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They still have PCs. Evne if they don't buy new ones as much, or don't use them as much, they still have them, and these PCs still run Windows. Phones and tablets don't replace PCs, they just allow you to do some of the things you needed a PC for, while being on the move.

Content creation and DAW perhaps (I don't know much about either on linux tbh), but gaming and dev? It's not like valve is a small games company, and they're taking linux gaming very seriously :D And linux is *very* heavily used for dev work.

Linux may be used for dev work, by misguided souls (just as most open source software is developed by misguided souls).

By that reasoning, there is still a typewriter market, where some typewriter maker (which perhaps disappeared years ago :) still dominates the market. Because those typewriters still exist :D

- Are the VIC + SID chips (and anything else I guess) well known enough now to make 100% compatible clones, or emulate them (either ASIC or FPGA or software)?

Problem is, nobody takes Valve seriously.

No, because people still use PCs, just not as much as they used to perhaps. People don't use typewriters anymore.

No, some people just claim it is, based on sales figures. Gargaj already answered that.
It's the same with cars. Because of the crisis, people buy less new cars. Instead, they use their current car longer before buying new. It does not mean that people use cars less.

If you're talking about demos... It's trivial to target both desktop and phone, since you can use the same D3D11 code on both, as long as you keep your shaders simple enough so that the average phone hardware supports it (generally DX9-level).

Well, if people don't use PCs with Windows as much anymore, then they don't play as many games on that platform as before.

That is a ridiculous thing to say. Both Windows and Linux is used by extremely brilliant people. You sound a lot like a Windows fanboy.

Haha! I quite like that analogy.

People use them less, and for fewer tasks, and eventually not at all.

I don't see that happening to PCs any time soon.

Still, the market shrinks.

That is a non-sequitur.
People don't need PCs as much for tasks that they can do on their phones/tablets. Eg, you don't have to start up your PC just to read your mail, or check your Facebook.
Gaming, at least, the type of gaming traditionally done on PC, is not something that can be done on phones/tablets, so there is no decrease in gaming activity on Windows based on increased phone/tablet usage.

In fact, my mother got her first PC a few years ago for that very reason. I think that actually goes for quite a few people, especially older people.
They now want/need email to keep in touch with family, and they need internet access so they can do online banking (they used to just go to a bank and fill out a form etc. You have to do most stuff online now). Also things like reporting gas/electric usage... all done via computers these days.
And mostly things that are too important to do on a phone with a small screen and clumsy interface, if it can be done at all.

Quote:

Well, if people don't use PCs with Windows as much anymore, then they don't play as many games on that platform as before.

That is a non-sequitur.

People don't need PCs as much for tasks that they can do on their phones/tablets.

Um, wasn't the mobile game market almost as big as the PC market already? I'm pretty sure it's predicted to pass it in the next few years.

There are of course the "casual" market and the "hardcore" markets for games. I can see phones + tablets wiping out the casual side on the PC through pure convenience. The serious side, we'll have to see. The devices are getting a lot more powerful, devs are getting a lot better at touch-based controls (hopefully no more on-screen d-pads ;) and the manufacturers are creating standards for controllers. It's not happening yet, but don't rule it out.

Apart from that, there's a big cost issue here. If I buy a PC, I'll happily spend a bit more on it so it plays games well. But if I'm not buying a PC because I don't really use it now except for games, it's suddenly a very expensive games console. Will people still buy them, or will they move to consoles?

You know, *all* of that can be done on a tablet. Most of it on a phone (certainly banking, electric readings etc.). I did my taxes recently, on a laptop, but I'm sure I could have done it just fine on my iPad too. There's a good enough spreadsheet app on there, the electronic submission is through a website. The only part i can see being slightly annoying is typing, but I have a cheap bluetooth keyboard.

No that is most certainly not a non-sequitur. Unless you want me to believe that the massive amount of games played on tablets and phones has not any impact at all on how much people game on PCs.

I think mobile gaming would threaten consoles first... That is, if you can hook your phone/tablet up to a bunch of wireless controllers and your TV.

Consoles have been around longer than PCs have. So far, consoles never killed PC gaming.
Again, console gaming and PC gaming are not quite the same thing. There are plenty of discussions online on how keyboard and mouse beats a controller for FPS, and all that.

But of course they do. PCs are better at 'hardcore' type games, mobile devices are better at casual, but there's a LOT of overlap still, because most games are between those extremes.

Hmm, I don't think that quite works out though. Consoles haven't killed PC gaming, but I think there are a few reasons for that - a big one being "I need a PC". If you need it, you may as well use it for gaming too.

There's still going to be that part of the market where a keyboard and mouse and a high end system is best of course, but I can see the PC game market shrinking along with the PC market itself.

think of all the facebook games

I had never even *heard* of the term 'casual gaming' until a few years ago, when smartphones and tablets started to become popular.

real games are on C64, obviously.

damn kids