Is PC gaming dying?

[TarJak]

Have consoles won the gaming platform war? GfK thinks so. Have you say on the blog...

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/...467255500.html
http://blogs.smh.com.au/mashup/archives//017322.html

[SUBMAN1]

hardly. I have yet to see a Console game offer anything close to the depth of a PC game. Where are games like STALKER on the consoles? Where are Flight Sims on the consoles? Are you ever going to have a Falcon on the consoles? Forget it. They are incapable.

The consoles have won in a genre dominated by the stupid and ADHD type people that are looking for 30 min distractions, but don't expect to find SH V on a console. Its never going to happen.

Besides - Consoles are so limited both graphics and memory wise its pathetic. This has little to do with their one really biggest limitation - input control. Where is the mouse and keyboard for a console??? A man with a mouse and keyboard will always dominate a console player online. Have you ever watched one of my videod and seen my accuracy? That is never going to be accomplished with anything short of a mouse. I use a laser mouse as well, so i can't chock up my lack of aiming ability on hardware. If i miss - it is my personal lack of skill.

just my 2 cents.

-S

PS. Know how to know if a PC game might possibly suck? There is a console port of it. A PC game that is not ported to a console is probably beyond a consoles ability so it probably has enough depth to be entertaining for a long while.

[StarFox]

Can you surf the internet, do your taxes, write a story, do a resume, play games, hijack some ungaurded server, launch all the nuclear weapons in the world on a Xbox360 or a PS3?

Not all of them, PC's (and assorted Apple Junk) will be around for now at least

[silentrunner]

I have this argument with my father all the time he tries to say that Silent Hunter seems like a console game?????????????????????? I try to explain that doing that would be just about impossible and that the patches and mods would not be available. But he just doesn't understand video games

[CCIP]

Oh, they've been preaching this one for years, and it's not actually happening. The truth is that the console market is expanding rapidly, but it's just due to casual players being drawn in. Wii alone has hugely expanded the market by raking in more living room gamers than anything that's come before it.

But truth is, the PC market may not blossom like the "old days", but there will always be games to be made for it. The technical limitations of consoles will always ensure an audience for PC games.

[d@rk51d3]

Has anybody got SH3 (or 4 for that matter) running on Linux?

Could be intersting to try installing them to PS3.:hmm:



As regards to the opening question......

.....HELL NO!

[Chad]

Tarjak, you wouldn't happen to be a member of BRL would you?

Just surprised you know Gfk that's all

[bookworm_020]

I saw this and thought it was a bi of a beat up. The PC Market is still expanding, so there life still out there!

[Blacklight]

My problem with the whole console market is:
1. The games when you boil down the mechanics of it are basically either simplistic real time strategy, first person shooters, or old Nintendo style rpgs (If you want a REAL RPG, get out a pencil, some paper and some dice and I'll show you a proper one).
2. The game console is out for like a year and then they unveil the NEW console and discontinue all the games for the old one. (Yeah.. this kind of happens with computers but it's streached out over a longer period of time as you can upgrade your computer as need be for a few years)
3. You can't mod the games and if there are any bugs in the game, you can't patch it.
4. No user created content. Therefore, replay value is limited once you "beat the game" you know how to beat the game again.. which lends to..
5. Console games tend to be very linear. Nomatter how you slice it, you always end up following the same path one way or another and with no mods and user created content, it restricts you to this path.
6. Console games are mostly eye candy for the kids and don't offer much that I'm interested in. If there's not explosions, fast cars, or intense manga style swordfighting, you won't see it on a console.

I've seen LOTS of console games and none I've encountered have come close to the fun of a lot of the old Atari 2600 games.

*Sits in his rocking chair and waits for a young'un to tell him that he's just an old man.*

[StarFox]

I still enjoy my old Super Nintendo. got it off ebay, my old one was busted up and dead. this one works great, of crouse, they are getting rare, so I try to be careful. I enjoy how simple the games are. not complicated, but loads of fun

and of course, the best system game ever, Golden Eye for the N64, NOTHING beats that game. I wish I had an N64 just for that game!!

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by Chad

Tarjak, you wouldn't happen to be a member of BRL would you?

Just surprised you know Gfk that's all

No I'm not. I only mention them as they are the ones mentioned in the article.

@Subman1, Whilst I'm with you on the felxibility and superiority of the PC as a gaming platform, the problem which GfK points to is an economic one. The argument is not about which platform is superior, but which one the game publsihers see as making the most money for them at the least cost.

If the sales of a platform's content become so consolidated into fewer titles, then the platform itself becomes at risk of die of starvation of content. I also agree that I don't see this happening particularly in the simulations market and think that what is happening is that consoles are expanding their market, but that there is plenty of room for both platforms to co-exist. Although I'm not one of them I know plenty of people who enjoy and buy games on both console and PC platforms.

What is necessary is for the market to continue to grow for PC titles otherwise publishers will increasingly simply port their console games for PC, (a trend that is increasing in popularity, unfortunatley IMHO). This ususally results in a sub standard PC experience which also means that PC platform sales are likely to head downwards.

We are the answer, in that if we wish to continue to enjoy good quality titles on the PC platform we have to support the industry by buying the games we enjoy playing.

[Venatore]

I really hope PC games remains the foundation for all gaming technology.

[Kapitan_Phillips]

I think what puts alot of people off PC gaming is the fact that there's always a possibility that the latest releases wont work on your machine, and you need upgrades. At least with a console, the games you buy are guaranteed to work. (Except EA frigging Sports and their bull****)

However, on the flipside, barring the X-Box 360's HDD support, consoles are unable to really have any mods to allow replayability. When I play a story driven console game, I'll play it through once, then put it away for a month or two, then have the urge to play it again.

That said, however, there's even ways to add your own custom songs to Guitar Hero, if I recall (Layla, anyone? ) and with promises of downloadable rosters and gameplay modes for the upcoming WWE Smackdown releases, it might be a first step towards bringing a bit more diversity to the console market.

(Wow, a post of mine that made sense! )

[antikristuseke]

I have to say, this is one of the very rare times where i completely agree with Subman1.

[SmokinTep]

They'll have to pry my computer out of my hands before I buy a console........