PC Gaming Doom & Gloom Thread

[Wreckem]

The first two years of a new console cycle you always hear this. Then after that it goes away because the consoles become stale.

People hearlded the PS2 as the death blow to the PC game industry. It survived.

Right now, the PC game is substaintially less than it was in the late 1990s and early 2000s when its sales figures were around $1.6billion. However $1billion is $1billion, the PC game industry isnt going anywhere because certain types of games play better on PCs, namely RTS, FPS, and Multiplayer games. Consoles rule the roost for RPGs, and Action/Adventure games, but that is all.

 

[JD50]

What mob drops the deathnail and what are the stats?

 

[RussianSensation]

Has anyone here had a chance to play the demo of Ace Combat 6 on Xbox 360? The graphics are unreal. To run something that good on a PC you'd need at minimum an 8800GTX which by itself costs $500 US. Cost of having a PC capable to play games in full glory is the real threat for PC gaming. This is exactly what forces people to consider consoles which offer great graphics for the $ and require no upgrades whatsoever. Also PC gaming isn't for a novice -- there are driver issues and OS issues.

Also, it's hard for many to accept this but playing a game on a 42 inch 1024x768 plasma is FAR more immersive than playing the same game on a 19 inch LCD at 1280x1024. Since most people already have a TV at home, the cost of owning a console is rather cheap. How many people own PCs with 30-40 inch monitors?

Having said that, while the majority might be lured by consoles for these very reasons, some people will still continue to pay more $ to play their favourite genres (FPS, strategy, Massively multiplayer games, etc.) in which PCs have always held the edge. It certainly will not pass consoles for adoption rate but it won't die as long as there is a niche market to support it.

 

[dmcowen674]

It's all about the money.

Microsoft stopped pushing the DirectX 10 for the PC because they were going after the Playstation 3 money.

Nintenendo spoiled the both Microsoft and Sony's plot by having the underdog machine become a hit.

Bottom line is that the PC platform became the bastard child because they thought there would be more money elsewhere.

What this clearly shows is the collusion by the giant corporations that do not have the interest of progress or the consumer in mind but strictly profits at the expense of a working product and compatibility.

We used to have laws against this kind of deception and fraud but the corporations own the government now.

The whole thing is sad.

 

[SunnyD]

Hah... funny. This is the stupidest "article" I've seen since...

... since ...

... Oh yeah, since the last time it's been posted!

PC Gaming is the DRIVING factor of the gaming AND the technology industry. If it weren't for the PC Gaming industry, you wouldn't see things like the XBox, the PlayStation, etc... All of that hardware is because there has been and will be PC Gaming.

I would feel really sad if PC Gaming died out though, because then there would be no reason to innovate PC Hardware and technology progression would all but halt.

 

[Deinonych]

Originally posted by: Pacemaker
As long as there are PCs there will be games.

Exactly.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: Raduque

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
#1 - PC's have been getting cheaper, while consoles more expensive. i can build a $600 gaming machine with ease.

Post a $600 gaming machine that is capable pf pushing modern games at console resolutions with extremely high details (at least 1920x1080).

Originally posted by: CKent
Price? I just built a blazing new PC for $475.

Was that an entirely new PC including everything, or did you just buy a new motherboard, CPU and videocard? And if you did a whole new PC from scratch, what resolution is it capable of playing in with high details on modern games?



Don't get me wrong, I don't think PC gaming is dying. I started years ago with PC gaming on a 386. I just don't think that PC gaming is the best ever anymore. The consoles are getting more sophisticated, more powerful, and more fun to play. I already think the consoles are on-par with PCs. Bioshock is supposed to look the same between a high-end PC and the Xbox360.

