Biggest gen ever or will every gen outdo the last?

[Michael-5]

Pineapple said:

I hadn't thought of the fact that this generation for the handhelds was so much longer than last generation.

However, the GBA didn't really just sell for 3 years.. For one, it launched in early-mid 2001, whereas the DS launched in end 2004 to early 2005. It sold for 3.5 years, at least. But you can call that nitpicking.

More importantly: The GBA sold 22 million after the DS launched. The GBA wasn't killed off when the next generation came along, it sold nearly 40% more than what it had sold up until the DS launched. In other words; the GBA sold 60 million in 3.5 years, or 17 million/year.

You're quite right, though, the increase isn't 200%, it's more along the lines of a doubling in terms of hardware.

Bottom line, the industry is still growing, but I wonder if Smart Phones, like the Iphone will start to impose on the handheld market. I know the handheld software division for Apple has grown. I believe in 2008 Apple had only 1% of the handheld software market, but in 2009 it grew to 5%, and it's stil growing in 2010. DS is still king holding 75% of the software market, but will it hold?

Also to be fair the DS/PSP generation of handhelds has 2 successful systems, where GBA was a stand alone. How many gamers have both handhelds, and doesn't the competition bring more attention into the handheld market?

BTW if DS manages to sell 20 million more units after the launch of the 3DS, that will bring it to 160 million. Awesome.

P.S. Should I get a Wii this holiday season for about $150 (I'm sure I'll find a deal like that) or should I wait 2 years for a Wii successor, which will likely be backward compatible. I have access to a Wii from a close friend for a couple months a year as it is, but is it worth getting my own? I ask you because your a random person, but seem educated.