Topic: Nerd Rage Vol.1: Handheld Edition.

[Razorkid]

This thread is the first in a series in which I vent my frustrations about current gaming to people who will at least half understand and to also allow others to chime in on what grinds their gears.  This post will be long and complaint filled so if tl:dr, just pop in with an opinion on what really gets your goat about handheld gaming today.

This generation of gaming has been profoundly different on a community aspect due to the internet.  Between web sites, forums, podcasts, blogs, and various social networks, it's been a lot easier for gamers across all walks of life to be able to communicate with each other and the industry.  The downside to this has been the perpetuation of complete and utter madness that has grown into popular thought either among gamers, the media, or developers/publishers.  It has also magnified some truly annoying practices among said groups.  I'm going to go over what has really been tweaking my nerts lately and break 'em down into categories for coherency sake. So without further ado... TELL'EM WHY YOU MAD, SON!!

Overheard: $40 is too much for portable games! They're not worth it!

  TELL'EM WHY YOU MAD, SON!! The majority of DS games launched/launch between $30 & $35 with budget releases starting at $20.  Now that we have games on a portable system capable of gamecube/wii graphics, fully integrated OS/connectivity, and 3D, 5 extra dollars is too much of a premium? Really?!? If they're not worth it to YOU, that's fine but please make that distinction.  Blanket statements like "There aren't any 3DS games worth $40" is bullsh*t. I own nine 3DS games, all of which I've purchased at full price (with the exception of 2 that I got on sale) and they have ALL been worth my time and money (I have the wonderful Activity Log to back me up).  There are tons of games out there that I would never pay full price for, but does that mean they aren't worth the price for everybody? No. In the meantime, buy some dsiware or virtual console games.  There are lots of great experiences to be had for well under $10 on the system.

Overheard: Dedicated handhelds are DEAD! iOS gaming is the future! My phone is enough! Why can't all games be 99 cents?

  TELL'EM WHY YOU MAD, SON!! Dedicated handhelds may not fit into YOUR lifestyle now, but that doesn't mean it's been replaced all over the world with Angry Birds. The beauty of iOS is that it has made portable gaming even more accessible (to those who own a device to play it on) to a much wider audience of people who have never even picked up a PSP or anything in the Gameboy/DS family. The majority of games on the platform can be played with for 5-10 mins and put away forever making their 99 cents and free price tag justifiable while a few notable standouts cost anywhere between $4-$10. People act like there are no cheap games on the DSiWare catalog (they do start at $2) and notable standouts on the eShop also run between $4-$12. Just because Angry Birds cost 99 cents, does that mean Star Fox 64 3D should cost the same price? DOA Dimensions? Pilotwings Resort? Do people really think that studios will be able to put out games with high production values consistently for bottom of the barrel prices and survive financially? Shut your face.  There's room for smartphone gaming and dedicated gaming.  Just like how the Wii never stopped the HD twins from selling millions of core titles, iOS gaming is not going to stop dedicated portables from flourishing in this new generation.

Overheard:The 3DS launch was abysmal and absolutely horrible! There are literally NO GAMES out for the 3DS now until the first Mario title shows up.

  TELL'EM WHY YOU MAD, SON!! People either don't know their portable software launch history or have really, really bad memories. This launch had more solid titles across a plethora of genres than any Nintendo portable system.  The only one to even rival this was the launch lineup of the GBA, and just barely (I loved the crap outta Tony Hawk 2 and Circle of the Moon).  None of the launch 3DS games were out and out system sellers for sure, but imho more than half were, good to great, solid titles. What you people REALLY mean to say is that there is nothing currently available on the 3DS software catalog that interests you. That is totally valid and expresses YOUR OWN opinion. Saying crap like THERE ARE NO GAMES just bugs the hell outta me.  So all those boxes with 3DS logos, game art, and price tags at Best Buy are figments of my imagination, huh? Shut your face. Also fun fact: There has not been a portable system launch with an original Mario game since the Gameboy and Super Mario Land was certainly not a system seller (it was Tetris of course).


