Future of Portable Gaming is... the iPhone? The Zune?

I've owned both the DS and PSP, and I barely ever played them.  Now that I own an iPod Touch, I've bought like 15 games for it, being that they're so cheap, and I play them all the time.  When I'm on the ferry or something, I want to play Bejweled, or a couple levels of Spider or iBlast Moki.  I'm interested in seeing some of those excellent indie games from Steam such as Audiosurf, Braid, or World of Goo on my device.  I'm not interested in seeing a dumbed down version of Resistance, or to see how nice graphics can look or how fast they can drain my battery.  I think the DS has got the right idea where they aren't aiming for impressive 3D graphics, but I'd rather take up space in my pocket with an iPod Touch, because it does a lot more than just play games.  In the future I think devices like the iPhone/iPod Touch and the Zune will be where portable gaming thrives (not saying the Zune's future is set, I'm just saying devices LIKE the Zune), and not on the devices built specifically for gaming.  I mean, it's so easy to develop a game for the iPhone, and there are so many superb games that sell for just a couple bucks, and buying and installing one of these games takes like ten seconds; it's just so much easier to have fun here than on one of those 'official' handheld gaming consoles.  
 
Is there anyone else with similar opinions, or is there anyone on the opposite side who feels pushing the graphics is the future?  Which direction will it go?

I've owned both the DS and PSP, and I barely ever played them.  Now that I own an iPod Touch, I've bought like 15 games for it, being that they're so cheap, and I play them all the time.  When I'm on the ferry or something, I want to play Bejweled, or a couple levels of Spider or iBlast Moki.  I'm interested in seeing some of those excellent indie games from Steam such as Audiosurf, Braid, or World of Goo on my device.  I'm not interested in seeing a dumbed down version of Resistance, or to see how nice graphics can look or how fast they can drain my battery.  I think the DS has got the right idea where they aren't aiming for impressive 3D graphics, but I'd rather take up space in my pocket with an iPod Touch, because it does a lot more than just play games.  In the future I think devices like the iPhone/iPod Touch and the Zune will be where portable gaming thrives (not saying the Zune's future is set, I'm just saying devices LIKE the Zune), and not on the devices built specifically for gaming.  I mean, it's so easy to develop a game for the iPhone, and there are so many superb games that sell for just a couple bucks, and buying and installing one of these games takes like ten seconds; it's just so much easier to have fun here than on one of those 'official' handheld gaming consoles.  
 
Is there anyone else with similar opinions, or is there anyone on the opposite side who feels pushing the graphics is the future?  Which direction will it go?

Good that Apple is getting success with game apps as opposed to something like the N-Gage series, the Gizmodo, or the Tiger GameCom models. Those had similar casual programs but they had the intent for gaming with stuff like Resident Evil which probably led to panning.

GBA was cool. I loved a stro boy omega factor

" GBA was cool. I loved a stro boy omega factor "

I don't know where portable gaming is going. It's crazy to think a console like the PSP, which is unbelievably advanced, would fail so miserably. I think it's pretty much down to people are going out less, journeys are becoming shorter and people don't have the time. The advanced phone like the Iphone seems the only way, as everyone has a phone on them always, no one wants to have a phone and a psp/ds in their pocket, it's not viable.

My issue with the DS and PSP is their lack of portability. Not only in the size (I'm still rocking a fat DS) but in the style of games. A lot of the games on those systems seem to be replicating what consoles do. There are a ton of great, deep experiences on the DS and PSP, but that isn't what I want out of it. 
 
I want something I can bust out and play for a few seconds before putting it away. I get this from my GBA with stuff like Street Fighter and Super Mario, and I carry it around exactly for this purpose. 
 
It seems like the iPhone is good about this as well. Except the iPhone has the advantage of having a hard drive to store all your games (no carrying around carts!) and ... you know... 
.... being your phone. The idea of carrying around one device to cover my music, phone, and games sounds awesome.  
 
Although, I want buttons for my games system. : / 

The problem with saying that the iPhone is the future of portable games is... you're mad limited controls wise.  

I agree with Tarakun that the games don't play well portably. They're too ambitious and such. But the iPhone due to controls chokes on anything with more scope than peggle. There's a happy middle and it's called the GBA Micro. Sucks that they discontinued it though. Whenver I play DS or PSP it's when I'm at home, or at a place with no consoles, or no interesting people to rap with.  
 
This is why I'm getting a GBA Micro used somewhere. Takes no space, and I can play 30 second rounds of Chu-Chu Rocket.

