Is PC gaming doomed? Apolyton 2008 edition

[Asher]

I wonder if LOTM knows he is just reinforcing the prevailing position that PC gaming is more or less dead aside from niche games and MMORPGs.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Asher
I wonder if LOTM knows he is just reinforcing the prevailing position that PC gaming is more or less dead aside from niche games and MMORPGs.

I'm not making a case, I'm just presenting data.


so,
3. Call Of Duty: World At War - (Activision Blizzard) - $50
4. Spore - Electronic Arts - $48
5. Fallout 3 - Bethesda SoftWorks - $49
8. Left 4 Dead - Electronic Arts - $48
10. Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Electronic Arts - $49
15. Far Cry 2 - Ubisoft - $50
17. Bioshock - 2K Games ( Take 2) - $14
18. Spore Creepy & Cute Parts Pack - Electronic Arts - $19
20. Assassin's Creed: Director's Cut Edition - Ubisoft - $17


Are all niche games? (not to mention that the Sims is quite a niche, in itself)

Also :

Left 4 Dead
5. Football Manager 2009
8. Titan Quest Gold

and

1. Grand Theft Auto IV

4. Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir
5. Red Alert 3
6. Mass Effect
8. World in Conflict
9. Civilization IV


??? Oh, of course, RTS, TBS, sports management and anything by Wright is niche.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Asher
I wonder if LOTM knows he is just reinforcing the prevailing position that PC gaming is more or less dead aside from niche games and MMORPGs.

this month's console top ten reinforced the notion that console "games" are either SW for the Wii, or shooters.

[Asher]

The worst trait about you is how you think you're so clever. You're not.

PC gaming is dying. It's the same ****ing games in the top list month after month. Accept it, embrace it, and move on.

Console gaming just set a record last month for sales. You can dismiss all of the games as "shooters" outside of the Wii, but that only reinforces your profound and never-ending ignorance on the subject.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by Asher
You can dismiss all of the games as "shooters" outside of the Wii, but that only reinforces your profound and never-ending ignorance on the subject.

I think it's pretty clear that LotM wasn't really dismissing the consoles stats in the manner you describe; rather he was trolling you.

Now I don't really agree with LotM (as per previous posts on these issues) but he definitely got you.

[Asher]

Yes, his rampant stupidity and ignorance really gets me. What a good troll he is! Golly gee!

[Traianvs]

PC may not be the most popular platform out there, but why should it need to be. There's still a lot (and in fact too many) of game releases. PC gaming allows for good modding, very interactive and organized multiplaying and a batch of orginal fresh ideas for new games that developers can experiment with. A good number of features that appear in indie games first are copied to the 'big budget' titles. And frankly there's a lot of indie games that are more fun to play than the average big budget title.


I just don't see why I'd spend a few hundred bucks and €60 per additional game for some hardware that does just the same thing my computer does (i. e. playing music, DVD, gaming).

[Asher]

How much did you spend on your video card?

[Traianvs]

€170

I see what you're getting at, but on my computer I can do everything, whereas on a console I can't. And I don't need to share it with other people in the room

[Asher]

You don't need that expensive video card to do all of that. My point is most gamers spend as much or more on the video card than a game console.

[DrSpike]

This is a bit of a golden oldie on these forums.

Personally speaking I think the 360 is dirt cheap now and everyone should get one. I have trouble believing the MS claim they now make money on the consoles themselves when you can get one for little over £100. You do have to spend quite a lot on games though - I'm approaching £1,000 overall on my 360, including peripherals like an arcade stick, wheel and guitar.

That sounds a lot but it's over 2 years, and I haven't upgraded my PC for a long time now. It does browsing/word etc fine but if I was playing only PC games I would probably have had to upgrade around the time I bought my Xbox, which would have been pretty pricey. I guess to make a fair comparison I should assume I would have bought my PC games, along with similar peripherals. In that case it would have come out about even I think.

Of course, the smart ones have their Xbox set up with their sound systems in the lounge, and their PC elsewhere, as it's just bad form to have your PC in the lounge.

[El_Cid]

I have to use photoshop/C++/Sonar etc etc. And i love to play games, interesting games. Those are hard to find on console for me(but not impossible) and i have a larger backcatalogue of games i find interesting to play on PC than I can get on all consoles combined. So for me the PC is still my prefered platform.
Note I dont buy console games to play on my PC, so the current market misses me quite often. Civ is still doing it right mind you

[Asher]

The obvious problem is the reason you have a larger back catalogue of games to play on the PC is because that's the platform you have.

Once you have a real console and try out lots of the games with an open, non-retarded mind you may see the value most other people can see.

[DarkCloud]

...Most of those games were on the console first... and probably play better on the console (Mass effect, bioshock, call of duty, etc.)

[Traianvs]

A bit OT on Bioshock:

I've already stated this elsewhere about Bioshock but the developers turned it into a true console game. I loved to play the game. The game design and the entire concept were fantastic, but there was just so little challenge in it. Short levels, respawning and weak monsters are a few of the most conspicuous points that ruined the 'challenge' for me.

I remember playing System Shock 2 while feeling highly uncomfortable about having but a few rounds left, and frantically trying new ways to survive. Bioshock never gave me that feeling. The player is seldom 'required' to take a different approach, despite the differing options for the player. No point in taking a subtle approach when I can fubar the level with me guns blazing.

A game has to be something I feel satisfied about when finishing it. In Bioshock on the other hand, in hindsight, I was primarily tempted to play on because I wanted to see more of the level designs, the story etc. And in the end I didn't even finish the last level iirc. Should get to that one of these days

PS: I know the auto-respawning could be turned off, only found out late in the game unfortunately.