Handheld gamers leaving DS and PSP for their phones

I have both I believe iPhone is not a portable video game console. When I am waiting for a train or on one I would quicker take my iPhone 4 out more than my psp, but at the same time my psp is meant for videogames and the games just look better and have way more complexity than iPhone or iPod or zune HD for that matter or the galaxy s or any droid you can find. Now there are games that are just terrible for DSi or psp but better in the mobile version. It's a hit or miss. Entertainment wise phones kill, murder, and maim DS etc.

"…plays games on phones like the iPhone…"
Are their any games on Android and WiPho7 that people play? Face it, the iPhone pwns the gaming phone market (until Sony brings out their PSP phone).

I think the games on the iPhone suit the purpose of a gaming phone too. Casual games for when you want to kill time. If you want some dedicated gaming time, you're more inclined to turn your phone off and sit down on your XBox, PS3, Wii or Desktop Computer. You don't want interruptions.

With a gaming phone, you're playing games because you do want interruptions. You're on the train or bus, waiting for the phone to ring or waiting for the ads to finish so you can continue watching your TV Show. Hard-core gaming doesn't facilitate Interrupted gaming.

I was going to say that the iPhone wasn't poaching handheld gaming, just adding more handheld gamers, but some anecdotes here show otherwise.

I still stick to my original hypothesis; iOS devices are creating new handheld gamers, but its also poaching the more casual handheld gamers.

Where someone may buy a DS to play brain puzzles and adventure games, they may use their iPhone or iPod Touch now, but the people Playing FPS will stick to a PSP. People playing a RTS may be more inclined to use an iPad however; The large screen makes it much easier than the smaller screens of the PSP, DS and iPhone.

You seemed to have failed to mention Sony is planning on combating this by making the PSP android phone...Not sure what Nintendo plans on doing but a overpriced 3DS isn't going to work IMHO.

Ugh, that is unfortunate to hear. The games on a phone do not compare in quality to core handheld games. Sure, there are some core games on phones, but with them being touch-heavy you cannot be as precise. Plus, I have a jailbroken iPhone 3G, which will perform poorly if the phone portion of the OS is doing anything while playing a game. I'll likely continue to have a dedicated handheld console unless the PSP Phone really is everything it is trying to be.

Of course the DS and the PSP don't require monthly contracts, and I could afford to give them to my kids....

iPod touch on the other hand, makes more sense as a gaming device to me than a phone, but apple keeps crippling it compared to the iPhone.

I gave my brother (he's 8) my sisters old deactivated iPhone 3G, so instead of stickying up mine he has his own. And he loves it, he also loves his DS, and uses that a little bit more. His favorite iPhone game? Battle Bears, both of them.

But one feature I think is awesome that he figured out on his own was that he can set a timer on the iPhone for his homework reading time.

I too have moved from the DS to my iPhone for most of my gaming

I find the games on the iPhone just as good as on the DS and indeed some are far more original and interesting.

The fact that I can play GTA Chinatown Wars on my phone still blows my mind and the likes of Fruit Ninja and Angry Birds are great great fun

I do think the DS and its like have had their day!!! (Although a spell on Mario Kart is still very enjoyable - I wonder if we'll ever see a version for the iPhone!!)

not surprised -- wasn't this part of apple's plan all along?

I think Sony knows this and is why they will be rolling out their PSP phone very soon.