Is PC gaming dying

^^ What you are saying is true to a extent, but there are many gamers who would not like compromises on the quality of their gaming experience and the current grade of console gaming is unacceptable to such people.

Technologically, PC is the best platform for gaming, but Game Developers want to put down the PC platform because of ROI (due to the issues you stated) and this is not something new and its been happening for quite a while now, but they cannot drop it all together because a tonne of gamers can still be found on PC. A person who has a decent computer for his work would always like to be able to do his gaming on it than having to buy a separate console and costly games and play them in only a fraction of the quality that he can potentially get on a PC that he already has. Even game developers realize that. Very few game publishers are solely reliant on console games for revenue. If they have a console only game, then chances are that they also have other games that are PC based.

Maybe what you said will happen, but by that time the distinction between PC and console would have evaporated, and there would only be PC's in what we now see as sleek and compact console boxes and you will do your work as well as game on them, but then I would rather call that console gaming dying rather than PC gaming dying. :p
 
Aces170 said:
Nope funky, I feel PC as a serious gaming platform is dying. You have to look at the numbers, consoles are making way more money for the developers as well console makers.

Piracy is less on console, development for console is easier (2-3 standard platforms vs multiple gfx cards combined with multiple processors). All the hoopla about Crysis, an average X360 game earned way more then Crysis (it was a financial disaster, it is a miracle that they yet got the development money for the sequel). Only thing PC has going for the moment is Indie games developers.

Good games require a lot of money to develop, and if the game companies reckon that the ROI (return on investment) is not enough, they will pull the plug. PC sales as a ratio of console game sales has been diminishing at a rather rapid rate in recent times. Its only a matter of time when companies will find it financially nonviable to develop PC games. The big question is the time frame could be 5-10-15 years, my guess is on the lower side.
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your prophecy scares me, but I guess porting will always be there, I mean if its financially viable to make a game on XBOX xyz or PS N, then optimized porting techniques will be developed, just to cash on all the PC gamers there are who do not rely on pirated games...:)
 
Actually the real reason is different.

No major new developer can pull the plug on PC game development.

The major difference is in revenue generated in $.

But if you see the revenue generated by sales of consoles to the revenue generated by sales of game software, the picture is not encouraging there as well. The ratio of money generated by games : console hardware is close to 1.1

That mean an average person who spends $300 on a console sends just over $300 in games.

When the scene is like this, I do not see PC gaming dying. Nvidia and microsoft will ensure PC gaming industry stays. And if ATI comes out of its hole, they will as well :p

Microsoft is big time into consoles now and if you see the trend, the Xbox platform might be a console, but it will remain close to PC. Developing games for xbox will mean its almost too easy to port it to the PC, and these days cross platform development is only becoming easier, not difficult.
 
IMO.. PC gaming will be in danger only if they can find a perfect replacement of mouse :) , I mean adaptive as well as functional. Simply because everyone uses mouse, more like it's in the blood.
 
Aces170 said:
Nope funky, I feel PC as a serious gaming platform is dying. You have to look at the numbers, consoles are making way more money for the developers as well console makers.

Piracy is less on console, development for console is easier (2-3 standard platforms vs multiple gfx cards combined with multiple processors). All the hoopla about Crysis, an average X360 game earned way more then Crysis (it was a financial disaster, it is a miracle that they yet got the development money for the sequel). Only thing PC has going for the moment is Indie games developers.



Good games require a lot of money to develop, and if the game companies reckon that the ROI (return on investment) is not enough, they will pull the plug. PC sales as a ratio of console game sales has been diminishing at a rather rapid rate in recent times. Its only a matter of time when companies will find it financially nonviable to develop PC games. The big question is the time frame could be 5-10-15 years, my guess is on the lower side.
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Yes, but not much higher for a multiplatform game

Infact developing games for X360 and PC go hand in hand ( as per what i have read) due to the highly matured SDKs from Microsoft. PS3 is altogether different

Hence we see many multiplatform games play well on PC and X360 but has lots of issues on PS3(sometimes get released a bit late)

The way i see it, the boundary between PC and console will slowly get diminished and there will be a common gaming platform (atleast from microsoft) with Windows on it, which will work like a PC as well

But Intel, AMD, Nvidia and Ati wont let that happen. They live on PC gaming
 
Lord Nemesis said:
^^ What you are saying is true to a extent, but there are many gamers who would not like compromises on the quality of their gaming experience and the current grade of console gaming is unacceptable to such people.

Technologically, PC is the best platform for gaming, but Game Developers want to put down the PC platform because of ROI (due to the issues you stated) and this is not something new and its been happening for quite a while now, but they cannot drop it all together because a tonne of gamers can still be found on PC. A person who has a decent computer for his work would always like to be able to do his gaming on it than having to buy a separate console and costly games and play them in only a fraction of the quality that he can potentially get on a PC that he already has. Even game developers realize that. Very few game publishers are solely reliant on console games for revenue. If they have a console only game, then chances are that they also have other games that are PC based.

