How to save PC gaming... (CD, DVD, hard drive, games)

[bchris02]

PC gaming today, aside from WoW or some incarnation of 'The Sims' is in sad shape. All my friends give me a hard time because I am sticking to the PC. I grew up with PC gaming and its sad to see it dying. Just a few years ago PC games would take a whole wall inside a store, now they are just a small, disorganized rack next to the used DVDs. Many stores are discontinuing them alltogether.

I think there is nobody to blame but Microsoft and game developers themselves. If they would just make these four changes to PC games, they could make it a viable platform again.

1. No Vista-only games - Most gamers use XP for now. Making games Vista-only isn't going to promote Vista, it will just drive more PC gamers to consoles.

2. Release the PC version and the console version at the same time - not 6-12 months later as has been happening lately.

3. Allow games to play (legally) without the CD or DVD in the drive. Its absurd that this Windows 95-era anti-piracy measure is still being used in the age of 1TB hard drives, CD/DVD burners, and broadband connections.

4. Dispel the myth that only those with a $3000 gaming rig under six months old can game on the PC. While this might be true with a few games like Crysis, a majority of games can run on any decent PC built within the last two years. Today, $700 can get you something that can play today's games very well. I built my PC top of the line in 2004, and after a video card replacement it still serves me well today. Its still better than anything on Best Buy's shelf. I expect to get another 1-2 years out of this thing before I replace it.

PC games are still viable and will become moreso as the PS3 and Xbox 360 show their age. I hope somehow this trend reverses itself. Nothing against consoles as they have their place, but PC and consoles have always co-existed well until this latest round of consoles.

[NHDave]

You forgot another plus to PC gaming, being able to mod it, adding features, objects, maps, levels, etc. Nothing like throwing a few muscle cars into GTA Vice City

[Bowie]

I think you may be fighting a losing battle. With Vista, the OS uses up so much of the horsepower of the PC, there isn't much left for the game.

[bchris02]

Originally Posted by Bowie

I think you may be fighting a losing battle. With Vista, the OS uses up so much of the horsepower of the PC, there isn't much left for the game.

True for the average Best Buy PC. Vista PCs can be gaming PCs but it takes some beefy hardware - more than most will shell out the money for. As I've said before, its necissary if you want to go over 3.2GB of RAM. Most PC gamers today use XP and 2-3GB of RAM. The conspiracy side of me wonders if Vista is part of Microsoft's strategy to finish off PC gaming and move the remaining gamers to the Xbox 360.

[Brill]

I wasn't aware that PC games were dying. I was in Best Buy over the weekend browsing a full isle(front and back) of pc games. I can log onto multiple games I have and find plenty of people to play with online(CoD4, World in Conflict, FFXI, Lotro, Command and Conquer 3, and battle for middle earth), hardly the sign of a dying breed.

Vista only, while annoying, I haven't seen too many games doing this, only a few to be honest. If there are a lot of vista only games out there, I haven't seen them.

There will always be the PC vs console thing. Some games will be made for both, some will be PC only, some will be console only.

I don't think it is in Microsofts interest to run gamers away from the PC and towards the xbox. Games is one thing that keeps many people on Windows(myself included). If it were not for PC games, I'd switch to a different OS in a heartbeat.

Mods are great. They can take a bad game and make it good, can take a good game and make it great.

[Alpha8207]

I used to be a huge PC gamer, but I think it's definitely something waning in popularity.

I was hard core (too hard core) when broadband was just starting to roll out in full effect. I played Half-Life on dialup for over a year and could compete until broadband became the standard, and rightfully so.

The problem I see with PC gaming is that you either need a system totally for gaming or totally for virtually everything else. Games tend tend to stress hardware, cause the OS to misfire, or require certain upgrades to remain competitive. "If I could just get a faster video card I'd be able to win more". "If this network were wireless-N, the speeds would be off the chart' etc

Consoles set a hardware standard and everyone's basically playing by the same rules.

Having said that, the best point made so far is the PC mod options.

Gotta love special tags, skins, and an endless supply of variations that keep it fresh.

I was just able to get broadband in my residence so I'm very excited about reigniting my passion for online gaming. I just don't know what game to try first!

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Alpha8207

I used to be a huge PC gamer, but I think it's definitely something waning in popularity.

