Smartphones serve [gaming] admirably? HELL NO. At the very best the games are functional, but far from the quality/experience that you get from a dedicated system. If my points were not true, maybe. But in this case they were, so I'm a pretty cool Baptist preacher I guess.
I think your central point -- that people will buy the 3DS because it's a better DS is true enough. Everything else is fanboy bullish*t (pardon my French) -- personal opinion foisted as undeniable fact. Unfortunately, that describes most gaming commentary.
It has the support from top developers? (Meaning the likes of Capcom, Level-5, Team Ninja, Atlus, all internal Nintendo studios, etc.) [X] It's the successor to the most successful gaming device of all time? (Meaning the successor to the Nintendo DS) [X] Is it a system with gaming as its main priority? (Meaning is not trying to become a cellphone or some other silly thing that does not have anything to do with gaming?) [X] Is it a system that will be able to play games of the quality of something like Super Mario Galaxy? (Meaning a game of top quality?) [X] Don't know man, but I hit all the checkmarks.
iOS games are too short and are limited by low budgets. A quality game will give you 10+ hours of gameplay and good graphics. The number of iOS titles that can do this is less than a handful. Why? Two reasons: 1.) Price barrier. A good $30 3DS/NGP game will be higher quality than a $10 high end iOS game no matter what. Higher developement costs, more effort from developer, etc. 2.) Low level hardware access. Even if the iPhone 5 has the same hardware as the NGP...wil the graphics in games by anywhere near as good? Nope. In iOS you have to make games through Appl'e OpenGL emulation while in dedicated handhelds the APIs let you code directly for the GPU's architecture....called low level hardware access. This is far more efficient than coding through the OpenGL stack of a smartphone OS. Gameloft games are way to short and graphics don't meet what the devices are capable of. EA games are cheap money minded ports from console franchises. The number of actual console quality games available for iOS is a single digit number under 5. - Infinity Blade - Graphics part filled. Gameplay was underwhelming. - Real Racing 2. that's one. Can you think of any others?
*Top developers: you can say the same thing about the NGP (or the PSP for that matter). That list, BTW, leaves out a lot of folks, and doesn't guarantee that the game will be worth the money (I can tell you that pretty much nothing in the initial US lineup seems worth it to me). *Successor to the most successful handheld: True enough. Though you can argue that the 3DS is aimed at a narrower market. *I have a portable multipurpose device that plays much better games than the 3DS and the PSP. It's called a laptop. The idea that a system needs to be dedicated in order to play serous games is nonsense. * Super Mario Galaxy is a great game. Wether the forthcoming 3DS Super Mario will be as good as that remains to seen. Clearly the 3DS is a great device for playing big budget Japanese-made console-style games -- that's why I'm buying one. The idea that those are the only games worth playing (or even the "best" games) is fanboy nonsense.
The 3DS is a cool device, but it isn't a revolution of portable game devices. It has netflix and Internet, but so does my iPhone. It does has pretty impresive graphics, but the NPG and iPhone 5 will have better. Once again, the 3DS is a cool device, but it's not next gen. The only thing that is truly unique is the 3D, but that's a cool feature. Also, Nintendo does have some cool franchises, but that's it. The next gen portables need more than the 3DS. They need to actually be a portable console player, 100%. That's just my opinion.
True, but considering the comparison was to iOS gaming, the comment is irrelevant. Yes, top developers don't guarantee quality, but it gives the best possible chance. Otherwise they wouldn't be top developers I don't understand why the 3DS would be aimed at a narrower or different market from the DS; especially considering Nintendo's recent direction as a game company for everyone to enjoy. That's just ridiculous. A laptop would cost what, 4 times as much, probably more, and isn't anywhere near as portable. Plus, if you really want to do some 'serious' gaming on it, you'll need to cart around a mouse and find a surface to rest it on. Not really the picture of portable gaming IMO. Plus, saying that PCs play better games is just like, your opinion man.
Of course PC gaming is better. PC Gaming is the best. It's laptop gaming that sucks...unless you pay well over $1000. You can build a $450 desktop that rapes every game around at native 1080p though.
No offense but that's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. Seems like you don't even know what the concept of a portable platform is. In that case, hey everybody, I got a portable 360 laptop and it plays teh best games ev4r: Also I never said that in order to play games you have to have strictly a dedicated system device. Heck, I'm sure there are watches that play Tetris or something like that, which is a game. Now if you want to play games of a certain quality and that offer some amount of depth and content, that's another story.
Actually the OP's point was that the 3DS is a revolution in portable gaming. My point about to developers is that 1) they've already supported a portable console (the PSP and to some extent e DS) and 2) supporting it doesn't mean that the games will be all that great (again, the PSP). You completely missed my point about laptops. Omega-F always harps on the difference between a dedicated gaming device and a general device that plays games. All I was saying was that there is no reason why a general device can't have games that are as good or better than those of a dedicated consoles, as PC gaming easily shows. BTW, as far as I'm concerned, a $1000 is a cheap-ass laptop. Carrying a mouse isn't much of a problem either. But that's the thing: if I want to game anywhere were I can't use a laptop with a mouse, I will most likely pull out my iPhone. I will buy a 3DS to play specific games, most likely in my living room. Same with the NGP (if I even decide to pick one up). EDIT: Even more fanboyism, Omega-F, and also completely missing my point. But that's a funny picture -- I'll give you that.
