What is the ideal lifespan for a handheld console?

[Fraser]

Sony has claimed that ten years is a good number while Nintendo has been more tight lipped (though in the past has shown that it likes to get considerable mileage out of its handhelds).

But does that fit with what you want? Would Microsoft's touted 5-6 year console life cycle be better suited to the handheld market? Does the DS have an unlimited shelf life by virtue of its games and innovation over graphics approach? If handheld gaming shifts closer to mobile phone technology, will you be happy to change your handheld console as often as you change your handset?

Big questions in need of big answers people...

[HiddenAway]

I change my phone in 3 year cycles . I certainly wouldn't want to change my handheld that much. It would take ages to get used to every handheld over and over again. Similar to phones really...

[hunter_alien]

Well to be honest I cant say that I liked handhelds lifespan until now . The GB lasted over 8 years for me , and it was way to long . The GBC ( I consider it to be a totally different console ) barely pushed the 2 years when I finally sold mine for a GBA , and after only 3 years with my GBA I already had a DS and was saving up for a PSP .

Sonys 10 year long lifespan is probably similar to what the PSone and PS2 had achieved : 5 years in the center , one year where it will be in center , but everybody will know about the next hardware , and 3-4 years while it will sell decently ( tough declining ) , and it will have a couple of movie-based platformers or sports games released on it .

If this will be the case than Im totally OK with it . 5 years for a handheld system seems right for me . The question is how much will Nintendo want to milk the DS . Im shore that Sony wants to keep their systems life similar to the pattern Ive described , but will Nintendo do it ? Or will they want yet another GB-like 8-10 year old lifespan ?

[TazUK]

The main problem is that technology moves at a pretty fast pace, so in 5 years most consoles, large or small, will be old hat feature and power wise. I bet they could make a PSP 2 now that would make the current model look pretty poor compared to it.

A longer lifespan does give developers time to get used to the hardware and push it to it's limits, so it's probably good in their eyes. Saying that though if the support of third party developers doesn't exist in the first place then no-one is going to buy the hardware. So it's one of those 'Chicken and Egg' things...

Currently I can't see the PSP staying around for 10 years, not unless Sony start pushing it properly to get more content that the user wants. Where as the DS would likely still be here in that time frame simply because it has a lot more support.

Taz

[Accelorata Jengold]

I think that five years is plenty long for a handheld console. Now I know that developers would probably wince at such a window but as a consumer I want the latest and greatest gadget in my pocket and ten years is just too long to wait.

I do respect the strategy that Nintendo has adopted with the DS, pulling out of the graphical arms race and concentrating on a different approach to play, but I think even with this model, the full potential of the console has already been realized with great software meaning that there aren't many new and exciting places the DS can go now.

It's the same with the PSP really; if new handhelds were made available next year, I'd definitely buy them.

[SetsFireToPoshHammer]

You say that there aren't many new and exciting places that the DS can go now, and maybe you are right, but for me that isn't so bad. I would be happy for the DS to spend the next five years playing host to games as good as The Phantom Hourglass, Advance Wars and Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword. In fact, I am really quite excited about some of the new games that are on the way, Soul Bubbles looks particularly fresh and fun.

As for the PSP I think you hit upon a good point in distinguishing between consoles that opt in to the graphical arms race and consoles that don't. Those that do are duty bound to replace themselves with flashier hardware and I think ten years is a bit of a stretch for Sony's handheld whereas the DS doesn't seem to be prone to ageing in quite the same way.

It seems that in handheld gaming, what's good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander.

[luo717ge]

If tsony and apple were builded a win-win cooperation , i think their product would be the ideal one.....

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/save-lad ... 44869?mt=8