PC Gaming is Thriving!

[Alexridiculous]

If you haven't seen it, MovieBob's Big Picture this week talks about PC gaming as a dying platform. I myself am an avid PC gamer who couldn't disagree more. However, just because we share opposite opinions doesn't mean we can't have some intelligent discussion. Here are my reasons why I believe PC gaming is doing better than ever:

2011 has one of the largest selections of multiplatform games available to the PC I've seen for a long time.
PCs are cheaper to put together than ever, thanks to the current generation of consoles holding back graphics technology.
Steam has made downloading games and playing with your friends simple, fast, and inexpensive.
Steam has also opened up the PC to independent developers who now have an avenue for players to play their games.

I've also put together my argument in a video format, which you can check out here:

What do you guys think about PC gaming?

 

[Woodsey]

Yes, it is thriving.

And Bob's video was constructed with poor logic and a lack of information (likely to support his own stupid conclusion).

And the Escapist's news room has taken to producing snide, uninformative and/or downright lying (possibly all 3) articles.

One more strike and I'll be writing the website a very stern letter with my new calligraphy set. Its got flowers on you know.

 

[Flamma Man]

Good points against Bob, just hope this doesn't get taken down for "advertising" again.

 

[-AC80-]

you put this together excellently and it made a good valid point for PC's. All we need now is cheaper and better hardware and then we can wait until we hit the maximum our computers can reach and then we wait for superconducting/quantum computers. YAY PC!!!

 

[Alexridiculous]

Good points against Bob, just hope this doesn't get taken down for "advertising" again.

I've been given some guidelines by the mods on how to make a better thread encouraging discussion of gaming rather than the video.

 

[Madman123456]

Moviebobs video has very little room for interpretation. He pretty much stamps certain properties onto a machine that pretty much lives on having no defines property. The PC can be small, it can be large, it can be used to store all your movies and music so the shelves full of DVDs and CDs can be placed in the basement. It can be used to play on a TV, with no-dvd patches you don't even have to pop in the game everytime.
PCs can be cheap, PCs can be expensive.
That is pretty much the one defining feature of the PC, it can be pretty much everything.
Moviebob ignores that and stamps properties onto the PC as platform. Maybe his machine has those, mine does not. My Machine has Properties i wanted it to have. Well, some of them, it doesn't dispense steaks. Yet.

Also he fails to acknowledge that the PC has been "dying" since 1985. Whats different now?

One might argue that a future awaits us where there are no more PC exclusives and games for the PC are released only after they have been converted from the console versions.
Which would be pretty easy if you're going from Xbox version.

If this "second hand" flow of games eventually grinds to a halt, which i think is rather unlikely, why would a company not make a PC version of their game to earn some more money after all, it will take time. Quite a lot of it.

And then we will be in the unforeseeable future, in which consoles are just as likely to die out as PC gaming, as far as we know we could have different all purpose devices which do everything.


One should at least acknowledge other possibilities here.
Moviebob doesn't.
Also, the title is poorly chosen. He knew that this would spawn flames.

In my Opinion, this would be against the forum Rules because of obvious flamebait posting.

After the "hear me out first" came not much but arguments that so obviously don't hold water its painful.


I'm sorry to say that, but i rather dislike the number of threads and posts made about this Video. Because you are feeding the Troll.

 

[Alexridiculous]

I'd like to think that the people who are raging about Bob's opinion is 'feeding the troll', whereas openly discussing the future of the platform is a much more constructive use of the forums

 

[Wolfram23]

Sweet Antec 300 case

Anyway, definitely agree with all counter arguments you provided. And it doesn't even mention some of the other various "bonuses" to gaming on PC like, of course, modding and adding content to games for free (specifically user generated content).

 

[Hector Haddow]

i agree with alex here the pc has never been stronger although it has been severly weakend (cripled?) in the 'mainstream' front due to what i see as over hype of piracy (it is easyer to do on a pc as no hardware mods are required) although i expect that most 'pirates' probably would not buy/pay for most the games/films/music they download as either they cant aford to or they dont see at as worth the cost

however the non mainstreem is thriveing especaly on the indi front with dwarffort and minecraft along with the retro games how any people have replayed system shock 2, deus ex or halflife resentaly

in fact most of the mainstreem losses were due to exsessive drm where assassins creed 2 was aparently easier to pirate that to play legt

 

[Alexridiculous]

Sweet Antec 300 case

Anyway, definitely agree with all counter arguments you provided. And it doesn't even mention some of the other various "bonuses" to gaming on PC like, of course, modding and adding content to games for free (specifically user generated content).

Agreed, words can't describe how much better Oblivion and Fallout 3 were with mods. Todd Howard is one of my Dev Gods

 

[DeeWiz]

Actually Bob is correct. PC gaming as we know it is going to be gone in 10-20 years or so (as well as the console model as well). I doubt it will be the cloud, until broadband is cheap and available to all, but it will be something more of a single box that replaces everything in you family room. Think about we are almost already there, current consoles to netflix and internet, add the rest of the functionality of a pc and bam the mid-range market, i.e. 90% of the buyers, will buy into that. Change to some nex-gen ATX form (bios has reached its limit, 32-bit is past its limit) were changing components is as easy as swapping out a disc (true plug and play), maybe with a nice independant rating system. This is possible because everything is becoming a PC (phone, consoles, etc.) and electronics are quick aproaching disposable levels, i.e. cheap enough to just toss and grab a new one like dvd players where $500 and are now $20 or less. 1080p TVs, monitor resolution will also help move the family computer into the entertainment device.

Bob was right, PC gaming is dying, long live PC gaming. PCs are gonna to take over, no more dedicated devices, but the PC will change as well into something that Joe Blow can use and plug into his tv.

