They Wonder Why People Don't Make PC Games Any More

Jetsetlemming · May 31, 2008 at 1:55 AM

Quote from e-freak

http://www.hlportal.de/?site=news&do=shownews&news_id=6026I know it's german but you can find some additional links below.
Core statements:
In less than 3 months from now Steam and the Steam CyberCafes will make more income than the retail market
Valve isn't affraid of pirating - Gabe N states that a software pirate is "A customer you didn't serve right" - so the fault for most software pirating is the failing support (read: Cashcowing EA and Ubisoft)
Steam will hopefully soon feature automatical driver-updates, futher software downloads like FireFox.

Judging by the info you posted, that article is on the same event as this one, which is actually in English:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=1834

I wouldn't like automatic driver-updates from Steam, really, because they still don't get the concept of legacy drivers, and legacy hardware down. For all the Orange Box games they warned me to update my drivers of face the consequences when I first ran them- even though I'm on the very latest ATI drivers that have support for my ancient-ass DX8 ATI video card.

The whole of that article and talk though makes me very, VERY excited. Steamcloud! Fuck Yeah! 200% industry growth! Fuck Yeah! Consoles suck! Fuck Yeah!

-HP- · June 4, 2008 at 4:39 PM

COD4 has sold 10 million

Damn, congrats infinity ward!

Quote

There are few things that video game publishers--or any consumer products companies, for that matter--like more than reaching big, notable milestones.So it was with considerable pride that Activision's wholly owned Infinity Ward studio told me Tuesday that its war game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, has just sold its 10 millionth copy.
Infinity Ward studio head Vince Zampella didn't know exactly how many units the game had sold on each platform it is available on--the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC--but did say that COD 4 had been most successful on the Xbox.
These days, monster hits like Grand Theft Auto IV and Halo 3 have gotten most of the media's attention for best-sellers, but by reaching 10 million sold, there's no doubt that COD 4 deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as any other title.
And to be sure, it's not the only game that has reached 10 million units moved--Infinity Ward said that COD 4 is one of "less than 10" games to do so since 2000--but it's still a notable milestone, especially when you consider that, at a sticker price of $60 a pop, even when considering that you can buy it for less at some retailers, Activision has raked in many hundreds of millions of dollars with the game.
Of course, one wonders how many more copies it would have sold had it been available on Nintendo's Wii. But Zampella said that Infinity Ward decided not to make the game for that console because "it just doesn't fit on the Wii. We thought it would be compromised to be on (that) platform."
Well, with Guitar Hero III, Halo 3, and Grand Theft Auto IV inspiring record-setting sales in their own right, we might easily see a few more games reach the magic 10 million mark soon. And the next Call of Duty, COD 5, which is being produced by Tryarch, not Inifinity Ward, might see even bigger numbers.
Indeed, Zampella acknowledged that COD 4 has set the bar very high for his studio, and it's hard to imagine Infinity Ward being able to come right back with another 10 million-seller.
But, COD 4 still has some juice left. He suggested that the game is still selling, that it's map pack add-on has sold 1.5 million copies, and that the main game itself is expected to sell a lot more copies this holiday season.
True or not, hats off to Infinity Ward on reaching a milestone few ever reach.

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http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-99591 ... g=nefd.top

Thrik · June 28, 2008 at 7:59 PM

Another pro-PC article.

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=160866

e-freak · June 28, 2008 at 8:02 PM

was going to post this aswell... Some good numbers in there and sidekicks against microsoft, intel and crytek...

-HP- · June 29, 2008 at 11:52 PM

Quote from Thrik

Another pro-PC article. http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=160866

That is a really motivational read!

Jetsetlemming · June 30, 2008 at 1:22 AM

Quote from Thrik

Another pro-PC article. http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=160866

The comments on the article are worse than Youtube comments. Jesus christ.

PC gaming hasn't been more expensive than console gaming ever since HDTVs started becoming big deals- even if most console games can't support HDTV res above 780p. A nice gaming computer and a mid-range HDTV cost about the same (depending on how much you want to spend- you could skimp far more on the gaming PC's cost and still get something worthwhile than you could the HDTV if you build it yourself), and the nice big monitor to go with that gaming PC will be HUNDREDS cheaper than a current gen console. You can get a good quality 22" LCD for less than $200 now.

Nexus · June 30, 2008 at 1:51 AM

money isn't the important thing in da world.. love is.. I love to play games.. so fortunately, i download dem.

Erratic · June 30, 2008 at 2:23 AM

Quote from Nexus

money isn't the important thing in da world.. love is.. I love to play games.. so fortunately, i download dem.

