Why is PC gaming "dead"?

[Danceofmasks]

I've always kind of hoped Microsoft would release a solution that breaks the barrier between the 360 and a PC.

They were experimenting with getting Gears 2 games that combined 360 and PC players ...
During playtesting, they found that having a kb+mouse is such a huge advantage mediocre PC players were dominating elite 360 players.

Now, rather than fine tuning their system (not that I'm suggesting this as an option, but making a mouse for the 360 wouldn't be rocketscience), they decided it's too hard and tossed the idea in the bin.

 

[m72_ar]

Because growing market = PC gaming is dying right.

Most games sold on PC are rapidly moving toward digital distribution and those sales are not accounted by NPD. And guess where all the Doomsayers are getting their sales number from.

Only Valve, Stardock, Direct 2 Drive etc, know how strong PC gaming actually is and they're not telling.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

News like Space Marine on the PC instead of being a console exclusive helps that fact. *Hi Fives Relic.

You know I have a theory that Relic always wanted to have Space Marine on the PC as well but had a little bit of a problem convincing THQ that an action title rather than a new DoW installment would fly with PC gamers, hence them getting word out early that it was console exclusive to stir up enough of a shitstorm from existing Relic fans that THQ had to take notice... and right or wrong, it's still a good theory.

The other cool thing about Space Marine coming to PC is that maybe having that IP to scratch their 'action' itch, future DoW installments will go back to their proper RTS roots.

I just hope it's a good game, so it can spawn a few sequels, multiplayer and DLC. After all, we all want to play as one of the most original and badass Space Marines right?

Yeah but I suppose I can put up with playing Ultrasmurfs.

And I supposed as an old DarkEmos player I should just be glad it wasn't the Space Puppies.

I also can see truth in that theory. It isn't like Relic to ditch their entire existing fanbase.
I swear in the really early days of Dawn of War 2 production (was in their community forum) they said 'We're going to revisit the original Dawn of War games later' or something similar.

Once you look at Space Marine, DoW2 almost looks as if it was done as a 'proof of concept' that they could do more action oriented stuff with their new engine.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Only Valve, Stardock, Direct 2 Drive etc, know how strong PC gaming actually is and they're not telling.

Why would they? It's not like it's not in their best interest to keep feeding the idea that there's no money is selling PC games in bricks and mortar stores.

 

[ENKC]

Someone get the picture!

Yessir!

I think the picture could stand some updating.

I mean, people hated Spore, what with the DRM and all that...

More Importantly, DNF needs to lose the question mark.

Careful bro, it hasn't been released yet. Counting chickens and all that.

And really, proclaiming PC gaming dead is much the same as declaring rock and roll dead. That is to say hyperbole from people with nothing to back it up.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Someone get the picture!

Yessir!

I wonder when someone will make an upgraded version of that picture, since that picture is about 3 years old.

I'm waiting until there's enough successful titles by Eastern European developers to replace all the games in the pic.

 

[LightOfDarkness]

Someone get the picture!

Yessir!

It's time to shop out that question mark in the corner!

On Topic: To "do it right" you don't need a monstrosity capable of curing cancer while convincing Microsoft to give you free stuff, you just need to have a little know-how and keep your ear to the ground for, example, when a new series of *COMPONENT HERE* is launched, leading to the inevitable price drop of the previous series.

 

[viranimus]

CircumSnip

Well, I wasnt trying to imply that It is dead, just two of the major factors on why people who think PC gaming is dying think that. Honestly its illogical any way you look at it, so one guess is as good as any as to why. I think a part of it is at one time Console games and PC games followed different styles completely. Now that isnt the case.

Holy *** was i suprised when i found just cause 2 for 7$ instead of 60$.
i have yet to buy anything for a console ever since. Its just so much more expensive

Its cheaper because Steam is basically legitimized piracy, and the fact that you dont own anything you buy via steam. You cant modify the software when times change and apply a fix that the original manufacturer never took the time to make, And if you read the fine print You account can be banned at the discression of steam and thus cut off from all your purchases without refund.

Incoming WoT: Steam

Spoiler

And doubling back now, Part of the reason why steam is legitimized piracy. They pay the publishers of the game for the rights to digitally distribute the game, But Do you really think once an arrangement is settled on price that steam will divulge actual copies sold via steam to the distributor and give them accurate payments? Also Steam doesnt pay things like distribution related costs because there is no cost associated with making a copy.

Honestly Steam does vastly more damage to the industry than Piracy could ever dream of doing. Steam is not the benevolent gaming benefactors people have made them out to be. If youve made copys of a game to sell in retail stores that when purchased ensure you will make X amount back you know what your getting back and you have more ability to control the decline of value over time. However the lucrative notion of making a profit on a game without having to pay for distribution costs lures developers in and when you have a juggernaut like steam it gives them the clout over the industry (much like how wal-mart does against its vendors) to give the distributor the ability to dictate pricing over the manufacturer. If youve got a physical copy of a game like say the witcher selling new in stores for 20$, Im sure CDprojekt enjoys knowing that people are buying it off steam for 1 day for 5$. Also, these kind of sales shift where the money goes diminishing retail stores ability to keep up because people will buy digitally instead of physical because they know it wont be long before another sale for their game goes up, thus diminishing the overall profit possible from each copy sold.

