3DS gaming isn't "cheap" thanks to the sheer volume of amazing games that have come out and WILL come out on the console. I do wish they'd release more eshop titles, I've been waiting ages for Super Mario Bros 3 and Pokemon Red/Blue.

I own both a 3DS and a Vita and the 3DS have given me the most playtime, and with Pokemon X and Y coming out soon I will be stuck on the 3ds for months/years. The vita's value is however getting better, it's now matching the price of the XL and you can usually find a bundle with atleast a 4gb memory card and a game. Both are great systems.

Why the cynical outlook on PS+? Surely, you can understand how much value that gives to a game collection. I've been able to play games that I wouldn't have purchased otherwise.

I don't know but 3DS Hardware just doesn't seem good enough for me, especially after trying both 3DS and Vita.
There's some good software for 3DS, and I've been convinced that 3DS has a better library than Vita, but after reading the thread, I felt like whoaa Vita got a lot better than that ! It just lacks titles which sell to any typical customer, but it's fine for me.

Out of curiousity, what do you find wrong with the 3DS hardware? Its relative weakness? The screen resolution? Battery life? Multi-tasking?

Also, bear in mind that many of the 3DS's best games are not mentioned in the OP, simply because they cost over $30 and aren't hundred-hour RPG's. Plus, I haven't been keeping good track of the eShop lately, so most of what I picked for that is from the first half of the system's life.

PS+ is a great service, but on Vita it's less than stellar. In the many months I've been a Vita owner, I've played only three great or near-great games: Gravity Rush, Wipeout 2048, and Retro City Rampage, the last of which is available elsewhere. As a PS3 owner, I'm quite happy with the selection on PS+. As a Vita owner, I'm not very happy at all.

But back to Scisca's point: Vita gaming is less expensive than 3DS gaming. I guess that's true if you rely solely on the games offered on PS+, although you have to add in the subscription costs and the costs of memory cards. But, personally, I would much rather spend a little more for the system with the bigger and better library (3DS in this case) than spend a little less and play only what Sony decides to give me on a monthly basis.

I disagree. I really liked Uncharted, Dokuro, and Virtue's Last Reward and there's several PSP games that meant for Vita owners as well.

Also, even without PS+, Vita gaming is cheaper. Sales happen far more often they do on eShop.

As 3ds and vita owner, I can attest to this.

For example: On the ps store, the game Unit 13 normally costs $27. However, it was on sale for only ps plus subscribers for the discounted price of $8. So I actually purchased ps+ for $17, then the game for $8 which came out to a total of $25. Then the following 3 months I saved so much on the ps+ esclusive sales and I was ofcourse able to play a bunch of games for free that I would not have played otherwise. PS+ is a good investment for the exclusive sales alone, the free games feel more like an added bonus to me. This is how I became a ps+ subscriber. 

I honestly do wish the eshop was more like ps+ with more regular and frequent sales for its games. They have some sales here and there, but it's nothing in comparison.

Maybe so, but again you're limited to what Sony puts on sale and then stuck with a digital copy (not my preference, but I know others don't mind).

I will say that I've spent a lot less on my Vita than my 3DS, but that's largely because there aren't many must-have games for Vita right now. I own one physical copy of a Vita game -- Assassin's Creed, which came with the bundle -- and the rest via download voucher or PS+. Meanwhile, I've invested in about 15 3DS titles and a few eShop games. So I guess 3DS can be more expensive, but that's because it has more to offer me as a consumer.

Didn't mean to be cynical at all. It sounds like it's a good program for many consumers. But it's true what I said: it's basically a prolonged rental of whichever games someone picks for you. Which again is fine for many, but not necessarily everyone.

I don't think it's really a rental, because you can delete and redownload infinite times. If you stop your membership, that content is just locked not deleted. It instantly becomes accesible again once you renew.

And while, I do agree that not picking the games could lead to some meh choices, but they've included some pretty great, popular, and most importantly new games with the program.