I lol'd

Thrik · June 30, 2008 at 9:47 AM

Quote from Jetsetlemming

While I don't disagree that console gaming does get expensive fast, I think it's worth bearing in mind that most people these days are getting high-definition televisions regardless of their gaming habits and thus it isn't really fair to factor the cost into the overall cost of owning a console, much like you wouldn't factor in the chair you're sitting on.

A PC monitor is different because its one and only purpose is generally for displaying the PCs visuals, and has no side-uses such as films and television.

With regards to value-for-money, consoles are still a long way ahead of PCs. As someone who owns one of the more powerful PCs around and consoles, I feel I can confidently say this based on (warez-less) experience.

Jetsetlemming · June 30, 2008 at 11:32 AM

An SDTV is good enough for TV and movies still. It is not good enough for a big number of console games that are designed for HDTVs such as Dead Rising, which is famous for being unreadable on SDTV. I know personally if I were to get a new console right now, I'd have to pay for an HDTV to go with it, I don't already have one. A friend of mine recently bought a big screen TV for a console. The HDTV is a required part of modern console gaming.

Also you can use a computer monitor to watch TV. I plan on getting a TV tuner card for my next build- my actual TV is an ancient SD monster that's at least 20 years old. Thing's so heavy it nearly killed me last time I moved it.

Thrik · June 30, 2008 at 12:33 PM

Quote from Jetsetlemming

An SDTV is good enough for TV and movies still. It is not good enough for a big number of console games that are designed for HDTVs such as Dead Rising, which is famous for being unreadable on SDTV. I know personally if I were to get a new console right now, I'd have to pay for an HDTV to go with it, I don't already have one. A friend of mine recently bought a big screen TV for a console. The HDTV is a required part of modern console gaming.

I think you misunderstood my point. I said that people are now buying HDTVs anyway, not SDTVs. Considering how much HDTVs cost, anyone buying an SDTV at moment is making a mistake. And with perfectly capable HDTVs going for less than £400, it's still priced competitively with PCs if you do include a HDTV in the cost (which I don't).

This is different to PC monitors where you're typically not going to use it for anything other than PC usage. I have a big 24-inch PC monitor, but I wouldn't want to exchange my lovely sofa and huge television for it — nor would most others I imagine.

You're right that HDTVs do enhance consoles a lot, but most people have one or in the process of getting one anyway simply for *gasp* watching TV and films. They're not something most people will buy specifically for consoles.

Taylor · June 30, 2008 at 12:46 PM

It was a pretty cool article, though everything that Audiosurf guy said was rather dubious.

Also, all console games do not require the purchase of a HDTV just because Dead Rising does...

Ginger Lord · July 1, 2008 at 12:35 AM

Quote from Thrik

This is different to PC monitors where you're typically not going to use it for anything other than PC usage. I have a big 24-inch PC monitor, but I wouldn't want to exchange my lovely sofa and huge television for it — nor would most others I imagine.

I know more students who use their monitors for TV/DVD watching than those who don't. Granted I know more media guys than others but PC monitors are definatly not just used for PC visuals, nor a small percentage either.

Thrik · July 1, 2008 at 12:41 AM

It's still a minority though, whereas essentially all conventional television owners are going to be using it for non-gaming purposes too.

I guess we've kind of gone on a tangent here, though. Most people already have PC monitors and most people already have televisions, so including either in the net cost of a gaming cost equation seems fundamentally flawed to me. Plus if you want to get really complicated, you can plug your console into a lot of PC monitors anyway.

Skjalg · July 1, 2008 at 12:23 PM

Only reason why I use my monitor for watching tv and films (I got a dell 24") is because I dont own a TV (read: HDTV).

But once i actually get a job and get some cash those things will appear in my flat

zaphod · July 7, 2008 at 5:22 PM

Quote from Thrik

Another pro-PC article. http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=160866

awesome article, I agree with it 100%

*edit* This part especially is something I have been talking about for the last few years as an area that PC games must embrace, and something that most cross platform "traditional" games are failing to do on the PC.

Quote

At its heart, he explains, is a shift from viewing games as a physical product, to viewing them as a service - something that is also happening in other entertainment media. Digital distribution is part of that; more fluid and varied forms of game development, with games that change and engage their communities of players over time, are another; as is, naturally, the persistence and subscription (or otherwise) revenues of MMO games. None of this is reflected in the sales charts analysts, executives - and gamers - obsess over.

They Wonder Why People Don't Make PC Games Any More

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