Poll of the Day > Do you agree that handheld consoles are for kids?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I had a 3ds just for smash 3ds
---

No. I find it funny some folk say this but sit playing Candy Crush on their phone/tablet.
---

I do tend to say that, honestly. But I also acknowledge there are multiple exceptions to the rule.



wwinterj25 posted...

No. I find it funny some folk say this but sit playing Candy Crush on their phone/tablet.

The fact that they're not playing a handheld video game console does tend to support their argument, though.

The usual logic being that an adult who already has a phone or tablet for adult responsibilities and other things (watching movies, music, reading, checking e-mail, Interneting, etc) can easily download casual time-killers to that same multi-purpose device to fulfill their needs - but actually devoting yourself to buying a dedicated gaming handheld that does very little OTHER than play games implies a level of constant free time and hyper-focus on gaming most adults don't have. It's the difference between owning and occasionally playing Solitaire on your PC and dropping $500 to buy a Playstation to play Uncharted.

Even at its height, Nintendo's given handheld of a generation was never all that mainstream (and anything that WASN'T Nintendo tended to be even more toy-centric). They would appeal to younger kids/teens and more hardcore gamers, but there was never really a perceived need for them to most people (especially people who were busy working, driving their own kids to school or practice, or just generally attempting to have social lives).

The PSP and Vita were Sony's attempt to change that mentality (and pursue a different demographic than Nintendo already had locked down), but they've essentially failed as an alternative in the post-smart phone world.

Generally speaking, the only responsible adults I ever see with gaming handhelds are almost always people who actually have jobs that are tangential to the gaming industry itself, or who tie themselves pretty strongly to a "gamer" personal identity (ie, the sort of people who would be posting on this site). Beyond that, most of the adults I know (including a fair number who still have consoles of their own for casual gaming or occasional nostalgia gaming) aren't all that interested in buying a dedicated handheld over just having a phone or tablet.


---

As a 32 year old guy with a DS, 2DS, n3DS XL, PSP, PSTV (granted, it isn't a handheld, but it plays most Vita games since it is a gimped version of that system) and previously a GBA SP that I need to replace, not a chance.
---

DeltaBladeX posted...

As a 32 year old guy with a DS, 2DS, n3DS XL, PSP, PSTV (granted, it isn't a handheld, but it plays most Vita games since it is a gimped version of that system) and previously a GBA SP that I need to replace, not a chance.

You're also one of the more obsessive gamer-consumers on this board, though.


---

Handhelds are great, the 3ds has been one of my favorite rpg/dungeon crawler systems

I think people who are only interested in certain genres like fps may avoid handhelds
---

ParanoidObsessive posted...

one of the more obsessive gamer-consumers on this board

He could almost pay two semesters' worth of my tuition with the value of the games that he's bought.
---

wwinterj25 posted...

No

---

ParanoidObsessive posted...

The fact that they're not playing a handheld video game console does tend to support their argument, though.

The usual logic being that an adult who already has a phone or tablet for adult responsibilities and other things (watching movies, music, reading, checking e-mail, Interneting, etc) can easily download casual time-killers to that same multi-purpose device to fulfill their needs - but actually devoting yourself to buying a dedicated gaming handheld that does very little OTHER than play games implies a level of constant free time and hyper-focus on gaming most adults don't have. It's the difference between owning and occasionally playing Solitaire on your PC and dropping $500 to buy a Playstation to play Uncharted.

Interesting. Still it really doesn't matter if the device can do other things. If you have the time to sit and play Candy Crush on a phone/tablet then you have the time to play handheld consoles. Also to say handheld consoles are for kids while you're basically doing what the handheld console does is very hypocritical. I'd wager games like Candy Crush are more aimed at kids than the games on handheld consoles.
---

ParanoidObsessive posted...

The usual logic being that an adult who already has a phone or tablet for adult responsibilities and other things (watching movies, music, reading, checking e-mail, Interneting, etc) can easily download casual time-killers to that same multi-purpose device to fulfill their needs - but actually devoting yourself to buying a dedicated gaming handheld that does very little OTHER than play games implies a level of constant free time and hyper-focus on gaming most adults don't have. It's the difference between owning and occasionally playing Solitaire on your PC and dropping $500 to buy a Playstation to play Uncharted.

Even at its height, Nintendo's given handheld of a generation was never all that mainstream (and anything that WASN'T Nintendo tended to be even more toy-centric). They would appeal to younger kids/teens and more hardcore gamers, but there was never really a perceived need for them to most people (especially people who were busy working, driving their own kids to school or practice, or just generally attempting to have social lives).

