Pc Gaming Dying????
- Thread starter chefmaster
- Start date
You ever meet someone, and realize you have more appendages than they do brain cells?EvilEngineNumberNine said:
Calm the feck down. Let's look at what you just typed up. If this is how you express your opinion every time someone says something negative about PC gaming, do you know what that makes you? A fanboy. A low-down, good-for-nothing fanboy.
You also seem to be using that special brand of hater mathematics people used with the arrival of the Wii. If you buy new remotes for all of your systems for all of your friends, you are their *****. The fact that you bought all the consoles in their most expensive formats as well as the newest TV makes you the industry's *****, which is bad enough.
In conclusion: If you preface your opinions with the word 'bullshit' written in capslock three times over without a single comma, whatever you say next can safely be ignored.
*Sigh* I told myself I wouldn't do this, but I can't help it, this post is so stupid I couldn't just let it slip by.inxaract said:yes . pc gaming is dying . flame as much as you wish . this is reality . i am not playing PC games anymore , not even those saved money stealer stupid PC MMOs . there are more casual gamers than hardcore gamers in this world and remember that 24 millions sold outter Nintendo Wii is creating more and more casual gamers from usual PEOPLE who don't play video games . these casual class gamers can be hardcore gamers in future . more casual gamers means more selling video game consoles . the only big video game corporation who cares PC is Blizzard because they don't care money . The people of Blizzard love playing video games .
PC Gaming is dying because of making 'only money jackpotting oriented' PC video games .
and beside what about those stupid PC hardware producer corporations ? Intel , AMD , NVidia ... don't these corporations exploits PC gamers for more and more money ? They even don't analyze how many PC video game maker corporations&companies&houses left . Not too much . These hardware corporations are extinctioning by themselves .
the next step for video game consoles to conquer overall video game&PC worlds is to be capable of installing and operating systems-softwares like Windows XP , not Vista sh+t !
not those PC hardware and software producers (their era is in the past) but GAMERS now decide and command which way video game industry will goes to .
you haven't flamed me yet ; what's the problem
1. Casual gamers are not going to go out and but a machine specially. They are going to play games like Peggle and Bejeweled on their PCs. What Nintendo have done with the Wii is to emphasis the group aspect of their games and while it's undeniably successful, 24 million units shifted doesn't compare with the 1 billion downloads of PopCap's games.
2. Blizzard don't care about money? Hardly surprising seeing as how Blizzard, or more accurately Vivendi, are richer than God. World of Warcraft makes millions of dollars a month for the company.
3. ATI, Nvidia, Intel, et al are not going to drive themselves into bankruptcy. Who do you think makes the components that are inside your beloved consoles? They don't come from the sky. Yes, for the millionth time, PC hardware is more expensive than buying a console, but, for the millionth time, PC hardware is more versatile than consoles.
4. So, the next step required for consoles to beat PCs, is to become PCs? If you were to install a full version of XP on an Xbox 360, it would grind to a halt, as it only has 512Mb of RAM. When you compare consoles and even fairly low-spec gaming PC in terms of raw power, the console will come off worse.
5. Gamers have always decided the direction that development has taken, that's why we've been inundated with Halo knock-offs in recent years. This is not a revolution, don't confuse it with one. You are not a passionate iconoclast, you are a consumer, just like the rest of us.
That was part of the reason for DirectX 10, to try and normalise the features on PC gaming.Kazos said:
I don't think PC gaming is dying, and I don't think it ever will. People will always play games on their PC. I used to be a PC gamer myself (I've always owned at least one console too). But I just got sick of messing around with the settings everytime I'm gonna play a game, plus I find that PC games not only lack polish in a lot of cases but they also sometimes seem incomplete. But maybe the thing that has turned me away from PC's the most are the types of games you tend to find in consoles. Consoles are designed to play games and games is what YOU GET, all sorts of games, games built from the ground up for a specific controll pad, a specific graphics/ sound setting (one that doesn't change every two months). There are some games like Mass Effect and Assassins Creed that ended up being better on the PC after being released on consoles, but that's not always the case. Another thing is that while the mouse is a perfect interface (not for all games though, try playin Psyconauts with a mouse and keybaord) the keyboard is just wack for gaming (I get cramps on my right hand everytime I try to play a PC game for more than 2 hrs.). I bought a gaming rig almost 2 years ago, and then like a month after I went out to get a 360, have'nt played ANYTHING on my PC ever since (well I do have an N64 emulator that I play with every once in a while, and my whife and I are currently playing Shelock Holmes: Nemesis- we loved the first one too) It's a good thing that it has proven to be very useful in other areas (like music and work) but I don't think I'm going back to PC's for my gaming needs again.
