Do you think PC gaming is dying?

[Pollux]

The reason I ask this is because it seems as if more and more people are going for the more affordable gaming option, especially considering that HDTVs are beginning to become cheap enough for the average consumer. It seems that over the last few years PC gaming has been on the decline while console gaming has been gaining a ton of momentum. Of course there are many good MMO, FPS, and RTS games that drive the PC gaming market. Do you think PC gaming is on the path to being phased out by console gaming? Or do you think it is here to stay for a long time?

[Rattle]

no

there's plenty of people like me that wont take a console for free

[Exar Jun]

Agreed. Many genres of gaming don't make sense on a console and they just are not as fun or scalable on them.

PC gaming will continue to stay strong.

[FlakMonkey]

Not even close.

[PhysX]

devlopers are just taking their sweet ass times on the games like crysis, alan wake, ut2k7 etc...

[Gabkicks]

pc gaming is far from dead :) as i got older... i've become much more of a pc gamer than a console gamer

[IAmMoen]

I do like playing console games in every genre but when you put a fps on console up against one on a computer with a mouse... Just no comparison in my opinion.

[Seven]

Never. Absolutely not.

Think about this. Nothing will EVER replace the PC in terms of cost efficiency versus what you actually get. You throw down $1,200 for a PS3 versus a new PC? I mean, can your new PS3 even do half the stuff your PC can? No.

Gaming will always continue to be innovated ON THE PC, whereas the stuff we had years ago like innovations in DirectX 9 are now just trickling down to the console market. DirectX 10 will come out in a few months, and everybody who just bought a new console versus a PC will be wondering of all things, why they did.

7

[dfonda]

NO!...Microsoft has started the push for kiosks to match what the Consoles have. With more uniformity, it will keep getting easier for non techie folks to know what will play on their systems.

[ziggo0]

LOL. I'm still playing a game from 8 years ago, how can it be dieing? Jeez.

[JSharifi]

I don't think Gaming is necessarily dying as much as it is 'reorganizing'

I dunno, I've noticed after the past 5 or so years that everyone in quake3/quake4 the unreal series has been slowly moving towards mmos and rts. There are countless people that have stopped playing fps' and starting playing world of warcraft and aoe 3... the list goes on

Companies have started to make a push towards console gaming because it is harder to pirate, or thats what it seems like to me atleast. That and if you want to play a game on a console you'll have to own the console first, you just can't run it on any machine.Which means more profit, naturally. Look how many people bought an xbox just for halo or halo 2. How many of those people do you think bought an xbox 360 for halo 3? I bet with in the next year or so due to the release of the ps3, wii, and 360 we'll see a decrease in the launching of pc titles and seeing more availability on consoles..

The P.C. gaming community is much smaller than the console gaming community... It may not only seem like it because the majority of us talk about pc games on the internet or interact with online communities, so we're surrounded by it.

personally I hate consoles :mad:

[pak]

Mouse and keyboard for life!

--pak

[Pollux]

Nothing will EVER replace the PC in terms of cost efficiency versus what you actually get. You throw down $1,200 for a PS3 versus a new PC? I mean, can your new PS3 even do half the stuff your PC can? No.

First, the PS3's most expensive model is $600, not $1200. Second, the PC is the lowest in terms of cost efficiency. A video card alone often costs more than entire console. Third, I've found that the support for PC games has been on the decline. Less and less developers are making PC games. If you were to go into an EB games, Gamestop, Walmart, etc you would see that there PC gaming section is usually just a sad bargain bin. Although I've done so in the past, I don't think I can justify shelling out another $1000+ for an upgrade that'll last me 3-4 years at best for only a handful of noteworthy games. While FPS games, MMO's, and RTS's remain dominant on the PC, those are the only genres with games worth playing. Look at Gears of War on the Xbox360, for example. For $300 you can get incredible visuals that would cost you well over $1000 on the PC. I don't want PC gaming to die, but it just seems like it is coming. The demand in the console market just seems to be getting larger and larger, while the exact opposite is happening in the PC market.

[Rattle]

blah you can keep you consoles for $600 with games that are $60 and 1 out of 10 are worth playing if that...

[Gabkicks]

it seems to me like consoles are becoming more and more like pc's. there was supposed to be a movement to try and streamline pc gaming a bit... but that never happened.

