Why is PC gaming not as big as it once was?

[El_Mayo]

I've got to write an article for Media coursework and this is the topic I've chosen to write about
I aim to cover "the glory days"(?) of PC gaming, and myths surrounding PC gaming that other people/console players have about the system that puts them off it etc. etc.

I just want other people's opinions on the subject, so I have some opinions to write about etc.

p.s. I really hope people don't start arguing on this thread

[JC316]

Money, pure and simple. More console gamers out there, thus the devs cater to them. Also doesn't help that the consoles caught up to PC's in the graphics department. In the glory days, the SNES was still going strong, with the PS1 and N64 just starting to introduce 3d. At that time, you had games like Doom, Duke 3d and Daggerfall. The SNES just couldn't keep up. Then when the N64 and PS1 hit stride in 98, PC gamers had stuff like Half Life.

[CJCerny]

I suspect the real reason that console gaming has eclipsed PC gaming is that modern consoles added all the features that only PC gaming used to have, like Internet multiplayer, and they've also added home theater/multimedia playback capabilities that older consoles didn't have. So, it's functionality for the $$$ that has the PC sitting in distant second to the consoles.

[ShiBDiB]

I honestly think its bigger... its just not the most publicized or even realized due to the social acceptableness and ease of use of consoles.. but the term PC gamer or someone who plays a game on the pc is a title that I'd bet is 2 to 3x the size of console gamers. You gotta realize, farmville, solitaire, etc.. are all pc games. Many times they serve as entry level games into the more renound pc market, but they are pc games none the less.

[Hotobu]

Don't forget about piracy. There's console piracy, but it's much more difficult than it once was on PC "can I borrow your disk? lol". Many devs abandoned the PC market because of it. Even now it's still easier to pirate PC games than console games.

Then there's the buy it and forget ease of consoles. When you buy a console you know you're going to get the best out of that hardware for 4-6 years. With a PC you'll probably want to update your graphics card at least every 2 years to keep current, and even then there's always the nagging enthusiast bug of... well... this is good, but I can do better.

Then there's the "snowball effect" once consoles really started to get big you knew if your friend had the same console as you playing together was as easy as taking over your game and controller. With a computer if his machine can't run what you've got or vice versa you're SOL. Even at that I could easily put my Sega Genesis, Playstation, or whatever into my backpack. With a computer it isn't as easy.

Finally there's the TV vs. monitor issue. Simply hook your console up to your TV and go. Even a 24"+ TV made for a better experience than a (most likely) 17" monitor. Sure the computer may have been the more powerful machine, but computers weren't as integrated into people's lives as they are today. A 17" monitor at a desk just doesn't offer the same experience as a larger television in an entertainment center. Furthermore "the family computer" model was way more common then than now. Mom and dad wouldn't want the kids gunking up the computer with games or whatever. Now it's far more common for a kid to have his own computer than it was in the past. Which feeds into the "group experience" aspect of consoles. Playing a game wherever the "family computer" was just isn't the same as playing in your buddies' bedroom.

edit: more stuff

Also people weren't as "computer savvy" a decade ago as they are today. People building their own computers and buying parts (and even upgrading them) wasn't as common then as it is now. Computer gaming suffered because of this because it was beyond many people's comprehension.

There was also the stigma of computer gaming being for nerds, and consoles being for kids. Of course those kids are now us, but we helped the console boom and it's since eclipsed PC gaming.

[Fourstaff]

Well, you are certainly seeing a darth of AAA titles out there, because as countless before me have pointed out it does not make as much money as consoles anymore. However, people have forgotten that PC has and will always be at the forefront of innovation for the better or worse. We have lots of indie games, and also the infamous Farmvilles and things like that. Sure consoles can have all the AAA titles and such, but they can never have the variety nor the depth of games we get. And games don't age as well in consoles as PC games, eg Starcraft (2), Warcraft 3, Quake, Halo, Neverwinter Nights. PC gaming does not make the headlines anymore does not mean that its meeting its demise, its just taking the back seat. I do not see PC as becoming "THE" console of the future, but it will always be there, quietly existing.

