantly turned on as well and switched to the proper channel ^^ There was no hassle. Now I must turn on my HDTV which takes time to boot up, and choose with a remote from the bazillion inputs the right HDMI one. Well, back then I didn't have like 15 different consoles either...

 

This is a good point. I remember just walking into my room, button, other button, Gamecube is ready to be played.

 

Now it's "Turn Wii on...turn TV on...wait until it boots up... AV channel... main menu, choose game... wait until that boots up... remotes need batteries, fantastic". It's true that my TV wasn't very good, but just turning everything on is a hassle.

 

I don't care about playing "anytime, anywhere". If I ain't at home, I'm certainly not gonna be gaming. I used to when I went on "vacation" with my parents, but ever since I started going on vacation by myself and actually doing something with my vacation time instead of just hanging around on a beach town doing absolutely nothing worthwhile (will never understand why people do this for their vacation, tbh) I don't think I've ever used a portable as intended anymore. I play portables in bed and on the toilet.

 

For the record, anywhere, anytime doesn't mean I'm happy to play it on vacation or on the bus (though some people like this last one).

It means I can play stuff without needing a TV or even a table. I can do it in my bed, in my kitchen, on the sofa, or wherever I find it comfortable, and that's important when your TV is usually busy at the time you actually want to play something.

 

Furthermore, in small houses, handhelds are a better option. They're the sort of thing you can still play in even when you move. I wish I had brought my DS to this tiny German room.

 

But I preffer home consoles/PC. Mostly because developers don't respect portables. The fact that Nintendo are the biggest name in portable gaming and yet chose to release absolutely meh games like Phantom Hourglass, Spirit Tracks, MP Hunters and a port of Mario 64 on the DS while releasing all the good stuff on the Wii says alot. Developers always pack the portables full of second tier material. And they suffer for it, obviously.

 

And then there's stuff like Monster Hunter Tri Ultimate, with 2 versions. The portables always get stuck with the lesser, dysfunctional version. Developers don't care.

 

Anything looks bad when you use the worst examples (I had forgotten MP Hunters even existed ). Even Spirit Tracks is not a good example for your case, it's a better game than either SS or TP. And aren't ports like Persona 4 Golden and DKCR 3D better games than their original versions, too?

 

I see it the other way around, personally. The gaming library for the main consoles has stagnated quite a bit. Big, epic, dozens-of-hours-spanning games are the norm and high development costs lead to developers taking fewer and fewer risks. It's hard to get something smaller and different done, outside of the digital markets. Handhelds at least still offer a good variety.

[Oxigen_Waste]

For the record, anywhere, anytime doesn't mean I'm happy to play it on vacation or on the bus (though some people like this last one).

It means I can play stuff without needing a TV or even a table. I can do it in my bed, in my kitchen, on the sofa, or wherever I find it comfortable, and that's important when your TV is usually busy at the time you actually want to play something.

 

Furthermore, in small houses, handhelds are a better option. They're the sort of thing you can still play in even when you move. I wish I had brought my DS to this tiny German room.

 

 

 

Anything looks bad when you use the worst examples (I had forgotten MP Hunters even existed ). Even Spirit Tracks is not a good example for your case, it's a better game than either SS or TP. And aren't ports like Persona 4 Golden and DKCR 3D better games than their original versions, too?

 

I see it the other way around, personally. The gaming library for the main consoles has stagnated quite a bit. Big, epic, dozens-of-hours-spanning games are the norm and high development costs lead to developers taking fewer and fewer risks. It's hard to get something smaller and different done, outside of the digital markets. Handhelds at least still offer a good variety.

 

I like portables, don't get me wrong. I truly do. I just hate they way they're treated.

 

The only thing in which portables are indeed inferior is the "controller" and how uncomfortable it is. Appealing design doesn't mesh well with ergonomics, and so we end up with portables which are both slightly uncomfortable to use and lacking in real estate to house all the necessary buttons in positions that are intuitive.

