Article that put me in a philosophical mood. Do you believe that mobile gaming will completely push out handhelds from the market one day? I believe this is not the same like the PC's vs. consoles situation because modern smartphones and tablets came much later than contemporary handheld consoles. Wikipad and Archos Gamepad are sick. We're getting more and more console-quality games to play. I'm sure the future of mobile gaming is bright. The question is, can the same be said for handhelds?
I think mobile gaming is the next big push forward. Gaming on the go is all the rage and I think the advancements in the next few years will blow us all away.
I think as soon as we get mobile hardware that can match the gameplay experience of dedicated handhelds, mobile will take over a much larger share of the handheld market. Handhelds are still around for two reasons: 1. The hardware gives a much better gaming experience with analog buttons, thumbsticks, larger screens, etc. 2. The games available, especially for the Nintendo handhelds, are better games, and provide unique gaming experiences that are exclusive to that hardware. These games are often more "traditional" as well. Currently, mobile offers a much different gaming experience, consisting mainly of casual games with simple touch controls. This is fine for most people, but more serious gamers still want the "core" experience. I think mobile will eventually be able to satisfy those consumers as well as Tegra devices as able to run high end games, and blu-tooth controllers (MOGA, Nyco Playpad, etc.) can provide the desired tactile controls. I think the Xperia Play (psp phone) would have brought this about sooner if it had been more successful. The real challenge for any gaming specific mobile phones/accessories is getting developer support.
The fantastic thing about mobile, specifically Android, is that it's all one platform. There are no proprietary game cards or one specific device that you must have to play the games. Some games, such as Need for Speed: Most Wanted, even feature cross-platform multiplayer with iOS. If you've ever seen China's game tablet factories, they have Android systems of all shapes and sizes. Maybe you want a 7" or higher screen for a true tablet experience, or a small screen so that you can carry it in your pocket (or something like the Vita and Galaxy Note have, in between). Compared to the 3DS which only has two models or the PS Vita which only has the standard 5" model, there is an Android device for everyone. Most mobile devices also feature HDMI out, basically giving users a "console" experience at home. Perhaps if handhelds were designed more like this, they would be a more enticing purchase.
Technically, the Vita is an Android device. There are a few dedicated Android devices coming out this year (Ouya, Nvidia project shield, GameStick) that will probably attract some hardware exclusive games.
@chex remix, although I agree that mobile gaming will soon have the upper hand, there are two sides of every coin - device variety means a lot more problems for developers who need to optimize their games for hundreds of devices, OS models and ROM's.
I think handheld and mobile games, are going to be like laptops and tablets in the sense that with there will be improvements in both and that some people will always prefer one over another. Although neither will be completely phased out, because one will be able to offer you something the other can't
