Handheld video game: Difference between revisions
Martin IIIa (talk | contribs) →Features unique to handheld gaming: Getting rid of this section since (1)far from being "unique to handheld gaming", all three features listed have been on home consoles for just as long, and (2)by its nature, this section is redundant to a definition of handheld gaming, which should appear in the lead. |
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== Popular genres == |
== Popular genres == |
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Due to the portable nature of the platform, popular game genres on [[video game console]]s are not necessarily popular on handhelds. This is due to the technical limitations of handhelds, to the brief nature of "on-the-go" play, and to the consumer base which is most likely to play games on the go (including children and young adults){{citation needed|date=May 2018}}. Due in part to tradeoffs between battery life and power supply, they are typically about 1-2 generations behind the graphic abilities of [[alternating current]] (AC) powered games{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} |
Due to the portable nature of the platform, popular game genres on [[video game console]]s are not necessarily popular on handhelds. This is due to the technical limitations of handhelds, to the brief nature of "on-the-go" play, and to the consumer base which is most likely to play games on the go (including children and young adults){{citation needed|date=May 2018}}. Due in part to tradeoffs between battery life and power supply, they are typically about 1-2 generations behind the graphic abilities of [[alternating current]] (AC) powered games.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} The demand for small form factor also leads to fewer controls on handhelds than on other systems; this results in games that cannot be as complex. On modern mobile phones, controls are limited to the capabilities of the touch screen. Lack of [[tactile feedback]] can make precise pressing of on-screen buttons difficult, leading to complexity issues similar to previous platforms. Due to the limited time that most users have when on the go, the average play duration is much shorter. Games that are quick to play, such as sidescrolling [[platform game]]s and action puzzle games are very popular. Handheld titles use [[solid state disk|solid-state storage]], whether it be in the form of a memory card or [[EEPROM]].{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} On the whole, even with the ability to save games, consumers prefer less time-consuming titles. More complex game types such as adventure or first person shooters are less popular, though such titles do exist. |
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Revision as of 03:36, 13 May 2018
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2018) |
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| Video games |
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A handheld video game is a video game designed for a handheld device. In the past, the term primarily referred to dedicated handheld game consoles such as Nintendo's Game Boy line. In more recent history, mobile games have become popular in nondedicated calculators, personal digital assistants (PDA), digital audio players (e.g., MP3), mobile phones, and other similar portable devices.
In the past decade, handheld video games currently have become a major sector of the video game market. In 2004 sales of portable software titles exceeded $1 billion in the United States for the first time, an 11% increase from the prior year.[1]
For dedicated handheld games that do not have interchangeable cartridges, disks, etc., or are not reprogrammable, see handheld electronic games. For games on mobile phones, see mobile games.
History
Handheld video games grew out of handheld electronic games that were popular from the 1970s through the mid-1990s. The key factors in contributing to the advance of cartridge-based handheld consoles and handheld video games were the increase in processing power, technological advances in liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and the reduction of power requirements. Handheld video games grew immensely in popularity, thanks to the Game Boy released in 1989. Tetris was considered the killer application for the console, and popularized the action puzzle genre.
Popular genres
Due to the portable nature of the platform, popular game genres on video game consoles are not necessarily popular on handhelds. This is due to the technical limitations of handhelds, to the brief nature of "on-the-go" play, and to the consumer base which is most likely to play games on the go (including children and young adults)[citation needed]. Due in part to tradeoffs between battery life and power supply, they are typically about 1-2 generations behind the graphic abilities of alternating current (AC) powered games.[citation needed] The demand for small form factor also leads to fewer controls on handhelds than on other systems; this results in games that cannot be as complex. On modern mobile phones, controls are limited to the capabilities of the touch screen. Lack of tactile feedback can make precise pressing of on-screen buttons difficult, leading to complexity issues similar to previous platforms. Due to the limited time that most users have when on the go, the average play duration is much shorter. Games that are quick to play, such as sidescrolling platform games and action puzzle games are very popular. Handheld titles use solid-state storage, whether it be in the form of a memory card or EEPROM.[citation needed] On the whole, even with the ability to save games, consumers prefer less time-consuming titles. More complex game types such as adventure or first person shooters are less popular, though such titles do exist.