[Goateh]

ould say its getting a stronger drive behind it, some consoles are getting closer to PC's. With the games they may be sorta lacking in some things but that doesn't stop them being fun, I mean, with Vista and Xbox360 you will be able to play games against each other (I think shadowRun is the first game that will be like that) and that does sound like it'll be pretty sweet.

[Sir. BOBSONATOR]

Lol?

No!

[AngelfireUk83]

No I don't think so some big games started on PC only to get a port to console Take C&C Tiberium Wars Microsoft have now confirmed it's coming to 360. Oblivion was set to PC only then it went to 360 as well and now it's coming to PS3 it won't be long before World Of Warcraft gets ported.

But NO PC gaming is no-where near that long dark tunnel it's staying in the bright side for a long long time.

[xilix]

First, the PS3's most expensive model is $600, not $1200. Second, the PC is the lowest in terms of cost efficiency. A video card alone often costs more than entire console. Third, I've found that the support for PC games has been on the decline. Less and less developers are making PC games. If you were to go into an EB games, Gamestop, Walmart, etc you would see that there PC gaming section is usually just a sad bargain bin. Although I've done so in the past, I don't think I can justify shelling out another $1000+ for an upgrade that'll last me 3-4 years at best for only a handful of noteworthy games. While FPS games, MMO's, and RTS's remain dominant on the PC, those are the only genres with games worth playing. Look at Gears of War on the Xbox360, for example. For $300 you can get incredible visuals that would cost you well over $1000 on the PC. I don't want PC gaming to die, but it just seems like it is coming. The demand in the console market just seems to be getting larger and larger, while the exact opposite is happening in the PC market.


Doesn't matter. PC gaming is ESSENTIAL for cutting edge development. You can't do that on consoles for more than maybe a year, because the hardware is static. It can only support so much. PC's keep going and going and..

Playing a game on a console offers you no freedom to do anything but PLAY the game. I'd like to play the game, mod the game, tweak the game, change the game, change the settings and so on and so forth. You just CAN'T do that on a console.

PC's do a lot more than just play games, which is WHY they cost more than a console. If all you do is play games on your computer, then you need to open your eyes. PC's can do a LOT of stuff. I'm not even gonna try and list them all here because it would be 3 pages long.

To me, a device which can do ALL of those things, AND play games that make consoles cry to their momma, is WORTH that extra money because I play games AND do all of those things. Every penny is well spent, and every feature that penny paid for is well used.

I could never and will never game on a console. Ever. They just suck, dude. I feel like I'm restricted to that damn controller and all of the stupid in game settings and TERRIBLE camera views. You just aren't free to do what you want. I'm all set with that *****.

[uzibear]

no; pc gaming will blow away the consoles in one year probably at the latest; of course at always it will cost a premium to play; nothing has changed with this "next gen" (LOL), same old story; however, i'm keeping my 360 because high end PC gaming is prohibitavely expensive for this poor college student :)

[uzibear]

Agreed. Many genres of gaming don't make sense on a console and they just are not as fun or scalable on them.

PC gaming will continue to stay strong.


i think what you mean is "don't make sense on a gamepad" yes? cuz there's no real reason that we can't use a KBM on a console, consoles are certainly becoming more "pc-like"; we just need some waking-up from the console manufacturers

[Droban]

I think this question is raised every time the next generation of consoles come out.

People hype about consoles because they only come out every 5 years or so, and sometimes people don't realize that PC's are leading the way, and PC games are progressing constantly.

Each release of Direct X are probably the most significant jumps in that progress, and as more games come out under Direct X 10, it should be very clear that PC games are not dying in any sense.

[rocco]

NO PC GAMING IS KING CONSOLE IS ALWAYS SECOND!

[archangelgabe]

I do like playing console games in every genre but when you put a fps on console up against one on a computer with a mouse... Just no comparison in my opinion.

You telling me that you were able to play an RTS on a consoe? I remember Starcraft 64 and command and conquer 64, those were the LAST rts games I ever got for a console. It's just not workable without a mouse.

PC gaming will stay strong. I'm not a hardcore gamer and with the modern day prices on consoles that do games and nothing else (unless you install OS and stuff) I can't rationalize the cost. PCs, which are much more versatile, will always have a gaming community.

