Comments on: Here Come The Heroes

By: matte_k

matte_k — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:11:37 +0000

Someone say Browncoats? I’m thinking we will rise again…

By: Alex McLarty

Alex McLarty — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:10:40 +0000

We can only save games by bringing every single title ever made to the Mac.

Honest.

But seriously, stop relying on middleware and platform specific technologies. Everything can be ported to anything.

By: Dinger

Dinger — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:28:38 +0000

errr… let me say fix that before someone else does:

Besides, how come WITH THE SOLE EXCEPTION OF DEFCON there are no good games that can be played on a LAN during lunch hour using 4-year-old XP boxes with shared video memory? That’s what the world demands!

By: Stuart White

Stuart White — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:02:14 +0000

There are a lot of good points here which i wont repeat but there are two extra i can think of.

1. The PC can be an attractive format for developers / publishers – for example, they don’t have to pay fees to microsoft for each game created (hence why console games cost always at least 7 gpp more than its PC equivalent). Another example is that there arent so many restrictions on PC games during the production process – you can package it however you like for instance and let the marketing team run wild.

2. Why is it that “gaming PCs” are almost always very high spec, expensive pieces of kit? An xbox 360 is equalled in ability by the most modest of PCs. Is it too much to ask for cheaper PCs which are aimed at gaming without having 4 cores, 2 graphics cards and more RAM than you will ever need? Not every gamer demands to see Crysis in full resolution. Um, see every console owner as an example…

By: sigma83

sigma83 — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 10:01:44 +0000

Dinger is onto a winner. Most excellently put.

By: Dinger

Dinger — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:55:29 +0000

Here’s the “problem”:
go ahead and price a normal Windows PC that you would find on someone’s office desk (outside of the gaming industry). Now calculate what it costs to buy a mid-class “gaming rig”, that is, one capable of playing AAA releases. Heck, even comparing bottom-of-the-line stuff, Dell’s cheapest PC costs $350 and their cheapest XPS (“gaming capable”) is $1000. You could buy a PS3 for that difference.

Now look at the new numbers from valve of what gamers are actually using now. Grab your calculators and, crunching out those numbers, figure out what percentage of those computers could run Crysis.

The Crysis success story is that many, many computers that can run Crysis are running Crysis. The Windows crisis is that many people who want to play games don’t see why that should spend more money on it, especially when it means fighting the kids to use the computer.

Effectively, the nVidia/ATI arms race, in pursuing those extra hundreds of bucks from the gamers, has created a “Windows gaming platform” distinct from a computer running Windows, and has shrunk the PC gaming market. So fifteen years ago, the strongest gaming asset of a PC was its ubiquity: A good office PC was a good gaming PC. Ten years ago, PCs were the only way to game online. Five years ago, Microsoft sought to leverage the strength of the PC gaming market to help them break into the console market.
And all of a sudden, indie and casual games are exploding in popularity? Gee, could it be because you don’t need a fancy ATI card to play Age of Decadence? Or that people actually like to play games at the office?

Besides, how come there are no good games that can be played on a LAN during lunch hour using 4-year-old XP boxes with shared video memory? That’s what the world demands!

By: The Pope

The Pope — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 08:25:21 +0000

From that list, it looks like they will save PC gaming from low system requirements, choice in operating system, free multiplayer and the like.

By: redrain85

redrain85 — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:18:53 +0000

When is NPD going to stop giving out misleading figures that completely skew things in favor of consoles. It’s like they’re not even trying to be responsible in their reporting. Get those Steam figures from Valve, do whatever it takes.

And when is Microsoft going to deliver the Games for Windows Live that they originally promised? Not that we really need it, of course. But GfW Live in its current form is an utter failure. Until they create a standalone application, and offer all the same features that Xbox Live does, GfW Live will continue to be ignored and considered the piece of crap that it currently is. Valve has totally kicked Microsoft’s ass with Steam.

I understand that Microsoft wants to address the market of the less technically sophisticated gamer, with the 360: who just wants plug and play that really works. But they’ve almost completely ignored the PC side since the 360′s introduction. They’ve become PC gaming’s worst enemy. Which is tragically ironic. These half-hearted initiatives like Game for Windows, aren’t cutting it.

By: po

po — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:31:38 +0000

PC gaming isn’t going to die. Anyone who wants can go out and make PC games, with little more than what they play them on, a few free programs, and mountains of free information on the web on how to do it.

If I wanted to make games for a console I’d have to buy an expensive development system. That’s if I can convince MS/Sony/Nintendo I’m worthy enough. Then I’d have to learn how to use the damn thing. Where’s the development community for consoles? Stuck in a few big companies and behind NDAs is where.

By: Muzman

Muzman — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 01:49:02 +0000

Why does this effort to ‘save PC gaming’ seem to be mostly about ‘saving PC gaming from PC gamers’.
(just to echo the general reaction)

By: josh g.

josh g. — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:54:10 +0000

Do the NPD numbers even include titles sold via Steam and other direct distribution methods?

Maybe the “Death of PC gaming” should really be read as the long-awaited Death to a Broken Game Retail System.

By: Stick

Stick — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 23:59:41 +0000

So, the future of PC gaming would be Vista-exclusives with dodgy multiplayer aspects, where you pay extra for advantages. And you’ll need hardware good enough to run Skynet on.

I feel so much safer now.