All this and given the fact that people accept this digital distribution as a good thing for the industry these practices are encouraged and strangling the life out of the industry a thousand fold worse than what piracy could ever hope to do. Think about it, would you rather loose 2000 copies of your game selling at 50$ or sell 100,000 copies of your game at 20 which is a 30$ reduction and a 5-10$ per copy loss on the item. Way im seeing it thats 100k for piracy lost vs 3million lost for digital distribution. Honestly, which is worse for the industry?

Steam does do some good things. Steam HAS helped prop up the more indie and smaller circuit of developers which is a good thing for the industry for variation. It also does allow people to in effect long term rent games at a diminished cost, But make no mistake, Steam IS hurting the industry. But they are at least doing it in favor of PC over consoles.

But back on track, Its not dead, its not in danger of dying, and people need to actually look at the facts and clarify their speech before saying something like its dying.

 

[gunheads]

PC gaming has outdone everything else this year by quite a wide margin, Its coming back to strength now.

 

[The Night Shade]

It isn't and PC gaming will never die

 

[Nouw]

News like Space Marine on the PC instead of being a console exclusive helps that fact. *Hi Fives Relic.

You know I have a theory that Relic always wanted to have Space Marine on the PC as well but had a little bit of a problem convincing THQ that an action title rather than a new DoW installment would fly with PC gamers, hence them getting word out early that it was console exclusive to stir up enough of a shitstorm from existing Relic fans that THQ had to take notice... and right or wrong, it's still a good theory.

The other cool thing about Space Marine coming to PC is that maybe having that IP to scratch their 'action' itch, future DoW installments will go back to their proper RTS roots.

I just hope it's a good game, so it can spawn a few sequels, multiplayer and DLC. After all, we all want to play as one of the most original and badass Space Marines right?

Yeah but I suppose I can put up with playing Ultrasmurfs.

And I supposed as an old DarkEmos player I should just be glad it wasn't the Space Puppies.

I also can see truth in that theory. It isn't like Relic to ditch their entire existing fanbase.
I swear in the really early days of Dawn of War 2 production (was in their community forum) they said 'We're going to revisit the original Dawn of War games later' or something similar.

Once you look at Space Marine, DoW2 almost looks as if it was done as a 'proof of concept' that they could do more action oriented stuff with their new engine.

Mmmhmm... their 'test' chapter always wins damn it! I long for Blood Angels although they got their share bit of fame with Space Hulk but I was too young damn it!

We can only wait...

It isn't and PC gaming will never die

Awesome avatar good sir!

 

[Samus Aaron]

Someone get the picture!

Yessir!

I think the picture could stand some updating.

Yeah, a lot of updating in fact. It doesn't really present a good case for PC gaming anymore. Very few of these are truly exceptional PC-exclusive games. And more than half of the games were made in the 20th century.

OP: PC gaming is never going to be "dead" (and what does that even mean anyway?). The "N-Gage" is dead. The Virtual Boy is dead. It would be pretty difficult to make something as useful as a PC dead. PC gaming is just on the decline, what with all the rampant piracy and consoles being more popular. Although Steam is really...*puts on sunglasses*... picking up steam...
YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

 

[ApeShapeDeity]

Hahahahahah!

I don't even need to read the posts to know you're experiencing serious hate waves from PC gamers!

 

[faceless chick]

it's dead in the same sense the radio is dead.
not that it's "defunct", but that it's gone down the drain from the #1 gaming platform to a second thought that MAYBE would be a good secondary release for big titles or a refuge for a special kind of market like rts and rpg.

otherwise, the consoles have replaced it on most developers list.

 

[MEEBO17]

I dont think its dead, but it'll probably be dead when the futuristic super-consoles that make you pizza come out in about a decade

 

[e2density]

It's not.



Yeah, that's really all I have to say to that. I am playing TF2 in the ever expanding competitive playerbase (which isn't shrinking, without a doubt, in fact ESEA seems to have more and more teams every year register)

And to top that off, I recently added Starcraft 2 to my game library, which I feel has a good 6-10 years in it, if it lasts as well as Starcraft 1.

I think idiots came under the impression PC gaming was dying because the lack of Q4 titles that hit the PC. Black Ops wasn't a PC exclusive, but we're about to get into the good stuff, with Portal 2 just around the corner, Bioshock Expansions, and Bad Company Vietnam (btw, Bad Company 2 for PC is still going strong with no end in sight...too bad the games nearing it's death as we speak as far as consoles.)

And on that last note, PC games are played a lot LONGER than Xbox/PS3 games. No one really hears about PC games because PC games last forever...lots of people still play Modern Warfare 1, and it's as good as dead in console land...

 

[Vault101]

heres somthing

assasins creed
Batman arkham asylum
borderlands
bioshock 1
bioshock 2
Dreagon age
dead space
darksiders
Half life
portal
mass effect 1
mass effect 2
oblivion
the witcher
saints row 2
fallout 3
fallout new vega
far cry 2
F.E.A.R. 2

all the ones I can remeber buyign this year none of them are MMO'S or online and I got them all retail,

 

[Denamic]

It's not dead, but it is smaller than console gaming.

No it's not.
It's bigger than all the consoles put together.

 

[Some_weirdGuy]

If by 'dead' you mean having a large influx of zombie related titles and content, then I completely agree.

 

[Danceofmasks]

If by 'dead' you mean having a large influx of zombie related titles and content, then I completely agree.

Haha .. or vampire movies, books, and TV shows ... undead is so "in" right now.