[Wolverine690]

no

there's plenty of people like me that wont take a console for free


QFT...

I haven't owned a console since Sega Genesis...

My stepson has a XBox 360 & had a PS2, man I hate them controls I can't work them for crap. I play the 360 from time to time when I'm bored and jsut want to dink around...but can't really get into it b/c of the controls...I tried Halo 2 on it & man I rocked Halo 1 on PC, damn things are just so ackward...I'd kill for a keyboard & mouse to use on it...but I'll wait for it to come out for pc :)

just hope they don't do another port like they did with the first one that was disapointing about the first one but I still enjoyed the hell out of that game :)

[Springbok]

LOL. I'm still playing a game from 8 years ago, how can it be dieing? Jeez.Because you're still playing a game from 8 years ago :cry: How can the PC gaming era survive when people join the crowd and only use the equivilent of Walmart in games, Counterstrike. If everyone jumps into one game they're no longer pumping money into the PC gaming market, they're not upgrading their hardware, they're not trying out new games, they're stagnating the market. This turns their PC into just another console, it plays at one graphical setting for years and then when the sequel comes out everyone just buys a whole new PC for the upgrade.

Please add some variety to your PC's diet.

[RedDragonXXX]

It's not dead, but it's definitely shrinking.

I remember two years ago when I went to some local game stores there used to be huge wall just dedicated to PC games as it was to consoles, these days there is just small shelf in the back of the store and some stores don't even have them anymore.

PC gaming is getting more expensive each month and it's hard to keep up especially now that DX10 is coming to the market. As much as I hate to say it, I just don't see need to upgrade when there are tons of games on Xbox360 and PS3 that I can be playing and most of PC games like C&C3 are making a switch. I'm eager to play Crysis, but then again I wander is it worth it to drop $1000+ in upgrades just to play it :shrug:

[Falcon-K]

7 million world of warcraft addicts and growing disagree with you :)

[KillrBuckeye]

PC gaming is definitely on the decline and will eventually die if it continues along the same path. Most of the posts I've read from people who think the answer is "no" don't offer any evidence to the contrary. Sorry, but stating what *you* like better about PC gaming compared to console gaming is irrelevant. Don't get me wrong, I much prefer PC gaming and its many advantages over console gaming, but the industry is in trouble, and for good reason.

Just pick up any PC gaming magazine and read the opinion columns, and you will see that people closely tied to the industry are VERY worried. Not only that, but read some interviews with game developers. Many developers are now stating that it is not cost-efficient to develop cross-platform games for the PC, because the gaming PC market is just too small. Most families these days own a computer, but how many actually own a computer capable of running newly-released 3D games? Very few. Unless Intel and AMD start offering much more powerful onboard graphics with their mass-market chipsets, the PC gaming market will continue to shrink and eventually die.

[Maviryk]

So... soon it's gonna be...

The few, the proud, the PC Gamers.

?

[deathman20]

Its still strong but it is declining in size. As KillrBuckeye said some developers (mainly smaller ones) are getting worried about it. If the trend continues sure it might start showing some effects in a few years but not right now its still going decently strong.

As for console gaming, consoles are more or less the cheaper entry level into the market for parents to give to there kids. Its no messy installations, its relatively easy to use, and can be easily taken to friends place or put away if someones been bad. Consoles are convient in terms of gaming, PC's on the other hand you have to follow the industry to see whats going on.

I personally like both, PC more of course, but there are a few games on the console I wish was developed for the PC first *Cough* Halo *Cough* instead of putting it as a console exclusive. Oh well.

[kbanny]

No, and this thread needs to roll over and die. there is always hundreds of these every freaking console launch, most games are better on pc,period. PC gaming actually has more people playing now than EVER. It's just console gaming is in that same boat.Don't think for a second that PC gaming is going to die anytime soon, although there is less and less games that are PC only, so that means poor Joe Blows that don't have an already up to date computer would rather pay 700.00 for the console + game than 1250.00 for a pc upgrade + game, not to mention console gaming is more widely accepted and always has been however WoW has the potential in changing that.

p.s. Gaming in general is getting bigger and bigger each year. Which is what makes you feel like PC gaming isn't growing on people as fast as console games, they just aren't they never will. PC's compete with SONY,Nintendo,Microsoft. They all compete with each other not Computers.If it was based on features alone PCs win hands down. However marketing and price makes it seem cheaper in the long run than PC's which isn't the truth.

