Personally, I think $30 games on the 3DS and NGP, as far as quality is concerned, will completely obliterate the mindless distractions I get on iOS. Similarly, I game more on my DS and PSP than I do on my iPhone and iPad. I think Sony and Nintendo have tried to tap into the cheap games market with DSi Ware (and soon 3DS Ware) and Minis, but the implementation isn't perfect. DSi Ware still adopts Nintendo's "old guard" philosophy, so essentially it's the preserve of big publishers grinding their games down into chunks and slapping them up. There are exceptions, but they're few.

Minis are a bit better since no publisher is required, but the lack of internet connectivity on them really limits the kinds of things you can do with them. I hear it's a QA certification issue, but it sucks nonetheless.

Ultimately, I think there's room for the kind of cheap iOS games which I detest, and the deeper experiences on DS and PSP which I currently enjoy. I can't see that changing, as at least one of the next gen handhelds will be a roaring success. Quite frankly, I think they'll both succeed.

I can't agree with your assessment, Chris. There are excellent, quality games that appear on the iPhone in the same or better form than they appeared on larger handhelds. You can get the Broken Sword series on both the DS and the iPhone (and it's worth playing on either.) You can also get full, complete versions of such games as Lucas Arts' Monkey Island series.

I don't really think it's fair to say that the quality of games on handheld systems eclipses those on the iPhone. Honestly, there's just as many crappy, throwaway games on the DS. The only difference is that the crappy DS games are more expensive.

The problem with Apple and games is that they change the hardware every year. My 1st generattion 2007 itouch can't play the newer fancy games while a 2005 psp will play anything that was released during the sony's machine lifetime.

@Jay: As a big handheld gamer, this article has struck a nerve a bit. I have Broken Sword and Monkey Island 1 & 2 for the iPad, and they are good implementations. Ultimately, though, they're ports of the originals made many years ago. Monkey Island 1 & 2 SEs are each only £2.50 more expensive on PC, and you can get Broken Sword 1 + 2 brand new on disc for £5, as opposed to the £7 it would cost to get the pair on iPad, or £7.50 on iPhone.

However, I doubt we'll ever see something with a large budget like MGS: Peace Walker or Persona 3 Portable on iPhone/iPad without a significant markup. There's a cost for having iOS games so ridiculously cheap, and that's depth. I'd definitely be interested to see how such a game like Peace Walker would fare on the store at the very least. Could they get away with selling it for significantly more? Or would the fact that it's so expensive put people off?

I think the iOS race to the bottom mentality would probably win on the development side before we even got a chance to see, and the game would be a soulless husk compared to the more expensive edition.

And yeah, there are crappy games on the DS and PSP. Just like on iOS I won't buy them. However, the best iOS experiences have nothing on the best PSP and DS experiences. I'll happily pay £25-£30 for a great DS/PSP game, but I wouldn't pay £25-£30 for any of the top iOS games like Infinity Blade and such.

Still, I don't begrudge anyone who buys and enjoys iOS games. But why do NGP and 3DS need to have that stuff when it's already on smartphones and tablets?

Personally, I've got a DS, an Android phone, two pockets and no problems, though I have to say the majority of my handheld gaming is done from the comfort of my sofa or bed.

Chris - The simple answer to your last question is: "Because it will make the publishers money."

I think the primary reason that the iPhone contains a higher percentage of simpler games is because it uses an inherently different business model than traditional handhelds. The reason you're seeing iPhone games cross over to handhelds is that the handheld manufacturers realize they can squeeze more money out of these wildly popular casual games.

I don't, however, think that the iPhone is going to continue to lack games with the depth of those found on traditional handhelds. Big developers like Square-Enix and EA have proved that their games work on the iPhone and that people are indeed willing to spend more money on more complex games. How much more people are willing to pay for increasingly complex games -- only time will tell.

There are also rumors on the various tech-gadget websites that the next iPhone will have a multi-core processor that will give it power rivalling most modern video game consoles. This, if true, should remove any effective technical barriers to developing more full-featured iOS games.

