Roccat asks if PC Gaming is dying

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/02/21/roccat-ask-whether-pc-gaming-is-dead/

"Crazy Euro-peripheral manufacturerRoccathas stumbled upon a great wheeze marketing wheeze: a teaser site which questions whether or notPC gaming is dead, along with a countdown to something which may 'save' it.

But, waitaminute. Haven't we seen exactly the same strategy fromanother keyboard and mouse pedlar not so long ago? Yes, I'm certain Roccat's new site rings a bell.

I'm not entirely sure what Roccat is aiming at with it's reversal of Razer's pre-Christmas catchphrase – they've changed it from 'PC gaming isn't dead' to the more quizzical "Isn't PC gaming dead?" To be honest, the campaign didn't work out all that well for Razer anyway – it's Blade laptop is still very much a concept device, which looks to be very expensive for what it is.

At least Razer was doing something a bit different though. I'm loathe to give Roccat's shameless rip off the air of publicity, especially as it may result in you inadvertently signing up for their email newsletter. I'm only writing about it now to poke fun at it. Poke. Poke. Poke.

In other news, anAlienware X51landed in the office today and I'm pleasantly surprised by it. I don't want to play favourites here, but there's a lesson in the big A's approach that others would do well to follow: if you're going to announce a PC gaming device that you think is really revolutionary, make sure you follow up with real product quickly. And don't posit yourself as some sort of saviour – by attracting more console gamers over to PCs, Alienware's machine will likely do more to help our hobby than anything which thinks it can single handedly change it forever.

Who knows, Roccat might have something genuinely interesting to announce atCeBit, which is when the timer's due to expire…"

The comments on this, are like «the future of pc gaming is f2p games» and other kind of bullcrap. What do you have to say about this?

Another useless marketing campaign for their useless hardware (like Razer), probably some kind of PC/laptop or w/e.

If they want to expand they should just sell their new stuff and advertise it, but to make such dramatic campaigns for something lame and overpriced that gamers don't really care about is just...

I was actually discussing PC gaming with a couple devoted console gamers over on the MLG forums and we were discussing communities merging. Many console gamers want to merge with PC gaming comunities for games like Counter-Strike:GO. I was saying that it sounds good on the surface as it would promote the overall growth of gaming and e-sports but that a lot of this is what is causing PC gaming to die.

Obviously there will always be games that just need to be played on PC (or atleast a M&KB). Starcraft, LoL, WoW ect... I just couldnt imagine playing on console. The problem however comes from games that CAN be played effectivly on all platforms. Obviously companies want to make the most profit and that means putting it out on multiple platforms. The problem with this is PC gamers are continually getting the short end of the stick. Seeing substandard graphics, poorly implemented M&KB mechanics, Lack of expected PC features and mainly PC games arent seperating themselves. If we continue to see the majority of mainstream games simply ported to the PC there is little reason to invest in a gaming rig.

It is hard to sell the idea of shelling out a grand or more for something that plays almost the exact same game that can be played on a console for $200 to $300. If this doesnt change then I believe we will see the end of certain types of PC gaming. The MMOs, and RTS's will remain but the shooters more than anything will be a thing of the past.

Gaming companies that want to satisfy the PC market I believe will continue to be the ones that have always done it. Valve and Blizzard being two big ones. I just dont see new studios opting to invest much of their resources in PC gaming outside of your facebook and microtransaction games.

You're only talking about high end gaming there, indies are huge on PC, few actually prefer to spend thousands of $ to get their games on consoles, even successful indie devs, when they can easily distribute their game for free on PC (the distribution not the actual game being free) or for a little bit (Steam, etc).

High end gaming is still here, it's about the same as before (even back then, there weren't many extremely demanding games, just the entire gaming and hardware scene continuously evolving giving the impression that games next day will be extremely more demanding), but most of gaming is multiplatform, because every dev wants to maximize profits and that means releasing a game on all 3 major platforms (portables too, but those are mostly spin-offs, not the actual PC/Xbox/PS game), and then there're platform specific genres (MMOs and RTSs will always be the best on PC, but fighting and sports games will sell the most of consoles even if they play great on PC too - gamepad - or the PC version is the better-way better version).

And that's how it starts ^, the PC is dying discussion, when this thread was just about Roccat's dramatic campaign for their stuff.

And that's how it starts ^, the PC is dying discussion, when this thread was just about Roccat's dramatic campaign for their stuff.

DanielDust

Indeed, but you can't blame us though. Even these ridiculous companies state it. I don't get it, companies that work exclusively for PC, try to sell overrated expensive products that we can live without. We are not the console peasants, we don't buy whatever you put on the market.

