PC gaming is WAY too fragmented nowadays. Especially with Google trying to enter

PC gamers like to talk about "PC gaming" like as if it is one large, unified platform where everything flows smoothly. This may have been slightly true in the 90's, but nowadays it is broken up into too many competing services. Steam, Direct2Drive, Impulse,GamersGate, OnLive, Gaikai, GFW Live, and now even GOOGLE is trying to enter trhe market by making their own "Google games" service? Yes, just what the PC game industry needs right now. More fragmentation. Oh, and don't forget other websites such as Facebook which have loads of games. Each of these platforms may have their own Friends lists, app store, and other various features which makes divided the PC market further. And lets not forget all the MMOs out there with their own friends lists. As we can see, the PC market is all over the place, its such a mess. Imagine have some friends that use Steam, another that uses OnLive, another that uses Google games, and so forth. Talk about a major headache.

Now, with consoles, things are much nicer. There are only three companies, andjust two of them take their online seriously. So when you want to play console games online, you only need to choose between PS3 and 360... and that's it it. Its so much nicer having th choose between two platforms rather than 20+ of them.

Your thoughts? :)

ya pc gaming is huge, cant even really be compared to the limited consoles. Id rather have choice and an open platform anyday though, most of these companies you mentioned are making money so I cant see how it hurts anything. Heck most console focused companies are bleeding red, if it wasnt for blizzard even activision would be bleeding red.

My thoughts? Choice >>>>>>>>>> Closed box where they can charge you for whatever they want.

PC is always have, is and will be fragmented since no body own this platfrom :p

My thoughts? Choice >>>>>>>>>> Closed box where they can charge you for whatever they want.

Espada12

And thats exactly why your closed console systems also charge you up the wazoo for games. The fragmentation causes something sorely needed in the console space - competition within the same platform.

[QUOTE="Espada12"]

My thoughts? Choice >>>>>>>>>> Closed box where they can charge you for whatever they want.

PandaBear86

And thats exactly why your closed console systems also charge you up the wazoo for games. The fragmentation causes something sorely needed in the console space - competition within the same platform.

XaosII

PC gamers like to talk about "PC gaming" like as if it is one large, unified platform where everything flows smoothly. This may have been slightly true in the 90's, but nowadays it is broken up into too many competing services. Steam, Direct2Drive, Impulse,GamersGate, OnLive, Gaikai, GFW Live, and now even GOOGLE is trying to enter trhe market by making their own "Google games" service? Yes, just what the PC game industry needs right now. More fragmentation. Oh, and don't forget other websites such as Facebook which have loads of games. Each of these platforms may have their own Friends lists, app store, and other various features which makes divided the PC market further. And lets not forget all the MMOs out there with their own friends lists. As we can see, the PC market is all over the place, its such a mess. Imagine have some friends that use Steam, another that uses OnLive, another that uses Google games, and so forth. Talk about a major headache.

Now, with consoles, things are much nicer. There are only three companies, andjust two of them take their online seriously. So when you want to play console games online, you only need to choose between PS3 and 360... and that's it it. Its so much nicer having th choose between two platforms rather than 20+ of them.

Your thoughts? :)

PandaBear86

[QUOTE="Espada12"]

My thoughts? Choice >>>>>>>>>> Closed box where they can charge you for whatever they want.

PandaBear86

What do you mean across platforms? All games have the same servers.. they don't get fragmented. There are many DD retailers but the game itself shares the same servers.

[QUOTE="XaosII"]

And thats exactly why your closed console systems also charge you up the wazoo for games. The fragmentation causes something sorely needed in the console space - competition within the same platform.

PandaBear86

[QUOTE="XaosII"]

And thats exactly why your closed console systems also charge you up the wazoo for games. The fragmentation causes something sorely needed in the console space - competition within the same platform.