Maybe what you said will happen, but by that time the distinction between PC and console would have evaporated, and there would only be PC's in what we now see as sleek and compact console boxes and you will do your work as well as game on them, but then I would rather call that console gaming dying rather than PC gaming dying. :p
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+1.. I can go with it. :p
 
No major new developer can pull the plug on PC game development.

The major difference is in revenue generated in $.

But if you see the revenue generated by sales of consoles to the revenue generated by sales of game software, the picture is not encouraging there as well. The ratio of money generated by games : console hardware is close to 1.1

That mean an average person who spends $300 on a console sends just over $300 in games.
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Nah, those figures dont match up. X360 cost $200, and $200 will get you on an average 4 games ($50 per game), do you mean to say an average console owner will just buy 4 games in the console lifetime?

The amount of money M$ gets in game royalties (they get a cut for every game sold for the X360 platform) is increasing at a steady pace and is out-pacing the console (hardware) revenue growth. the figure is more apparent in Sony's case.

When the scene is like this, I do not see PC gaming dying. Nvidia and microsoft will ensure PC gaming industry stays. And if ATI comes out of its hole, they will as well

Microsoft is big time into consoles now and if you see the trend, the Xbox platform might be a console, but it will remain close to PC. Developing games for xbox will mean its almost too easy to port it to the PC, and these days cross platform development is only becoming easier, not difficult.
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Hmm the guys to lose in the console scenario are ATI and Nvidia, but doubt they can really make a difference in the equation. Hint: M$ due to the sheer $ power, can arrange for attractive financing operations for a game company. Nvidia and AMD are in no position to do so.

Regarding your second point, its in M$ best interest if it keeps PC and consoles apart. It has heavily invested in consoles business, and desperately requires cash inflow from its Xbox segment (Afaik its yet loss making due to the discounts given on the hardware). On the other PC market for M$ is a cash cow, games or no games it really doesnt make a difference to their products (majority of the revenue is from the enterprise segment).
 
well heres my 2 cents..

what Lord Nemesis pointed out was perfectly correct. Biggest hurdle for Consoles in my opinion is the price of Software (Games). PC games are damn cheap in India nowadays. Great job being done by the local publishers (I think Milestone.. not sure). You will never get a AAA title like LFD2 released for as less as 699 on a console. GTA4 was released for 499!! BatmanAA - 699. If you play a lot of games, then PC is the natural choice.

As for the price of hardware, all I can say is PC is more flexible. If you are satisfied with the level of graphics of consoles, it is not that expensive to get a PC which can do that. Your current config with the 260 should be easily enough for that. But if you want game at the highest resolutions with all eye-candy high and high fps then of course you have to spend for that.

But I must agree that it is possible that in few years the PC might end up as a platform mainly for RTS and MMOs.
 
Aces170 said:
Hmm the guys to lose in the console scenario are ATI and Nvidia, but doubt they can really make a difference in the equation. Hint: M$ due to the sheer $ power, can arrange for attractive financing operations for a game company.
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One minor hitch there. nVidia and ATi supply the GPU's for all these current gen consoles and they do make a lot more from PC gaming than from console gaming. So Its not like everything is in the control of MS and Sony When nVidia and ATi can control how many consoles get sold. :p
 
pretttt said:
well heres my 2 cents..

what Lord Nemesis pointed out was perfectly correct. Biggest hurdle for Consoles in my opinion is the price of Software (Games). PC games are damn cheap in India nowadays. Great job being done by the local publishers (I think Milestone.. not sure). You will never get a AAA title like LFD2 released for as less as 699 on a console. GTA4 was released for 499!! BatmanAA - 699. If you play a lot of games, then PC is the natural choice.

As for the price of hardware, all I can say is PC is more flexible. If you are satisfied with the level of graphics of consoles, it is not that expensive to get a PC which can do that. Your current config with the 260 should be easily enough for that. But if you want game at the highest resolutions with all eye-candy high and high fps then of course you have to spend for that.

But I must agree that it is possible that in few years the PC might end up as a platform mainly for RTS, FPS, RPG and MMOs.
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Corrected. Consoles are best for action adventure and tekken type games and thats it...
 
Lord Nemesis said:
One minor hitch there. nVidia and ATi supply the GPU's for all these current gen consoles and they do make a lot more from PC gaming than from console gaming. So Its not like everything is in the control of MS and Sony When nVidia and ATi can control how many consoles get sold. :p
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If you look at the big picture. AMD acquired ATI hence gfx chips are not the only form of revenue for the parent company. In case of Nvidia, why do you think are they so aggressively pursuing the GPU computing market? the development of CUDA, the introduction of a Tesla machine....

