Laptops and Macs are holding back pc gaming more than consoles

Have look at the April Steam hardware survey.

Interesting points:

The most common OS is Windows XP 32 bit with nearly 40% share. Remember that DirectX10 and 11 require Vista or 7.

The most common RAM amount is 2 gigabytes.

The most common display resolution is 1280x1024.

What this amounts to is that pc game developers cannot build DX10 games without ignoring a large chunk of the market. Nvidia is currently pushing a DX11 card which is a joke when most pc games don't even require DX10.

I believe this problem will only be made worse by the trend towards laptops and Macs. The low-end gpu demographic is growing while the high-end is losing influence.

High-end pc gaming is pretty much doomed. It's just too much of a risk for developers to target the latest pc tech when there are safer demographics like consoles and average pcs.

The only thing that can save high-end pc gaming at this point is for hardware companies to invest in game development, even if at a short term loss. Nvidia and AMD seem to think that developers will be jumping over to DX11 but based on current trends they will be tied to DX9 for years to come.

You're making a big reach with "doomed". It's more likely that developers will soften the blow with a few toys and enhancements for those of us out on the bleeding edge while ensuring that their games still work on XP. But even that is likely to end in 2-3 years as XP reaches the end of its shelf life.

I don't see laptops or macs being the issue - neither are used on a large scale (at least when compared to the desktop PC) for gaming, and those computers are already more powerful than the consoles in many respects.

Have look at the April Steam hardware survey.

Interesting points:

The most common OS is Windows XP 32 bit with nearly 40% share. Remember that DirectX10 and 11 require Vista or 7.

The most common RAM amount is 2 gigabytes.

The most common display resolution is 1280x1024.

What this amounts to is that pc game developers cannot build DX10 games without ignoring a large chunk of the market. Nvidia is currently pushing a DX11 card which is a joke when most pc games don't even require DX10.

I believe this problem will only be made worse by the trend towards laptops and Macs. The low-end gpu demographic is growing while the high-end is losing influence.

High-end pc gaming is pretty much doomed. It's just too much of a risk for developers to target the latest pc tech when there are safer demographics like consoles and average pcs.

The only thing that can save high-end pc gaming at this point is for hardware companies to invest in game development, even if at a short term loss. Nvidia and AMD seem to think that developers will be jumping over to DX11 but based on current trends they will be tied to DX9 for years to come.

dc337

There are more people with Low-end PCs then people with High-end PCs. The developers shouldn't make games to please the minority just because they spent thousands of dollars on a PC.krazy-blazer

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[QUOTE="krazy-blazer"] There are more people with Low-end PCs then people with High-end PCs. The developers shouldn't make games to please the minority just because they spent thousands of dollars on a PC.dc337

You're making a big reach with "doomed". It's more likely that developers will soften the blow with a few toys and enhancements for those of us out on the bleeding edge while ensuring that their games still work on XP. LordRork

But even that is likely to end in 2-3 years as XP reaches the end of its shelf life.

I don't see laptops or macs being the issue - neither are used on a large scale (at least when compared to the desktop PC) for gaming, and those computers are already more powerful than the consoles in many respects.

LordRork

Have you seen the previews for Star Wars: The Old Republic? They're clearly toning down the graphics for laptop users. Force Unleashed on the 360 has better graphics which shows how much pc gaming has changed this gen.

Have you seen the previews for Star Wars: The Old Republic? They're clearly toning down the graphics for laptop users. Force Unleashed on the 360 has better graphics which shows how much pc gaming has changed this gen.

dc337

The business model of any MMORPG means they want to sell it to as many people as possible for as long as possible through subscriptions (and ensure that the data traffic suits a wide range of broadband connections).

"Standard" PC games, while usually not aimed at the high end market, will be pushing or at least able to push high end hardware. Usually the engineers just want to show off (to get a better job :P ) or experiment. While the likes of the GTX480 and HD5970 are capable of blitzing most modern games and, to a large degree, are overkill, they will still inform where PC gaming and console hardware is going over the next few years.

ATi and Nvidia are going to be offering enticements to the games devs to take advantage of the high end stuff (3D, PhysX etc etc) so they can sell high end cards, so there is always going to be a high end market, even if it only represents a small slice of the market.

What this amounts to is that pc game developers cannot build DX10 games without ignoring a large chunk of the market. Nvidia is currently pushing a DX11 card which is a joke when most pc games don't even require DX10.

dc337

But this has been true for all PC games since they started requring graphics cards to play high end games. Over 15 years?

Only if you think that every laptop/mac user = hardcore PC gamer which I doubt is true.

There's so many indie games, older titles on Steam that anyone with a Mac or Laptop has a huge library of games to choose from. If I only owned a store-bought laptop I don't think I'd be part of the same crowd buying graphic-intensive games, or huge RPGs, or stuff like that. I'd probably fit more into the crowd of people that play Plants vs Zombies.

