Why are handhelds often seen as inferior or not as important as home consoles?

[IkePoR]

thismeintiel said:

Veknoid_Outcast said:

I ask myself that question every day. Why are folks dumping all over handhelds? Why not celebrate more options and more games?

Maybe it's just the exclusionary machismo of the "hardcore" gamer. Or the lust for things bigger and shinier and thus more expensive and less sustainable.

Oh well. When the industry inevitably drives itself off a cliff at least I can take comfort in knowing we all packed handhelds for the long trip into the abyss.

Interesting you use the term less sustainable for the home console market, a market that is still thriving.  If anything is less sustainable, it is the handheld market, and the sales prove it.  

The HH market is being slowly eaten alive by mobile gaming.  People, especially casuals, are finding less reasons to own a $249 HH when they can get the same, or at least similar, games on their phone/tablet.  It's why Nintendo had to drop the price of the 3DS so quickly, and why the Vita did so poorly.  If Nintendo wants any kind of success with the NX, it better be less than $200.

If you consider the 11th best selling console since gen 1, that released in the heart of the smartphone era "being slowly eaten alive", I'd like to see what you consider selling good.  DS is an anomaly, just like PS2.  They won't be topped, ever.  Considering the Game Boy Advance had no competition and sold 80M while the 3DS has sold 75% of that with firece competiton, I'm going to need you to present some trends or something to back up your statement.