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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia |
| Is the PC Dead for Gamers? @ Toms Hardware |
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Toms Hardware is the latest site to tackle this hoary subject but despite the dubious first paragraph, <a href="http://www.tomshardware.com/column/20050924/index.html" target="_blank">Is The PC Dead For Gamers?</a> does cover both sides:<blockquote><em>Here's a big question that has been making the rounds of late: "Is the PC dead as a gaming platform?" It comes amidt the hype and apple sauce that typically accompany the launch of a new generation of consoles, though one cannot simply dismiss the question out of hand as simple console hysteria.
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<br>The truth of the matter is that the PC has been in decline for many years now as a gaming platform. Even Microsoft, ever loath to criticise its own mistakes, has admitted that it has been "killing" the PC as a gaming platform in recent years by concentrating on consoles.</em></blockquote> |
Mon Sep 26, 2005 8:09 am |
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Amparo
Guest
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"Is the PC dead as a gaming platform?"
No.
Tired subject.
Next please. |
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 8:11 am |
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txa1265
Magister of the Light
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 390
Location: Marlborough, MA USA |
I think the real question - which is discussed indirectly in the article - is not if PC gaming is 'dead', but rather what niche it fills and what overall role it plays in gaming and development.
The easy answer is that there are two reasons PC games will always be around - everyone has them, and that there are people looking for the highest tech. But beyond that there are loads of people who prefer the games and game types available on the PC, or any one of a host of other reasons.
So perhaps we've reached a steady state where the best selling PC games will still sell less than middling console games, but it is an interesting and very viable platform. More troubling to me is the 'broken release' mentality that has me constantly watching for patches.
Mike
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Dopelar effect (n.) The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
Check out my blog. |
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 8:49 am |
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corwin
On the Razorblade of Life
Joined: 10 Jun 2002
Posts: 8376
Location: Australia |
As well as the broken games, I'm also concerned by the reduction in shelf space I see for PC games. Consoles dominate with percentage of available shelf space and sometimes you have to hunt for the PC games!!
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If God said it, then that settles it!
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 11:16 am |
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TheMadGamer
High Emperor
Joined: 03 May 2002
Posts: 487
Location: Southern California |
Been playing games on PCs since the late 70s. I don't see anything going on right now at all that would alarm me that PC gaming is dead or even 'less than' some time in the recent past.
In the last 30 years I have seen games for the PC go through cycles where you have surges of games followed by a period of time where there are fewer new PC games around... and I'm not necessarily just speaking about the annual cycle of PC games.
Based on my own observations and my historical knowledge of the industry that stretches beyond the last 5 minutes I think what is really happening is that the PC gaming market is humming along as it always has while the console market is exploding as a mainstream platform.
This creates an illusion that the PC gaming market is in decline when actually it is just the same.
Corwin - I'm not seeing that problem here in the States... PC games still occupy as much shelf space as they did 1, 2, 3, 5 years ago. Game shops like EB and Gamestop certainly have less PC games... but our other large stores such as Fry's Electronics, Best Buy, and Comp USA are just the same as they've always been... at least in my area.
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The Poster Previously Known As NeptiOfPovar |
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 1:58 pm |
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Vindicator
Village Dweller
Joined: 30 Mar 2003
Posts: 16
Location: Washington, USA |
If the new consoles would offer wireless keyboard and mouse support, an upgradeable cpu/vpu/memory, and an open development environment, then yes, PC games would be dead. But I won't hold my breath. |
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 3:22 pm |
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ShadowMoses
Head Merchant
Joined: 09 Jun 2005
Posts: 69
Location: UK |
In reference to shelf space, this is a forum quote from a frustrated PC gamer in the UK:
quote:
*Heads into Gamestation nearby*
*Walks to PC section*
*Realises all the PC games have now been removed and there are lines and lines of DVD's there instead*
*Asks guy stocking shelves*
"Mate, where's all the PC games gone?"
"We had to make room for the new console stuff coming out"
Probably just an isolated incident but interesting none the less. I tend to buy games online anyway - often cheaper and can arrive before release date anyway.
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Dak’kon: "Your reasons for your incessant clicking are not *known* to me."
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 3:47 pm |
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txa1265
Magister of the Light
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 390
Location: Marlborough, MA USA |
My local experience:
Gamestop - less (not much room for less ...)
EBGames - much less (more in line with Gamestop)
Best Buy - same PC space as console space grows, so proportionally less.
