The new Shimano 11 speed alfine is just starting to appear. This has a range of 410% compared to around 310% of an Alfine 8 and 540% of an MTB/Touring triple. Acording to the reviews of the Alfine 11 the gaps between 1-2 and 10-11 are quite big, the rest are around 13% which is about the same as you'd get with a MTB triple and the same as a Rohloff. Hub gears are becoming more mainstream in the UK, they've always been an option on commuter bikes in other parts of Europe. The Alfine 8 was the first hub gear that Shimano considered fit for MTB use, which shows how they've developed. When I started looking at hub geared bikes around 10 years ago it was either a heavy hybrid or expensive custom, now there's loads of choice with more models out each year. The next big thing is belt drive, with many frames and hubs being designed specifically for it. All three of the recent round the world record attempts have been done on Rohloff hub gears, one with belt drive. In a recent Cycle article, two of the riders liked them the other would have preferred derailleurs.
I have a Rohloff in a touring bike and an Alfine 8 in a folder, both perfect for what they do. Which IMO is anything other than fast road riding, where the derailleurs lighter weight and closer gears are an advantage.