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NYANKS on 29 November 2010
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c0rd said:
NYANKS said:

Rol actually said the DS has finally changed problems with handhelds sufficiently that the problems do not offset the inherent advantages of handhelds.  The screen, amazing support, its portability and its tendency to have many copies in a single household (leading inevitably, to the price difference), are all enhancing its sales.  Home consoles can't beat that when done well.  The perfectly executed handheld console will defeat the perfectly executed home console, at least as of now and demonstrated by the PS2 and DS.  The Blu ray effect was not terribly large, and it also had to offset a 600 dollar initial price tag.  The Wii's motion, while humongous, can be compared to PS1's change to CD, not in innovation necessarily, but in effect.  

All the consoles have games that appeal to all.  Yes, handhelds tend to accentuate this to make up for their lack of horsepower.    This has always existed.  You can't really package Tetris for 60 bucks on a home console and expect not to get laughed at.  

The PS2 vs DS isn't really a fair comparison for you to make this assumption, as the PS2 is from the generation before. I would agree with the DS getting more things right (in regards to handhelds), but you must also consider all the things the home consoles have gotten wrong this gen.

We all know the Wii won't be passing the DS now, but who's to say it couldn't have if it had major third party support? What if the console were powerful enough, that games like CoD / GTA were specifically developed for it? What if the Wii had dominated the home console marketshare like the PS2 did?

Sure, in theory, it may seem like a perfectly executed handheld platform will have the advantage. However, I'm not convinced that's the case, in reality. The total home console sales outpacing the handhelds this gen still have me in doubt.

I also feel you have to be careful when comparing across gens.  Things change, fan bases grow.  That's kind of what I believe, at least partly.  The failings of home consoles this gen coupled with recession and the amazing execution of the DS made it excel.  If the Wii WAS the next PS2 (which it is not by most measures), I still think the DS would win, unless the Wii would directly eat at DS's sales.

I agree it is kind of difficult to gauge.  We may never get to see monopolisitc domination like the PS2 again, and surely not on the handheld and home console sides in the same gen.  So it's tough.