2011 is well underway and we've got some notable new additions to the portable gaming market. The stage was stolen at E3 2010 when Nintendo shook the world with the announcement of the Nintendo 3DS. But, everyone wondered, what would Sony's response be to Nintendo's new device and where would both hardware gaming manufacturers stand in the growing market of iPhone and Android gaming.

Now, we know the score. Sony has once again opted for a more powerful gaming unit with the NGP (next generation portable), one that can be a veritable PS3 on the go. Sony has also incorporated several touch screen and motion controls, hoping to dip into the growing iPhone and Android market by calling back the hardcore gamers that crossed over into Angry Birds territory.

How does the war stack up?

Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime stated it best when he said that the Nintendo 3DS stands in a "category of one." This statement couldn't be more true. For the past several years, Nintendo has shown gamers that its approach to gaming as a whole is different from the stereotype. The company's focus has been on casual gaming, ease of use and a core audience of children and family gamers. It's also got the richest stockpile of notable characters, including Link, Kirby, Pokemon, Donkey Kong and of course Mario.

The 3DS builds on everything a casual gamer wants, but finally adds the technology necessary to bring back more hardcore gamers. The stylus continues to be the primary input device. However, Nintendo has also added a much needed circle pad to give gamers the thumbstick fluidity they get on consoles. The 3DS makes it easier for friends to track each other's gaming stats using only the system's hardware code. Anyone who owns a DS or Wii can testify as to how difficult it can be to interface with friends online. So this is an easy bonus.

What makes the 3DS even cooler (besides the whole 3D thing - we'll get to that) is the StreetPass feature. Imagine a game so casual that you can play it without even playing the game. The StreetPass mode allows gamers to exchange data when the 3DS is tucked away in standby mode. So if you pass another 3DS owner on the street, you will swap game and character information and potentially face off against one another using past gaming statistics. This new feature sounds simple enough, but it creates a whole new way of gaming that's almost hands free like fantasy football.

Two other 3DS features will also be key for casual gamers are motion controls and AR games. AR (augmented reality) games use the 3DS' built-in cameras to make games spring out of ordinary life. You place a card down onto any surface, target it with your 3DS camera and a dragon may jump out of your countertop. It's a crazy experience that's a lot of fun, especially when you're competing with your friends for best score. The 3DS has both a built-in motion sensor and a gyro sensor. Games like Face Raiders and Steel Diver will let you turn your entire body around in a 360-degree space so that you can target enemy ships or human faces around you. If you saw the gamers at the 3DS press day it was a laughable site as people pointed there 3DS units at you and began shooting. Glasses-free has never been so much fun.

The NGP is all about technology as Sony continues to target hardcore gamers looking to play console level games wherever they go. For starters, it's got dual thumbsticks, giving gamers total control of their characters. Whereas the 3DS has gone for a broad spectrum of launch titles from casual to hardcore, the NGP is going all out with Killzone and Uncharted to show gamers just how powerful this system is.

However, what makes this new Sony portable device the "NGP" and not just a PSP2 is its step into the touch screen gaming market. The system comes with multi-touch pads, on the front and rear of the unit. If there's a ball on the screen, you can actually grasp it. This is topped off with three-axis gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer motion controls.

While at first it would seem that the NGP is going for the iPhone and Android market, you have to realize - the NGP doesn't have either the iPhone iTunes store or Android Marketplace. That means, as of right now, the typical casual gamer won't be given to carelessly downloading $.99 apps that make garage developers rich. Casual games on the iPhone and Android grew into their own market because they were supplementary to the actual device - a phone. Most casual gamers, won't think now "I want a system that has all the trimmings."

Instead, the casual gamer will be more inclined to go for the 3DS. Why? Because an adjustable 3D screen is downright cool. The 3DS has got the most user-friendly launch titles. Nintendogs +Cats has an existing casual fan base that will be astonished at the graphical upgrade to the franchise. Seeing and interacting with the dogs and cats in 3D is an addictive joy even if you've never fancied yourself a virtual pet owner. And yet, hardcore fighter titles like Street Fighter IV 3D Edition continue to impress.

The NGP will have a strong kick-start from first adopters when it launches this holiday. But expect children and families to go for the 3DS in March and consider the NGP for another year, when the new multi-touch screen games have had a chance to take root.