I had several moments while playing EinheitB’s Cavernaut ($0.99) where I thought to myself, “This is exactly why I love mobile." It’s a game that’s probably not going to change the world, but that’s okay. It’s just a great, tight little experience that could really only exist on this platform.
In Cavernaut you play as a little LEM-inspired craft that needs to make it to the surface of a very deep and complex cave system. (Actually, the craft–and the game itself–was probably more inspired by Atari’s classic Lunar Lander than anything humans have done in real life.) Each round begins with your little ship at the bottom of a randomly generated cave, and your job is to tilt and thrust your way up as far as you can before running out of fuel or crashing into something deadly. The fuel needs to be used carefully, since each time you fire one of your jets you’ll be expending a small amount of it. It adds up (or subtracts, I suppose) quickly, but thankfully there are refueling stations scattered about that will top you off if you land on one.
That’s the gist, but there are also a number of items you can collect along the way. First, there are glowing yellow dots called Luminum Crystals. These contribute to your score, but they also act as the game’s currency (which we’ll get to in a bit). There are also powerups to collect that enhance your lander’s abilities for the duration of your run. Finally, you can seek out little yellow cubes that unlock mysterious artifacts. These don’t affect the gameplay at all, but provide a welcome long-term goal if you are a completionist.
All of this is pretty basic stuff, but what surprised me about the game is how it all comes together into a tense, surprisingly strategic experience. Since each cave is randomly generated and the game only shows a little of what’s on either side of you (since it’s in portrait) you literally have no idea where any of the rocky shafts and corridors lead to. Do you go down the narrow path on the left, hoping it leads to a useful power-up or artefact for your collection? Or follow the group of luminum crystals on the right? You still have half a fuel tank left… maybe you can risk doing both? Weighing the potential monetary and score gains against the cost of fuel is a constant battle between risk and reward that did something I did not expect: it made me feel like I was actually the commander of a mission making important decisions, rather than a dude sitting on the toilet screwing around with an iPhone game.
I think part of the reason your choices seem to carry so much weight is that each round can last a really, really long time for a mobile game. Most of my runs go well over 20 minutes, and trust me–when you’ve come that far, you really don’t want to make a bad decision and end up wasting your last amount of fuel on a long, dark dead end. Alternatively, when you take that risk and end up finding something really helpful and then barely make it back to a refueling pad, it can feel amazing. For example, at one point I ran out of while fuel chasing a big group of luminum crystals, and I used my last couple of fumes to push me over to where I thought there was a fuel pad down below. I fell for what seemed like ages, and landed right in the middle of it. I seriously cheered out loud.
As great as the game is, though, there are a few minor issues I had. For one thing, the game consistently froze right before the title screen on my iPad Air. A few people in the forums had this problem as well, and it apparently has something to do with Game Center, iOS 9, and not having much space on your device. Luckily it seems to be a pretty rare problem that could be fixed easily, and the game plays perfectly on my iPhone. The biggest problem I had, though, is that the power-up upgrades in the shop are pretty pricey. It’s not that big of an issue, but just be aware that it will take you a while if you want everything maxed out. (Also, the game is fully premium, so you can’t just buy a coin doubler or anything like that.)
I think it’s fair to say that Cavernaut surprised me. Judging by the screenshots, the game looks like it’s simply a fun, modern take on Lunar Lander that’s been tailor-made for mobile. I suppose it is that to a degree, but it’s also surprisingly deep and stressful at times. Maybe it’s an exaggeration, but to me it feels like one of those rare games that you don’t want to play again right away, not because it’s bad, but because you’re just exhausted afterwards. How many other 99 cent games can you say that about?
What if we want to use our MacBook and iPhone at the same time? 😝
What if we want a successor to the PS Vita?
Well, then you'll be pissed because it ain't coming :p
I know, I was more making a point in regards to Sony saying there won't be a successor to the Vita because the ecosystem wouldn't support it because of the strength of mobile gaming.
