The fall of PC gaming

[Jumplion]

As long as people use personal computers, they will play PC games.

They will. The problem is that those games might be pretty mediocre and dull.

Infact when you look at sites like Newgrounds and the like you'd find a bunch of shitty flash games, so in a way the PC has shovelware rivaling that of the Wii. Still love SuperCrazyGuitarManiac and the stuff at Kongregate

 

[-Seraph-]

As long as people use personal computers, they will play PC games.

They will. The problem is that those games might be pretty mediocre and dull.

The same thing can be applied to consoles as well.

I really dont see PC gaming dying any time soon. Even though when I go to my game retailer stores and see the PC selection slowly shrink sometimes, or have non preferable selection, I know that it will still live if consoles ever failed. All I want is more console type genres more accessible on the pc

 

[Lord Amazing]

Why did the Arcade die? Well let's ask why the arcade lived in the first place. The arcade survived because you play games that were much more powerful than anything you could do on your home systems. As the 3D console era kicked in, there were precious few styles of games that couldn't be done on home consoles and a new stage of the arcade started, one dominated by racing games with steering wheels, DDR, and fighting games at a time when online play was mostly unheard of, things that were impractical on consoles. In both stages, the arcade had unique experiences that couldn't be recreated at home. Now let's look at the major PC genres, FPS (which play better with keyboard and mouse) RTS (which can only be played with a mouse), and MMOs (which require online play which is still in it's infancy on consoles). Notice a common trend? PC gaming has entered the 'second stage' that the arcades were in before they went belly up. As consoles embrace online functionality and allow for the use of keyboard/mouse controls, retail PC gaming will die just like the arcade did.

Freeware PC gaming will never ever die and there will still be a small number of games released to make money, but forever gone are the glory days of late 80s to 2000.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

Speaking of PC gaming.
How I long for the day when all consoles come with mouse and keyboard.
Oh and also PC gaming is not dying, the end, finito, no way!!

If you have a PS3, google "FragFX PS3 controller"

I may as well bookmark it or make it a Macro, I'm sick of telling people about it!

 

[Danny Ocean]

i don't have enough money for a future PC with an angry face drawn on it. my current gen laptop barely runs BF2 and iTunes at the same time. i could mod or add parts, but i fear breaking the computer and losing my warranty.

Why would you use them at the same time? I find listening to music while I play really puts me off.

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

Everytime I go into a game shop i see a smaller shelf for the PC games. It seems that its only use is MMO's and I can see consoles getting them. I was just wondering whether people believe computer will be needed for gaming and if they thought it was sad that PC gaming is in its last years.

most of their revenue comes from online purchases now. so basically, you're purchasing in the wrong place.

 

[smallharmlesskitten]

Speaking of PC gaming.
How I long for the day when all consoles come with mouse and keyboard.
Oh and also PC gaming is not dying, the end, finito, no way!!

If you have a PS3, google "FragFX PS3 controller"

I may as well bookmark it or make it a Macro, I'm sick of telling people about it!

http://au.gear.ign.com/articles/769/769529p1.html

 

[Ionait]

A lot of people have already said the obvious! PC gaming isn't passing away. It'll be with us always, promise. Consoles are just little PC adorers themselves anyway. PSone - console. PS2 - console with-- hard drive?! As the consoles keep growing up they just get closer and closer to being a PC themselves, just no mouse.

The popularity of PCs will keep gaming on them alive. As others have stated, who doesn't have one? Not many. Heck, they're being donated to the less fortunate all over the world. And who doesn't have a dream PC parts wish list saved on the alienware site? My guy and I are big console fans but when we have the money we're building the best gaming PCs the world has ever seen. It's a dream.. *snif snif*

And what you don't seem to be including in your thoughts is the many genre of video games, mostly played exclusively on PCs, that us hardcore gamers just don't think about very much. When I was playing Diablo, my Mum was hooked on Solitaire. Websites like Bogo and great developers are making softcore games for everyone even more popular. Just because you don't see these games around your local gamestop as often doesn't mean they aren't games.

My last point: Emulators. Even the biggest console gamers also have an entire library on their computer.

 

[Miniges]

As long as there are FPSs and Mumorpugus, PC gameing is here to stay.

