PC gaming stronger than ever! 24 billion dollar a year revenue

[CRV]

My hopes for PC gaming is that SteamOS takes off and has similar support for new games that Windows has. At least for those of us that want a more streamlined experience and an OS designed first and foremost towards gaming. I always hated having to jump through UI hoops to get a game going.



After all this time you just now went from a newly released console to PC? You should've done that years ago not to mention should have known the differences. Of course whether you get 60fps depends on settings chosen or hardware, it's never a given rule for maxed out games. The minimum frame rate is what matters most. However there are quite a few PS4 titles that do 1080p/60fps and likely many more but always research before you buy anything.
BTW, there is no "next gen". It's a marketing term.

I never got into PC gaming, because I was happy with the last generation consoles, but the new ones aren't that surprising for me. Plus I never knew what I know now about PC gaming. Thought that PC gaming was only for people who play WOW and sit in front of a computer screen with a mouse and keyboard. Now that I know that I can get 1080p 60 fps or more on a PC and can lay back with a controller, I'm with it.

 

[CRV]

I'm thinking of selling my PS4 but for a different reason. The games are getting damn expensive. Could probably get at least a very nice CPU/GPU combo for the money I'd get for it. Still haven't made a decision though.

I probably do about 60% of my gaming on PC these days.

Yeah, true. PC games are a lot cheaper. Plus if you want a next gen console, just upgrade your PC. I also realize that PC has some games that either one of the consoles has and the other one doesn't. Example, like Titan Fall. XBox and PC has it, but PlayStation doesn't etc and you can play new and old games.

 

[kyrax12]

Yeah, true. PC games are a lot cheaper. Plus if you want a next gen console, just upgrade your PC. I also realize that PC has some games that either one of the consoles has and the other one doesn't. Example, like Titan Fall. XBox and PC has it, but PlayStation doesn't etc and you can play new and old games.

Some of the exclusives like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts still is a deciding factor.

I know a lot of people that buy a console just to play one game.

 

[sxr7171]

No doubt Steam has been instrumental in spearheading this resurgence. I don't give them enough credit but they make buying PC games as simple and painfree as buying an app on the Apple App Store or Google App Store.

Everything has been well thought of. When you buy a game it offers immediate or delayed download. When you install you can paste to your clipboard. You can activate easily.

Pirates will pirate. However the success of the iTunes Store is entirely predicated on the convenience of finding and acquiring your song or video or app. Steam provides that for PC games. It gives an easy and convenient way for those who wish to reward the developers to do and have instant gratification in receiving the game.


Also this news is great. PC is my preferred platform and right now is a very exciting time for PC gaming. We're seeing games not on PC but on consoles more of an exception than a rule.

I don't see any game worth buying a console to play. I'm not that hardcore about any game. There needs to be at least 5 really good exclusives at least to warrant a console purchase plus online subscription plus controllers etc.

 

[sxr7171]

I never got into PC gaming, because I was happy with the last generation consoles, but the new ones aren't that surprising for me. Plus I never knew what I know now about PC gaming. Thought that PC gaming was only for people who play WOW and sit in front of a computer screen with a mouse and keyboard. Now that I know that I can get 1080p 60 fps or more on a PC and can lay back with a controller, I'm with it.

And yes that's another thing Valve has been very smart to understand. They started working a on big picture mode a few years ago. They knew the gaming pc would move to the living room. They also pushed the industry to include 360 controller support. I buy games pretty much worry free that the controller will work.

The case for PC has never been stronger. The current consoles are PCs after all. It can't be that expensive to make a PC port for less than the expected marginal revenue.

 

[norseamd]

Semantics. It's illegal, it's unethical, and it's immoral. It is never right to illegitimately take a product for free when the producers rely on money from sales to keep making more products and for their very livelihoods.

they do no need to spend more money on art than they are willing to lose

there is nothing ethical or moral about ip

this has already been discussed

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2377942

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2358372

 

[escrow4]

Scene groups have no malware or viruses beyond the actual cracked .dll's and .exe's behaving like viruses even though they are not. If you get whatever from a private tracker or verified uploader on a public tracker with a seedbox there is close to zero risk. The size is also irrelevant. Repacks gut the multiplayer, languages and can recode the video (cutscenes) to slash the size way down. Updates and patches and DLC are also repacked with ease. You only really lose multiplayer, if you even care about that.

On the console side, same thing less actual repacks unless there is a problem with the original upload. Again you usually lose multiplayer and nothing else.

 

[Red Hawk]

they do no need to spend more money on art than they are willing to lose

there is nothing ethical or moral about ip

this has already been discussed

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2377942

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2358372

You're kind of insane. "should probably get rid of patents and copyright"? Just...no. 99% of the media you love would probably not exist if it was not for copyrights protecting them. Now, it's arguable that patent and copyright law should be overhauled, particularly copyright laws in the context of the internet, but abolished entirely? Hell no.

 

[davie jambo]

What's a " slower VPN protected torrents " ?

I don't pirate any games as it's just plain wrong and steam offer a better service

But 25GB downloads are nothing to me , they take less than a hour so I don't see why that would put pirates off

 

[norseamd]

Now, it's arguable

right who is crazy

 

[frozentundra123456]

Semantics. It's illegal, it's unethical, and it's immoral. It is never right to illegitimately take a product for free when the producers rely on money from sales to keep making more products and for their very livelihoods.

Well said.

 

[CRV]

Some of the exclusives like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts still is a deciding factor.

I know a lot of people that buy a console just to play one game.

Very true, but for me I'm more of a fps gamer. I did like the God of War series and some of the old Final Fantasy series etc, but now and days I don't have the patient for story games. So they are no use for me. However the thing that I love on consoles is that you play every game on a controller and games that has co-op same screen or split screen play.

 

[TeknoBug]

I only wish there was an NFL and NHL franchise still releasing for PC, I hate having to think about getting a console just to play those games and besides they have gotten bad after NHL 11 and Madden 10 so for now I'm still playing Madden 08 on PC.

 

[xAlias]

Wait! Pc gaming is better and making more revenue these days because game sizes have grown bigger thus prompting less of piracy??

 

[TeknoBug]

Wait! Pc gaming is better and making more revenue these days because game sizes have grown bigger thus prompting less of piracy??

Of course that makes little sense.

Has this been compared to the console revenue? I know the console market is making billions a year but by how much compared to PC.