PC games going out?

[NeutralDrow]

Bah. My games certainly aren't going out of style.

Spoiler

Probably 'cause they're a niche market anyway, granted, but still.

always wanted to give games like that a try but I could never find any (not that I was looking very hard)

Some are available to buy, the ones that have been officially translated into English. Then there are games like <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.128851>this one that are pretty much only available by torrent, which have fan translations.

I do recommend that one a lot if you ever get curious enough to look for it. Or <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.135672>this one for a slightly different genre (and which has an official translation by Peach Princess).

 

[Saris Kai]

2. Its cheaper and easier to make console games because they are typically smaller and have less interactivity than PC games.

That's the stupidest thing I've heard all day. Granted, it's only 3am, but still.
How is there any difference between the potential size of a PS3/360 game and a PC game? I mean, theoretically, you COULD have a massive game taking up 100's of GB on the PC, but there's no game on the PC that couldn't theoretically be ported to the consoles. Blind elitism makes me sad, and I'm a PC gamer (apparently)

Way to think inside the box

Modding and Keyboard vs. controller, thats how.

Modding: Lets look at Oblivion as an example since its both on PC and Console. As a console game its pretty limited even with the option of DLC but on the PC there is exponentially more you can do with the game. If someone really wanted they could make a Pokemon total conversion mod using it *stops a minute to laugh at that idea*. This allows the game to grow far beyond what its sold at on a level DLC simply can't.

Keyboard: More inputs = theoreticlly more interactivity if the designers want it

 

[the_maestro_sartori]

I used to work in a game-store and out of some sense of misguided loyalty, I generally buy my games from there, about a month ago I noticed exactly this and asked where all the PC games had gone and why, the answer I got was "I figure that the business has realised that someone with hardware strong enough to run Crysis, has probably got the internet, and if so, is that person more likely to come down to the store in the cold and pissing down rain, or buy the game online?"

*shrugs*

 

[Saris Kai]

1. The lowest common denominator of gamer culture are console gamers who wouldn't know a good game from a bad one if it kicked them in the face (looks at whats happened with the Wii). These people will buy crap so why bother making any better or more complex.
2. Its cheaper and easier to make console games because they are typically smaller and have less interactivity than PC games.

Ahh just because of this subject you had to be a jerk and diss console gamers? Maybe YOU
need a kick in the head.

I didnt say all console gamers are the lowest common denominator, it just so happens the lowest common denominator are mostly console gamers. You know, all those Wii owners buying shovelware I mentioned, way to get emotional and attack me because you couldn't see my point...

Speaking of lowest common denominators... not understanding a point and responding with aggression...

 

[thiosk]

i am not particularly interested in buying games from stores anymore.

I lose the disks, i lose the booklets, i lose the activation codes--

steam is my *****. Steam has taken all the trouble out of PC gaming. You used to need to be quite adept at navigating system requirements, driver conflicts, and patch installs-- now, steam does the vast majority of the work for you, and solves the single biggest problem with DRM: install limits and obtrusive spyware.

1. The lowest common denominator of gamer culture are console gamers who wouldn't know a good game from a bad one if it kicked them in the face (looks at whats happened with the Wii). These people will buy crap so why bother making any better or more complex.
2. Its cheaper and easier to make console games because they are typically smaller and have less interactivity than PC games.

Ahh just because of this subject you had to be a jerk and diss console gamers? Maybe YOU
need a kick in the head.

I didnt say all console gamers are the lowest common denominator, it just so happens the lowest common denominator are mostly console gamers. You know, all those Wii owners buying shovelware I mentioned, way to get emotional and attack me because you couldn't see my point...

Speaking of lowest common denominators... not understanding a point and responding with aggression...

To be fair, most games on all systems that have ever been made are shovelware.

I mean, go into any store and you will find stacks and stacks and stacks of garbage.

The wii has gotten attention for the cooking mamas and the party games and etc, but it has many high quality titles as well.

 

[NeutralDrow]

Bah. My games certainly aren't going out of style.

Spoiler

Probably 'cause they're a niche market anyway, granted, but still.

always wanted to give games like that a try but I could never find any (not that I was looking very hard)

Some are available to buy, the ones that have been officially translated into English. Then there are games like <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.128851>this one that are pretty much only available by torrent, which have fan translations.

I do recommend that one a lot if you ever get curious enough to look for it. Or <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.135672>this one for a slightly different genre (and which has an official translation by Peach Princess).

thanks a lot if you have any other recommendations for me ill love to hear them.

Well, I do have some other reviews out (linked in those reviews), but for personal recommendations, I have to go with Fate/Stay Night (seriously, awesome game) and Kanon (which I'm currently writing a review on). Both of them require torrent/download and translation patches (by Mirror Moon and Non-Directional Translations, respectively).

