The end of PC gaming?

[SAS]

The next generation consoles are going to give us a lot of power for our money. The question is are we about to enter a phase where PC gaming takes a backseat in the same way arcade gaming had upon the emergence of affordable home game machines?

C|Net editorialist David Carnoy highlights this by arguing the price of a PC gaming machines will have gamers migrating their gaming time to using consoles which at less than £300 are better value for money?

The bottom line is that console manufacturers often heavily subsidize their new machines, swallowing huge losses up front in hopes that they'll make it all back selling games. (Unlike PC games, the console manufacturers get a royalty for each game sold on their respective systems.) Other things being equal, the DIY-heavy PC-gaming industry can't hope to compete in that kind of market.

What's your view?

Source: Shacknews

 

[old.Tohtori]

The consoles in my view are coming like the rise of machines and more and more i hear "Nah, i don't use PC for gaming" or "Consoles are so much easier and reliable".

That being said, i don't think PC's are going anywhere. Majority of PC's are used for work purposes and as long as there's a whole lotta PC's around, there's gonna be games made for them.

There's a lot of genre's that are just not as good, yet, on the consoles as well. With the lack of proper mouse/keyboard, games like MMORPGS, strategy games and even FPS games will be primarily developed for the PC. With game sales like the Half-Life series, who would elave such a goldmine. On a plus side from the PC, every game is patchable...which isn't always a good thing.

Granted, all games CAN be made for consoles and probably soon a mouse/keyboard system is as good as on the PC for every jack and jill and their Playstation/Xbox, but as the technology is now, PC still has her little strengths that just keep the fanboys happy. I know i am

 

[Mazling]

I've always maintained that consoles are for groups of people to sit around and enjoy, and pcs are for those who want community and/or single-player challenge. PC games titles have always been far more diverse, and always will be seeing as the user can create...

Anyway, given the communities that have sprung up around certain games *cough* CS *cough* I can't say a migration would be a bad thing.

 

[Escape]

The same threats come with every generation of Consoles, but the PC just keep on going stronger.

The PC sells on it's versatility. The games you find on PCs have more depth than console games too, specially when you consider mods and customisation.

 

[Scouse]

The same threats come with every generation of Consoles, but the PC just keep on going stronger.

The PC sells on it's versatility. The games you find on PCs have more depth than console games too, specially when you consider mods and customisation.

Ditto.

Heard it all before TBFH.

Same shit got bandied around when the PS1 came out. You have to remember - whilst there's a lot of talented journo's out there most of them are retards with a basic grasp of what's going on - and get paid to come up with stories - no matter what their validity...

 

[Abel]

Just after the massive successes of games like HL2, WoW and GW comes this

Not very good researching ...

 

[Conchabar]

PC gaming well never die... to even utter these words is blasphemy.. yes CONSOLES are trying bloody hard to get everyone to turn coat but the true hardcore gamers will never leave the pc gamer lifestyle

 

[Ch3tan]

It's not about the hardcore gamer, it's about the mainstream -where all the money comes from.

In a typical day at work we sell maybe 9 PS2 games, 4 XBOX and a couple of DS/GBA. Maybe 1 PC game.

 

[KevinUK]

Thats cos console gamers are dumb and pay rip off shop prices where us clever PC guys (who often have consoles too like me) buy are games loads cheaper on the net.

 

[Ch3tan]

I think thats a very elitist and naive view.

Just poll the forums here. I am sure the majority (and thats what counts folks) probably have more and buy more for their console than their PC. And thats because at the end of the day you can buy a console game and it works, no worrying about your pc's specs or where your £300 gfx card is going to come from.

And as for PC gamers buying more off the net, I think it would be intresting if we could get some figures from GAME or a similar company. Find out exactly how much console software is sold via the net compared to PC games.

