Musings of a Gamer: I'm a Portable Gamer and I Don't Care

Editor's note: Mike loves his handhelds, and he's not ashamed to admit it. I think he's right that there's more variety on portable systems, but I'm not ready to toss out my consoles just yet -- I'm too attached to those fancy HD visuals and online play. How much of your gaming do you do on handhelds? -Brett

For most of the time that I've been playing video games, people have looked at portable gaming as merely a sideshow to the main circus, console gaming. My first system, however, was an original Game Boy. My parents were convinced that console gaming would consume my entire being, but for some reason this belief did not extend to the portable world.

Today, portable gaming is a huge part of the financial well-being of video game companies. Nintendo can do the Scrooge McDuck money swim on money made off the Nintendo DS line alone, and the system is home to a number of great games. The PlayStation brand that extends to the PSP is finally becoming viable in North America and is making a grab for the portable market.

The stigma attached to portable games is rapidly fading, especially with the advent of smart phones like the iPhone as viable gaming platforms. Yet a lot of the "hardcore" audience still disdains handhelds because their little sisters, mothers, grandmothers, etc. may play and enjoy portable games.

They couldn't be more wrong.

In my opinion, portable gaming right now offers the greatest wealth of experiences, both old and new. Most console games on PS3 and Xbox 360 feature spectacular graphics but offer little in variety. People will undoubtedly argue with me on this point, but I feel most console games are just a variation on the shooter genre. Murdering highly realistic looking people and creatures is commonplace, and that's not really interesting to me.

Not so with portable gaming.

To me, portable gaming is the last bastion for the elements of video gaming that I grew up with. I enjoy 2D games a great deal, and most 2D games these days are either downloadable titles or handheld titles. I really think that, unlike the two "hardcore" consoles, portable gaming really offers a variety of titles that span many genres, ages, and tastes.

What do you think? Are you also a proud portable gamer? Or perhaps am I too harsh on consoles? As always, let's have a discussion.

Tags: DS, Portable Gaming, PlayStation Portable

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Jay Henningsen

November 09, 2009

I own a DS, a Wii, an Xbox 360 and a PS3. I'll play the DS as much or more than any of the other systems if I currently have a good game for it. For me, it's not so much about console versus portable gaming system, it's about the games. As long as I'm playing a good game, I'm happy.

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Travis McReynolds

I totally agree RE: 2D games. I'd never played [i]Chrono Trigger[/i] before and, if it weren't for the DS, would probably never had the chance.

Brett Bates

I'm with Jay. If a good game is available, I don't care what system it's on. That said, I really do appreciate a good old-school RPG on a portable system. Something about the genre really lends it to portability.

Lance Darnell

November 10, 2009

I like portable games for the same reason I once heard Robert Ashley give: there is nothing like curling up in a chair and playing a great game on a portable system. It is like reading a book. It is a more intimate experience too, for no one can see what you are doing. I am currently using the PSP to catch up on all of the old PSOne games I missed, so I am a proud portable gamer. I do think you are being a little too hard on the consoles...

Ryan Conway

November 11, 2009

I happen to love my Nintendo DS. It is great to see the 2D platformers are still alive and well on the system. You have a pretty decent collection there. PS: How did you upload your pictures?

Jordan D

Is there really a "stigma attached to portable games"? I had thought that portable gaming was the most casual market at the moment. Not trying to knock portable gaming though, some of the best games of the past few years have been portable games.

Nick Gates

I agree with Brett. I use my DS for an ever increasing backlog of RPG's and my PS3 for "teh shooterz." To tell you the truth DS and iPhone is probably about 60% of my games time at this time. I knock about an RPG a month and that's why I love my DS. Fantastic system.

Ultan O'Connell

I don't play my DS or PSP that often,usually because of lack of time and the consoles take priority but I have recently noticed a huge backlog of games on my handhelds and I am planning on spending much more time with them when I finish Modern Warfare 2.

@Ryan: When you open up the MyBlog editor, you'll see a little icon of a tree at the top. First place the cursor where you want the pic to go in the text, then click that icon. From there you can copy in the URL of the image you want to use. Let me know if you have any questions with that. Great to have you posting on Bitmob!