Poll: Will PC gaming thrive or dive?

[gamer_parent]

More likely though, I think BOTH PC and Console games are going to start to decline. We are now coming to an era where computing devices are getting smaller, cheaper, and just as powerful.

This argument has never made much sense to me. If wee gadgets of the future have the power of a current high end desktop then the high end desktops of the future will be stupidly powerful by simple virtue of being able to squeeze more components into a large box than into a wee handheld gadget. Oh, and large boxes are also easier to run cooling systems in, so no need to factory underclock components so they don't melt the wee gadget either.

In a sense, this is definitely true. But there is a point in which technical prowess of system, whether be it's processing power or ability to efficient cool itself, will start seeing diminishing returns. Let's be honest here, while some of you might feel the PS3 graphics are so much better than PS2 graphics, the mainstream gamers will probably not feel the difference is big enough.

Being able to stuff more components into a box might make it run faster and prettier, but when doing so will drive up costs significantly. (especially if you're using the same components as what's in a mobile device) That kind of thing is a very real entry of barrier.

 

[Jaded Scribe]

I don't see either (PCs or consoles) going away anytime soon. And really, I think they both have their place, and certain genres tend to play better on one or the other.

I wouldn't play an action game on a PC(just my preference). But it's great for RTSs, RPGs with a lot of hotkeys, and a wide variety of other games.

 

[Jmurray21]

"Will"? It already has. It's just that some people insist on dragging its corpse around, talking to it and telling everybody it's alive.
I'm sorry Steve, Hannah didn't make it. You need to accept it, bury her and move on. Continuing on this path just makes a mockery of her beautiful life.

Explain to me why PC gaming is dead. If it was Steam wouldn't be making 960 million a year would it. PC gaming is strong and continues to get support from most developers. DICE is making Battlefield 3 with a PC first mindset. If PC gaming was dead then there would be no point to it. Steam and other digital distributors will have also gone by now.

...There is only one remaining PC exclusive AAA developer,(Blizzard) and they might soon cave.
According to Michael Pachter PC game sales are 7% of total game sales.
Find me evidence of these supposed mounds of cash Steam is raking in. Profits, not sales numbers alone.

In PC Powerplay magazine, an Australian gaming magazine, it has the steam's revenue at 970 million. The costs in that revenue are unclear but regardless of that why does PC gaming have to be dead if there is only one PC dev. What's the problem with multi platform. I enjoy my PC and my Xbox. Also how is blizzard close to collapsing. They have the biggest MMO in the world. Also they are connected with the company that has the biggest shooter (not that I like COD) in the world.

 

[Waaghpowa]

the best thing for me to do is jsut play games and have fun

People seem to forget this much.

 

[oplinger]

AAA guys, it's all there is. Ever. In the whole universe.

There is no 4A Games now, no GSC Game world, or CD Projekt or Creative Assembly, no Crytek, even if Crysis 2 isn't PC exclusive, it was ported to consoles. No sea of independent developers.

AAA is all that matters!

Eastern Europe is the Promised Land of Developers for PC gamers at the moment.

Yeah..that's why I had to add in CA and Crytek. Ones British, the other is German. I'm sure there are more. I just can't think of any that aren't independent and make really low quality B games.

...

Captcha:

No sir, I will not type that. ...I don't know how..

 

[mireko]

You know, you could have included "survive" as an option in the thread title. It would've rhymed and made sense and everything.

That's all I'm going to contribute to another "IS PC GAMING DEAD?" debate.

 

[blazin419]

What is this talk about getting a good PC being expensive? I still don't understand. If you own a desktop PC, which you probably do, you can upgrade it to be at least 1.5x better than an xbox for less than 300$. You just need to know that Google exists, and find out where to look, what to buy, and which parts are the best for you. When I became interested in upgrading my computer, I started out with a GFX card, and then made my way up to a extreme gaming rig with water cooling solutions. Upgrading a PC is like a hobby for me, as with many PC gamers out there, but for the people who just want to play games, and don't care about maxing out their graphics on every new game out, they can stick with their upgraded PC that they spent 300$ on and play games on it for the next 5-6 years without upgrading. I guess consoles do have their advantages though, since it's easier to set up and play. IMHO, PCs can be customized to just about anything that has to do with computing, running games, etc. I mean, ffs there are USB fans available for the warm days during the summer, people actually have aquarium water cooled PCs too. You can have Xbox controllers, PS3 controllers, Joysticks, Wheels, as long as you have the right software. PC gaming isn't dead. Most PC gamers are the elite gamers who have a vast knowledge in hardware and software, and fixing bugs come as easy to them as making a sandwich. The minority of PC gamers are the people that recently came out of console gaming, and made simple upgrades to their computer to run games better and faster than the consoles could. In about a year or two, the console hardware will be so outdated that there will be a massive rise in PC gamers.

