Whee! Blame Bush that PC gaming is "dying"! Hey everyone, it's a conspiracy!
Honestly. I think you ought to look into the reason for higher prices. Mad Cat's got it in one.

Well, with my computer I use a DVI to VGA adapter, and my monitor supplies me with a nice 1600x1200 resolution @ 75Hz, non-interlaced. Have a good old fashioned CRT, although a new LCD is on my wish list. Problem is, with all of that width, they lose some height. You'd think that with the new technologies I'd get higher resolutions both ways, but I guess not . It's basically the same thing as 1080p but with a different aspect ratio.



There are some very nice MMORPGs for PCs . In fact, many of the top selling PC games are MMORPGs. Not to mention instant messaging, VoIP, Email, and of course the occasional LAN party.

I suppose the console does have that split screen thing, I'll give it that.

Although that is more a matter of priority and usage rather than technology. Split screen games for the PC do exist, and there's nothing saying you can't plug several game controllers into the USB ports on a PC.



By the way, you can play NES games on an emulator - on a PC .

DOS games have gone the same way - I need an emulator for them, as current versions of Windows have gotten rid of DOS.

In my experience, widescreen aspect ratios are far, far, far, far superior to non-widescreen ratios, ESPECIALLY in games like Sins where you can really make use of the extra space on the edges. So you lose a half to one inch in height - it's MORE than made up for by the width, however.


Mad Cat

I doubt piracy is a reason at all. It's getting easier for anyone with a console to find a mod that will allow them to play any game for free. The mods are legal and the games are transferred over bittorrent as easy as the PC software.

Sure, you can't play a pirated console game online, but how is that any different than PC games like SINS?

For the record, I have both a modded console and a PC, and I still prefer PC games. Besides the better control and easier learning curve, I can do other things (like facebook) during brief downtimes in gaming. My console is usually playing from a radio stream or my Drobo and I use it very little for actual gaming.

While PC gaming is not dead, it most certainly is dying.. Having been a PC gamer for 20 years, I've seen the decline, especially in the last few years..   On my last few visits to stores like Gamestop, EB, Walmart and Best Buy, you are lucky to find one shelf of PC games.. while console games now take up 90 percent of their gaming area..  Most remaining PC gaming companies are only geared for Online games so they can market you even as you play..  So Let's just thank goodness for companies like Stardock and a few others, who still think making good PC is not just a money cow but see it as a joy, a commitment and an art ..

To me, playing a great PC game is still like curling up with a good book..

 

 

 

ACE, you are confusing store policy with actual availability. Try another store, as I have see many more PC games today than 20 years ago, the difference is that stores have only a fixed amount of shelf space for games so obviously they have to divy up the available space to consoles as well as PC games as consoles become more common.

You are not seeing PC gaming dying so much as consoles becoming more prevalent. Consoles are becoming more prevalent because in order to gain more market share console makers purposefully restrict their underwriting of game titles to the console only to boost sales. The PC market is quite healthy, it is just being artificially shut out on some titles. There is a marketing effort to try and kill PC gaming, but only because PC gaming is so damn strong. Consoles intrinsically would be a niche market if not for such cutthroat marketing. PC gaming is not dying, and without console makers' active offense against it, you would in fact see a lot more shelf space devoted to it.

I invite you to come look at Steam and Stardock Central/Impulse, which are digital stores offering PC games.

http://www.steampowered.com/
https://www.stardock.com/products/sdcentral/
https://forums.stardock.com/forum/457
http://www.impulsedriven.com/

Specialty game stores like EB and Gamestop have cut back because their profit is almost entirely based on used game sales, and they no longer take PC tradeins because of piracy fears. As such, they've tried to minimize PC shelf space in favor of more profitable items (used console games).

As to the bigger stores, I'm not seeing it. Walmarts and Best Buys still have as much or more PC game shelf-space than they do for any one console, which seems pretty balanced to me.

actually consoles might suffer piracy now that some of the 7th gen consoles have internet.

Another place for Ace to look, amazon.com and other online retailers.

At least a third of PC game buyers purchase some or all of their titles online. Retail chains are a dying industry for digital media.

n York region (Ontario, Canada) where I live, there was actually a law forbidding the resale of open PC software for a while, which meant that the EB Games stores could not buy or sell used games. Ironically, travel a few kilometres south to Toronto and the EB Games stores there could still do it because they were not bound the York region laws.