I've played games on both Consoles and the PC, and have come to the conclusion that I enjoy PC games better. When I play a FPS I'm all about the multiplayer, and usually my brother will be my ally; He fights the close range weapons I get the longer ranged ones.
On the PC we are an unstoppable killing force and usually come in the top 3 or 4 ranking players by the end of the match (we like to play matches which involve as many players as possible, so this is quite good).
On the Console my brother drops to about 60% of his fighting skill and I drop to around 3%, mostly due to the fact that I become all thumbs (literally). So instead of an unstoppable team we become an average player and somone who only ever hits anything if he accidently shoots himself in the foot.
As for RPG's and RTS's (didn't even realize there were RTS's for the Consoles untill last december) both of these are better on the PC. Mainly due to more user friendly input devices, as well as the large modding communities that grow up around the games. I realize that now that the Consoles have started to have there own "online experiences" that they will start to get more of a modding community, well once they improve thier online system a bit (and by bit I mean a lot).
I do have to give the console games a victory on sports games and racing games, definatly more fun on the Consoles (plus I don't keep banging my shin on my desk trying to hit non-existant floor peddals).
I know this opinion is incredibly biased because i am horrible at console games... but show me an opinion that isn't biased and you win yourself a cake.
P.S. I also have to give the Consoles a big thumbs up for duck hunt. I know its old and dated, but i still enjoy playing it every now and then.
On the PC we are an unstoppable killing force and usually come in the top 3 or 4 ranking players by the end of the match (we like to play matches which involve as many players as possible, so this is quite good).
On the Console my brother drops to about 60% of his fighting skill and I drop to around 3%, mostly due to the fact that I become all thumbs (literally). So instead of an unstoppable team we become an average player and somone who only ever hits anything if he accidently shoots himself in the foot.
As for RPG's and RTS's (didn't even realize there were RTS's for the Consoles untill last december) both of these are better on the PC. Mainly due to more user friendly input devices, as well as the large modding communities that grow up around the games. I realize that now that the Consoles have started to have there own "online experiences" that they will start to get more of a modding community, well once they improve thier online system a bit (and by bit I mean a lot).
I do have to give the console games a victory on sports games and racing games, definatly more fun on the Consoles (plus I don't keep banging my shin on my desk trying to hit non-existant floor peddals).
I know this opinion is incredibly biased because i am horrible at console games... but show me an opinion that isn't biased and you win yourself a cake.
P.S. I also have to give the Consoles a big thumbs up for duck hunt. I know its old and dated, but i still enjoy playing it every now and then.
Right first things first, I'm new to the forums so hello everyone
Right pleasantries out the way so I'll begin.
Who ever Chefmaster is he obviously does not have his facts strait. I live in England and have been a life long PC gamer, only recently have I started to dabble in console gaming and so far I am unimpressed. I built my own PC for a little over £400 ($800 or so) pounds, high end hardware and all. It can play Crysis on medium to high settings which is plenty for me and better than a console could manage. At the time the PS3 was released my computer cost only a pocket full of loose change more and even with the recent price drop my PC only costs another £100. It may seem like a lot to start with but in the long run you save more money if you buy a PC such as mine. All you have to buy are two games for the PS3 to equal the value of my computer. If you buy four games that £100 pounds more than my computer. For £100 I can buy four or five brand new computer games or a dozen pre owned ones. Strait away it sounds like a better deal doesn't it?
There is no reason why any teenager couldn't build there own computer. I suspect every child was bought up with Lego or K'nex or an equivilant. Putting a computer togther is as simple as that. It took me about 40 minutes to put mine together and boot it up. It is very simple. No where near as confusing as everybody likes to think it is. The great thing about the PC? not only can I play all modern and any games coming out in the forseeable future, but it can be used for work aswell. And any other job any other computer can do.