PandaBear86

Yet why doesn't Sony allow on PSN a to-purchase digital distribution system other than their own? Because they want tight control over it. You'll pay what Sony wants you to pay, not what its demand merits.

Even if WoW and Onlive, as examples, are closed systems, they are on an open platform. You have multiple systems going on. That doesn't exist on consoles, period. Its a pointless technicality.

In any case, its really not that big of a deal as your making it out to be. If you're real life friends with someone, i seriously doubt that its that big of a deal to decide ona common communication portal. Maybe you cna both agree to Steam? or Games for Windows Live if he uses an Xbox? Or maybe something completely game agnostic like AIM or Yahoo Messenger. Your real life friends with them, so a compromise can.

Frankly, the fact that a compromise CAN be met is a bonus as opposed to your friend owning a PS3 and you only owning a 360. How can you guys tlak in that case? By using a phone i guess... Seems like more of a hassle than just having one extra chat program going.

PC gamers like to talk about "PC gaming" like as if it is one large, unified platform where everything flows smoothly. This may have been slightly true in the 90's, but nowadays it is broken up into too many competing services. Steam, Direct2Drive, Impulse,GamersGate, OnLive, Gaikai, GFW Live, and now even GOOGLE is trying to enter trhe market by making their own "Google games" service? Yes, just what the PC game industry needs right now. More fragmentation. Oh, and don't forget other websites such as Facebook which have loads of games. Each of these platforms may have their own Friends lists, app store, and other various features which makes divided the PC market further. And lets not forget all the MMOs out there with their own friends lists. As we can see, the PC market is all over the place, its such a mess. Imagine have some friends that use Steam, another that uses OnLive, another that uses Google games, and so forth. Talk about a major headache.

Now, with consoles, things are much nicer. There are only three companies, andjust two of them take their online seriously. So when you want to play console games online, you only need to choose between PS3 and 360... and that's it it. Its so much nicer having th choose between two platforms rather than 20+ of them.

Your thoughts? :)

I love how so many console fans want PC to die.

If PC dies, indie titles, mods, and the innovation that those communities have brought dies with it. Lets also not mention the companies on the PC who provide the tools for people to develop their own content without charging, games that aren't $60, free DLC, patches to make games better and add content...

Do you really think gaming would be where it is today without the mod and indie game scene? The biggest games that everybody love today can trace their roots to mods made from older games by modders. Game publishers don't take the risks the indie gamers and modders do. If the big developers had their way, they would push out nothing more than Halo's, Call of Duty clones, Maddens, Tony Hawk type games, Guitar Hero ripoffs because gamers would not know anything but those.

We look to the PC as a source of innovation and inspiration for future games. Developers see what modders and indie gamers have done, realize it will give them a great competitive advantage to put those gameplay mechanics into their games and keep evolving gaming.

You kill off PC gaming, you will stagnate the industry. See motion controls? See how much failure they have been for the core gamers? That is a direct result of game companies not opening the doors to modders or indie gamers. It's a perfect example of what happens when the community influence is absent from the development process.

Trust me, you don't want to game in world of a mute gaming community. I don't want myself, my kids, and all future generations to pay $100+ for Call of Duty 45 - Back to WWII.

I love how so many console fans want PC to die.

If PC dies, indie titles, mods, and the innovation that those communities have brought dies with it. Lets also not mention the companies on the PC who provide the tools for people to develop their own content without charging, games that aren't $60, free DLC, patches to make games better and add content...

Do you really think gaming would be where it is today without the mod and indie game scene? The biggest games that everybody love today can trace their roots to mods made from older games. Game publishers don't take the risks the indie gamers and modders do. If the big developers had their way, they would push out nothing more than Halo's, Call of Duty clones, Maddens, Tony Hawk type games, Guitar Hero ripoffs because gamers would not know anything but.

We look to the PC as a source of innovation and inspiration for future games. Developers see what modders and indie gamers have done, realize it will give them a great competitive advantage to put those gameplay mechanics into their games and keep evolving gaming.