 

Anyway, I don't think they are the worst examples. At all. Apart from Hunters, maybe. ST being better than TP or SS is blasfemy to me. PH and ST are the 2 worst Zeldas I ever played, imo, while SS and TP are both top 5 material, imo. They're good, competent games, but they completely failed to impress me. Compared to Minish Cap, Link's Awakening or the Oracles, PH and ST just felt flat, formulaic and irrelevant, even with all the bells and whistles and the new gameplay.

 

The ports are indeed better, but that's not the point, the point is that developers don't deem portables worthy of their best efforts. In order for Persona 4 or DKCR to exist on a portable, they have to be ports. That's a very narrow minded way of looking at the platforms, and the developers should be ashamed of it.

 

Sure, some awesome games are always bound to exist for any given portable, unfortunately they are rarely at the same level that the stuff being done on the home consoles is. And portable games are stuck with the very same low risk mentality as well, as clearly illustrated by the lack of ambition in any entry in successfull, sequelitis plagued portable IPs like Pokemon or Professor Layton.

and as for the variety, the XBLA/WiiWare/PSN titles are just as good, if not better.

 

Not to mention the indie scene, which is becoming more impressive and reliably great than anything the pros have been doing. Stuff like Journey, Osmos, Minecraft, Amnesia, Super Meat Boy, Braid, Cave Story, FTL, Fez, Mark Of The Ninja, Antichamber, Hotline Miami, Limbo or Portal not only completely outclass their professional competitors but clearly demonstrate the mostly dormant and untaped potential that independent developers have. If you want variety, it's all about the indie scene (which anyone can enjoy, since most indies demand very little of the platform and realistically speaking, everyone has at least a PC).

 

Which is why I think the industry in it's current state needs a collapse. It needs to experience the same crossover into the realm of the independent that the music or film industry have already experienced decades ago. The industry is stagnant because we keep glorifying and consuming games from the same tired circle of developers. The market is becoming saturated with spent forces. Nintendo, for example, has completely lost the ability to think outside the box in any significant way. The hardware has become centered around mostly useless gimmicks like 3D, motions controls or dual screens, all they care about are profit margins and all of that creative energy spent thinking of ways to make their platforms different results in little to no creativity in most new games. They just keep releasing the same 10 games over and over because we keep consuming the same recycled bullshit. We're not incentivizing growth, just creating a stale market by being undemanding.

 

[/RANT]

[Sheikah]

I love both. I like handhelds a lot these days as you can play them easily while people do other things with the TV, and you can use them on train journeys. But there's no escaping that consoles / PC for me usually gives a richer experience.

[Jonnas]

I like portables, don't get me wrong. I truly do. I just hate they way they're treated.

 

Amen.

 

I'm sure we don't mean this in the same way, though You're talking about the industry while I'm thinking of the gaming community instead.

 

Anyway, I don't think they are the worst examples. At all. Apart from Hunters, maybe. ST being better than TP or SS is blasfemy to me. PH and ST are the 2 worst Zeldas I ever played, imo, while SS and TP are both top 5 material, imo. They're good, competent games, but they completely failed to impress me. Compared to Minish Cap, Link's Awakening or the Oracles, PH and ST just felt flat, formulaic and irrelevant, even with all the bells and whistles and the new gameplay.

 

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one To me, SS is only a bit above PH, and TP is the uninspired irrelevance. ST was, no pun intended, a Zelda on the right track.

 

Still not as good as the previous handheld Zeldas, I agree, but it's funny you mention those, as they were also a product of the developers trying a new approach, something they would only try on handhelds (LA was a quirky side-project, the others were a result of outsourcing)

 

And portable games are stuck with the very same low risk mentality as well, as clearly illustrated by the lack of ambition in any entry in successfull, sequelitis plagued portable IPs like Pokemon or Professor Layton.

and as for the variety, the XBLA/WiiWare/PSN titles are just as good, if not better.