My overall point being that certain things will go away or at least change very drastically. Sony will eventually stop supporting the Vita and without a new one there will be one less handheld platforms out there. I don't see the DS going anywhere but nintendo has definitely changed their tune in regards to mobile games. Who knows what will change in the future!
Still holding out for a new Commodore.
Sony killed the Vita. They strangled it in its crib. Them blaming mobile is the gaming equivalent of saying "Thanks, Obama."
BRENDON STOP TROLLING U DONT WANT ANOTHER PS VITA AND NOBODY ELSE DOES EITHER TRUST ME I HAD ONE AND ITS KOOL IF IT CAME OUT IN LIKE 2007 BUT 2015 IT FEELS ANCIENT 😓😓😓😓😓
Uh I own both old and current versions of the vita. I'd love to see a proper successor. And yes I have a 3ds also along with other stuff. The power of the vita does feel ancient though considering it can't do native res for a lot of games.
Lol very true speedy, i dont touch mine anymore and i have every game pretty much released, and it does feel dated now especially the specs the new ios devices are running, so im probably going to give it away to some charity as they take stuff like that where im from for less fortunate kids. Same goes with my steam library, i dont play the 200 hundred odd games in my library anymore, i just love my ios gaming that much, feels so much more personal for some reason and i also get lost into the game much more, i guess for me personally, its a much better immersion experience. Truth is mobile WILL kill off some platforms as it already has gave the ps vita a Canadian destroyer on a steel chair ass whoopin lol if you think about it? It really is killing pc, for example since i got my ipad ive stopped playing consoles and my pc, its just easier for me, so i cant be the only one this has happened to? In other words if it did not exist id still be fully supporting pc and its games on that platform....but now im just complacent to it all, ifs not on ios i dont wanna know. Funny how things change?! Lol
AMEN BROTHER 💛😊😊😊😊😊😊
I still love my PS Vita. Give me my dose of Danganronpa and premium RPGs on iOS please... :-)
If they would release Dark Soul whatever edition, Fallout or God Of War then I would stay away for ios gaming for along time.But that would be impossible.
Ya I feel that too, bought Don't Starve:Giant Edition on vita because of the controls but i notice the gap of graphics It's more clear and vibrant on my iphone though still play it coz of the controls, if they will update it and add virtual analog then I'm going back to DS:PE.
Good way to look at it. Change may be scary, but even so, games keep getting better!
The breadth of gaming is a huge change I'm really happy about: offbeat, quirky, weird, artsy, maybe-not-even-quite-a-game stuff that you'd rarely if ever see 5–10 years ago. It doesn't have to be a runaway hit, I'm just glad it exists!
I'll take that even if the price is some scary uncertainty in the future of categories I love, such as traditional desktop first-person-shooters. (Which I think could adapt to be great on iPad, in fact.)
I like that direction the scene has taken, too. It's great that not everything has to be a $60 cartridge to make it happen, unlike the bad old days. The "AAA gamers" can piss and moan about how they hate shallow mobile gaming, but these are the kinds of things that I like.
Well as long as your happy! F everyone else.. ;)
Microsoft is betting big on this very idea of a single device that does everything. It's called Continuum and you'll hear a lot more about it in the near future.
Here's a nice write up on it: http://gizmodo.com/microsof...
I suspect Microsoft is a little too married to the single OS across all devices idea. The Windows group has a huge amount of influence at Microsoft. When the original Xbox came out, the Microsoft bosses (Gates, IIRC) expected it to run windows, at least at first.
I'm not a hundred percent sure which approach to tablets is the best: bringing the desktop operating system down to the tablet or bringing the phone OS up (as Apple did). I suppose both have their particular advantages and disadvantages.
Microsoft has changed a lot lately. They're more interested in selling cloud services and embedding application into ecosystems then selling O/S's. I have no feeling if Continuum will succeed or not but I'm pretty sure Microsoft needs to be viewed differently.
Yeah. I think that’s fair to say.
