The unknown future of PC gaming....

[Praetorian]

But I miss PS2 times, when mostly all PC games were ported to consoles, not vice-versa like today, hehe!

 

[erocker]

when mostly all PC games were ported to consoles

I don't remember that time at all.

 

[btarunr]

Only to find the PSU is a pile of poo, the processor massively bottlenecks the graphics card and really e-machines are not "all that".

That 350~400W standard PSU and the Core 2 Duo inside that $300 PC is sufficient enough to get that $250 graphics card to still deliver better graphics than a console, and at higher resolutions. Look up the power consumption figures of "sweet-spot" graphics cards after the HD 5600 series, look at their minimum typical PSU requirements.

You can have a better gaming experience than on an Xbox360, at even 2/3 its price, by installing a sub-$200 graphics card in a typical PC.

But the console has a great selection of games and more exclusives.

Because there's a bigger market there, and why? Because people are dumb enough to spend $250 on a console, than $150 on a graphics card.

 

[Benetanegia]

I have close to 40 titles and paid less than $29.99 for most of them.

Like I said that's irrelevant. I rent most of them (2 euros for 3 days) and since they are over in 4-6 hours (SP) I almost always end up wishing they would offer the 1 euro for 1 day they used to offer.

I also regurlarly buy from Steam sales and have plenty of games (probably more than 40) that I bought for 2-5 euros.

So what's your point again?

 

[Mr McC]

Well, in my opinion, PC's from that era were nothing but gaming consoles. Given that, PC's and consoles in the home have almost always existed together. Many people speak as if gaming consoles are this new thing destroying the PC. Nonsense.

I can accept that Spectrums and C64's were first and foremost "gaming consoles", and before that there was Defender on the Atari...

 

[TheMailMan78]

This thread is starting to hit critical mass.

 

[LifeOnMars]

That 350~400W standard PSU and the Core 2 Duo inside that $300 PC is sufficient enough to get that $250 graphics card to still deliver better graphics than a console, and at higher resolutions. Look up the power consumption figures of "sweet-spot" graphics cards after the HD 5600 series, look at their minimum typical PSU requirements.

You can have a better gaming experience than on an Xbox360, at even 2/3 its price, by installing a sub-$200 graphics card in a typical PC.



Because there's a bigger market there, and why? Because people are dumb enough to spend $250 on a console, than $150 on a graphics card.

Sorry BT, you missed the fact I was conveying a past experience from myself with a hint of sarcastic irony, it's how I got into PC gaming I agree, prebuilt systems are better specced nowadays.

EDIT - Mailman - PC Gaming will die as we are all too busy chatting about the issue on here rather than playing the actual "PC" games

 

[BumbleBee]

Like I said that's irrelevant. I rent most of them (2 euros for 3 days) and since they are over in 4-6 hours (SP) I almost always end up wishing they would offer the 1 euro for 1 day they used to offer.

I also regurlarly buy from Steam sales and have plenty of games (probably more than 40) that I bought for 2-5 euros.

So what's your point again?

there is no need for attitude. I wasn't attacking you.

I don't recall the PC having a rental or used game market.

where is the value for a consumer when he/she has to pay more for ports and lack of exclusive titles. if I didn't use my PC for other activities or better yet if the PC was a console I think it would be decimated by Sony and Piracy like the Dreamcast.

 

[Benetanegia]

there is no need for attitude. I wasn't attacking you.

I don't recall the PC having a rental or used game market.

where is the value for a consumer when he/she has to pay more for ports and lack of exclusive titles. if I didn't use my PC for other activities or better yet if the PC was a console I think it would be decimated by Sony and Piracy like the Dreamcast.

It's not attitude. You are denying the fact that PC games tend to be far cheaper and considering Steam sales and that PC games can be rented too*, at least here in my city, I think that is more than clear that PC games are cheaper. The industry does not live from rented/second hand games either.

*Yeah maybe Gamestop and the like, don't. Well, they don't even sell PC games in many places (and thare's only one or two shelves on the ones that do), but that only demostrates the point of this thread. IF PC gaimng is dying or in a downhill, why is that? It's not because it costs more, it's not because of lack of customer interest and it's not because of piracy. What then? A mix of things, we all know the recipe...

 

[HookeyStreet]

Consoles are good for family fun also. This is something that a PC doesn't do well. This is why the games console has always had a place within the living room and will continue to do so. It's simple, no fuss entertainment.

