HardcoreModz
Microsoft has shown no interest in getting into the handheld gaming
device market. Well not in the traditional sense like Sony and
Nintendo, who have released and are releasing dedicated traditional
handheld gaming devices that don't also incorporate a phone in them.
Microsoft is focused on the Windows Phone 7, and like it or not,
alongside Apple and Android these are the competitors to the Nintendo
3DS and the soon to be released PlayStation Vita.
The message is simple from Sony and Nintendo, they believe that they
offer a much more robust experience on their dedicated mobile devices
than can be had on a smart-phone. Nintendo which offers 3D capabilities
without glasses, and a catalog of titles that are being designed
specifically to take advantage of the handhelds capabilities. The same
rationale resonates from Sony concerning their next generation of
portable gaming devices.
So why is Microsoft sitting another
round of handhelds out? Well it's likely the viewpoint that the company
shares with Apple, market trends, and a high level of uncertainty about
the future. Dennis Durkin COO of the Xbox brand recently sat down to
give his thoughts on the PlayStation Vita and he has some serious doubts
about the level of success a new gaming only handheld can have in this
market that is now dominated by smart-phones.
I’m not sure I would want to be launching a dedicated portable device
right now into that market. I think the DS - if you look at the 3DS,
certainly versus people’s expectation's it’s not been as successful as
people would have thought. So that’s a very crowded market and a very,
very red ocean right now with a lot of change happening. So I’m not sure
it's [a good idea], he told Industry Gamers. You only have a certain
number of bets you can make as a company and you have to decide what you
want to put your wood behind and I’m just not sure that that’s a place
that I would put mine.
http://attackofthefanboy.com/news/xbox-exec-doubtful-of-playstation-vita-success/
