PC Games Will Outsell Consoles by 2014

[Jacob Haggarty]

Why is the article picture for this someone punching a seal?

 

[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.

Really? This picture tells a different story:

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

At least i don't need a degree in computer engineering to upgrade my system every year.

Besides they fixed the Red Ring of Death, and my 'box never crapped out once in the four years I've owned it.

Consoles have always been a more economical for me.

And when's the last time you saw a used computer game?

 

[Waaghpowa]

At least i don't need a degree in computer engineering to upgrade my system every year.

Besides they fixed the Red Ring of Death, and my 'box never crapped out once in the four years I've owned it.

Consoles have always been a more economical for me.

And when's the last time you saw a used computer game?

Degree? You think everyone with a working knowledge of computers has a degree in engineering? It doesn't take 3 years of college to know what socket matches what. I did this stuff when I was 10.

It doesn't matter if there are used PC games. If you wanna be economical, you don't buy a game unless you're sure you're going to like it and want to keep it. Not that hard, PC gamers do it all the time. I wouldn't be surprised if Devs started forcing console players to enter a code for every game to prevent used sales with the way they keep trying to stop it.

 

[adamtm]

No one can deny that sitting in a nice chair playing a fun game isn't more enjoyable then sitting at a desk playing the same game.

10$

DVI to hdmi 15$

The price of a regular wireless 360 controller, or if you already have a 360, 0$ since original 360 controllers work fine with Windows.

The result (spoilered due to size):

Spoiler

Me, playing a round of good ol' Borderlands on my 4 year old laptop with Xbox controler, on my TV, from my couch in extended desktop mode.
I apologize for the horrible lighting but its 2am here and i needed to use a high ISO on my camera.

I entirely don't understand this argument, as if PC gamers are somehow nailed to their desk in their basement. Those days are long LONG gone...

 

[Waaghpowa]

The kind of people who need a degree in computer engineering to upgrade their system every few years is the same kind of person who needs to take a correspondence course on how to eat, and an online class from the university of phoenix to learn how to use the internet

You I like. Here's an interesting bit of info. My cousin is the founder/CEO of Liquidweb web hosting services in Michigan. He's in his mid 20's, makes a million dollars a year. And guess what, he has his high school diploma, that's it. His name is Matthew Hill, I would post a link but I'd like to avoid accusations of advertising. The point is, computers are much easier than people make them out to be.

 

[Adam28]

Your "Average Joe" could learn how to build a PC these days.
Your "Average Joe" could learn how to install games these days.
Your "Average Joe" could also go out and buy an affordable gaming laptop.

But at the end of the day, Joe can't be assed to do any of these things or maybe doesn't even know he can. Therefore, he will go for the easier, more advertised, and probably more popular route of purchasing a console.

Maybe until learning how to build PCs (perhaps taught in schools) becomes mandatory and your average laptop or PC (meaning without research) bought for Jimmy's homework is as powerful as your typical console, as well as just as popular among his friends as the gaming choice to play COD: Rehash 10, then we will start to see games sell more on PC.

Or maybe even, when Joey realises that the family PC in his living room could also play COD or when he realises that he could save money getting a decent PC instead of both a cheap one and a console...

You get the point. It's not happening any time soon. Oh, and first party games/exclusives too (think Halo, Gears, Mario, Zelda, Uncharted, Dark Souls, Monster Hunter, Final Fantasy etc.)

Edit: The gaming market is also much more complicated, include casual gaming and PC is already ahead. Your typical Wii player may also be a huge farmville fan.

 

[NerfedFalcon]

Blizzard are migrating to Consoles - does the PC have any developer loyalty left at all? I mean, outside maybe Zynga?

I know I'll sound like a fanboy for saying this, and I probably am already, but...Team Shanghai Alice. Just. TSA.

 

[Still Life]

At least i don't need a degree in computer engineering to upgrade my system every year.

Besides they fixed the Red Ring of Death, and my 'box never crapped out once in the four years I've owned it.

Consoles have always been a more economical for me.

And when's the last time you saw a used computer game?

I recently upgraded my graphics card. It was as difficult as taking out the old card and slotting the new one in -- like Lego. I'm studying Arts, by the way.

As for the costs: when you factor in annual Live costs, the generally higher pricing of games and peripherals, the costs tend to balance out. Hell, you can make a substantive argument that PC gaming is cheaper.

A solid gaming computer will not cost all that much to make, maintain and upgrade. Contrary to popular belief, you simply do not need the latest technology every upgrade cycle to get an excellent gaming experience. Leave that to the enthusiasts.

I do not begrudge you for using an Xbox, but you have certain misconceptions about PC gaming.

 

[TerribleAssassin]

The 00's were merely a setback!

On a serious note I hope this means less shitty console ports.

Seconded, I also hope this means we don't have to put up with shitty DRM as well, because I actually have decided to get Battlefield 3 on Xbox because I refuse to use Origin.

Oh, and, I look forward to nVidia's 2015 processors, maybe everyone will be able to run Crysis 3...

 

[Babitz]

I think it's a dumb thing to compare PC vs consoles in the sales department. I mean, we are comparing one platform vs three (or five if you count the handhelds).

 

[adamtm]

Also not everyone is that tech savy. My buddy who is slightly tech savy can't get his laptop on his tv easily i don't think. Of course I also saw a guy do it with a projector...that was epic. I think we need to do away with this elitism. My buddy has a gaming laptop. He still uses his PS3 even though his laptop does just as good.

Tech savvy?

They are cables for gods sake, you plug them in, thats it.
If you can't connect your PC to the TV because you are not "tech savvy" enough, how the fuck did you connect you Xbox?!
I can understand if someone has a hard time syncing his xbox media center with windows because that actually involves going into some system settings, but cables are too complicated too?

Seriously, people need to stop thinking PCs are rocket science. You are not launching the next mission to mars, you are playing a game.

Click Steam on your desktop, click "buy" on a game, play game. You don't even need to walk to the store for that one.

What I'm combating here specifically is the myth that consoles are "more comfortable" or "more convenient".
I'm especially trying to counter the console marketing that creates the false vision where console gamers are sexy, rich and cool, while PC gamers are obese, balding dudes hiding in their basement eating hotpockets and drinking mountain dew.

 

[Zom-B]

Actually that's false now. The future is rather bleak in that regard because consoles are being killed by the casual market while the PC gets all the hardcore gamers. The PC is both a casual and hardcore platform, the bane of consoles. Not only that but consoles are repeatedly becoming more and more complex with creates problems for the platform as whole. Consoles are no longer sustainable, and its showing in the big way.

The death of consoles would be poor business strategy, a shifting market, and a monopoly from the likes of Activision, EA, etc.

You also grossly over estimate what goes into PC gaming. It does not require a fucking scientist for play a PC game.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_265/7935-Punching-the-Baby-Seal-of-PC-Gaming

That article outlines pretty much what made me more-or-less give up PC gaming a year and a half ago.
Now most of the time, everything goes fine and dandy in the realm of the PC game -- most of the time you just download it, click it and BAM, you're playing, however the things that happened to Chuck Wendig in that article really do happen -- and they've happened to me (well not those exact problems, but you get my point).

And i got a red ring of death on a 360, 3 times. After the third one i sold the 360 on ebay as fast as possible.

Shit happens, on both systems.

At least with a PC i know how to fix the problem myself, and it doesn't even involve towels...

But wasn't RROD a hardware problem, whereas most PC crashes are due to software and bugs and poorly setup and maintained computers?