Oddly enough, the 3DS may have a bigger problem on its hands.

The discussion about portable consoles has been a rather popular one this year. Say what you will about the 3DS and the rather rough launch year it seems to be having, but the system certainly raised a few questions. Questions I think we should answer, or at very least, try to.

One of those questions is, are portables even serving a purpose at this point? Do they have much of place as video games move forward?

I say that they absolutely do.

Despite their shortcomings, portable game consoles have evolved in their own way and can offer the player an experience that’s unique to them. The selling point of these consoles isn’t so much that you can take it with you, but what exactly you’ll be taking with you. For example, I believe features like the touchscreen can only be done functionally, and without breaking a player’s focus, on a handheld (Sorry, Wii U).

So I certainly don’t think portable consoles are in danger from some external threat, whether it be from smart phones or what have you (In regards to that, Keiji Inafune put it better than I ever could). Any problem portables will have is often going to come from within. Just like with home consoles, these portable systems have a place just as long as they deliver an experience that can’t be found somewhere else. As long as they can do that, these consoles have a future.

That being said, their future seems to be more uncertain than ever, and that brings me to my second question. Where are they going wrong? More specifically, what mistakes is Nintendo making with the 3DS, and what mistakes could Sony potentially make with the Vita?

I think the problems with the 3DS are pretty obvious to us all by now. For months we’ve been watching Nintendo make moves that screamed of the company panicking to convince you of the device’s worth, but also make moves that seem to send the message that the current 3DS is really just more of a prototype for whatever next version Nintendo cooks up.

The sad thing about it all is, even with the price drop and the attempt to fix a hardware issue with an add-on, Nintendo’s biggest 3DS problem is still staring them in the face. The hardware doesn’t have a strong library of games yet. That’s an aspect of consoles that you have to build, and you can’t really rush it. Unfortunately, though, until the 3DS has that library, it won’t really matter for most people whether the device costs $170 or $250.

But let’s say somebody really wants to play Ocarina of Time 3D, and is considering taking advantage of the price cut. Why would you reveal a hardware add-on one month later? Whether you think the second circle attachment looks ridiculous or not, you have to admit that this is a feature that will probably be built into a new version of the device. So if the idea is to sell these systems, why would you put the fear into your customers that the purchase would be a waste, and that they should hold off?

I still believe the 3DS has all the potential in the world to be a great device, but Nintendo’s decisions with it as of late have left me baffled.

That being said, I don’t think these things will decide the fate of the device. I think something a little more fundamental will play a role in the success or failure of both the 3DS and the Vita.

That being, the power of the devices, and how they’re used.

Both systems have incredible potential in terms of what they got going under the hood, but if it’s not used correctly, that can hurt a console dramatically. Take the PSP as an example. This device had a lot power and potential for its time, but over the years a good portion of its game library established the system as something that was merely trying to replicate a home console experience “on the go.”

It’s an easy trap to fall into, and I think it’s the biggest hurdle for both the 3DS and the Vita right now. Considering the potential of both devices, the temptation will be there to push the limits, but the important thing to remember is providing a unique experience.

So my advice to both Nintendo and Sony would be to remember that these are unique consoles, not just portable systems. Their home console brethren are doing something that these devices should not be trying to imitate, as they’ll always be at least a few steps behind. They need to provide something that simply can’t be obtained anywhere else. Hardware features can help with this, but where this is really going to come to pass is by building a library of games that make us think, “This experience could only really work on this machine.”