 

[Yaka]

theres also the piracy issue with pcs, preety much any copy protection on pc games been cracked and its prolly hit the pc harder than the consoles, yeah both xbox and ps2 can be chipped but its expensive and the chip them shelves took a while aftet the consoles relase. and both ms an sony ban peeps who log on with copied games. looking at both consoles they are powerfull now but wont be in 3 or 4 years time. pcs evolve more.



this may need decoding

 

[RandomBastard]

Console will always been trying to take a bigger market share of gamers, and they succed most of the time thanks to the inherent reliablity of a closed system and the ease of use a console format provides.

However PC games are not going anywhere, most people have a pc for work, so they then might buy a game for fun, then slowly they want bigger and better machines to keep up with the games. So I dont think we'll be seeing PC games dieing out any time soon. Although I admit I will probably be buying both next gen consoles

 

[throdgrain]

I dont even have a console

 

[Abel]

In a typical day at work we sell maybe 9 PS2 games, 4 XBOX and a couple of DS/GBA. Maybe 1 PC game.

What's the game publishers profit margin though ?

I believe to publish on consoles you'll need to cede a considerable part of your profit marge to the console developers, who run up big losses by selling their consoles at a loss.

This explains why PC games are cheaper and many publishers still do an effort to release a PC version of their game.

 

[DaGaffer]

And as for PC gamers buying more off the net, I think it would be intresting if we could get some figures from GAME or a similar company. Find out exactly how much console software is sold via the net compared to PC games.

You're absolutely correct; PC games are in overall share decline (both in volume and revenue terms) compared to consoles. This is true in retail and on the web. It is true that the internet does better than retail for PC games (or it did when I last was involved nine months ago), but not enough to mask the sector's overall loss of share.

The problems with PC games are exactly what we all know instinctively:
1. Cost of hardware upgrades (think about all the 'flagship' games of the last year - most of us needed graphics and/or RAM upgrades to make the most of them).
2. Narrowing of cost base - there used to be £10-£15 difference between the best PC games and the best console titles - the gap is closer to a fiver or less now.
3. A decline in choice in the PC sector - it amuses me that people on here seem to think there's more variety in PC games just because FPS, RTS and RPGs are generally better implemented on PC; look at the charts and compare Xbox/PS2 charts to PC and you'll see the fallacy of that argument.
4. Restructuring within the development business; Developers are having to make choices about what platform they develop for far more strategically than they used to; PC still has the 'cutting edge' advantage, but the balance of return on investment has changed as royalty charges to the console makers has gone down and potential market has gone up.
5. Online trends. Two things have happened; the development of Xbox Live! has created an environment for online players who can now indulge their hobby without the constant upgrade costs (you can debate the quality of Xbox Live all you like, but its take-up has been impressive), and secondly, the growth of MMOs in the PC sector. MMOs are dangerous for the PC sector because they're a black hole for players' time and money, but there's only room in the market for a few of them.
6. Piracy. The economics of PC games are far more susceptible to piracy than consoles.

To be honest - the PC's USP for me is the mouse and keyboard; if I could replicate that on the next-gen consoles, I'd be fine with that - I'm more interested in the message than the medium.

 

[Opt1]

Completely agree with Da Gaffer on the keyboard and mouse issue...
I prefer it to a console's gamepad every time, bar perhaps the odd racing sim.. which I never play!
Am not sure why console developers stick to the gamepad so madly.. though saying that, you need a desk and chair to be comfy with the m&k.. and try fitting four of your mates round to join in on a split screen ;S


Then again if I had my way, console would just be a cheap Pc.. that you could upgrade as much as you like..

Guess that explains why I don't own a console yet, and am not likely to

Am an Rts/Fps/Online gaming fan and from experience of friend's consoles, the quality and feel of the games is never the same.. and try having an Irc/Ingame chat with a gamepad ;p

And on the group multiplayer experience.. have got a near perfect set-up for lans and my place and my mates all live nearby and/or drive.. so Lans are fairly regular and that problem's solved
Would take a Lan over a console bash any day.. though cleaning up is a littttttttle more stressful, as is the sleep deprivation ;S ;D

I can see where the market's going with consoles though.. and I admit that Pc games worth buying for me are few and far between.. and becoming increasingly so ;(

But, as consoles seem to be becoming more and more like Pcs with every generation.. am sure we'll see one start to become more and more like the other at some point in the future, and I'm guessing it's going to be the console.