The PSP and Vita were Sony's attempt to change that mentality (and pursue a different demographic than Nintendo already had locked down), but they've essentially failed as an alternative in the post-smart phone world.

Generally speaking, the only responsible adults I ever see with gaming handhelds are almost always people who actually have jobs that are tangential to the gaming industry itself, or who tie themselves pretty strongly to a "gamer" personal identity (ie, the sort of people who would be posting on this site). Beyond that, most of the adults I know (including a fair number who still have consoles of their own for casual gaming or occasional nostalgia gaming) aren't all that interested in buying a dedicated handheld over just having a phone or tablet.

As always, PO explained it perfectly.

Me, I have a Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Color, Nintendo 3DS XL, and Nintendo Switch. I've had the first two for over fifteen years and they show their age from when I played a lot of mobile games as a kid. I've had the 3DS XL since Animal Crossing New Leaf launched as I had some extra cash at the time. I've had the Switch for several months, as it was bought to play Zelda BotW. Honestly, I could've waited a year for the Switch. *Shrug*

ParanoidObsessive posted...

You're also one of the more obsessive gamer-consumers on this board, though.

Being on a game site, I'm wondering why I don't see more crazy people like me.
---

DeltaBladeX posted...

ParanoidObsessive posted...

You're also one of the more obsessive gamer-consumers on this board, though.

Being on a game site, I'm wondering why I don't see more crazy people like me.

I used to think it's because people used to like games then grew up, but then you see people who never liked games and I get confused
---

wwinterj25 posted...

Still it really doesn't matter if the device can do other things. If you have the time to sit and play Candy Crush on a phone/tablet then you have the time to play handheld consoles.

Except it absolutely does matter, because there is a world of difference between going "Ehh, I have 20 minutes to kill, let me whip out this electronic device I already bought for other purposes and which I can coincidentally play a game on" and "I am so devoted to playing games on a regular basis that I am willing to pay hundreds of dollars extra to own a dedicated device and its games, and have no problem lugging it, its power source, and any extra peripherals around with me so I can do literally nothing other than game."

(Which, incidentally, is the main reason why so many people were annoyed that Nintendo didn't seem to plan to add Netflix or YouTube apps to the Switch - for a lot of people these days, a dedicated device that can only do one thing isn't worth owning.)

Candy Crush is just this generation's Snake/Nibbles - it's a game you play to kill time because it's cheap and easily available on a system you're going to own for lots of other reasons anyway, but you'd never buy that system specifically to play it. If the only way to play Candy Crush was to buy a special dedicated King brand handheld or console, you'd see the vast majority of Candy Crush's player-base disappear overnight.

Now granted, if the SOLE argument someone is making is that "Playing games is childish, and I'm a mature adult, but now I'm going to go play Candy Crush which doesn't count," then sure, that's being hypocritical. But that's not what most people mean when they say "Handhelds are for kids".

As one of the older users on this board, I can tell you that, in the rare instances where I have a fair chunk of free-time to kill outside the house, I almost never think "Man, I wish I could play some video games right now" (I bought a GameBoy SP once, and played it for about a grand total of maybe 3 hours, tops). Most of the time, when I'm waiting somewhere, I bring a book to read. And when I was taking my dog to the vet on a regular basis a few years ago, I brought my laptop with me and did work/browsed the Internet (and also read books online). As a child of the Atari/NES generation, the idea of gaming as a thing you do in the comfort of your own home to relax is too deeply ingrained in my brain.

Now, granted, this is something that might change as the current multiplayer-heavy youth generation grows up, but just based on my own younger relatives, most of them don't seem overly interested in handheld gaming either (in spite of being really into online gaming in general). If they're somewhere killing time, they're usually watching YouTube videos on their phone or playing a game on their tablet. Neither of them would really see any reason to ever own a DS or Switch.


---

ParanoidObsessive posted...

but actually devoting yourself to buying a dedicated gaming handheld that does very little OTHER than play games implies a level of constant free time and hyper-focus on gaming most adults don't have.

The problem with this statement is that it suggests that adults who don't play video games refrain from the activity because they're simply too busy. That's complete bullshit. Many more adults who don't play handheld games WOULD have the time to do so if they cut time out of whatever other recreational activity they typically engage in. For instance, I don't watch much television as I tend to want to devote my free time to video games. Conversely, many adults spend their free time watching television or posting on some social media site rather than playing video games.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

As a child of the Atari/NES generation, the idea of gaming as a thing you do in the comfort of your own home to relax is too deeply ingrained in my brain.

