I had a Game Gear and I wanted a Lynx (that WW1 fighter pilot game really made me want it bad). I'm all for competition because it keeps Nintendo on its feet.

Why are people bringing smartphones into this. We are talking about dedicated handhelds.

Ya know, it's actually quite amazing that Nintendo managed total handheld dominance for over 20 years.

OT:I think at least for Sony, the Vita will be their last handheld. If we're talking about other dedicated gaming devices though, I can maybe see like an up-gradable tablet similar to our gaming PCs.
Nintendo will have to transition in a gen or 2.

That`s a actually a really good question.

In terms of Vita, Sony needs to really do something about it, because it`s been more than a year and the only market that has been revived has been the japanese market - with a price cut and a few games. Although, for how long?
If there isn`t a significant change with the Vita, it might become Sony`s last handheld console. Sony no longer has money to risk taking a hit for years like they did before.

Could MS jump in and present it`s own portable? It`s possibility, but not likely. MS`s goal has always been the living room (TV), so it`s unlikely that they will try and make na handheld.

Will anyone be interested in going against Nintendo in a handheld gaming device?
Given the popularity of indie games and how people are attracted to smartphones and tablets, i really don`t see anyone willing to invest in this market, which, frankly, is smaller than the mobile and tablet market.

Sony won't go away after the Vita, there will be a successor Sony handheld to the successor Nintendo handheld. Who knows, there are rumors that GT6 could be ported to the PSV, and if that's the case, Vita sales could rise sharply.

You also never know what could happen, Nintendo almost died out inthe console war, but then suddenly a good move with the Wii and a mis-step with the PS3, and Nintendo is ontop again. PSP3 (PSV successor) could top the next Nintendo handheld, but I doubt it.

Sony is here to stay as an alternative/compeditor, Vita is not that last.

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As for compeditors outside of Sony, I don't see it happening. If anything Nintendo will be compared to iphone/android gadgets, but as a dedicated gaming device, it's Sony or no one. Maybe Sony will change their gameplan and make a playstation phone, but we'll see.

I really hope Sony or someone else goes up against Nintendo in future, it's makes Nintendo work harder to appeal to gamers. When Nintendo had a monopoly with Game Boy Advance it had good games, but it would've of released more i think if it had a worthwhile competitor

I hope to god a cool game is announced at e3. I need Another action adventure like liberation or uncharted. And I agree games were stale until the competition showed up. Fo me the 3ds is the first handheld that truly knocks my socks off. I think nintendo was actually kinda worried and got their shit together.

I doubt that Sony will make another handheld after the Vita, but I hope they do. Nintendo works harder when they have to compete against someone else.

Vita will never get a successor. Instead it will be integrated with smartphones.

The 3DS will be Nintendo's last successful dedicated gaming handheld. In five years the $10 smartphones given to 5 year olds will be powerful enough to compete with a new Nintendo system, at least graphically. Meanwhile more and more games go to iOS until only Nintendo first party ones are exclusive.

Still thinking that we'll see a Google+Nintendo or a Samsung+Nintendo partnership oh phones soon.