One thing that consoles get right that PCs still have yet to do is pure digital surround sound. It's an analog mish-mash of cables strewn everywhere on a PC, but all I need for my 360 is a single optical cable. And don't give me that nonsense of "some cards to DD on the fly!" because as far as I'm concerned, it should either be a hardware level feature of every card, or every game should put out a DD\DTS audio stream of some kind. :frown:[/quote]

consoles DON'T use extremely high details though. PC high res textures require much more GPU power/video ram. i think the state of PC audio is also abysmal. RIP aureal

 

[jjones]

Ultimately, the gaming console is doomed. Perhaps there may be room for something along the lines of a wii, but even that is doubtful. With wireless connectivity in both networking and peripherals becoming the norm, multicore processing a standard, the pc finally has the opportunity that was envisioned for it back in the 1980s. Having a standalone gaming console will be redundant. The only thing missing at this point is simplistic modular components (plug in) for the average consumer and an OS to run it. I'd guess within 10 to 20 years, standalone game consoles (as well as standalone video and audio players) will be a thing of the past, collecting dust on the shelves with their predecessor, Pong.

 

[Polish3d]

naw no biggie

 

[sandorski]

The only thing on a "deathnail" seems to be the English language.

These exact thoughts are repeated every 6 months for the last Decade. Repost.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: QueBert
console GAMES are expensive, Transformers is a craptastic game and cost 60 bucks for the Xbox360, you can get the same craptastic crapness in PC form for 30 bucks. If you buy a decent amount of games you can save money in the long run.

and the PC version will drop like a rock if it sucks...

 

[TheUnk]

wow you are so right.

Let's all buy a Wii, not a PS3 cause they have no games, not a 360 cause they always break. But will it look cool on my dads big screen? wtf do I care when my big screen is twice his size?

 

[Schadenfroh]

If PC gaming is dying, why is revenue increasing?

NYTimes (use BugMetNot.com)

Anita Frazier, an industry analyst for the NPD Group, a market research firm, noted that in the first two months of 2007, domestic retail sales of PC games reached $203 million, a 48 percent increase over the $136.8 million in the period a year earlier.

Over all, retail sales of PC-based games in the United States exceeded $970 million in 2006, an increase of about 1 percent of sales the previous year of $953 million

She noted that these figures do not include revenue generated by PC game sales online, or online subscriptions to play PC games.

I wonder how much it would be if one factored in sales from EA Link, D2D, Steam, and the various MMORPG subscriber revenue?

 

[Raduque]

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
#1 - PC's have been getting cheaper, while consoles more expensive. i can build a $600 gaming machine with ease.

Post a $600 gaming machine that is capable pf pushing modern games at console resolutions with extremely high details (at least 1920x1080).

[/quote]

Originally posted by: CKent
Price? I just built a blazing new PC for $475.

Was that an entirely new PC including everything, or did you just buy a new motherboard, CPU and videocard? And if you did a whole new PC from scratch, what resolution is it capable of playing in with high details on modern games?



Don't get me wrong, I don't think PC gaming is dying. I started years ago with PC gaming on a 386. I just don't think that PC gaming is the best ever anymore. The consoles are getting more sophisticated, more powerful, and more fun to play. I already think the consoles are on-par with PCs. Bioshock is supposed to look the same between a high-end PC and the Xbox360.

One thing that consoles get right that PCs still have yet to do is pure digital surround sound. It's an analog mish-mash of cables strewn everywhere on a PC, but all I need for my 360 is a single optical cable. And don't give me that nonsense of "some cards to DD on the fly!" because as far as I'm concerned, it should either be a hardware level feature of every card, or every game should put out a DD\DTS audio stream of some kind. :frown:

 

[apoppin]

here's a little balance for you guys ... it looks like the consoles are in far more trouble .. Sony lost a mint and was *forced* to cut the PS3 prices AND loses a fortune on each console they sell today. MS has LOST 5 BILLION dollars on the Xbox platform. Only nintendo is making any money...