You kill off PC gaming, you will stagnate the industry. See motion controls? See how much failure they have been for the core gamers? That is a direct result of game companies not opening the doors to modders or indie gamers. It's a perfect example of what happens when the community influence is absent from the development process.

Trust me, you don't want to game in world of a mute gaming community. I don't want myself, my kids, and all future generations to pay $100+ for Call of Duty 45 - Back to WWII.

When did I ever say I wanted PC gaming to die? I was actually angry about PC gaming being too fragmented (I love PC gaming, I don't want it to be broken into too many sub-platforms). Did you read my thread before posting? Because nothing you mentioned had anything to do with what I said :|PandaBear86

PC gaming being broken up into all of the different platforms is exactly what makes it so great. Lots of room for indie developers and modders to make games and people to play them. Trying to stand out against games like Halo and Call of Duty on the consoles when you're a tiny little indie developer is damn near impossible.

A PC can play all 20+ "fragments", so it really doesn't matter. Unless companies start making you purchase hardware specific to their games, it shouldn't be a problem.

[QUOTE="PandaBear86"]When did I ever say I wanted PC gaming to die? I was actually angry about PC gaming being too fragmented (I love PC gaming, I don't want it to be broken into too many sub-platforms). Did you read my thread before posting? Because nothing you mentioned had anything to do with what I said :|Wasdie

PC gaming being broken up into all of the different platforms is exactly what makes it so great. Lots of room for indie developers and modders to make games and people to play them. Trying to stand out against games like Halo and Call of Duty on the consoles when you're a tiny little indie developer is damn near impossible.

A PC can play all 20+ "fragments", so it really doesn't matter. Unless companies start making you purchase hardware specific to their games, it shouldn't be a problem.

If 20+ fragments had their own friends list, then yeah it would feel really akward and complex.

[QUOTE="Wasdie"]

[QUOTE="PandaBear86"]When did I ever say I wanted PC gaming to die? I was actually angry about PC gaming being too fragmented (I love PC gaming, I don't want it to be broken into too many sub-platforms). Did you read my thread before posting? Because nothing you mentioned had anything to do with what I said :|PandaBear86

PC gaming being broken up into all of the different platforms is exactly what makes it so great. Lots of room for indie developers and modders to make games and people to play them. Trying to stand out against games like Halo and Call of Duty on the consoles when you're a tiny little indie developer is damn near impossible.

A PC can play all 20+ "fragments", so it really doesn't matter. Unless companies start making you purchase hardware specific to their games, it shouldn't be a problem.

What does steam have to do with anything? It's still a level of unification and hoops to jump through. I love Steam, but we need competition between Steam and other DD services as well as retail to keep prices down. Also Steam has nothing to do with actually creating games, it's just a platform for DD and social networking amoungst gamers.

I'd still like to know what you're supposed to do if you own a 360 but your friend only has a PS3 and you want to communicate.

You kill off PC gaming, you will stagnate the industry. See motion controls? See how much failure they have been for the core gamers? That is a direct result of game companies not opening the doors to modders or indie gamers. It's a perfect example of what happens when the community influence is absent from the development process.

Wasdie

didn't M$ said Kinect will be released for PC ??

I'd still like to know what you're supposed to do if you own a 360 but your friend only has a PS3 and you want to communicate.

XaosII

[QUOTE="XaosII"]

I'd still like to know what you're supposed to do if you own a 360 but your friend only has a PS3 and you want to communicate.

PandaBear86

What? So you rather choose no ability to communicate over an ability to communicate?

[QUOTE="XaosII"]

I'd still like to know what you're supposed to do if you own a 360 but your friend only has a PS3 and you want to communicate.

PandaBear86

Buy a PC... play the games? It's not a complicated mess.

If you're using Xfire and I'm using Steam, I can download Xfire for free! Unlike if you have a 360 and I have a PS3, I would have to go drop $410 (360 + game+ XBL) just to play with you.

