<spoiler=2011 PC Exclusives>
STRATEGY
Shogun II: Total War
Might and Magic Heroes VI
New entry in one of the most beloved turn based strategy series of all time.
Age of Empires Online
The rebirth of one of the biggest RTS franchises of all time.
DOTA 2
The mod that started the whole genre is now getting a commercial sequel from Valve Software.
Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy
After disappointing affair with modern combat Battlefront returns to what they do best: WWII tactical wargames
King Arthur II
Cities in MotionT
Spiritial successor to Transport Tycoon from Paradox Interactive.
Jagged Alliance 2: Reloaded
Remake of a classic tactical TBS.
Jagged Alliance 3
Sword of the Stars II
Sequel to a great 4X game.
End of Nations
MMORTS from Petroglyph. Their last RTS was Universe at War, which scored 8.0 at IGN.
Frozen Synapse
An indie simultaneous turn-based tactical game.
Dungeons
Spiritual successor to Dungeon Keeper.
The Sims Medieval
Real Warfare 2: Northern Crusades
Continuaton of XIII Century: Death or Glory, which scored 7.2 at IGN./
A Game of Thrones: Genesis
Epic strategy game based on legendary novel series. It?s being designed Cyanide, which is the studio that made Blood Bowl videogame adaptation.
Pirates of the Black Cove
Pirates-themed RTS.
Project MyWorld
A virtual recreation of the real world combined with 3D gaming and social media.
Stronghold 3
Anomaly: Warzone Earth
Tactical game that plays like a revers of tower defense genre. It?s being made by 11 bit, a new studio formed
Magna Mundi
Commercial follow-up to the best Europa Universalis 3 mod ever made.
Panzer Corps
Spiritual successor to Panzer General.
Xenonauts
Indie turn-based tactical game inspired heavily by X-COM.
Blight Of The Immortals
Web based strategy game set in fantasy universe. It?s being made by Iron Helmet, a small australian company formed by ex-Irrational Games people who already made Neptune?s Pride.
Six Gun Saga
A primarly singleplayer card strategy game from Cryptic Comet, creators of Armageddon Empires and Solium Infernum.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II ? Retribution
Second add-on to this great RTS.
Battle of Kingdoms
MMO game inspired by Defense of the Ancients, made by creators of DotA Chaos.
Trapped Dead
Commandos-like zombie game
HistWar: Les Grognars
A tactical and strategical game of insane depth by Battlefront
Stronghold Kingdoms
Browser adaptation of Firefly Studios? most well know series.
The Settlers Online
Browser adaptation of classic series.
Dungeon Empires
Browser game inspired by Dungeon Keeper.
Dungeon Overlord
Browser game inspired by Dungeon Keeper.
Cultures Online
Browser version of popular city building series.
World Supremacy
Turn based ?conquer the world? grand strategy game from Malfador Machinations, makers of Space Empires series.
Spice Road
a trading and city management game by the people who created Light of Altair (7 from IGN and 7.5 from Out of Eight and )
Men of War: Vietnam
Single centric stand alone expansion to Men of War (great tactics-heavy wargame that scored 8.0 at IGN)
Men of War: Assault Squad
Multi player centric stand alone expansion to Men of War (great tactics-heavy wargame that scored 8.0 at IGN)
ROLEPLAYING
Diablo 3
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
Sequel to one of best roleplaying games on last few years.
Dead State
Indie zombie RPG from ex-Troika and Obsidian designers.
Drakensang: The River of Time
Prequel to Drakensang
North Star
A space trading/combat RPG with turn-based combat by Kerberos (ex Barking Dog guys
and makers of Homeworld: Cataclysm and Sword of the Stars)
Grim Dawn
Action RPG from ex Iron Lore staff (where they worked on Titan Quest)
Chantelise
Japanese indie RPG from EasyGameStation (makers of Recettear: An Item Shop?s Tale)
Darkspore
Hack and Slash from Maxix (makers of Sim City, Sims and of course Spore)
Avadon: The Black Fortress
New RPG from makers of Geneforge and Avernum series. This time Spiderweb finally has completely redesigned their graphics system.
Age of Decadence
Hardcore indie RPG
Torchlight II
Sequel to a hack and slash RPG that scored 8.6 at IGN.
The Broken Hourglass
An old-school Baldurs Gate 2-like RPG, done by Planewalker Games-indie team consisting of cRPG modders, lead by Jason Compton (the best BG2 modder, he did wonders to NPC and party members dynamic interaction). The game takes place in Tolmira (sword-and-sorcery setting, which PlaneWalker licensed) has isometric perspective, unlimited party, complex party-to-party interactions, lots of good old-school roleplaying and real-time with pause combat system
Dropship
A turn-based SF wargame with RPG elements developed by ex-Troika guys using the Source engine
Drakensang: Phileasson?s Secret
First add-on to rakensang: The River of Time.