Overheard: OMG! 3-5 hour battery life on my 3DS/PS Vita blows! I play a half hour of Zelda and my system dies! Why can't the battery be more like my smartphone, it goes forever! My DS lasts like a week on one charge with continuous play, and my GBA is still going strong off the original charge! What the hell Nintendo? (and by association) I picked up my PSP after like 2 years of dormancy to play a game, but I had to charge it because it was dead, LOL! PSP battery life sucks!

  TELL'EM WHY YOU MAD, SON!! Let's start with what our portables are actually capable of nowadays.  We have entered a generation where we are literally walking around with current gen consoles in our pockets.  I defy anybody to tell me that there aren't games on the 3DS now that rival some Wii games graphically or that videos of Uncharted and Gravity Daze on the Vita don't look like they came straight from the PS3.  These things run OS's, they have apps, and online connectivity, ON TOP of being capable of playing games that you are literally playing now on your tv screen.  And you're having a fit because the battery (which is also a product of FORM FACTOR lest we want to stick iPads in our waistbands) can't last a couple more hours of continuous play? Then you compare it to the battery life of portables with nowhere near the power and capability of the current gen? AND WORSE! Compare it to some imaginary smartphone that lasts 10-15 hours on one charge? Shut your face.

First off, anybody with a smartphone knows that unless you only use your phone to talk briefly or shut it off completely when not in use, your phone will DIE in less than 8 hours without a charge.  And forget about gaming/browsing the internet/streaming video continuously.  You're looking at 2-3 hours tops before your battery percentage is in the single digits.  You know why? Because its a friggin' pc in your pocket and takes a lot of juice to power! I'm also tired of hearing "Well what if I'm on a plane? The battery won't last the trip." No iDevice. smartphone, or modern handheld system will last beyond 4-5 hours of continuous gaming/movie watching without being plugged up.  Battery tech has not advanced as fast as portable tech over the last 10 years people, have some patience.  In the meantime, if you are not using your handheld system, PLUG IT INTO THE FRICKIN' WALL!

People who regularly play handhelds never have any trouble with battery life. Why? Because for one, they usually have a spare plug that they bring with them on long trips/work along with their satchel of games (Most smartphone owners own a second charger of some sort for their phone along with the one they leave at home). Second, they either put their system to sleep with the knowledge that they are going to return to it later that day, or shut it down to conserve battery life. Lastly, 2 days never goes by that they don't charge their system when not in use.  Hell, it's even easier  with the 3DS because of the cradle (such a genius idea). Welcome to 21st century portables. Stop complaining about battery life. Plug up your systems. Don't expect a system to power on a week/month later after being left on or in sleep mode. Shut your face.

Overheard:"Why would I want to play this game on my portable when I can have this experience on my tv? Where are the bite sized games for my portables"

  TELL'EM WHY YOU MAD, SON!! The great thing about portable gaming (particularly with capable hardware such as the 3DS/Vita) is that you can have both bite sized gaming and epic console-like experiences on the go.  When did it become uncool to be able to play games like Super Street Fighter IV, Uncharted, and Resident Evil on the toilet with very little difference from their console brethren? Did all the pick-up-and-play portable experiences suddenly disappear? No. Are bite sized games evaporating? The eShop and PSN says ahoy ahoy (love you Greg ). So what's wrong with having console like experiences...you know...portably? Nothing, so shut your face.  You don't prefer your Call of Duty that way, fine, not a problem.  Just stop making it sound like it's some kind of ridiculous idea, a huge mistake, and no audience for that type of market, again, on a....portable system.

[Ceric]

Overheard: $40 is too much for portable games! They're not worth it!

  TELL'EM WHY YOU MAD, SON!! I will agree there are many games worth the $40 price tag on the 3DS.  My biggest beef with the pricing is the lack of variety of pricing.  Not every game is worth $40.  I enjoyed Super Monkey Ball 3D but it really should have been $25-30  I can't recommend it for $40.  I think some games should enjoy the $40 as a Premium but not as the standard price.  (Remakes are something else I think shouldn't be $40.)

Overheard: Dedicated handhelds are DEAD! iOS gaming is the future! My phone is enough! Why can't all games be 99 cents?