"There will be PC gaming as long as there are still PCs." This.
"In the next decade or so, the consoles will advance to its next generation... A PC. Lolwut?"

 

[EllEzDee]

The plural of PC is PCs, there is no apostrophe. Just like DLCs, 1960s etc etc. The more you know!

"If mature gaming is to survive, then PC games are going nowhere" didn't make much sense, but neither did a lot of the thread. Either way, that's what i voted; the games are going nowhere, and if PC gaming is to survive, that needs to change. Maybe that was your point.

 

[5t3v0]

"Will"? It already has. It's just that some people insist on dragging its corpse around, talking to it and telling everybody it's alive.
I'm sorry Steve, Hannah didn't make it. You need to accept it, bury her and move on. Continuing on this path just makes a mockery of her beautiful life.

*Rolls eyes at this IMO short sighted comment*

Honestly, if there are people still playing on PC, its not dying. If there are people who insist its not dying, its not. Hell, have you SEEN how many people play WOW? Do you realise that tons of developers start out as mod-dev teams or Indie PC devs?

this isnt a case of "PC TRUMPS ALL PLATFORMS!" its just a mere fact that PC gaming is a big part of the games industry, wheter we or the Game publishers like it or not.

 

[blazin419]

"Will"? It already has. It's just that some people insist on dragging its corpse around, talking to it and telling everybody it's alive.
I'm sorry Steve, Hannah didn't make it. You need to accept it, bury her and move on. Continuing on this path just makes a mockery of her beautiful life.

My god is this person serious? Console gaming will die very very soon. With another 4-5 years until the next generation of consoles to come out, I highly doubt game developers will try to squeeze more and more of the growing software into 6 year old hardware. In a year or two, more games like BF3 will come out with consoles getting the shorter end of the stick. And then, more and more console gamers will actually open their eyes and start reading about how they can upgrade their PC for the price of an Xbox while getting the performance of at least 1.5x better than an Xbox.

 

[Feralcentaur]

...Oddly enough I was just reading a a thread about most over done repeat threads... Must be Wizards, or Mages, possibly Warlock... no wait! It was a Witch!

 

[SlapHappyJesus]

It is a download driven world we live in. While this is also true for consoles to an extent. PC has access to pretty much any content we want through a simple click of a mouse. Where convenience goes, people follow. PC gaming is here to stay and I honestly believe it will thrive in the coming years with things such as "cloud gaming" which even take away the harshness that is keeping your computers up to date, the one true drawback of the platform. Besides, Blizzard is still the king of the ring as far as sales goes. I don't see them becoming a console centric developer anytime soon.

 

[Vicarious Vangaurd]

Oldest conversation piece in the book. People have been talking about the death of computer gaming since computer gaming came into being.

Long story short, it will never die.

 

[Fiend Dragon]

Why does everything need to instantly become a superpower or completely die off? Can't things just stay in a balanced state of perceived mediocrity and fluctuation for as long they please?

PC gaming will continue to do just fine but like all of gaming, it's going to have to adapt to fit in. It takes a lot more to 'kill' a very very entrenched mindset and hobby than you seem to think it does, but currently one of the worst problem faced by PC Gamers is sharing with consoles.

In fact as far as I've seen the culture is very deeply entrenched. In complete monopoly of entrenchments in fact. These trenches just used up all of the depth. All other fortifications must build upwards. Even though those are obviously not exhaustively quantifiable things.

:eyeroll:

 

[Frotality]

with both moviebob and extra credits forseeing an assimilation of gaming into all those little smartphones and what-not that are effectively becoming portable PCs, its console gaming that will die out. consoles are dedicated gaming platforms that do nothing PC's or soon portable PCs cant do; soon there will be little purpose for them. PC gaming may move away from actual home PCs, but as long as a proper keyboard and mouse analogue is found, (my biggest worry is that we wont and tiny keyboard and touch screen unfortunately take over) soon enough gaming will all take place on what is effectively the post-modern PC.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

In a sense, this is definitely true. But there is a point in which technical prowess of system, whether be it's processing power or ability to efficient cool itself, will start seeing diminishing returns.