XBox360 and PS3 ARE *Doomed*

the info is quite recent and it looks like the PC will make a comeback ... especially when you consider the PC HW is getting more powerful and wireless for every room. Your xbox360 and PS3 are gonna look like antiques next to PC's DX-10 games next year ... AND you are stuck paying TEN DOLLARS more for each comparable console game over the PC game prices.

Quarter one shows PC gaming making a strong increase in sales

No death "nail"* for PC gaming ... maybe for the silly overpriced and un-upgradeable PC wanabees

*[it's called "deathknell", btw ]

 

[Polish3d]

Originally posted by: MikeyLSU

Originally posted by: Extelleron

Originally posted by: Raduque

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
#1 - PC's have been getting cheaper, while consoles more expensive. i can build a $600 gaming machine with ease.

Post a $600 gaming machine that is capable pf pushing modern games at console resolutions with extremely high details (at least 1920x1080).

Originally posted by: CKent
Price? I just built a blazing new PC for $475.

Was that an entirely new PC including everything, or did you just buy a new motherboard, CPU and videocard? And if you did a whole new PC from scratch, what resolution is it capable of playing in with high details on modern games?



Don't get me wrong, I don't think PC gaming is dying. I started years ago with PC gaming on a 386. I just don't think that PC gaming is the best ever anymore. The consoles are getting more sophisticated, more powerful, and more fun to play. I already think the consoles are on-par with PCs. Bioshock is supposed to look the same between a high-end PC and the Xbox360.

One thing that consoles get right that PCs still have yet to do is pure digital surround sound. It's an analog mish-mash of cables strewn everywhere on a PC, but all I need for my 360 is a single optical cable. And don't give me that nonsense of "some cards to DD on the fly!" because as far as I'm concerned, it should either be a hardware level feature of every card, or every game should put out a DD\DTS audio stream of some kind. :frown:

As I posted earlier:

AMD X2 4000+ Brisbane - $70
2GB (1GBx2) Corsair XMS2 DDR2-675 (4-4-4-12) - $85
Biostar tForce 550 SE Motherboard - $73
Sapphire X1950XT 256MB - $145
Western Digital 160GB HDD - $49
Antec Solo Mid-tower Case - $45
Vista Home Premium OEM - $112
Total: $579

If you want to "equal" a console, all you need is a PC capable of 720p, and this $579 PC would be more than capable of that; it would be good for even 1280x1024, or 1680x1050 with slightly reduced detail. Console games are not 1920x1080p... 1080i is different and not nearly as demanding. Neither the PS3 or 360 feature any large selection of games in 1080p. Most of those that are 1080p are very simple titles that don't push the system's capabilities.

You can also factor in the price of a display; a good, 20" monitor only costs $200-300, a good HDTV costs $500-$1000. Console gaming isn't so cheap when you factor in the cost of an HDTV.

I agree with you on everything until the end about TVs and Monitors. Big difference is a TV will be used a ton more outside of gaming with TV/Movies. While a Monitor is used only for the computer.

But the rest is easily correct, I built a computer for my brother with similar specs that can run any game I have tried at full settings(resolution is at 1280x1024 because of a 19" LCD Monitor)

More than canceled out by a PC's versatility vs that of a console

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: jjones
Ultimately, the gaming console is doomed. Perhaps there may be room for something along the lines of a wii, but even that is doubtful. With wireless connectivity in both networking and peripherals becoming the norm, multicore processing a standard, the pc finally has the opportunity that was envisioned for it back in the 1980s. Having a standalone gaming console will be redundant. The only thing missing at this point is simplistic modular components (plug in) for the average consumer and an OS to run it. I'd guess within 10 to 20 years, standalone game consoles (as well as standalone video and audio players) will be a thing of the past, collecting dust on the shelves with their predecessor, Pong.

Good thing they split off the Console from the PC gaming or you'd have death threats now

totally agreed and what i have been preaching for the last 6 months
as the PC becomes what it is SUPPOSED to be - a Wireless medium in every room with cheap modular upgradeable components forcing that Xbox1440 to sit by the big screen tv.

