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"Why the future isn't mainly handhelds"

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Tue 15/01/02 at 16:54
Regular
Posts: 787
Why the future isn't mainly handhelds

Ok, so the title of this is specific, but that's what I mean - the future isn't mainly about handhelds. Currently, even though there are probably more handheld systems sold that mainstream consoles, more time is spent playing of consoles. Its true! I've had a gameboy pocket for about a year and a half now, and I certainly play my Dreamcast (which I've had for about 5 months), my Playstation (Which I've had for just over two years), my PC (I've had numerous over the last 5 years) and even my Commodore 64 (which I got over ten years ago). But that maybe the problem - yes Sega did make the Game Gear, and also released are the Neo-Geo as well as assorted gameboys from Nintendo. Yes they may be a big market for their games. Yes the games may be cheap. But there isn't enough hyped competition in the hand-held market. According to the Guinness Word Records, Nintendo hold the best hand-held games machines sold (I think its like 110 million), and its nearest rival has less than half that.

Saying that, admittedly handheld machines do have their advantages. They're small enough so you can put them in your pocket, and play them when you are bored. They use carts that load instantly, and you wont need to go through loads and loads of loading screens to get to what you need to do (like Smackdown 2). Handhelds can be easily connected to each other, by a use of a link cable, and handhelds like the GBA only require one copy of the game for multiple people to play. They have screens, so unlike the mega-drive, the Playstation or the N64, so you don't need to lug around a portable screen, like you need to with the PSone.

But there are disadvantages too. Most modern handhelds eat batteries. If you, like me, travel a lot, as soon as you're batteries run out then you feel really annoyed and bored. Batteries also vary in cost and durability - for 50p I can get two sets of batteries for my GBpocket, which last for about two hours each; for three pounds I can also get two sets of batteries, from Duracell, that last up to 6 hours each. Also, when with friends, they can't all see the screen - believe me, this does happen even though it's seemingly the most unlikely event next to flying pigs. With a handheld, one has to be in a position so the screen is lit, otherwise one can't see. When going down the motorway/on a train during the night, one can't play on his handheld because there is no light! Yes the Game Gear had a 'back-light', but that devours batteries at a formula one cars pace. With the gameboy you can buy a light that connects to the connection port, but that has two problems. One problem is that that too eats batteries, and it also means that you can't connect to handhelds together. This leads me onto another point; there are too many accessories for things like the gameboy. You can get battery-packs, screen protectors, magnifiers, magnifiers with lights (they take batteries), lights, carry-cases, chargers, car cigarette lighter adapters, plastic things that help a player keep their grip (perhaps just in case you happen to play it in the bath), sound amplifiers, head-phones and all-sorts of others. And these cost money. So even before you've bought a game, you've already spent about the same on the handheld and accessories as you would on a console that comes with all this stuff.

Then we have to consider the possibilities in the future of the handheld market. Will they all have backlights like the gamegear? Will they all eat batteries or is someone going to make a lifelong battery? How many buttons will they have? What is going to be the screen size? Multi-player capability? Carts or discs? Will it fit in my pocket? Will I look out of place if I use it when commuting? Internet/Ethernet/Broadband capability? Will you do more than play games on it? Saving capability? Length of time to create games? Third-Party Developers? Cost? There are so many different combinations and possibilities that the console market looks, well, simple. Well, here is my impression on what the hand-held market is going to be like; if I had all the preferences I wanted:

