A theory I have on why PC gaming is dying.

Most companies don't release PC games anymore, or they release console-to-PC ports. They claim this is because of piracy, but I believe that may not be entirely true. Perhaps it's because the companies know that they can't get away with the **** that is in modern console games with PC gamers. Most PC gamers are in their late teens and 20s (sometimes even 30s), so they remember the golden age of PC gaming (90s). Look at how poorly received current generation PC games have been received. Sure, a couple games have been well received, such as Minecraft and StarCraft II. But even StarCraft II was heavily criticized for it's dumbed down multiplayer, lack of chat rooms, Nazi-esque map marketplace, micro-transactions, region-locking, Battle.net 2.0, and lack of LAN support. Console games (primarily) don't use dedicated servers or modding, whereas PC games do allow that. But with all of these console-to-PC ports, we get games that suck to begin with on PC without the features that PC games used to have in the 90s and early 00s. In other words, PC gamers realize that MW2 for PC (and MW2 in general) is garbage, so they don't buy it.

Plus a lot of games are created for the lowest-common-denominator now, as in that they release games so that people who aren't fans of the genre/franchise enjoy the game more so than people who are actually fans of the genre, and thus the genre becomes more of an shooter game, and less of what the genre is supposed to be (i.e. tactical shooters, survival horror, stealth, dungeon crawlers). PC gamers are typically more mature than your 12 year old prepubescent boy on Xbox Live, and thus they are smarter and teenagers/adults, not 12 year old kids who don't know any better and think that MW2 is the greatest game ever (and of course, they are entitled to their own opinion). Whereas PC gamers see that gaming has gotten worse over the course of the last decade, instead of getting better. Now games are made almost entirely for graphics whores, instead of people who enjoy the story, characters, gameplay, atmosphere, lore, and people who actually use their brain (not big arrows pointing to where you're supposed to go or do). They often call these games which are anti-niche and released for the lowest-common-denominator "streamlining", because apparently streamlining means that you have to turn everything into a shooter game for 12-year-olds instead of the niche genre it's supposed to be. What are your thoughts on this theory?

Your entire "theory" fails because PC gaming isn't dying, and is the largest and fastest growing commercial video game market in the world.

Your entire "theory" fails because PC gaming isn't dying, and is the largest and fastest growing commercial video game market in the world.

foxhound_fox

[QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]

Your entire "theory" fails because PC gaming isn't dying, and is the largest and fastest growing commercial video game market in the world.

DarkestDestiny

PC sales far surpass Nintendo's sales.

Remember, NDP doesn't count digital distribution and MMO subscription fees.

Your entire "theory" fails because PC gaming isn't dying, and is the largest and fastest growing commercial video game market in the world.

foxhound_fox

[QUOTE="DarkestDestiny"][QUOTE="foxhound_fox"]

Your entire "theory" fails because PC gaming isn't dying, and is the largest and fastest growing commercial video game market in the world.

Wasdie

PC sales far surpass Nintendo's sales.

Remember, NDP doesn't count digital distribution and MMO subscription fees.

[QUOTE="Wasdie"]

[QUOTE="DarkestDestiny"] Nintendo would like to have a word with you.DarkestDestiny

PC sales far surpass Nintendo's sales.

Remember, NDP doesn't count digital distribution and MMO subscription fees.

So? Gaming sales include all game purchases on the platform.

I guess I mean to say PC gaming sales. Not just PC sales in general.

Well pc game made up around 51 percent of the market share last year, so its going no were.

[QUOTE="Wasdie"]

[QUOTE="DarkestDestiny"] Nintendo would like to have a word with you.DarkestDestiny

PC sales far surpass Nintendo's sales.

Remember, NDP doesn't count digital distribution and MMO subscription fees.

95% of the time when someone buys a PC, it's not for gaming. It's for work or personal use.

that 5% is still more than all consoles combined.

[QUOTE="DarkestDestiny"][QUOTE="Wasdie"]

PC sales far surpass Nintendo's sales.

Remember, NDP doesn't count digital distribution and MMO subscription fees.

Wasdie

So? Gaming sales include all game purchases on the platform.

I guess I mean to say PC gaming sales. Not just PC sales in general.

95% of the time when someone buys a PC, it's not for gaming. It's for work or personal use.DarkestDestiny

So what? PC crushes all consoles combined in software sales.

Whilst PC gaming isn't dying -- in fact, it's been growing across the board -- you bring up some good points. Cross-platform orientation was a given this gen, due to the increases in development costs. Furthermore, consoles are rising in popularity and are certainly becoming more "mainstream" and thus provide a solid ground for developers.

i have to ask foxhound..because i respect you ask a poster,but did you really read everything in the OP or did you just look at the title and felt the need to post that? I thought afew points the TC pointed out made sense.lawlessx

PC sucks compared to consoles thats why its dying.HailCaesarHail

Steam??? I think Steam has fairly liberated the PC gaming market.