[QUOTE="PandaBear86"][QUOTE="XaosII"]

I'd still like to know what you're supposed to do if you own a 360 but your friend only has a PS3 and you want to communicate.

What? So you rather choose no ability to communicate over an ability to communicate?

I have PS3 + 360. I can play with any console gamer.PandaBear86

How is that relevent to anything? What if I owned a 360 and my buddy owned a PS3... I would have to buy a 360 or he would have to buy a PS3 just to play with me.

On the PC I can just download his program to communicate with him free of charge. Pretty nifty.

I have PS3 + 360. I can play with any console gamer.PandaBear86

But what about someone with a Wii? Or just a PSP and a DS? And you wanna talk to them. How about just a PS2? How am i supposed to communicate with my cousin overseas who can only find and afford PS2 games in his country?

[QUOTE="PandaBear86"] I have PS3 + 360. I can play with any console gamer.Wasdie

How is that relevent to anything? What if I owned a 360 and my buddy owned a PS3... I would have to buy a 360 or he would have to buy a PS3 just to play with me.

On the PC I can just download his program to communicate with him free of charge. Pretty nifty.

[QUOTE="Wasdie"]

I have PS3 + 360. I can play with any console gamer.PandaBear86

How is that relevent to anything? What if I owned a 360 and my buddy owned a PS3... I would have to buy a 360 or he would have to buy a PS3 just to play with me.

On the PC I can just download his program to communicate with him free of charge. Pretty nifty.

[QUOTE="devious742"]

[QUOTE="Wasdie"]

How is that relevent to anything? What if I owned a 360 and my buddy owned a PS3... I would have to buy a 360 or he would have to buy a PS3 just to play with me.

On the PC I can just download his program to communicate with him free of charge. Pretty nifty.

PandaBear86

[QUOTE="devious742"]

[QUOTE="Wasdie"]

How is that relevent to anything? What if I owned a 360 and my buddy owned a PS3... I would have to buy a 360 or he would have to buy a PS3 just to play with me.

On the PC I can just download his program to communicate with him free of charge. Pretty nifty.

PandaBear86

xbox 360...ps3...wii?

[QUOTE="PandaBear86"][QUOTE="devious742"] ouch.. didnt see that one coming did you OP:o

devious742

[QUOTE="devious742"]

[QUOTE="Wasdie"]

How is that relevent to anything? What if I owned a 360 and my buddy owned a PS3... I would have to buy a 360 or he would have to buy a PS3 just to play with me.

On the PC I can just download his program to communicate with him free of charge. Pretty nifty.

PandaBear86

for FREE8)

it's only that way atm because everybody wants a piece of the money pie

give it a couple years for the market to weed out the failures

So you need several differenet programs open at the same time to talk to your friends? Xfire + Steam chat + Gamespy Comrade? Doesn't sounds like fun to me.PandaBear86

People with different consoles aren't even able to PLAY each other, and you're moaning about having to download a free program to communicate.

PC gamers like to talk about "PC gaming" like as if it is one large, unified platform where everything flows smoothly. This may have been slightly true in the 90's, but nowadays it is broken up into too many competing services. Steam, Direct2Drive, Impulse,GamersGate, OnLive, Gaikai, GFW Live, and now even GOOGLE is trying to enter trhe market by making their own "Google games" service? Yes, just what the PC game industry needs right now. More fragmentation. Oh, and don't forget other websites such as Facebook which have loads of games. Each of these platforms may have their own Friends lists, app store, and other various features which makes divided the PC market further. And lets not forget all the MMOs out there with their own friends lists. As we can see, the PC market is all over the place, its such a mess. Imagine have some friends that use Steam, another that uses OnLive, another that uses Google games, and so forth. Talk about a major headache.

