farley2k wrote:I love it when people say "PC gaming will never die!", etc.
The death of PC gaming isn't a state of no games being made. It is when you can't buy PC games at easily accessible retail outlets. When you go to Best Buy, Target, etc. and there are no PC games.
Sure PC games will still exist, but they won't be where the cutting edge stuff is being done. Actually that is already going on I would say.
PC gaming is dying as mainstream entertainment. As PC games are slowly squeezed out of the retail channels, they return to their origins as a niche hobby. Since mass marketing and big budgets are what's killing the industry in the first place, that is a Good Thing. Quality and innovation will return when big corporate attention focuses elsewhere and PC game studios can again afford to ignore the demands of the Konsole Kiddies.
Once again, Ironrod took what I was going to say, and said it better.
I've always preferred niche titles over big-budget AAA titles anyway, so I'm not worried. Since when does a 'great' game need a $5 to 15 million dollar budget anyway?
"I've been fighting with reality for over thirty-five years, and I'm happy to say that I finally won out over it." -- Elwood P. Dowd
Next gen consoles are certainly going to be interesting and have a performance advantage over the PC. But the PC will catch up and pass them again before the PS4 or X-Box 720? hit the sales floor at Best Buy.
People keep saying the new consoles are so cutting edge that they blow PC graphics away but I'm telling you, Oblivion is going to look just as good on the PC as it will the Xbox, if not better. PC games, I believe, are almost already at the level of what the PS3 and Xbox2 have to offer.
Just assuming this is true (which, BTW, it isn’t) could you point me to the place where I could by a PC with 3 - 3.2gig processors, wireless everything right in the box, capped off with an ATI card so fast it requires liquid cooling for $299?
And, while you're at it, why don't you point me to the store that sells nearly bug free PC games. I'd love to give those a whirl.
And no, PC gaming isn't dying. They still make black and white films from time to time, too. Some people still go to the theatre. But with the lack of retail space, the lack of significant developer support, that's right were PC games are fast-tracking. With the exception of MMOs (which will soon be on console) and RTS's, PC gaming (my favorite hobby, BTW) is going to soon account for less the 1% of total game sales.
JG93
"Pain or damage don’t end the world, or despair or f*ckin’ beatin’s. The world ends when you’re dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man—and give some back." Al Swearingen, Deadwood
jg93 wrote: But with the lack of retail space, the lack of significant developer support, that's right were PC games are fast-tracking. With the exception of MMOs (which will soon be on console) and RTS's, PC gaming (my favorite hobby, BTW) is going to soon account for less the 1% of total game sales.
jg93 wrote: But with the lack of retail space, the lack of significant developer support, that's right were PC games are fast-tracking. With the exception of MMOs (which will soon be on console) and RTS's, PC gaming (my favorite hobby, BTW) is going to soon account for less the 1% of total game sales.
What's it at now?
Taking a closer look at the data reveals that console software sales reached $5.2 billion (up from $4.9 billion) on 160.7 million units, portable software sales expanded to a record $1.0 billion (up from $903 million) on 42.3 million units, and PC game sales were $1.1 billion (45 million units), which is down from the $1.2 billion total that PC games posted in 2003. Despite the long-awaited releases of high profile titles like id Software's Doom 3 or Valve Software's Half-Life 2, the PC market only accounted for 15% of overall console and PC software sales. And only two PC games managed to surpass 500,000 units sold. In 2003, total PC game sales represented about 17% of the market.
jg93 wrote: But with the lack of retail space, the lack of significant developer support, that's right were PC games are fast-tracking. With the exception of MMOs (which will soon be on console) and RTS's, PC gaming (my favorite hobby, BTW) is going to soon account for less the 1% of total game sales.
What's it at now?
Taking a closer look at the data reveals that console software sales reached $5.2 billion (up from $4.9 billion) on 160.7 million units, portable software sales expanded to a record $1.0 billion (up from $903 million) on 42.3 million units, and PC game sales were $1.1 billion (45 million units), which is down from the $1.2 billion total that PC games posted in 2003. Despite the long-awaited releases of high profile titles like id Software's Doom 3 or Valve Software's Half-Life 2, the PC market only accounted for 15% of overall console and PC software sales. And only two PC games managed to surpass 500,000 units sold. In 2003, total PC game sales represented about 17% of the market.