Honestly, I think that line that you're trying to draw between handhelds and the iPhone is going to get a lot more blurred as time goes on. I don't think things are going to continue as you describe them.

I'm going to ask an honest question: how often do you guys actually play your handhelds out in the real world? Maybe I'm a bit of a shut-in, but if I'm leaving the house I'm running an errand, going to work or I'm spending time with friends. Playing my DS/Phone doesn't really factor in to any of those situations.

If I'm going to game, I'm going to set aside 2-10 hours to do so, whether it's handheld or console. The iPhone rivaling home consoles in terms of power doesn't really speak to the type of gamer I am, particularly because I'm always gaming within ten feet of my console.

Even if my iPhone is as powerful as my Xbox, I'm never going to pick a phone over my console. When I play games that require that kind of processing, I want the full experience. I don't want to play Skyrim when I'm bored in a waiting room somewhere.

Matthew - On a daily basis, I play games on an iPhone way more often than I do on my DS. I usually use the iPhone when I have a few minutes and I'm waiting on something or someone. (Waiting for a take-out place to cook my food or sitting on the toilet, for example.) I'll also sometimes use it late at night if I don't want to disturb my wife or child, and I'm sick of TV and/or reading. It's handy because I have to carry a phone anyway.

The DS I usually only play when I'm travelling or something like that or if there's a game that's exclusive to the handheld that I really want to play. If I'm at home and have hours to kill (which is rare for me right now) I will typically pick a console or a PC.

See, for those reasons I don't think an iPhone could ever truly overtake the traditional handhelds or consoles that we're all used to. The games might be addictive and cheap, but the type of complex games that really evolve the medium won't ever really work on a phone.

Matthew - I completely disagree. I think touchscreen controls on an iPhone (and similarly on the DS) are far more likely to produce new innovative gameplay than the billionth FPS or twin-stick shooter. I also think that you're highly likely to see more and more complex games on the iPhone as time goes on.

I see your point, but as far as personal gaming preferences go I don't really enjoy gaming on my phone. My comment was more a reference towards stories - I don't think playing Mass Effect on a tiny screen on a busy subway train isn't going to be anywhere near as engrossing as playing it in your home without distraction. Like you said, you usually only play if you're waiting for something and have a few minutes. I imagine that's how a lot of phone-gamers are. All of the public distractions and the disjointedness of your gaming sessions aren't going to be as engaging as console gaming.

I agree with your opinion re: technological innovation. I see touchscreen/augmented reality games doing some pretty interesting things in the near future - just not with story.

I removed my Amazon pre-order because there were no games I want announced for the launch. I have a feeling that the NGP is system I will own. Nintendo hasn't produced a game I have been excited about since the second Golden Sun.

Matthew - Check out this story that another community member wrote about an iPhone game: http://www.bitmob.com/articles/let-sonics-tell-a-story-or-1d-gaming

That seems like a very innovative way to tell a story to me.

I haven't touched my DS in almost 6 months. I play games on my iPod touch a few times a day. The 20 games I have on my touch cost less than the last DS game I bought. It's gotten to the point where any game I feel the need to play for more than 15 minutes(Angry Birds excluded) I'd rather play on a home console.

@Jay That game sounds like something I'd like to play, just based off of the way it was described in that article. But nothing about that review says to me that Papa Sangre is, in essence, something that could only happen on an iPhone. Swiping the screen to move could just as easily be translated to swiping on the screen of a DS or flicking the analogue stick on a console controller.

Additionally, and I quote the author, "the game is most definitely best played in a darkened room." It sounds to me like this isn't the type of game you play while you're riding on the bus or on your lunch break in a loud, busy restaurant for fifteen minutes at a time. If the best way to capture the essence of the game is to sit in a dark room and deprive your senses, why not just play it on a console? (I'm speaking theoretically, I'm aware that it's not available on any consoles.) While I wholeheartedly agree that it seems like a very innovative way to tell a story, I'd still argue that it'd probably be better on any other platform than a phone/iPod.

