PC games going out?

[ResiEvalJohn]

Look at it this way, every new game that comes out these days always has an Xbox360 version, a PS3 version, and a PC version. If you buy the PC version, you have to constantly worry about how much memory your computer has, what kind of graphics card you have, and all that crap. It's much simpler to buy a system like the PS3, and everything is taken care of manually.

If you have a degree in computer science, then I'm sure you prefer PC for being able to play with all those resolution options, Mods, custom level designs, and etc. However, the average gamer just wants to sit down with a controller in hand and kick some ass mindlessly for a few hours. This is the unfortunate trend for PC people.

Athough Starcraft 2 is probably the last game PC owners can rejoice about. RTS games never work well with console controllers after all. Too many hotkeys.

 

[Obrien Xp]

PC gaming isn't dying, its just changing.

Now it seems to be mostly dominated by MMORPGS, and most purchases are going DL purchase nowadays anyways. If you still want a nice shiny box with a manual and a disk (speeds up install) then you'll have to either order it in via store, look elsewhere, or buy it directly from the company in a box.

I see games in there that are still going strong (in PC that is, most are now stronger on Console):
Ultima
Warcraft
Command & Conquer
Quake
Civilization (soon to be on Facebook lol)
Fallout (xfire has a huge community)
Starcraft
Half-Life (again its on xfire)
Baldur's Gate
IL2
Farcry (xfire has community)
World of Warcraft
Guild Wars
Company of Heroes (ditto)
Crysis (just to see what your rig can handle)
Spore
Bioshock (ditto)

 

[BloodSquirrel]

Look at it this way, every new game that comes out these days always has an Xbox360 version, a PS3 version, and a PC version. If you buy the PC version, you have to constantly worry about how much memory your computer has, what kind of graphics card you have, and all that crap. It's much simpler to buy a system like the PS3, and everything is taken care of manually.

If you have a degree in computer science, then I'm sure you prefer PC for being able to play with all those resolution options, Mods, custom level designs, and etc. However, the average gamer just wants to sit down with a controller in hand and kick some ass mindlessly for a few hours. This is the unfortunate trend for PC people.

Athough Starcraft 2 is probably the last game PC owners can rejoice about. RTS games never work well with console controllers after all. Too many hotkeys.

Actually, now that they're making PS3 and 360 versions of everything, not many games tax PC hardware much anymore. A top of the line system when then PS3 came out should still be able to run pretty much any PC game, even if you have to turn the resolution down a bit.

 

[Void(null)]

We PC Gamers have the Internet, and vast hordes of people wanting to sell us via digital distribution.

Steam, Impulse, GamersGate & GOG all make Gamestop obsolete.

Avoid direct2drive...

 

[blankedboy]

I can see three things wrong with that image.

Three? I only see two...

Doom, Counter-Strike and Half-life.

You would consider those bad? The problems I see are "Duke Nukem Forever" and "Spore"...

No, I consider Doom, CS and HL good. I'm saying that they're not 'dead', they're ALLIIIVE.

 

[lacktheknack]

I can see three things wrong with that image.

Three? I only see two...

Doom, Counter-Strike and Half-life.

You would consider those bad? The problems I see are "Duke Nukem Forever" and "Spore"...

No, I consider Doom, CS and HL good. I'm saying that they're not 'dead', they're ALLIIIVE.

Ahh, I gotcha. Although you may note the airquotes around "dying".

 

[blankedboy]

I can see three things wrong with that image.

Three? I only see two...

Doom, Counter-Strike and Half-life.

You would consider those bad? The problems I see are "Duke Nukem Forever" and "Spore"...

No, I consider Doom, CS and HL good. I'm saying that they're not 'dead', they're ALLIIIVE.

Ahh, I gotcha. Although you may note the airquotes around "dying".

I'm pretty sure that marks a metaphor, but oh well.

EDIT: Quote pyramid FTL. :/

 

[webgurupc]

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.

Yes you can. In Australia it is illegal to display "no refund" type signs, or have them in the terms of a contract unless it is a "No refund unless goods are faulty" type sign.

If the product is faulty the purchaser is entitled to a refund, replacement, or repair, at the stores choosing.

Software is not exempt.

 

[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.

Yes you can. In Australia it is illegal to display "no refund" type signs, or have them in the terms of a contract unless it is a "No refund unless goods are faulty" type sign.

If the product is faulty the purchaser is entitled to a refund, replacement, or repair, at the stores choosing.

Software is not exempt.

