A Quick Trip To Any Store Shows That PC Gaming Is Dying...

I was really surprised the other day when I went to look for Call of Duty 4 and Unreal Tournament 3 at how many PC games stores are starting to carry. The first store I went to was GameStop. I looked everywhere in the store and couldn't find any PC games, so I had to ask. Yeah, it wasn't obvious at all. They only had about ten PC games on the side of a rack in the store, while they had console games all over the wall. They really had nothing there, they even stopped carrying most MMORPGs other than WoW. They had Call of Duty 4 for PC at GameStop, but they wouldn't give it to me for the $40 that they sell it for online. Since I didn't feel like paying full price for a game that's already ten months old, I decided to find another store to get it at. Next, I was looking around Target and they had about a quarter of what they used to for PC games. I picked up Unreal Tournament 3 for $20 there, which was a great deal. Last, I went to BestBuy since I knew that they would price match the $40 that GameStop sold the game for online, and they did (plus it was the game of the year edition with four new maps). BestBuy had the most PC games, but they only have about half of what they did a few months ago.

Two great games for $60 wasn't bad at all, CoD4 and UT3 should get me through the first few months of school. I couldn't believe how much every retailer is cutting back on PC games, they used to have a lot more. PC gaming is definitely dying in retail stores...

 

Here in Singapore they have an equal amount of PC games vs console games in retail stores

 

Or maybe sales of PC games through physical stores is dying?

Maybe more people are downloading (legally and illegally) or buying online.

I don't know, I never game myself.

 

There are more games on steam than at my local gamestop.
Store just prefer sellings console games because they make more money from it:
$60 vs $40....

 

There's an easy answer as to why this is happening...

Prices of a gaming GPU >>> Console

In order to play the newest games, hell, even ones that came out over a year ago at the highest resolutions, you need a system costing >$2k USA.

In contrast, I can drop $350 and get a Blu-Ray player in addition to a gaming system I can play on 60" HDTV and play with multiple people at the same time on a single machine.

Honestly, gaming on a PC just doesn't make much sense anymore.

 

it's not dying, seriously just look at all the gaming magazines and sites and see what they say. people are just ordering them online, downloading legally online, or pirating them.
who want's to get up to go to the store when you can just order it online

 

steam is probably responsible for a decline in in-store sales

 

All of the points above are good, but I think rschauby hit the sweet spot. The cost of gaming on a PC is way higher than the cost of gaming on consoles (plus you get blu-ray/HD-DVD play back which could easily set you back additional money on PC). In addition, consoles are much easier to develop for and there is alot less troubleshooting require on the end of the user (good example is Gears of War, xbox version runs fine, while the PC version generated quite some trouble for the pc gamers).

 

at a local best buy they probably have more pc games than they do console games out.each console has a row of games/accessories on those double side shelves, each about 15 ft. but the pc games have 2 rows on longer,maybe 20 ft, shelves.i could say 3 rows but one is full of games for little kids. circuit city is almost the same, but places like gamestop only have a shelf with games at least 3 years old.

i think places are also carrying less pc games, because most people buy consoles. they are advertised more, so parents buy those for their kids thinking it's the best game system they can buy. even my friends think that a 360/ps3 has better graphics than a comp, and will until they release a new console, but when i try to explain things they just think i am making things up to make pc games sound better.

 

I have to disagree about the cost of gaming as compared to consoles. To use a console you have to invest in the base system ($350), and 1-4 controllers ($included to +$150). Also games on consoles are now more expensive then computers ($60 vs $50). Also I already need a computer with at least SOME dedicated graphics card to get reasonable performence, so getting one that can game is only a matter of upgrading $100-200, less then even a base system. Also if you don't already have a TV you would have to buy one, which is more more expensive then the same sized moniter since you have to include the cost of an HD tuner by default.

It may seem epensive because there is a high start-up cost, but I think they are pretty much the same cost, or perhaps cheaper if you are a heavy PC user already.

As for why there arn't many games, people buy a lot online, also most major PC games are only made if they are going to be top sellers, so PC gets all the AAA games and the cheap $2 movie knockoffs while consoles get a few AAA titles, some in the middle, and some knockoffs.

 

I just spent a little less than $400 on a Q6600 and a Radeon 4850 to update an oldish desktop; which will last longer, my set-up, or an Xbox 360? Which can barely maintain 30fps while running Mass Effect, and at only 720p no less. And how much did that 60 inch HD screen cost you? Let's add that in too; not to mention that my desktop is hooked up to an HDTV.

