I hear a lot of talk about iPads (and other tablet PC's) somehow supplanting a dedicated portable gaming machine like the 3DS or the PS Vita. I've also heard that same jive about tablets replacing desktop and laptop PC's too. And something tells me that those folks have never heard any cautionary tales about trying to predict the future...
It's also strikingly similar to how PC gamers (who usually call themselves the 'PC master race') keep swearing that every new generation of consoles will be the last. They've been saying that crap since at least the era of Nintendo 64, SEGA Saturn and PS1. It's 20 years later now and we have Nintendo WiiU, Microsoft XBOX ONE and PS4. See why predicting the future is a fool's errand, guys?
Anyway, enough of the rant. I have an iPad, 3DS and PS Vita. Therefore, I will make the comparison right here and now. It's not all bad news for the iPad and its ilk. The iPad is great for games that require or make good use of touch controls (i.e. puzzle games like Bejeweled) or good use of the gyroscopic motion controls. (i.e racing games specifically made or adapted for the iPad.)
However, I wouldn't want to play too many other game genres on that platform. I tried Sonic the Hedgehog on an iPad at the Apple Store when I bought mine this past summer. The touchscreen controls used for the d-pad and the jump button were horribly unresponsive. There also didn't seem to be a way to input the level select code at the title screen, either. I've noticed that problem a LOT with the various ports of Sonic the Hedgehog to newer platforms in recent years. WTF, SEGA?! At least they made it as simple as pushing the X button in the new 3D version of that classic game that you can download to the 3DS portable from the Nintendo eShop.
If there is one advantage that iPad does have over dedicated devices like the 3DS and PS Vita, it's having a MUCH larger touchscreen. Playing puzzlers like Bejeweled on that tablet computer is as easy and fun as you wish your prom date was back in the day. I have several Bejeweled games for the original DS as well. Even on the larger DSiXL model, it just doesn't compare to an iPad.
All that being said though, would you want to play a first-person shooter on one of those over-priced portable computers with a fancy interface? I don't. In fact, I don't really want to play any game that requires precise control on that device. The touchscreens in existence now just don't compare to joypads, action buttons and analog joysticks. (Yes, I know I can buy controllers for an iPad. However, that does make the device LESS than portable.) Like I said earlier though, racing games seem to work well on an iPad. If SEGA can port Crazy Taxi to the iPad and make it a quite enjoyable experience, then I see promise in that area.
Of course, there is also the 'triple threat' of reasons why I personally won't be trading my 3DS or PS Vita for an iPad... And these reasons are likely to be major factors in why Apple iOS & Google Android will not be chasing Nintendo & Sony out of the portable market.
1.) The 3D effects on 3DS...
I love the stereoscopic effects of the 3DS screen. They add an all new dimension of fun to Mario, Zelda, Kirby and racing games that, so far, I'm not getting anywhere else. Nintendo may not be pushing that feature as much as they did when the machine first went on sale but, I still see it as one of the major selling points. It's certainly one of my favorite things about the device.
2.) Speaking of Mario, Zelda and Kirby...
Are we going to see any 1st-party Nintendo games on a touchscreen tablet anytime soon? Not unless Nintendo makes one. Same goes for Sony with their great 1st party titles. (BTW Nintendo, I'd like to see a 3DS type of device with a screen as large as my iPad Mini someday. That would be awesome.)
There are also games I want to play that only one of these platforms can even handle, like the sequel to the Atari arcade classic Tempest called TxK. It was specifically made for the original version of the PS Vita because its programmer, Llamasoft's Jeff Minter (who's no fan of the iOS platform), loved the technology behind its OLED display.
It was worth getting a PS Vita just to play that game. It's trippy as all Hell, just as a good Tempest sequel should be... And I have to admit that I am curious about how it would look on the iPad. The screen on mine is pretty damned bright and crisp. The newer models are probably even better. Who knows, maybe a port can be done? Interested Jeff?
3.) The dedicated portable gaming devices are a LOT cheaper...
***EDITOR'S NOTE: All of these prices came from the manufacturer's website or the site of a major games retailer on 8 Dec 2014.***
MSRP of the lone 2DS model - $129.99
Most Expensive 3DS model (New 3DSXL) - $249.00
Most Expensive PS Vita model - $199.99, including a copy of Borderlands 2 as a pack-in game.
Cheapest new Apple iPad - $399 for a iPad mini 3 with 16GB of internal memory.
Tell me, which one would you be buying for your kids as their new toy this Christmas? Bet it ain't the iPad...
Oh, and some form of physical media for the games is the norm for the dedicated gaming devices. You aren't forced to download everything and just hope that it will still be on the servers when you buy the next ridiculously over-priced iPad that Apple decides to release. That's a huge plus for me and many other gamers. We like having something we can hold in our hand when we spend money on a game. There are some games that you have to download (like TxK up there) but, those downloads are either games from independent companies that can't afford the costs of physical copies sold at retail or old classics ported to a download service.
The iPad and other tablets do have their uses. I use mine everyday to surf Facebook and read news articles at work during my breaks and lunch. However, I don't use it for games very often. The reason why is because I'd either have to have it connected to a reliable high-speed wi-fi network (which I don't always have access to) or use iTunes while the tablet is plugged into one of my computers. I prefer NOT to use iTunes whenever possible. Apple never could write good versions of their software for Windows and they don't write ANYTHING for Linux so, I'm kinda screwed there. However, any rant I may have about iTunes will have to wait for another post.
- Lord Publius
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