PC Gaming Renaissance?

    http://pc.ign.com/articles/662/662771p1.html

    PC gaming has gained a lot of ground lately in large part, I think, due to MMOs (and WoW specifically). The big concern with PC games has always been the ease of piracy - but it's a funny thing. One of the guys from work just spent two weeks in China (where everyone knows piracy is rampant). He says the only games people play are PC MMOs, and game companies can make money because you can't properly pirate an MMO.

    I think that it is going fast to the situation where PCs are mainly used to play internet games and MMOGs, I don't see any console no matter how hawt their Live or other is. There are just so many strenghts in PC gaming, like modding, better and more adaptive network architechture, and I don't see consoles able to do fps MMOGs with their puny memory, hell, if you want to walk around Orgrimmar in WoW and still have FPS more than 6, you have to have atleast 1gig of memory.

    But consoles and singleplayer games and multiplayer games without internet connection, I'm sad to say that most of the games are just done better than PC games.

    Sure PCs still dominate FPS and RTS markets, and pro gamers use PCs.

    Other than that, we are doomed.

    Quote from ginsengavenger

    PC gaming has gained a lot of ground lately in large part, I think, due to MMOs (and WoW specifically). The big concern with PC games has always been the ease of piracy - but it's a funny thing. One of the guys from work just spent two weeks in China (where everyone knows piracy is rampant). He says the only games people play are PC MMOs, and game companies can make money because you can't properly pirate an MMO.

    Yes you can, I know quite a few guys who play all these MMOs on pirate servers

    I've done it too. but not with thousands of players on the server - that is why I qualify it with "properly" because with just a few people you're missing the point entirely.

    I think all sales will increase alot when all game devs start using online validation^^ Just like steam.. Makes it harder to pirate

    I also think that sales for console will drop once it gets easier to pirate those games^^

    For me, there just aren't enough interesting games on the PC. If you like FPS/MMO/RTS/Simulations, then you are spoilt for choice. If you like other genres you're kinda screwed on the PC.

    Truth is though, I wouldn't WANT to play other genres on the PC really. It doesn't suit racing games like Burnout, or crazy side scrollers like Viewtiful Joe, or funky sports games such as Jet Set Radio, or fast paced beat-em-ups like Soul Calibur, or party games like Warioware, or... And truth be told, a lot of these other genres are essential to many people - I for one would hate to be limited to the PC suitable genres.

    Something I've never really understood are people who say consoles suck because you can't mod the games. What about PLAYING the games? Since when did that become such a chore? Don't get me wrong, it's great when games come along that you can mod, but NOT being able to mod something is hardly detracting from the game itself. Chances are people who mod PC games only do it for one or two games a year. Are people restricting themselves to buying only moddable games on principle? If so, thats freaking stupid, and if NOT, then saying consoles suck due to inability to mod is somewhat hypocritical. Unless you aren't a gamer of course, but if thats the case I seriously question your desire to make games.

    Anyway, this hasn't exactly been relevant to the discussion, so I'll shut up now

    There's another reason why console is more popular than pc: the price

    I mean a top graphics card costs more than two x-boxes. you need also a fast cpu, a shitload of ram, a big harddrive, and more...

    I really don't think that many people refuse to buy console games because of that reason at all, Reno. At least, I haven't heard of many using that reason. It's usually down to the following factors:

    - Simple controls.

    - Affordable.

    - No installation.

    - Quick to get into.

    - Very portable.

    - Generalized specs.

    The only way for PCs to really take ground on consoles is to make them far more accessible to your average retard. Sure, we can all use PCs, but most people just find them confusing as hell with all the different pieces of hardware out there and such. Hell, even computer-savvy people find it difficult to choose new hardware these days. Things need to be labelled better, although I do believe that Microsoft are planning to work with publishers on that one so that they're given more general specification ratings.

    Also, things such as installation could be a bit more streamlined. If computers came with a fast enough dvd drive by default, there wouldn't even be a need for installation -- it could just run off the dvds, with the hard-drive being used for data storage only. The 'insert and play' concept of consoles is what attracts a hell of a lot of people to them. Most people give me that excuse when I'm all 'y not pc m8?'.

    The cost is a big issue, though. PCs generally require a monitor, keyboard, pc, sound system, tower, sound card, graphics card, mainboard, memory and hard-drive. That's a lot of stuff and a lot of money for most people, and when they go to buy a 'bundle' PC where it's an all-in-one type thing, they don't even know what the hell it all means. I always get people asking me stuff like 'is 1.1ghz gud?'. Things really need to be made easier to understand for people, although the ratings thing I mentioned two paragraphs up could tie into this.

    another thing is games and computers are always evolving, how many times have you upgraded your computer just for a game? how much money did that cost? how many state of the art pc games just run like shit on the computer your dropped loads of money on? you dont need to worry about fps in consoles...

    plus for the average joe, its cool to just sit with 3 other friends and play whatever game because its social, computer games are not

    Cost is a big factor, but then again there are people who enjoy the bleeding edge hardware, I guess people like me, I die a bit every time inside when I pick up a PS2 controller, the games are fun and entertaining, but I actually like the physics, more dynamic surroundings and great graphics that you can just stand around and admire.

    Sure I own a console, GameCube is my man, and I enjoy games like Super Smash bros. Melee with couple of friends, Mario Party is a blast. The console cost me 199,- and games usually go for 20-30,- piece when I buy them used or from the discount bin. I used 590€ for my GeForce 7800GTX so it's a nice change to buy something that didn't cost me arm, leg and then some.

    And one reason consoles are gaining popularity is tied to one variable that many might not see fit at first. The popularity of Macs, yup, it's one variable, maybe a small one but it counts. Many friends of mine got sick of the security issues, and tedious work to keep your computer clean, most of these people don't have the time, or the knowledge, a photographer friend of mine was a big gamer and he even was in my NS clan, but then he just dropped the PC gaming because half of the work was just keeping the machine running. It was easier for him to toss the PC from the roof and buy a Mac and Xbox, now he doesn't have to fool around with his computer, he can still play WoW and UT2k4 with me and the rest of the games are on the console.

    Sure the fat cats at Valve are not aware of the ever increasing market they could grab by porting their Steam to Mac OS, but to hell with those lazy bastards.

    The bottom line is, consoles fit the bill if you are a gamer, I have always had a PC and a console from 8-bit nintendo to this day. PCs do FPS/RTS/MMOGs so much better than consoles, and for the simple reason of two pieces of hardware, mouse & keyboard, isn't that strange? They could grab a huge market with just having M&K combo and supporting them in their games. What a bunch of idiots, both console makers and Valve.

    the m&k combo is what kept me from buying a console for the longest time. Went from SNES to xbox with no in-between. only reason i bought the xbox was so i could play the games i wanted to play that werent available for pc (Ninja Gaiden, Halo 2, Jade Empire, etc). If I have the option to buy a game on console or on PC, I'll take the PC any day.

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