[El_Mayo]

Originally Posted by ShiBDiB

I honestly think its bigger... its just not the most publicized or even realized due to the social acceptableness and ease of use of consoles.. but the term PC gamer or someone who plays a game on the pc is a title that I'd bet is 2 to 3x the size of console gamers. You gotta realize, farmville, solitaire, etc.. are all pc games. Many times they serve as entry level games into the more renound pc market, but they are pc games none the less.

That's an interesting point man
Loads of people who aren't necessary 'gamers' play WoW or Second Life etc. etc.

[TacoTown]

Because consoles are simple, I was asked by a 30 year old woman how to plug in a xbox... If she doesn't understand the concept of match the colors, she wouldn't know how to plug in a screen.

[gottistar]

..........."us" PC , modders, gamers.....

Our computers are more of a hobby to us , (oh and we play some games on them as well )...... then there are other people who like just to chuck a game in and play (console) , (boring)....

I doudt it very much that the "glory" days are over...have a look and 2 of the biggest titles (just to name 2) that will NEVER be on console and have farrrrrrr more of a fanbase then ANY other console game....WOW and BF3......and yes im aware BF3 will be on console, enjoy your crappy 42 player BTW.....

PC gaming is bigger then ever.....viva la PC GAMER

[garyinhere]

Consoles are bigger because they are convenient. This IMO started with PS2 making it double as a Dvd player and PS3 as a blue ray. When PS3 came out you could buy a good Blu ray for $300+ or a PS3 for the same plus play games + get on the internet. So really it is all just convenient. I'd rather pay for an all in one system then shell out blank dollars for a blu ray disc drive, blank amount for graphics card, blank amount for sound card, blank amount for surround sound, ect... How much does your Comp system cost compared to a console. Does your console get tearing. Blu rays play at 24fps so who cares if a VGA will push 60+ FPS?

Just think what will happen to the PC gaming industry when Steam makes it convenient to purchase games on line via console lol... especially since it seems the trend is going away from physical media?!??!

[Jstn7477]

As mentioned, I think consoles are the biggest money maker for their ease of use, PC-grade hardware (but older) and the "big screen experience."

Most normal people just want to plug in something and have it work. With consoles, your games are pretty much guaranteed to work every time, and there's no fuss about "upgrading your console" or "buying the right components." Most normal people likely also invest a lot more money into home entertainment (TVs and home theater systems) but buy the cheapest PC off the shelf at Best Buy or Walmart. And, the experience only varies on how good your TV is, instead of the extreme performance variations experience with PCs (tons of hardware, drivers, crapware, etc.).

[remixedcat]

lack of good games and the shitty DRM.

[Fourstaff]

Originally Posted by remixedcat

lack of good games and the shitty DRM.

Plenty out there, you just have to dig a bit deeper into the indie pile.

[CDdude55]

The simplicity and marketing Consoles have is a huge advantage, if most people just want to play games they just watch to pop in the disc and go. This alone makes those platform more appealing to developers because more people using=more money in it.

PC gaming tends to be more complicated, because there is no standard set of hardware, it both limits and enhances the experience. It limits because since not everyone is on the same playing field hardware wise, the experience changes and since the majority aren't into PC hardware they won't drop any cash on it. But it enhances by making it a much more flexible platform since there is no hardware standard, the quality shoots up, as there isn't much of a limit to stop them from making beautiful and creative games.

People see computers as a chore they don't want to deal with, and Consoles solve that problem. PC is more for us that actually care about the insides of our systems.(i personally enjoy both platforms though)

[IlluminAce]

Market share - consoles. Money - consoles. Standardisation - consoles. Supportability - consoles. Internet connectivity - both.

The only serious advantage I can think of that PCs have over consoles is graphics quality, but very few games are getting built with DX11 because the £$ is in the console market (see above), and consoles don't yet support DX11. Many PC games these days are just console ports.

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by IlluminAce

Market share - consoles. Money - consoles. Standardisation - consoles. Supportability - consoles. Internet connectivity - both.

The only serious advantage I can think of that PCs have over consoles is graphics quality, but very few games are getting built with DX11 because the £$ is in the console market (see above), and consoles don't yet support DX11. Many PC games these days are just console ports.

Community - PC, Support - PC, Graphics -PC, Sound -PC, FPS Control (most AAA titles) - PC, Price per game - PC.