As for the comfort of playing in the living room? Sure why not? My computer is in a midi case which takes up about as much room as a 360 or PS3. Simply hook it up to my big widescreen HD TV and off you go. Trailing Wires? Nope all bluetooth.
The complexity of using a computer to install and run games is almost non existent. Simply pop the disk in and the installer pops up straight away. jus click the next button a bunch of times and the computer does it all for you. To run the game afterwards? Click on the icon. If you have trouble with that you have some sort of mental deficiency or are about four years old.
"consoles innovate more"....consoles innovate more!?!?! This guy (or gal i suppose) has not done their homework. ALL of those things where done by PC's and have been standard now for five+ years. You see no innovation from the console market, with the possible exception of Nintendo. For how many years now have have console gone with the to quote Yahtzee "bricks with strings attached" model? There is now a peice of equipment for PC that lets you controll games with your MIND!!! That's pretty innovative if you ask me. Gaming innovation is also done on the PC, once again with the possible exception of Nintendo. Brilliant, defining games such as "Freelancer", "Guildwars", "Psychonauts", "Deus Ex", the Half Life series, and literally dozens of others have changed the face of gaming even effecting the console market. The Games available are also far more varied, genre wise and number wise.
If that isn't enough to raise PC gaming and PC's in general above consoles (which quite plainly it is) PC's have versatility on their side. Is there something in a game that irritates you? get a mod to get rid of it. Do you think there's something missing from the game? get a mod to put it in. Hey I've got homework to do, no problem. Hey I've got some important work e-mails to sort out, no problem. I need to research some stuff, no problem. Hey I've got.....you get the idea.
It's ignorance that is damaging PC gaming. Not anything else. Chefmaster here, is a perfect example of that. I implore anybody and everybody who loves gaming to read what i have just written and open their eyes if they havn't already. Also bare in mind that the PC also has far more to offer than what I have written about here. The PC always has more to offer.
Right pleasantries out the way so I'll begin.
Who ever Chefmaster is he obviously does not have his facts strait. I live in England and have been a life long PC gamer, only recently have I started to dabble in console gaming and so far I am unimpressed. I built my own PC for a little over £400 ($800 or so) pounds, high end hardware and all. It can play Crysis on medium to high settings which is plenty for me and better than a console could manage. At the time the PS3 was released my computer cost only a pocket full of loose change more and even with the recent price drop my PC only costs another £100. It may seem like a lot to start with but in the long run you save more money if you buy a PC such as mine. All you have to buy are two games for the PS3 to equal the value of my computer. If you buy four games that £100 pounds more than my computer. For £100 I can buy four or five brand new computer games or a dozen pre owned ones. Strait away it sounds like a better deal doesn't it?
There is no reason why any teenager couldn't build there own computer. I suspect every child was bought up with Lego or K'nex or an equivilant. Putting a computer togther is as simple as that. It took me about 40 minutes to put mine together and boot it up. It is very simple. No where near as confusing as everybody likes to think it is. The great thing about the PC? not only can I play all modern and any games coming out in the forseeable future, but it can be used for work aswell. And any other job any other computer can do.
As for the comfort of playing in the living room? Sure why not? My computer is in a midi case which takes up about as much room as a 360 or PS3. Simply hook it up to my big widescreen HD TV and off you go. Trailing Wires? Nope all bluetooth.
The complexity of using a computer to install and run games is almost non existent. Simply pop the disk in and the installer pops up straight away. jus click the next button a bunch of times and the computer does it all for you. To run the game afterwards? Click on the icon. If you have trouble with that you have some sort of mental deficiency or are about four years old.
"consoles innovate more"....consoles innovate more!?!?! This guy (or gal i suppose) has not done their homework. ALL of those things where done by PC's and have been standard now for five+ years. You see no innovation from the console market, with the possible exception of Nintendo. For how many years now have have console gone with the to quote Yahtzee "bricks with strings attached" model? There is now a peice of equipment for PC that lets you controll games with your MIND!!! That's pretty innovative if you ask me. Gaming innovation is also done on the PC, once again with the possible exception of Nintendo. Brilliant, defining games such as "Freelancer", "Guildwars", "Psychonauts", "Deus Ex", the Half Life series, and literally dozens of others have changed the face of gaming even effecting the console market. The Games available are also far more varied, genre wise and number wise.
