12 replies to this topic

[grahamf]

Imagine trying playing a game like Story of Seasons (the latest Harvest Moon title), Tearaway or even Super Mario 3D Land, on an iPhone, iPad or mobile Android device, without the help of a dedicated GamePad.

 

Developers would be forced to crowd countless buttons onto a tiny screen that was never designed with gaming in mind in the first place.

This is something retro emulators often end up doing, and although games are still playable with this control method, the experience is never as enjoyable as it would have been on the original console the game was intended to be played on. The number of times I’ve accidentally turned my vehicle in the wrong direction while playing Grand Theft Auto III on my Nexus 4, because the game’s virtual directional pad is too close together, is frustratingly significant.

 

The same can be said about other console-to-mobile ports like recently released Tomb Raider and Bioshock, and countless other games. Sure, you could argue bringing along a compatible controller would solve this issue easily, but do you really want to lug a gamepad around along with your smartphone, just to play a game? This would defeat the purpose behind on-the-go portable gaming.

Continued: Dedicated handheld gaming consoles aren’t going anywhere

 

Kind of an interesting read, and makes sense of Nintendo's zero intention of porting their games to mobile. Nintendo is very particular about the game experience, and mobile would simply not cut it.

[Raiden]

Why 2 topics and what does this have to do with Wiiu?

Specifically. This is just anohter website and one I never heard of spouting words. This is not news.

[grahamf]

Why 2 topics

Because the news subforum is kind of wonky.

[NintendoReport]

gonna move into general gaming, think it fits better there since news section is specifically Wii U. I will also then remove the other thread.
 

Continued: Dedicated handheld gaming consoles aren’t going anywhere
 
Kind of an interesting read, and makes sense of Nintendo's zero intention of porting their games to mobile. Nintendo is very particular about the game experience, and mobile would simply not cut it.

Nintendo wants to keep quality and polish so I totally agree regarding the experience they plan to bring to mobile. I think their ideas will be fleshed out and unique. Simply porting over an older game is a horrible route to go considering control inputs and it would just seem like a lazily way to go about entering the market. With that said, they want the experience provided on mobile to spark interest in what else is offered, not just in mobile but in their entire console/handheld catalog.

[CUD]

Imagine trying playing a game like Story of Seasons (the latest Harvest Moon title), Tearaway or even Super Mario 3D Land, on an iPhone, iPad or mobile Android device, without the help of a dedicated GamePad.

 

Developers would be forced to crowd countless buttons onto a tiny screen that was never designed with gaming in mind in the first place.

This is something retro emulators often end up doing, and although games are still playable with this control method, the experience is never as enjoyable as it would have been on the original console the game was intended to be played on. The number of times I’ve accidentally turned my vehicle in the wrong direction while playing Grand Theft Auto III on my Nexus 4, because the game’s virtual directional pad is too close together, is frustratingly significant.

 

The same can be said about other console-to-mobile ports like recently released Tomb Raider and Bioshock, and countless other games. Sure, you could argue bringing along a compatible controller would solve this issue easily, but do you really want to lug a gamepad around along with your smartphone, just to play a game? This would defeat the purpose behind on-the-go portable gaming.

 

 

 

Wouldn't simply using a peripheral, like some of those that already exist, negate this completely? The types of controllers that attach to the phone so that the phone would resemble something more like a Vita/PSP.

 

The last point mentioned there of having to "lug around" a gamepad along with your smartphone just to play a game... It's a phone that most would carry in their pockets. If you have room for a phone and a portable gaming system then you would definitely have space for a phone and a gamepad peripheral for your phone.

[grahamf]

The last point mentioned there of having to "lug around" a gamepad along with your smartphone just to play a game... It's a phone that most would carry in their pockets. If you have room for a phone and a portable gaming system then you would definitely have space for a phone and a gamepad peripheral for your phone.

If you have to lug around a controller, how much easier is it then lugging around a handheld? You're not going to keep the controller with your phone all of the time.

[CUD]

If you have to lug around a controller, how much easier is it then lugging around a handheld? You're not going to keep the controller with your phone all of the time.

 

It might be a little easier since it's just the controller that attaches to the phone and not a separate device like a handheld gaming system. That's the thing though, if anything it would be a bit easier to "lug around" the controller so I'm not sure why the author says it as if the controller would be heavier or harder to carry than the gaming system itself.

 

If you're going to be bringing the gaming system with you then who's to say you're not going to be bringing the controller with you just as much? This is under the hypothetical that the phone or similar device can replace a dedicated gaming system, which it most definitely can.

[grahamf]

It might be a little easier since it's just the controller that attaches to the phone and not a separate device like a handheld gaming system. That's the thing though, if anything it would be a bit easier to "lug around" the controller so I'm not sure why the author says it as if the controller would be heavier or harder to carry than the gaming system itself.

 

If you're going to be bringing the gaming system with you then who's to say you're not going to be bringing the controller with you just as much? This is under the hypothetical that the phone or similar device can replace a dedicated gaming system, which it most definitely can.

Tell you what, how about you bring a Wiimote or Pro controller with you everywhere you bring your phone for week? It's fine and dandy talking hypothetically but in the end you'd either only bring the controller if you think you would use it, or you would have a rainbowty little keychain controller. You might as well just grab the handheld when you need it.

