I still feel that the general atmosphere of PC gaming is the same, basically on life support. Sure, Steam and Direct2Drive are currently driving an industry that depended heavily on the brick and mortar stores to provide the supply and demand. However, I don't think being able to digitally download your game isn't a generally good thing. I've had issues and I know of others out there who have as well with getting the codes from steam and the manufacture to match up. It also prevents a lot of the games you buy from being able to run if your, say, kicked off your Internet connection. What if there is an interruption in the original download and you end up with a corrupted file or two. I'm just not happy that we are reduced to back alley shadiness to get our PC fix. I go to any Gamestop or Best buy and they have tons, I mean tons of console games. We are reduced to sneaking on line in the middle of the night to download our digital copies. We don't get the benefit of a paper manual or a box to place our non existent disc in.
People praise the efforts of Steam and others to keep the industry alive. Others think it will be companies like Blizzard and EA who will strive to keep a small corner of the world safe for PC gaming. But what happens with those companies bail? Steam and keep on providing our fix forever. People say, I've purchase tons of PC games on Steam this year alone and I'm completely happy. Sure you are. I would buy 4 or 5 PC games a year at Best Buy or Gamestop, but if my only choice is Steam, then they will now get all my business. If your only source of water for miles is Steam, then your gonna end up drinking there a lot.
I just don't think PC gaming will be around 10 or 15 yrs from now. Too many devices out there to get your gaming fix and having to upgrade a PC every 2 yrs just so you can play a limited number of games, well, I just don't see the public as a whole buying into that plan. I mean, with Facebook and other sites providing web based games, whats the need to even digitally download? Maybe gaming on the PC won't go away completely, but it will change into something cute and you'll be able to plant your garden or raise your cattle, but it won't be anything as exciting as whats on a console.
Well, that's my follow up. I feel the same as I did last year and I don't suspect I'll change it anytime soon.
" We are reduced to sneaking on line in the middle of the night to download our digital copies."
ReplyDeleteSteam downloads fine for me at any time, day or night, and regardless of whether I do it openly or in secret. You should talk to support.
It's a metaphor!
ReplyDeleteYet another reason anonymous posting has been turned off. If you want to be taken seriously then at least name yourself.
Another reason I feel PC gaming is dying, is because today's youth are growing up using consoles or portable devices as their gaming sources. Sure some use computers, but more than likely they spend more time playing on an shod or Ps3. I also suspect that those who still think or hope PC gaming isn't on it's last leg are those born of my generation, where they still know what an 8-track or beta max is. I find it hard to believe that a 29 something is arguing the benefits of PC gaming over console gaming.
Shod is suppose to be Xbox. Curse funky apple spell checker. Sorry for the sloppy comment.
ReplyDelete“We are reduced to sneaking on line in the middle of the night to download our digital copies. We don't get the benefit of a paper manual or a box to place our non existent disc in.“
ReplyDeleteWhat? I understand that you would miss having manuals and boxes, but what sort of analogy is the “shady back alley” thing?
“If your only source of water for miles is Steam, then your gonna end up drinking there a lot.”
There are options, as I have mentioned. Also, retail copies of all big releases still exist. Those games that are purely digital would most likely never get a retail publishing deal anyway, so having Digital Distribution has actually meant an increase in those nifty little games.
“I mean, with Facebook and other sites providing web based games, whats the need to even digitally download?”
Web based gaming is obviously still in development. Flash, HTML5, Unity Engine are all great tools for small developers, which further add to PC gaming.
The reason we still need digital downloads is because big games are … too big to run just in a browser. Something like GTA4 is a 15GB download. That’s just not doable in a browser. In some cases developers also prefer Steam because its gets them better exposure and security.
“Maybe gaming on the PC won't go away completely, but it will change into something cute and you'll be able to plant your garden or raise your cattle, but it won't be anything as exciting as whats on a console.”
I just don’t understand where you are coming from with these assumptions. A growing casual gaming segment on PC does not mean that the hardcore segment gets cannibalised. They are not mutually exclusive. In fact, that just means that PC gaming as a whole becomes even more diverse and attractive.
“Another reason I feel PC gaming is dying, is because today's youth are growing up using consoles or portable devices as their gaming sources.“
I agree with that point to an extend. Hardcore PC gaming is not going to see huge growth because of that, but these kids are still growing up using PCs and a lot of them know that there is that option of gaming on PC. There are many who get into MMOs pretty early on (I am not a fan of MMOs btw.). The barrier to entry is still pretty steep even with Steam and stuff.
“I find it hard to believe that a 29 something is arguing the benefits of PC gaming over console gaming.”
I am 21. Also I am not really arguing the benefits of Pc gaming over console gaming, merely trying to correct some of the false information and give you some perspective on this matter.
A bunch of my console gaming buddies have started playing PC games in the past year, others are returning. They still use consoles as their main platform, but it shows that people find interest in some the things that simply don't exist on consoles in that way.
