I have a keen interest in games … the fact that my blog is named after my gamertag should attest to this. It started with Chess and Pac-man on the Vic 20, my first computer, about 25 years ago. In case you’re wondering, the “20” refers to the total memory, 20KB, which the Vic 20 had. This was followed by a whole plethora of games that I played on my Commodore 64 … yes, you guessed right; it had 64KB of memory. It was quite ground-breaking at the time. Commodore 64 was followed by various early PCs, like the 286, 486 and so on … but I suppose I’m deviating from the topic. My point is that I’ve been gaming for about 25 years now … so while my views might appear to be somewhat opinionated, I’d like to think that my experience counts for something.
If you have an interest in gaming, you will have seen the articles from time to time, asking this same question … “is PC gaming dying?” Many opinions have been expressed, and I’ve decided to share my views. Firstly, I suppose I need to clarify what I mean talk about PC gaming dying … it means that either due to a lack of supply or demand, less and less new PC games get released, until it reaches the point where the PC isn’t a feasible platform for gaming anymore. While it is true that there are lots of PC games released all the time … closer investigation reveals that the issue doesn’t relate to the volume of games, but rather to the volume of quality, triple-A, large name games.
In truth, this topic has to do with how the PC is viewed as a gaming platform. Traditionally, the PC has always been viewed as a serious gaming platform, but in the words of Bob Dylan, “the times they are a changin’”. A quick look at the statistics and one sees that there has been a shift … in the past, the majority of PC gamers were serious gamers … this has shifted to the point where the majority are casual gamers. What is the difference between a serious gamer and a casual gamer? What is the difference between a serious game and a casual game? In the end, it is all about commitment. A serious game is one that demands a lot of commitment to do well, while a casual game does not require commitment. A serious gamer is one who is committed to gaming, often to a particular game … while a casual gamer is not committed to gaming, and gaming is often more of a pastime.
Another look at the statistics, and one sees that there has been an explosion in casual games … they’re Flash games, mini games … bubbles, jewels, cards and other little puzzles. Looking at the casual gaming market indicates the PC gaming is doing very well … the market is as good as ever. So … in reality, one cannot say that PC gaming is dying, it is actually just changing. But, the issue for me is that a part of it is fading away. The PC is less viewed as a serious gaming platform than what it was a couple of years ago.
I am not the only one who feels this way … in 2008, a non-profit organization called PC Gaming Alliance (PCGA) was formed with the goal of promoting and advancing PC gaming. It was meant to “rescue” PC gaming … but the problem was that last month, two of the founding members, Microsoft and Nvidia, left PCGA. While no reason was provided by these 2 companies … it does seem to be an omen of things to come. Also, game development companies that have traditionally be strong PC supporters, like Crytek, have now moved to developing games for consoles as well.
So why is the PC becoming less of a serious gaming platform? In my opinion, it is all about economics. For the serious gamer, the PC is an expensive platform. For a high-end PC, you’ll pay 5-times more than what it costs for a console … and within 2 years, the specs on the high-end PC will be out-dated and insufficient for the new PC games that are released. The PC upgrade cycle is a vicious one. Hardware companies are continually creating newer and faster components, which drives game developers to push the limits further and further in the games that they create. This, in turn, motivates gamers to upgrade their inadequate PCs … which motivates further hardware development. If you are a serious PC gamer, the amount you spend on keeping up with the upgrade cycle could easily buy you 5 consoles every 2 years.
Economics is also a factor for game developers … lately there are a lot more console gamers than there are PC gamers, and as a result, a lot more games get sold on console than on PC. So it doesn’t make economic sense for game developers to develop exclusively for PC. The amount of piracy of games on PC is also often stated as a reason why developing games for PC isn’t as feasible.
Whatever the case might be, the thing is this … nowadays, most games that get released on PC, get released on one or more consoles as well … if you get the PC games, you’ll need to keep upgrading your PC … if you get the console version, you don’t need to upgrade (actually, you can’t upgrade a console). If you buy a PC game, the first thing you need to do is to check if you PC’s specs meets the games requirements … if you buy a console game, you don’t need to worry about it, because all console games are developed to meet the specs of the console.
After 25 years of gaming, I would like to see PC gaming succeed … but I am ready to admit that there is something wrong with PC gaming, and unless something changes, its days are numbered as a serious gaming platform. I will revisit this topic at a later time, but please feel free to add your comments, because I’d love to hear what you think of PC gaming.
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