 

[buckythefly]

Its true, PC gamings heyday has come and gone, I am sorry to say it as I have a shelf of PC games that plays like a Gamings Greatest Hits album DOS to XP. But its going down hill...everything is being fused into First Person and put on consoles. I bought a copy of Neverwinter Nights Diamond for 3.29 the other day. 3.29, the end is nigh and I am sad to see it go. PC used to be THE console for immersing games. but it seems to be no longer.

 

[buckythefly]

A lot of people have already said the obvious! PC gaming isn't passing away. It'll be with us always, promise. Consoles are just little PC adorers themselves anyway. PSone - console. PS2 - console with-- hard drive?! As the consoles keep growing up they just get closer and closer to being a PC themselves, just no mouse.

The popularity of PCs will keep gaming on them alive. As others have stated, who doesn't have one? Not many. Heck, they're being donated to the less fortunate all over the world. And who doesn't have a dream PC parts wish list saved on the alienware site? My guy and I are big console fans but when we have the money we're building the best gaming PCs the world has ever seen. It's a dream.. *snif snif*

And what you don't seem to be including in your thoughts is the many genre of video games, mostly played exclusively on PCs, that us hardcore gamers just don't think about very much. When I was playing Diablo, my Mum was hooked on Solitaire. Websites like Bogo and great developers are making softcore games for everyone even more popular. Just because you don't see these games around your local gamestop as often doesn't mean they aren't games.

My last point: Emulators. Even the biggest console gamers also have an entire library on their computer.

I'm Impressed, you make a series of very good points, and you definitely shine some light on the future of PC gaming, now if only we can get rid of the rash of MMO games lately. You Da Man.

 

[Aerach]

People said the same thing during the N64/PS1 era. Just wait for the console hype to die down a bit and PC gaming will thrive once more.

 

[SteinFaust]

i don't have enough money for a future PC with an angry face drawn on it. my current gen laptop barely runs BF2 and iTunes at the same time. i could mod or add parts, but i fear breaking the computer and losing my warranty.

Why would you use them at the same time? I find listening to music while I play really puts me off.

i play faster, shoot more accurately, and feel more badass with a killer guitar solo or crazy beat. also you can do psych warfare if you play bad songs really loudly. works on local games and online no matter what game it is.

 

[Shade Jackrabbit]

PC Games are as dead as Adventure Games.

...that's not very dead. I mean, the latter is a niche market, yes, but I mean they still are around and *attempts to backup claim*

 

[Ionait]

Poof

 

[dukeh016]

So people are going to use expensive pieces of hardware for word processing, internet surfing, photo shop, communication, and information services. These expensive pieces of hardware, despite being extremely powerful, will no longer be used for games?

Cracka-wha?

 

[shadow skill]

So people are going to use expensive pieces of hardware for word processing, internet surfing, photo shop, communication, and information services. These expensive pieces of hardware, despite being extremely powerful, will no longer be used for games?

Cracka-wha?

It does not cost nearly as much to do just those things on your computer as it does to play the latest games, though I do agree with your sentiments.

 

[memejoey]

People say it all the time but I just don't see it at all...

If I go to my account on Gamespot.com, in my tracked games list I have a total of 52 games being tracked all coming to the PC that I am interested in. Some are still TBA but a lot are coming out this year or early next year. And as I find new games and become interested in them I add them to my tracked list, which happens all the time. In fact I added a new game to the list just this morning.

The fact that I am anticipating 52 games, to me, is more than enough proof that PC gaming isn't dying. If I was a console gamer, perhaps I could find even more unreleased games i'm interested in. But if 52 games isn't enough to keep you entertained for a while then you need a life! Also, not a single one of these games is a strategy game or MMO because I dont play those games, even though apparently PC gamers are supposed to love them.

Heres how it works...

1. New consoles come out and PC gaming declines. Good games still come out for the PC, but its a bit dry on new releases because all the consoles are getting the attention from developers.

2. People shout from the rooftops that PC gaming is dying. Some PC gamers who actually listen to these people realise not much is coming out so they go and buy a console.

3. Half-way through the consoles lifespan (around now?) the PC is already WAY more powerful than any of the consoles can be. Developers realise the PC can make their games look even more awesome, so most games coming to consoles also come to the PC. (pick basically 80% of anticipated console games right now and you'll find they are also coming to PC.) And the PC starts getting great exclusives again (Such as Crysis).