Cheap HW and multi core CPU/GPUs are already portending the future. MS has lost 5 billion [$5,000,000,000] on Xbox platform without seeing a nicklel in profit. Sony has lost a fortune on PS3 and is losing huge bucks on every console sold. And this year the DX10 games *blow away* the consoles.

Add to that the overpriced consoles games, and i think we can see the console dying - at least it is FAR MORE in danger of dying then PC gaming ever is ... PC gaming IS making a comeback and we see sales increases even though WoW dominates and is not counted in PC gaming 'sales'. [WoW's extreme popularity keeps gamers from playing OTHER PC games and yet still sales increase]

 

[Sniper82]

I could be wrong but I really started gaming hard on PC back in 96-97. Even back then I don't remember quality gaming getting pumped out any faster than they do today. So I don't think its changed much in the past 10 years. Seems we have always only seen 2-4 quality titles in a year and a few barely playable ones.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: sandorski

Nah, we get it. People will start one of these thread every few months until the end of time. Yet PC Gaming will go on.

That about covers it.

IF PC gaming ends up marginalized by major game publishers, I think it'll still survive and prosper. Console companies have their own game publishing, that is likely the biz model that PC gaming would end up with. Hell, AMD and Nvidia practically do it by proxy already, they could just take it completely in-house, or just pony up even more bank to support development.

 

[Extelleron]

Originally posted by: Ichigo
All modern consoles excluding Wii have the ability to connect to computer monitors. Did you guys forget or did ignoring the facts seem attractive?

Also, the computer that was listed for ~$600 does not include speakers, a mouse, a keyboard, and an optical drive. Yes these can be had for rather cheap, but considering the amount of people in the peripheral forum talking about $50 mice, these things can't just be omitted.

Also, I'd like to see how well that computer runs Rainbow 6: Vegas at "maximum settings".

There's a place for PC's and consoles, but the argument of price/ease of use goes to the console every time.

Optical drive is around $20~, so that brings the price to $599.

A console does not include speakers, so if you factor that into the price of the PC, you must also add it on to the price of the console. A mouse and a keyboard can be $20-$30 at most. Alright, our full-fledged PC is $620-$630.

It will run Rainbow Six: Vegas, despite the fact that it's a completely un-optomized, crappy PC port, at maximum settings @ 1280x1024, and definately 1280x720. http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2895&p=4

The X1950XT would be between the X1900XT and X1950XTX, so around 30 FPS~. That's probably what the 360 version runs at.

Consoles end up being slightly cheaper, without throwing the monitor/TV factor in. However, the main selling point of a console (to me at least) is ease of use, rather than the lower cost. I'm not too worried about the cost, to me the thing that hurts PC gaming is that it's hard to get into it. You can't just go out to Wal-Mart, buy a PC, hook it up, load in a game, and play. To get a good (and affordable) experience, you need to build your own PC, deal with trouble shooting, installing Windows & drivers, installing a game, then playing it. Even after that, you still need to worry about updating drivers, and troubleshooting any problems that may arise. With me, it isn't long before I end up upgrading, and the whole process just repeats again. I never feel like I can get "settled in" and just enjoy PC gaming, like you can with a console.

One of the good things about PC gaming, as Apoppin said, is the lower cost of games. Current-gen console games are set fixed at $59.99, which is already $10 more than PC games, and they also don't drop in price nearly as fast. For example, I can get R6:V on PC for $20 now, but on 360/PS3 it's still $60 or $30-$40 for a used copy. You'll see PC games go down to the $19.99 or $29.99 price point often, but console games stick to $59.99, unless it's a really crappy game.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: Karsten
Don't get me wrong guys. I am VERY sad about this trend. I am the last that wants to deal with the console. I don't like it for anything but sports games. I want to see the PC succed. I want it to stay arround. But all of the things I mentioned have come together that form a downward spiral. One or two pints we could deal with, but all of this comming together speels real danger for the PC as a GOOD gaming platform.

