Gut reaction: Bioshock iOS

Bioshock iOS was an out of left field announcement and a slightly confusing one.  It exists in a very exclusive club of hardcore console/pc games that have been ported to phones and tablets.  On the surface it is a very impressive display of the processing power modern tablets possess.  Underneath, there is a lack of logic as to why Bioshock iOS exists in the first place.  There is no reason  its should be on the same place that birthed Angry Birds and Flappy Bird.  A huge misconception is any gaming experience can be transferred to a tablet with no problems, this is simply not the case.  The best gaming experiences on the app store are ones that have been hand built for phones and tablets.  Device 6, Angry Birds and many others are examples of the developer understanding not only the device they are developing for but also the audience.  This raises another question, who is Bioshock iOS for?  If you have already played the game why would you pay money for a less optimized version of the same experience?  If you haven’t played it but are a hardcore gamer, the audience for which Bioshock was originally intended, you probably own a console on which to explore the city of Rapture.  Lastly if you are a causal gamer who plays mobile games Bioshock probably doesn’t appeal to you in the first place.  Bioshock is not a step forward so much as a step to the side for mobile gaming although it does hint at the potential for more immersive experiences in the palm of your hand.