It'd be kinda like saying that Wii owners are holding back console gaming when it's quite clear that companies like Bioware, and Bethesda, and Valve, and Epic are quite happy making truck loads of money off the HD consoles. They don't make products to sell on lesser hardware. Same goes for devs on the PC. All 25 million Steam users, and however many 200 million or w/e PC gamers total aren't all part of the same target demographic otherwise there'd be 200 million Steam users, and all of them would own HL2 which is not the case.

Not to mention it's very possible for devs to make games compatible with DX9, or DX10 that have features available to those with a DX11 card. Games like Dirt2 and BF:BC2 fit in that category.

[QUOTE="dc337"]

What this amounts to is that pc game developers cannot build DX10 games without ignoring a large chunk of the market. Nvidia is currently pushing a DX11 card which is a joke when most pc games don't even require DX10.

DaBrainz

But this has been true for all PC games since they started requring graphics cards to play high end games. Over 15 years?

Laptops are what people want now. Who wants to be tethered to a big ole clunky desktop these days?

Laptops are what people want now. Who wants to be tethered to a big ole clunky desktop these days?

Bigboi500

I think PC gamers not upgrading often enough and not buying enough games is holding PC gaming back more than anything. Just look at the stats you posted: The most common OS is Windows XP 32 bit with nearly 40% share. Remember that DirectX10 and 11 require Vista or 7. The most common RAM amount is 2 gigabytes. The most common display resolution is 1280x1024. People are still using Windows XP? Only 2gb of RAM? 1280x1024? Heck, I felt I was getting outdated and I have: Windows 7 64-bit Intel Core 2 Duo 3.0GHz Nvidia 9800 GTX+ 512mb 4gb DDR2 800MHz 500gb HDD 7200rpm Samsung 1920x1200 DisplayZero5000X

Not to mention it's very possible for devs to make games compatible with DX9, or DX10 that have features available to those with a DX11 card. Games like Dirt2 and BF:BC2 fit in that category.

treedoor

It makes more sense for most developers to not even bother with DX11 and continue using their existing DX9 engines. It isn't as if DX9 games look bad on a DX11 system. They just aren't reaching their full potential.

Lmao! The specs of my laptop aren't holding gaming back. The fact that it can run Crysis DX 10 mode at 30 fps is awesome.

It says 1.6 ghz, but on High Performance Mode it clocks up to 2.6ghz.

Keep in mind, this is only my laptop.

[QUOTE="dc337"]

What this amounts to is that pc game developers cannot build DX10 games without ignoring a large chunk of the market. Nvidia is currently pushing a DX11 card which is a joke when most pc games don't even require DX10.

DaBrainz

But this has been true for all PC games since they started requring graphics cards to play high end games. Over 15 years?

Making games that can actually run on the hardware that people have does way more good than bad.Senor_Kami

Console games have caught up and possibly surpassed PC's with graphics.

-ArchAngeL-777-

No. Console graphics are still behind what the PC is capable of, living in a fairly weak DX9 land. Even a DX9-only PC will be creating a better quality picture than any of the consoles.

Add in HD output to HD TVs, Blu Ray, stores to download movies or stream netflix, and why would anyone shell out for a gaming PC?

-ArchAngeL-777-

The PC can do all of those, and only one console can do all of them (specifically, Blu-Ray on PS3). The PC is a versatile tool - expensive, certainly, but you can get a machine that does exactly what you want it to, not what some manufacturer is trying to push (specifically, HD-DVD on the 360). The PC isn't some awesome, god-slaying piece of hardware, but its capabilities are only limited by what you want it to do.

Want a cheap, everyday PC? Go for it. Want a hardcore, quad-core 1000W monster? Ditto. The PC can be a great piece of hardware that's easily overlooked.

Piracy is also a big deal from game developers perspective. It is much worse on the PC than consoles. This has led a lot of developers to let the consoles lead the way for their games, and PC be an icing on the cake. Laptops and Macs have nothing to do with it LOL-ArchAngeL-777-

[QUOTE="-ArchAngeL-777-"]Piracy is also a big deal from game developers perspective. It is much worse on the PC than consoles. This has led a lot of developers to let the consoles lead the way for their games, and PC be an icing on the cake. Laptops and Macs have nothing to do with it LOLdc337

I feel it is simply technology progressively advancing more and more everyday, and it is almost suicide for a developer (especially independent) to try to keep making games for bleeding edge tech when most people (including myself) have good computers, but not top of the line (new PC hardware is simply overpriced in my eyes, and I just wait for 1-2 years and pay 25% of the launch price).

high end pc gaming has been in bad waters for a while now. We are at the point where pcs are cheap and powerful . why spend 1300$ on a high end rig when a 250$ net book can run all the apps you need?

OEMs are a huge problem most are over priced and only offer on board graphics or low end cards like the 4350 or 4550 cards. To have a gaming pc you pretty much have to make it your self.

these days, it is perfectly feasable to have a laptop and play high end PC games on it.

