Exactly. For casual gaming, they're fine. For a hardcore multiplayer/singleplayer session? I'll pass, thanks.

Agreed. Well said. Finally someone with a brain. These guys gotta be kids. I'm with u dude. Tablets and phones will be the consoles,...i mean quad core come on. These phones got more ram than p3 or 360 combined. Its just a question whos games will be in which community,??? Ios, android, windows. We already know sony is signed with google/android, and obviously windows is xbox, but what about nintendo...where they going? I think they should just make games like sega. I saw mass effect and kinnectimals on android app store, so who knows, maybe all these guys will make games for the other platforms like angry birds. But android, apple,and windows are obviously different platforms so there will be 3 communities minimum. Im just curious to see if ms has the balls to charge for live when this happens

I think the tablets and phones are the bridgeway between hardcore and casual gamers in that both will cough up the moolah. But hardcores wont buy kinnect.

Let's talk about these prices of yours.

First, a smartphone capable of that would cost you more than $300, just as they do right now. And the games would be the same price as console games now, since development costs and the like would be the same. Your "free" Adroid phone is subsidized: you pay for it through your contract, which will still amount to far more than you'd pay for a console.

Price aside, there are currently NO mobile games that are as engrossing or in-depth as dedicated console games. And by the time there are such games, dedicated games will have gotten even better. Angry Birds is a long way from Snake on my old Nokia, but it's still way behind something like Gravity Rush.

Another thing that will forever be an obstacle is controls. The lack of solid physical controls on smartphones and tablets means the depth of gameplay is limited. Simply put, not having buttons is a hindrance to detailed, more-than-simple gaming. Yet buttons are a reverse in the evolution of smartphones and tablets: they've already progressed past buttons, and having to carry around a separate controller or keypad damages the "mobile" image of the devices.

Finally, everyone treats the progression of tablets and smartphones as if their dedicated gaming "competition" doesn't advance. But this generation of handhelds far outstrips mobile devices in gaming capability; the iPhone is hardly on the level of the last generation of handhelds, and by the time it catches up to the PSP and DS, the next generation of dedicated devices will be out, further leaving smartphones in the dust.

Why do you think that a multipurpose tool can do a better job than a purpose-built device? In what other arena- gaming or otherwise- has that EVER been the case?

It's not "goggle," but "google," first and foremost.

Second, how will the battery life and such be on these things? THAT'S still a determining factor, one I neglected to mention earlier, but one that makes these things becoming consoles of any sort more difficult.

As for ASUS, that's less like a console, and more like a laptop. My friend has a Transformer Prime, and while it's cool, it's still no console. There will still be hardware limitations, such as internal memory and optical disc drives, as well.

And yes, people WILL always need a cellphone, which is why they won't want to burn out the battery playing games on it, something they can afford to do with a 3DS or Vita. A phone is far more of a necessity, which is why they sell as well as they do; on the other hand, they're not seen on craigslist and the like as often because they're far more personal: numbers that have been given to who knows how many people, and contracts that lock a person into using it for 2 years or more. Logically, you can't just sell your phone for money in a pinch... which is actually a plus in favor of dedicated devices, not against.

By the time your phone can play Gears or Uncharted, consoles will be doing holograms.

@LAZL0-Panaflex

You do have a good point but if it was to happen it would take way longer than just a couple of years and even then consoles will still be around.

Compare the size of tablets to consoles, there is a big comparison, so consoles will always be able to pack more under the hood, also have you not noticed how consoles are becoming a media hub for at home thats because they're going in a direction where core gamers are in mind but also the general public who want movies etc..

Also you mention itll happen in three years you do realise any modern day core game takes anywhere from 3 years or more just to make.

they should know that we are OG fans of VIII as it sold truckload as well. not as much as VII or X. I personally didn't like IX but X and VI are my personal fav.

Shadow Hearts 2 covenant is another game I love. I hope one day someone can make remake, I would be delighted

Final Fantasy VIII is great and you are always the first to defend it in the comments