I have made two points here:
1. A smart PC gamer can spend a few hundred dollars every few years, and will still easily outperform the latest console by a mile. When the PS3 can play Call Of Duty 5 at 1920x1200 w/ 60 frames per second, shoot me a pm.

2. If I only set my sights at gaming at the native res of 99% of PS3/360 games, 720P, I don't even need to spend as much as I did.

As far as the overall topic goes, people have been prophesying the death of PC gaming since 1998, and it still hasn't gone anywhere.

 

So right. PC gaming is good when you're on the go and don't have people to play with.

 

all PC games will be soon sold in different ways , IE: Steam, which means PC gaming isnt dying.

 

consoles come and go, pc games are forever!!!!!!

I can still play my first pc games! , doom , duke nukem 3d, wolfestein.

 

This topic was already here, wasn't it?

There were 5+ pages of war between console supporters and pc-fanboys. And in the end, the result was quite clear. Console gaming is rising in rapid speed and PC gaming is slowly (notice the world slowly) fading.
If you compare the titles to be released, or sales numbers it's obivious that's the way it is.
Sure, PC's can handle better resolutions and more AA than PS3/X360, but the games released on it .. well, not as hot as console games. There are few golden games coming soon, like Diablo III, StarCraft II or GTA IV PC .. but consoles have their own big titles and they have more of them, simple.

Main reason why developers go to console-only is because of the piracy on computers, there's not a single PC game what isn't cracked. (Yep, even Alone In The Dark was finally cracked last week) Even Crysis team CryTek said they'll only work with consoles now. :/

PC gaming won't actually die ever, but it'll be only mmorpgs/fps in future most likely.

 

www.direct2drive.com
www.steampowered.com

The BestBuy I go to has a very, very large section for games (about as large as the section for all 3 consoles combined). The EB Games I go to also has a very large supply of PC games. I actually have seen a huge increase in PC games being sold at the EB. About a year ago I could only find a few there.

 

Don't forget multiplatform stuff.

 

Total PC gaming has actually grown over the last few years if you count casual games and MMOs.

PC Gaming isn't even fading. It certainly isn't dying.

PC Gaming is Evolving. PC Gaming will eventually kill consoles when the two combine completely into HTPCs. XBox360 is already halfway there.

 

The problem with consoles is you buy the hardware for ONE game and then hope beyond hope there will be a second title worth owning that console for.

I buy a PC and play game after game on it.

People buy consoles because they don't want to think, don't want to choose, and don't want to tinker.
I will always want to think, choose, and tinker.

The only thing I will ever buy a console for is for a cheap Blu-ray player.
(I probably won't buy a single game as none of them are worth my time.)

If the stores won't sell it, I'll just buy it online and the game crackers will move to cracking consoles.

Assuming the PC gaming industry is dying is as stupid as assuming that consoles are safe from piracy.

 

>.> You went to gamestop for pc games? Their biggest profit is reselling games, you can't do that with pc games, so why would they carry a bunch of them in stock? The bestbuy here even in montana has a huge pc game section, at least 7 rows back to back full of pc games. You also need to take into consideration that publishers are finally realizing you can save money on packaging and just let people purchase their games from online.

quit posting this thread every other month please....

 

ahhh ignorance...i can smell it a mile away......

for your information i payed $1400 (AUD) for my gaming computer. thats around $1100 in the US and one that would kick any consoles arse.

gaming on apc makes more sense when there are more games and better games......(it is rather opinionated i guess though) but by not gaming on a pc you cut out a whole genre strategy games......plus console games are a rip off.....and there is no such thing as free games for consoles...whereas i can download a host of free games (absolutly legal) for my pc. you might have a smaller initial cost but after a year i am certainly in front.

 

A lot of good (and terrible) points have been made in this thread, so I want to condense it.

First of all, going to Gamestop and then declaring PC gaming to be dying is insane. Gamestop makes the vast majority of their profits off reselling console games. While some Gamestops do carry a decent amount of PC games (I have one local to me that does), the vast majority are really only interested in consoles and DVDs - stuff that's resaleable. To get a better handle on PC gaming, visit someplace like Best Buy or Fry's. Or, alternatively, just boot up Steam.

Second, price of admission for PC gaming is far far lower than any of you make it out to be. You know what it is right now? About $100 if your computer has a PCI Express slot. $100 gets you around a Radeon HD 3850 which is good up to 1680x1050 for almost everything but Crysis. On notebooks? Pay for the $100 GPU upgrade in your custom build and pipe down.