Edited by grahamf, 12 April 2015 - 05:05 PM.

[NintendoReport]

That's the problem with mobile gaming, there isn't a standard. With a dedicated device devs can take advantage of both hardware and software to provide the best and fullest experience possible. It will always be a mixed bag in mobile.

That why nintendo has to be careful in how and what it provides in mobile

[CUD]

Tell you what, how about you bring a Wiimote or Pro controller with you everywhere you bring your phone for week? It's fine and dandy talking hypothetically but in the end you'd either only bring the controller if you think you would use it, or you would have a rainbowty little keychain controller. You might as well just grab the handheld when you need it.

 

The 3DS doesn't even offer support with the Wiimote so that point is invalid as we're talking about handhelds. I'm also not talking about a full size gamepad such as the Pro controller or an Xbox controller, have you not seen controllers that attach to smartphones? Such as these, for example: 

Spoiler

 

 

These are considerably smaller than a full size gamepad and therefore more portable. Arguably more portable than a handheld gaming system that you would be carrying around with you in addition to your phone anyway. If mobile gaming had the developer support to offer the right kinds of experiences for these controllers and the kinds of experiences that rival that of dedicated handheld systems wouldn't it be much more worthwhile to just buy a peripheral device for your phone than to spend hundreds of dollars on a handheld system and its games?

 

It's all up to devs really. If both software and hardware devs were to market affordable, functional and portable gaming peripherals for smartphones then it could really push dedicated handheld systems out of the market. That's why the argument against smartphone control schemes isn't an argument when it can easily be solved with an affordable peripheral and why it's entirely possible for such devices to also take over the handheld gaming market in the future.

 

Just to respond to this:

 

It's fine and dandy talking hypothetically but in the end you'd either only bring the controller if you think you would use it, or you would have a rainbowty little keychain controller. You might as well just grab the handheld when you need it.

 

That's the whole hypothetical though, that the smartphone is able to replace or compete with a dedicated handheld device. If the smartphone offered experiences that were of the same standard as handhelds then it would be more affordable and portable to just bring a controller for your smartphone than a dedicated handheld.

 

That's the problem with mobile gaming, there isn't a standard. With a dedicated device devs can take advantage of both hardware and software to provide the best and fullest experience possible. It will always be a mixed bag in mobile.

That why nintendo has to be careful in how and what it provides in mobile

 

It's definitely hard with how the mobile gaming market is at the moment but it would only take some devs to push the idea and with enough support they could really stand a chance at taking a portion of the handheld market. It's entirely possible is all I'm saying, we'll see what happens in the future and whether devs are willing to make the push.

[Raiden]

Why Nintendo dip their feet in a ocean so red the blood is coagulating into a black thick syrup? Another stupid phone attachment or anything what you're saying.

[grahamf]

The 3DS doesn't even offer support with the Wiimote so that point is invalid as we're talking about handhelds. I'm also not talking about a full size gamepad such as the Pro controller or an Xbox controller, have you not seen controllers that attach to smartphones? Such as these, for example: 

Spoiler

 

 

These are considerably smaller than a full size gamepad and therefore more portable. Arguably more portable than a handheld gaming system that you would be carrying around with you in addition to your phone anyway. If mobile gaming had the developer support to offer the right kinds of experiences for these controllers and the kinds of experiences that rival that of dedicated handheld systems wouldn't it be much more worthwhile to just buy a peripheral device for your phone than to spend hundreds of dollars on a handheld system and its games?

 

It's all up to devs really. If both software and hardware devs were to market affordable, functional and portable gaming peripherals for smartphones then it could really push dedicated handheld systems out of the market. That's why the argument against smartphone control schemes isn't an argument when it can easily be solved with an affordable peripheral and why it's entirely possible for such devices to also take over the handheld gaming market in the future.

 

Just to respond to this:

 

That's the whole hypothetical though, that the smartphone is able to replace or compete with a dedicated handheld device. If the smartphone offered experiences that were of the same standard as handhelds then it would be more affordable and portable to just bring a controller for your smartphone than a dedicated handheld.

 

 

It's definitely hard with how the mobile gaming market is at the moment but it would only take some devs to push the idea and with enough support they could really stand a chance at taking a portion of the handheld market. It's entirely possible is all I'm saying, we'll see what happens in the future and whether devs are willing to make the push.

There are a lot of ifs in your post. A lot of your argument hinges on future changes in smartphone gaming that are not guaranteed. That has no bearing on what Nintendo should do NOW, when smartphone gaming is still a more complicated mishmash of features and peripherals. You have to realize that.

Edited by grahamf, 12 April 2015 - 08:12 PM.

[CUD]

There are a lot of ifs in your post. A lot of your argument hinges on future changes in smartphone gaming that are not guaranteed. That has no bearing on what Nintendo should do NOW, when smartphone gaming is still a more complicated mishmash of features and peripherals. You have to realize that.

 

I guess I was going on a bit too much on what could be. As it is now the mobile gaming market and the handheld gaming market are two different things so handheld gaming will definitely continue until a change happens in the market, either mobile market will eat in the handheld market or Nintendo could even take advantage of the current mobile market.