Just let me respond to this earlier comment of yours:
“Let's face facts, computer gaming is dying.”
That is NOT a fact. That is an assumption based on misinformation.
“The world is becoming so sterile. There is no physical interaction between buyer and seller anymore.”
I completely disagree with this notion. Who gives a crap about some retailer like Gamestop. I think the communication between customer and DEVELOPER is way better nowadays than it used to be, especially in PC gaming. This is mainly thanks to advancements in Social Media. I follow a number of Indie Devs on Twitter, and these guys will also answer back when I make a comment. Look at something like the Paradox (they make and publish strategy games mainly) forums which is a great example for developer-community interaction.
I don’t know what is sterile about that.
“And with all this digital download, why aren't the first run games cheaper? I see Civ 5 was the same in the store as it was to download. So, where is the savings?“
ReplyDeleteThis is a good point and one of the big issue. Though, again, it’s not as simple as that. Publishers simply don’t want to undercut their still significant retail business.
Having said that, PC games have much more flexible pricing than console games do - thanks to Digital Distribution. Where on consoles games will come out at $60 usually, PC games usually come out at $50 with many also at lowe price points such as $40 and $30. And of course you have all these nice small games coming out at $20 and $10 (consoles have those too on PSN, Wiiware, and XBLA: Yay for Digital Distribution!)
What this shows is that Digital Distribution has brought much more diversity to PC gaming.
I am absolutely in love with the Indie gaming scene, for instance. So much great stuff coming from there.
"Which would be more fun, playing WAR in front of a 22" lcd or a 42" HD Monitor?"
This completely ignores the fact that you are maybe half a metre away from the PC monitor. Because of that PC games can make use of higher FOVs and reduce the size of text and HUDs, which greatly benefits RPGs, simulations, and strategy games.
I have no illusions that PC gaming will ever be as grand as it was in the 90s and early 2000s, and frankly I don't want it to go back to that. I have more fun with it nowadays than I used to in the past (thanks to the Indie scene in particular). The past years have been a transition period and most people misinterpret that as "the death of PC gaming".
Overall, your posts are misinformed, and as I said, I do not blame you for it. It is a complicated subject matter. I just hope that you will take the facts onboard and accept that you are, well, wrong in a lot of things ...
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePC gaming is a big chaotic mess.
ReplyDeleteThis is the reason why for an outsider looking in it is hard to grasp the dimensions and complexities of the market. There is not this one manufacturer that takes care of it all.
I don't blame you and I really don't mean it as an offence, but you seem like an outsider and as such you are grossly misinformed.
"upgrade a PC every 2 yrs just so you can play a limited number of games"
You don't have to upgrade every 2 years to play the widest range of games that you can get on any platform.
“Steam and Direct2Drive are currently driving an industry that depended heavily on the brick and mortar stores to provide the supply and demand”
Judging from this and other comments you clearly forget the rest of the friggin world. There are still parts of the world that are mainly PC gaming markets. Where I am from PC games take up most of the shelve space and even stock games like Braid, Plants vs Zombies, Zombie Driver, bunch of modern point&click Adventure games etc.
Steam is obviously the main driver in Digital Distribution, but there are other minor ones (Steam dwarves them all though) like Gamersgate, Impulse and GOG.
There are parts of PC gaming that you completely ignore that are doing well. Indie gaming, the strategy gaming community, the modding scene. Granted, these are niche segments, with which companies can’t make big bucks and so they don’t necessarily show up on balance sheets, but neglecting to talk about these aspects of PC gaming just because of that is ignorant.
I have said this to some buddies yesterday: “The worst thing that can happen to console gamers is the death of PC gaming”.
PC gaming puts a nice spin on how things work in the industry. It puts pressure on console manufacturers to keep quality high and prices relatively low. It still is the source of great innovation. The gaming industry would probably experience stagnation with the death of PC gaming.
And hey, look how the Japanese gaming industry is doing without PC gaming … yeah, talk about stagnation.
In a comment somewhere you mention that you have an issue with the “no return” policy of PC games. That is something I can agree with. I wish customer rights would be improved here.
“I've had issues and I know of others out there who have as well with getting the codes from steam and the manufacture to match up.“
Customer support deals with that. I haven’t had such an issue and don’t know anyone who did, but annoyances like that can happen on consoles as well.
“It also prevents a lot of the games you buy from being able to run if your, say, kicked off your Internet connection.“
Ubisoft DRM does that, Steam does not. Hence why I don’t buy Ubisoft games at the moment.
“What if there is an interruption in the original download and you end up with a corrupted file or two.“
Not an issue at all. Steam supports resumable downloads and Verification of your gamefiles. Download corruption can happen, but is fixed in a second.
PC gaming is a big chaotic mess.
ReplyDeleteThis is the reason why for an outsider looking in it is hard to grasp the dimensions and complexities of the market. There is not this one manufacturer that takes care of it all.
I don't blame you and I really don't mean it as an offence, but you seem like an outsider and as such you are grossly misinformed.