Forged by Chaos
Online action-rpg using CryEngine2
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Star Wars MMORPG from Bioware.
Guild Wars 2
Original Guild Wars scored 9.0 at IGN
Mytheon
Villagers and Heroes
Action-rpg from Mad Otter games, a small indie company made of Dynamix veterans, headed by Damon Slye(co-founder of Dynamix and lead designer of Aces of the Pacific, Aces Over Europe, Red Baron and A-10 Tank Killer) who previously released Ace of Aces on Instant Action
Otherland
Cyberpunk MMORPG based on novels by Tad Williams, handled by the development studio Real U, formed around a core of ex-Melbourne House talent (as Eurogamer put it? 8-bit heroes of The Hobbit and The Way of the Exploding Fist, and then cult classic Shadowrun, who in later years struggled valiantly with the tide of licences and conversions heaped on them by Atari, sometimes triumphing against the odds (as in PS2 Transformers)? )
Drakensang Online
Cooperative online RPG.
Neverwinter
Online cooperative RPG with powerful adventure building tools, from Cryptic (makers of City of Heroes and Champions)
Tera
Beautiful MMORPG with action-game like combat, by ex-Lineage devs.
Stellar Dawn
Sci-Fi MMO from makers of Runescape
Rift: Planes of Telara
Salem
Crafting-heavy MMO with perma-death from Paradox (makers of series like Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron)
Untitled Carbine Studios MMORPG
Carbine is a team composed of RPG veterans(including Blizzard ones) like Tim Cain
(one of creators of Fallout and Arcanum) and Jeremy Gaffney (founder of Turbine)
ADVENTURE
Gray Matter
New adventure game from the empress of the genre: Jane Jansen (creator of Gabriel Knight series)
Black Mirror 3
Vampyre Story 2: A Bat?s Tale
Sequel to one of the best adventure games of 2008
Haunted
New aventure from Deck 13, makers of Ankh series and Jack Keane
Hazard: The Journey Of Life
First person exploration puzzler that?s a commercial follow-up to one of best UT3 mods ever made.
The Next Big Thing
New adventure game from Pendulo Studios. The last game from this team (Runaway: A Twist of fate) scored 8.0 at Adventuregamers.
Deponia
Hand painted post apocalyptic cyberpunk adventure game in glorious 1440×900 resolution
Culpa Innata 2: Chaos Rising
The first one got 7.5 from Gamespot
The Book of Unwritten Tales
The Book of Unwritten Tales: the cattle?s chronicle.
Prequel to humoristic adventure game that scored 90% on Adventure-treff, 91% at Adventurecorner.de and 85% from Gamestar, making it one of highest rated adventure games in germany in years)
Dead Mountaineer Hotel
Last-Express like adventure game(meaning non-linear, NPC have AIs, goals, daily routines and walk freely over the gameworld) based on Strugacki Brothers? novel, made by Akella.
Black Sails
Pirate themed adventure game from Deck 13, makers of Ankh series and Jack Keane.
Gemini Rue
SF adventure game that?s one of the student prize winners at the 2010 Independent Games Festival
Bracken Tor: The Time of Tooth and Claw
New horror adventure game from Shadow Tor Studios, makers of Barrow Hill, which got 8.0 from Adventuregamers
Edna and Harvey: The Breakout
An english version of one of best german adventure games of 2008 (it gathered 84% average of scores from german sites and magazines, including 83% at Adventure-Treff and 87% at Adventurecorner)
Blackwell Deception
Fourth entry in popular adventure series.
Prominence
Indie hard-sf adventure.
Dracula: Origin 2
The first one got 7.0 from Adventuregamers
Mozart
Coven
New game from makers of Rhiannon (7.5 from Gamespot)
Shades of Violet: Episode 1 ? Tale of the Clockwork Princess
Indie steampunk adventure game
Resonance
First commercial game from maker the incredible freeware adventure game ?What Linus Bruckman Sees When His Eyes Are Closed?
Cargo
New puzzle game from makers of Void and Pathologic.
Asylum
New horror adventure game from people who created Scratches, which scored 8.0 at Adventuregamers.
