Poll: PC Games: A dying retail market?

[Memoriae]

I wouldn't say that PC retail is dead at all. As other posters have commented, the PC market is moving increasingly towards digital distribution, and it wouldn't surprise me when digital distribution outstrips physical media distribution. In addition to that, a huge number of the "brick and mortar" stores have moved a large number of their titles onto the web. We're already at the PC and online, so we're effectively in reach of their stores anyway.

Looking at the local GAME and Gamestations in Cambridge, they probably have 1-2 shelf units of PC games, with the rest of the store being various console formats. Again, why would someone leave the PC to go get a title, when you can order it at the very thing you're planning on playing it on.

Also, look at PSN/XLA/WS. More titles available for digital distribution, with the main limiting factor on those being bandwidth. And then look at the next generation. PSVita especially, as it's going to be almost exclusively digitally distributed. It really wouldn't surprise me if one of the 3 make a console that is exclusive, and when it does... Well, look at motion controls for what'll happen.


And the other reason why PC gaming isn't dying? Well, ask my bank account about the £1,100 that just got lifted out of it for a new unit.

 

[DementedSheep]

Shops still sell PC games where I live but the section is usually smaller than for console games. I personally don't buy retail very often anymore because its generally much more expensive and less convenient. Portal 2 for $90? piss off.
It's not that PC gaming ifs dying, its just moving more and more to digital distribution.

 

[TRR]

.

I haven't bought a game from a store in years. I do everything through Steam.
Just another way in which PC's are ahead of consoles.

PC's are ahead of consoles because PC is becoming digital distribution only? .-. I shan't even bother.

I can buy and download a game with about 5 mouse clicks, so yes, PC's are ahead.

And apparently you can't read because I stated that this was ANOTHER reason why PC gaming is better.

And don't get me started on your use of "shan't"...

You can download most retail games on consoles already but for the most-part people prefer physical copies, I've yet to choose downloading over getting a physical copy for consoles. With PC's it's a different story but it doesn't necessarily make then superior.

I guess what I'm trying to say is; get off your damn high horse because they're equally great platforms. I own both and I love them both equally ;3

If I'm on a high horse then I have no idea what you're on. Possibly a high altitude flying bird. I mean, who else would use "shan't", or think that their own limited experience and personal opinion is a good alternative to fact. Now excuse me while I go play something that isn't in DX9 that I got for a fraction of the price on a Steam sale.

(I feel like a jackass writing this but your last post pissed me off a bit. Please refrain from replying, as I feel we have nothing left to discuss)

OT: something just dawned on me. You can't get a refund on games you buy online. This is probably the one flaw for this method of buying games.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

The only game I have purchased retail for PC in the last like several years has been Starcraft 2 and that was only because I had no other choice.
Otherwise, I purchase all my games on Steam.

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

My last few buys
Farcry 2 (PC) Disk from Bestbuy
Modern Warfare 2 (PC) Disk from GameStop

The clerk at GameStop was actually suprised I was buying it for PC.

Before that
Crysis (PC) Digital Download from Steam
Crysis Warhead (PC) Digital Download from Steam.

All of my buys in the last few months.

 

[Lilani]

I find buying PC games online through Steam and whatnot to be much more convenient. No having to mess with a stupid disc or DRM. Usually cheaper, too, what with sales prices and whatnot. The only time I'd buy a PC game in a store is if I had a gift card for that store or it was literally NOWHERE online for digital download.

 

[Vault101]

couldnt use digital distribution, so I got all my games retail

Im in Australia and from what Ive heard we still have a pretty decent PC section compared to what Ive heard (JB HI FI and EB)

 

[Vault101]

It's not a niche, digital distribution is just taking over since it's so much better. True you don't get a physical copy, but you knock a big chunk of money off the deal, plus places like Steam so often have big sales on major games.

no....its not that much better, it DOES depend on your situation

I had 6gb internet cap so yeah, also I DO NOT want to wait 5 hours or a few days for the fucking thing to download (then mabye corrupt)

I dont see whats so bad about "put it in and play" part of the reason I got a console, I also dont fany the Idea of being at the mercy of publishers

mabye in a magial future where we have the internet to suport it..but right now, no thankyou

 

[Vault101]

I haven't bought a game from a store in years. I do everything through Steam.
Just another way in which PC's are ahead of consoles.

PC's are ahead of consoles because PC is becoming digital distribution only? .-. I shan't even bother.

I can buy and download a game with about 5 mouse clicks, so yes, PC's are ahead.

And apparently you can't read because I stated that this was ANOTHER reason why PC gaming is better.

And don't get me started on your use of "shan't"...

as I just pointed out digital distribution is not the second coming of christ...there are cons

 

[Johann610]

If it ain't Triple-A, no one is paying for boxes, box art, distributors, trucks, to get it to you, and retailers don't get a cut of it. Since a smaller segment of PC games fit inside the AAA mold, a smaller percent of retail has to carry it.

 

[mjc0961]

Depends. If DLC counts, the last thing I bought was DLC from Steam. If not, I bought a Wii game from Amazon.

Also, I hope the mods can track everyone who voted for the "I pirated option" and give them a warning. Fuck pirates.

 

[BanthaFodder]

PC games are NOT a dying industry.
PHYSICAL games (ie. disks) might be, but PC games in general?
I wouldn't be suprised if ALL games were downloadable within a good couple of years.

but the PC games industry is by no means in trouble. just look at how much money people spend on Steam in a year.
Valve has made hundreds of thousands of dollars through the Mann Co Store alone.

tl;dr
-PC gaming isn't in any financial trouble
-I predict physical games (disks, cartridges, etc.) will be phased out in favor of digital games in the not-so-distant future
-physical copies of PC games might be scarce, but digital copies (ie. Steam) are selling just fine

 

[Conza]

So I went into my local town today to buy a particular game for my PC, and, as it lacked any dedicated videogame store I went to a huge Asda, which had a large gaming and dvd section taking up several rows of shelves, but they didn't sell any PC games.
So I went to Argos, which stock ruddy everything, but again, while they had about 10 pages of their catalogue dedicated to Xbox, PS3, Wii, DS, games etc. the only PC gaming objects they sold were controllers for PCs and gaming chairs.
So I went to a small DVD retailer, that also sold Xbox, PS3, Wii, DS games, but again was in despair that they didn't stock any PC games. There is literally not a single shop in my town that sells PC games!
The Tesco branches that I went to during uni (shopping on a budget!) sold all the consoles and handheld systems, and their games, but never any PC games. (An extremely limited number of Modern Warfare Preorders were the only exception I ever saw.)

So are PC games becoming a niche market, only sold by specialised videogame shops, superceded by the more popular consoles, and why do you think this has occured?

Ok first of all, where the hell are you from? The Yukon? I've travelled all over the world (Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, the United States) and I've always been able to find PC Games - you need to move towns buddy, because its not them, its definately you.

 

[MammothBlade]

Probably not, because cats + other animals will always need their tails re-attaching as long as there are careless owners and rabid dogs (though see former).

More seriously, GAME at least still sells a wide variety of PC games in many stores, but these have probably decreased in quantity and encompass legacy titles, it's more of a variety back-catalogue these days. No longer do you get a PC chart, and rare are pre-orders except for AAA titles. As long as the demand is there and cost-effective, the pc games section will likely stay, as a niche market. Niche =/= dead.