.. No.. Laptops are extremely powerful.. My friend just recently got a laptop for $950 and it can basicaly play any game out there on high or maxed.. Including Crysis.. Mac's don't make a difference either because the vaste majority of games can't be played on the OS anyways.sSubZerOo

Lap tops have improved vastly . But they still suck compared to desk tops . Running crysis a game thats going on 3 years old is not much to brag about . a 40$ card can run crysis .

laptops have cost more due to screens and battorys and being put into a small case . They also have gimped cpus and gpus and hard drive . They have to save power so they have lower clock speeds and so on . plus they cant be upgraded .

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"].. No.. Laptops are extremely powerful.. My friend just recently got a laptop for $950 and it can basicaly play any game out there on high or maxed.. Including Crysis.. Mac's don't make a difference either because the vaste majority of games can't be played on the OS anyways.dontshackzmii

Lap tops have improved vastly . But they still suck compared to desk tops . Running crysis a game thats going on 3 years old is not much to brag about . a 40$ card can run crysis .

No they really don't Crysis is the only game out there even close to being demanding for today's tech inless your going to put unrealistic and inoptemized modifications on the newer games..

laptops have cost more due to screens and battorys and being put into a small case . They also have gimped cpus and gpus and hard drive . They have to save power so they have lower clock speeds and so on . plus they cant be upgraded .

It still doesn't matter.. A cheap laptop of today can play every game out there extremely well.. Laptps are not holding back pc gaming.. Infact its most likely helping it.. Now people can buy a portable easy to carry platform that can play all games extremely well usually on max settings.. My friends laptop for instance has the Nvidia 360 mobility chip in it.. It is on par easily with the 4870 and beyond.

Have look at the April Steam hardware survey.

Interesting points:

The most common OS is Windows XP 32 bit with nearly 40% share. Remember that DirectX10 and 11 require Vista or 7.

The most common RAM amount is 2 gigabytes.

The most common display resolution is 1280x1024.

What this amounts to is that pc game developers cannot build DX10 games without ignoring a large chunk of the market. Nvidia is currently pushing a DX11 card which is a joke when most pc games don't even require DX10.

I believe this problem will only be made worse by the trend towards laptops and Macs. The low-end gpu demographic is growing while the high-end is losing influence.

High-end pc gaming is pretty much doomed. It's just too much of a risk for developers to target the latest pc tech when there are safer demographics like consoles and average pcs.

The only thing that can save high-end pc gaming at this point is for hardware companies to invest in game development, even if at a short term loss. Nvidia and AMD seem to think that developers will be jumping over to DX11 but based on current trends they will be tied to DX9 for years to come.

dc337

What about cloud gaming? I am so curious if it will work...

maybe they could uh...make games run and look better using current mid-range tech? Like how all the console developers are doing with 4-5 year old hardware? I know I might be committing sacrilege by saying this, but I'll still try. :P

There's more people with PS2s than PS3s

The exact same comparison

I blame M$ Direct x 10 and 11 should of been XP compatible.Midnightshade29

OpenGL works on all apps, though. If it wasn't for them want'ing to port to 360 then OpenGl would be used more , like it was pre- 2005.Midnightshade29

.. No.. Laptops are extremely powerful.. My friend just recently got a laptop for $950 and it can basicaly play any game out there on high or maxed.. Including Crysis.. Mac's don't make a difference either because the vaste majority of games can't be played on the OS anyways.sSubZerOo

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"].. No.. Laptops are extremely powerful.. My friend just recently got a laptop for $950 and it can basicaly play any game out there on high or maxed.. Including Crysis.. Mac's don't make a difference either because the vaste majority of games can't be played on the OS anyways.dc337

Yeah if you go out and buy the first thing you see.. If you actuallY RESEARCh what you buy, you can get a extremely good laptop for under $1000..

Yeah if you go out and buy the first thing you see.. If you actuallY RESEARCh what you buy, you can get a extremely good laptop for under $1000..

sSubZerOo

Blizzard has already figured out that the money is in the millions of igpus that exist, not the 'hardcore' crowd. LucasArts is doing the same with their dated-looking Star Wars MMO.

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

Yeah if you go out and buy the first thing you see.. If you actuallY RESEARCh what you buy, you can get a extremely good laptop for under $1000..

dc337

Blizzard has already figured out that the money is in the millions of igpus that exist, not the 'hardcore' crowd. LucasArts is doing the same with their dated-looking Star Wars MMO.

your argument is pointless. Any average PC you buy comes with a crappy GPU not designed for gaming as well. It has nothing to do with laptops in particular.

If you buy one of these in the first place, gaming is obviously not your intention anyway.

your argument is pointless. Any average PC you buy comes with a crappy GPU not designed for gaming as well. It has nothing to do with laptops in particular.cobrax25

If you buy one of these in the first place, gaming is obviously not your intention anyway cobrax25

The pc gaming market is being split into two categories:

1. Exclusives that are igpu friendly.

2. Multiplats that are built around consoles.