Saturated Dreamers
Indie exploration game from makers or Immortal Defense
ACTION
Night Sky
NightSky is a nice place to visit. The physics-based gameplay is clever, but the real draws are the beautiful scenery and the ambient electronic soundtrack. It?s recognizable at a glance, which isn?t something that can be said for every game. ? from IGN
Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad
Sequel to 8.5 WWII tactical shooter. What?s more, RO2 will singleplayer campaigns for both Russian and German sides.
Minecraft
Indie retro action and sandbox construction game.
Firefall
Massive online FPS from RED5 Studios (ex Blizzard people) and lead designer of Tribes 1 and 2.
Natural Selection 2
Commercial sequel to one of best mp MODS of all time
Heroes and Generals
Online WW2 FPS from a studio formed by lead designers of Hitman series.
CHIVALRY: Battle for Agatha
First-person medieval online combat game running on Unreal Engine 3.0. It?s being developed by a team behind Age of Chivalry mods.
Depth
Indie aquatic stealth game running on Unreal Engine 3. The team is filed with people who created the first version of Killing Floor.
Contagion
Single and multiplayer horror FPS from makers of Zombie Panic! Source mod.
Bounty Arms
Indie platformer running on Unreal Engine 3.0.
The Spire
Indie FPP action-adventure with strong puzzle element built on Unreal Engine 3.0.
Warface
Free military FPS from Crytek.
Snapshot
Snapshot is a 2d sidescrolling game in which the player takes on the role of ?Pic? The player controls Pic as well as a camera that can take photos of the environment. Photos can capture objects such as boxes, enemies, and other things. The player can then use these photos to move objects around in the world to complete each level. One of finalists for 2009 Independent Games Festival?s Excellence in Design Award
Rusty Hearts
Action fighting MMO.
Sanctum
Interesting mix of FPP action and tower defense, running on Unreal Engine 3.0.
Tactical Intervention
New tactical FPS from creator of Counterstrike
Dead meets Lead
Indie zombie action game.
Musorqua
New indie action title from Dejobaan Games, makers of AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!!-A Reckless Disregard for Gravity (82% average at Gamerankings)
Closure
Unique puzzle platformer that?s expanded and improved follow up to a great freeware game.
Monaco
Indie heist game that?s nominated for 2010 IGFSeumas McNally Grand Prize, developed by Pocketwatch games, makers of Wildlife Tycoon(IGF finalist) and Venture Arctic (Gametunnel?s sim game of the year)
Delta Force: Angel Falls
Swarm Racer 3000
Naumachia ? Space Warfare
A multiplayer space battle sim in which you can start piloting individual fighters with standard FPS controls (mouse/keyboard) and then when your rank advances it?s possible to command capital ships and their fighter squadrons with a dedicated RTS-like interface. Developed by people who previously made Specialist mod for first Half-life
ArcMagi
As developer himself put it: ?I like to think of it as a true PC fighting game. Dynamic and up-to-the-point, but very strategic, controlled by mouse and with strong character development elements.?
Blitz 1941
MMO Tank action game with light simulation elements from the makers of Navy Fields (it was similiar MMO action game with sim elements)
Lone Wolf: Flight from the Dark
Action-adventure based on legendary ?Choose your own adventure? gamebook series
FEIST
Unique puzzle platformer, which was awarded Best Overall Game and Best Visual Design at the Unity Awards 2008.
Ascension
Freeware spiritual successor to Tribes, created by the team that made the Renegade mod for Tribes, Tribes2 and Tribes: Vengeance
Assault Knights
Indie mech game
Gettysburg Armoured Warfare
A large scale RTS/FPS hybrid set in an alternative universe and featuring persistent armies.
They Hunger: Lost Souls
Original Hunger was THE best single-player mod for Half-life. Now the team returns with commercial follow up based on Source engine
Sugar Rush
Online arena combat game from Klei Entertainment (indie dev responsible for Eets)
Black Sky
Open ended StarControl2 like game
Iron Seed 2
Follow up to forgotten classic (it?s not well known now, but back in the days it rivaled Star Control 2 in quality)
Seasons after Fall
Beautiful indie puzzle platformer where you use effects seasonal changes to overcome obstacles.
The Swapper
Very promising and unique puzzle platformer based around the idea of a device that can create copies of yourself with whom you can then swap placesIt features interesting light, shadow and relativeness based game mechanics blended with an ambiguous storyline embedded directly into and told throughout the game.
Battlefield Play4Free
Free to play entry in classic FPS franchise.
Bloodline Champions
Indie arena-based game.
Cobalt
Indie platformer from the makers of Harvest: Massive Encounter.
