As iPhone and Android gaming goes from strength to strength, what does everybody think about the future of systems such as the 3DS and Vita? Is there a market for specialist gaming platforms to take with you, or does pocket space dictate that a SmartPhone is now your only option?

For now I believe no matter how smart phone it is it can't substitute gaming console. However in more far future it might happen handhelds will not be in use anymore especially as quite some things are similar like "storage", quality of graphics & stuff. And also gaming companies are just forced to think about developing the same games as for gaming consoles to be reachable for those users of smart phones.

I agree. Personally, I feel they're different markets and should be treated as such- For me, the handheld market is the place for more interesting, smaller games to take their place that are more ambitious than Doodle Jump but are from studios who can't make Zelda or Uncharted. For example, the DS was (And still is) pretty much the king of the JRPG, as they fit perfectly on the system and the stop/start nature of the DS means that it works with longer quests that sometimes need breaking up. Smartphone games, however, are time fillers- I wouldn't play Angry Bird or Peggle for hours on end, yet they're perfect if I'm on the bus with nothing else to do. Handhelds are a halfway house between phones and consoles and while I can understand somebody boycotting them for the two extremes, personally handheld gaming is my favorite sort, simply for the mix of styles you get.

Well, for all I've learned comming on this forum, I've learned one thing: Handhelds and consoles gaming is that - the right one. At least that's what I feel and all the rest is only more or less good atempts of filling the gaps which can be found as some people rather use smart phones and all sorts of "pads" and the other are computer lovers. Handhelds gaming is something special and just can't be replaced, at least not yet.

I agree with the posts here- While I like Angry Birds, you can't fit a Zelda or Mario onto iPad, and even if you could, I wouldn't want it, as the lack of precise control and scope makes it pointless, although that said I think the Vita is also a bit pointless, as Sony are just creating a handheld PS3 Lite. I think they need to follow Nintendo's lead and create something unique.

Smartphone gaming is a great thing for games, as it introduces more people into gaming through simple titles like Bejewled or Doodle Jump, and they can then migrate onto Marios and the like.

Agreed.

Mentioning Bejeweled I rather play it on PC though. Such games on smartphones are too little for me - I mean I can't see the things well as everything is too tiny according to small screens. I never had thought if Bejeweled is made for - let's say Wii for example, just like Tetris is.

Only just noticed the typo in the title- They're probably not revelent.

I only really play handheld games as I can't afford a XBOX or a PS3 so have a Wii with a small selection of games and got a 3DS for christmas but most games I play are on my phone or on my DS as I like to fill gaps in the day with games of stuff rather than making playing a game an event.