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!

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by 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.

Amen to this. I've heard these talks of consoles taking over the PC for 6-7 years now. It's bollocks.

Originally Posted by 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?

GSC is a licensed 360 developer. So we may see STALKER on at least one console, maybe more.

[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!

[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.

[danlisa]

Originally Posted by Kapitan_Phillips

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.

LOL, not true. There are more games coming to the consoles (360 & PS3) which support user created content. UT3 & COD4 are just 2 examples. The irony is, you need a PC to create the content.

@ Blacklight

You can't mod the games and if there are any bugs in the game, you can't patch it.

Not true anymore. COD4, Warhawk, Assassins Creed are all on later patch versions than the original releases, at least on the PS3. However, I will concede that modding console games is very hard as you need an insight into the coding.

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.

I'll talk about what I know. The PS3 is a 10yr console and still continues to support/play & sell PS1 & PS2 games.

Console games tend to be very linear. No matter 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.

True, in the majority. However, Grand Theft Auto, Assassins Creed, Oblivion (ok PC port:p), Final Fantasy & Warhawk are all open and can be played as the user see fit. More non-linear content will come soon.

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.

:rotfl:Each to their own. I guess I'm lucky, I can enjoy a console game as much as a 'serious' PC game. BTW, console games are not restricted to the genres you mention. Some of the newest PS3 content does not fall into these categories and at the moment, they are the ones getting the best user reviews.

@ d@rk51d3

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

Could be intersting to try installing them to PS3.

SH3 has been used on Linux before, although it's not easy. As for SH3 on a PS3, the Cell processor & GFX chip will run it, however the installed RAM is not sufficient or indeed arranged/utilised in such as a that SH3 could possible use it. If you like, SH3 is not coded correctly to draw on the PS3's RAM resources. Believe me, I asked about his.

@ All

To the opening question. PC gaming will not die or could ever be replaced by consoles, until consoles are user upgradeable. Tech & Software moves too quickly to allow a console to replace PCs.

What will happen is that we will see a merging of the two into a single media centre capable of normal windows tasks, Media content, PC games & Console games. For example, the PS3 is fairly close to this at the moment and this is only possible because Linux can be installed. The only thing pulling the PS3 down is the complexity of it's coding system & unusual use/implementation of RAM memory.