The Future of Handheld Console

More than twenty years ago, Nintendo was one of the pioneers in the campaign towards invention and innovation of handheld consoles which later on evolved into products such as Game Boy and then the recent Nintendo DS. Eventually, Sony caught up and challenged Nintendo and produced one of their own, the Playstation Portable.

Nowadays, the two giants finally have competition and probably the one affected a lot by this era gearing towards everything mobile is Nintendo. Apple’s bold and quick move to go from simple iPods to a larger screen with touch screen features like iTouch and then later on evolving into iPhone which now has motion-sensing capabilities too has made quite a ruckus that the gaming audience grew massively wide. With the popularity of downloads, Apple launched iTunes and Apple Store and later on allowed downloads of casual games causing another shake up in the gaming handheld scene. Going back to Nintendo, who, back then at around 2004 was kicking Sony’s PSP’s butt with the DS, got ourselves wondering, are they still the king of handheld console?

It’s a well-known fact that the DS is by large a better portable gaming device than PSP largely because of Nintendo’s innovative product and experience in this business. The success of DS also proved that pure hardware upgrade is not always the key towards a great gaming experience which also had an effect on the current console battles. But with the arrival of iPhone and iTouch, and mobile phones with gaming capabilities, consumers are now becoming more satisfied with an all-in-one mobile device. Slowly but surely, electronics companies have incorporated camera, video, Wi-Fi, internet and even office utilities into mobile phones. Nintendo’s launch of 3DS, which is due about two months from now, is still widely appreciated mainly because of their unique push to innovation once again which is another first in handheld gaming – a portable 3D gaming experience. Their success comes from a resume of rich gaming industry experience which still attracts gamers and non-gamers alike. However, 3DS lacks the capability to text and call which is clearly one of the main features of a handy device that more and more consumers are looking for – a one-stop shop gadget.

This article ends with more of a question if Nintendo can keep up with all these recent technological breakthroughs rather than being bold and predicting their demise in the gaming industry. Also, Sony which is still at infancy stage of creation of handheld consoles may have been hit harder. Apple and Microsoft which are also entering the handheld arena know for themselves that they are not experienced enough in gaming but have one of the most powerful weapons in them – their Operating Systems. Google has been pushing for its Android OS which may also be a key factor in the scene as well. In the end, experience, innovation and true passion in gaming will prove to be the characteristics of those who will survive in the future together with embracing the constant change of technology.

Nintendo launches Nintendo 3DS

At the E3 2010, Nintendo has launched its second major installment in the DS-series of handheld console - the Nintendo 3DS. The main selling point of this console is its 3D graphics production feature without having to wear specialized 3D eyeglasses at all. But beyond that, this console brings a message to Nintendo's rivals - "We are the best in this business."

While fans, critics and the media have praised them with delivering unique consoles for this generation, they began to ultimately question Nintendo if they can maintain their creativity and add one thing they've been lacking for - hardware to deliver process and graphics-hungry games. This has prompted gamers to actually buy a second current generation console aside from buying the Wii and DS.
And then came the 3DS. Creativity still there but with added incentive most fans have been craving for - a high-end hardware. The launch of the 3DS comes at the right time. With iPhone gaining popularity on profitability for game developers, Nintendo has found a way to prove that their experience in the gaming industry is always something to reckon with and that handheld gaming console is still better than an all-in-one mobile phone featuring casual gaming.

With over 70 games from over 20 publishers already assured of gaming library, this console will prove to be one of the deepest library selection and widest genre production to ever hit the market. Now, both casual and hardcore gamers are reunited to play with the same console. This has been a challenge for gaming companies such as Sony, Microsoft and even Apple too but Nintendo was the first to reconcile gamers and game developers alike.

The first release of Nintendo 3DS is on March 2011. And while I've only seen it through E3 videos and have been praising it before it hits the market, I'm making a bold prediction that this console is one of the best Nintendo has ever made.

Articles:
http://e3.gamespot.com/story/6265734/third-parties-prepping-dozens-for-3ds
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nintendo_3DS_games