Swimming Under Clouds
An indie 2-D physics-based puzzle platformer
Sky Legends
Online arcade flying game from the studio that made Snoopy: Flying Ace (console game that scored 9.0 at IGN)
Rising Storm
First add-on to Red Orchestra: Heroes of Stalingrad, made as colaboration with mod teams.
E.Y.E
Indie FPS/RPG hybrid running on Source engine. People who work on it previously made great Half-Life mod called Syndicate Black Ops
Ground Branch
Tactical shooter from Blackfoot( which is composed of RainbowSix, Rogue Spear and Ghost Recon leads)
RACING
rFactor 2
The first rFactor became the rulling standart of PC racing sims and the most popular modding platform for fans of the genre, not to mention it?s engine was the basis for majority of other good PC racing sims of recent years (like GTR 1-2, Race series, Arca simracing or GT Legends)
SIMULATION
IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover
Follow-up to one of the greatest flight sims ever made.
DCS: A-10C Warthog
Microsoft Flight
Finally, a new flight sim from Microsoft.
Steel Armor:Blaze of War
Mew tank sim from the makers of Steel Fury (which was one of the best tank games of all time)
Space Shuttle Mission Simulator 2
Sequel to the best sim of it?s kind.
World of Tanks
A MMO PvP tank combat game set in World War 2 setting from Wargaming.net,akers of Massive Assault (8.4 from IGN) and upcoming Order of War
Battlestar Galactica Online
Space combat MMO
Jet Thunder
Historical air combat sim from Thunder Works
Jumpgate Evolution
A sequel to space sim MMO that got 8.6 from Gamespoit
Black Prophecy
SF space MMO.
Fighter Ops
Seven-G
Indie F-18 Flight Sim.
BlackStar Chronicles
An action MMO described as a mix of the single-player traditions of Wing Commander with the multiplayer feel of Descent. It?s being developed by a team of people who previously worked on sadly canceled Privateer Online as well as on Star Wars Galaxies
Infinity: The Quest for Earth
MMO space simulator with huge procedurally generated universe
PUZZLE/CASUAL
SpaceChem
SpaceChem succeeds as a very interesting puzzle game thanks to innovative mechanics with limited design constraints. You are given the freedom to combine elements and destroy compound bounds as you see fit; the end product is the only set goal, and the efficiency in which you deliver your requirement is up to you. (?)SpaceChem is a fantastic puzzle game great for any fan of the genre. ? 8.5 from Out of Eight website
Subversion
Fourth Introversion game (after Uplink, Darwinia and Defcon)
Arcada Mia?s
New puzzle game from the maker of Dangerous High School Girls In Trouble.
Farmlands
By Caffeinated Games, a company founded by the former Lead Tools Engineer of Zipper Interactive (SOCOM fame) Greg Chudecke who prior to Zipper worked on Backyard Skateboarding (Atari) and Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Black Label Games)
Revenge of the Titans!
Tower defense game from Puppy Games, makers of Droid Assault, Titan Attack and Ultratron.
Fool and his money
Sequel to legendary Fool?s Errand.
Pontifex III
Sequel to one of best indie puzzle games ever made
MULTIPLATFORM
Mass Effect 3
XCOM
Bulletstorm
SF FPS from People Can Fly, makers of Painkiller.
Crysis 2
RAGE
New shooter from id Software
Dragon Age II
Sequel to a great RPG from Bioware that scored 9.2 at IGN.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Test Driver Unlimited 2
Sequel to a racing game that scored 8.0 at IGN.
Duke Nukem Forever
It looks like it will really happen by Gearbox?s (developers of Borderlands) hands.
Brink
FPS from Splash Damage, makers of Quake Wars (8.5 from IGN)
Beyond Good and Evil 2
Deus Ex 3
Portal 2
American McGee?s Alice II
The first one got 9.4 from IGN
Max Payne 3
Max Payne got 9.3 from IGN, while it?s sequel scored 9.4
Dead Space 2
The first one got from IGN
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine PC
Action game from Relic.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Fantasy RPG from Big Huge Games (makers of Rise of Nations) and lead designer of Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
Trine 2
Sequel to 8.2 platformer.
Rock of Ages
A head-to-head, real-time tower defense game in which two players alternate between defending and attacking. When attacking you control a big-huge boulder that?s rolling towards your opponent?s gates. If you?re the one on the defense your attempt to slow and divert your boulder by placing towers, fans and units in boulder?s path. It?s being made by ACE Team, makers of Zeno Clash (which got 8.4 from IGN).
Tomb Raider
Reboot of a classic franchise.
Assassin?s Creed: Brotherhood
Console version scored 8.0 at IGN.