 

[BumbleBee]

It's not attitude. You are denying the fact that PC games tend to be far cheaper and considering Steam sales and that PC games can be rented too*, at least here in my city, I think that is more than clear that PC games are cheaper. The industry does not live from rented/second hand games either.

*Yeah maybe Gamestop and the like, don't. Well, they don't even sell PC games in many places (and thare's only one or two shelves on the ones that do), but that only demostrates the point of this thread. IF PC gaimng is dying or in a downhill, why is that? It's not because it costs more, it's not because of lack of customer interest and it's not because of piracy. What then? A mix of things, we all know the recipe...

terrible sales, piracy, high cost (hardware), ports, online cheating, bugs, no exclusives, system requirements, backwards compatibility issues.

look at the increase in piracy over the years.

if piracy can be eliminated publishers can start developing exclusive titles for the PC and it can be a viable platform.

 

[Benetanegia]

Consoles are good for family fun also. This is something that a PC doesn't do well. This is why the games console has always had a place within the living room and will continue to do so. It's simple, no fuss entertainment.

But that's again the problem of publishers not supporting the PC and not the problem of the platform. There's absolutely nothing the console does that the PC couldn't. We used to be able to play sports games on the PC just the same way as in consoles (up to 8 different players with various posibilities for input, including whichever keys on the keyboard you wanted), fighting games too and racing games had a split screen mode. Why don't we get that now? If those things have ever been posible, it's now* and we don't get them.

There's Ultrastar and Frets on Fire for PC, incredibly good open source alternatives to SingStar and Guitar Hero, but we don't get the real thing. Again why?

There's simply no excuse. The family could gather around a HTPC hooked to a TV and a buch of controlers just as well as they do with consoles. The only exception (until soon) was the Wii.

* Technlogically more advanced. You can hook the PC to the TV. USB allows for gazillions of inputs at the same time. And a long list of etc.

terrible sales, piracy, high cost (hardware), ports, online cheating, bugs, no exclusives, system requirements, backwards compatibility issues.

look at the increase in piracy over the years.

http://i51.tinypic.com/dewb2g.png

if piracy can be eliminated publishers can start developing exclusive titles for the PC and it can be a viable platform.

Piracy is not the problem. There is no more piracy now than 5 years ago and there's definately not more piracy now than in the 90's. Piracy is not the problem, it's the excuse.

Those numbers are totally skewed and usually only based on Pirate Bay and a bunch of other sites. Those numbers only demostrate that PB became more popular, and ironically, the downloads started to skyrocket when PB was mentioned in the news all around the globe. Funny.

 

[HookeyStreet]

terrible sales, piracy, high cost (hardware), ports, online cheating, bugs, no exclusives, system requirements, backwards compatibility issues.

look at the increase in piracy over the years.

http://i51.tinypic.com/dewb2g.png

if piracy can be eliminated publishers can start developing exclusive titles for the PC.

I think it's too late for that anyway. There has got to be more households worldwide with consoles than those with PCs that are capable of running recent games. Game devs know this. Console gaming is BIG money! Whereas PC gaming has slowed down over the past few years. Which isn't something I'm pleased to say.

 

[Praetorian]

I don't know, but I always thought that the PC gaming and Console gaming to be completely different, and I mean when you'd say console you'd say PSP, Nintendo DS, maybe Wii...

 

[KingPing]

Console gaming are more likely to die first than PC gaming, in my opinion, if people prefer console gaming because it's easier than PC gaming, then they will prefer onlive because it's even easier than console gaming, and cheaper, it's only matter of time. Mobile devices are becoming more and more powerful, why buy a console when you can play in your phone with HDMI output (not yet but it will happen). Of course if you are a hardcore console gamer you are not going to agree with that, because you will never play God of War, or Killzone, etc on a phone, neither would i, but the money goes where the casual gamer goes.

I have a 360, a PS3, and my PC, and to be honest i see more variety of games genres in PC, not only that but i see and evolution in graphics and in gameplay, don't look at AAA titles, they hardly innovate ( i agree with uncharted being a ripoff of tomb raider, a very good ripoff though). Look at indie games in PC (Gemini Rue, Amnesia, Red Orchesta 2, World of tank (i love that bastard)), you like RTS, try Shogun 2, and a lot more.

