Is PC gaming dying?
polycounter lvl 18
Today, while I was playing WoW, I realised that this and HL2 are the only games I've anticipated for the comp for about 6 months, while I have tons more I'm anticipating for every console. Every new PC game seems to be a piece of shit built off an older series, or just an uncreative piece of crap. Plus, using my GF4TI back in the day I could run anything, and now I have to buy a 9800pro to run a lot of the games well now, and when Unreal 3 comes out I'll have to shell out $400 dollars for ANOTHER graphics card? Once the XBOX2 and PS3 come out, they will be able to surpass the computer in graphics because they are dedicated gaming machines that are just as fast as a computer. It also hit me that CS is just about dead, and that was one of the biggest online games for quite a while. I hate to see it die, but it seems inevitable.
Your thoughts?
http://www.planetcrap.com/topics/928/
http://forums.hexus.net/showthread.php?t=16453
Some other threads about it.
Your thoughts?
http://www.planetcrap.com/topics/928/
http://forums.hexus.net/showthread.php?t=16453
Some other threads about it.
Replies
The market is changing to be sure, and the type of person using it is. But its not dead. It decreasing, but maybe in doing so more innovative games will come out on it since the big publishers wont push A+ (ie generic titles) titles to it . It wont die, but it will change.
FPS still will be it's home until consoles have better way for mods and inputs.
Remember also: The xbox had better graphics than a PC when it came out..... well that didnt last long did it? ;=)
Many of the most popular PC games are simply older titles brought to new life with better graphics...while the gameplay is still years behind. One of the reasons these games have thrived so well is the ability to modify them. But, even then, you're taking the technology in an attempt to make a game that is something completely different and creative. Sadly, these modifications are never much more than a WWII clone, or unfinished. Most of the older PC games still hold their popularity.
With the next generation of consoles on the horizon, there will definately be a change in the market. Plus, console games don't have to be installed (a plus now that we're using more and more GB per game), and can be sold and traded easily. The PC platform is becoming to expensive, with new technologies preventing piracy, and frequent errors requiring patches and updates.
The consoles of today are basically small cheap gaming PC's.
Rank---Game
Players Online Now---Players in last 31 days
1 Counter-Strike----77,982
8,997,543
2 Call of Duty
13,661
2,716,263
3 Day of Defeat
6,447
548,458
4 Battlefield 1942---6,363
723,214
5 America's Army
6,036
271,759
6 Wolfenstein ET
5,992
1,107,987
7 Half Life
5,760
508,607
8 Medal Of Honor
4,786
994,020
9 Quake III Arena----3,495
751,975
10 Soldier of Frtn 2-3,123
804,924
11 Battlefield: Vietnam--3,076
229,209
12 UT 2004
1,917
361,134
13 Half-Life 2
1,670
313,209
14 Unreal Tournament-1,276
356,515
15 JK: Jedi Academy--1,008
339,889
It does seem like the game engines that are a bit older and less taxing on players' systems tend to do a bit better though. http://www.csports.net/TopGames.aspx?Matrix=0&Mod=0
The PCs advantage is definitely the ease of development, no licenses and crap to worry about, many libraries that allow you to build a game without having to go low level to gain speed, etc. Homebrew games and mods are thriving, though mods are suffering from the increased development time required for newer engines and are getting more and more alike.
I like a lot of PC games, and there are good ones, but then, very few of them couldn't have been done on a console almost as well. I don't think the presence of a peripheral you'd have to buy for a PC anyway "locks in" certain types of games. You can get keyboards for consoles, if PC gaming would just die already, maybe we'd see a lot more variation in that
Then again, maybe my love for consoles is the same side that wants to buy apple products
Just sounds like your tired of FPS games in general...
I actually think the PC is where game innovation is currently done, you just don't have to look at the major retail releases.
Admitably those are getting less, or bad console ports, but I think it is more a trend of the "one time play, nothing to write home about games" are on consoles and the few great "insane replay value" games are on the PC.
Exspecially multiplayer is the main area where the PC shines, and that what I am doing mostly anyways (plus a few great single player games now and then, but there are still enough of those on the PC). Xbox live is trying, but it doesn't even get close to PC multiplayer.