If that isn't enough to raise PC gaming and PC's in general above consoles (which quite plainly it is) PC's have versatility on their side. Is there something in a game that irritates you? get a mod to get rid of it. Do you think there's something missing from the game? get a mod to put it in. Hey I've got homework to do, no problem. Hey I've got some important work e-mails to sort out, no problem. I need to research some stuff, no problem. Hey I've got.....you get the idea.
It's ignorance that is damaging PC gaming. Not anything else. Chefmaster here, is a perfect example of that. I implore anybody and everybody who loves gaming to read what i have just written and open their eyes if they havn't already. Also bare in mind that the PC also has far more to offer than what I have written about here. The PC always has more to offer.
I love Portal, and I'd agree with you except that Portal is available on X360 and PS3 too, via the Orange Box.Chalee said:
Welcome to the forum!karn3 said:Right first things first, I'm new to the forums so hello everyone
Right pleasantries out the way so I'll begin...
...I built my own PC for a little over £400 ($800 or so) pounds, high end hardware and all. It can play Crysis on medium to high settings which is plenty for me and better than a console could manage.
Out of curiosity, what are the specs on your PC? Is it water cooled, or does it just run off manticore teeth?
Tell me 3 games that were out on pc first, then ported (NOT remade) to the consoles.chefmaster said:
Also, console ports to the pc were made for the console in the first place, xbox/xbox360 games tend to get ported more often than others because the architecture is so similar; developpers would have a small amount of work to do to make a pc version, which means extra cash flow for them.
Oh wow. MMO's are proof that the PC is dying? Sure. And those same players don't play anything but that one MMO, mind you. It's as if you're saying each PC has only one game, whereas console gamers would have an entire library.
"I find" that this is more of a personal rant due to personal frustration. Just because you have a bad laptop (which are, in general, slightly inferior to a full-blown PC, thus distorting your objectiveness) doesn't mean everything that can't be run is worse than what can simply be put in a console.
PC rigs can be diverse, but mainstream gamers have mainstream games they can play, and those mostly have pretty low requirements.
Also, it's not as if you can just buy a console and play games with high quality graphics on them: you'll also need a tv. And with the PS3 and xbox360 capabilities, to fully shine you'll have to cough up quite a lot of cash as well. Plus, the games are more expensive by a slight margin.
Read above. 'Most people' play low req mainstream games, console needs a tv. A good one.
Also, you say 'graphics are not everything', yet you blatantly ignore the multitude of genres on the PC. There's more than MMO's on the PC.
Enjoy paying for that 52" plasma, you'll end up paying more for that tv than for your PC rig.
Have we ever denied that consoles are more accessible?
PC's have a keyboard with loads of keys (which can be bound at will), console games just have one controller with 12 buttons on it.
And again, your idea of the total cost is wrong. Read above.
'Comfortable environment'? Well, maybe you enjoy playing games when lying down in your seat, but that's purely subjective. I myself prefer sitting down at the edge of my seat, or sitting in lotus position. No points for you here, mister.
Now you're just insulting people who have a passion for gaming. I'm not one of them, though.
Also, this doesn't prove anything. You said it yourself, "the same game". It's available on all those platforms. PC is dying? But there's still games coming out for them (other than MMO's)!
Hardcore PC gamer with a $1200 laptop. I say no more.
This is just pure personal speculation.
Also, most of those features have been on the pc for ages. High resolution (they just named it HD for separate hardware to make it sell, there were simply no buyers for huge screens in the PC market, people would rather switch to projectors for that) doesn't make games/films any better.
Portability?!? Oh wow, bringing handhelds in the discussion this late. And your graphics/porting arguments don't fit in here.
Sales? Show me. The only thing that is really being shown is that consoles are selling well. No news/statistics about PC's doesn't mean nothing is being sold.