It isn't the only serious game in town anymore, that's for sure.

However, I'm still of the opinion that playing RTS and FPS games on a console still sucks.

The problem I see with PC gaming is that you either need a system totally for gaming or totally for virtually everything else. Games tend tend to stress hardware, cause the OS to misfire, or require certain upgrades to remain competitive. "If I could just get a faster video card I'd be able to win more". "If this network were wireless-N, the speeds would be off the chart' etc

A lot of the expense depends on what you like to play, but there's no reason to play unending keep-up with your friends just to have fun.

Until recently, I was perfectly happy playing a few older games like UT, Q3A, Tribes 1, NFS3/NFS4, TA, Homeworld, and a few other things by myself, and that can be done effectively on a 10-year-old PPro/200 running Win95 OSR2 and a Voodoo2 card. I still use that gear for those games.

However, I've since discovered Spring (open source 3D Total Annihilation clone) and I've become addicted to UT2004 at friends' LAN parties, and you can build a box to run that stuff for under $250. Pick up a Compaq SR5010NX and drop a noname 7600GT in and you're golden. And no, I didn't find the 8500GT to be worth it, and I think the 8600GT would require more power than the stock PS would put out.

3DMark03 around 13000, haven't done newer benchmarks yet. UT2004 fricking flies on that hardware.

Having said that, the best point made so far is the PC mod options.

There are mods for older games (like GENclasses for Quake 1) that I've still seen played and which are an absolute blast.

[jabm67]

There's a devastating critique of the electronic game industry (both console and PC) at The 7 Commandments All Video Games Should Obey | Cracked.com

Warning: their language is well salted with f-bombs and other profanity, but the points they make are dead on.

I admit that my favorite PC game is still Master of Magic, back from 1995 or so.

[NHDave]

Originally Posted by jabm67

There's a devastating critique of the electronic game industry (both console and PC) at The 7 Commandments All Video Games Should Obey | Cracked.com

Warning: their language is well salted with f-bombs and other profanity, but the points they make are dead on.

I admit that my favorite PC game is still Master of Magic, back from 1995 or so.

Good points there, plus it gave me a laugh or two.

[Nomander]

Originally Posted by Brill

I wasn't aware that PC games were dying. I was in Best Buy over the weekend browsing a full isle(front and back) of pc games. I can log onto multiple games I have and find plenty of people to play with online(CoD4, World in Conflict, FFXI, Lotro, Command and Conquer 3, and battle for middle earth), hardly the sign of a dying breed.

Vista only, while annoying, I haven't seen too many games doing this, only a few to be honest. If there are a lot of vista only games out there, I haven't seen them.

There will always be the PC vs console thing. Some games will be made for both, some will be PC only, some will be console only.

I don't think it is in Microsofts interest to run gamers away from the PC and towards the xbox. Games is one thing that keeps many people on Windows(myself included). If it were not for PC games, I'd switch to a different OS in a heartbeat.

Mods are great. They can take a bad game and make it good, can take a good game and make it great.

There used to be a much much larger selection of games than you see today though. Each genre used to have an extensive list of titles. It seems that most of the games today are comprised of MMO, RTS, and FPS. RPG's are almost non-existent, adventure games have become pretty thin if not non-existent.

And as for MS, they specifically intended for consoles to take over. That was X-box's goal (in fact, they were hoping to make it an all in one entertainment box replacing everything at your TV), to basically take a PC and specifically design it for games/entertainment. There are some benefits of doing so on the developers side (frankly it really is more of an issue of it being easier for them), but you lose out on a lot of things by doing so.

Many people think consoles are faster, but they are limited and while a fresh release of the system might for a very short period out pace a PC, it doesn't last for long and in most cases it really doesn't even compete anyway. Also, they can build a PC game with the future in mind allowing people to open it up as computing power increases.

Maybe I am too biased, but the thought of buying a console just seems like a dead investment to me.

Also, I think the reason games are dying out (in terms of selection) is simply because the range of taste people have is rather narrow. The games of old were boring to people. They often only want in your face action, hands on, less thought provoking and more movie like entertainment. That narrows down your ability to offer different things. Most of them feel like a shooter with some stats, shooter with an occasional puzzle, shooter shooter, and a shooter with some minor strategy. Basically, there are a lot of shooters out there. *chuckle*