Lots of reasons. If you want one, let’s go with the idealogical. The PC is the only truly free gaming format.
In the console-war, the only real casualty is the gaming cultural form. If anyone wins, gaming loses. Any kind of console fandom is just choosing who you want to be chained to. They’re all international corporations who are legally obliged to serve their shareholders interests. Older gamers will remember the strong arm tactics used by Nintendo when they were on top, gaining the same sort of hatred which Sony are suffering now. Being upset about the Sega’s failure as a hardware manufacturer is one thing, but – really – if they’d have won, they’d been just as bad. It’s what corporations do.
Imagine if a band had to get permission from Sony to release an album on compact disc. It’s ludicrous, but that’s the position in every single console format in the world.
But not the PC.
We love that and love the PC for it. It’s the most cosmopolitan of formats, including everything from the biggest-budget glorious monstrosities to tiny flashgames to pass a half-hour. It could only happen on the PC. It’ll only ever happen on the PC.
(Well – on a personal computer anyway, to give the Mac and assorted other free formats their due.)
Also, most importantly, no-one else was doing the PC games thing to our satisfaction. We thought we’d give it a shot.