Seriously search every PC or gamer forum EVER made for posts like this during console launches this topic is so old it needs to just /quit

[Maviryk]

Hey now, you can kill the horse but it's not going to stop the beating!

[noxqzs]

The only thing dying on the PC are quality games and the companies that produce them being bought out by console makers. Most of my favorite games, most notably Rainbow 6, has been butchered by consoles. A bitter grudge I will proabably hold for a while.

[Rozal]

More people played a N64 or a Super nintendo then PC gamers played PC games. That was along time ago too.

[archangelgabe]

I was scared when the made the PC game cases smaller (like they are now), but that just saves trees so I'm cool with that.

[Amino]

Say hello to the future of PC Gaming:

http://www.gamesforwindows.com/ by Microsoft. Yes, THAT Microsoft.

[leojharris]

console games, for whatever reason, seem too one dimensional versus PC games ... i assume it's due to the space limitations afforded console games whereas a PC game can load more data onto a user's hard drive via multi disc set's, etc.

i quit playing console games completely; i've found that PC games are far more organic/dynamic with a wider degree of variability in game play than the consoles and the pc game graphics were nearly as, or just as good as the console (PS3 seems to be raising the bar a bit, though).

the consoles, even those claiming to be RPG's, etc. ... always come across feeling like 'arcade' games of a sort ... limited in complexity and depth of content and control.

[Neuromancer]

The reason I ask this is because it seems as if more and more people are going for the more affordable gaming option, especially considering that HDTVs are beginning to become cheap enough for the average consumer. It seems that over the last few years PC gaming has been on the decline while console gaming has been gaining a ton of momentum. Of course there are many good MMO, FPS, and RTS games that drive the PC gaming market. Do you think PC gaming is on the path to being phased out by console gaming? Or do you think it is here to stay for a long time?

Sorry I dont know how old you are... but it seems to me the exact oposite is what is happening.

10 years ago, I cant name any thing that wasnt a tecxt adventure,,, except for doom and kingsquest... but I can name a dozen console games. (Including my start in madden football :) )

Since 2000 though... its been PCs all the way. Granted for 6 months or maybe a year a new console comes out and rocks the scene. But after that PC gaming smokes it again. So whats the point?

Without needing to sacrifice online gaming my hardmodding my xbox 360 or PS(x) I can play whatever game on my PC. I might not be able to play console games online (although that has changed the last few years) I can defintley play console games on my PC. And the latter isnt true without sacrficing something.

PC Gaming is where it is at. Withing the next 10 years everything is going to one machine. PC/ HTPC/ Home communication system... ( id o that now one one PC.. .although Im getting ready to split it o 2... I dont need too)

[Pollux]

Most of you seem to be arguing that PC games are generally higher quality and control better. I agree with that. However, it is a simple fact that the PC gaming industry is dying. There are less and less quality games coming out and those that do come out are confined to 3 genres: FPS, RTS, and MMO. Retail stores are cutting their PC games sections down to a single bargain bin or removing it all together. Games that used to be exclusive to PC are now exclusive to console. The industry is dying, regardless of whether or not we prefer their games. We are a minority.

Say hello to the future of PC Gaming:

http://www.gamesforwindows.com/ by Microsoft. Yes, THAT Microsoft.


Sorry if I've been out of the loop, but what exactly is "Games for Windows"? As far as I can see it is simply a list of windows games (many of which are already out).

[kbanny]

More people are playing the quality games that are produced,than ever before. It's not as wide spread as it use to be, yes this has to do with devolopers milking a franchise for MORE than it's worth. I remember when games would be out for 2-3 years before an EXPANSION, you know allow the game to get an online community, and grow.But nope they will release 2-3 GAMES in that time now and constantly split the community to the point they switch to an online game with a stable community already there... MMO's+CS 1.6/CS:S

This is only a theory. But I'll be honest it's exactly the same for console but there is one difference... Halo.Do you know why? Because there was AMPLE time for the community to grow and they wanted more than just Halo after 3 years. Then came Halo 2 now is it as good? IMO nope but that's not the point it was time for Halo to bite the bullet and people wanted Halo 2 and accept it, and therefor I'd rather play Halo 2 with a good community.(however I don't because it's not played with keyboard/mouse lol)

As for single player games I don't even consider them anything but a novelty while I'm taking a break from whatever MP game I'm playing.

