A threat to traditional handheld gaming? (Should Nintendo and Sony be afraid?)

In the first half of the term, we talked about the downfall of "deep reading" at the hands of the Internet and "web scanning." After doing research for my final project on mobile/portable gaming in the 21st century, I've started to wonder whether a similar phenomenon might be happening with games.


Traditionally, the most popular games for both consoles and handhelds were those designed for a dedicated gaming platform designed by companies like Nintendo and Sony. Even though Nintendo's and Sony's handheld devices have smaller screens and more technical limitations than their console counterparts, because they are still dedicated to providing top-notch gaming experiences, they generally don't lose any game play depth.


But smartphones and similar devices are changing that. Now you can play simple yet entertaining games on your iPhone or Android for a mere fraction of the price of a Nintendo DS or Sony PSP game. Smartphones provide games for their users even though they are designed for far more purposes than gaming (texting, sending emails, surfing the web, shopping online, oh yeah - making calls, etc.). The low prices and addictive nature of many of these smartphone games (Angry Birds, Cut the Rope) are giving traditional handheld gaming devices a run for their money.

That's right, Nintendo. FEAR US.

Smartphone games are generally quick to initiate and can be played in very short intervals, making it easier to incorporate daily play than a typical DS or PSP game. Their pick-up-and-play nature also makes them accessible to a much wider audience than just the people that traditionally consider themselves 'gamers.' Your average person is much more likely to play a game that takes a few seconds to learn than one that requires extensive practice and trial-and-error to play.


This reminded me of "web scanning" - another extremely simple, quick activity that nearly anyone can do. Scanning a web page is often more practical than fully reading the page, given all the time-consuming demands of everyday life. Similarly, the average person is more likely to find five minutes in the day to squeeze in a few rounds of Angry Birds than to sit down with a role-playing game on their Nintendo DS.


What do you think? Are smartphone games the threat to traditional handheld gaming that "web scanning" was to "deep reading"? Should we look down upon this new development in gaming, or should we embrace it alongside more traditional portable games?