 

I can't disagree with the first point, but it's different from the stagnation I was talking about. Pokémon is still the only notable game in its (sub?)genre, and few games followed Layton's footsteps. In the AAA industry, every game seems to follow the same guidelines, regardless of developer. It's like only certain genres are allowed to thrive. Even if some franchises in handhelds have stagnated, it's still very self-contained, and not the norm.

 

As for your second point, I agree completely. That's the "digital market" I was talking about.

 

Which is why I think the industry in it's current state needs a collapse. It needs to experience the same crossover into the realm of the independent that the music or film industry have already experienced decades ago. The industry is stagnant because we keep glorifying and consuming games from the same tired circle of developers. The market is becoming saturated with spent forces. Nintendo, for example, has completely lost the ability to think outside the box in any significant way. The hardware has become centered around mostly useless gimmicks like 3D, motions controls or dual screens, all they care about are profit margins and all of that creative energy spent thinking of ways to make their platforms different results in little to no creativity in most new games. They just keep releasing the same 10 games over and over because we keep consuming the same recycled bullshit. We're not incentivizing growth, just creating a stale market by being undemanding.

 

[/RANT]

 

Well, what needs to be brought down is the AAA industry, not the entire system. It's true that one might bring down the other, but I don't think it would.

 

The truth is, gaming needs a platform to survive in, and if home consoles crash, we're left with PCs, Steam and handhelds, and they will start running the industry instead.

 

What the home consoles need is more a restructuring than a collapse, but like you said, our own lack of demand makes it unlikely.

[Hogge]

The ultimate dream is a unification.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'd like to see a home console you can take with you.

While the Neo Geo X is bad, it's sort of what I imagine. You have a portable console, which can handle a set number of polygons, texture resolution etc, but is optimised to consume little power.

When you come home, you insert it into your home unit, which contains extra hardware to make the thing output HD graphics. It'd have wireless controllers and everything needed to make it a full home console.

[Rummy]

Personally I'm not sure if I technically have a preference, but I definitely get much more time out of my 3ds now. I've always loved both, but I find it harder now I'm a grown-up(lol) to actually want to sit down with my console and play a game. My 3DS is portable, sleeps, can jump in/jump out, goes with me everywhere etc. I think another problem of being a grown-up is having more disposable income that actually lets me have both a handheld, and consoles, and an ability to purchase a massive range of games compared to what I might have done before/in the past. Top that up with the fact the 3DS is pretty smoking hot gameswise, it just inevitably wins the battle between the two. Maybe before I'd have had to choose between something on a console, or a DS game...and the console one being more important to me. Not the case atm though. 3DS=winning, and I'm not even playing most of the big titles other folks are.

 

Last time I played a console game, like actually and as single-player? Ages. Since Animal Crossing came out that's leeched my entire life, even before that I'd tidied up and put my 360 and PS3 in a cupboard and never got them out again. I reckon if it wasn't for AC, and the enormous heat of my room, I'd be playing my Wii U. My PS3/360 were setup downstairs in cooler, but less comfortable, realms but....I cba moving stuff whilst I'm not even playing.

 

 

/ramble

Edited July 24, 2013 by Rummy

[Guy]

Consoles are better because there's more choice. I can see myself going solely handheld with Nintendo in future though. 3DS is killin' it this year. They just need to implement an account system and work a second slidepad into the third hardware revision and it'll be pretty much perfect.

 

In the future I'm pretty sure Nintendo will produce one handheld system that can serve as a home console. Their vision became even clearer with Wii U, it's just a matter of time.

Edited July 24, 2013 by Guy

[MoogleViper]

The ultimate dream is a unification.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I'd like to see a home console you can take with you.

 

Slightly off topic, but Canonical is developing a phone that can work as your PC.

 

source[.url]

 

Could be the first of a new trend.