I think in general- kids from ages 5-17 tend to gravitate to mobile nowadays because their parents buy them phones in hopes of being able to stay in touch- and tablets are become the norm around households. So it's inevitable for them to try games because they are much cheaper and usually free. Then when they get closer to 17, they'll try a console because it's slightly cheaper then a gaming PC - something gracious parents would be willing to give them for xmas or birthday present.
Then the dedicated folks who are above 17 and starting to work will invest in 'gaming' PCs... Or PCs that can do school or office work, and games.
Then there's people like me, who used to build their own PCs but got tired of buying new hardware every couple years- so bought a console for better lifespan ( typically ) and are cheaper. However, I still love to game on mobile devices.... because they are always around - and easy to sneak by the ol boss ( aka wife ).
I guess no matter how you cut the cake- consoles, PCs and mobile will all be around for quite some time and all have their own appeal. PCs offer cutting edge tech, Consoles have close to PC quality while having lower cost and upgrade maintenance, and mobile has extreme accessibility that others do not ( hence why they are so popular ) and also have very cheap and free games.
Well that's my opinion, it's a very good time to be a gamer. Regardless of your choice
Bit of a shame really that this editorial was necessary because I thought Tasos' article was both very good and very informative.
I never even perceived it beyond as you explained it there and in that context of the rucksack we all carried around 20 years ago with all our tech and how little we actually need to carry now.
Still have most of those devices (well no pda:) as such but notebook, desktop, etc.) at home but it sure is a hell of a lot easier to get around these days with minimal baggage when necessary.
Anyway, both articles are contextually and historically correct so if people apply those two, they should pretty clearly see that none of those other products are dying anyway, they just are more niche than they used to be.
It's just evolution. And the choice is still there and always going to be, only the form will change.
Which is all that was being said anyway as far as I can tell and it is very relevant so these articles need to be said.
Keep up the good work! This is QUICKLY becoming my go-
to site for "news"...
Hoping that can remove some salt from peoples wounds (mostly poured by their ownselves over self-made "additional information").
Thanks Eli.
This is hilarious.
You must be thinking generations of mobile catching up to PC or consoles. Do you realize that PCs and consoles are only going to get better? What makes you think that innovation will stop there and mobile will be able to make leaps to catch up and replace this piece of hardware.
The main thing mobile lacks is efficiency. Multitasking is very limited and it simply cannot replace the laptop. Even a tablet with an attached keyboard isn't able to replace a desktop client.
People are angry because this site is making very bold statements to millions of viewers and making claims without solid data to back it up. You've taken a simple report out of proportion. And the approach to these articles is terrible because you state it as if it's a fact (but instead your article is an opinion piece). Thus you should label it as that.
Of course I'm talking multiple generations before this is realistic. Most of these reports are looking at least five years in the future. Of course PC's are going to continue advancing, but consider the market goes where the mainstream goes. Your typical gamer that big publishers target are the folks simply excited to play the next Call of Duty, not the people who want to play video games at 4K and 144hz. It's going to be a long time before normal households have 4K, look how long it took for the HD switchover. By the time that happens, mobile will also have likely caught up.
Eli, there will be new innovations outside of just graphic improvements and resolutions for PC and Console. Mobile is still FAR behind, although impressive, it's lagging far far behind.
I think the perspective here overall is just clouded with irrational thinking and not really understanding the end user. You need to take statistics with a grain of salt and understand them before reporting on them and adding your own conclusions.
The argument took upon statistics of PC gaming moving over to mobile. Yes, this makes sense especially with Flash dying and Facebook games in the trash. 2-5 years ago, this type of gaming was huge on PC. Now you can access it for free on your mobile, so why not.
Mobile hardware has a long way to go and it's not even that...users are not going to want their iPhone to be a console. Why would I want to play a game like Last of Us on my phone? I don't want my incoming calls and notifications to distract my gameplay...I want to keep that completely separate.