So in other words, PC gaming is growing up... instead of lot of medicore games, we get a few true gems, which I prefer (since I have a real life besides gaming
That "we don't get as many games but we get the best" excuse is the same one Nintendo fanboys use to defend the GC's small lineup. Fact is all of them have real "gems" as you call them, the PC doesn't have better games than the consoles and the GC doesn't have better games than the PS2 or something. That I still wonder how you can claim the PC games are better when I haven't seen one I'd call great for a long time is besides the point since I'm sure some consider HL2 a great game. Though I wouldn't call Doom 3 or HL 2 "insanely replayable", more "finish and forget". Which ones would you recommend for replayability?
Fighting games haven't evolved much since Street Fighter but FPSes haven't evolved past Quake, either (see how ignorant such statements are?). Well, fact is that they have changed significantly but if all you see in them is hammering on buttons you'll obviously not see a difference. The changes might seem small on paper but completely change the way the game is played.
And I'd say the PC draws the shorter straw when it comes to multiplayer, newer games and their insane system requirements make it almost impossible to play most games against people you know (one out of my friends has a system capable of running Doom 3 and none have the money to upgrade) while all you need for console multiplayer are additional controllers. Sure, split screen sucks but many games work without it. Of course your mileage may vary if you acutally play online, something I can't get myself to do.
My bias towards PC (no I am not a PC fanboy) might come from the point that I am mostly playing serious multiplayer games, and those are FPS and RTS (+ maybe turnbased strategy). Consoles have quite a few FUN multiplayer games as well, but those focus on the "party-play" effect instead of competition. I like those too, but
1. I can think of a lot of other fun stuff do do on parties/get togethers with friends.
2. Most of my 'real-life' friends arn't that much into computer games; but mostly reason 1.
So I play multiplayer on the internet, for actually having fun PLAYING the game, and not having fun with friends WHILE playing games (which is fun too). Playing with friends adds to the fun but is not necessary.
And that is the main difference between console multiplayer and PC multiplayer.
Speaking of PC multiplayer, Doom3 really isn't a good example, but games like EnemyTerritory, UT2004, Warcraft3, Age of Wonders run on almost every newer computer, and are in the first case (and mods) even free. So nothing stops your friends from playing them.
Concerning the "finish and forget" games... yes HL2 and Doom3 are kind of like that, but they where good at it
Last but not least, you are right, if you arn't using your PC to play online or on regular LAN parties, then the PC is not the best gaming machine to have, but thats like saying a ferrari sucks because you can't transport 5 children with it.
To come to an conclusion (still with me?
more innovation is needed across all platforms, there's too many sequels and remakes.
There are alot more games out there being played daily other than the most popular ones like HL2 or WoW. And while FPS is a huge chunk of most PC games, its not the only genre PC has. I'd take PC gaming over console gaming anyday. And if you are bored of PC games, get a usb pad and play some emulators of NES, SNES, SEGA, NEO-GEO, ect...
Just sounds like your tired of FPS games in general...
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I can play those emulator on my XBOX :P
and I'm tired of FPS, in fact I play with some of the best Halo players in Texas every weekend (and I still play CS)
Why should Apple make a console? What would they bring to the table? An overpriced product with a "sexy design" or what?
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It was more a jab at apple for making computers that are already pretty similar to consoles
Im still hoping the Linux community will take off.
Scott
Scott
I still have SOFII and Wolfenstein on cd yet to install, still gonna buy UT2004 off ebay but yet to bid. My gaming time is about equal to how much time I spend urinating but UT2003 still rocks my world and like Ely said, it may it impossible to ever capture the fps market on console. I was a bit disappointing at dropping 225 for a 9800 pro and not getting the enhancement I thought I would over my ancient toothless ati 7500.
Personaly i agree about the PC being a great area for new and free inovation ... allthough im not sure how original modded titles are , but ive really loved some ... and its somthing the console market just cannot do ...
Versus the PC where you sit for hours.
really though i think they are about even. pcs have long games (some rpgs), they have short games (most FPS). same with consoles long (rpgs), short (platformers). especially since most games come out on both console AND pc
i've spent the last week playing Resident Evil 4 on the GameCube for hours on end a day whereas on PC i usually only play an hour or two every few days if that. even HalfLife 2 i never played more than 3-4 hours at a time.
But yea, there are always exceptions. I should have stated in my experience.
Sure console games have short ones too, their replay-based games (ie fighters) can be much shorter, but then, with console games there are enough titles that I can just ignore those completely and still get plenty of games
Hell, when is the last time you saw a PC game released on two DVD's?
Edit: Oh, and I geuss MMO's could count towards long games =P I don't count FPS's because the unlimited/multiplayer gameplay is pointless. It's not working towards completing the game, same as fighters)