In multiplayer this is how it works, solid game play and netcode or at least easy implentation through patches/modding->community -> community grows and embraces said game,then fixes what it decides as a majority should be fixed that hasn't been commented on by the company.From here the game will devolp competitions via ladders and tournaments and will still continue to grow UNTIL the game makers come out with a new game and change a bunch of **** that will help gain sales.Then the community has to start all over and gets sick of it and eventually just stops playing that series all together.

Another thing is most people who play online games only play 1-2 per genre so you see the effect that this causes when one of the games they played gets updated... see bf 1942->bf 2 -->bf 2142 lololololol and I'll be honest I just didn't like any bf games but the point was the favorite among the "hardcore" community was bf 1942 and very few even continue to play that series in a competitive manner.

Maybe this has affected all of you in a similar fashion and that's why you say it's dying.

PC games are MP imo that was what drove most older pc gamers to be pc gamers..... single player games are the games you pay 30-50 bucks to beat in a few hours or 70 hours,whatever and never play again.I wish everything was pay to play and they didn't release new games every freaking 8-18 months for the same series. That way the community can keep the game going since that is what makes it enjoyable.... the game is only the medium for it.Although a bug ridden game or terrible netcode won't allow a community to grow heh see quake 4.. potential to be the greatest dm game ever and to be honest since 1.3 it probally is ....with the right community.Which abandoned it at the start, can't blame them though. Hell I'm one of them.

Oh ya and the pay to play bit would just insure a stable community and would keep the company finacially happy and maybe they could work on something like a TOTALLY DIFFERENT GAME that doesn't try to mimic the common stuff we have now.. don't get me wrong there are a few gems out there, but the majority of them are the pioneers for that type of gameplay :)

/end rant

[KillrBuckeye]

Sorry if I've been out of the loop, but what exactly is "Games for Windows"? As far as I can see it is simply a list of windows games (many of which are already out)."Games for Windows" is simply the new title of "Computer Gaming World" magazine. Microsoft has no influence on the content of the magazine, at least according to the editor.

[Exar Jun]

i think what you mean is "don't make sense on a gamepad" yes? cuz there's no real reason that we can't use a KBM on a console, consoles are certainly becoming more "pc-like"; we just need some waking-up from the console manufacturers

I agree uzi...if consoles can be successful in putting a keyboard style controller to work with FPS and other games like Oblivian that uses quickkeys...well, that would not bode well for PC gaming as a whole.

PC Gaming will always have a following because like someone else said, I am of the group that loves to tweak, mod, and edit my games. Maybe it is just me but I don't see a player run persistent worlds and other type serves being but out there in console gaming any time soon. If one of the console manufactorers do something like this then I see the main support for PC games cracking.

[yu777yu]

I don't want to admit it but I have to say YES.. pc gaming is dieing. Instead of being in denial I'm gonna have to look at this from a non-biased angle.

The average joe would rather not "tweak", "mod", and etc. just to play a game. If you want to run pc games at its fullest potential there is a lot of technical knowledge and expertise needed and you know the average joe would rather not be confused by all that. Hence why the console is so popular.

PC gaming had one strong advantage over consoles and that was the internet. Multiplaying capabilities that went beyond 4 players was something the console could not do. But now with things like XBOX live that isnt so true anymore.

I am a pc gamer at heart. The biggest reason was because of the multiplayer aspect of pc games. Warcraft 2 was what started it for me. :) I promised myself I would never bother to get a console but even now I'm starting to catch myself looking for a good XBOX 360 deal..

[kbanny]

I don't want to admit it but I have to say YES.. pc gaming is dieing. Instead of being in denial I'm gonna have to look at this from a non-biased angle.

The average joe would rather not "tweak", "mod", and etc. just to play a game. If you want to run pc games at its fullest potential there is a lot of technical knowledge and expertise needed and you know the average joe would rather not be confused by all that. Hence why the console is so popular.