Keep in mind what the main purpose of a mobile phone is designed for and whether you as a user would want to experience PC/console esque games on this platform.
Ok.
Cool, great chatting. Glad you understand now.
By the way, I'm a fan of mobile gaming. Don't get me wrong, but it's articles like "PC gaming is dying" without solid back up to your point, really increases the divide from "PC gamers" to "mobile gamers". I'd expect the top resource for mobile gaming do a better job at representing mobile gamers, than looking like they have a Napoleon Complex or something.
No one here has any kind of complex. We just like video games.
You missed the point of this article. He's not saying you'd want to play a game like the Last of Us ON your phone, but your phone can become powerful enough that you slip it into a dock or console and use its hardware to run the game, essentially negating the need to buy an actual desktop PC. Do you see the difference?
So people will be willing to tie up their phone into a dock.
"Hey Jared, can you pop your phone into the dock so we can play Last of Us?"
"You have a phone, why don't you do it??
"I'm waiting for a phone call from my mom"
Yes.
I guess you didn't grow up in the world of dial up modems. But in all seriousness, gaming is far and away the most popular activity on mobile devices save for maybe web browsing or facebook, and somehow the threat of getting a phone call hasn't stopped people. It's a very sad and shortsighted point of view to assume that the way things are is the way they'll stay forever.
Who says you wouldn't be able to take a "phone call" (whatever that is) from your device while it's docked? Don't get your thinking get stuck in the present. You remind me of the 1990s AT&T ad about sending a fax from the beach.
That's exactly what I've been thinking with most of these responses. It wasn't that long ago that the idea of not having physical buttons on your phone was preposterous, after all.
Haha using th calculator and touch screens to counter your arguments.
Might as well say, people thought the world was flat, now look at us now!
The question is not whether it's possible, the question is whether people would want to.
When you're caught up in the tech as opposed to the user experience, you will fall behind.
Tech makes anything possible, but it doesn't mean there is a market for it. And why does mobile have to be the center of all this? Heck who knows, with your way of thinking, the wearable watch will eventually become the next gen console.
You sure have a lot of opinions and I'll bet you're a blast to have around at parties.
Why couldn't it do both simultaneously? I mean, I tried wireless gaming with my iPad. It didn't work so well on my network; too much lag (and you know maybe I don't have the right set up, who knows?) Clearly though, tech keeps advancing. We had TRS-80s to work with at my middle school. Four of them. The change over the last 35 years (since I was in middle school) has been incredible.
I can answer calls from my iPhone on my Mac right now. It's not like this is some kind of crazy future technology that has yet to be invented.
While that makes sense, I don't see this actually replacing the desktop PC until phones/tablets and desktops are similar enough in performance to offer the same, or incredibly close to the same experience and phones/tablets aren't held back by limited mobile operating systems.
To replace the desktop the phone/tablet has to be the desktop in its entirity.
Yes, that's the whole point of the article.
As long as you can cram more stuff into a bigger box and that draws more power and has better cooling I don't see it happening any time soon.
No one is saying it's going to happen tomorrow, but remember there was a time where suggesting that having something as simple as a calculator in your pocket was laughable, as they took up entire basements of office buildings.
At the same time the computers that took up entire basements of office buildings didn't stay on the same level as calculators though.
Or you could connect your pc on a big tv in your living room (like I do) and play easy on a couch. No need to wait for a magical mobile device that can compare to a real gaming pc (that probably wont happen that soon if ever..)
How much keynote time is dedicated to unveiling the next iPhones improved phone features? A couple minutes on wifi calling. The year before that the keynote included a few minutes on HD audio.
How much time is dedicated to the chipset improvements in the next A chip and showcasing what it can do? Or the time dedicated in the keynote to unveiling or updates to SpriteKit or Metal? Then look at new input methods like 3D Touch that will be big for gaming, that was a huge part of the keynote.
The focus of design of iOS devices is more about app experience, with games as the biggest category, than it is about phone functionality. Even the camera gets far more R&D and design work than phone functionality.