Puzzle
- Tetris (Nintendo Game Boy 1989, cellphone, Nintendo DS)
- Columns (Sega Game Gear)
- Lumines (PlayStation Portable 2005)
- Bejeweled (cellphone)
- Meteos (Nintendo DS)
Platform
- Super Mario Land series (Game Boy)
- Super Mario Advance series (Game Boy Advance)
RPG
Due to the low technical demands of the turn based, menu driven role-playing video game, they have often found homes on handheld systems, often based on a console RPG. Those games that have met with the most success have been collection-centered or anime-based RPGs such as:
- Pokémon (Nintendo Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS)
- Megaman Battle Network
- Dragon Ball Z
- Yu-Gi-Oh! series
The Pokémon series has met with so much success that Nintendo has released special editions of the Nintendo DSi, Nintendo DS Lite, Game Boy Advance and Game Boy. These bundles had the game systems in exclusive colors (such as Pikachu yellow) and were bundled with the popular game of the time. Nintendo has reported that over 15 million dollars in sales have been generated by the Pokémon franchise.
Classic
The simplicity of the video games of the 1980s has allowed many classic titles to be re-released in handheld form. For example, the Nintendo e-Reader for the Game Boy Advance allowed a small library of classic NES titles to be played on the handheld. e-Reader titles included Excitebike and Ice Climber.
Classic games have also been released for cellphones, such as the Intellivision game library and arcade classics including Galaga, Afterburner and Pac-Man. The Apple iPod features two games from the late 1970 and early 1980s: Breakout and Parachute.
Since the release of the GP32; homebrew and emulated gaming for games formerly only playable on living room consoles have magically transformed standard video games from the past into handheld ones. Later, the GBA Movie Player was released to allow Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) games to be played on the Game Boy Advance (GBA) via PocketNES emulator. Subsequent to that, the GP2X has been released. Since many emulators and interpreters for classic video games have been written for GP2X, classic games have gone handheld; even old DOS games have gone handheld on the GP2X on GP2X's version of DOSBox. The PlayStation Portable (PSP) however, only supports homebrew and emulation to a minor extent. And that its market share in the homebrew community has been slashed after the release of GP2X.
Card games
While not very popular on handheld game consoles, card games such as Texas Hold 'Em, Blackjack, and Solitaire are extremely popular on cellphones and PDAs.
Strategy games
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, a tactical role-playing game (RPG), and the Advance Wars series are examples of strategy games that have shown popularity for the genre on handhelds. Other games such as Luminous Arc, Heroes of Mana, and Age of Empires: The Age of Kings popularized strategy games for handhelds even further on the Nintendo DS thanks to its touch screen interface.
Availability
Gaming platforms
As with traditional video game systems, there are dedicated and console systems. Dedicated handheld video games have a specific set of software are almost always bundled with the hardware unit. However, the release of the GP2X has blurred the difference between "dedicated" and "handheld" since high-capacity user-rewritable solid state memory cards (e.g. SD card) can store ROM images to emulate on emulators ported to the GP2X and that TV-out can be done with the GP2X.
Two subsets of handheld game consoles exist: re-engineered portable versions of a set-top console that are compatible with extant cartridges, or new systems and platforms that are exclusively designed and use portable media types.
The Genesis Nomad, the PS one, and the Turbo Express are good examples of re-engineered portable systems, however the PS one is only semi-portable (i.e. cannot fit in a person's pocket). The Game Boy Advance, the Game Gear, and Neo Geo Pocket are examples of entirely created platforms. However, the Game Boy Advance was built largely upon the Super NES hardware architecture and that the Game Gear is a retooled version of the Master System.[citation needed] The GP2X on the other hand, emulates popular consoles entirely through software and connects to the TV for unsurpassed versatility as a handheld/console.
Multipurpose gaming platforms
With the increasing convergence of electronic peripherals made possible by rapid technology advancements, handheld video games are now available on a wide variety of platforms, not just exclusive gaming ones. PDAs, although not a gaming platform, had many games, ports or exclusively designed, for the devices. All modern cellphones include and run gaming software, usually Java or Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) based. Graphing calculator gaming is popular among college and high school students. The popular Apple iPod mp3 player includes several bundled games, allows users to download new games from the iTunes Store, and clever enthusiasts have been modifying the software to allow for further gaming uses. Apple's App Store along with the iOS SDK, has created a much larger market for gaming on iOS, the common operating system for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Game publisher and developer companies such as Tapulous and Ngmoco have created their themselves with the specific focus of gaming on the platform. Some mp3 players that do not play games out of the box could be made to do so by installing Rockbox or other alternative firmware. Even some watches, such as the Timex Datalink can play games. The website It Plays Doom[2] (now no longer online; link goes to an archived page) was dedicated to listing all the portable devices then able to play the popular first person shooter; this ever-growing list includes PDAs, digital cameras, and cellphones.
See also
References
- ^ "U.S. 2004 Video Game Annual Report". Archived from the original on 2012-02-22. Retrieved 2005-09-26.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ It Plays Doom