Take the GBpocket - it measures 125mm x 75mm x 20mm without any add-ons. I would expect the handheld of the future - even with the advancements of small things - to be slightly bigger, say 150mm x 100mm x 40mm. Personally, I like the Dreamcast controller, and like many other controllers, they would have to add at least one L and one R button/trigger, an analog stick, a directional pad, four buttons in an arrangement such as the buttons on a DC & SNES controller or the C buttons on a N64 Controller, a start button and possibly a select button, and possibly a button on the back. This makes the choice of controls much move varied for games - meaning more moves on games like Street Fighter, more games like Space Channel 5 and Dancing Stage EuroMix, and more games like Resident Evil. The screen would have to be of decent size - the GBpocket screen is 2.5 inches from diagonal to diagonal - so this screen would have to be at least five inches. It would have to have a backlight, so one could actually see the game - and the screen would have to be colour. Like the GBA can play snes games without trouble, I would expect the new handheld to be able to play games from the Xbox or the PS2, so stick in a decent speed chip as well. But what would this be powered by? Forget power-saving accessories - ever seen the film Small Soldiers (if you didn't don't worry, it sucks anyway)? Well they (even if it was fake) speak of a lifelong lithium battery. Now I believe that in the next 20 years that someone will make an inexhaustible power source (or a very very long lasting one) - I've even got my own idea on how to make one. It probably wont be able to access the Internet (lack of a keyboard, y'see), but be able to play games against people in America, like the DC does (lol, up to 6 billion players, and the rest). Hopefully, with the right software, games should be able to come out as soon as you fish the last one - that way they'll be able to keep you amused.

But sadly, this won't compare to what I will think be the newest and foremost market that will take the world by storm - the world of VR (that's Virtual Reality). With speed chips going into the hundreds of Ghz, and Graphics being in game rendered, sound quality equivalent to that of Surround Sound and it'd be like slapping on two 52 inch TV screens to you face. You'd be able to keep moving your eyes and still being in the game, looking at the sky in GTA8; or a 600ft drop on TR14; underwater visuals of Zelda as a first-person game - and if the advancement of technology goes the way it does - it won't take 5 years to make a game that either looks human and realistic, or fun and cutesy. RPGs will be a lot more fun, that's for sure - being able to battle monsters hand-to-hand, or slicing them into two with the big meat cleaver that you found while hunting down a rogue zombie butcher (that invaded the game form Resident Evil. Lol.) You'd be able to play first person in Phantasy Star Online and you could fight other people from around the world with a spread needle, or you're own 20-hit combo of a double sabre (so beware or black belts!). Any PC would become redundant only for the fact of games like Red Alert, and also for stuff like homework that requires a word-processor; and also the development of VR Games. You'd spend up to and over 80 hours on one game, and with games like Tomb Raider you'd feel like you had super human abilities as you jump like 3 metres, or blow the brains out of a wolf with a shotgun. The possibilities of VR are possibly endless in the first-person shooter realm - but with the development of hardware, the ability for third person on cursor controlled games are still there. The hardware size will probably astound you - I mean that you'd have like chips connected to wires on your hands and feet and a head set made of light materials and metals. These would internally hold the game, the memory and the hardware necessary to run it - and games would be the size of MDs and have a capacity of like about 100 gigabytes. Now doesn't VR sound a lot better than handhelds!

JCSuperStar <-- that's me!
Tue 15/01/02 at 16:54
Regular
"*Plonk*"
Posts: 330
Why the future isn't mainly handhelds

Ok, so the title of this is specific, but that's what I mean - the future isn't mainly about handhelds. Currently, even though there are probably more handheld systems sold that mainstream consoles, more time is spent playing of consoles. Its true! I've had a gameboy pocket for about a year and a half now, and I certainly play my Dreamcast (which I've had for about 5 months), my Playstation (Which I've had for just over two years), my PC (I've had numerous over the last 5 years) and even my Commodore 64 (which I got over ten years ago). But that maybe the problem - yes Sega did make the Game Gear, and also released are the Neo-Geo as well as assorted gameboys from Nintendo. Yes they may be a big market for their games. Yes the games may be cheap. But there isn't enough hyped competition in the hand-held market. According to the Guinness Word Records, Nintendo hold the best hand-held games machines sold (I think its like 110 million), and its nearest rival has less than half that.

Saying that, admittedly handheld machines do have their advantages. They're small enough so you can put them in your pocket, and play them when you are bored. They use carts that load instantly, and you wont need to go through loads and loads of loading screens to get to what you need to do (like Smackdown 2). Handhelds can be easily connected to each other, by a use of a link cable, and handhelds like the GBA only require one copy of the game for multiple people to play. They have screens, so unlike the mega-drive, the Playstation or the N64, so you don't need to lug around a portable screen, like you need to with the PSone.