I feel the need to iterate the fact that I love Angry Birds and have nothing whatsoever against app store games. It's just that given the choice between watching a movie in a theater, in my house or on my phone, the phone is definitely going to be my last choice. I think you could say the same for games. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm a bit of a purist. I think that playing something as complex as MGS or Final Fantasy on a phone is not going to get you the full experience. Games like that should be played on a console, or at least a more game-dedicated handheld.

Mobile games on the app stores should stick with being fun, light and cheap. Otherwise, why not just play them at home for the full effect?

Matthew - That's just it -- if you pitched a game with no graphics to a Nintendo or Sony exec, they'd probably laugh you out of the room. This is exactly why I think you are going to see more of the innovation you're looking for on a platform such as the iPhone.

I'm not going to say that the iPhone is the ideal platform for gaming (in fact, I utterly detest when they attempt to emulate an analog stick on the iPhone screen). I'm just saying that I think you're going to see games that are both more complex and more innovative on the iPhone as time goes on.

That's what the XBLA indy game section is for, and I see it getting bigger and bigger. I just think that, like you said, phones aren't the ideal platform for gaming. If the industry leaders in the console/traditional handheld arenas know what's good for them and the medium, they'll pick up on what's happening and try to emulate it themselves. I've never even played Papa Sangre, but just reading that article I'd shake my head at anyone trying to play it on a school bus or for five minutes at the doctor's office. But at that point I guess we're getting into a completely different discussion re: purity of participation with games or something like that.

@William Interesting stuff, but I'm curious about the way you close the piece: "If the folks at Nintendo (and Sony) don't step up their game, the only people buying their system a few years from now will be Pokémon fans."

What do you mean by step up their game? What, specifically, are you suggesting they do?

Thanks for promoting my post guys. Great editing, yet it is still has core of my writing. I didnt think that such a post was going to have a total debate in it. I love the comments and the back and forth, and its great to hear that people also share my feelings about their iDevice. Although, Juan Letona brings up a very good point in saying that he has to constantly upgrade his iDevice to play the newest and greatest games. I agree that this is indeed a downfall, but 5 DS games is an 8 gig iPod Touch, and all the money you will save on games will make you save in the long run.

Until I see something as deep and engaging as Dragon Quest IX or Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker on the iPhone, I'm not covinced that iOS can compete directly with the DS and PSP. Maybe take away a lot of the casual market, but I'm not convinced they'll be able to win over hardcore gamers. Maybe we'll reach a point like the Wii and HD consoles where the casual market sticks with Apple and the DS and PSP become the hardcore handheld platforms.

More important in my opinion though is Juan's point about Apple updating their hardware too often. The worst part is that they optimize their firmware for that new hardware but still release it for old hardware.

I know people with DS photos from 2004 that still run the latest DS games. I still own a PSP 1000 that I got in 2006 and I can still play games on it. If you bought an iOS device before 2009 however, chances are you can't play games on it. Five minutes of Chu Chu Rocket will easily drain half of my iPhone 3G's battery. Peggle has a terrible framerate, drains my battery just as fast, and heats up my phone. Forget about Infinity Blade.

I dunno. I guess it depends on the game and the implementation. I think there's room for both. I think games like Infinity Blade hit the sweet spot -- a beautiful-looking game with a simple mechanic but deep replay value which plays to iOS' strengths. I think that's the way forward, taking advantage of each platform's unique capabilities.

What makes me laugh is when you get people who are so upset that the iphone has taken over their more beloved traditional handhelds, so they just try and claim that the iphone doesn't have quality games, and that you can only get true quality games on a dedicated handheld.

It makes me laugh, mostly because as I read haters saying this nonsense, I am in the middle of a multiplayer match in Gameloft's console quality FPS "Modern Combat". Or, I am in an online coop match of Call of Duty Zombies with 3 buddies. Or I am enjoying an epic JRPG "Chaos Rings" by Square Enix. Or racing against a whole bunch of people on Firemint's Real Racing....Yeah, the iphone doesn't have quality games my ass.