  TELL'EM WHY YOU MAD, SON!! I've seen some pretty impressive games on Phone7 and with XBox live integration and the specs could easily become the MS portable but, I still carry my 3DS around.  The quality of most Phone games just don't hold a candle to good GB games from the eShop.  I'm not even talking about the modern ones.  Plus the form factor is better and being able to just close the screen to pause and open it back up to resume is great.  Sometimes I have only a minute or two I can sneak in and on a phone I would have just gotten past loading in any game of significance in that time where on the 3DS I be playing.

Overheard:The 3DS launch was abysmal and absolutely horrible! There are literally NO GAMES out for the 3DS now until the first Mario title shows up.

  TELL'EM WHY YOU MAD, SON!! I found this funny as well.  Why I will agree that the 3DS launch lineup didn't have a meaty launch anchor.  I will easily argue it was better then the DS launch by a mile.  Especially since I could get all the games I wanted in 1 store.

Overheard: OMG! 3-5 hour battery life on my 3DS/PS Vita blows! I play a half hour of Zelda and my system dies! Why can't the battery be more like my smartphone, it goes forever! My DS lasts like a week on one charge with continuous play, and my GBA is still going strong off the original charge! What the hell Nintendo? (and by association) I picked up my PSP after like 2 years of dormancy to play a game, but I had to charge it because it was dead, LOL! PSP battery life sucks!

  TELL'EM WHY YOU MAD, SON!! Adding the Cradle for the 3DS is great for this but, come on folks anyone who believes your smartphone has better battery life then the 3DS when doing the same thing is just funny.  A simple test:

Get your phone and 3DS to a full charge. 
Hook them to Wi-Fi unplug both.
Pick the same Movie from Netflix (Something long so you can leave them alone)
Start streaming on both

I doubt your phone will fair any better then the 3DS.  In actual usage I rarely run out of power on my 3DS where on my phone it can be relatively easy to do. (Fun fact it takes slightly more power to stream from Netflix over 3G then a wall charger provides to my phone.)

Overheard:"Why would I want to play this game on my portable when I can have this experience on my tv? Where are the bite sized games for my portables"

  TELL'EM WHY YOU MAD, SON!! Why not?  Good TVs are expensive and are intended for multiple people to watch at once.  I have a family which drastically reduces the availability of the TV for single user use.  Take Monster Hunter Tri for example.  I enjoy the game and for a while I let my son watch me play it until I found out that he was mimicking the game at daycare which lead to beating up other kids.  I had to stop playing when he is around.  So effectively I can't really play the game anymore.  If it was on the 3DS I could just play it there and not worry about it.  When you have your own space this isn't as much of a concern.  If I could pickup up Wind Waker put in a a little time fishing Tri-Force up while in the car or something I may have beaten the game.  RPGs in general I prefer to play on a handheld because they are by there nature single player experiences.

[scraff]

Some good points in your rant i guess lol. I make games for iOS. And altho you can buy some good iphone/android games, you cant beat other dedicated consoles. iOS is for casual gamers.


Also 99c for an iOS game...you get what you pay for. Doesnt mean they aint good for what they are made for tho. iOS games are designed to be able to play minute by minute while ur waiting for the bus, for tea, etc etc. Where as Nintendo 3DS is more for the gamer who likes to sit down for an hour. iPhone is £500 (GBP in UK) and is not dedicated for gaming. its a phone with apps.


Also I agree, $35 isnt a lot for new games. Graphics and the depth of the games are greater than that of console games of a few years back

[Razorkid]

Some good points in your rant i guess lol. I make games for iOS. And altho you can buy some good iphone/android games, you cant beat other dedicated consoles. iOS is for casual gamers.


Also 99c for an iOS game...you get what you pay for. Doesnt mean they aint good for what they are made for tho. iOS games are designed to be able to play minute by minute while ur waiting for the bus, for tea, etc etc. Where as Nintendo 3DS is more for the gamer who likes to sit down for an hour. iPhone is £500 (GBP in UK) and is not dedicated for gaming. its a phone with apps.


Also I agree, $35 isnt a lot for new games. Graphics and the depth of the games are greater than that of console games of a few years back

I agree.  I have nothing against iOS/Android gaming and welcome it because it exposes a larger population to our wonderful hobby (I own an iPhone and have played some cool games on the platform as well).  I just can't stand listening to people talk outta their neck (in various podcasts and forums) like dedicated handheld systems (and thus the games made for them) are on the cusp of extinction simply because their lifestyle doesn't allow for such experiences to be enjoyed.


