Is PC Gaming Dead? (as we knew it)

[TriniXaeno]

After spending way too long trying to simply connect to our BlackOps server tonight, it struck me....PC Gaming has changed, forever.

We have gone beyond the point of no return.

The industry is no longer interested in the platform. It's a second thought, maybe even a third thought.

Right now, our future is farmville and bejeweled 2.

Id Creative Director Tim Willits thinks the PC market is "definitely changing," and that the "biggest struggle ... is that piracy is out of control." Willits sees PC gaming going towards "client architectures and cloud gaming" and "games that are more social" as the industry moves to combat piracy. "Look at Facebook," he says. "There are more people playing that silly Farmville than play Call of Duty.

That's not a theory....that's a fact. The man just described the reality of today.

It costs less to make an addictive online game and rake in the dough, than contend with a 3 year development cycle for a top notch title, millions of dollars in expenditure, only to have your game torrented like there is no tomorrow upon release (if not before).

Why bother? They won't. 18 studios closed this year. Not one, not two.....eighteen.

What a shame, to see the flag-bearers of the gaming industry relegated to the back of the line with the urine trucks begging for scraps.

One can only hope steam, direct2drive and amazon (with their new game download service) can act as shock paddles and bring the platform back to life but somehow I doubt it.

We have already lost Public Server files (read, you cannot host your own servers locally to have lag free gaming), and LAN support (no more LAN parties). Now we must lose our dignity.

There is no doubt in my mind that the PC is the superior platform but the situation is grim.

Check these BlackOps sales figures by platform for confirmation:

XBOX 360: 7,180,000 Sold
PS3: 5,480,000 Sold
PC: 630,000 Sold

The PC sold a mere fraction of the consoles. (0.09% of the 360 sales figure if you want to whip out the calculator)

Steam is our last and probably only hope....and even there....the numbers are poor. At peak, there are 50,000 gamers duking it out in BlackOps.

Reading the reviews on Amazon.com for the PC version vs those of the xbox and PS3 version tells the story completely.

If there is light on the horizon, someone kindly point it out......

[Spazosaurus]

Yeah the situation is grim. Only saving grace for our little community is that we have a decent number of people who actually play on the pc so on a regular basis you're gonna find people to play with online. Once this remains the case, pc gaming will never die in my book.

That said, im really beginning to appreciate how much the consoles have taken over. That said, I am eager to dip my toe in them waters, probably even before the end of the year.

[Arcmanov]

...and as more PC games end up being just ports of the console versions,
the situation will get even more 'grim'.  Look at the Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter
series.  Until now, the PC version was developed separately from the consoles, was FPS,
while the console was 3PS, had a different storyline, etc.  You could actually tell both
versions apart with a single glance.  Now all that has changed.  Multiplatform iwmc now.

Sad to say it, but the number one issue is piracy, so its either game devs focus on
consoles, or resort to some really advanced forms of copy protection, a la Ubisoft,
who now requires you to have an active internet connection to play ALL their new games
(on PC) going forward from 2010.  I would BADLY like to play H.A.W.X. 2 and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier
on the PC, but I cannot, WILL not, support that kind of DRM.  From Ubisoft's standpoint though,
I can understand why they had to resort to that, but damn, I really think its hurts consumers
in the end.

As consoles become more powerful in their capabilities, we've seen a massive shift, especially
with the advent of the Xbox 360 and PS3.  I agree that the PC is the superior platform, but the time,
effort, money, and technical expertise required to exploit the best features of that platform escape
most of us.  Consoles have gotten more complex, yes, but who can't follow simple instructions
to plug in a console and connect it to TV?  No OS to install and maintain.  No driver hassles to contend
with.  No finicky part-compatibility issues...you get where I'm going here.

Of course, technically, the PC will always be head and shoulders above consoles, but that gap is closing.
I truly believe though, that the next generation of consoles will cause many die-hard PC-gaming holdouts to abandon PC gaming altogether.

I hope I'm wrong, because I loves me some PC-gaming goodness.

[Redlum08]

Come on guys, Xbox Live not that bad...