Even if it's not faulty? If so none of you can complain about game ratings seeing as you can get all your games for free anyway.

 

[BENZOOKA]

OP's story was scary.

-snip-a-pic-
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.

I agree with this one.

 

[webgurupc]

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.

Yes you can. In Australia it is illegal to display "no refund" type signs, or have them in the terms of a contract unless it is a "No refund unless goods are faulty" type sign.

If the product is faulty the purchaser is entitled to a refund, replacement, or repair, at the stores choosing.

Software is not exempt.

Even if it's not faulty? If so none of you can complain about game ratings seeing as you can get all your games for free anyway.

I could get really law technical here but as I stated above "No Returns UNLESS GOODS ARE FAULTY". So the consumer legislation exists to protect the consumer in the case of faulty goods, or where the goods do not meet the specified description or purpose.
An example may may be where the consumer has a computer that matches or betters the specs on the box but the program still will not work or do what it says it will.
A consumer could NOT return a purchased item just because they changed their mind.

 

[DemonicVixen]

Today i visited my local Gamestation store and to my horror they had no PC games at all. Not even one shelf dedicated to them. I know the numbers have been going down lately but it seems Wii, Xbox, PS3 and Nintendo have taken over. All i can afford are computer games. I have no other console. Every Game or Gamestation store i have visited in the past have only have one section or less dedicated towards PC games.

So my question to you Escapists is why are computer games so bad that they are dying out and why are the shops seeming to get rid of them from their shelves?

they are NOT. its moving digital. they dont have to worry about physical copies. they can get a master file and copy that. digital is just BETTER. only consoles are stuck with retail store-clunkiness. jesus christ ahve you LOOKED at how much steam exploded and how best buy's game selection decreased? valve practically OWNS digital distribution.

Yeah and it is driving me crazy. I hate doing anything online due to fraud and malfunctions that the internet provide. Even signing up to the Escapist took my mate three weeks because the confirmation email never came through even after she tried again using her other email address. Eventually i contacted the support people and they were able to activate it almost immediatly for her.
Imagine if i ordered a game online and the thing never came. Its so much more hassel then walking into a store, buying the game you want and having the ability to take it back if necessary. (Oh and i have had problems when it came to ordering games online once before. I had been given an activation key that didnt work. Never did get the correct one even though i complained several times. I know the game was only £3 but that wasnt the point.)

 

[TelHybrid]

Digital distribution. /thread

 

[Not Good]

Spoiler: Don't be sad

[http://img23.imageshack.us/i/faildf.jpg/]

 

[Georgeman]

PC gaming is not dying and will never die. As long as it is a platform free of the licenses usually involved for developers to make their own games PC gaming might change, but it won't die. Even if Wii and DS combined together died, PC games would still survive in a form perhaps different than the one we haven been used to.

And we're heading that way it seems. What with few PC exclusive games, various nefarious schemes devised by the developers to wrestle control over a game's ownership from a gamer, removal of features that were once taken for granted (dedicated servers, Lan, single-player without internet connection, modding), I can't see the PC gaming remaining the same.

In the end, those companies might choose to abandon PC gaming in order to focus entirely on the consoles. That still doesn't mean that the PC will die. Perhaps, small companies, free from competition against the big ones, might come forth to dominate it. Perhaps, independent developers will make it big on the PC and create their own publishing companies.

 

[Super_Nintendo_Chalmers]

I just clicked on this thread, thinking it was something new.
But no, I'd already looked at it a month ago.
Weird.

 

[coldshadow]

simple, if people are buying online and not from stores then there is not profit to be made in getting the games in at the stores. sure theyre are still some who buy PC games at the store, but not enaugh to make a proper profit.

 

[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.

Yes you can. In Australia it is illegal to display "no refund" type signs, or have them in the terms of a contract unless it is a "No refund unless goods are faulty" type sign.

If the product is faulty the purchaser is entitled to a refund, replacement, or repair, at the stores choosing.

Software is not exempt.

Even if it's not faulty? If so none of you can complain about game ratings seeing as you can get all your games for free anyway.

I could get really law technical here but as I stated above "No Returns UNLESS GOODS ARE FAULTY". So the consumer legislation exists to protect the consumer in the case of faulty goods, or where the goods do not meet the specified description or purpose.
An example may may be where the consumer has a computer that matches or betters the specs on the box but the program still will not work or do what it says it will.
A consumer could NOT return a purchased item just because they changed their mind.

Simply just say your computer can't run it then, and free game for you. You couldn't go in the same place again though unless you say you've upgraded every time.