RolStoppable said:
The biggest factor are the games. Think of a gamer that doesn't hold a bias against any platform, but prioritizes systems that get more big games (which is reasonable, because money as well as time is usually limited). In the past it was very clear cut. All the big games went to home consoles, so handhelds always took a back seat. The 7th generation is the first that actually had big games put exclusively on the handhelds, making it a more even playing field, although home consoles still got the vast majority of AAA efforts. Essentially, in previous generations the only real thing handhelds had going for it was gaming on the go. If you had no need for that, you didn't even consider buying one. With the DS and PSP, handhelds have become an actual option which explains their explosive sales in a gen over gen comparison. There are two handhelds now while previously there was only the GBA, but it's safe to say that total handhelds sales will have tripled gen over gen once all is said and done. |
There is nothing inherently wrong with this analysis, I don't think, though I still hold that home consoles are more economical for families.