4. People rejoice that PC gaming is BACK and ALIVE and for some reason are really shocked... Ex-PC Gamers who threw a hissy-fit before all sell their consoles and get a PC again. The world is at peace.

5. New consoles come out and process repeats itself.

6. Profit!!!

Also, I would like to point out that PC gaming does NOT have to be expensive. Its only expensive if you make it so. You are perfectly capable of playing most modern games on a computer like MINE which is a Geforce 7600GS, Athlon 3700+, 1.50GB of RAM running Windows XP. This is a crap computer, and yet I have played and finished Crysis on it. The only games I have encountered which I can't run at a smooth framerate are Mass Effect, Turok, and FlatOut Ultimate Carnage. And I play a LOT of games. Yes you do have to upgrade to keep up, and i'm buying a super computer pretty soon. But thats only because I can afford that now. If you can't, and are capable of enjoying games while being in Low graphics settings, then you only have to upgrade to cheap parts, and its probably overall cheaper than consoles.

Then of course there is the obvious point about how PCs can do so much more than JUST play games. PC games are also cheaper than console games. And PC games can be modded by the community to make them better.

Piracy - If it was really killing PC gaming then how come we still get lots of games? How come PC games have been around for so many years and are still being made? If the developers lose out on so much money then why are they so willing to still make a lot of games on the PC? In fact, why do developers take so much time to port console games to PC (Devil May Cry 4, GTA IV) if everyone actually just pirates them?
Every article you see about devs crying because they didn't get enough sales on the PC are totally contradicted by the fact that they keep making games for it.

Lastly, emulators. In around 7 years from now I will be playing all the 360, PS3, and Wii games that I couldn't play before, on my PC, with a gamepad, at a reasonable framerate with better graphics.

PC gaming isn't dying. Possibly, in the DISTANT future, it will. But I think its going to be here for a long time, and as long as there are enough games coming out for it, i'll be happy as a PC gamer. Unfortunately people will say its dying forever (or until it actually DOES in a gazillion years from now), because they fail to see the pattern I listed above.

Sorry for the huuuge post but i've actually never contributed to a console VS PC debate (and probably never will again) so I wanted to get all my thoughts on the subject out there. Hope someone took the time to read it.

Joey

 

[-Seraph-]

Your 6 step explanation was right on the money. Good post, plenty of valid points that show that PC is still kicking and will always be there if consoles are doing good or bad.

 

[dukethepcdr]

What the computer games publishers need to do to compete with consoles:

1. Make games with low system requirements so that the average, normal computer that the majority of computer users in reality actually have (only a small fraction have high-end gaming rigs and more and more people are replacing their desktops with laptops which don't play high-end games well unless they are super expensive)

2. Stop porting console games to the computer. Console games play terribly on computers and gamers know it.

3. Make games that are rock solid stable on as wide of a variety of operating systems and hardware configurations as possible. I know this is a tall order as there are almost an infinite number of combos out there, but at least try.

4. Make games that can only be played on a computer. I mean, the games need to be such that they play fantasticly well with a keyboard and mouse and you don't find yourself wanting to plug an Xbox 360 or PS3 controller into the computer in hopes of being able to play it better. The game should have elements in it that can only be done on a computer like typing in dialog you want your character to say or writing a letter in the game that other game characters then read later on. Yes, you can plug a keyboard into an Xbox 360 and probably a PS3 but why bother if you can play awesome games on your computer too?

5. Short load times!!! Gamers are getting to be an impatient bunch and even complain about the relatively short load times on some Xbox 360 games.

6. Take advantage of the much larger data storage capacity of most computers compared to consoles. Have your game run as much off of the computer hard drive as you can so that the discs don't have to be read as much. Better yet, make it so the whole game can be on the hard drive and you don't need the discs to play. Some games are that way, but not many.

7. Continue to expand the downloadable games segment. Make more games exclusive to downloading on the PC and Mac computers.

8. Make games that can be played online without any downloads required even better than they are now. There are a lot of them out there now, but they are not as high quality as downloadable or on disc games are yet.

9. Make games that you can play on both your computer and your PDA or cell phone. Then, when you make progress on the portable device while you are away from the computer, you can come back to it, upload the data back into the computer and the progress is saved in the computer in the game files. That way, computer users can play portable games too without having to buy a PSP or DS or something like that.

10. Make great games. Regardless of the platform, it's all about the gameplay. Really great games will do well no matter what platform they are released on.