Now, with consoles, things are much nicer. There are only three companies, andjust two of them take their online seriously. So when you want to play console games online, you only need to choose between PS3 and 360... and that's it it. Its so much nicer having th choose between two platforms rather than 20+ of them.

Your thoughts? :)

PandaBear86

All I see when you list those things is PC gaming becoming a even larger entity as a whole. Competition just forces companies to offer better services and prices to the consumer to survive.

Steam itself is already open. Publishers can charge their own prices, royalty fees to Valve are low, and you can play games on the publishers servers, you can use Xfire on Steam games, the list goes on.

If 20+ fragments had their own friends list, then yeah it would feel really akward and complex.

PandaBear86

Developers

"Revenue sharing with developers under the Steam system is 60/40 (developer/Valve)."


Profit margins for developers are a major selling point for digital distribution, and Steam does not let the side down. I'm pleased to say that there are now figures as accurate as possible for each margin: 10%-20% for traditional retail/publisher deals; roughly 60% for Steam developers; and an incredible 86% for Valve themselves. Add to that the fact that Valve doesn't take the developer's IP and the effective margin becomes wider still.

These sorts of numbers aren't easy to come by for distribution services, but it isn't unreasonable to say that the 26% net margin difference between Valve and their Steam licensees is quite wide. Perhaps when xStream ramps up we'll see some healthy competition.

Link

PC gamers like to talk about "PC gaming" like as if it is one large, unified platform where everything flows smoothly. This may have been slightly true in the 90's, but nowadays it is broken up into too many competing services. Steam, Direct2Drive, Impulse,GamersGate, OnLive, Gaikai, GFW Live, and now even GOOGLE is trying to enter trhe market by making their own "Google games" service? Yes, just what the PC game industry needs right now. More fragmentation. Oh, and don't forget other websites such as Facebook which have loads of games. Each of these platforms may have their own Friends lists, app store, and other various features which makes divided the PC market further. And lets not forget all the MMOs out there with their own friends lists. As we can see, the PC market is all over the place, its such a mess. Imagine have some friends that use Steam, another that uses OnLive, another that uses Google games, and so forth. Talk about a major headache.

Now, with consoles, things are much nicer. There are only three companies, andjust two of them take their online seriously. So when you want to play console games online, you only need to choose between PS3 and 360... and that's it it. Its so much nicer having th choose between two platforms rather than 20+ of them.

Your thoughts? :)

PandaBear86

[QUOTE="PandaBear86"]

PC gamers like to talk about "PC gaming" like as if it is one large, unified platform where everything flows smoothly. This may have been slightly true in the 90's, but nowadays it is broken up into too many competing services. Steam, Direct2Drive, Impulse,GamersGate, OnLive, Gaikai, GFW Live, and now even GOOGLE is trying to enter trhe market by making their own "Google games" service? Yes, just what the PC game industry needs right now. More fragmentation. Oh, and don't forget other websites such as Facebook which have loads of games. Each of these platforms may have their own Friends lists, app store, and other various features which makes divided the PC market further. And lets not forget all the MMOs out there with their own friends lists. As we can see, the PC market is all over the place, its such a mess. Imagine have some friends that use Steam, another that uses OnLive, another that uses Google games, and so forth. Talk about a major headache.

Now, with consoles, things are much nicer. There are only three companies, andjust two of them take their online seriously. So when you want to play console games online, you only need to choose between PS3 and 360... and that's it it. Its so much nicer having th choose between two platforms rather than 20+ of them.

Your thoughts? :)

hd5870corei7

[Only someone desperately grasping at straws would think a monopoly is better than competition. Mystic-G

Or they own the monopoly :P

Yah thats always the one thing that really pisses me off about PC gaming, there is no universal identy that ties everything up into 1 clean account. Its would be nicer with competition on consoles but so far I havn't seen anything horribly unreasonable. The only real good thing about PC is its strategy and mmo games now which I don't really play. Otherwise I like the consoles more they have a bit better experience overall.savagetwinkie