The way I see it, eventually AMD/Intel/Nvidia would be pushing for a platform for the next gen console, and not only the GPU. That way they could make more money from consoles, as well as have a higher bargaining power.
 
Not everybody can buy console, but a normal middle-class family can buy a PC.:)

Middle-class person will not put his 16-19k on console(which are just meant for gaming & watching movies) unless he himself is interested in gaming(surely kids/boys won't get any consoles). While he can easily buy a PC worth 30k which will enable him to do lot's of things. A kid/boy/girl interested in gaming can ask for PC and can get get it(even if he/she is interested in gaming, he/she can get it under name of education/programming,etc.), same does not apply for consoles. Heck every comman-man now-a-days desires to get a PC in his home.

Even if you say whatever about graphics, game titles,etc. Fact is that everybody can't own a console.

Other side 'PC gaming dieing': well, those persons who can afford consoles, game titles may consider PC gaming dieing based on their experience. But everybody is not like them who can afford gaming on console.

Even in later years if consoles become affordable to middle-class person. Console would not be able to do what computers can do.
OR if console managed to bridge gap...
Lord Nemesis said:
Maybe what you said will happen, but by that time the distinction between PC and console would have evaporated, and there would only be PC's in what we now see as sleek and compact console boxes and you will do your work as well as game on them, but then I would rather call that console gaming dying rather than PC gaming dying. :p
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- My view from different angle.:)
 
Not everybody can buy console, but a normal middle-class family can buy a PC.

Middle-class person will not put his 16-19k on console(which are just meant for gaming & watching movies) unless he himself is interested in gaming(surely kids/boys won't get any consoles). While he can easily buy a PC worth 30k which will enable him to do lot's of things. A kid/boy/girl interested in gaming can ask for PC and can get get it(even if he/she is interested in gaming, he/she can get it under name of education/programming,etc.), same does not apply for consoles. Heck every comman-man now-a-days desires to get a PC in his home.

Even if you say whatever about graphics, game titles,etc. Fact is that everybody can't own a console.

Other side 'PC gaming dieing': well, those persons who can afford consoles, game titles may consider PC gaming dieing based on their experience. But everybody is not like them who can afford gaming on console.
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India is just a tiny speck on the global gaming map, nobody consider's consoles expensive in developed economies. For eg. in US the average pay is 2000 USD a month, so a console is like just 1/10th of their average monthly pay.

Now in India take an example of an average pay of a 20 something passout would be 20k a month, 1/10th of it would be 2K. Now would a 2K console be as expensive to him?
 
In my humble opinion , PC gaming died way back in the year 2007 . I have been through many consoles & even though i have a good PC i still game on Consoles.
 
@ Aces

That data and ratio I quoted is accurate. It has been for few years now. And even console Industry has only been declining in terms of revenue generation for past 2-3 years.

See and annual revenue of gaming industry. For last two years the ratio of console + accessory ie hardware sales to games has been hovering around 1.1 to 1.15.

And this year its worse. COD impact is still not clear. It will become clear at the end of the year. But if you see monthly reports by NPD, this year the ratio has dipped as low was 1.07 for the month of August.

This means 2 things. Either people are happy playing way too less games or demos. Or they dont buy too many games after buying the console with bundled games. Or they quickly loose interest after buying games with very few percentage continuing to buy games at later date.

And other problem in developed countries is rental services available there.
 
'dying' implies that it will be extinct at the end of it all. this is simply not true, and hasn't been every single time this topic has come up. however, only the naive would disagree that it is losing it's importance to consoles.
 
Shripad said:
@ Aces

That data and ratio I quoted is accurate. It has been for few years now. And even console Industry has only been declining in terms of revenue generation for past 2-3 years.

See and annual revenue of gaming industry. For last two years the ratio of console + accessory ie hardware sales to games has been hovering around 1.1 to 1.15.

And this year its worse. COD impact is still not clear. It will become clear at the end of the year. But if you see monthly reports by NPD, this year the ratio has dipped as low was 1.07 for the month of August.

This means 2 things. Either people are happy playing way too less games or demos. Or they dont buy too many games after buying the console with bundled games. Or they quickly loose interest after buying games with very few percentage continuing to buy games at later date.

And other problem in developed countries is rental services available there.
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^^ Hmm could be, looking EA's latest financials:

Electronic Arts Inc. - EA Reports Record Q2 Non-GAAP Net Revenue of $1.15 Billion



PC's revenue has increased 5% yoy while consoles have decreased 15%. The growth numbers are meaningless when looking at absolute comparisions. PC a/cs for less then 21% of total revenues whereas consoles account for 63% of the revenue. However atleast in the short term period PC sales have increased. while consoles have declined. I would love to see 2-3 years of comparisons though :)
 
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