But there are disadvantages too. Most modern handhelds eat batteries. If you, like me, travel a lot, as soon as you're batteries run out then you feel really annoyed and bored. Batteries also vary in cost and durability - for 50p I can get two sets of batteries for my GBpocket, which last for about two hours each; for three pounds I can also get two sets of batteries, from Duracell, that last up to 6 hours each. Also, when with friends, they can't all see the screen - believe me, this does happen even though it's seemingly the most unlikely event next to flying pigs. With a handheld, one has to be in a position so the screen is lit, otherwise one can't see. When going down the motorway/on a train during the night, one can't play on his handheld because there is no light! Yes the Game Gear had a 'back-light', but that devours batteries at a formula one cars pace. With the gameboy you can buy a light that connects to the connection port, but that has two problems. One problem is that that too eats batteries, and it also means that you can't connect to handhelds together. This leads me onto another point; there are too many accessories for things like the gameboy. You can get battery-packs, screen protectors, magnifiers, magnifiers with lights (they take batteries), lights, carry-cases, chargers, car cigarette lighter adapters, plastic things that help a player keep their grip (perhaps just in case you happen to play it in the bath), sound amplifiers, head-phones and all-sorts of others. And these cost money. So even before you've bought a game, you've already spent about the same on the handheld and accessories as you would on a console that comes with all this stuff.

Then we have to consider the possibilities in the future of the handheld market. Will they all have backlights like the gamegear? Will they all eat batteries or is someone going to make a lifelong battery? How many buttons will they have? What is going to be the screen size? Multi-player capability? Carts or discs? Will it fit in my pocket? Will I look out of place if I use it when commuting? Internet/Ethernet/Broadband capability? Will you do more than play games on it? Saving capability? Length of time to create games? Third-Party Developers? Cost? There are so many different combinations and possibilities that the console market looks, well, simple. Well, here is my impression on what the hand-held market is going to be like; if I had all the preferences I wanted:

Take the GBpocket - it measures 125mm x 75mm x 20mm without any add-ons. I would expect the handheld of the future - even with the advancements of small things - to be slightly bigger, say 150mm x 100mm x 40mm. Personally, I like the Dreamcast controller, and like many other controllers, they would have to add at least one L and one R button/trigger, an analog stick, a directional pad, four buttons in an arrangement such as the buttons on a DC & SNES controller or the C buttons on a N64 Controller, a start button and possibly a select button, and possibly a button on the back. This makes the choice of controls much move varied for games - meaning more moves on games like Street Fighter, more games like Space Channel 5 and Dancing Stage EuroMix, and more games like Resident Evil. The screen would have to be of decent size - the GBpocket screen is 2.5 inches from diagonal to diagonal - so this screen would have to be at least five inches. It would have to have a backlight, so one could actually see the game - and the screen would have to be colour. Like the GBA can play snes games without trouble, I would expect the new handheld to be able to play games from the Xbox or the PS2, so stick in a decent speed chip as well. But what would this be powered by? Forget power-saving accessories - ever seen the film Small Soldiers (if you didn't don't worry, it sucks anyway)? Well they (even if it was fake) speak of a lifelong lithium battery. Now I believe that in the next 20 years that someone will make an inexhaustible power source (or a very very long lasting one) - I've even got my own idea on how to make one. It probably wont be able to access the Internet (lack of a keyboard, y'see), but be able to play games against people in America, like the DC does (lol, up to 6 billion players, and the rest). Hopefully, with the right software, games should be able to come out as soon as you fish the last one - that way they'll be able to keep you amused.