Originally posted by: Fenixgoon
#1 - PC's have been getting cheaper, while consoles more expensive. i can build a $600 gaming machine with ease.

Games you play on a $600 PC are looking worse then on a console. I own a Computer Shop, I know the hardware I can buy cheaper then most of you. NO WAY is this even a worthwhile system.

#2 - WTF watches g4? it's terrible programming all around, unless you enjoy cops (which my brother does)

Agreed, but this was just to point out the terrible coverage. That is what the kiddies watch.

#3 - DAAMIT might be in a slump right now, but I have no doubt they will pull things back together....eventually.

I hope so, I really do!

#4 - yes, EA sucks. Blizzard has been doing fine. WoW has more players than owners of consoles (or something like that0. Small studios will be the ones pushing innovation - Crytek, Flagship, etc.

Blizzard is somewhat to blame for one of the points. Not sure if I made myself clear. They opened the pandorras box with WoW. So much development bucks go into trying to clone WoW. That takes away from inovation from other games.

#5 - GFW also sucks, and I don't think it's a necessary service by any means. DX10 will hopefully improve code efficiency in games, but I don't expect it to be a "savior" by any means - I'll leave that to devs who make quality games.

It was hailed by development and press "MS standing by the PC as a viable Platform... blah blah". What has come so far is a disapointment.


Last but not least... Modern Warfare... Looks nice doesn't it! Have you seen any video, as a matter of fact any coverage about the PC version? I haven't, at least not much beond "It will be released on PC". Every video I saw was made with gameplay from the console. Not one video or article went into what is going to be better on the PC that I saw. If you seen one please point it out. I love a good FPS, I love the look of Modern Warfare, but I fear what we will see is just another clunky port! I don't like it, I FEAR it!

An E4300 rig with an X1950GT is an excellent budget gaming machine.

 

[Extelleron]

Who says you can't build a good PC for $600?

AMD X2 4000+ Brisbane - $70
2GB (1GBx2) Corsair XMS2 DDR2-675 (4-4-4-12) - $85
Biostar tForce 550 SE Motherboard - $73
Sapphire X1950XT 256MB - $145
Western Digital 160GB HDD - $49
Antec Solo Mid-tower Case - $45
Vista Home Premium OEM - $112
Total: $579

A monitor is quite a bit cheaper than a good HDTV, too. When you factor in at least $500-$1000 for an HDTV, console gaming isn't so cheap anymore.

 

[NoStateofMind]

Call of Duty 4 will be out for PC. Tad more research maybe?

 

[yuppiejr]

Since modern consoles are simply configuration locked PC's with a slimmed down O/S I would argue that the legacy "console" concept is dying off as their modern counterparts become more PC like in configuration and function. I think the $60 a pop model for software will die off in time as the concept of a recurring monthly fee model that was pioneered on the PC shows it's merits both for software developers and end-users. I consider this a good thing as both platforms adopt features or ideas from the other the lines blur until you have the ultimate convergence device that gives all the features, flexibility and upgrade capabilities of a PC with the 10-foot interface, ease of use and cost advantages that consoles bring to the party. The synergy of entertainment technologies is also being helped along by the flood of cheap fixed pixel displays, broadband and ever shrinking solid state electronics.

All things considered I'd say it's pretty much a golden age for electronic entertainment and we're only just beginning to see the lines blur between PC & console technology in a way that's good for everyone on both sides of the argument.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: Schadenfroh
If PC gaming is dying, why is revenue increasing?I wonder how much it would be if one factored in sales from EA Link, D2D, Steam, and the various MMORPG subscriber revenue?

You can make it a mantra and the theories of PC gaming's death will continue. I've posted many times, that the gaming industry as a whole is doing well, and revenues are up, including PC, but some don't want to hear it was an acorn, the sky is falling!

PC gaming to world-The news of my death has been greatly exaggerated.