Columbus 4
Episodic adventure series from Animation Arts, makers of Lost Horizon and Secret Files series.
Jurassic Park: the Game
Episodic action-adventure from Telltale Games (makers of Sam and Max Episodes, Back to the Future and Tales of Monkey Island).
Defenders of Ardania
Tower defense set in Majesty series world.
Hamilton?s Great Adventure
A co-op puzzle game from makers of Lead and Gold (7.0 at IGN).
Dust
Spiritual successor to Populour created by Eric Chahi, the designer who made Another World (known as Out of this World in USA).
Red Faction: Armageddon
The previous entry in this franchise (Red Faction: Guerrilla) scored 8.0 at IGN.
Dungeon Siege III
THird entry in the popular hack and slash franchise. This time it?s being developed by Obsidian Entertainment, known for creating RPGs like Knights of the Old Republic 2 or Neverwinter Nights 2.
Operation Flashpoint: Red River
Orion: Prelude
Commercial follow up to a popular mod.
Top Spin 4
New entry in the best tennis series of all time.
Section 8: Prejudice
Bastion
Inie action RPG from ex-EALA team members.
Captain Morgane
Semi sequel to adventure game So Blonde, which scored 8.0 from Adventuregamers.
The Haunted: Hell?s Reach
Multiplayer horror action game that?s a commercial follow-up to a mod that won Make Something Unreal competition.
Kings and Castles
Fantasy RTS from Gas Powered Games, makers of Supreme Commander series (on IGN first one scored 8.9, while the sequel 8.4 got).
The First Templar
Co-op centric action-adventure from Haemimont Games, makers of games like Tropico 3 (8.4 from IGN) or Celtic Kings: Rage of War (8.2 on the same site) and The Punic Wars: A Clash of Two Empires (8.0 from IGN).
Vessel
Indie platformer which gameplay based on manipulating fluids.
Dungeon Hero
From Firefly studios (makers of great Stronghold series and medicore Stronghold: Legends and CivCity, we?ll see how they do here)
Agency
Spy-themed action MMO from SOE
The Secret World
A MMO from makers of Age of Conan and Longest Journey franchise
Batman: Arkham Asylum 2
Sequel to action-adventure game that scored 9.3 on IGN
Spec Ops: The Line
Metal Gear Solid: Rising
Tom Clancy?s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
Driver: San Francisco
Mechwarrior
The classic series returns.
Solaris Assault Tech
Multiplayer game set in BattleTech universe from people who for the last 12 years modded previous MechWarrior games as MekTek group.
Need For Speed: Shift 2
Sequel to a racer that scored 9.0 from IGN.
The Cursed Crusade
Action game from ATLUS
Gatling Gears
Alien Breed 3: Descent
A Vampyre Story: Year One
Episodic prequel to humoristic adventure game series.
Death to Spies 3
Stealth action game heavily inspired by Hitman and set in Cold War era.The first one scored 8.0 at IGN.
Tropico 4
Another entry in this great city building series. Tropico 3 scored 8.4 from IGN
F.E.A.R. 3
First one scored 9.2 at IGN, while the second got 8.2 on the same site.
Fable 3
DC Universe Online
Superhero MMO from Sony Online Entertainment (Everquest 1-2, Planetside, Star Wars Galaxies)
Battlefield 1943
Downloadable-only MP game in vein of original Battlefield 1942.
Burn Zombie Burn
Indie action game. PlayStation 3 version scored 8.3 at IGN
Sky Gods
A tactical shooter from BlackfootStudios(made by Red Storm veterans), bassicaly this is a smaller game that will provide funding for Ground Branch as well as be a testing ground for the tech and gameplay ideas,
A New Beginning
Postal 3
Project Owlboy
Retro platformer
The Testament of Sherlock Holmes
Skulls of the Shogun
Turn based strategy game from ex-EALA developers.
Off-Road Drive
Off road racing simulator.
Captized
Baitiful indie retro platformer.
Toki Arcade
High res remake of the classic arcade game
Source - "Reasons to be a PC Gamer" [http://www.pcgamingfan.com/]
As for the Hardware debate. In no way shape and form can your phone, your laptop or your console provide the same high fidelity experience that a modern desktop can.
Desktops have better visuals, audio and overall performance. Heck the basic gaming desktop of today is easily a generation ahead of the console. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.247185-Crytek-PCs-Are-a-Generation-Ahead-of-Consoles]
If graphics, sound and data storage did not matter, we would all still be playing Space Invaders.
Edit: Corrected generation gap and provided a link to the article. My old memory is not as good as it used to be.
