5 Reasons why PC Gaming isn't dying.

It seems we're seeing a flood of 'doom and gloom' posts lately about how the PC as a platform is dying and unless you sleep with a controller under your pillow you might as well pack it up. While a lot of the related topics are interesting and relevant (piracy and the PC for example) I thought I'd write a 'lil post listing some of the reasons I feel sure that the PC will continue to exist.

1) The console war is making things look a lot worse than they really are.

Unless you've been living under a rock the last year or two, your most likely well aware that we're in the middle of the biggest 'console war' the industry have experienced. That places the PC as a platform in an odd situation since it's the one platform that's not really owned by a big company. That means that no one is going to slip developer X a large wad of cash under the table to buy exclusive titles, it means that no one is really likely to spend a large amount of cash for TV commercials or other adds, no one is going to negotiate with Gamespot, Gamestop or Walmart for better shelf space. The result is that we are currently something of the odd third (or in this case forth) man out. However once the 'console war' settles down some this is likely to change.

2) The PC is the biggest platform out there.

It might sound odd but if you think about it the PC as a platform has a far greater potential than any of the current gaming consoles simply due to VAST number of PC's out there. Bill Gates vision of a PC in every home is pretty close to reality these days, and while 95% (or whatever the number is, I have no idea) might not be used for gaming today, it does mean that the PC has an enormous potential, even if the developers / publishers only have limited success in taping that potential.

3) Unique controls and hardware.

There's a lot of game genres that just doesn't work that well on a controller. And while a lot of energy and money is being invested into finding way to make these genres work on a controller, by and large the PC is likely to be the best media for these. Strategy games of all kinds, MMO's, Anything that require typing or a mouse.

4) Exclusive titles.

Yes the different consoles have been getting some high profile exclusive titles or titles for multiple platforms but not the PC. But remember that has always been the case. The obvious Nintendo / Sega titles: Mario, Sonic and so on were never released on the PC. I dare say most of the PS2's titles never hit the PC, same for the X-Box. However the same is still true for PC games.

5) Mutli-platform and why it might not be so bad.

Creating a game today cost a lot more than it used to if you want it to be a tops shelf quality title. The requirements in terms of art, sound, physics today means that it no longer cost a tens of thousands but tens of millions to make a high end title. An obvious result of this is the it's more important than ever to reach as big a market as possible. In that regard the PC shines. The PC is always going to have enough computing power handle anything they might release on a console and in terms of hardware and software it's the platform that all the consoles is ultimately derived from in one sense or another. The PC is an idea target for multi-platform releases. Hell you won't even have to negotiate with the consoles owner for rights and percentages before you release you title. While we can't win the console war, we can't really loose it either. If one of the consoles stopped selling it would ultimately be discontinued (not that I see that happening but..) the PC won't be going anywhere. They will still develop new GPU's and CPUs. When this generation of consoles is starting to show their age and lose their shine will still be at the cutting edge of technology.

So.. all in all, just because a sense of gloom is currently sweeping the PC Gamers does not mean that there's actually anything wrong, and even if are in a slump right now (and I've yet to see any solid evidence of this) it's a temporary thing. Hey.. we use the only platform that will never be outdated and will continue to offer a viable market for games.

Thanks for the post, good to see something positive on the forums. I feel the same way as teeth, I have never felt that pc game are dying, especially after seeing what came out this year and what will be coming out for us in the future.

It's nice to hear an optimistic tone from time to time. However, I will say that, although PC gaming certainly isn't dying, there's no denying the fact that it is changing. I don't think piracy is really the central issue, rather a series of other, equally complicated issues.

