Casual gamers dump 3DS, PSP to hook up with iPhone, Android

As Facebook would say, "It's complicated." According to a survey released by research firm Cowen and Company, only 26 percent of casual gamers are playing on a Nintendo DS, 3DS or Sony PSP, GamesIndustry.biz reports. By contrast, 52 percent of those surveyed reported playing games on their phone. Granted, this is a survey, but we smell a trend ... a bittersweet one.

"Over the last five years, the penetration of dedicated handheld platforms into survey respondents self-identifying as casual gamers has declined by 29 per cent, with the vast majority of that decline occurring in the last two years," the report reads, according to GI.biz. "We believe cellphone and smartphone gaming is significantly impacting demand for dedicated handheld devices."

The report is based on a survey conducted in September across 1,300, randomly selected people throughout the US, 1,001 of which reported that they've played video games. The report resonates with not only recent surveys, but with how a lot of investors feel. Well, at least in Nintendo's case. The big N's response?

"The concept of having our core franchises on other systems really flies in the face of what we believe in, and that's because by understanding the hardware, that's how we're able to bring these great experiences forward," Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime recently told us, referring to games like Super Mario 3D Land for 3DS. At the very least, bonus points for sticking to your guns, guys.

Do you think Nintendo and Sony have a chance to regain supposedly lost ground in portable gaming? Where do you play most of your handheld games now?

Ever want to joust on a Vespa? Then thank social game maker Naoplay

Soon, friend--your weird, weird dreams of impaling your best friends while riding a motorscooter will come true. French social game developer Naoplay has announced MetroJoust, a new social game headed to Facebook, iOS and Android come 2012. Expected in the year's "first trimester (what kind of time frame is that?)," MetroJoust sounds fairly self-explanatory.

You'll get to compete in a joust ... in a metropolitan area with metropolitan themes. We can already imagine how this is going to turn out. (Spoiler: It'll probably be a skill-based affair.) According to the announcement, "MetroJoust offers different and complementary playing experiences depending on the platform you play it on." We're just gonna go out on a limb and guess that means you'll earn rewards usual across multiple versions of the game.
MetroJoust artwork
Naoplay says that MetroJoust will start off like a casual social game, but later ramp up in complexity. The game will later feature "real RPG dimension including character leveling, interaction with other players but also non playing characters, a complete guild system and from the start, a thousand items available, allowing players to upgrade and personalize their characters."

Based on these initial screens, we know that the game will focus heavily on artwork evocative of themes like urban decay or perhaps even post-apocalypse. Players will get to deck out their modern knights like new shields, armor and steeds--er, rides. Naoplay will release another teaser for MetroJoust on Dec. 8, and maybe we'll get to see a Vespa joust in motion. But only if it's a Vespa.

Are you intrigued by a Facebook game focusing on modern jousts? Which of the three platforms do you think a game like this would do best on?