Walmart - same PC space as console space grows, so proportionally less.
Target - same PC space as console space grows, so proportionally less.
Mike
_________________
Dopelar effect (n.) The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
Check out my blog. |
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 4:06 pm |
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TheMadGamer
High Emperor
Joined: 03 May 2002
Posts: 487
Location: Southern California |
quote:
Originally posted by Vindicator
If the new consoles would offer wireless keyboard and mouse support, an upgradeable cpu/vpu/memory, and an open development environment, then yes, PC games would be dead. But I won't hold my breath.
An interesting comment.
If you have a console with keybaord & mouse with upgradeable cpu/vpu/memory and so on... you essentially have a computer... and with each no generation of consoles, they seem to be more and more like a pc.
Personally, I would be more inclined to try out games I traditionally play on PCs on consoles if consoles standardized games to use a hard drive, keyboard and mouse... I think those 3 pieces of hardware could make all the difference in killing the PC as a gaming platform.
Vegas kept gambling out of California for a very long time... I think that the powers that be are keeping keyboards and mice out of consoles (as a standard component) to keep PC gaming unique in terms of user input methods... keyboard/mouse combo makes a huge difference in how you interact with a game.
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The Poster Previously Known As NeptiOfPovar |
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 4:58 pm |
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mogwins
Village Leader
Joined: 15 Jan 2002
Posts: 99
Location: Wales |
There are no "powers that be" keeping keyboards/mice/hard-drives away from consoles. People who play consoles don't want such things... if they did they'd buy a PC, cos that's what you've got. OK, it wouldn't run Windows XP, but then again neither do Macs or LINUX machines.... |
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 5:31 pm |
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TheMadGamer
High Emperor
Joined: 03 May 2002
Posts: 487
Location: Southern California |
quote:
Originally posted by mogwins
There are no "powers that be" keeping keyboards/mice/hard-drives away from consoles. People who play consoles don't want such things... if they did they'd buy a PC, cos that's what you've got. OK, it wouldn't run Windows XP, but then again neither do Macs or LINUX machines....
Really? and you know this how?
Because I happen to know that there are quite a number of leadership organizations in the console industry that sit around talking about stuff just like that.
If nobody talked about stuff like, 'standardized user input' we probably also wouldn't have a standardized ESRB rating system.
You might not like something someone posts on a message board and feel the need to pounce but if you do try backing up your comments with some actual substance.
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The Poster Previously Known As NeptiOfPovar |
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 5:57 pm |
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mogwins
Village Leader
Joined: 15 Jan 2002
Posts: 99
Location: Wales |
Alright mate, keep your hair on! People do get worked up rather easily on this subject, huh?
I was merely pointing out that if you have a console that has a "keyboard, a mouse, a hard-drive, an upgradeable cpu/vpu/memory, and an open development environment" you simply have a (non-Windows) PC, that would be just as capable of running application software as to running games. Such a platform would be more akin to a Mac or a Linux machine than the current generation of gaming-consoles, no? |
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 6:02 pm |
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TheMadGamer
High Emperor
Joined: 03 May 2002
Posts: 487
Location: Southern California |
quote:
Originally posted by mogwins
Alright mate, keep your hair on! People do get worked up rather easily on this subject, huh?
I don't have any hair! *grumbles*
quote:
Originally posted by mogwins
I was merely pointing out that if you have a console that has a "keyboard, a mouse, a hard-drive, an upgradeable cpu/vpu/memory, and an open development environment" you simply have a (non-Windows) PC, that would be just as capable of running application software as to running games. Such a platform would be more akin to a Mac or a Linux machine than the current generation of gaming-consoles, no?
Understood.
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The Poster Previously Known As NeptiOfPovar |
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 7:20 pm |
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mogwins
Village Leader
Joined: 15 Jan 2002
Posts: 99
Location: Wales |
quote:
Originally posted by TheMadGamer
I don't have any hair! *grumbles*
If it's any consolation, mine's on a rapid retreat too! I think it's probably God's way of stopping me having any more atrocious hair-styles. |
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 7:27 pm |
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia |
Rather than the keyboard and mouse, I think the most important feature of the PC is an open platform. The PC will always be home to a bunch of small and indie projects that just couldn't exist on a console and that will probably increase as next-gen console costs rise but PC internet distribution models improve. Just don't always expect the latest graphics.
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Editor @ RPGDot |
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Mon Sep 26, 2005 9:27 pm |
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