But sadly, this won't compare to what I will think be the newest and foremost market that will take the world by storm - the world of VR (that's Virtual Reality). With speed chips going into the hundreds of Ghz, and Graphics being in game rendered, sound quality equivalent to that of Surround Sound and it'd be like slapping on two 52 inch TV screens to you face. You'd be able to keep moving your eyes and still being in the game, looking at the sky in GTA8; or a 600ft drop on TR14; underwater visuals of Zelda as a first-person game - and if the advancement of technology goes the way it does - it won't take 5 years to make a game that either looks human and realistic, or fun and cutesy. RPGs will be a lot more fun, that's for sure - being able to battle monsters hand-to-hand, or slicing them into two with the big meat cleaver that you found while hunting down a rogue zombie butcher (that invaded the game form Resident Evil. Lol.) You'd be able to play first person in Phantasy Star Online and you could fight other people from around the world with a spread needle, or you're own 20-hit combo of a double sabre (so beware or black belts!). Any PC would become redundant only for the fact of games like Red Alert, and also for stuff like homework that requires a word-processor; and also the development of VR Games. You'd spend up to and over 80 hours on one game, and with games like Tomb Raider you'd feel like you had super human abilities as you jump like 3 metres, or blow the brains out of a wolf with a shotgun. The possibilities of VR are possibly endless in the first-person shooter realm - but with the development of hardware, the ability for third person on cursor controlled games are still there. The hardware size will probably astound you - I mean that you'd have like chips connected to wires on your hands and feet and a head set made of light materials and metals. These would internally hold the game, the memory and the hardware necessary to run it - and games would be the size of MDs and have a capacity of like about 100 gigabytes. Now doesn't VR sound a lot better than handhelds!

JCSuperStar <-- that's me!
Tue 15/01/02 at 16:55
Regular
"Infantalised Forums"
Posts: 23,089
I thought the heading was
"Why the future isn't manly handfuls"

I feel cheated
Tue 15/01/02 at 17:01
Regular
"*Plonk*"
Posts: 330
cheated on what? what did you expect under that title?
Tue 15/01/02 at 17:09
Regular
"699 days!"
Posts: 843
I agree that virtual reality will probably be developed in the furure, once they have sorted out practical problems lkie when you walk, won't you just walk straight into a wall. Bu tI don't think handhelds will die out any time soon, as:

They are much cheaper than home consoles, so more people can buy them.

They are very convenient, since you can play them anywhere.

And, with time, the technology of them will become very sophisticated so they will not be primitive.

And thanks for the post, it was good. :-)
Tue 15/01/02 at 17:14
Regular
"*Plonk*"
Posts: 330
DrDragon wrote:
And,
> with time, the technology of them will become very sophisticated so they will
> not be primitive.

but consoles and VR will be way ahead - as they are know (GBA = SNES, GC = ?, Xbox = ?) then think what consoles will be out at that time?
Tue 15/01/02 at 17:29
Regular
"*Plonk*"
Posts: 330
POP (to the top)
Tue 15/01/02 at 17:30
Regular
"699 days!"
Posts: 843
JCSuperStar wrote:
> DrDragon wrote:
And,
> with time, the technology of them will become very
> sophisticated so they will
> not be primitive.

but consoles and VR will
> be way ahead - as they are know (GBA = SNES, GC = ?, Xbox = ?) then think what
> consoles will be out at that time?

They may be ahead, but the're not that far behind and once it gets really sophisticated the difference will be minimal.
Tue 15/01/02 at 17:31
Regular
"*Plonk*"
Posts: 330
DrDragon wrote:
> JCSuperStar wrote:
> DrDragon wrote:
And,
> with time, the technology
> of them will become very
> sophisticated so they will
> not be
> primitive.

but consoles and VR will
> be way ahead - as they are know
> (GBA = SNES, GC = ?, Xbox = ?) then think what
> consoles will be out at
> that time?

>>They may be ahead, but the're not that far behind and >>once it gets
>> really sophisticated the difference will be minimal.

It depends on what developers want to do really.
Tue 15/01/02 at 23:35
Regular
Posts: 18,185
Ian Drdragon is right, i was right, now sit in the corner and understand we are right!
Wed 16/01/02 at 13:08
Regular
"*Plonk*"
Posts: 330
Dringo wrote:
> Ian Drdragon is right, i was right, now sit in the corner and understand we are
> right!

My opinion, my views.

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