Rar, drivel

First postage o/

Opt1

 

[Sharma]

I really don't think the PC will "Die off" as a gaming platform.

I mean fair enough most of the new consoles will have excellent game playing ability, however there are some quite complex games which need a lot of actions bound to keys, can't really make a game for a console which uses more than its alloted buttons/combinations, I mean take Command & Conquer for example, PC verion was excellent, the console ports were dreadful (In my opinion of course).

There just somethings you can do with a PC which just isnt possible for a console to do, also the other fact is generally what a PC can do as stated before.

I do believe the newer consoles will bring far better gfx than a bog standard PC costing twice the price of the console could do, good graphics dont make good games though.

PC won't die out, the quality of how games look may lag behind a little, perhaps not much at all (Come on HL2 had quite bloody good gfx, so did Doom III).

Only reason consoles can run games so fast is because theyre just boxes for processings gfx data, they dont need to mess on running an OS and countless other things that a PC has to deal with.

For the record, I don't stick to one platform. (*Rubs xbox, gamecube and other assorted consoles*)

 

[old.Tohtori]

Piracy is an issue in the consoles as well.

Almost every naffhead with an xbox has the tunr on/off mod and 300+ games downloaded from their friend billybob from alabama.

I might be a bit against piratism *cough*

 

[nath]

Only reason consoles can run games so fast is because theyre just boxes for processings gfx data, they dont need to mess on running an OS and countless other things that a PC has to deal with.

That, and the fact that the games only have to be optimisied for one setup whereas for PC's they need to cater to an infinite different combinations of hardware.

 

[]AC[dRuM]

MMOs are dangerous for the PC sector because they're a black hole for players' time and money, but there's only room in the market for a few of them.

This is a big concern for me, to see so many of these type of games do well is great but you do have to look at the structure and question what is happening, be it very succesfully. Maybe I'm just an old fart who is scared of new times? Maybe I am frightened that the PC player is being slowly eroded in favour of a console gamer?

What can consoles do for free in a gaming capacity (excluding piracy or other illegal activity) that my PC cannot?

 

[DaGaffer]

This is a big concern for me, to see so many of these type of games do well is great but you do have to look at the structure and question what is happening, be it very succesfully. Maybe I'm just an old fart who is scared of new times? Maybe I am frightened that the PC player is being slowly eroded in favour of a console gamer?

What can consoles do for free in a gaming capacity (excluding piracy or other illegal activity) that my PC cannot?

Thing is, you have to question whether the MMO model is successful; for every WoW or Everquest, there are thirty or forty of these games out or in development that aren't really doing the business, and unlike 'normal' games, where for a publisher you can play the odds and have winners or losers in your portfolio and manage it, the upfront costs for MMOs are a massive investment in infrastructure and customer service as well as development. I actually think WoW itself is great for Vivendi, but actually lousy for the rest of the industry.

As for your second question, as someone on here has already said, the one thing consoles do much better than PCs (apart from costing less) is 'social gaming'; playing with your mates in the same room.

 

[]AC[dRuM]

...interesting point about being able to play with your mates. This is very true and a bonus eh

I suppose in the future a few generations from now, we will be looking how mobile a games console is. The idea being you can multiplay anywhere, anytime.

The more you look at it the more you see elements of this formula trying to be tagged onto others games, a total log in system isn't such a bad idea tbh.

Do you feel there is any grounds for concern over console online packages and a lack of choice, what do you feel about subscription only servers across the board and the extra safe gaming measures they will offer?

Does a console offer better overall anti cheat measures?