Why are consoles more popular? Because people as a whole are stupid.


Thread.

[seronx]

If people want PC quality.... just by an onlive console

It's only $99 and after that payment just pay $9.99 a month

http://www.onlive.com/#1

[phanbuey]

Originally Posted by TheMailMan78

Community - PC, Support - PC, Graphics -PC, Sound -PC, FPS Control (most AAA titles) - PC, Price per game - PC.

Why are consoles more popular? Because people as a whole are stupid.


Thread.

xcept it costs a thousand bucks and takes alot of knowledge and patience to get a decent gaming rig... thats just to get it... then you have to know about drivers, tweaking, tuning and deal with the occasional weird glitch/conflict.

and $250 for a console.

[seronx]

Originally Posted by phanbuey

xcept it costs a thousand bucks and takes alot of knowledge and patience to get a decent gaming rig... thats just to get it... then you have to know about drivers, tweaking, tuning and deal with the occasional weird glitch/conflict.

and $250 for a console.

Well actually you only need to buy a $100 box....and pay $10 a month get 75+ games



And boom, no need for a gaming system

[Hotobu]

I figured this would happen. The overzealous PC fanboys come along and instead of commenting on what the thread asks they have to start defending PC gaming.

Protip: This thread is about what people are doing, not what you think they should be doing.

(...couldn't even get off page 1)

[TheMailMan78]

Originally Posted by Hotobu

I figured this would happen. The overzealous PC fanboys come along and instead of commenting on what the thread asks they have to start defending PC gaming.

Protip: This thread is about what people are doing, not what you think they should be doing.

(...couldn't even get off page 1)

There is nothing to defend. PC gaming is as big if not bigger then it ever was....and as ALWAYS its superior to console gaming in anyway imaginable.

[BrooksyX]

For me personally I got bored of PC gaming 3 or 4 years back and became a Xbox 360 gamer. But I got bored of the consoles and am back into PC gaming. Most of that is thanks to Starcraft II but I like other games as well.

[20mmrain]

Originally Posted by JC316

Money, pure and simple. More console gamers out there, thus the devs cater to them. Also doesn't help that the consoles caught up to PC's in the graphics department. In the glory days, the SNES was still going strong, with the PS1 and N64 just starting to introduce 3d. At that time, you had games like Doom, Duke 3d and Daggerfall. The SNES just couldn't keep up. Then when the N64 and PS1 hit stride in 98, PC gamers had stuff like Half Life.

I disagree. that Console has caught up to PC's. Sure for awhile they did consoles do that all the time. First PC will be better. Then Consoles will catch up. Then PC's get even better. Then consoles come out with their new stuff and catch up.

Right now PC is way further ahead than consoles. With HD gaming.... and DX 11 / Tessellation .... and so on. Games like Metro 2033, Crysis, and BF2BC and soon BF3 destroy console games in the graphics department.

But what I think the real reason is.... that when we get older we have less money to buy things like $800 dollar video cards and the like. It is harder to keep up with the latest technology. We start going to college.... have families.... and so on. Honestly... I think why we start playing PC games less and move over to consoles is more of money issue because life happens. Rather then anything else.

[KainXS]

Its just the times we live in and the trends, you look at tv and you see ads for games they're usually console games because thats where the money is, and the people influenced are usually younger even though most of the games are rated not for them, you rarely see a game on tv and see PC and actually care now because its simply not a good business decision for the publishers unless its a AAA title.

I haven't even cared about buying a video card myself since like last year, its just not worth it until something changes where I have more than 5 games that can fully utilize my current one, its not worth it.

[TacoTown]

No, it's because consoles are easy. People are stupid and they don't want to learn about this stuff, and they don't want to have to learn how to build their own pc. That's why I hate pre built pcs that are now coming with gaming graphics cards, or 6 core procs. I liked Pc gaming when it was smaller and was more adult, or mature. The reason I hate consoles is because of how immature the people on there are. They call you names and noob tube or do what ever they can do to be annoying. On pc they want to help, and are nice. To be honest the best times for pc gaming was like 6 years ago when I was using my Nf7-s playing halo 2, talking with people on there about our favorite maps.