PC gaming won't be dying anytime soon.

Consoles sales dropped 29 percent this year, pc sales went up accross the board.

While console development is growing and becoming more mainstream, PC development isn't being sacrificed; it's growing as well.

I suggest, if you plan to use slaes as evidence, that you provide links.

95% of the time when someone buys a PC, it's not for gaming. It's for work or personal use.DarkestDestiny

That's not the best way to approach rebutting Wasdie's point. First, 95% was an arbitrary number, and it's nigh on impossible to tell the percentage. Second, it's difficult to define what exactly each would be used for, and wouldn't gaming fall under "personal use". You are using points that are not accurate and vary wildly.

[QUOTE="Wasdie"]

[QUOTE="DarkestDestiny"] Nintendo would like to have a word with you.DarkestDestiny

PC sales far surpass Nintendo's sales.

Remember, NDP doesn't count digital distribution and MMO subscription fees.

Most companies don't release PC games anymore, or they release console-to-PC ports. They claim this is because of piracy, but I believe that may not be entirely true. Perhaps it's because the companies know that they can't get away with the **** that is in modern console games with PC gamers. Most PC gamers are in their late teens and 20s (sometimes even 30s), so they remember the golden age of PC gaming (90s). Look at how poorly received current generation PC games have been received. Sure, a couple games have been well received, such as Minecraft and StarCraft II. But even StarCraft II was heavily criticized for it's dumbed down multiplayer, lack of chat rooms, Nazi-esque map marketplace, micro-transactions, region-locking, Battle.net 2.0, and lack of LAN support. Console games (primarily) don't use dedicated servers or modding, whereas PC games do allow that. But with all of these console-to-PC ports, we get games that suck to begin with on PC without the features that PC games used to have in the 90s and early 00s. In other words, PC gamers realize that MW2 for PC (and MW2 in general) is garbage, so they don't buy it.

Plus a lot of games are created for the lowest-common-denominator now, as in that they release games so that people who aren't fans of the genre/franchise enjoy the game more so than people who are actually fans of the genre, and thus the genre becomes more of an shooter game, and less of what the genre is supposed to be (i.e. tactical shooters, survival horror, stealth, dungeon crawlers). PC gamers are typically more mature than your 12 year old prepubescent boy on Xbox Live, and thus they are smarter and teenagers/adults, not 12 year old kids who don't know any better and think that MW2 is the greatest game ever (and of course, they are entitled to their own opinion). Whereas PC gamers see that gaming has gotten worse over the course of the last decade, instead of getting better. Now games are made almost entirely for graphics whores, instead of people who enjoy the story, characters, gameplay, atmosphere, lore, and people who actually use their brain (not big arrows pointing to where you're supposed to go or do). They often call these games which are anti-niche and released for the lowest-common-denominator "streamlining", because apparently streamlining means that you have to turn everything into a shooter game for 12-year-olds instead of the niche genre it's supposed to be. What are your thoughts on this theory?

DarkestDestiny

Excellent analysis OP. I've been complaining about this for awhile now, and unfortunately take it out on the consolers for being "dumb"; but the reality is that companies want profits, and by selling to the "masses" they make more money.

Sucks, but it is what it is. That said, this is a trend in gaming, and the PC will survive, because it is easily the best gaming device.

Just because the "gas" sucks for a few years, Ferrari isn't going to stop making cars... we'll get good games again sooner than you think.

Don't people realize that PC gaming doesn't die? Console gaming dies each generation and must be renewed by new hardware. SilverChimera

Agreed, but the OP makes a good point as to why PC games are dying (or becoming produced for idiots)

I GUARANTEE the average age/IQ of a PC gamer is higher than that of a console gamer. All console gamers either move to PC eventually, or quit gaming, so PC gaming will never actually die.

PC sucks compared to consoles thats why its dying.HailCaesarHail

The only reason why PC gaming would die in my opinion is you can buy an xbox for like $150 and a decent gaming computer is like $500.

Don't people realize that PC gaming doesn't die? Console gaming dies each generation and must be renewed by new hardware. SilverChimera

[QUOTE="SilverChimera"]Don't people realize that PC gaming doesn't die? Console gaming dies each generation and must be renewed by new hardware. haberman13

Agreed, but the OP makes a good point as to why PC games are dying (or becoming produced for idiots)

[QUOTE="HailCaesarHail"]PC sucks compared to consoles thats why its dying.streetridaz

You've been trolled! Nobody has that opinion with a straight face. (or, you shouldn't respond to that level of ignorance, either way)

;)

[QUOTE="haberman13"]

[QUOTE="SilverChimera"]Don't people realize that PC gaming doesn't die? Console gaming dies each generation and must be renewed by new hardware. SilverChimera

Agreed, but the OP makes a good point as to why PC games are dying (or becoming produced for idiots)

Right, but they are being homogenized and dumbed down.

