Headlines - PC Gaming Alliance formed at GDC

[HEXUS]

Threat of decline in popularity of PC gaming creates unlikely technology industry bedfellows.

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[bradyjames]

Well it's about time. I'm fed up with reading articles saying the PC is dead as a gaming platform. I must admit that the amount of AAA titles is droping off on the PC so I would hope that this sort of alliance spurs developers on to produce more games.

Consoles have their place and many game formats suit a console better than they do a PC. However the way people interact with a console and a PC is completely different and certain games will suit a PC better.

In my case I find that most strategy games tend to work far better on PC's because the control interface is easier to manipulate with a mouse and keyboard combination whilst sitting at a desk. I also find First Person Shooters suit me better when I'm using a keyboard and mouse. I accept that you can potentially use a mouse and keyboard with a console but this is often not practical when it is sitting in a TV unit with no desk etc.

Cost is often used as an example of why consoles are more popular than PC's. I've recently built a PC gaming platform that cost me £340 all in with VAT and delivery. It is fast enough to play virtually anything with high detail settings. This was actually far cheaper than buying a current generation console and upgrading to a HD TV. You might argue that consoles have a longer lifecycle between upgrades but my previous PC was 6 years old and still capable of running most games with reduced details.

[DR]

I also hope that it doesn't become a marketing alliance - DNLA is pretty much all about a logo on a box - I want there to be some substance to it....

[kalniel]

Originally Posted by bradyjames

Well it's about time. I'm fed up with reading articles saying the PC is dead as a gaming platform. I must admit that the amount of AAA titles is droping off on the PC so I would hope that this sort of alliance spurs developers on to produce more games.

I highly doubt it. Several steps could have been taken years ago to address some of the issues but as I explained in the other topic about this it's not actually in several alliance members interest to push things that could help this. We've missed Vista now so we have to wait for the next OS from MS for the next real opportunity to do anything about it. 5+ years down the line we might have a result. Too late for AAA games.

Cost is often used as an example of why consoles are more popular than PC's. I've recently built a PC gaming platform that cost me £340 all in with VAT and delivery. It is fast enough to play virtually anything with high detail settings. This was actually far cheaper than buying a current generation console and upgrading to a HD TV. You might argue that consoles have a longer lifecycle between upgrades but my previous PC was 6 years old and still capable of running most games with reduced details.

I don't think anyone in their right mind would suggest consoles are more popular than PCs, only that more people buy AAA games on consoles than PCs.

[Lord Midas]

A lot of the talk about PC games not selling is due to the fact that more console games are bought in shops compared to more PC games bought online, and the stats don't show online sales.

I'm sure I read that somewhere