PC gaming had one strong advantage over consoles and that was the internet. Multiplaying capabilities that went beyond 4 players was something the console could not do. But now with things like XBOX live that isnt so true anymore.

I am a pc gamer at heart. The biggest reason was because of the multiplayer aspect of pc games. Warcraft 2 was what started it for me. :) I promised myself I would never bother to get a console but even now I'm starting to catch myself looking for a good XBOX 360 deal..

I bet you more people play WoW than ALL Xbox live games combined.
Also I own quite a few consoles ranging from a still working atari 2600 to a ps3.So I'm really not biast I pick whatever it will play better on. Anyways we all know consoles are more popular they have been for DECADES and will most likely remain that way. That doesn't mean anything that there is xbox live it pales in comparision to the internet it's not even 1/10th as popular nor is it nearly as good and the potential is instantly halted due to the inability to modify from a user stand point.And CS is a PERFECT example as to how simple it is for the "average joe" to play a pc game And then you're back to the point that I already stated which applies to all MP games.

Also one thing these debates always bring is, If you allow mouse/keyboard/user created content/patches every pc gamer would have no qualms playing on console. It's so simple.That is the ONLY thing that will kill PC gaming and I assure you it will happen.

Come to think of it if they came out with upgrades(I mean only 1 specific card not 6897234987234 chipsets and varitions lol) for the console (vid card etc) yearly that could be simple to install or have installed nobody would ever play PC games again, and your average joe will most likely do it since it's so readily available and common ^^

[TheGreySpectre]

no

I post in one of these topics at least once a year, and PC gaming hasnt died yet.

[ps2cho]

With games like cyris coming out...I....Dont think so :)

Im done with consoles. Wayyy too expensive, games are expensive, accessories are expensive and it really has one function and when its outdated, thats it.

[madcow235]

Many of you fail to recognize the power of the MMO. This is a style that requires keyboards for communication, huge harddrives for the worlds, huge amounts of ram for all the stuff going on, and huge amounts of graphical power to play at HD resolutions, and of course a stable connection and a monthly fee. These requirements will never be met by the console as far as I can see. You also must factor in the rabid and insane fanbases these draw. World of Warcraft has 7MILLION players that is a HUGE amount, more than all Ps3's and Wii's in the world. These 7Million players will upgrade their computers, pay $15 a month, and some of whom will sink real money into the game are the future not the casual gamer who plays madden 20minutes a week.

The PC may shift from the greatest system for general gaming but it will remain the home of the most hardcore of all gamers.

[Mathersalan]

Back in 1995 many people believed that the personal computer will be the futures main entertainment system that plays games that are realistic like doom 95 lol and that was 11 years ago and this is today looking into the future can't imagine it would be like for computer gaming.. These days everything looks fantastic and almost real by the nice graphics engines that the up-to-date top notch DX9/DX10 video cards can perform in 11 years from now wonder what the gaming world would be like?

[DarkVirusVx]

PC gaming will never dye from they simple fact that it is cheaper to create games for the PC then for a consoles. To this day you still see small companies start up creating new games, with new concepts.

http://www.gametrove.net/index.php an indie game site.

The reason video games seem more buggy now then in the past is that game testing cost has gone up alot, because games are huge. The worlds are 3d compaired to the 2d games of yesterday. Games have physics, voice acting as well as story line. What took a small team of 5 people a few weeks to test takes even longer. But this can also be seen in consoles games as well.

[xilix]

I think that while the PC gaming industry may be getting smaller, I don't think it will ever die all together. If there is a demand, there WILL be supply. Period.

There are literally millions of us PC gamers out there. That is a pretty good chunk of money, and to think that the industry would ever FLAT OUT IGNORE US is RIDICULOUS to even think of. It will never happen. Ever. PC gaming is a demand that needs supply, and as long as their are developers out there that want to make a living, there will be PC games for us to play. That is the bottom line.