And the finishing blow to your entire flame bait... "pc's will get weaker"
Way to not think logical. PC's are already stronger than the newest generation of consoles (the PS3 Crysis port is being downtuned because it can't handle max settings). It's just that this generation is only just out, and then indeed it may seem like it has a head start. But this generation of consoles is supposed to last 4-8 years. Who are you to claim that the PC won't have improved by then?
That is all. I'll get back to my kitchen now because I'm hungry.
This has gone on LONG ENOUGH!
Why can't we gamers all get along? We are not so different, we are just the same with different skin or hair or feet. We are all in some way Bill's Bitches or Bushnell's Whores or even Miyamoto's Ass Slave.
The PC's have a powerful army, but at times it can be complicated to run the entire army with one commander.
The Wii is childish and prances around, which is why the other buff consoles cower in fear of it's fluffiness.
The PS3 army is bulky and trained, but it's a little slow, however, when they take wind it is a glorious battle of the gods!
The Xbox is a slobby and drunk bunch, but when the pillage a village OH BOY watch out!
Neither army is supirior to the other. If they all work together i'm sure we could rid the world of the TRUE evil; The N-Gage! (and bad ports)
Stop the bloodshed, break away those jail bars, and let us be all one big happy family!
By the gods, please let a moderator lock this damned thread to oblivion!!!
Damnit, i'm a hipocrite now.
PS: Sony doesn't JUST make consoles. They could probably release a new version of the PS3 with some better specs to run Crysis on max settings but, really, how many of you really upgraded your PCs to make Crysis show off a little more polygons? That's one expensive hooker.
Why can't we gamers all get along? We are not so different, we are just the same with different skin or hair or feet. We are all in some way Bill's Bitches or Bushnell's Whores or even Miyamoto's Ass Slave.
The PC's have a powerful army, but at times it can be complicated to run the entire army with one commander.
The Wii is childish and prances around, which is why the other buff consoles cower in fear of it's fluffiness.
The PS3 army is bulky and trained, but it's a little slow, however, when they take wind it is a glorious battle of the gods!
The Xbox is a slobby and drunk bunch, but when the pillage a village OH BOY watch out!
Neither army is supirior to the other. If they all work together i'm sure we could rid the world of the TRUE evil; The N-Gage! (and bad ports)
Stop the bloodshed, break away those jail bars, and let us be all one big happy family!
By the gods, please let a moderator lock this damned thread to oblivion!!!
actually i got a very nice 48 inch (i think?) plasma TV for only $300 due to human error. I'm sure you could find great deals. My friend plays his games with a puny 12x12 inch TV and he's fine with it.Saphatorael said:
Damnit, i'm a hipocrite now.
PS: Sony doesn't JUST make consoles. They could probably release a new version of the PS3 with some better specs to run Crysis on max settings but, really, how many of you really upgraded your PCs to make Crysis show off a little more polygons? That's one expensive hooker.
inxaract said:yes [No]. pc gaming is dying [It isn't] . flame as much as you wish . this is reality [??]. i am not playing PC games anymore , not even those saved money stealer stupid PC MMOs [I'm an annoying 15 year old who has been a long time PC gamer, but I don't waste money on MMOs, but that doesn't help the supposed death of PC gaming] . there are more casual gamers than hardcore gamers in this world and remember that 24 millions sold outter Nintendo Wii is creating more and more casual gamers from usual PEOPLE who don't play video games [Sadly I have to agree]. these casual class gamers can be hardcore gamers in future [IMO I doubt it] . more casual gamers means more selling video game consoles . the only big video game corporation who cares PC is Blizzard [What about Valve and Turbine?] because they don't care money . The people of Blizzard love playing video games .
PC Gaming is dying because of making 'only money jackpotting oriented' PC video games [Again, no it isn't] .
and beside what about those stupid PC hardware producer corporations ? Intel , AMD , NVidia ... don't these corporations exploits PC gamers for more and more money ? [If you know how to buy the best hardware at a good, cheap price then you aren't going to be ripped off. Besides, if it wasn't for Nvidia and ATI then the Xbox 360 (ATI) and PS3 (Nvidia) wouldn't have their cards, so stop whining...] They even don't analyze how many PC video game maker corporations&companies&houses left . Not too much . These hardware corporations are extinctioning by themselves [Ok, I don't know what the hell are you talking about...]