 

[Embattle]

Like others I've heard this story many times but I do feel it is a little more valid this time than the pervious times. The reasons are:

1. Cheaper - When the next generation of consoles appears they will all be cheaper than most budget PCs.
2. Power - When these consoles first arrive they will have power that will most probably only be matched by a few high end PCs.
3. Easier - As easy as Windows XP has made PCs compared to Microsoft's previous operating systems there is no doubt people still seem to have difficultly.
4. Margin - The margin on most PC games has plunged, this also applys to new releases which no longer manage to maintain a £34.99 price point. You only have to take a look at the savings on both PC and PS2 games at places like Play to realise that on average you'll save more money on PC games than PS2.
5. Pirating - While even the current generation of consoles suffer from pirating it is no way near as widespread as PCs, this is mainly due to the fact of requiring hardware changes on consoles such as the PS2s to run copied games....PCs often just require a crack on the software. Next generation machines will have improved systems for stopping pirating, while it will be broken I don't see this being quite as widespread as PC copying or as easy.
6. Specification - When you code a game for a console its a case of one size fits all, if it works on one PS2 it'll generally work on all of them. PCs again have more work involved as variables must be written in to accommodate as wide a range of specifications as possible, also PC games often require patching because of the inability for developers to cover all bases.

Some of these points are more relevant to publishers while others will be more relevant to consumers. The problem with a number of these points is that they are intertwined with each other, for example pirating means a general decrease in the monies gained from a certain game which in turn isn't helped if your costs in creating it are increased because you have to keep supporting the game after release with patches etc or the margin on the game is eroded.

So what does the future hold for PCs in terms of games, well I reckon you'll see the same mixed bag as we currently have with some A+ titles arriving which rake in the money. You are also more likely to see more conversions from the newer consoles to PC, and lets hope they turn out to be better than some of the recent dogs to arrive on the doorstep of PC gaming.

The future in terms of the PC itself is a tricky one that I doubt anyone will be able to accurately predict, for the time being I reckon it'll remain as is with more talk than action. However my feeling for the long term is that PCs stand a good chance of getting left behind without any real intention. Cost is king when it comes to what most people purchase and PCs are not cheap with the high end graphics cards required to match such power from these newer consoles costing £100 more than either of them are likely to cost on release.

The PC may well end up being relegated to doing essays and other types of work, even then in time to come this haven may be attacked by a console. Though old the SEGA Dreamcast showed some of the first steps that it was easily possible to attach keyboards and other devices to consoles, even though as a whole the Dreamcast was a failure it helped make people question the need for big, bulky and expensive PCs.

Microsoft didn't get into the console market for fun, it'll continue to add more functionality to its consoles but at the same time it is likely to help reduce the market for PCs which is most probably something that at sometime or other the bods at Microsoft gave as a reason for creating their own console.....the fear of diminishing PC sales, they will most probably help speed up the process as soon as they decide to stick on a cut down version of Word etc on one of their next consoles and naturally Sony will reply with something of their own.

So is it that unreasonable to consider that PCs are already in there sunshine years?

Sorry if I'm rambling

PS - You could consider this like the epic battle of the Germans versus the Russians in WWII, the Germans made great gains but the inevitable result was not in doubt.......the Russians would eventually win.

 

[]AC[dRuM]

So is it that unreasonable to consider that PCs are already in there sunshine years?

Sorry if I'm rambling

PS - You could consider this like the epic battle of the Germans versus the Russians in WWII, the Germans made great gains but the inevitable result was not in doubt.......the Russians would eventually win.

Excellent Post.

I suppose it is a safe to assume we might possibly be seeing the start of the end? Sounds a bit Doomy / Gloomy but if you look around there is change in the air. As to the impact on the 'PC culture' this is my biggest concern of all. At the moment the current gaming culture has been very PC orientated and as such has a certain chaotic edge to it. It's a balance of good and bad that works very well when linked into the upper echelons of the real world, things like advertising, promotion etc.