Comparing a PC's costs to a console's is silly. People need PCs anyhow. All you're doing is paying to add functionality to it. Want Blu-ray playback? Fine, go shell out $130 for a SATA Blu-ray drive and be done with it. Consoles on the other hand have costs that pile up real fast. Sure a Wii is $250...but you need to get at least another Wiimote and nunchuck, and that adds $60 right there. Don't get me started on the other systems, whose new games come out at a nasty $60, a price we haven't seen on popular console games since the Super NES.

I'd also like to point out that the majority of AAA console titles these days either get released on PC simultaneously, or receive PC ports later on, and that the quality of modern console-to-PC ports is vastly superior to the ones done just a couple years ago. Sure, 360 owners got Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed first, but PC owners eventually got vastly superior versions of both. In cases like these, console games are being used as rough drafts for better PC ports.

So I'm sorry, when Konami is announcing Silent Hill: Homecoming ahead of time for PC and Capcom's porting over Street Fighter IV - a game that belongs on consoles if ever there were one - I have to remain a bit skeptical about the impending doom of PC gaming.

 

I went to three different major retail stores and all of them were selling noticeably less PC games.

 

agreed. i hate when people say that pc gaming is dying. it isn't and shut up and go back to your console games(i like pc gaming and console gaming)
@MIchaelsd01, maybe it's were you were going. every where i go there are plenty of pc games(eb games, gamestop, best buy, even walmart

 

1 person going to 3 different stores = a conclusion the entire industry worldwide is dying. The sample size and margin of error seem ludicrously high to me.

 

Don't forget Resident Evil 5, Final Fantasy XIII, Gears Of War 2....

 

I was sure hoping you would clearly identify the ignorance and offer a solution to the insult.

I'm glad you like your budget gaming system and I'm sure you'll be plowing through your favorite games at medium resolution for the next year and a half.

PC Gaming is definitely superior in quality when compared to console gaming. I'm not arguing this, and I am positive PC gaming will never go away. However, it's very obvious consoles offer quite a bit to the average consumer that a PC could never touch (ease of use, no need for a PC, no compatability issues, low initial investment).

Let's look at it on the other side as well. When developers want to make a game, they usually have to choose a platform. When you develop for a console, you know exactly what hardware and software you are working with, there is no question about it. Now do it for a PC and you have several OS's, infinite amounts of hardware configurations, and the lovely hardware drivers that have to like your program.

Now on to the less obvious reasons why PC games are taking up less room; the average PC game offers an infinitely longer play time than any single console game. I don't know about you, but a console game keeps me entertained for only a few hours. However, I still put in several hours a week playing PC games from 3-4 years ago. Most of this can be attributed to online play and expansion packs. I'm even willing to pay a subscription fee for a PC game, something no console has convinced me of doing.

Is PC gaming struggling? As far as the gamers market pie, I am guessing consoles are taking more than their fair share, but I don't think that is any reason to think that PC games are going away. I for one would love to see a good shot in the arm for the industry with a nice steady release of some high quality games and some more reasonably priced gaming hardware.

 

I think most games have a pc and a console btw I'm just sticking with pc gaming since the games i play mostly are FPS,RTS and mmorpg's and you just cant play those games properly on a console!

What would be good idea is to make a console that you can put next to your pc and connect your mouse and keyboard on. Saves me a lot of pc upgrades

A consoles life span is mostly around 6 years i think the average gamer at least builds 2 complete new pc's in that time. You dont need that quad core processor with 250$ GPU for inter browsing and words ^^

But sticking to the topic pc gaming will never die. It wil chance but not die... almost all pc games have a multiplayer options now a days for most you need a retail version(cd key) otherwise you cant play online. The other thing is free games like battlefield heroes and the 100s of free mmorpgs and what else you got! Yes things are changing but that doesn't mean pc gaming is dieing

 

What? Consoles have online play too, you know. And it all depends on what kind of games you like / what games you have. If you don't like any consoles such that you won't even finish them, then maybe PC gaming is for you, IF you like the PC games.

 

Why don't game designers design games for the pc that are multiplier? Then we could (if we wanted to) buy controllers..... Problem solved. Better graphics, friends can come, everyone wins.

I personally prefer pc gaming, and i don't think it's dying.