I agree on this front. I don't game on handhelds really these days. The last handheld I bought was a PSP and that just collects dust. This doesn't mean I think handhelds are for kids as that's as good as saying gaming is for kids. I mean the whole idea behind a handheld system is portable gaming. Hell now even with the switch a home console has gone that way.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

If they're somewhere killing time, they're usually watching YouTube videos on their phone or playing a game on their tablet. Neither of them would really see any reason to ever own a DS or Switch.

My nephew(7) was in this mindset however my sister bought him a DS for Christmas last year so he can play Mario and other games. She also said she was tired of him always being on his tablet. I can see her point and I'll always be a advocate for real gaming but it's still sticking a screen infront of your kids face so whatever. Still you said yourself that most kids these days prefer tablets/phones so how can handhelds be just for kids when most kids don't tend to bother with them these days?
---

Wait wait wait...

Where does it say people have to play handhelds while out and about?

I haven't owned a gameboy/ds/3ds because they are portable. I own them because they offer completely different games than console systems. I play consoles and handhelds in my house.
---

I wanna reply to some of PO's stuff but I don't really care to dissect a book.

Anyways, are handheld consoles for kids? Yes.
Are they also for adults? Yes.

Just because handhelds can be for kids doesn't mean it's exclusively for kids. It's for anyone who has the time and desire to play them.
---

wwinterj25 posted...

My nephew (7) was in this mindset however my sister bought him a DS for Christmas last year so he can play Mario and other games.

My niece and nephew both had DSes at one point. My nephew (who is now 18) basically stopped playing portable games entirely, and now really only games on his PS4 (and when he's out somewhere away from home and bored he just watches YouTube on his phone), while my niece sort of transitioned to playing games on her tablet, and then to mostly just using her tablet to watch YouTube.

I don't really think there's a case of kids who only use phones or tablets because that's what they have access to, who will magically become hardcore handheld gamers the moment the option becomes available. I think the handheld market as a whole is either going to evolve into something more akin to mobile gaming in general, or its going to die off entirely outside of certain niche demos in places that aren't Japan.

I'm not going to be the usual doomsayer who says they'll all be gone in five years, but I don't think it's a sustainable model in its current form.

Though it's always hard to say for sure when you're mostly dealing with anecdotal evidence from both sides of the discussion. Especially when there are always outliers in both directions.



wwinterj25 posted...

Still you said yourself that most kids these days prefer tablets/phones so how can handhelds be just for kids when most kids don't tend to bother with them these days?

I'm saying that the perception is that it's for kids because most older adults absolutely "grow out of" it (or, at least, have traditionally), so your prime demographic tends to be kids, teenagers, and more gamer-centric college kids (or like I mentioned, people like YouTubers who explicitly base their identity or income around games).

But I'm also implying that we're currently creating a generation of kids who may not be interested in handhelds at all, because they now have a simpler alternative. All of the same reasons that apply to why adults tend to phase out handhelds may soon apply to most kids as well. For instance, my one friend has two kids, age 2 and 4, both of whom spend 90% of their "digital" time using phones to watch YouTube videos or play mobile games, with home console gaming more of a secondary interest. I am curious to see if they ever transition into an interest in handhelds, or if they remain entirely satisfied with the phone/tablet options they already have access to.

If anything, what I'm really suggesting is that "90s kids" may turn out to be an anomaly, with older Gen X and Gen Y kids who grew out with video games "aging out" of them entirely while younger, "00s-era kids" never latching onto handhelds, leaving a bubble in the middle who had an intense love for a form of technology that is slowly becoming obsolete. And today's handheld gamers may eventually go the way of their predecessors, with even people who spent most of their younger years attached to a DS slowly phasing out handheld gaming as they get older.

An interesting demographic question to ask might be, for current gamers who've bought a Switch, how many play it as a handheld, and how many as a home console? And once you have that data, figure out how those numbers break down across age groups. My suspicion is that, the older the gamer, the more likely they are to see the Switch more as a console than a handheld.


---

ParanoidObsessive posted...

My suspicion is that, the older the gamer, the more likely they are to see the Switch more as a console than a handheld.

More than likely. I don't count for everyone but I wanted a normal controller and console from Nintendo since the GameCube. I haven't bought a Switch yet but the fact that it can be played with a 'normal' controller with most games in the comfort of my own home is the most appealing thing about it. The portable side of it is just a bonus.
---

No, and I think it's rather trollish to even make such an ignorant assertion. Generally speaking, handhelds *should* appeal more to adults than home consoles, simply for the issue of portability. That's not counting the additional factor of the price points on handhelds being more reasonable than home consoles.

As an adult, the ONLY sensible sort of gaming system would be a handheld because you have the option of playing at home or on the go, handhelds tend to have more options for breaking up content (ie, you're not locked into long sittings), etc, which allows you to accommodate gaming around your life rather than the other way around. That's assuming that you don't view all gaming as kiddy (still the mainstream consensus) and don't have your limited needs met by your phone (especially if you view all gaming as kiddy).

