PC gaming...she'll never die!

2007 PC gaming sales = $910.7 million (link)

2006 PC gaming sales = $970 million (link) [WoW released this year]

2005 PC gaming sales = $953 million (link)

2004 PC gaming sales = $1.1 billion (link) [same link as 2005]

2003 PC gaming sales = $1.2 billion (link)

2002 PC gaming sales = $1.4 billion (link) [same link as 2003]

Ok...you got me! The numbers I'm showing here give my whole "PC gaming isn't dying" argument a bad spin. But what you have to remember is that these numbers are just in the US alone, not worldwide (I wasn't able to track down any other numbers for across seas, but I didn't look too hard). Also, as far as I've been able to tell none of these figures take into account digital purchases - these numbers are retail numbers only. Valve (Steam) likes to show that their user accounts is continually growing - thus proving that digitial purchasing is becoming more and more of the norm among PC gamers. This can account for some of the drop in retail purchasing of PC gaming.

To those that think PC gaming is dead or is dying :P. Don't just take into account the retail sales for PC games because it's easier and more user friendly to do digital downloads (take a look at CD sales, you'll see a similar trend because of the digital downloading of music); this is part of the reason why you see lower sales for PC games.

PC gaming is here to stay!

I'm pretty sure WoW came out in 2004.

Who said PC gaming was dead? :S

They should just sticky this in here and in system wars, that should help make this myth less spread around.

Long live PC Gaming! :P xcryonicx

Amen to that!!

Of course it doesn't help that we have ppl that pirate games, and some are actually gamespot forum members!!! :roll:

catlin_czirr wrote:
Why would I try and dodge? I could care less if a bunch of nerds that spend $50 on games because they think it's "cool" care how i get my game. It's not like you saying "Ohhh your a bad bad man! Im telling on you!" is gonna hurt me.

PC gaming isn't dead but is dying, and thats is a huge diffrence... :P

As to the topic: those aren't optimistic news... PC gaming market in the US by five years lost 36% of its value... thats quite a lot

Not dead or dying, expanding. The $$$ generated by the various MMO, have to be factored into the equation here. Most of the if not all of the "decline" can be linked to MMO players. But they still kick in anywhere from $10-$20 a month on subscriptions. You also have to account for Steam and other services. I would bet that if you included MMOs monthly revs you would get continued PC growth.

http://www.zenfar.com

Ok...you got me! The numbers I'm showing here give my whole "PC gaming isn't dying" argument a bad spin. But what you have to remember is that these numbers are just in the US alone, not worldwide (I wasn't able to track down any other numbers for across seas, but I didn't look too hard). Also, as far as I've been able to tell none of these figures take into account digital purchases - these numbers are retail numbers only. Valve (Steam) likes to show that their user accounts is continually growing - thus proving that digitial purchasing is becoming more and more of the norm among PC gamers. This can account for some of the drop in retail purchasing of PC gaming.

neatfeatguy

These stats are for US retail sales...

I think the bad spin is coming mostly from you skewing these statistics in your argument. You have no idea how successful digital distribution has been for Valve and others.

I feel like I'm at an Electronics Boutique district sales meeting getting grilled by my managers. :roll:

It's only natural that PC gaming is dying when you face the fact that most developers out there are killing it by releasing mindless 3D shoot-em-up after mindless 3D shoot-em-up and neglecting the PC's natural advantages over competing platforms, namely great turn-based strategy games, well written adventures and mature role-playing and tactical - that's *tactical*, if anyone still understands the meaning of the word - combat games.

PC gaming isn't dead but is dying, and thats is a huge diffrence... :P

As to the topic: those aren't optimistic news... PC gaming market in the US by five years lost 36% of its value... thats quite a lot

herezjarchus

US =/= not the world. Pc gaming sale in China are unknown, but we know they are growing. (WoW got 2 million of chinese subscriber)

I'm pretty sure WoW came out in 2004.

JP_Russell

I think you're right...I just mis-read the article...I was half asleep when I put this post together. I had to re-read what I was typing 3 or 4 times before some of my sentences actually kind of made any sense.

[QUOTE="herezjarchus"]

PC gaming isn't dead but is dying, and thats is a huge diffrence... :P

As to the topic: those aren't optimistic news... PC gaming market in the US by five years lost 36% of its value... thats quite a lot

Franko_3

US =/= not the world. Pc gaming sale in China are unknown, but we know they are growing. (WoW got 2 million of chinese subscriber)

I understand that but the fact is that it is decreasing in some parts of the world and it isn't a good news, in fact it would be a good news if it would increasing... if the decrease of the PC gaming market in some parts of the world would go on, then after few years PC gaming market will be marginalised and consoles would have win the race for the best gaming platforms, and not because PC isn't good gaming platform, in fact it is the best gaming platfrom, but because companies would think that console gaming is more and more profitable compared to PC, if so then most of the companies would make their games for consoles than for PC...

ps. Sorry for my English

[QUOTE="neatfeatguy"]

Ok...you got me! The numbers I'm showing here give my whole "PC gaming isn't dying" argument a bad spin. But what you have to remember is that these numbers are just in the US alone, not worldwide (I wasn't able to track down any other numbers for across seas, but I didn't look too hard). Also, as far as I've been able to tell none of these figures take into account digital purchases - these numbers are retail numbers only. Valve (Steam) likes to show that their user accounts is continually growing - thus proving that digitial purchasing is becoming more and more of the norm among PC gamers. This can account for some of the drop in retail purchasing of PC gaming.

SKaREO

These stats are for US retail sales...

I think the bad spin is coming mostly from you skewing these statistics in your argument. You have no idea how successful digital distribution has been for Valve and others.

I feel like I'm at an Electronics Boutique district sales meeting getting grilled by my managers. :roll:

I never skewed any statistics. I clearly stated (as seen in my original post and even the part that you quoted) that my numbers are for US retail sales only and do not include worldwide or digital downloads.

As for how successful digital distrubution is among Valve, EA, Direct2Drive.com and other companies.....no, I don't know those figures becuase they're not listed anywhere that I can find.

It is from these retail figures for the US that people constantly think (and say) that PC gaming is dying. I was posting up recent sales history and also reminding people that my numbers are for US alone and they don't include worldwide or digital downloads.

We don't have the figures for worldwide sales or just sales for certain parts of the world (Europe, Asia, Japan, etc...). So, people base their opinion off of false facts (or maybe you'd like to think of it as partial truths).

It's only natural that PC gaming is dying when you face the fact that most developers out there are killing it by releasing mindless 3D shoot-em-up after mindless 3D shoot-em-up and neglecting the PC's natural advantages over competing platforms, namely great turn-based strategy games, well written adventures and mature role-playing and tactical - that's *tactical*, if anyone still understands the meaning of the word - combat games.

Unlike consoles, PCs are adult gaming platforms, not children's. While current developers keep negleting this fact, they will keep killing PC gaming, and we'll keep having no decent, mature games to play and resort to inferior platforms to play cheaper, inferior and immature games.osama99

I Strongly Second this....