"upgrade a PC every 2 yrs just so you can play a limited number of games"
You don't have to upgrade every 2 years to play the widest range of games that you can get on any platform.
“Steam and Direct2Drive are currently driving an industry that depended heavily on the brick and mortar stores to provide the supply and demand”
Judging from this and other comments you clearly forget the rest of the friggin world. There are still parts of the world that are mainly PC gaming markets. Where I am from PC games take up most of the shelve space and even stock games like Braid, Plants vs Zombies, Zombie Driver, bunch of modern point&click Adventure games etc.
Steam is obviously the main driver in Digital Distribution, but there are other minor ones (Steam dwarves them all though) like Gamersgate, Impulse and GOG.
There are parts of PC gaming that you completely ignore that are doing well. Indie gaming, the strategy gaming community, the modding scene. Granted, these are niche segments, with which companies can’t make big bucks and so they don’t necessarily show up on balance sheets, but neglecting to talk about these aspects of PC gaming just because of that is ignorant.
I have said this to some buddies yesterday: “The worst thing that can happen to console gamers is the death of PC gaming”.
PC gaming puts a nice spin on how things work in the industry. It puts pressure on console manufacturers to keep quality high and prices relatively low. It still is the source of great innovation. The gaming industry would probably experience stagnation with the death of PC gaming.
And hey, look how the Japanese gaming industry is doing without PC gaming … yeah, talk about stagnation.
In a comment somewhere you mention that you have an issue with the “no return” policy of PC games. That is something I can agree with. I wish customer rights would be improved here.
ReplyDelete“I've had issues and I know of others out there who have as well with getting the codes from steam and the manufacture to match up.“
Customer support deals with that. I haven’t had such an issue and don’t know anyone who did, but annoyances like that can happen on consoles as well.
“It also prevents a lot of the games you buy from being able to run if your, say, kicked off your Internet connection.“
Ubisoft DRM does that, Steam does not. Hence why I don’t buy Ubisoft games at the moment.
“What if there is an interruption in the original download and you end up with a corrupted file or two.“
Not an issue at all. Steam supports resumable downloads and Verification of your gamefiles. Download corruption can happen, but is fixed in a second.
Really really sorry for making this so long and I had a bit of trouble posting this. XD
ReplyDeleteThe last 2 post are actually meant to be the first. Also sorry about the sightly disjointed nature of it. I should really start a Blog, shouldn't I ^^
Plankton, you have a blog of your own I see, why not move all this over there so we could read it easier?
ReplyDeleteI think PC gaming will necessarily be around forever. Consoles and handhelds all run software that is developed on a...PC! So there's no way this type of software would end. It's especially great for games where you would like to control with a mouse-keyboard setup and where you would like to have mod-able content.
Downloadable titles are fine by me, I do like boxes too if I can get them, but either way doesn't bother me.
I'm not sure why people believe that I feel this is a good thing. I'm a PC GAMER at heart. My reason for posting is because as a PC GAMER, choices have become limited when it comes to heading down to your local store and picking up a PC game. Its down right depressing especially when I was growing up, it was wall to wall PC games in most electronic stores. True, the digital download is the way of the future and gamers can continue their love of games through that popular and healthy medium.
ReplyDeleteI'm also sure that a portion of today's generation will become avid PC gamers, however, when the accessibility of consoles becoming more and more evident by the wall to wall games in most brick and mortar stores and the cost of a console versus a PC is cheaper in the overall scheme of things. (Ever year its upgrade this or that to play the hottest new games, where as a good console systems has the life span of 5 + years.) And with PC games moving up their prices to those of Consoles...and I hate to say this but its very rare that a PC game is less than 60.00 now even with digital download (CoD: Black Ops is both 60.00 for Console and on Steam) Sure you can get deals but you can also get used console games that give you a better savings in cost if you only wait a few months.
Look, PC gaming is probably going to be around for a long time, but its popularity is dwindling and sooner or later, big manufactures will limit their PC releases or consider them more of an after thought than main stream publishing. I mean a few years ago, CoD would have been a PC title first then released on Console months or even a year later, now they come out at the same time and its priced the same and the controls are more geared towards the console players not the PC player. Why, because a large portion of the community will buy it on a console rather than a PC. Just check the numbers... when a title comes out on both, which systems get the most copies sold, console or PC? I would have to say console.
We can argue all day. Do I want the PC gamer to be a footnote in the annuals of gaming history, no, but the numbers don't lie. More people play on a console than a PC when its not an MMO. And the minute a successful MMO hits the consoles, the days of depending on a PC for gaming will be numbered. Which is why companies like Blizzard and Valve are important to the survival of the genre. They are PC people tried and true and if they stay loyal, then PC gaming might just hang on longer than my prediction.
Sorry if you disagree, but it depresses me when I can't walk into a store to buy a computer game and I can't hold the item in my hands or look at the book for details. I'm reduced to scanning a digital display of all that information and it makes me feel old.