the next step for video game consoles to conquer overall video game&PC worlds is to be capable of installing and operating systems-softwares like Windows XP [I could install linux 0n mah PS3 and I love it, now I can play PC-made mods on my PS3. But if they do that then they are going to become PCs themselves... Ironic isn't it?] , not Vista sh+t [If you know how to use Vista then it is not as bad as it is, except that it is a memory hog...]
not those PC hardware and software producers (their era is in the past) but GAMERS now decide and command which way video game industry will goes to .
you haven't flamed me yet [I already did ; ) ] ; what's the problem
You don't even know what you're talking about, right? No wonder you got banned so fast
I love how people like you pull comments out of their asses, and you tried to defend your "troo facts" and you failed
EDIT: This is my last post in this thread, I hope it gets locked. Mods?
Im not a gaming expert but pc wont die out. consoles are for solid ga ming and pc's are good for gaming but theuyre also designed to surf the internet,do homework etc.
this means alt of people dont have to buy a new console when they already have a half decent pc
dont forget the pc also has the mouse/keyboard. compare ur mouse 2 a wiimote or analoge stick pointer. whic is easier to control for precision or typing?
i think consoles and pc will get better and better till microsoft mak a pc/xbox combo thats effectivley a console glued 2 a pc
this means alt of people dont have to buy a new console when they already have a half decent pc
dont forget the pc also has the mouse/keyboard. compare ur mouse 2 a wiimote or analoge stick pointer. whic is easier to control for precision or typing?
i think consoles and pc will get better and better till microsoft mak a pc/xbox combo thats effectivley a console glued 2 a pc
Thanks nilcypher!
My PC is:
Core 2 duo E6550 - £110
Asus p5n-e sli - £56
nVidia GeForce 8800GT - £120
4GB of RAM - £59
250GB hardrive - £25
Regular DVD/RW drive - £17
Case and power supply - £45
Grand total of £436
Thats a very decent gaming rig with lots of room for upgrades if I ever have some cash lying around. No water cooling necessary as i only overclocked it what the supplied cooling systems could handle. Even without overclocking it is still an awesome gaming computer without the horrendous price tag. I have it hooked up to my big TV so no need for a screen either.
Lots of good points Saphatorael. PC hardware and software is some of the quickest evolving stuff in the world. This generation of consoles was outmatched by PC's before they even came out.
My PC is:
Core 2 duo E6550 - £110
Asus p5n-e sli - £56
nVidia GeForce 8800GT - £120
4GB of RAM - £59
250GB hardrive - £25
Regular DVD/RW drive - £17
Case and power supply - £45
Grand total of £436
Thats a very decent gaming rig with lots of room for upgrades if I ever have some cash lying around. No water cooling necessary as i only overclocked it what the supplied cooling systems could handle. Even without overclocking it is still an awesome gaming computer without the horrendous price tag. I have it hooked up to my big TV so no need for a screen either.
Lots of good points Saphatorael. PC hardware and software is some of the quickest evolving stuff in the world. This generation of consoles was outmatched by PC's before they even came out.
Whats funny is that just recently, some folks are saying just the opposite, that consoles could be on the verge of extinction.
The latest generation of the consoles has been, on a whole a financial disaster, both Microsoft and Sony have been hemorrhaging enormous amounts of money, trying to keep their latest consoles afloat. Remember, both Sony and Microsoft have been in a constant war of "Keeping up with the Joneses" looking for the better hardware to outfit their systems. Unfortunately, this raises the price considerably (Just look at the price tags for the PS3 and Xbox 360).
Your next problem beyond cost, is staying power. A couple of decades ago, the 8-bit systems generation lasted for nearly a decade, but the previous generation of Consoles (PS2, Xbox, Gamecube) only lasted half that time. The constant vying for big and better gaming systems is putting a strain on their companies, and it shows in their product. PS3 for example has a woefully small library, and only a handful of memorable titles.
The latest generation of the consoles has been, on a whole a financial disaster, both Microsoft and Sony have been hemorrhaging enormous amounts of money, trying to keep their latest consoles afloat. Remember, both Sony and Microsoft have been in a constant war of "Keeping up with the Joneses" looking for the better hardware to outfit their systems. Unfortunately, this raises the price considerably (Just look at the price tags for the PS3 and Xbox 360).