" The problem with saying that the iPhone is the future of portable games is... you're mad limited controls wise.  I agree with Tarakun that the games don't play well portably. They're too ambitious and such. But the iPhone due to controls chokes on anything with more scope than peggle. There's a happy middle and it's called the GBA Micro. Sucks that they discontinued it though. Whenver I play DS or PSP it's when I'm at home, or at a place with no consoles, or no interesting people to rap with.   This is why I'm getting a GBA Micro used somewhere. Takes no space, and I can play 30 second rounds of Chu-Chu Rocket. "

Well I don't see any great games coming out for the Iphone or Zune or anything like that,
I'd say the Future will probably be fairly similar to what we have now.
Nintendo will (most likely) always have their hand in this "cookie jar" and Sony is doing a good job as well,
If anything I could see Nintendo & Sony adding features so that your PSP2 can make phone calls
 
 BTW,
Best Portable Gaming System EVER:
 

I'm getting an Open Pandora soon.

" I'm getting an Open Pandora soon. "

 @XII_Sniper:  How well it controls depends on the game, but to name a couple, N.O.V.A. and Real Racing (with full control over accel and decel) control very well.  Some games like Doom don't play great, but that's just the developers fault.  I didn't have a problem with my fingers getting in the way because the controls are usually at the bottom, and the screen is big enough that there's enough room.  I just think most people don't have time to sit down and play a real, full-on, dedicated gaming handheld when they're out commuting.  When I had my PSP I never bothered to take it with me anywhere, and with the games on it that take thirty minutes before you see any progress, I just played it at home, where I had my normal game consoles available to me anyway.  So what you said about the iPhone mostly only being good for a two minute session of peggle or tetris, well that's a good thing for a lot of people who don't have the time for those bigger games out there.  And that's not to say the iPhone isn't capable of more than that, because it is; there are many clever games that are very deep and complex, yet are still convenient to pick up and play.  So I guess what I'm trying to say is, for the kind of on-the-go gaming I do, I'm not even interested in games that require several buttons and analog sticks to play, I want more bite-sized games that are instantly engrossing and satisfying.

I really hate playing games on the iPhone. It's a really great device and I don't want to be without one, but it is NOT good for playing games. It's like they took the Wii's and DS's worst gimmicks (while ignoring their good parts) and combined them.

Who the hell rides a ferry on a consistent basis? Just askin. Seems weird to me. I'm gonna go now.
 
Oh wait, the iphone has a brighter future. (in games)

If you try to play games on an iPhone for any significant amount of time you realize that it wasn't built for gaming.

" @Cirdain said:

" GBA was cool. I loved a stro boy omega factor "

Yup.  When I first got into that newer generation of handhelds, I couldn't help but miss the old gameboy stuff.  Sidescrollers along with puzzle games are pretty much all I need, but 3D games can still be made convenient for on-the-go play.  "

" If you try to play games on an iPhone for any significant amount of time you realize that it wasn't built for gaming. "

The vast majority of games on the Touch are too simple for me. Sure there'd be Tetris, Bejeweled, and the odd full game, but It will always be lacking the campaigns that "games first" devices will have. I will be on board for any Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft portable GAMING platforms (as long as they are at the right price, have physical media and have a good library)

I think that portable systems like the DS and PSP are great for travel when you're separated from your consoles for a long period of time. However, I hate carrying around a bunch of things in my pocket, so having an iPhone for the phone, games, music and videos I want to watch is really the only way you'll get me to play a game on a bus or while waiting in a line. 
While yes, iPhone games may be simple, that's all I really want for a short bus ride or just some random downtime. 
As someone who has a PS3 and a 360, I never really feel like hunching over and playing a DS or PSP game over a game on the big screen.

This is perfect timing, because I talked about this very issue on the latest episode of my podcast. 
 
The PlayStation Portable isn't a technically advanced system. It's essentially a console, but nobody wants a console when it comes to portable gaming. For Sony's next outing they have to go download only, and they have to use exactly the same guts as the PSP in their PSP2 but they have to add a gimmick to differentiate it from a console - and the only clear one right now is a touch screen. And who knows what's happening with the DS. Iwata recently said that he wants to have some kind of motion control integration, and he said that the DS2 will have really good graphics. (But Nintendo said that for the GameCube and the Wii, so take that as you will.)
 
As for the iPhone, I don't think that a system without buttons can succeed as a gaming platform. There's no tactile feel. There's no feedback. There's no letting you know how hard you're pressing in when it comes to the d-pad/analog nub. And having to take up half the screen is not good. Then there's the issue of response time: as games become heavier and more technical, one would think that on screen buttons would run into issues when it comes to lag due to the touch screen.

I'll stick with my PSP. Too many good games on the system to invest in a new one.