Not only does the iphone have console quality games that eclipse most of what you can find on a handheld like, say, the Nintendo DS, but I can buy all of these games for a fraction of the price. I just bought Gameloft's Sacred Odyssey the other day. It is a full 3D adventure game that takes its inspiration from Zelda. I am in my 10th hour, and having a blast. Why does this matter? It matters because I spent $6 on it. If that same game had released on the DS or PSP, it would have been $30 or $40.

The iphone has better graphics to boot. Games like NOVA 2, Rage, and Infinity Blade have proven that the iPhone can whip up graphics that rival current consoles. With graphics that good, console quality games at VERY affordable prices, and a ton of variety in all of the games released, it is hard to argue that the iphone isn't the best handheld on the market.

Yet, the haters still fins ways. They say it has no buttons, so it sucks. Well, I can play a fully featured FPS on my iphone and get just as much, if not MORE accuracy with it than I would on a console. They say there aren't any core games on it. Tell that to the top 50 list, which regularly has core games like Dead Space 2 and Shadow Guardian on it.

yeah, but you're playing those games on a *phone*. so either you're out on the town and for some reason you're playing video games, or you're sitting on the couch in front of your television and console...playing video games on your phone. i guess it's not that there aren't cheap enough, deep enough, good-looking enough games on your phone. it's that there's no *reason* to play them on your phone. what kind of a person would i be if instead of paying attention while i'm ordering food, or talking to my friends at the bar, or listening to what the person at the cash register is saying, or not getting into a wreck in my car, i'm playing final fantasy on my phone?

on the other hand, what kind of person would i be if instead of taking full advantage of my powerful console and nice television, i sat and played games on my phone? call me old-fashioned, but my phone doesn't have to be the only electronic appliance i own.

To me an obvious point that everyone seems to be missing in regards to the Sony NGP.  3G wireless, and by my assumption based on comments made by Sony; could be free (amazon does it with the Kindle).  Rumored (or is it confirmed) android market place, which gives the potential for Skype.  Thus the Sony NGP could replace a cell phone, and for a great deal cheaper if the 3G is indeed free. 

But not only that Cloud based game saves.  This is the most important I believe Sony intends to allow users to play PS3 save games on the Sony NGP.  Why would Sony add a feature to Playstation network as another way to backup saves (or for those of us with two PS3s?), I say they wouldn't.  That they intend to allow you to play the same game on the go and at home.  Not to mention a GPS.

It's interesting how there's such a massive debate on the types of games, but something that is lacking in the discussion is the quality of games. A system can have thousands of titles to it's name, but if they're all terrible games, then it isn't going to be a success. That's where i can put the edge to Sony and Nintendo (especially Nintendo). They understand that the games define their systems, so they are pushing on quality games with effort put into refinign them. Apple on the other hand does not consider their iOS as a gaming platform, so it is nowhere near Sony or Nintendo on quality checks for the games. If it doesn't meet their standards or causes a problem, they get rid of it without even consulting the maker. It's not a conductive environment to make quality games.

Really, Bobby? Have you checked the sort of drivel that shows up in the DS bargain bins lately? Are you enjoying all those quality "Imagine" games? How about the 184th iteration of Petz, Dogz, Catz, Hamsterz, or Horsez? We all know quality games end in a "Z".

I have a DS, and I have games that I love on the DS, but the DS truly has a large proportion of crap titles too.

Hi! After working in a customer support, I've dealt with customers who have been unsatisfied with some stuff they download. When they call for refunds, they become even more upset because we can't refund their money or points. Neither does the console or hardware maker. Unless you can probably the money or points were lost in complete screwy way, you're stuck with a downloaded game or asset.

You can trade in, gift, or resell any game. That's a major plus for customers who may not be tech savvy on using online stores. All you can do with a download is just delete it. A retail copy can always work on the hardware. So I have practical reasons for not wanting Apple stuff.

Plus I love box art and manuals.

In my personal view, I can't ever take a smartphone - iphone, android, whatever - seriously as a gaming device for one very simple reason: they do not have a hardware interface. No touch screen will ever replace buttons, a d-pad and/or a joystick... it's essentially the same reason I believe the Kinect to be an utterly worthless device.