Dismissing a multitool because "how can this gerber with its nail file be taken serious against my high end screw driver set?" is missing the point if everyone were wearing multi tools on their belts and a few people in each neighborhood had a quality screw driver set. It doesn't mean that multi tools are going to replace all screw driver sets, but if most people found the convenience of a multi tool they always had on them sufficient for most of their tool requirements then you'd see less and less relevance on a tool set.
Yes I know that the analogy isn't great in many fields of work but in my job everyone is issued a multi tool and only the tech shops have 'real tools'. But that doesn't stop me from fixing 80% of the equipment problems I run into without having to go to the tech shop for those real tools. So for the vast majority of people in my job, a multitool is the go to.
Actually I would like to play the last of us on my mobile phone. If I can play it at home, then on my long train ride commute I can play it there. That's perfect. Any incoming calls and notifications? If I want to I can turn on airplane mode and cease all of that. The way I see it. The more platforms means more competition. This will not only help the developers and people making the games, but the users will benefit the most out of all of this because technology all across the board is getting better every day.
Would you pay $60 to play this on your phone?
Let it go Eli. I think people are deliberately missing the big picture here. It's the technology that is important, not the tech. The technology will eventually merge the tech into something that is more then a mobile or desktop device. When that time comes anyone unwilling to move past their current tech will be left behind.
You sure got some valid points, the way we use device and how they evolueert.
And the pc in its current form will eventually move to something we cannot phantom yet.
But wait are they not saying this for decades, pc gaming is dead the nineties, the pc as a platfrom is at it's end begin of this century.
Funny thing though Pc as a gaming platform is at an all time high at the moment. Mobile device grow in size. Even Apple has caved with the 6+ and the iPad pro. I'm not saying this will change eventually it will. But right now things are moving more and more to desktop sizes ;)
The title "Editor's Notes" should automatically clue the reader in that it's an opinion piece. An editorial is always opinion. It's understood.
As for desktops and the like, yes, they'll evolve and get better. But mobile devices are almost there already. In my opinion, the main thing holding them back is interface. The ACT of multitasking is better done with a keyboard and mouse. Once a method can be found the do the same thing on a mobile device in an intuitive manner - and that's only a matter of time - there's nothing else to do. As the benchmarks of the 6S have shown, the silicon is already there.
Did you read the previous article? If not, I highly recommend you do.
That's what I was referring to by the way.
Yes, mobile will make an impact in different ways, but PCs are designed and will evolve for more in-depth experiences and handling more complex activities including gaming. Big-time hardcore games that are only playable on a PC device (Starcraft for example) has a massive market, including eSports which is growing rapidly.
All in all, this is a ridiculous argument as mobile is not dominating anything. I bet you wrote this comment on a PC/laptop and I'm 100% confident Eli wrote this on a laptop as well.
I actually wrote it on my iPad at Starbucks. :)
Must be very inefficient :)
You come off pretty disrespectful.
You must be new to the TA comments section. If you read here frequently, you will feel right at home. (No disrespect)
I write everything on my iPad or phone now, just about. In fact, I'm dictating this. It's faster (usually). I wrote a 60,000 word document on my iPad using the on-screen keyboard.
Your me new hero, amazing stuff.
Well, shucks. I always knew I'd be famous. :-)
Pay up, sir. I wrote that comment, and this one, on my iPhone in my reading chair. :)
And you're right, mobile is not dominating anything... yet. MY point is that it undoubtedly will. Once the OS, and the UI for that OS, matures and allows the deep computing/multitasking experience you get on a PC, it WILL happen. It's simply too much more convenient to carry, and people tend to flock to where the convenience lies.
I actually think the main thing holding mobile devices back from being truly desktop class is battery life. If some sort of breakthrough in battery tech were to happen, you'd see specs on mobile devices getting cranked up to 11. You make a good point about interface though too, and I agree it's only a matter of time.
Matter of time for what?