Oh and if don't believe it look at Japan. I currently live here and most families do not own a PC, they use their cells phones and maybe have a laptop. If they want to game its a PSP/DS with this current gen of consoles not reaching close to the penetration levels of the PS2. Basically everyone gets their own device in the future... come on bionic implants.

 

[moretimethansense]

Actually Bob is correct. PC gaming as we know it is going to be gone in 10-20 years or so (as well as the console model as well). I doubt it will be the cloud, until broadband is cheap and available to all, but it will be something more of a single box that replaces everything in you family room. Think about we are almost already there, current consoles to netflix and internet, add the rest of the functionality of a pc and bam the mid-range market, i.e. 90% of the buyers, will buy into that. Change to some nex-gen ATX form (bios has reached its limit, 32-bit is past its limit) were changing components is as easy as swapping out a disc (true plug and play), maybe with a nice independant rating system. This is possible because everything is becoming a PC (phone, consoles, etc.) and electronics are quick aproaching disposable levels, i.e. cheap enough to just toss and grab a new one like dvd players where $500 and are now $20 or less. 1080p TVs, monitor resolution will also help move the family computer into the entertainment device.

Bob was right, PC gaming is dying, long live PC gaming. PCs are gonna to take over, no more dedicated devices, but the PC will change as well into something that Joe Blow can use and plug into his tv.

Oh and if don't believe it look at Japan. I currently live here and most families do not own a PC, they use their cells phones and maybe have a laptop. If they want to game its a PSP/DS with this current gen of consoles not reaching close to the penetration levels of the PS2. Basically everyone gets their own device in the future... come on bionic implants.

Sorry but unless all companies everywhere are absorbed in to a single conglomarate consoles will never die out, nor will PCs, they will certainly change but never die.

Also, PC gaming never was all that popular in Japan compared to the west, you can't look at one nation's preferances and declare "way of the future!" it just doesn't work that way.

 

[Flying-Emu]

I've said for years that the future of PC gaming depends on the indie market.

I maintain that statement. The best games that are PC-exclusive don't come from big publishers like EA, they come from little guys like Mojang and Frictional entertainment.

 

[Dorian]

Moviebob has about as much relevance of saying PC gaming is dying as I do of saying the current Russian politicians are better or worse than they were ten years ago.
ie, none, as neither of us have any damn knowledge of our respective categories.

Spoiler: Unrelated: Captcha wat

 

[Alexridiculous]

Moviebob has about as much relevance of saying PC gaming is dying as I do of saying the current Russian politicians are better or worse than they were ten years ago.
ie, none, as neither of us have any damn knowledge of our respective categories.

Let's try to keep the discussion about the future of PCs and less about MovieBob's video.

Also, white text inside spoiler below picture.
Edit- removed for being called out on it

 

[AT God]

As long as PC gaming doesn't disappear, I am fine with it not being mainstream. I hope developers do develope games for both console and PC, but need to do a good job porting them, take a hint Bulletstorm. On the PC, I may jinx myself but I have noticed far less annoying children than that on the consoles. Also, I didn't grow up on the PC, I switched from console to PC during the PS2 era and haven't looked back, my only regret is I cannot play some of my favorite series sequels like God of War or the annoyingly addicting Zelda games.

 

[Alexridiculous]

Let's try to keep the discussion about the future of PCs and less about MovieBob's video.

Then why the fuck did you mention it in the very first sentence?

Context? Look if you want to bash Bob's opinion you can do so in the comment thread for his video.

 

[Dorian]

Spoiler

Context? Look if you want to bash Bob's opinion you can do so in the comment thread for his video.

If you don't want people to talk about the damn subject, then don't include it in the fucking posts.

From what I see, all you're doing is listing evidence to contradict his statement until you toss out the generic "wut u think" sentence so you don't get hammered from a no-discussion thread. So why don't you follow you're own bloody advice and comment in his thread?[footnote]Moderator Edit: Rude Post.[/footnote]

 

[DeeWiz]

Sorry but unless all companies everywhere are absorbed in to a single conglomarate consoles will never die out, nor will PCs, they will certainly change but never die.

Also, PC gaming never was all that popular in Japan compared to the west, you can't look at one nation's preferances and declare "way of the future!" it just doesn't work that way.

The change is exactly what both I and Bob are talking about. Both current forms of each are gonna to change into something new. Gamers cannot keep splitting its user base so much. It be like having VHS, DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-ray all be equal and trying to compete with each other, and you could only make your movie for some of them!! Movies could not survive like that and neither can gaming.

And I am not looking at one nation and declaring "Future" I am using they're change in this generation of gamers as an example of how things cannot stay the same and will change. That example is a possible future of samll "smart" device for everyone and maybe a dedicated "everything" box for the tv, i.e. games, movies, tv, all on one box.

As a hardcore PC gamer for longer than the average escapist user has been alive, believe when I say I love me my PC gaming. Is Bob completely in touch with PC gaming? No. but he is correct when he says things are going to be different.

Many developers and "experts" have publicly stated that the next console gen is the last one. It is only reasonable to also see the writing on the wall for the PC as we know it, look at your phone, your tablet, your laptop, its all a changing. Me personally I roll with a mATX hooking up to a projector. This is what I believe the future of gaming will be, more HTPC/gaming device, streaming, etc. hooked up to the TV. Go look at your non-gaming households, many are getting rid of their PCs in favor of "smart" devices and laptops, the PC as a standalone dedicated box is dying, ready to start its future as a media center. This is what Bob was saying if you paid attention instead of going "how dare he tell me my PC is dead" Hell look at the title "PC Gaming is Dead, Long live PC Gaming" --notice the Long Live part?