Your next problem beyond cost, is staying power. A couple of decades ago, the 8-bit systems generation lasted for nearly a decade, but the previous generation of Consoles (PS2, Xbox, Gamecube) only lasted half that time. The constant vying for big and better gaming systems is putting a strain on their companies, and it shows in their product. PS3 for example has a woefully small library, and only a handful of memorable titles.
I swear to god I hate these threads, FIRST off PCs have more capability to support games without a lot of money going to corporate overlords because, unlike actual 'gaming systems', PCs can replace a single part when something goes bad or more likely a game needs more from a part.
Secondly, the entire industry slows down now and then. Just because you don't think its going to jump start again don't tell everyone, poorly I might add, that its dead. Dead means no money can be made. Also before I go back to my war games I thought I should inform you that most of the time single platform is there because a company pays EA ect, to keep it on that one platform for a certain or indefinite amount of time to help boost their sales on their console or whatever.
Secondly, the entire industry slows down now and then. Just because you don't think its going to jump start again don't tell everyone, poorly I might add, that its dead. Dead means no money can be made. Also before I go back to my war games I thought I should inform you that most of the time single platform is there because a company pays EA ect, to keep it on that one platform for a certain or indefinite amount of time to help boost their sales on their console or whatever.
Gabe Newell mentioned in a panel discussion that the PC gaming market and the idea that it's dying is simply a problem of unserved customers, that is, the inability of the traditional retail market to deliver to gamers who would (or could) willingly buy games for real moneys instead of picking up a torrent.
But that's a different discussion, and more an answer to a developer or uninformed gamer whining that piracy is killing the industry.
PC gaming is, bar none, the absolute biggest market there is. Consider the amount of people still playing Counter-Strike. Now consider that nearly any PC made in the last 10 years can play the game easily. There are close to 300 million people with PCs, and at this point many of them will have grown up with video games in at least some portion of their lives (or at least the knowledge of such). That's a greater market than every console sold ever, combined.
Anyway, the landscape of PC gaming has changed, there is no doubt about that. Hardware advances have placed the average console game on superficial par with any major PC title, and the price of entry to high-end PC gaming has never been cheap. The PC isn't the sole go-to platform for high-budget triple-A titles anymore.
But gaming isn't all triple-A. "Casual" games, MMORPGs, complex strategy games, anything that might require more than 5 methods of input, niche titles, and many other sub-sub-genre games have found a great little home on the PC, away from the condescending eyes of the average console-drunk 12-year-old.
Look to Europe to see some of the tastier fruit. The Experiment (aka Experience 112) is one of the most unique and interesting titles I've ever had the privilege to play, and it could ONLY happen on a PC. It just wouldn't be the same played on a couch with a controller in hand. Look it up.
Mass Effect and Oblivion, two of the most highly regarded console titles, exist at their best form on the PC, "ports" though they may be. And newer forms of distribution such as Steam make games as easy to buy as to steal, with no shipping costs, cross-regional licensing, or retail stock to worry about, opening up huge new markets in countries with much more pressing concerns than where to open a GameStop. It'll be a long time coming before a console comes out that releases most of its titles digitally.
And some posters have brought up a good point, in that the only way for consoles to really catch up to PCs in sheer bleeding-edge hardware development and flexibility is to BECOME PCs themselves. Then we'll have to wonder who will whine about the "price of entry".
And regarding the price, it's not entirely true that one needs to spend loads of money to "keep up" year over year. Take the average console lifespan is slated at 5-8 years (10 if you're drinking Sony's Kool-Aid). Any decently built PC can match that, without an appreciable loss of quality for most titles released since the time of building. My own PC is approaching 3 years old, and can play every recent title at maximum settings or close to them without noticeable loss of performance, and when I built it it was already considered "mid-range". It's an expensive club to join, but not nearly as hard to get into as rumored.
The question is really more of timing your purchase than of your being instantly "obsolete", just as choosing the "winning" console in a given generation can be important for people whose parents can only afford to buy one.
