PC Games Will Outsell Consoles by 2014

[Suicidejim]

Will we even have PCs at that point? I think tablets and smartphones are going to catch up to PCs before PCs catch up to games, sadly.

Wait, what?

Are you saying that tablets/smartphones will be more powerful than PCs by 2014 or provide a larger market? As I see it, the markets are very large on mobile platforms, but the games are significantly cheaper/smaller/simpler. It's just a different platform, for now it isn't competitive (that is, until the inevitable W8/Xbox Live merger).

No, not at all. But the problem is, smartphones and tablets are slowly but steadily getting many of the features most people will use a PC for (writing emails, checking Facebook and watching porn, for the most part), and PCs are starting to look a little bit clunky. I'm not saying that they will get anywhere near the power that PCs will have, but that the great unwashed masses will mostly find it completely unnecessary for what they wish to do. No point using a nuclear reactor to power a lightbulb, after all. That, and the fact that PCs are a stationary device. You can't really carry them around. 90% of the time, if I want to check something quickly on the internet or talk to someone on MSN, I just flip out my iPod, because it's so much faster than going to the computer, turning it on, logging in, etc., and I can do other stuff while I'm on the iPod. Yeah, sure, the games are simplistic and cheap, but since the world seems to be heading towards some kind of economic meltdown, I'm not sure that the superior gaming quality PCs can provide will outweigh the relatively astronomical cost. I'm not saying tablets and smartphones will be better, and this is just one of those hypothetical 'in my opinion' moments.

Incidentally, does anyone think that maybe Ninendo is worrying about the PCs catching up too, hence all the peripherals and new input devices? I mean, there probably isn't much work involved in making a PC version of a PS3 or 360 game (except the Move and Kinect based ones), but, say, a PC port of The World Ends With You would certainly be problematic.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Until the next generation of consoles arrives at least. Unfortunately. How long until people realize that consoles are actually more expensive than PC's. They die more often. And once they die you have to buy a complete console. Games are more expensive, on Xbox you have to pay to play online and you have a limited controller option. You can play PC games with a wireless controller and you can connect your PC to a large TV. PC does EVERYTHING.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Just please don't forget us console gamers if this time comes. I like playing games, but I don't like playing them on the PC. I prefer consoles.

 

[Doom972]

And yet, I feel that in spite of whatever power trends may be occurring between consoles and PCs, you're average frat boy/gamer/normal person, isn't going to want to spend the time/money to learn how to upgrade a computer and/or buy a new one every four or five years, whereas they probably won't mind dropping $300-500 every console generation of five to six years.

That is, until desktops become so cheap that they simply begin to become as replaceable as consoles.

Won't these people want to get a computer anyway? Instead of buying a mediocre computer and a console, you can just get a high-end PC. If you can't spend a few minutes learning how to buy a PC, than you are definitely too busy to be playing games and reading forums in the first place.

 

[Venats]

Won't these people want to get a computer anyway? Instead of buying a mediocre computer and a console, you can just get a high-end PC. If you can't spend a few minutes learning how to buy a PC, than you are definitely too busy to be playing games and reading forums in the first place.

And yet they have yet to do that now, where the same question can always be asked, why? People sitting down to learn something, and people sitting down to play video games don't tend to overlap in terms of priorities. Its simply easier and with less thought required to buy a console evry X years, than to have to update/maintain a computer every Y years for gaming purposes.

 

[Baldr]

To be a little more clear here, NVidia is talking about mobile.

 

[Varanfan9]

Figured this would come. With Steam making buying online games near instantaneous the sales were bound to increase in leaps and bounds.

 

[Machine Man 1992]

I'll always stick with consoles, because when you put a game in a console, IT FUCKING WORKS, EVERY TIME, ALL THE TIME.

 

[William Dickbringer]

Well whoopy fucking do I don't care all this will do is start a flame war

 

[Waaghpowa]

I'll always stick with consoles, because when you put a game in a console, IT FUCKING WORKS, EVERY TIME, ALL THE TIME.

Really? This picture tells a different story:

Does cutting out content on used games under the condition you shell out 10 bucks count too?

 

[RedDeadFred]

I see two paragraphs of the news actual report, and 4 paragraphs of gushing over how amazing PC Gaming is and how it's sooooo much better than console gaming.

OT: Well that's all well and good. Here's me not giving a damn. Now when they make an actually decent, cheap and accessable gaming laptop, then I'll interested in PC Gaming.

£400 got my a laptop capable of playing ARMA 2 on high at a great frame rate, no lagging and rapid load times.

PC gaming is quite accessible. but if you want something with serious power you'll want to spend big.

that being said a new console generation is needed pretty desperately. Because PC's really are streets ahead (and getting too big for their boots!)

Anyone who doesn't get your reference is streets behind!
OT: I think it's too hard to determine how sales will be so far ahead when new consoles will obviously be out by then.

 

[BleedingPride]

its all 'cause of steam

 

[viranimus]

Geeze. Ok. Look. If a space ship crash landed tomorrow, it does not mean were going to be building our own space ships the day afterward.

It takes time for people to learn how to make the most out of the tools at their disposal.

So I get agitated to see what feels like a slightly modified angle on how "Consoles are holding everyone back!" Argument that generates dozens of threads per month.

Because really, even if consoles were equivilent to the average gaming PC, you have to realize the "average" gaming PC is also going to choke on the best and most graphicy graphics. Honestly, no company wants to have a repeat of what Crytek did with Crysis. Yes it had beautiful graphics, and at least initially those astounding system specs relegated large portions of PCs to the area of uselessness. And again, at least initially, those system specs actually hindered sales for a while. What is the point to buy a game if you know your box would spontaneously combust just being in the same room with it.

So yeah, a bit of a wolf in sheeps clothing.

 

[kebab4you]

Will we even have PCs at that point? I think tablets and smartphones are going to catch up to PCs before PCs catch up to games, sadly.

Who in there right mind would want to sit down for a gaming session on a 14" display?! and that´s going by tablet phones have even smaller displays. Making them bigger won't really work either since that is part of there selling point, easy to have around, carrying a 24" display in your pocket is not going to work out that well.

I will always choose a PC over a console since in the end it´s the cheaper option for what I get inside, you just need to know where to shop.

 

[Mr. Omega]

I see two paragraphs of the news actual report, and 4 paragraphs of gushing over how amazing PC Gaming is and how it's sooooo much better than console gaming.

And yeah, "HERE'S A BUNCHA PARAGRAPHS WHY PC GAMING RULEZ! WOO! On a side note, This company said something in support of PC gaming with this evidence." doesn't make for a good article.

Fixed it for ya. And you're right. It doesn't make a good article. At all. Very disappointing...

I see two paragraphs of the news actual report, and 4 paragraphs of gushing over how amazing PC Gaming is and how it's sooooo much better than console gaming.

OT: Well that's all well and good. Here's me not giving a damn. Now when they make an actually decent, cheap and accessable gaming laptop, then I'll interested in PC Gaming.

£400 got my a laptop capable of playing ARMA 2 on high at a great frame rate, no lagging and rapid load times.

Can I have a name of this kind of laptop? Or a link to how I could buy one?