If as a console gamer I plug in first to a lobby, all that entire layer that has sprouted of it's own accord will disappear and for the first time ever online gaming has it's base from day 1 structured with a corporate edge. You could argue other companies have slowly sifted in between the cracks and fished it out over time. But start a community within a company and that is a very, very powerful tool to have, Welcome to Royston Vasey

The long term effort could mean MP Gaming does in fact become so common we see it played more regularly on the main stream imagery on TV, so either way gamers win I suppose but this time around it's on their turf and their rules. Good for security and successful global gaming but can sometimes stunt creativity.

Exciting times / Scary times imo.

 

[PLightstar]

Yeah but the reason why Germany lost was becuse of Hitler and his crazy idea of splitting his forces and invading us. If he had concentrated soley on Russia and listened to his Generals Russia would have fallen. Plus the fact that Japan decided to bring the US into the war.

'Sorry to bore ppl and I know it has nothing to do with PC's'

so as long as Hitler dosn't control the PC Hardware/Software Industry it will beat the console time and time again.

 

[Embattle]

Actually there is a lot more to it than that but I generalised, as did you with your reply.....but I don't fancy a boring and long winded look at WW2.

Plus a person would have to be really deluded if they even dismiss the possibility of the PC going the way of the dinosaurs in certain areas such as games etc.

PS - I'm not a console fan boy either.

 

[Ch3tan]

lol. Thats the most deluded viewpoint I have heard in a long time Plighstar.

 

[Scouse]

Like others I've heard this story many times but I do feel it is a little more valid this time than the pervious times. The reasons are:

1. Cheaper - When the next generation of consoles appears they will all be cheaper than most budget PCs.
2. Power - When these consoles first arrive they will have power that will most probably only be matched by a few high end PCs.
3. Easier - As easy as Windows XP has made PCs compared to Microsoft's previous operating systems there is no doubt people still seem to have difficultly.
4. Margin - The margin on most PC games has plunged, this also applys to new releases which no longer manage to maintain a £34.99 price point. You only have to take a look at the savings on both PC and PS2 games at places like Play to realise that on average you'll save more money on PC games than PS2.
5. Pirating - While even the current generation of consoles suffer from pirating it is no way near as widespread as PCs, this is mainly due to the fact of requiring hardware changes on consoles such as the PS2s to run copied games....PCs often just require a crack on the software. Next generation machines will have improved systems for stopping pirating, while it will be broken I don't see this being quite as widespread as PC copying or as easy.
6. Specification - When you code a game for a console its a case of one size fits all, if it works on one PS2 it'll generally work on all of them. PCs again have more work involved as variables must be written in to accommodate as wide a range of specifications as possible, also PC games often require patching because of the inability for developers to cover all bases.

The above list applys just as well to the situation at the launch time of the PS2 and X-Box. PC gaming just isn't dying...

 

[DaGaffer]

The above list applys just as well to the situation at the launch time of the PS2 and X-Box. PC gaming just isn't dying...

No it doesn't; the margin/royalty situation, the piracy situation and the performance situation are all different compared to the start of last gen (particularly the launch time of PS2). Most fundamentally, PC's market share was close to 30% at the start of the last games cycle (just behind PlayStation), its nowhere near that now; I've been out of the industry for a nearly a year but PC (full price) was well down on its 2000/2001 level even then; we've had HL2, Doom III and WoW in the last year, which will have helped, especially as console games haven't had a banner year for releases (3-4 really big titles have dominated), but the long term trend is unequivocally downward. PC gaming may not be dying but its definitely a sector under pressure...

 

[dysfunction]

New generation consoles have always been more powerful than the latest PC.

But the PC games have always been much better, imho.

And by the time a new console arrives the PC would have overtaken the console tachnology by a long way.

The games developed for the PC would also have overtaken anything developed for the consol.

So in a nutshell, PC games are alive and kicking. Long live the PC game!!

ps: I dont own a console and never will