Devastating wars have come and gone, empires have collapsed and blood has been spilt in a course of less than 30 years. But possibly the biggest fight in video game history could be upon us -- the battle of the handhelds (also known as Video Game War II: Expansion Pack IV). Pick your side, and fight for your countr... er, company, and lead your empire to victory! But if you're on the wrong side... Wait a minute, why don't we just embrace them both?

Undoubtedly you know all about the DS vs. PSP war which is just on the horizon. Today you probably heard about the DS' new online capabilities (complete with online Animal Crossing), but the PSP (along with the very hyped Lumines) will be readily available in a matter of days. The battle shall begin, and many have chosen their side and are ready to fight! Go anywhere and you'll have threads about why one system will be better, why the PSP's battery life will deteriorate from the experience, why the DS' launch was so terrible, etc. No, these aren't your typical bickerings at the release of a console -- this is an all-out war. Not just between Nintendo and Sony, but between every owner of one or the other. I mean, you can't simply like them both... can you?

Never have I ever seen as many topics about a new console as I have between this upcoming war. People are ever-more resistant to embrace both handhelds, and every-which-way there are new flaws pointed out on one, and issues that need to be resolved. Arguments spew out of control, and for some reason nearly nobody can like both of them! Why not? Who knows. Maybe it's because they're so evenly matched, with so many of their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Maybe because Sony is charting into the previously (nearly) un-challenged handheld market, or maybe because some of the games look so darn good. But maybe, just maybe, it's because out of the starting gate people seem to have this need to buy the "winning" console at launch. Their's has to be the best, and if you shove the right one aside, you'll earn brownie points. Place your bets, people, no turning back.

People everywhere can embrace all the consoles very easily (Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube). People happily talk about owning all 3 of the current leaders, and discuss games for all of the systems. Sure, it was more aggressive in 2001 when all of the consoles were fresh, but finding a multi-console owner, or someone aspiring to be a multi-console owner wasn't difficult at all. But when either of these new handhelds are mentioned, it's suddenly only one that has to be important -- you must own one. Could it be a financial issue? Whenever I contemplate this I hear about how someone re-purchased a console for the sixth time after seeing Resident Evil 4 or Tekken 5. And even if money was a problem, you can still embrace both of these handhelds with open arms. Recognize the benefits of owning each and glare in envy at those who have both, along with every new game for each. Know that both will provide you with a positive experience in gaming, and know that it is all right to like them both. Even though you may not be able to own both.

Just last week the DS was the hot-topic of issue. Everyone said it had such a terrible release. People were boycotting Nintendo left-and-right, and forever casting the DS into the shadows. Nobody looked towards the DS' future. Maybe they didn't want to accept the possibility that despite their pre-purchase and hype of the PSP, it could end up being as good as or *gasp* worse than the DS? Heaven forbid. Perhaps all because of the one glowing review of Lumines and the realization that the DS had a limited hardware release, it was suddenly the next WonderSwan. But now, with online on the DS, and Animal Crossing online, a whole barrage of people are praising Nintendo. They have the experience and franchises to make the DS not only survive, but conquer. The PSP shall fail, and the "casuals" will be owned.

All right, maybe all those points were stupid. Maybe it's just about the games. Obviously each probably favors a particular genre, but the two really aren't that different. The PSP has Lumines. Then again the DS has Meteos, also developed by Q Entertainment. The PSP has a boat-load of driving and racing games. Oh, right, the DS has tons of party/mini-game games. But, the PSP has some unique games like Metal Gear Ac!d, and Rengoku: Tower of Pergatory. That's right, the DS has Lost in Blue and Another Code. Both of the lineups are looking pretty awesome, and while the PSP has a lot of immediate games, the DS has quite a few coming out in the next few months while the PSP's future line-up is in question. Obviously some will prefer games on one over the other, but that really shouldn't lead to such a massive boycott of a product or even company; such a sudden abandonment of something with literally years of potential.

It's time to accept both. More people should be saying, "Hallelujah we have two new consoles to play," as opposed to, "Crap. Time to pick which one is better, and hope this decision follows through." Love them both for their amazing possibilities. Hate them both for their hardware glitches or gimmicks. But, most importantly, accept them both for what they are, and don't start or contribute to this unnecessary war. In simple terms: DS + PSP = More games. More games = More fun. 'Nuff said.