[knight_of_knee]

PC gaming isn't about to die, whether it be MMO's, FPS's or RTS's. I own 5 different consoles and a computer that can play any game out there, not at the highest settings or even very high settings but oh well I play FPS's at 1024x768 anyway no matter how high it can go up to. So I mean there are millions of people that play WOW, DAOC, EverQuest, and there are millions of little kids that play MMO's like Tibia. I play all the intense games that I like to play on the computer, whenever I'm looking to have a good time with my friends though I play sports games or party games on my consoles, unless I'm at a lan and then it's usually up to Quake 4 to keep us interested haha.

[FastRedPonyCar]

Without getting too riled up about this, no, it's not even close to dying. And in my opinion, I think that it's on the verge of a tremendous uprising. The upcoming capabilities of direct X 10 mean that the PC will be able to offer gamers more eye candy than any of the new consoles could ever dream of.

The current hardware available to the PC gamers already gives them the advantage.

What is going to be the key is if developers can effectively take advantage of tomorrows capablities. We've gotten a small taste of things to come with games like Crysis and Alan wake but these are merely scratching the surface of what can be done with DX10. there's not much graphics wise that these games have that can't be re-created on the X360 or PS3.

I think that mabey towards the end of next year, we're going to see more and more developers fully exploiting the advantages that DX10 offers and with any luck, 2008 will offer us games that are truly a step ahead of anything the 360 or PS3 could ever dream of rendering.

The other major advantage of the PC as stated before is the ability to add on to games. You can't install high def weapon or texture packs for Oblivion on the Xbox. All you get are the official mods released by Bethesda and that's it.

[Goateh]

Well, it may seem like it could be dying at the moment because of the leap in the console gaming area (not to mention great games being console only (Gears of War)). But the PC can usually surpass the console within 6months to a years, as mentioned previously, all it needs is the developers to take fully advantage of new technology.

[OC Noob]

Its definitely getting more specialized. Look at the threads on this forums and 90% of them are based on very, very few games. BF games, WoW, CS and a few other titles.

Theres just no money in it unless you have or develope a marque IP and online play with lasting apeal. Other than 4 or 5 games a year PC titles just drop like flies into the bargin bin because the audience has extremely narrow tastes.

Why would devs like Bioware, Square, Capcom, etc... develope great games like KotOR for the PC (other than a port as an after thought) when they know the sales aren't there.

PC gaming will never die, but I think the great PC single player game has all but vanished.

[Pollux]

Its definitely getting more specialized. Look at the threads on this forums and 90% of them are based on very, very few games. BF games, WoW, CS and a few other titles.

Theres just no money in it unless you have or develope a marque IP and online play with lasting apeal. Other than 4 or 5 games a year PC titles just drop like flies into the bargin bin because the audience has extremely narrow tastes.

Why would devs like Bioware, Square, Capcom, etc... develope great games like KotOR for the PC (other than a port as an after thought) when they know the sales aren't there.

PC gaming will never die, but I think the great PC single player game has all but vanished.

Agreed. It is becoming too specialized. The good games are too few and far between. That means to play each one to their fullest it requires a $500+ upgrade.

[onx]

Agreed. It is becoming too specialized. The good games are too few and far between. That means to play each one to their fullest it requires a $500+ upgrade.

Just about every new game of any note that comes out gets a thread...its just that there are only a few which remain commonly discussed. There are only so many times you can talk about FEAR's single player...(i think there was like a 15 page thread on that or something)


Every year there are many great games for each major genre. This year for tactical fps genre lovers pc gaming got splinter cell, GRAW, and soon las vegas too I think. And thats just what I can remember. Those are all great games...games worth buying.

FPS also got quake 4 a little over a year ago, fear too, a fear expansion recently, battlefield 2142, ut2k7 very soon (I cant wait) and many more.

For me on consoles there just aren't that many games worth buying there are tons of games, just not that many that are very good.

To play each game to its fullest? Some devs seem to want to make games so that even in a couple years you'll be able to play them at better and better settings. They're designed to scale. Sure you can run out and buy the latest and greatest alienware every time a game like crysis comes out on a 30" dell...or you can stick with your 1-2 year old gfx card and play it just fine albeit not with everything maxed out.

PC gaming dying? Who cares so long as games keep coming out that interest you? For me...there are definatly TONS more games for the PC I'd like to play than what I can get on any console. Hmmm, I think I"ll go play some medieval 2 total war, and then maybe some CS:S or HL2:episode 1

[kbanny]

Its definitely getting more specialized. Look at the threads on this forums and 90% of them are based on very, very few games. BF games, WoW, CS and a few other titles.

