Portable Gaming: My problems and $250, really?

i have been thinking about portable gaming recently.  No, i have not decided to purchase a PSP, a Vita or a 3DS.  i guess it is just that E3 put a spotlight on these devices.

i was kind of wondering about the prices (especially Vita and 3DS)...  Basically a portable gaming system has pretty much always been the weaker sibling of the home console.  The Game Boy was a weaker SNES, the Game Gear a weaker Genesis, etc.  So now, how is it that portable systems are actually more expensive than their console counterparts (while offering less functionality)?

i know this is the age of the smart phone (another trend i don't get), but should portability cost extra - especially when you get less for your money?  It is not like these portables are such super advanced multi-function devices.  i get that these companies have R&D costs to recover.  However, $250 seems kind of steep. 


Ultimately they want more mass market acceptance - and that does not usually happen until the price drops ($99 has always been an important price point).  So, Sony is basically saying that they think they will have enough initial demand for the Vita to sell about 1 year's worth of inventory at that price point.   However, once you get the hardcore ("suckers") out of the market the price point becomes one of your biggest enemies.   See what has happened so far with the 3DS - predictable strong launch followed by a resounding thud.  Price is an important factor.  However, the real play here is value.  Sony and Nintendo have to convince consumers that the whole package is worth the initial investment.  The PS Vita seems to be doing a slightly better job at that than the 3DS did (3D has always been tricky to sell).  Then you get into the whole issue of multiple SKUs for the Vita.  i would advise Sony to add $100 to the price of both, take the "hardcore" money while you can - because ultimately, Sony will have to drop the price (as the market at the current price point estimates will be a hard sale even 6 months after release). 

Now on to my personal problems with portable gaming "systems".  i guess i should note that i have only even owned 2: the Sega Game Gear and the Nintendo DS Lite.  These are the big problems i have with handhelds:
* Small screen - i would rather play games on a real sized TV than a tiny little screen
* Battery life - the Game Gear ate batteries, the DS is better.  However, that will always be a huge concern with these systems. 
* Better for short form gaming - many of these games on handhelds are better in short bursts.  It can get annoying holding a DS Lite, PSP, etc for hours at a time.  If i want to spend serious time with a game, i will probably need a controller
* Consoles are capable: consoles now days can do a lot of things.  Of course they don't fit in your pocket. 
* Personal problems: ok, there are the problems of size of image, graphics, sometimes controls.  There are also other factors.  For me, my hand will either cramp up or go to sleep while using the DS stylus. 
* i don't need my gaming to be portable:  i would love if some of the games i would want on the PSP would come out on XBLA or similar (unfortunately that doesn't seem likely).  i would much rather play them with a controller on my Xbox.  Where i am now in my life i don't need games to be portable (it helps that i don't really have any place to be).  i am not comfortable using these devices in public (and i don't take that many trips).