Rumored for months before the event, Nintendo debuted its latest handheld device in 2010, the Nintendo 3DS, a successor to its popular DS.
The months following the event have been filled with further details on the system and its new features. The major selling point for the 3DS is the inclusion of glasses-free 3D technology, along with an updated graphical engine and the introduction of an analog stick, dubbed the “slide pad.”
Along with the rollout of 3DS information, the backend of 2010 was also full of rumors that Sony was preparing to announce its own next generation portable system. Recently, Sony did just that, unveiling the next console in its PlayStation Portable line.
Sony has brought several new features to the table. A new graphical engine is powering the system, and for the first time on a portable system, there are dual analog sticks along with the directional pad. Further, following off the success of the Nintendo DS, a touchpad has been placed on the rear of the system.
Now, with less than two months until the March 25 release of the 3DS, what remains to be seen is which system will end up with the support of gamers behind it. Though much will likely change in the industry before both systems are on the market, numerous factors can be used to predict the probable outcome.
The most important factor to consider is the history of both Nintendo and Sony’s success in the handheld space. Nintendo has a history of dominating the handheld market, even in the face of technologically superior systems. The original Game Boy managed to beat out both the Atari Lynx and the Sega Game Gear, despite the system’s inability to display full color like its competitors.
This ability to compete with better hardware has continued up to this day, as the DS has managed to outsell the PSP for half a decade.
Jonathan Edwards, a sophomore in creative writing, is confident the 3DS will overcome the NGP.
“Sony’s new handheld might win out in pure processing power, but Nintendo’s got innovation on their side, and that’s what lifted the DS over the PSP in this last generation,” Edwards said.
Most of Nintendo’s success stems from the support of both first and third party developers that Nintendo has always had, particularly for the DS. The biggest problem Sony had with the PSP was the lack of consistent support. Outside of a few triple-A titles every year, the system has had to deal with a severe lack of games since its launch in 2005.
This lack of software is something Sony clearly plans to address, as the announcement of the NGP was accompanied by several high-profile games. New entries in popular Sony franchises such as Resistance, Uncharted, and LittleBigPlanet have been confirmed, along with many other popular franchises.
Still, Nintendo also has plenty of first party support to compete with Sony. The strength of the 3DS is the numerous third party developers already confirmed to be developing games for the system, including Level-5, Atlus and Sega. The NGP will need similar support, as the lack of third party titles was one of the key failings of the PSP.
Jesse Divnich, of Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, pointed out the reason for the fall off in support the PSP saw.
“Long-term, concerns about Sony’s digital strategy, lack of publisher incentive and piracy,” Divnich said, “ultimately resulted in a decreasing support from third-party publishers and a reduction in retail shelf space.”
Sony will likely need to address these issues of piracy if it hopes to keep developers interested in its new portable.
Another key issue to consider is the price of the systems. The 3DS is releasing at $249.99, equal to the original price of Nintendo’s home console, the Wii. The high price of the system has come under question by some, but many also predict that the NGP, with its more advanced technology, will cost far more.
Sony has a history of launching systems priced far higher than its competition. The PSP cost $249.99 itself, which suggests that gamers should expect a higher price point for its successor.
It is clear, though, that the coming console battle may be an uphill battle for Sony, unless it can improve its game plan from the PSP. GameStop senior vice president of merchandising and marketing, Bob McKenzie, felt that the PSP has continued to perform poorly even to this day.
“If I were to pick a disappointment in 2010, the only thing I would be looking at is the number of titles that launched on the PSP format compared to the prior year,” McKenzie said in a recent interview.
Overall, the success of the 3DS or the NGP will come down to not only its price, but the support and number of titles they receive during their lifecycles. The competition will begin with the launch of the Nintendo 3DS next month.