ParanoidObsessive posted...

The fact that they're not playing a handheld video game console does tend to support their argument, though.

The usual logic being that an adult who already has a phone or tablet for adult responsibilities and other things (watching movies, music, reading, checking e-mail, Interneting, etc) can easily download casual time-killers to that same multi-purpose device to fulfill their needs - but actually devoting yourself to buying a dedicated gaming handheld that does very little OTHER than play games implies a level of constant free time and hyper-focus on gaming most adults don't have. It's the difference between owning and occasionally playing Solitaire on your PC and dropping $500 to buy a Playstation to play Uncharted.

The problem with that line of thinking is that smartphones are a relatively recent innovation. Prior to a decade or a decade and a half ago, you didn't have that. If you wanted to game to kill time while commuting on a train, etc, you'd need a dedicated handheld.

Granted, it's worth noting that handheld culture may be weaker in the US *because* we don't have even halfway decent public transportation and, since we do more of our own driving, handhelds haven't taken off as strongly as in Japan.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Generally speaking, the only responsible adults I ever see with gaming handhelds are almost always people who actually have jobs that are tangential to the gaming industry itself, or who tie themselves pretty strongly to a "gamer" personal identity (ie, the sort of people who would be posting on this site). Beyond that, most of the adults I know (including a fair number who still have consoles of their own for casual gaming or occasional nostalgia gaming) aren't all that interested in buying a dedicated handheld over just having a phone or tablet.

Which could also reflect the private nature of public gaming. Even when I had my gba-sp, DS, etc, out on a train, it's not like I held it up high for the world to see. I've noticed similar behavior from commuters who tend to pick quieter areas to game to avoid being asked questions about said gaming.

ParanoidObsessive posted...

Most of the time, when I'm waiting somewhere, I bring a book to read.

I can't break up reading. I hate having to find my place and then just when I'm getting into it having to stop.

wwinterj25 posted...

The last handheld I bought was a PSP and that just collects dust.

To be fair, I also own a PSP whose sole purpose seems to involve gathering dust. I think that's more of a PSP thing than anything else.
---

To be honest, PO, I think you might be overthinking people's reasoning for not liking handhelds. For one, the 3DS is still incredibly popular among kids and adult gamers.

For many gamers who aren't interested in it, it could be because it simply doesn't offer the kind of games that console games specialize in; big budget AAA games with high specs and online multiplayer at the forefront. That's what a great deal of people focus on these days, so in that way it's possible they see an underpowered system that often tailors more to the single player experience as beneath them. But that logic only applies to people who prefer consoles.

Also, I've heard of many gamers (like me) who gravitate more towards handhelds as they get older. Being able to play anywhere without the need for a TV is a huge incentive.
---

Many of the best games are exclusively for handhelds.

Had plenty of fun on trips, and during breaks at work and college playing my hendhelds. Castlevania, Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger. Actually I was introduced to the Trails series on my PSP which has become my current favorite game series due to its scope of story and world building.

But I guess all those games are fine on consoles, then suddenly become kids games on handhelds?

Most responsible adults are unlikely to just have their handheld game systems out everywhere they walk. At best, they may keep it in their pocket, or put it in their briefcase so they can play a bit during lunch. Otherwise, they may simply play at home, or use it as their entertainment when traveling on business.

I mean, what, do you expect to see some guy in a suit just pull out a 3DS and start playing it during a business meeting?


Oh, right. Also, gaming society is still relatively young, so you are generally rather unlikely to see someone 40+ for instance with games, relative to younger people.
.
---

Zeus posted...

wwinterj25 posted...

The last handheld I bought was a PSP and that just collects dust.

To be fair, I also own a PSP whose sole purpose seems to involve gathering dust. I think that's more of a PSP thing than anything else.

Some people clearly don't know all the awesome games the PSP has :(
---

DeltaBladeX posted...

all the awesome games the PSP has

Don't forget all the stuff you can do on there, that you can't mention on this site...
---

EclairReturns posted...

DeltaBladeX posted...

all the awesome games the PSP has

Don't forget all the stuff you can do on there, that you can't mention on this site...

Eh, I already have plenty of my own games (though still looking for various other games), I don't need other stuff.


For those curious, all games shown are my own legal UMD / PSN dumps, mostly so I don't have to deal with switching between both my PSN accounts (NZ and US accounts).
---

Do you agree that handheld consoles are for kids?

No; I feel that they're primarily for rabbits. Especially for silly ones. ^.^
---