Instead of being disrespectful, you can just...say... ignore the article. You know that right?
I also feel threatened and personally insulted over an opinion piece.
Are you a physical manifestation of what Elsa hates?
I'm not sure why the "except the PDA" part. That has merged into the phone along with everything else.
Ignore me. I misread what you were saying.
I still miss a few of my old flip phone games. But when I charge that baby up, it still works! Unfortunately, there's no cloud to download my past purchases from. When I deleted something, it was gone forever.
Problem with mobile gaming though, is that all we have all this power... but the rotten freemium culture gives us nothing but garbage. Sure, there are some good games for iOS, but the numbers of original iOS blockbusters are absolutely appalling. Whatever happened to all the creative developers? Did they all find jobs at Nintendo, Sony or MS because they know that a game for iOS will only sell if it's freemium, or $2 but can be beaten in a few hours flat, and thus their talent and dreams largely wasted.
Asphalt is Burnout, Oceanhorn is Zelda, AG Drive is WipeOut. Only without souls.
Just liked this post to negate some idiot who downvoted it. Good words.
Awww thanks. You warm my bitter heart.
Well, except for Sony portables. Mobile really is making those go away.
I read both of these articles and I agree with most of the conclusions. Mobile is having a huge impact on gaming and computing in general. Still, I do have a counterpoint that's minor, but important: the PS4 is selling in incredible numbers (25 million so far, I believe). The Xbox One, while not selling quite as well as the PS4, is also selling very well. No signs of decline in consoles at this point.
(Incidentally, I buy lots of games on my iPad and sometimes my phone. But I still prefer to play my PS4 games. The touch interface is superior for certain types of games, but in many other types it's inferior to a controller or mouse and keyboard. I've been experimenting with connecting my iPad to my projector and using an MFI controller. We'll see if that helps the situation.)
Why not just not, post them...
If you read this article maybe you will understand. Even just read maybe to the second paragraph.
Yeh so obviously read the article and again... Why bother posting this stuff? Been mobile gaming for long enough to have a valid opinion. I don't like reading people's "thoughts" or whatever on dying consoles and pcs. Why bother posting them? And before you answer with a smart ass ,don't read it then? I can't help but read pretty much every article you guys do
You answered your own question. We post things people read.
I get it, I think the original article may have been a bit too absolute in its presentation. Could we maybe say that gaming is just much more prevalent now that it's easier to make games for smartphones which are now more ubiquitous? I don't think the current companies backing mobile have proven they're ready to take on the big guys in controller-based gaming yet, but they're over in PC and console land, and mobile is capitalizing on a completely different and largely new group of gamers. Nobody said video games becoming the dominant medium was going to be pretty, but it's looking like it's happening due to mobile's market expansion.
Most Sensible Article Written By Eli Hodapp Ever
I heard there's a hot new game called 'Futurologist' everyone's playing, you don't need a PC or a mobile, no qualifications or unique insight either, just the ability to reach up your backside and pull out whatever prediction fits your current views. Fun for all the family!
I think we just need to add a you missed the point button or even a did you read past the headline button for comments. Just sayin' xD
love my ipad, personally its my place of choice to play boardgames, card games and point & click games... but thats it. its far from being my main machine (just built a pc, also have a WiiU and a 3DS). definitely see it as the future place of everything casual and throwaway... but not for the core experience. (that said, microsofts continuum tech looks interesting)
people over here, writers and some over enthusiastic readers tend to forget that cloud computing will render smartphones obsolete because anything will be able to run apps remotely, like a watch, a tv, set-top box. In the end, i see everything being shrunk not to a device, but an account
also, lets not forget nintendo, xbox and sony. theyll end up providing their own devices. the last thing anyone needs is only having google or apple providing the tech/infrastructure. thats a great thing, because at least well get different visions and experiences, and not the android/ios heavy handed approach (especially on ios)
ps: also, smartphones arent healthiest place in terms of business model. hardly anything outside the freemium crapware makes any real money, the rest doenst sell or has to go down to 0.99€/$. im not a futurologist, but the future i feel lies beyond smartphones.