That's a theoretical and highly subjective point of diminishing returns - it varies from individual to individual as to when diminishing returns become unacceptable.

Being able to stuff more components into a box might make it run faster and prettier, but when doing so will drive up costs significantly. (especially if you're using the same components as what's in a mobile device) That kind of thing is a very real entry of barrier.

You're never using exactly the same components as the mobile devices. The miniturisation of mobile components makes them less efficient and less powerful (and often more expensive, doubly so if the device has bitten apple silhouette on it) than standard sized components of the same tech. That's an unavoidable physical limitation.

I guess I'm just disappointed that there's a wide frontier of gaming tech out there in front of us and more people are saying "no, just make it smaller." Fuck those guys.

 

[cthur]

"Will"? It already has. It's just that some people insist on dragging its corpse around, talking to it and telling everybody it's alive.
I'm sorry Steve, Hannah didn't make it. You need to accept it, bury her and move on. Continuing on this path just makes a mockery of her beautiful life.

Explain to me why PC gaming is dead. If it was Steam wouldn't be making 960 million a year would it. PC gaming is strong and continues to get support from most developers. DICE is making Battlefield 3 with a PC first mindset. If PC gaming was dead then there would be no point to it. Steam and other digital distributors will have also gone by now.

...There is only one remaining PC exclusive AAA developer,(Blizzard) and they might soon cave.
According to Michael Pachter PC game sales are 7% of total game sales.
Find me evidence of these supposed mounds of cash Steam is raking in. Profits, not sales numbers alone.

In PC Powerplay magazine, an Australian gaming magazine, it has the steam's revenue at 970 million. The costs in that revenue are unclear but regardless of that why does PC gaming have to be dead if there is only one PC dev. What's the problem with multi platform. I enjoy my PC and my Xbox. Also how is blizzard close to collapsing. They have the biggest MMO in the world. Also they are connected with the company that has the biggest shooter (not that I like COD) in the world.

He was not saying that Blizzard is close to collapsing, he was saying that they are close to caving. By that he meant they are considering making games on the consoles.

 

[gamer_parent]

That's a theoretical and highly subjective point of diminishing returns - it varies from individual to individual as to when diminishing returns become unacceptable.

That is certainly true, but then again, the hardware in the end is just a means to an end. The game is what we're after. And I'm saying that while the true point of diminishing returns is up to the individual, I'd dare wager that the larger audience (and more sustainable market, if you will) will not care nearly as much about things like polygon count. (At least, not until you have some real critical breakthrough)

You're never using exactly the same components as the mobile devices. The miniturisation of mobile components makes them less efficient and less powerful (and often more expensive, doubly so if the device has bitten apple silhouette on it) than standard sized components of the same tech. That's an unavoidable physical limitation.

I guess I'm just disappointed that there's a wide frontier of gaming tech out there in front of us and more people are saying "no, just make it smaller." Fuck those guys.

Ahh yes, that frustration I can certainly understand. There are two ways that the industry can proceed

1. make the same games they have now, but make them playable on more platforms, cheaper, etc. Basically, the "make it smaller" route. To an extent, it is true that this will not push the medium forward in terms of technical prowess. And I can totally understand why this doesn't appeal to the core audience. It's basically the whole "casual vs. hardcore" debate again, but with different names.

2. push more and more accuracy in games and pushing it closer to virtual reality simulation. This, I think is where having more a more powerful machine CAN pay off. But for this to happen, publishers would be essentially courting the same high tech, big spender crowd that it always has. It's a dangerous proposition for most non-AAA publishers to court.

Chances are, most companies will bow down to the bean counter mentality, and go for games with lower entry barrier costs, which, let's face it, will be the "make it smaller" crowd. That's why there are like a billion new facebook game devs now a days. it is essentially the "make it smaller" strategy taken to it's logical extreme.

 

[Skizle]

I...Why do you people think PC gaming is just going to vanish? If gaming exists, PC gaming will exist. It's not going anywhere. We aren't all going to slowly become console gamers. The worst that can happen is they become unified into some mutant. Like the iPhone.

Just because big publishers hate PCs doesn't mean it's going to die. There's plenty of support out there.

The support is slowly going away though and also whose to say that the next generation of consoles will have support for mouse and keyboard settings and drivers. Further nailing the tomb of PC gaming shut. As a PC gamer myself I say look beyond your prejudice and see a much bigger picture. And for all other PC gamers realize that Valve doesn't make their games, mod communities do.