Like Cap getting an Xbox 360 for Christmas?! XD

[TheApprentice]

Who say Cap getting a 360? =P

As for PC Gaming, there are some games that cannot function well on a console, namely MMO franchises. I'll definitely still be using my PC in the future for Guild Wars 1 and 2 as well as any epic random exclusives PC can still churn out. As for everything else that is multiplatform with consoles, I'll get it on PS3 or 360.  The integration with friends, the entire backing by Microsoft and Sony with their online services, the exclusives, living room features, convenience and ease of use compared to PC gaming; PC Gaming as an exclusive form of gaming is something of the past. Sorry to say it to the die-hard pc fans but it's the truth and you'll eventually realise this soon.
Yes PC has better graphics and the keyboard and mouse, but that's probably the only superiority it has over consoles. Consoles have a slew of features, additionally Kinect and PS Move.
It's time to "Jump In" guys, approach console gaming with an open mind and you'll enjoy what it has to offer. Redlum, Arcman, Wyatt and others, I salute you guys for supporting PC and Console gaming, everyone else must follow!

The PC sold a mere fraction of the consoles. (0.09% of the 360 sales figure if you want to whip out the calculator)

You mean 9%

[Spazosaurus]

Damn, sorry I didnt pull the trigger when the 250gig holiday bundle was $300.

Now the cheapest I seeing it for is $370. What the hell?

I cant, in good conscience pay that inflated price.

[TriniXaeno]

damn, that was a best price indeed. The local prices are just ridiculous compared.

thanks for the correction on the percentage apprentice. Last thing I want to do is oversell how grim things are.....but they are grim.

It isn't just blackops (though that was the eye opener)

Check the sales for F1 2010

Picture says a thousand words.

Looking at it that way, there is no wonder development on the "PC version" of games is taking a back seat. Our market (if you can still call it that) is absolutely negligible. I laugh when you see people calling for a boy cut. Guess what....to the industry, it appears that we've been boy cutting for the past decade.

So what if they lose a whopping 1% of their sales because PC gamers got pissed off that their version was neutered....

Voting with your wallet at this stage is purely pissing in the wind.

GG

Who shall stand for the PC? (could someone please post something encouraging! I hate wallowing in my own filth)

[Spazosaurus]

Sniped the holiday bundle for $300 + $3 shipping just moments ago.

Bad news is that it will probably reach after christmas into early next year.

[Arcmanov]

Doh f@#k meh up.  Captain Awesome bought a console!!?



Which console exactly?

[Berzerk]

don't forget little games like starcraft 2, warcraft catylclsm (cant call it just world of warcraft anymore).
which sold immeasurably well.

also have diablo 3 to look forward to.

these aren't really just a handful of games mind u, blizzard is almost a consciousness unto itself when it comes to gaming and they are fiercely loyal to the PC.


and lack of lan gaming does not really bother me to any great extent. once u got a decent isp why is this even a consideration? is more a change of the times than anything else.

also Bioware tends to make the best versions of their games on pc. just look at frickin mass effect 2 and dragon age. two of the best rpgs of recent times and the best versions were on pc. by farrrrrr.

and the sweeeet dlc on these titles giving it some serious longevity.



not to mention games for windows live just made a mega update to their online store to combat with steam. why bother if PC gaming is dying?

its not as popular as consoles no kidding, but it certainly ain't dying.

when I see Bioware, Steam, Games for Windows and Blizzard locking off the PC, then and only then would I do a full migration.

yea I got a ps3, and a wii, and might get a 360 at some point. but I ALWAYS end up going on PC.

the games I prefer are still being done well on the pc so for the moment i good.

[Spazosaurus]

I am very conflicted. I love my PC gaming but i've known no other.

Still, I have all my favourite games right here on the PC and having a hell of a lot of fun. I guess now with the 360 i'll enjoy the best of both worlds?

All in all, im still not convinced that i'll even USE that damn console but I assume it will be nice to have?

*Cpt wonders if there is still time to cancel his order*

Peer pressure is a hell of a thing.

[Berzerk]

Don't cancel it, its a decent diversion, but I personally would prefer getting a ps3. more exclusive titles on PS3, while a lot of x box titles come across to PC

but then there is the excellent xbox live online service I always hearing about though never experienced.

its a pay subscription though. and playstation online  is free and no where as good.

all according to what u prefer I guess.


but all in all a console is still just a diversion eh! keep the PC blood pure. 

[TriniXaeno]

Thanks for that optimistic view Berserk. This thread needed it badly.