 

[HookeyStreet]

But that's again the problem of publishers not supporting the PC and not the problem of the platform. There's absolutely nothing the console does that the PC couldn't. We used to be able to play sports games on the PC just the same way as in consoles (up to 8 different players with various posibilities for input, including whichever keys on the keyboard you wanted), fighting games too and racing games had a split screen mode. Why don't we get that now? If those things have ever been posible, it's now* and we don't get them.

There's Ultrastar and Frets on Fire for PC, incredibly good open source alternatives to SingStar and Guitar Hero, but we don't get the real thing. Again why?

There's simply no excuse. The family could gather around a HTPC hooked to a TV and a buch of controlers just as well as they do with consoles. The only exception (until soon) was the Wii.

* Technlogically more advanced. You can hook the PC to the TV. USB allows for gazillions of inputs at the same time. And a long list of etc.

But the average family doesn't know how to hook a PC up to a TV, download mulitple drivers and patches THEN game............if their hardware is good enough.........which in most cases, it isn't.

Most families prefer to gather around the Wii, get their little ones to pop the disc in, that is pretty much guaranteed to run, sit back and enjoy some hassle free (most of the time) gaming.

Console gaming are more likely to die first than PC gaming, in my opinion, if people prefer console gaming because it's easier than PC gaming, then they will prefer onlive because it's even easier than console gaming, and cheaper, it's only matter of time. Mobile devices are becoming more and more powerful, why buy a console when you can play in your phone with HDMI output (not yet but it will happen). Of course if you are a hardcore console gamer you are not going to agree with that, because you will never play God of War, or Killzone, etc on a phone, neither would i, but the money goes where the casual gamer goes.

I have a 360, a PS3, and my PC, and to be honest i see more variety of games genres in PC, not only that but i see and evolution in graphics and in gameplay, don't look at AAA titles, they hardly innovate ( i agree with uncharted being a ripoff of tomb raider, a very good ripoff though). Look at indie games in PC (Gemini Rue, Amnesia, Red Orchesta 2, World of tank (i love that bastard)), you like RTS, try Shogun 2, and a lot more.

Nah. Gaming on mobile devices such as phones and iPads is getting more popular. But I don't think it will surpass real console gaming.

PS: The Tomb Raider franchise has become a joke. Uncharted took the idea of Tomb Raider and improved it.

I don't know, but I always thought that the PC gaming and Console gaming to be completely different, and I mean when you'd say console you'd say PSP, Nintendo DS, maybe Wii...

The PSP & DS are handheld consoles. The Wii, 360 and PS3 are all classed as games consoles.

 

[Benetanegia]

But the average family doesn't know how to hook a PC up to a TV, download mulitple drivers and patches THEN game............if their hardware is good enough.........which in most cases, it isn't.

Most families prefer to gather around the Wii, get their little ones to pop the disc in, that is pretty much guaranteed to run, sit back and enjoy some hassle free (most of the time) gaming.

Those are the typical myths about PC gaming, along with piracy, costs more and all that crap.

You don't need the latest drivers most of the times. They are only required if you want those extra few fps or if you have dual cards etc. It's not so difficult to update the drivers anyway and nowadays it's almost automatic. Go to the page and click on autodetect your hardware 99% of the times it works flawlessly*. I don't know the details but consoles need firmware updates too.

Every game that I've owned in the last 3 years autoupdates to the latest version, even more so if you buy it from Steam. Many console games need patches too. That's a moot point.

In the PC (Steam) starting a game is far easier than on consoles, you don't even have to look for the CD and get up from your sit, no one needs to. gaming is just 1 double-click away from you.

* My 83 year old grandma learned to use the PC and do that kind of things, so come on...

 

[KingPing]

Nah. Gaming on mobile devices such as phones and iPads is getting more popular. But I don't think it will surpass real console gaming.

Casual gamers don't care about real console gaming, the same as they don't care about real PC gaming, and there are far more casual gamers in console than in PC

 

[BumbleBee]

Those are the typical myths about PC gaming, along with piracy, costs more and all that crap.

You don't need the latest drivers most of the times. They are only required if you want those extra few fps or if you have dual cards etc. It's not so difficult to update the drivers anyway and nowadays it's almost automatic. Go to the page and click on autodetect your hardware 99% of the times it works flawlessly. I don't know the details but consoles need firmware updates too.

