I really don't get this impression that handhelds are dying. Both the console and handheld markets have stiffer competition than ever from PC and smartphones, but competition means the market is healthy, not that its dying.
That said, HANDHELD is the way to go. To do otherwise would be suicide.
Nintendo has a stranglehold on the AA game market with their handhelds. Games on small budgets have four choices:
- Launch on consoles, where you must promote like crazy and have high production values to swim with the big fish IPs.
- Launch on Steam, where exabytes of content will drown your product out.
- Launch on Smartphones, which have terrible inputs, listless customers, and an unspoken $0.99 price point expectation.
- Launch on a Nintendo Handheld, where there's not a lot of competition and people expect polish, but not high production values.
While the AAA market usually commands the most media attention, it seldom actually commands the marketplace hardware sales. Both the PS2 and DS sold on their AA game libraries as much or more than their AAA blockbusters. Handhelds are where the AA market is these days, and currently it is locked into the Nintendo handhelds. DO NOT DITCH THIS MARKET FOR ANYTHING.
Nintendo has really built themselves the perfect reputation to cater to the AA market, and as most of us are expecting the AAA market to crash eventually, they're really in a good situation. IF they can capitalize on it.