On a related note, I notice that the majority of people who spend more time on their handhelds than consoles tend to be married with (small) children.  In that respect, I only know of one person in videogame media who fits that bill. 

[alegoicoe]

Battery wise, I'm sure nintendo can do better, you will see when they release the next 3ds, and regarding price, i gladly pay 40 bucks for a 3ds premium title, but come on, star fox 64 3d 40 dollars, no way, and i bough the game, its not bad but its not worth that much, and half of the 3ds library is crap, and they are charging full price, in the end i dont care, if people buy it thats their problem, but for me 40 dollars for a crappy game is just nonsense.

[ejamer]

...
On a related note, I notice that the majority of people who spend more time on their handhelds than consoles tend to be married with (small) children.  In that respect, I only know of one person in videogame media who fits that bill.

Maybe this is why for professional gaming media is usually so pointless for me. Not only are they targeting a different demographic, but largely they belong to a different demographic as well.

... but for me 40 dollars for a crappy game is just nonsense.

I don't agree that the 3DS library is all "crappy", but most of the games do cost more than I'm willing to pay. This becomes even more apparent when dozens of excellent DS games can be purchased for considerably lower prices. Hopefully we'll see a wider spread of game pricing in the future.


(Luckily pricing doesn't affect me though. I'm so broke that I can't afford any games.)

[Ymeegod]

With me, I'm still waiting for those AAA titles, remakes are fine and what not but i'm not buying $40 for something I already own. 

For battery life you can already buy replacements which will double the life or more.  There's a few cheap ones that double your juice like Nyko's replacement 2600ohm which replaces the orginal and adds about 1 cm to thickness--but what I bought was an exterior 10000ohm charger which will work great with the 3DS once I buy one.  Not only will I have the orginal 1300ohm but 10000 more on top of that--the reason why I bought this is because I can use it with IOS/VITA/ and of course the 3DS--a bit pricey but well worth it IMO.

[nickmitch]

For me, the joy of beating a game just isn't the same on iOS. Yeah, the story arc on "Angry Birds" is compelling and there honestly hasn't been more open and controversial ending than "Cut the Rope" but something about the whole journey just seems so abridged.

[Razorkid]

Battery wise, I'm sure nintendo can do better, you will see when they release the next 3ds...

I'm sure, but I don't think it's gonna be 8-10 hours like some people expect it be.

...half of the 3ds library is crap...

In your opinion...  I'm fine with people hating the current software library, but please qualify it as your personal opinion and not make blanket statements.  That's what really plucks my nose hairs on the internet, blanket statements that turn into hive mind thought on forums/podcasts/etc when it's really just the opinion of a few people.

...they are charging full price, in the end i dont care, if people buy it thats their problem....

I see no problem in people paying for what they think is worth the price of anything.  I may not agree to pay the same and opt to wait for a lower price or pass altogether, but what's worth it to me is not always the same of the next man.

...but for me 40 dollars for a crappy game is just nonsense.

I agree 100%

[scraff]

For me, the joy of beating a game just isn't the same on iOS. Yeah, the story arc on "Angry Birds" is compelling and there honestly hasn't been more open and controversial ending than "Cut the Rope" but something about the whole journey just seems so abridged.

Yeh, iOS games arent exactly full of story, alot of the "RPG" games on there are very repetative, as its build for the gamer who doesnt spend any great deal of time at once playing so probably dont realise theres no story . Ive played some good iOS games with good stories, by I only played them once or twice because you dont have time to get into the story.


For 3DS on the otherhand, you arent going to buy a dedicated console and not play on it. So the games have to have more substance.


Games over in the UK where I am are £30 GBP, which works out at more like $50 USD.

[Ymeegod]

One thing to point out--

Pricing isn't really $40 vrs $.99 games neither because you can still rent retail games.  For example I use Gamefly and get 6-8 games a month with their two games plan for $24ish.  That's $6 or less per title vrs an .99 iphone game.