many of the best games of the past few years have been developed by indie devs. Minecraft is one of the most succesful and entertaining games in recent memory. Was Nintendo involved in any way in its development? There are tons of creative people out there not currently employed by the likes of Capcom et al. Of course the notion that the big names don't or won't put quality games on the idevices is laughable at best. They will go where the players are and theres a huge audience on ythe iphones and ipods. The whole argument regarding the supposed quality of games made for the "dedicated" gaming portables is specious at best. I've played so many utterly crappy games on the DS its mind blowing. Owning a 3DS and paying $40 a game is no assurance of any sort that you'll get a good gaming experience. As far as iphone games being "too short", I have to disagree. I've probably put 50-100 hours into Fruit Ninja. I've put hours into Flight Control and Silverfish too and many others. Do those games feature 20 hour campaigns? No, of course not. Does everyone who wants to play games on the go want a 20 hour campaign? Um, no. I'm not denying the quality of Nintendo's games. I'm a Nintendo fan myself and games like Mario Kart and Metroid Prime are among my favorite games. But the notion that the only good games are those developed by big devs on dedicated systems is ludicrous. I've been gaming since the late 70's and I consider this current era of iphone/appstore gaming a mini golden age. Some of the most inventive and engrossing videogames I've ever played are on my iphone...
C'mon man, the difference between PC gaming an iOS gaming is night and day. The PC can get away with "not being strictly a gaming device" because all the control inputs it has, not to mention that's the most powerful system when it comes to playing videogames. I don't think your point made any sense.
Not that I want to suck this thread into a PC vs console void, but you can buy an Alienware MX11 new for $600 and play games that would blow away anything on the 3DS in terms of graphics, depth, sophistication, etc. Obviously you can't play it while standing in line at the bank, but it works great on a train, an airplane or a hotel room -- that's portable in my book.
Hell yeah, and that's why in, what, 3 years or more of iOS gaming you have seen so many great products from top developers that match the quality of the games seen in other platforms. Oh wait... That speaks more about you than anything else. Do you, like, know how to pick up something that's good or not? Do you go to Walmart and grab the games on the bargain bins? I'm gonna be totally honest when I say that I find that to be absolutely ridiculous. 100 hours in Fruit Ninja? What in the mother of.......... Alright, let's assume that you are saying the truth. Now ask yourself, do you think that applies to other people? My opinion is that the average fruit ninja player (great app) only plays this game when they are at the toilet, or waiting for the bus, or some other time when you have a free 20 seconds to waste. I find absolutely impossible to believe that anyone could play this game for more than a couple minutes and not get bored with it. I mean, there's barely any depth to it and the gameplay never changes from the first minute you start playing until the end. How anyone could play for 100 hours is beyond my understanding. Just out of curiosity, could you mention some of those engrossing videogames on the iPhone? I've been looking for something engrossing since I got an iPod Touch, and so far haven't find anything but a few things, so I could use some help probably! Cool story bro, here's a tip: Graphics or "sophistication" mean squat when it comes to handheld gaming. I played The World Ends With You, which doesn't have Crysis 2 visuals, nor Dead Space 2 sound design, and it's one of the greatest videogames I ever played (the second best game in general this generation in fact). Why? Because it doesn't rely on technology, but in outstanding gameplay, compelling story, game design, etc. More proof of that? Again, with the Nintendo DS you are basically dealing with 1998 type graphics, yet people adore the system because its ability to offer quality game experiences with depth of a home console game such like Dragon Quest IX for example.
Actually, you've hit upon a pet argument of mine -- in fact iOS gaming is closer to PC gaming than you think. Gotta go and put my son to bed, otherwise you would be subjected to a mini-essay explaining why .
When it comes to portable gaming, convenience is a big factor for me. I don't want to carry a laptop around to play games. I also don't want to carry more devices around than necessary and since I always have my phone with me and it has a bunch of really fun games on it thats what I'm going to use.
you can believe what you want man, I've put a lot of time into Fruit Ninja. I'll quite regularly sit down before bed and play a round or two and all of a sudden half an hour or more has dissappeared. its very addictive. How much depth is there in Pac-Man or Asteroids? People put hours and hours into those games...as well as quarter after quarter. How much depth is there in Tetris or Galaga or Space Invaders? I think what this all comes down to is this gulf in the perception of what makes a quality game. The "hardcore" guys have this notion that the only good games are the Final Fantasys and the MGS's or Black Ops or what have you. I'd rather play FN for an hour than a FF game...to me, Fruit Ninja or Silverfish or Pocket Halfpipe are the very defnition of perfect portable games.
Nearly everywhere that I've read, they said the 3D implementation is perfect. So it might be just your eyes or you're just pulling that from your behind. And sure 3D might be a gimmick now but that's only because no one had tried something good with it. 3D TV was a failure because you always have to have the glasses. Nintendo has innovated here and there's a bunch of good games coming out on the 3DS that will probably never be released on the iPhone. I think most of the people are missing what the 3DS is all about. It isn't just some 3D device. It has other features that make it the best next generation portable gaming device, on par with the NGP. The 3D is just a bonus. I think the 3DS will be awesome and this is coming from a guy who hates the DS. It had the weakest Wifi setting you could use, bad graphics, nothing terribly innovative at all. The only reason I bought the DS was to play Pokemon(true story). Sure but I played a lot of games on my Ti84 and they were addictive too. I love fruit ninja and all but it sort of gets boring after slashing so many fruits.
You edited your post later so I only picked up on the first half. My point is that while iPhone gaming is great, it just isn't awesome compared to gaming on a dedicated portable gaming device like the 3DS/NGP. And it doesn't matter if you think if you'd rather play Fruit Ninja than Black Ops. That's just your preference. But to me, I'd rather be shooting people online rather than slash some fruits to be honest.