That being said, the other reason they don't pay much attention to PC sales is because their entire operating philosophy fails with PC games. When I bought Dungeons & Dragons Online, the guy asked me if I wanted to insure the game. Basically, you pay $3 more so that if the DVD gets damaged so that you cannot use it, you can get a new whole new box (I presume they just clean up your old disc and resell it as "used"). I promptly informed him that this was useless because a) the game was an MMO and if I swapped it for a new one, the next person to buy it would not be able to use it because I had already created an account with the game key, and most MMO developers allow you to download the game off their website (in case something happens to your discs). The same argument applies to Valve's games, but the EB Games staff are forced to push a corporate agenda, unfortunately.




I've had the same experience. While the PC shelfspace may not be nearly as large as the consoles, there is still quite a lot of shelf space for PC games. I even find obscure, little known titles hanging around.


Mad Cat

Just take a look in any Future Shop or Best Buy. There are still plenty of PC games and lots of shelf space for them in those stores as well.

This thread is probably the biggest debauchery of every subject from computer gaming to economics that I have seen in quite a while.

And for that, I must give you your props Seth

Dont Worry Starcraft 2 will Blow up the PC gaming world. Blizzard Rules.

Stupid fanboys...

I retrospect there probably is more slow down in the computer gaming industry, but no downturn last forever, the US economy in itself is a testament to that.

Just how does the economy affect whether PC Gaming will die or not? Besides people buying computers and games.

Agreed. Just stopped by both a WalMart and GameStop today. The PC game shelves between the two stores were night and day: The new release shelves for PC games were larger and pretty empty at the WalMart, and the store is packed with ads for Spore, including some big ones as you walked in. Looks like new PC games are flying off the shelves there, and they can't keep up with demand.

The GameStop, on the other hand, had a small section of PC games with pretty much nothing new on it . Looked like it hadn't been touched much: I think the PC gamers in the area just gave up and decided WalMart was better for PC games.

Er, it sounds more like they're clearing shelf space. Of course, I could be wrong.




They probably just got tired of their BS. I know I have. "Would you like to ensure that for-" "Frak no, now leave me alone and let me BUY the frakin' thing!" "Uh, ok. Just remember, you can also trade in your old PC games." "What, you mean the ones that cost me $50 two months ago which you are offering me $2 to take off my hands?"


Mad Cat

True, although that doesn't explain the Spore ads.



Agreed. If the companies weren't so obsessed with DRM, making backup copies wouldn't be a problem, and there would be no need for GameStop to offer "insurance."

I think you misunderstood my point: the "insurance" being sold by EB Games is USELESS for PC games. They might be worthwhile for consoles, cause if your disc goes, so does your game, but for MMORPGs and Valve games for PC, offering trade-ins / insurance is a pretty stupid thing to do.

As for DRM, I think the BEST way to "combat" piracy is via Valve's Steam method, though, truth be told, I don't trust anyone but Valve (and maybe Blizzard) to do it right.


Mad Cat

EA ruins all gaming platforms, PC or console! Piracy is an issue with all things software related. I am a big fan of steam and its methods, and hope it is a nice step to not only bring games more convenient to gamers, but make money to all parties involved!! Business is after all, about making a living off the work that you do, plus a little extra for doing something special every now and then!!!

Bugs, yes they suck! I myself do not buy a game that I have not spent time playing a very enjoyable demo or have read very positive reviews from game rating sources that I trust. Long gone are the days when i was 10 and bought my commodore 64 games based on the graphics on the box! Cmon!! spend yourself a good hour researching a game before you spend your hard earned ca$h! Bugs shouldn't be an issue to a well informed gamer.

Actually, PC is the only Platform, capable of building good Games. With Console, you can´t...

1. mod a Game
2. play with the latest graphical Engines
3. never be up to date with the overall Game Scene
4. only play Arcade like Games
5. Not improve the Game with Addons etc.

...it´s really funny how young People always think, that PC Games aren´t as good as Console ones. That´s simply because most of PC Games are much more complex then Arcade-Console-Waste...;)

I am not sure if it is in the latest issue of pc gamer, or some other mag, there is a column by one of these popular mag editors which opiniated that Sony and Microsoft is not going to develop the next generation of their respective consoles. Because it is becoming too costly to throw in another 8 billion dollars to develop the latest hardwares. The article also include Nintendo. However, i do think Nintendo is safe because it caters to more of the kids and teens market. So they don't have to push out the latest and the prettist graphics for their next gen console. I mean, the Wii is known for its use of interactive controls more than anything else. What does this all mean, PC as a platform is the only last standing platform where games will be developed for.

well said