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Khuutra said:
Reasonable said:

The DS is a handheld.  A great one, I've bought two myself, but it's comparing a handheld to a home console.  I just don't find a handheld managing to sell more than a home console particularly impressive - if anything I guess I'm surprised it doesn't happen all the time.

I may just not get the demographics of handhelds right - or perhaps their growth has been slowed by smart phones, etc. this gen vs the general rise in gaming industry, but so far as I can see in theory they should sell more than consoles easily, particularly due to families.  I know friends who buy one console then four handhelds because they have four kids.  Really handhelds should have a huge advantage in potential userbase as they tend to be one to one for owners whereas many consoles are one to many for users.

Maybe I'm missing something.

The element that you're missing is that theorizing concerning the reason behind handheld sales trends does little to reflect the reality of it: the original Gameboy sold about 100 million units over the course of 12 years, and the GBA sold about 80 million. Both were outsold by the PS1 and PS2, and both will eventually be outsold by the Wii. The DS is the first handheld ever to sell as well as the PS2, much less better.

Whether or not it seems like this should be passe, it isn't, because it is unprecedented in the handheld space.

Ah.  Okay.  Still find it boring though.  If (when?) the Wii passes PS2 that'll be impressive for me.  I guess I'm now of a mind handheld sales (high end) are actually a little disappointing next to home console sales (high end).  Would never have thought that.  I always figured handhelds must sell more.

Interesting what it implies because in many cases they really should sell more - for example I know so many friends who lost/replaced them.  You've a lot more likely to lose replace a handheld than a console that's for sure.  Incredible they don't sell more the more I think about it.

I wonder why not?  Do you think it's a lack of adults buying them vs a broader purchase base for home consoles?  I could see this particularly in the West, and I guess the DS performance boost could be down to more adults purchasing in West via Brain Training, etc. and the associated marketing push.

Crikey.  No wonder Nintendo is pushing 3DS and Sony are looking to release (maybe) a PSP phone.  I'd have to figure that the handheld market could be vulnerable to smartphones simply disolving the need for their existence (I certainly have no desire to carry multiple devices and would happily take a single device if available).  Obviously exclusive titles help, particularly for Nintendo I would imagine, but still...

(Off topic, but as you're here, regarding our little VC chat, I though the writing and basic characters were also on the generic/cliche side but what made it work for me was the unusual (at least in my experience) mood of the game regarding conflict, xenophobia and the negative impact of war.  Maybe that didn't help its sales but for me it gave rise to a nice emotional mood a number of times.  I'd love to see a truly well written videogame explore this theme).



Try to be reasonable... its easier than you think...