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Nintendo's latest handheld announced in 2010's E3, stealing the E3 show that year opened the door for the modern handheld gaming. Offering, for the first time, glasses free 3D effects for games, and featuring great graphics for a portable gaming device, more horsepower, more features, more games were to come. Many wondered if it would succeed, because of the new technology being used. Would it succeed because of it or fail because of it?

Until now it didn't fail, not yet at least. Selling nearly 400,000 units in the first hours available, draining out all the stock in Japan, and selling 3.6 Million by the end of Nintendo's 2010 fiscal year (400,000 units less than expected) It didn't fail. Slowing down in sales later and struggling to stay first in japanese hardware charts for the first weeks, the 3DS right now isn't selling as expected, but isn't selling bad. Not with the sudden selling storms, with OoT's launch, and now with Star Fox 64 3D launch, making it sell nearly the number of PSPs and PS3s sold together of this week's japanese charts.

Is Sony's greatest Rival on its way to success already?

Right now Sony doesn't have its next generation portable gaming device in stores, not yet. But it is developing as fast as it can to get it ready by 2011 Christmas. In Japan, many still wonder if it will outsell the 3DS and finally steal Nintendo's crown in the handheld gaming market. Many say Sony will win this time.

Now, lets look at both sides and take some conclusions:

Nintendo's approach with the 3DS is the same of our old DS system, but now with a touch of "hardcore".
Betting everything on innovation with both devices, the DS with the touchscreen and mic, and now with the glasses-free 3D screen. The first one succeeded over the competitors, despite the very limited hardware and graphical capabilities, the price has been always attractive and the innovations and game genres attracted a a giant casual market. but... how about its successor? Will the "innovation first" strategy with a pinch of "hardcore" attract both sides leading to an huge success then?


Yet, Sony doesn't have its next generation portable device in stores, but is currently working hard to release it by 2011's Christmas, in Japan only. NA and European releases are expected to be in 2012. Yeah, about Sony's strategy, it was always bold enough: Graphics and horsepower. The PSP was a device ahead its time in portable terms, alongside the flaws a great hardware power carries with it; Power hungry, in other words.. short battery life and big price tag compared to is competitors. The PSP succeeded in selling 70 Million units but in comparison to Nintendo's clamshell device, it sold 2x less.

Right now Nintendo takes a bit of Sony's strategy and mixes it with its already casual attractive machines, and Sony takes a bit of Nintendo's strategy and mixes it with its already hardcore attractive machine, as you can see. Sony's new device offers a whole new experience using an already known feature, yet very welcome; touchscreen. 2 Cameras (front and rear facing) and the new back touch-pad. I guess mentioning gyro and motion sensors isn't necessary anymore since nearly every new device and smartphone have them.

What wonders many people is: Will Sony be able to fill the missing part that causes it to be always second in the handheld gaming market?

At the actual situation, Many factors point out that it won't be 1st soon.

Same approach, same results. Betting everything (or nearly everything) in graphics and visuals will cause it to attract the same market the PSP did? Sure, but that is the smallest point, the main obstacle is? Price.

250$-300$ is always taken as "too much" for gaming machines, must even be the reason for 3DS's difficulty to keep selling at the expected rate, but... it still sells. Then, if the 3DS is doing fine with that price why Sony's most powerful device will not?

Market strategy.

Nintendo is ready to release many of its greatest title for the 3DS, Animal Crossing, Kid Icarus, Mario, Mario Kart, and even great 3rd party games are to come:

Among them: Resident Evil Revelations and Heroes Of Ruin. All set to release in 2012's start, exactly when Vita launches.

To prove how software can help with sales just look at 3DS's older (and actual) Japanese weekly charts, Star Fox 64 3D released and the 3DS sold twice more compared to it competitor: The PSP. How will sales react with a shower of high quality 1st AND 3rd party games? You can guess.

By 3DS's first year in the market should we expect a price drop? Most likely, if Nintendo plays the smart company they will surely drop the device's price, and if that happens the effect will be even bigger. Very Good games + Price drop and Sony will have a big problem, because its new device will not be taken as "they have the same price" anymore.

Sony can still count hard on their exclusive high quality visuals, but there lays another flaw: Software price.

We can deduce, "PS3 graphics = PS3 prices?" Yes and no. A handheld game will never cost that much, but the better the graphics, the greater the work and time you have to put working on details and at least the minimum standards, which is an important point since the Vita offer a great support for good graphics and thats what EVERYONE expect from ALL games on it, unlike the 3DS that doesn't offer an HUGE support for graphics, but if you want to make a high-detailed game with polished graphics on it you can, but unlike PSVita you are not obliged or put under any pressure to do it. This means Vita games WILL be more expensive, so.... 49$-59$? we can't know yet, Sony has been silent about this.

One more thing that plagues the Vita already: Battery life. This is one thing that already plagues the 3DS, as well but we can count on third party extensors (like Nyko's Shock'n'Rock, Newbie gaming's Powerplay and Powerpak+) and with large variety, that can extend from mere +2 hours of gameplay to +18 hours of gameplay. Playstation Vita can not count on third part accessories of that genre, Why so sure? Well, batteries take a lot of space, and that is usually on the back of the device..where usually nothing of great importance for the user is located, where the battery itself is, and Vita has a 5 inch touchpad there, the tiny sides are taken by hand grips and the front is obviously not an option.

The Powerplay battery extender from newbie gaming makes possible more than 18 hours of gameplay with highest settings! Despite the bulk and ugliness....its available in both black and aqua blue colors.

Nintendo said the 3DS would have a battery "closer" to DSi's (6h-12h), and it got much less (3-5). Sony said the battery will be "closer" to PSP 3000 (3h-7h), i guess now you can take your own conclusions. Sony has already showed to be defensive about it, saying that the battery life may "be less" than expected with graphic intensive games like "Uncharted", some things still unclear, if that affects "graphics intensive games" this means an exception? this means Vita's great graphical capabilities will constantly plague its gameplay time? Everything is still unclear.

But we can be sure that both devices will sell well, will support great games, and will satisfy (and disappoint) many costumers, and just like the PSP the PSVita will not "fail" but great part of analysis point out that it won't sell more than Nintendo's toy. This is the future I (based on all research) expect, you can make your own...but you can also wait with me, expecting the same I expect. In the following months we are going to figure it out together .

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