Others I haven't played (yet) but heard good things about are things like Clannad (fan translated), Family Project, and Kana: Little Sister (both official releases). We've actually got <url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/groups/view/Visual-Novels>a user group, if you were interested.

 

[blankedboy]

I can see three things wrong with that image.

Three? I only see two...

Doom, Counter-Strike and Half-life.

 

[Evil Tim]

You can't take computer games back? Not once the box is opened because of how easy it would be to just go in, buy a game, install it and get the money back.

Well, more to do with selling a game with the same CD Key to multiple people because of that.

 

[xDarc]

There was a time during the 90's where hardly any zombie movies were made. There were a few obscure ones. The last big one was the night of the living dead remake in 90'. Now look at what happened after 28 days later in the early 2000's. Zombie explosion.

PC games will be back.

Especially with better hardware becoming cheaper.

At some point in the future, even a cell phone will be capable of playing crysis. At that point you have to wonder what purpose consoles will serve.

 

[NoNameMcgee]

I just buy games on Ebay or Steam... (Preferably Ebay because Steam and I have a very love/hate relationship) and I can get pretty much anything that way. So it's not a problem for me as a PC gamer at all.

There are also some great deals on Ebay for new & sealed games being sold for about half the price it costs to buy them in stores (I'm serious, check it out. at least this is the case on Australian Ebay) so there's basically no point in me even entering a game shop anymore.. Only downside is waiting for the item to arrive and putting my trust in Ebay sellers, though I've not had any big issues with that yet.

As for games not actually being released for PC. Bullshit! Almost all of the best games that are out on the 360 are also out on the PC, or come out on the PC shortly after. Yes, we don't get quite as many games as console users, but if you want moar games just do what I do and buy a last-gen console as well. But yeah the 'PC gaming is dying' stuff has been going on for a long time and its total rubbish, PC gaming is a slower biz but we still get enough great titles unless you're the kind of person who's life revolves around gaming and you need a new game every day of the week, we do fine and we always will do fine.

I don't think a lot of console gamers really realise that we have access to most of their favourite titles on our PC's... Yes guys I finished Gears Of War, Mass Effect (and soon Mass Effect 2), Assassin's Creed (soon Assassin's Creed 2) Halo 1 & 2 (which were both shit though... oh and Halo 3 will be out on PC soon I believe), Bioshock, Resident Evil 5, DMC4, etc etc etccc... all with a mouse and keyboard

 

[Nurb]

I just want a hardcopy of the game I buy, is that so wrong?

 

[matumba]

Modding: Lets look at Oblivion as an example since its both on PC and Console. As a console game its pretty limited even with the option of DLC but on the PC there is exponentially more you can do with the game. If someone really wanted they could make a Pokemon total conversion mod using it *stops a minute to laugh at that idea*. This allows the game to grow far beyond what its sold at on a level DLC simply can't.

Keyboard: More inputs = theoreticlly more interactivity if the designers want it

Oddly enough I recall once seeing a mod on the Elderscroll forums that let you capture npcs in Pokeballs and when you released them they would fight for you.

 

[Aesir23]

I know what you mean, my local EB once had an section of wall dedicated to PC games, now PC games just get a corner. It's not that there aren't any good games being produced for the PC, it's that more people play on consoles so stores sell more console games than they do PC games.

1. The lowest common denominator of gamer culture are console gamers who wouldn't know a good game from a bad one if it kicked them in the face (looks at whats happened with the Wii). These people will buy crap so why bother making any better or more complex.

Did you mean console gamers in general, or just console gamers who can't tell a the difference between quality and crap?

 

[DazZ.]

You can't take computer games back? Not once the box is opened because of how easy it would be to just go in, buy a game, install it and get the money back.

Well, more to do with selling a game with the same CD Key to multiple people because of that.

I didn't know there was a retail PC games chart of why they don't allow refunds, I thought it was for a number of reasons but didn't put them into any specific order.

 

[Steeveeo]

EDIT: Also, if you pay to download a game, what happens if the damn thing doesn't work? Can you send it back and get your money back via online? I think its easier to buy in a store, get a reciept and be able to take it back easily with no risks.

No store I know of will take back a game for lack of satisfaction. If the disk came marred, yeah, they would replace it, but if the game just sucks, you're SOL.

 

[Xaryn Mar]

To those who wants the disk (as I usually do) there is also amazon. They sell games on disks.

 

[sirdanrhodes]

Sorry had to do it. PC gaming is not dying as you may think. It's just less profitable for stores to keep them. Besides my local Game and Gamestation still have shelves with PC games. A lot of people buy online nowadays anyway.

My local Gamestation has one tiny rack for PC games now.