This^^^^
It's not like Edward Snowe just told us about the us governments' files fyi
I've always loved the idea of having one device that can do everything. It'll be interesting to see how the landscape changes in 5 to 7 years.
Lets say its Saturday night. I grab a few beers from the fridge, hook up the phone to the TV and connect my MFI controller. What makes it different than playing on a PS3?
I would have no problem with playing on my mobile phone or ipad, if the majority of devices weren't in the hand of cheapskates, who won't pay for premium prices. The mobile industry can be dominating, but solid gaming experiences are nearly nowhere to be found on mobiles. Give my console quality games on iOS, and it can dominate anything. :-)
I spent so much money on iOS games its insane. And I have no problem with (for example) Square-Enix´s pricing. If the game is good its worth my money.
the problemis that youre in the minority, not the majority. the vast vast majority is on freemium. people that buy premiumn (like i/we) dont repersent big business
dont take my word for it, just check the many articles posted here
Yes, but I don't think that premium gaming experiences will disappear from the world, just because the big money is in freemium. There will always be developers, who make games as an art, and won't give a drek about making casual games. That's why these articles are not accurate.
Sure, mobile is dominating, and the biggest money is in freemium. But that's the future? I don't think so.
What I see is that people are not willing to pay a dime for games. Thats why we he these iAP crap. They are ruining games.
Yeah, but this is why console can live. The serious games are there, and not on mobile. I'm playing my PS Vita and 3DS much more then my phone/tablet these days (although playing Baldur's gate on iPad was an awesome experience).
True. But there are some high quality games on mobile too. But ofcourse not the AAA console titles. I respect the try with Bioshock and actually enjoyed it on mobile.
I like her top 😜
I'm personally all for this. For example I love what PlayStation Vita was originally trying to accomplish by being my PS3 away from home. If we could have universal adoption on that mentality; smartphone is laptop, game console, etc. It will definitely be appealing. However, there are so many other factors that need to be accounted for as well - battery life needs to improve significantly, and performance in phones still has quite a ways to go before we're at that point. Interesting future indeed though.
I don't care what device I'm gaming on, as long as the depth and polish is there. I still haven't found a substitute for something like Marvel Heroes or Diablo on mobile. Nothing to scratch my Tomb Raider or Uncharted itch. My worry with the "downfall" of console and PC gaming is everything turning into Radiation Island or Horizon Chase. Great mobile experiences, but I wouldn't give up Fallout or Forza for them.
people arent blind. if they cant find core gaming experiences on a phone, theyll also get a console/pc, if that is really what theyre after.
consoles still sell in huge numbers, and if anything is going to "kill" that someday, is cloud computing, not a smartphone... which is something people tend to forget (heck, even smartphones i believe will be affected by that)
The problem with the reasoning in this article is that it's talking about mobile experiences absorbing other mobile experiences.
What this means is the platforms are within the same ecosystem and it makes sense for them to converge, but compared to a pc, they're not even playing the same sport let alone in the same league.
So as time goes forward PC's will continue to be able to provide better performance than mobile technology just because of the simple fact that it doesn't have to make any compromises. So it can be as big, power hungry, and hot as you want, because you have the space, you don't have to worry about batteries, and you can have much more efficient/effective cooling solutions on the parts.
Apart from that the comparison of the new iPhone to the MacBook 2015 is barely legible considering how the cpu is basically hamstrung, and is essentially just a phones hardware in a laptop with a but tonne of battery.
I concede from a productivity standpoint that it is entirely likely that your phone hub description could easily come to fruition and work very well as a laptop solution, another description of a mobile device absorbing a mobile device, but power users/gamers have a high likelihood of sticking with a desktop because it has the grunt they need and so will get the job done much better than the mobile offerings
This article is cringe-worthy. If you think phones are outpacing PC or even Macintosh for raw processing power, you are out of your mind.