Firstly, people clamor for simplicity. How else would you explain the success of products such as the iPod, iPhone, Macs, etc? The average PC user has a very limited knowledge of PC hardware and, to a lesser extent, software. Most people are perfectly content surfing Facebook and Youtube, they don't want to deal with disk defragmenting, driver installation, patches, and other software maintenance. Secondly, most PCs just aren't capable of playing games simply because they lack dedicated GPUs. Until we start seeing some decent performing integrated GPUs (which are on the way, but may not be commercially available for several more years), most people are stuck playing Flash games and other "casual" flair. Thirdly, consoles are just a whole lot cheaper and have a lot of exclusives. Owning a console is more of a social experience than ever before, too. A lot of people are getting 360s/PS3s/Wiis simply because their friends are. Finally, now that HDTVs and home-theater systems are becoming more widespread, more people prefer to play on their $1000 sets than that old CRT they still have clinging on their desk.

These are just a few of the issues that are contributing to some of the turmoil experienced in the conventional PC gaming market. However, I still have hope that PCs can at least maintain their position. When you look at the trends, hardware is getting cheaper than ever before, people are becoming more PC-literate every year, and digital distribution is becoming commonplace. There's clearly a lot of potential for growth.

I agree and agree.

PC Gaming isn't dying, it's just having to step up at a more economical level. We all know PC games have awesome graphics compared to consoles when it comes to bump maping, resolution and textures. Plus the ability to mod, and what not. But when someone can buy a 360 for a onetime fee of $400 (same as a high end video card) and a game, that's all they need. The PC needs to be able to step up and make gaming more efficient.

Sony and Microsoft know that not all gamers are savvy tech nerds like most PC gamers are, and thats where their target audience is; people who like gaming but don't worry about 1600x1200 resolutions. So it's about balance and economy.

Did you just call me a nerd?:P

I think almost everyone who has been saying that PC gaming is dying is console gamers, who bearly use their PC for gaming. Its a just an ignorant look at it. I also can't agree with PC exclusivity that much apart from Crysis, The Witcher I can't think of much more - those are the most high profile titles that are SO FAR exclusive to the PC.themovi3nut

Warhammer40k DoW is still going strong, plus you got the second one coming out.

NWN1 and 2

Stalker

WoW

Company of Heroes

World in Conflict

And alot more, there is plenty of exclusives all of wich are equally as good as console exclusives

The obvious Nintendo / Sega titles: Mario, Sonic and so on were never released on the PC

Mazoch

Actually, to somewhat correct you, they ported "Sonic CD" and "Sonic 3 and Knuckles" and "Ecco the Dolphin" over to the PC. That's pretty much the only way you'll ever get to play the phenomenal Sonic CD these days, as Sega CDs are very, very rare.

Mario has never appeared on a PC, though. Just goes to show that Sonic is the cooler mascot. =p

It's been dying for me since I prefer console gaming over pc. Actually I just prefer the controller over a mouse and keyboard!!gregbmil

Then you're in the wrong forum, my friend.

I really think all that needs to be said is this: 263 Million Online PC Gamers :Pfoxhound_fox

Too bad the bulk of those 263 million are playing online card games and such.

[QUOTE="Mazoch"]

The obvious Nintendo / Sega titles: Mario, Sonic and so on were never released on the PC

Z-Z-Zorpheus

Actually, to somewhat correct you, they ported "Sonic CD" and "Sonic 3 and Knuckles" and "Ecco the Dolphin" over to the PC. That's pretty much the only way you'll ever get to play the phenomenal Sonic CD these days, as Sega CDs are very, very rare.

Mario has never appeared on a PC, though. Just goes to show that Sonic is the cooler mascot. =p

I stand corrected :)

[QUOTE="Mazoch"]

The obvious Nintendo / Sega titles: Mario, Sonic and so on were never released on the PC

Z-Z-Zorpheus

Actually, to somewhat correct you, they ported "Sonic CD" and "Sonic 3 and Knuckles" and "Ecco the Dolphin" over to the PC. That's pretty much the only way you'll ever get to play the phenomenal Sonic CD these days, as Sega CDs are very, very rare.

Mario has never appeared on a PC, though. Just goes to show that Sonic is the cooler mascot. =p

Sonic Heroes recently came out for PC as well I believe. Of course no one noticed because it was a mediocre game :P

I am actually hoping for a Sonic 360/PS3 port to PC, just because I know it's a rubbish game and not worth buying a PS3 or 360 for, but I still wanna play it.