To start this thread, I want to pull a few lines from the one of Gamespot's front page stories, "What's going to happen in 2012?"
Given Microsoft's recent efforts at unification across its Windows, Mobile, and Xbox product lines, it seems clear that the 720 or whatever they end up calling it (surely not that) will be the ultimate personification of that strategy. There are strong signs suggesting that, like with Nintendo's Wii U, a tablet component figuresheavilyinto the new design. That saucy Windows 8 Metro interface (now also seen on the Xbox Dashboard) justbegsto be touched. Speculation as to the form it will take has been rife for the past few months, with some even suggesting that the core of the new platform will be akin to a tablet PC that wirelessly connects to a base station, which in turn plugs into your TV.
I believe that this is the last generation of dedicated mobile gaming devices. After the PS Vita and the Nintendo 3DS, that'll be it. But why?
First, the Nintendo 3DS. When the 3DS launched, there was excitement about a new system (as always), and the though of a glasses-free 3D screen was pretty enticing. However, the 3D screen was, at least in my opinion, an utter gimmick; Nintendo was boarding the 3D technology bandwagon, which wowed audiences with ****but lacked a certain critical substance. This, coupled with a horrible design decision -- the lack of a second stick -- showed that Nintendo wasn't really listening to the gamer; instead, the company was going along with the flavor of the year. And while the the number of units shipped and sold have recently increased, the 3DS will never be a big seller -- certainly not to Nintendo's or the gaming industry's expectations.
The Vita, while more technologically advanced than the 3DS, is similarly struggling Japan; this may lead one to believe that even with killer games and shiny looks, people are becoming less interested. From what I can see, Sony nailed it with the design of the machine: a large, beautiful screen, touch controls, dual thumbsticks, and so on. That said, Sony also managed two critical errors, those being the proprietary disc formats and charging extra for the required memory cards. And while the Vita looks to have killer games on the horizon, I still find myself not overly interested in purchasing one. Why? Well, its $250; it requires, as I said, extra memory sticks, which should be available out of the bost; and while some of the games look cool, I rather play them on my PS3 -- especially since the latter is a cheaper unit.
Third, tablet and smartphones. Not much needs to be said here, I think. Cheap games, lots of flexibility, and a larger user base. That said, the quality of these games are nowhere near that of the Vita or the 3DS, or even the PSP, for that matter.
Finally, the rumors of the next Xbox. If Microsoft ever thought of getting into the handheld market (just look at the failed Zune), they are going about it in exactly the right way now -- that is, if the rumors are to be believed. Having a dedicated console that can also work as a dedicated tablet is a wonderful design decision, in my opinion. By doing this, MS is essentially killing two birds with one stone. And when -- not if, but when -- they connect to the ever expanding Windows Marketplace, the console / tablet would have access to tens of thousands of apps, including favorites like Angry Birds. Thus, MS would permeating into different areas at once: dedicated console gaming, dedicated portable gaming, casual gaming and apps, and a home media centre set up (much like both Xbox 360 and PS3 are now).
With this in mind, then, I re-iterate: I honestly don't see anything happening after the Vita and 3DS, at least in their current format. Anyways, this is something that I believe to be plausible, so so I quickly wrote this all down.
I'd love to hear other people's comments, be they in agreement or counterpoints to sway my (and other's) thoughts.
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