As Newell also mentioned, the problem is more one of perception than of reality. PC gaming is certainly "dying" if you view it through the lens of the PC being the only platform for anyone wanting to play a game with decent graphics or complex gameplay. But by that logic, current-gen console gaming is dying as well, as there are even less platform exclusive titles than ever, the Wii and DS notwithstanding.
When you note that the future of gaming is multiplatform, PC gaming is as alive as it always has been.
O
But that's a different discussion, and more an answer to a developer or uninformed gamer whining that piracy is killing the industry.
PC gaming is, bar none, the absolute biggest market there is. Consider the amount of people still playing Counter-Strike. Now consider that nearly any PC made in the last 10 years can play the game easily. There are close to 300 million people with PCs, and at this point many of them will have grown up with video games in at least some portion of their lives (or at least the knowledge of such). That's a greater market than every console sold ever, combined.
Anyway, the landscape of PC gaming has changed, there is no doubt about that. Hardware advances have placed the average console game on superficial par with any major PC title, and the price of entry to high-end PC gaming has never been cheap. The PC isn't the sole go-to platform for high-budget triple-A titles anymore.
But gaming isn't all triple-A. "Casual" games, MMORPGs, complex strategy games, anything that might require more than 5 methods of input, niche titles, and many other sub-sub-genre games have found a great little home on the PC, away from the condescending eyes of the average console-drunk 12-year-old.
Look to Europe to see some of the tastier fruit. The Experiment (aka Experience 112) is one of the most unique and interesting titles I've ever had the privilege to play, and it could ONLY happen on a PC. It just wouldn't be the same played on a couch with a controller in hand. Look it up.
Mass Effect and Oblivion, two of the most highly regarded console titles, exist at their best form on the PC, "ports" though they may be. And newer forms of distribution such as Steam make games as easy to buy as to steal, with no shipping costs, cross-regional licensing, or retail stock to worry about, opening up huge new markets in countries with much more pressing concerns than where to open a GameStop. It'll be a long time coming before a console comes out that releases most of its titles digitally.
And some posters have brought up a good point, in that the only way for consoles to really catch up to PCs in sheer bleeding-edge hardware development and flexibility is to BECOME PCs themselves. Then we'll have to wonder who will whine about the "price of entry".
And regarding the price, it's not entirely true that one needs to spend loads of money to "keep up" year over year. Take the average console lifespan is slated at 5-8 years (10 if you're drinking Sony's Kool-Aid). Any decently built PC can match that, without an appreciable loss of quality for most titles released since the time of building. My own PC is approaching 3 years old, and can play every recent title at maximum settings or close to them without noticeable loss of performance, and when I built it it was already considered "mid-range". It's an expensive club to join, but not nearly as hard to get into as rumored.
The question is really more of timing your purchase than of your being instantly "obsolete", just as choosing the "winning" console in a given generation can be important for people whose parents can only afford to buy one.
As Newell also mentioned, the problem is more one of perception than of reality. PC gaming is certainly "dying" if you view it through the lens of the PC being the only platform for anyone wanting to play a game with decent graphics or complex gameplay. But by that logic, current-gen console gaming is dying as well, as there are even less platform exclusive titles than ever, the Wii and DS notwithstanding.
When you note that the future of gaming is multiplatform, PC gaming is as alive as it always has been.
O
I would saying its loosing its appeal to gamers. Think, back in the day when consles wern't hyper super uber number crunchers, people built their own PC to play the good games. But now with the cost of the good equipment to run the games at a decent level, you have to pay alot of cash.
Why do that when you can buy a consle what can run to the same standard (to someone who can't build a PC that is) as a PC at lower cost and effort.
Don't worry though, this will basically remove some of the younger, higer pitched players from games, I feel sorry for my Xbox Live headset but it keeps my speakers clean.
PC's will always dominate the RTS and MMO games though, as you can't bind keys with a game pad.
Why do that when you can buy a consle what can run to the same standard (to someone who can't build a PC that is) as a PC at lower cost and effort.
Don't worry though, this will basically remove some of the younger, higer pitched players from games, I feel sorry for my Xbox Live headset but it keeps my speakers clean.
PC's will always dominate the RTS and MMO games though, as you can't bind keys with a game pad.