PC Gaming Alliance Revealed

[Andy Chalk]

PC Gaming Alliance Revealed

As the popularity of the PC continues to slide in the wake of console gaming dominance, major industry players are banding together in a coalition to promote the PC as a viable gaming platform for the future.

A Game Developers Conference [http://www.mercurynews.com/columns/ci_8238036], running February 18-22 in San Francisco.

Blizzard Entertainment [http://www.npd.com/]President Mike Morhaime said, "We believe that the PC gaming industry is strong when you look at everything together."

While Microsoft recently expanded its PC gaming efforts with the Games for Windows [http://www.gamesforwindows.com/] initiative, the PC Gaming Alliance will be an industry-wide effort intended to "coordinate and expand those efforts to improve the experience of playing games on computers."


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[Spinwhiz]

Blizzard Entertainment President Mike Morhaime said, "We believe that the PC gaming industry is strong when you look at everything together."

Yeah, no crap. Independently they are getting thwomped by consoles because you constantly have to be upgrading your PC...hardware, software, heat sinks...good god! Which reminds me, I have to order my new parts and get to building mine.

 

[Raan_Amano]

Yeah, well, at least you CAN upgrade a computer. Which is more than I can say for consoles. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-console. I just simply don't see the point in forking over the better part of $1 Grand to pay for one. If I'm going to spend that much, I'd rather get a computer.

Here's the next point. What have consoles been doing over the past few years? They've moved away from being just a console to being this psuedo-PC with hard drives and such. Console fans, this isn't an attack against consoles, but let's face it, they're basically becoming like:

Prada handbag = PC
Prado(knockoff brand) handbag = Console

 

[SilentScope001]

Prada handbag = PC
Prado(knockoff brand) handbag = Console

I am a console fan, and I'm fine with that. I rather have a Prado than a Prada if it is cheaper. It still does the exact same stuff (except mods, but that's what you pay for).

 

[Spinwhiz]

Agreed, but at least you have a 4-5 year span where you can use a console and not have to worry about anything. In 6 months your computer may (most likely is) obsolete and may not play a new game correctly. I can see where you are coming from though. Unfortunately, even for me to build a good gaming computer I would spend $1500, and a console cost me about $450. Tough call, but I would see the $450 winning out over $1500 if your main goal is to play games.

 

[DantehMan]

I would spend $1500, and a console cost me about $450. Tough call, but I would see the $450 winning out over $1500 if your main goal is to play games.

i can agree with that (change to local currency £) I adore my PC but the games side of the PC is gathering dust compared to my 360 HDMI'd into my 32" Samsung LR86,,,, its nice

But i do miss my PC games but having found something new its hard for me to move freely between the two, it always seems to boil down to one or the other, if i see a game coming out that i think would be better on a PC then hands down ill get it on the PC

 

[Andy Chalk]

My only concern about this "alliance" is that rather than encouraging PC gaming as a distinct "style" of gaming, if you will, they'll simply push to make it more console-like, essentially expanding upon the Games for Windows concept. I'm all for simplifying setup and operation for the world's lackwits, but not at the cost of flexibility.

 

[Raan_Amano]

Agreed, but at least you have a 4-5 year span where you can use a console and not have to worry about anything. In 6 months your computer may (most likely is) obsolete and may not play a new game correctly. I can see where you are coming from though. Unfortunately, even for me to build a good gaming computer I would spend $1500, and a console cost me about $450. Tough call, but I would see the $450 winning out over $1500 if your main goal is to play games.

I'm not sure I agree with that. I've got a computer that's about 5 years old already, and it's just now getting to where I can barely run games. For example, RS:Vegas or SC: Double Agent. Too advanced.

I agree with Malygris about not wanting PCs to go more console-like. That's yet another reason why I prefer PCs.

And for SilentScope001's post, I'm not going to argue with you there, as your point is valid. My primary point here is that consoles are trying to be more like PCs.

I have something to mention. My dad, a gamer himself, and I talk at length occassionally about games (as you can probably imagine). During one such discussion (I bring this up, since we're talking about the PC Gaming Alliance), he mentioned that the primary reason why games tend to be the easy scapegoat for all of society's problems is the fact that gamers and the gaming industry don't really have a lobby of support in DC. So here's the question: What do you think of a gamers' lobby? Simple question because I'm curious to see others' opinions.

 

[kawazu]

OK when you upgrade your PC every four years it probably costs about as much as a console anyways so its really about the same after the initial purchase.(You don't need to buy a computer every four years people) For instance You have a computer, needs a new graphics card. You buy it and its $250. Later when you need to upgrade some other part you can still use that card. The most expensive upgrade would be the mobo and cpu but that shouldn't be more than $500 for both. You can keep the case, ram, gpu, HDD, and all the other stuff. The price is almost comparable to a console in the long run. Most people don't bother upgrading their computers though because they think it is difficult.(It's really easy)

I don't want pcs to become more console like either. I'm tired of easily being able to tell that a particular game is just a poorly ported console game. Oblivion and Bioshock fit in this category pretty well. Maybe this is why pc gaming sales are down. This is why I like games like S.T.A.L.K.E.R.(its better now that it's patched/modded I promise)and Valve.

Besides it's just not right to play a real shooter without a mouse.

 

[CanadianWolverine]

Microsoft's "Games for Windows" initiative was in a word: lame. It seems to stress more "Buy Vista" than any kind of push to see gamers flock to the PC again. Can this alliance do any better? Well, at least their trying, I'll take the wait and see stance on this but for my own part I will continue to favor PC over Console.

In 6 months your computer may (most likely is) obsolete and may not play a new game correctly

I find this comment to be irresponsible. From my own experience, a PC that was "old" in 2001 when I bought it gave me gaming goodness going on 5 years and even though it doesn't play anything anymore, its still working parts helped service friends' PCs and game servers even till this day.

Unfortunately, even for me to build a good gaming computer I would spend $1500, and a console cost me about $450.

Interesting, prices must be harsh for you where you are or you're sights are set too high. It is possible to build your own decent gaming PC these days for around $600, $800 if you really want to splurge. Though, I suppose if you don't have a monitor from a previous PC, you'll want to add that on, toss in more if you want a printer or scanner, or if you simply must some silly cutting edge tech that may not have optimized software for it yet anyways, then you would be around the $1500 mark. But hey, you get what you pay for and if you simply must have the latest and the greatest, even if that is only in technical numbers, then I suppose it costs significantly more than a console.

Oh well, maybe its because I'm an old fogie at 27, but I find all my console needs on the PC anyways, isn't that right emulators? No more fiddling with the cartridges, scratched disks, memory cards, controllers, tvs, and surround sound systems for me! Wait a second... How much does console gaming add up to once you have all the latest and greatest for that too?