Luigi Manson 2 though.

This set of handhelds came after mobile platforms tools had started being developed and refined by the 2009 when they would be receiving dev kits for either. Mobile has always been more profitable than their handheld ventures. Why go back?

The sad thing is Vita still compares favorably with mobiles and uses similar and in most cases indistinguishable IDE as most mobile projects. Sony simply hasn't convinced publishers to basically recompile for their platform as well. I bet their certification stuff might be more of a hindrance to boot. Theoretically there is next to no work at all in bringing most of the games found here over to the platform unless they use too much ram: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Unity_Engine_games (This list is by no means complete just most prominent really)

I don't know how Sony failed to co opt mobile development with the Vita. Were I Sony I would be drastic and offer free Unity addons like ID@Xbox and lower licensing fees for handheld exclusivity and making a far more lax certification process.

micromanaging developers with certification requirements, like the need to include that ever-present "do not to turn off their console when a game is saving" message is silly. They should include it automagically as an api for Unity and Phyre Engine and their PSMobile suite. They do it all the time why make indies reinvent the wheel each time?

Because handheld games have standards.

Mobile games don't.

they never really cared, it seems the PSP was the only time they kinda tried and that was barely

Painful, but so true.

Same reason they don't "get" Nintendo consoles.

They're all about uber-power and pretty images. Handhelds simply are not powerful enough for them and they won't succeed with crappy down-ports.

It's the same reason we hardly have a mid-tier market

It's not that they don't get handhelds, it's that handhelds aren't prominent enough.

Handhelds are more optimal in Japan, so there's a larger market, which means more money for developers.

Consoles are more optimal in the west, so there's a larger market, which means more money for developers.

Metacritic Scores for 8th Generation excluding remakes and enhanced versions

Top 10 Console Games (8 west, 2 Japan)

98 Grand Theft Auto IV (US)
97 Grand Theft Auto V (US)
97 Super Mario Galaxy (Japan)
97 Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Japan)
96 BioShock (US)
96 Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (US)
96 Batman: Arkham City (UK)
96 Mass Effect 2 (Canada)
96 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (US)
95 LittleBigPlanet (UK)

Top 10 Handheld Games (8 Japan, 2 west)

93 Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (US)
91 God of War: Chains of Olympus (US)
91 Mario Kart DS (Japan)
90 Mario & Luigi: Boser's Inside Story (Japan)
90 The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Japan)
90 Advance Wars: Dual Strike (Japan)
89 Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (Japan)
89 Lumines (Japan)
89 New Super Mario Bros. (Japan)
89 Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (Japan)

7th genration, but your point stands.

Gen 8 may be turning the tides a bit, though, given how much praised was showered on Fire Emblem and Zelda last year.

They prefer mobile app games, PC games, and home console games.