Dragon Age was epic, as was mass effect, but they are not PC exclusives, and as the numbers continue to shift in the favour of consoles, soon we will be lucky if they even bother releasing on the platform at all.

Can you even find PC sales numbers for Dragon Age or Mass Effect? I couldn't.

Console numbers are readily available and are incredibly impressive.

Starcraft 2 was amazing and worth the wait...but I was incredibly disappointed in LAN play not being an option. Its the final nail in the coffin of LAN Parties and makes local tournaments all but impossible.

Steam, Direct2Drive and their ilk maybe our best and only shot to revive the platform. They are guarding their sales figures very closely at the moment but one can only hope more people adopt the digital approach and drive those numbers up to the point that PC gaming can no longer be an after thought.

What big PC exclusive title is on the horizon?

We got Diablo 3? What else?

[Berzerk]

I believe Witcher 2 is an exclusive as well, the first was an awesome experience.

then there is heart of the swarm (sequel to starcraft 2 Wol)


Its not so much what Im seeing as exclusives, but the amount of care that certain devs still put into creating games on the PC.

namely those I mentioned before.

not to mention Valve. their continued support of games on PC like left for dead 1 & 2, half life 2 and the stellar mods, and even team fortress 2, shows a lot of love still being given to the PC.

these aren't exclusives, but the console versions are a pale comparison.


oh yea and there is still half life 3 to look forward to.



and even bad company 2 was pretty well done on pc was it not? Dice still doing the pc justice imo.

PC does not have as many exclusives as it once did, but there are still bestest versions of certain games coming out on it.

its not as popular as it once was, now more the underdog that would not go down without a fight.

[Redlum08]

Xbox Live is FAAAAR Superior to PS3...I have both systems, and my PS3 parked up there collecting dust. I dust it off now and then to make it shine again, since the shiny surface looks horrific with dust My wife uses it now and then to watch Netflix if I using the Xbox to GAME >_> Yes its a PAID subscription, but worth the money. The online experience and community is definitely better If you compare Black Ops on PS3 to Xbox 360, it looks better and plays better on Xbox Live. Welcome Cap, Welcome!! Now is to get Wyatt to play online When we playing Halo Reach Wyatt?? Ehh Ehh??

[Redfish]

I bought a PS3 earlier this year and haven't really played it that much, still have alot on the pc keeping me occupied.

I guess if I get the move bundle I'll spend more time with it but it's growing on me.

To me it's all about what you wanna play yes, as the consoles are good for fighting and other certain types of games, not having issues with compatibility etc really makes me want to ditch most titles on  the pc and start increasing my gaming list on the ps3.

The thing is I may have to sell the ps3 as most ppl seem to be online on the xbox. That's the whole point of gaming for me, to enjoy it with other peeps I know online. The ps3 doesn't seem to get much love due to it's playstation home, seriously lacking some key features e.g. alerting you when someone is online while you're playing a game, I mean cmon man....

And I agree with redlum, mine was collecting dust at a point in time....

Yea I used to be a pirate but as many can see I've bought quite a bit of games on steam this year, so it will all come down to preference, what's practical and most important of all what YOU want to play. I don't think if everybody switched to console, men go be NO I AIN'T GONNA DO IT!! and then sit and play alone on pc lol.

We'll see how it goes, I guess that's why steam does those crazy sales to make you pony up the cash and buy games. I still dunno why piracy is still so rampant as games on steam etc are so very affordable!!!

[Berzerk]

hmm I would always remain hardcore pc, all my favorite games are still done well on platform. and im not getting the kind of issues with games like black ops that others are getting.



but


 im really considering selling ps3 to go 360. PSN sucks. hardcore. like fishy said, i really play games online to interact and frag people i know. so for the community aspect, 360 looking like the way to go yes.

[Spazosaurus]

Ok, you guys making me feel a bit better abt the purchase.

I guess the good news is that ill save some money on PC upgrades now. No need to upgrade every year anymore if the 360 there.

[Redlum08]

Ok, you guys making me feel a bit better abt the purchase.

I guess the good news is that ill save some money on PC upgrades now. No need to upgrade every year anymore if the 360 there.

Roger that! Guaranteed sweats on a daily basis!

P.S. Some advice Cap, hook up to your monitor via HDMI, personally it helps playing on a monitor vs. Big Screen. At least for me anyway

[TriniXaeno]

Hoss, captain awesome's monitor "is" a big screen.

Lol