They got their data from NPD, which only tracks retail sales, right? I doubt online purchases and monthly game subscriptions add a whole lot, but maybe that number should be a few percentage points higher.
Clearly, it's whenever Kobra bought his first game.
Black Lives Matter
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Jeff V wrote:
Okay you whining Chicken Littles, where above is the evidence that PC gaming is dying?
The glut of product is certainly one contributing factor (more fingers in a shrinking pie) to declining profitability, and a major disincentive to originality. Sales numbers -- broken out per publisher or per studio -- and profit-and-loss data would be much more enlightening regarding the state of the industry. If more studios are making more money on the huge number of titles that you documented, then the PC gaming industry is quite healthy, and I'll change my tune.
jg93 wrote: But with the lack of retail space, the lack of significant developer support, that's right were PC games are fast-tracking. With the exception of MMOs (which will soon be on console) and RTS's, PC gaming (my favorite hobby, BTW) is going to soon account for less the 1% of total game sales.
What's it at now?
I remember reading years ago (probably 3) that it was at our about 6%. Don't take this for truth, though, it might be something I read on a forum. I'll do a little research today and see if I can come up with a number.
Oh, noxiousdog, I almost snorted coffee out my nose when I read your post
JG93
"Pain or damage don’t end the world, or despair or f*ckin’ beatin’s. The world ends when you’re dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man—and give some back." Al Swearingen, Deadwood
I think it boils down to a demographic thing. The long time gamers are, by definition, older.
Either younger gamers are going to adopt the PC as their platform, in which case the big budget games and the flash will follow their tastes.
Or the younger gamers are going to look in other directions for their entertainment, in which case the flash will follow them there.
Either way, we long time gamers will squawk. But let's face it, we live in a youth based culture, and high media and corporate attention is going to go to those who are young and restless.
That does not mean, however, that there will be no games for the older gaming crowd, just that it will be more of a niche market, out of the limelight.
2004 - Windows 572, PS2 255, Xbox 164
2003 - Windows 685, PS2 306, Xbox 205
2002 - Windows 619, PS2 264, Xbox 167
2001 - Windows 583, PS2 165 PS 129
The current year is panning out thusly:
2005 - Windows 199, PS2 75, Xbox 65
Okay you whining Chicken Littles, where above is the evidence that PC gaming is dying?
FYI Mobygames browse by year section sucks for PCs.It gathers a lot of titles that were released in previous years. Looking through the 2004 list of the 250 most popular I see games going back to the 80s.
dbemont wrote: But let's face it, we live in a youth based culture, and high media and corporate attention is going to go to those who are young and restless.
We live in a dollar-based culture. If older gamers stick with their hobby and spend more money than the kiddies, the market will cater to the older gamers. More pertinent is the tendency for people to drift away from gaming as they age. Otherwise, I agree with your post.
dbemont wrote: But let's face it, we live in a youth based culture, and high media and corporate attention is going to go to those who are young and restless.
We live in a dollar-based culture. If older gamers stick with their hobby and spend more money than the kiddies, the market will cater to the older gamers. More pertinent is the tendency for people to drift away from gaming as they age. Otherwise, I agree with your post.
Yeah, I can't imagine that Matrix is targeting the "youthful gamer" when asking them to plunk down $70 for WITP.
You do not take from this universe. It grants you what it will.
dbemont wrote: But let's face it, we live in a youth based culture, and high media and corporate attention is going to go to those who are young and restless.
We live in a dollar-based culture. If older gamers stick with their hobby and spend more money than the kiddies, the market will cater to the older gamers. More pertinent is the tendency for people to drift away from gaming as they age. Otherwise, I agree with your post.
That's my understanding: the market follows the money. If the young and the restless are the ones spending freely and often, that's more incentive for the game makers to give them more occasions to buy. It's not youth per se, it's the money and willingness to part with it.
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I don't really feel like getting into the argument side of things and I don't think PC gaming will ever truely die but for me the last great year was 2002. There were a number of great titles and franchises launched and breakthrough games for other franchises that year and we were still riding the wave of some great games from late '01. There seemed to be a lot more excitement in the unrealeased title forum that year and just massive floods in the games by title forum that would change about every 3-4 weeks.
There are still great games coming out if not as innovative as before and the MMO genre has stolen a lot of gaming dollars and hearts since '01-'02.