PC gaming will never die, but I think the great PC single player game has all but vanished.

These forums are hardly a hub for gamers.... and even less are hardcore gamers.

as for great pc single player game? I prefer PC strictly for online mp /w mouse keyboard and a tighter knit like minded community.

[Goateh]

Depends what you mean by fullest really..

If by fullest you mean some insane resolution at at acceptable frame rate with everything on high.. then yeah true...

If you mean that people will be able to play it and have fun, regardless of the graphics an upgrade is not too much of a requirement....

[Seven]

PC Gaming isn't dying.

Remember when, for AWHILE, console gaming blew, as they were transitioning to next gen consoles?

Remember when HL2, Doom 3, FarCry all came out and had people buying new PCs? Well it's going to happen again. HL2: EP1, Vista, CRYsis (made by the same people, that's the emphasis), will fuel a resurgence.

7

[onx]

PC Gaming isn't dying.

Remember when, for AWHILE, console gaming blew, as they were transitioning to next gen consoles?

Remember when HL2, Doom 3, FarCry all came out and had people buying new PCs? Well it's going to happen again. HL2: EP1, Vista, CRYsis (made by the same people, that's the emphasis), will fuel a resurgence.

7

Add to that list; ut2k7, HL2: EP2, Bioshock, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway, GRAW2, Project Offset, just about every DX10 game we've heard about, etc.

Vista will also mean that just about everyone will soon have a dx9 card, giving the PC an install base well over a hundred million with decent gaming capabilities...compare that to the less than 200k ps3s shipped to NA so far...and well...its a big potential market.

[BigJk-47]

lol the cost of a new console isnt Just $500 for PS3,people are upgrading TV sets to fully enjoy the HD experience and it ends up costing thousands.

PC gaming will never die.It slows down a little bit when new consoles come out,thats all.The market is flooded too...

PS2
PS3
PSP
WII
GC
DS
GBA
Xbox
Xbox 360

[metloaf]

I don't think PC gaming is dying, instead more money is put into console systems due to marketing and demand. I actually like to play PC games much better than any console games. Always have. :beer:

[apollooff320]

well it's dying for me since I play more console games now. I never was much of a console gamer until This year.

[Goateh]

well it's dying for me since I play more console games now. I never was much of a console gamer until This year.

Heh, I know that feeling. I've spent more time playing Gears than games on my PC. There are a few games that I wouldn't mind palying on PC however, its just finding the spare time.

[HarlanC]

IMO you cant replace the mmorpg experience on the computer. For me its just a whole different feel. Plus there are many illegal things you can do on a computer to get free games.

[kbanny]

Plus there are many illegal things you can do on a computer to get free games.

That is why there is very few good single player games that come to PC let alone PC exclusive.

[golfking222]

It only seems like it because the next-gen consoles were/are in the process of being released. This has always created a lot of hype and has pushed PC gaming to the back a bit. Once DX10 Games are released I think PC Gaming will be better than ever.

[uzibear]

right now i have an xbox360 and a gaming pc, and am trying to decide whether to sell the xbox

four things consoles don't have:

1. keyboard and mouse (ok, perhaps ps3 will, but that will be terrible if playing online VS gamepad people); not my biggest issue personally

2. options: all sorts of options; peripherals especially; for console, you have to buy only the proprietary stuff, espeically with xbox

3. user mods: this is personally my biggest: oblivion for example, the user mods are enormous and can greatly enhance the experience, not something you want to miss out on; heck, every decent game has loads of mods

4. dedicated servers: try this one on for size, but play a FPS'er on your console and you're connecting to a random person's box.......with what sort of upload speed??? generally not great; consoles are supposed to be easy but i've had so many problems with lag and voice-dropouts and all sorts of other crap on the 360, it's fed me up


that being said, i have some good buddies on LIVE now and it would be hard to drop it now that i'm getting recruited into a clan with my favorite players


difficult for me since i can really only afford to have ONE gaming system

[phantasm]

I started gaming on an Atari. Then i moved to a C64 and never looked back. I own an Xbox but it hasn't been used in months. For me PC gaming is where it is... they can keep their consoles.