Compare PC games 10 years ago to todays console ported schwag.

As a die hard consolite even I have to chuckle at this thread. Given the epic failure rate of the 360 and the general incompetence of Sony trying to market and sell an affordable 7th gen system (all the while losing many of its exlcusive franchises) I'm actually considering PC as my next "console." Steam, the ubiquity of cheap older titles available for purchase online, and the superior version of many games now appearing on consoles are steering my in that direction.

[QUOTE="SilverChimera"]Don't people realize that PC gaming doesn't die? Console gaming dies each generation and must be renewed by new hardware. jedikevin2

Yet millions pay just to play one single game in an entire library of games.

You could look at it this way. A lot of people attribute PC game sales declining to piracy. This can sway developers to create better quality games with multiplayer worth paying the price of the game to play. Examples of this are titles like Starcraft 2, Battlefield series and World of Warcraft. People who prefer to play games with better clarity, sharper visuals, better sound and better customisability in both control and through skinning, mapping and modding, will invest in building or buying a PC. It's been this way for years and for now, I can't see it changing in the near future.

As a die hard consolite even I have to chuckle at this thread. Given the epic failure rate of the 360 and the general incompetence of Sony trying to market and sell an affordable 7th gen system (all the while losing many of its exlcusive franchises) I'm actually considering PC as my next "console." Steam, the ubiquity of cheap older titles available for purchase online, and the superior version of many games now appearing on consoles are steering my in that direction.

NEStorianPriest

Do it!!!!

(and get the xbox controller for windows, it will help your transition)

A year after getting a PC I guarantee you are an "elitist" that will never be able to love a true console again. :twisted:

PC sucks compared to consoles thats why its dying.HailCaesarHail

PC gaming isnt dying, but I would agree that it is not as good as it used to be. Starcraft 2 got struck quite hard due to Battlenet 2.0, not on this website maybe but elsewhere the game got a lot of hate for some of the things you mentioned. Also plenty of companies still make PC only games or games not affected by the console version, particulary the indie scene where the options like Steam and the fact that it is an open platform (no royalties) encourage pc versions.

Dying eh?

[QUOTE="NEStorianPriest"]

As a die hard consolite even I have to chuckle at this thread. Given the epic failure rate of the 360 and the general incompetence of Sony trying to market and sell an affordable 7th gen system (all the while losing many of its exlcusive franchises) I'm actually considering PC as my next "console." Steam, the ubiquity of cheap older titles available for purchase online, and the superior version of many games now appearing on consoles are steering my in that direction.

haberman13

Do it!!!!

(and get the xbox controller for windows, it will help your transition)

A year after getting a PC I guarantee you are an "elitist" that will never be able to love a true console again. :twisted:

Haha. Thanks for the encouragement! But seriously I don't think I could never be a PC elitist. I like games, not hardware, and I LOVE my library of console games. I think I can love both and not feel dirty about it;

How many consoles have died in the past? To this day im shocked the DC failed with such great games and a fun console to play. When has the PC ever died? 2011 alone shows how strong the PC is with its exclusives.

The witcher 2, Shogan total war, Guild wars 2, SW the old republic, Diablo 3, red orchestra 2, Starfall... man this is just off the top of my head. PC dont even need exclusives to survive like consoles do.

I'm thinking about restarting pc gaming like i did in the earlies 2000. I just hope i'll find it worth my money

Most dev teams make the games on the 360 first since its the weakest of the 3 and ports the games on to the PS3 and PC. The PC is the strongest gaming machine and there for is the one that needs the most exclusives to shows its powercoz no dev team is going to make a game on each system seperatly, that will cost a lot of money and will take too long. They are in for the money and nothing else they are a business after all, and making money always comes first.
But i dont think PC gaming is dying since it still is getting many good games (not as much as the 360 and PS3), they just need more dev teams showing a lil more care when making the PC version of a game and consider the fact that the PCcan do more then the 360. (I am a PS3 games so am not an expert at PC gaming and if its dying or not :P)

Don't people realize that PC gaming doesn't die? Console gaming dies each generation and must be renewed by new hardware. SilverChimera

Don't people realize that PC gaming doesn't die? Console gaming dies each generation and must be renewed by new hardware. SilverChimera

I read the title and instantly knew your theory was wrong.