How Microsoft, Nintendo, And Sony Will Bring Portable Gaming to Mobile Computing Market

Some quick thoughts about mobile gaming in the age of app stores, casual gaming, and diminished support for portable gaming consoles, is it time to give thought to how Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will go on. I see a merger of platforms, birth of new ones, and a salad of old tech mixed with the new.

Which is better?

Malware And Network Attacks Via Mobile Soon To Be Realized

Two disturbing mobile news this week should have security analysts and mobile warriors on a bit of an alert. No, I'm not talking about the Blackberry issue with the United Arab Emirates and the Saudis. That situation is looking more and more like RIM is backing away and capitulating.

I'm talking about vulnerabilities in mobile OS and systems that can allow hackers to break into mobile systems to wreck havoc or spread malicious codes.

Yesterday, a hole in the iOS so big that it allow users to jailbreak their iPhone via a Web browser. I'm not that well read when it comes to the inner workings of a mobile platform but it does sound pretty bad.

And it gets worse.

Nintendo And Sony Should Start innovating

There are those wo believe that the iPhone will give the DS and PSP a run for their money.  I'm not sure that will happen.  It's possible but they are going after different markets.  Until games for the two gaming giants start showing up on the iPhone with regularity, the iPhone is still considered to be a nitch player in the casual gaming market.  That's just my opinion.

However, I will admit the danger for the gaming giants still exists that the iPhone or the iPod Touch may move into  a turf traditionally dominated by Nintendo since the orginal Gameboy.

Where is the danger coming from exactly?  From within Nintendo and Sony.  Nintendo's innovation heart is pumping pretty hard as is evident by its bestselling Wii and its unique controllers.  Sony is just going with power in PS3.  But on the handheld front, neither companies has done much on the last couple of years outside of comestic changes.

Granted the DSi has added a few features that are notable.  I'm specially impressed with the dual cameras.  Outside of that, the other features are simply catchups.  Am I right?

I'm sure we'll see something pretty cool with DS 2 and PSP 2.  Those models are coming.  Personally, iPhone gaming has awaken the mobile gaming hunger in me that I didn't know was there.  DSi is pretty cool but the iPhone is good enough to temper that hunger until DS 2.

For others sticking with their PSP or DS (I don't see many others going with DSi outside of Japan...plus no one will be getting it outside of Japan for a while), let's hope neither Nintendo or Sony won't be too long in coming out with the next generation of innovative mobile gaming less they don't mind people getting comfortable with iPhone and iPod Touch gaming.

And they better be very very innovative.  They should know that their fans are smart and will see through marketing fogs.

A couple of things I do want to see though.

• I want to see innovation in multi-player gaming.  
• Virtual worlds created just for mobile gamers.  
• Wireless accessibility to the Internet and social networks.  
• App stores that are easy to access like on the iPhone.  
• Multi-sensory input and that's where the camera can come into play.
  
• Take what the iPhone and iPod has done with multi-touch to another level.  
• Video-conferencing during game play.

What would you like Nintendo and Sony to do with their next gen mobile gaming systems?

Note:  What I don't want to see is DS2 or PSP2 added with lame simple telephony.