I more meant that it isnt growing rather than its dying. Mostly due to the barrier to entry. Its expensive and these companies pushing these all in on gaming rigs IMO arent helping anything but the already established PC gamer.

I more meant that it isnt growing rather than its dying. Mostly due to the barrier to entry. Its expensive and these companies pushing these all in on gaming rigs IMO arent helping anything but the already established PC gamer.

SaviorXavi3r

pc games have only 2 genres, FPS and grindfest mmo`s, and they both get boring real fast, so yeah pc games are dieing.tatortot1111

Lol, that's all I have to say.

[QUOTE="SaviorXavi3r"]

I more meant that it isnt growing rather than its dying. Mostly due to the barrier to entry. Its expensive and these companies pushing these all in on gaming rigs IMO arent helping anything but the already established PC gamer.

DanielDust

Whats growing though is what im getting at, F2P micro transaction games? Social Media Games? Indie Games from steam? I can see all that being on the upswing but outside of that (which I dont equate to my idea of PC gaming) what do we have thats new and has sustainable multiplayer? Starcraft? I cant think of much more.

I mean just go to the review page here and sort by rating. Then scroll through for a few pages. Tell me how many games on there were A. Made within the last 4 to 5 years. B. Still have a following. C. Arent console ports. There just isnt many....You dont see games with lasting appeal anymore...and maybe thats the nature of the beast nowadays but I dont think it has to be that way.

pc games have only 2 genres, FPS and grindfest mmo`s, and they both get boring real fast, so yeah pc games are dieing.tatortot1111

Timmy: Mom, hey mom, can we check that house too?

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Paranormal entity: You were a naughty boy Timmy, Saints Row the Third TPS.

Timmy: No! please, help, MOM!

Paranormal entity: There there little Timmy, that was only one recent title from a single extra genre, Skyrim RPG.

Timmy: It burns, it burns my tummy.

Paranormal entity: Silence, stop whining foolish Timmy troll, take the pride of your insolent friends, FIFA 12 football simulator.

Timmy: Urgh...gulp...*faints* Paranormal entity: Muwhahahahaha!!!

Narrator: Poor little Timmy, he just didn't know better, a lesson we should all remember, because we are, in...the Twilight Zone.

pc games have only 2 genres, FPS and grindfest mmo`s, and they both get boring real fast, so yeah pc games are dieing.tatortot1111

Lol, that's all I have to say.

[QUOTE="DanielDust"][QUOTE="SaviorXavi3r"]

I more meant that it isnt growing rather than its dying. Mostly due to the barrier to entry. Its expensive and these companies pushing these all in on gaming rigs IMO arent helping anything but the already established PC gamer.

SaviorXavi3r

Whats growing though is what im getting at, F2P micro transaction games? Social Media Games? Indie Games from steam? I can see all that being on the upswing but outside of that (which I dont equate to my idea of PC gaming) what do we have thats new and has sustainable multiplayer? Starcraft? I cant think of much more.

I mean just go to the review page here and sort by rating. Then scroll through for a few pages. Tell me how many games on there were A. Made within the last 4 to 5 years. B. Still have a following. C. Arent console ports. There just isnt many....You dont see games with lasting appeal anymore...and maybe thats the nature of the beast nowadays but I dont think it has to be that way.

This second part of your post is irrelevant, why? because maybe your tastes contradict with what PCs have to offer because every year you have great exclusives in several genres and especially in genres limited to PC and the same can be said about consoles, but in the end most of the games being released every year are multiplatform titles.

About your conclusion, correction, "you" don't see games with lasting appeal anymore, there are a lot of great games (both exclusives and ports), only a person open to all genres might have something to say if even such a person doesn't find games that can hold your interest for a while, but you don't seem like such a person and because of that, there's always the chance that there are a lot of other great games in genres you don't prefer/like, games that you miss when limiting yourself to specific genres that still get great, interesting, consistent games, just like the rest, but over a longer period of time since, for example, two genres bring less great games than 6 genres.

Also, you asked what is growing, no, that's not what's growing, that was always big, mainstream gaming is what's growing and it affects mainstream console gaming that's been losing because of this in the last few years.

There's one thing I don't get, from what you just said it sounds like you either don't find much enjoyment in playing games anymore or you don't really care about PC because it doesn't offer you what you want and most games you apparently enjoy are all on consoles (why exactly would you care for or "pitty", in a way, popular, F2P, PC exclusives? not the cheap Korean MMOs and such, but great games that are not necessarily MMOs) and you have something to prove to the PC crowd...so, which one is it exactly? or maybe there's another option.

It isn't.

It's a stupid marketing gimmick, nothing more. The topic has already been discussed to death, anyway.