Handheld game consoles began when Mattel produced the title Auto Race in 1977. It was only in 1989, however, when Nintendo released the Game Boy that the market really opened up.
Videogam.in, a site about videogames
The 3DS is failing right now, more than any other reason, because of smartphones and tablets offering compelling gaming experiences. And when the iPhone 5 launches in the next several weeks, you can expect it to officially kill off the 3DS. … Here's a news flash for you, Nintendo: consumers do not and will not care about the 3DS. And the iPhone 5, which will likely come with improved components to help deliver even better gameplay to owners, will make that abundantly clear.
Do you really want to play a blockbuster title on the small screen? Handheld systems compromise certain types of gameplay by design — [their] controls are cramped, oddly placed and there just isn’t the same amount of real estate on the screen for big, 3D action. Though Resident Evil: Revelations currently features the best character models and graphics out of any 3DS title on the floor at E3, it’s still kind of a downer to play it on a system ill-equipped to simulate big console titles.
Developing a game for Nintendo 3DS might cost up to $1.8m USD, according to Marvelous Entertainment (Harvest Moon series). These 3DS estimates are more in line with what developers spend on home console games (Wii games cost as much as $1.4m, though Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 budgets can be double that). Read on