Every game that I've owned in the last 3 years autoupdates to the latest version, even more so if you buy it from Steam. Many console games need patches too. That's a moot point.

In the PC (Steam) starting a game is far easier than on consoles, you don't even have to look for the CD and get up from your sit, no one needs to. gaming is just 1 double-click away from you.

15 years from now what happens when you want to play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim but can't because Valve is out of business? in some instances it's quicker to take a 5 minute drive to Gamestop because the Steam servers can bog down. a physical copy stands a better chance at surviving the test of time.

 

[Benetanegia]

Casual gamers don't care about real console gaming, the same as they don't care about real PC gaming, and there are far more casual gamers in console than in PC

Yup, that's true. IMO consoles can say goodbye to the casual gamers, which are the mayority right now. I said that many posts ago, there's going to be a casual market (Tablets/phones) and a hardcore market (PC). Nothing in the middle.

* That thanks to the wireless display technologies would be able to be anywhere in the house and display to any TV or monitor you wanted to.

15 years from now what happens when you want to play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim but can't because Valve is out of business? in some instances it's quicker to take a 5 minute drive to Gamestop because the Steam servers can bog down. a physical copy stands a better chance at surviving the test of time.

I don't want to waste time speculating about that specific scenario. Gamestop will go out of bussiness a lot sooner than Valve. And IF they went out of bussiness it would be as easy as changing a line of code and make it posible to play even MP games in "offline" mode (no need to contact Steam servers, only servers hosting the games). The community would do the rest, like distributing the files. That's somehing that PC crowd is very used to, but I understand you may not know this given your gaming habts.

15 years from now it's also highly probable that Skyrim is FREE and opens source, as has been the case with previous TES games. Anoter thing that is very common in the PC. We get a lot of free stuff when it's not "marketable" anymore.

 

[BumbleBee]

Yup, that's true. IMO consoles can say goodbye to the casual gamers, which are the mayority right now. I said that many posts ago, there's going to be a casual market (Tablets/phones) and a hardcore market (PC). Nothing in the middle.

* That thanks to the wireless display technologies would be able to be anywhere in the house and display to any TV or monitor you wanted to.



I don't want to waste time on that secific scenario. Gamestop will go out of bussiness a lot sooner than Valve. And IF they went out of bussiness it would be as easy as changing a line of code and make it posible to play even MP in offline mode. The community would do the rest, like distributing the files. That's somehing that PC crowd is very used to, but I understand you may not know this given your gaming habts.

I am not saying Valve will go out of business in 15 years. hypothetical situation. what are you going to do keep it on your hard drive for 15 years? oh you mean piracy

my gaming habits?

 

[Benetanegia]

I am not saying Valve will go out of business in 15 years. hypothetical situation. what are you going to do keep it on your hard drive for 15 years? oh you mean piracy

my gaming habits?

Actually I do have the files of all my Steam* games in an external drive, along with all the drivers and certain programs like Open Office. Easy to intall whenever and wherever I need to. Considering the rate at which HDDs grow it's not going to be a problem, don't worry. I still have folders containing stuff 10 years old and have no intention of deleting it. Mainly because I have things I do not want to delete and I don't want to go through the nightmare of selecting what could and what could not be deleted...

I don't mean piracy. If a company goes bankrupt, either another one takes it's IPs** or they release them for FREE. There's plenty of free games out there because of that reason, available for download from Fileplanet and the likes.

Habits as in you clearly prefer consoles. By your commnets its pretty clear you know very little about PC gaming.

* Well the ones that are worth a damn. There's plenty of multi-platform crap that I bought just because of the name and because it was on sale.
** And with them the responsability to support them.

 

[CDdude55]

both pc and console gaming will become obsolete and streaming services will take over(onlive etc.) once the broadband connections are advanced enough

Agreed, eventually having actual physical media is going to slowly drift away and mostly everything with be streamed including games. But as mentioned the internet standard needs to go up for such a thing to happen, we are already seeing the slow death of places like blockbuster with the rise of Netfix's popularity, moving forward i do think that something like Onlive eventually take over.

 

[HookeyStreet]

Burying your head in the sand and denying that PC gaming is on the decline is just plain stupid!

 

[Praetorian]

PC gaming is dying, but definitely is not the fault of piracy like some claims.
I mean look at NintendoDS. The game sales for it are booming, even if it's the most pirated console ever. There are even legit companies that sale adapters to play pirated games, haha!