Die hard hermits are becoming console gamers

The traditional image of the FPS player as a PC gamer with keyboard and mouse doesn't necessarily hold true any more, according to id Software's director of business development, Steve Nix, who told Eurogamer this week that he believes many hardcore PC FPS players are now getting their jollies on consoles.

Chatting to us in London about the upcoming console version of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Nix said that id is "absolutely" seeing a shift to consoles, even from formerly diehard PC gamers.

"I know that I have friends who are considered core gamers, who years ago were just keyboard and mouse guys - now, when a game ships on all platforms, they buy the console version, even though the PC version is sitting there and they have a PC that would run it perfectly well. It's just their preference," he explained.

Designer Greg Stone, who has been working on Quake Wars at Nerve Software, chipped in to agree. "For me, I'm exactly what he's describing - I'm a guy that used to play on PCs, and now I'm totally console. It's so much money to keep up with the bleeding edge of technology on the PC, and it really just is easier to take a console and say, well, this is good enough. I think that's the way it is for me, and for a lot of people at this point in time."

However, Nix was keen to point out that he's describing a limited trend - and that there's still plenty of space for the PC in the games market, even if FPS games are certainly no longer entirely a PC-centric genre.

"There are plenty of people who are diehard mouse and keyboard guys that may never go to console, and also right now, if you have the highest of high-end PCs, you're generally going to get a better visual experience," Nix said. "There's no console out there that's as powerful as a God machine right now, with a Quad-Core and a GeForce 8800 - it's very hard for any console to compete with that."

"So you still have PC players, and some players are just console guys, but have players moved over? Absolutely. We love PC gaming, and we continue to support PC gaming - but you can't ignore the market realities and the size of the console market these days."

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=95042

Can't blame hermits for jumping ship, consoles are where it's at after all. Soon they will all be console gamers and PC gaming will beleft to mums so they can play Minesweeper and the Sims.

I will stick with the AAA and AA facts thanks. PC has better(and more) titles than any platform.

The guys opinion is biased, hes trying to sell something.

Depends on the kind of hardcore you're talking about. Some FPS players did move, on the other hand a lot of hardcore pcgamers who left PCgaming many years ago are now returning to gaming full time on PC because of the more hardcore genres getting ressurected on PC right now. Which is direct result of move of "huge games and devs" to consoles. SImply put suddenly there was a lot of empty space on PC market up for taking and this allowed hardcore games to come back to life.

So bassicaly some hardcores left and some entered PCgaming

I actually go where the developers go. I don't particulary favour any system. Valve and Blizzard will keep developing for the PC. I will stay loyal to that system.

I consider myself more a PC gamer then anything. However, I like all systems equal. I will probably spend alot of time on my 360 when GTAIV appears. Lets just hope mine doesn't rrod :(

hmmm i am still here, been playing on the PC only for 5 years. before that had a ps2. i ain't leaving any tme soon.

And to be honest FPS games are getting tired. This year i am mainly looking forward to starcraft 2, empire total war, x3, il2 creators next game, iracing, black shark, race driver grid, mafia 2 and the only fps games i really want are far cry 2, armed assault 2 and operation flashpoint 2.

unlike last year where most games i wanted were fps games, like crysis, et quake wars, ut3, bioshock, orange box etc

Lets just hope mine doesn't rrod :(

PullTheTricker

lol

Well you would hope some of the 263 million PC gamers would go to consoles.

Its not as if its getting any less popular.

Why on earth would the die hard FPS gamers be going to consoles when the competitive scene is about half the size? That doesn't make any sense at all. Its another one of those companies running their mouth.Vandalvideo

Most Hermits do in fact own consoles to game on. Most consolites cannot say vice versa. Regardless of which FPS on PC is still ahead of FPS on consoles.

Can't blame hermits for jumping ship, consoles are where it's at after all. Soon they will all be console gamers and PC gaming will beleft to mums so they can play Minesweeper and the Sims.

M3tro1d

PC on Paper mops the floor with the competition. But that's not to say that consoles don't have tons of games I like, I want, and I play.