 

Consoles have just started into the online play, and other than the Xbox Live, they are very very inferior to PC systems online interaction capabilities. I do agree that it depends on which games you like, but right now FPS's are very very popular on consoles and can hardly compare to PC's version of the same genre.

In my opinion, every genre that lends itself to online play is done better on PC. Not that consoles will never be able to catch up, but the only console maker who knows what they're doing with online play is Xbox.

 

i did...you said it cost over $2kUS to buy a gaming computer i have a gaming computer that is sufficient to play everything except crisis at high settings.....budget gaming system......thats what a ps3 is compared to it...and a ps3 costs well over half that......

i play strategy games.....things like company of heroes medieval total war......there are no games that are even similar on console......by not playing pc games you cut out a whole genre that many people play....

but it seems you have flipped to the other side of the fence anyway...one post you are saying that pc's are over priced next you say that pc games are better.......you have me beat.

 

Racing games are better on consoles. Sports games are better on consoles. Platform / Adventure games are better on consoles.

FPS on consoles are not as bad as everyone thinks. Halo is fun. Really fun. Sure with a mouse you can be more precise, but they design the games with that in mind and since EVERYONE is using a gamepad (at least on the Xbox 360), it's a level playing field.

The games CAN compare the PC versions of the same game. Call of Duty 4.. I played it on both Xbox 360 and PC and they played pretty similarly. Team Fortress 2.. again, same thing.

Xbox Live is online console gaming. The Playstation Network is slowly catching up. The Wii doesn't even matter when it comes to online gaming.

 

1) The cost argument several of you are making is ignoring the price of a HDTV and the issue of average viewing/playing distance. The average gaming computer + 20" wide flat screen (to be viewed from 18 inches back) costs less than the average hd-console + 46"-50" plasma to be viewed from 8-10' back. I own both. The latter costs more and the former is more involving.

2) The only people who play fps on a game pad are people who don't know any better. K&M support is a necessity for any great shooter, and until K&M support becomes ubiquitous on all consoles, a large segment of the market will continue to play shooters via PC only.

3) MMO's will sustain PC gaming for the foreseeable future - and until consoles match the hardware of gaming PC's component for component, PC's will remain the favored platform for such games. Take for example WoW, and it's 6 or 7 million subscribers, each of whom is paying out $15/mo for unlimited, albeit redundant, entertainment. You do the math. More and more companies are getting into the MMO race for good reason - and that's to say nothing of the real world dollars that are being generated by professional players/third world farmers.

These games have, in fact, given birth to new markets! Virtual sales for Everquest items/platinum/accounts back in 2001 were reported by Wired magazine to be the 51st largest economy in the world (surpassing the GNP of Russia) - and everquest had a mere fraction of WoW's player base.

The number of boxes on the shelves at GameStop are irrelevant. Better hardware will always enable PC gaming to trump the console experience. IMO, this is the dawn, not the dusk, of PC gaming.

 

It appears this discussion and thread has completely eluded you and you're just looking to toss some insults. Thankfully, I'm not offended as your responses have been empty and lacked logic and displayed an utter lack of reading comprehension.

I have no issues with the performance of PC's in relation to games. I don't believe consoles can hold a candle to the PC when it comes to graphics and many other aspects. I play PC games and I will always be a PC gamer. However, I am not so blind as to not acknowledge where PC gaming could use some improvement at this point in time. There seems to be less attention to this PC gaming market than a lot of us who enjoy PC gaming would like to see.

In terms you can understand and may demonstrate my consistency:

-PC games are better
-PC's are more expensive

The above statements are not contradictory, they're actually compliments to each other and demonstrate logic.

 

I agree with your entire post except this argument about including the TV in the cost of console gaming. Most everyone who plays on a console does so on a Television that includes a television tuner and also has other video components connected. Very few people go out and purchase a dedicated monitor for their new Xbox.

Using this same reasoning, we could start including the computer desk, the ISP costs, and computer chair because they are required for your PC gaming sessions.

I hook my gaming PC up to my 50" HDTV as well...

 

but everyone has a computer as well. so they already have a desk/chair/moniter already.

 

Well tons of people download them illegally so a lot of companies don't even care much about the gameplay or quality of their PC version of the game compared to the console versions. Some even stop making them on PC.

A lot of people also buy games online these days.

 

Yes, and I don't think most people include those in the costs of their gaming systems. When you quoted your $1200 gaming system earlier, I automatically assumed that was on the box itself (no mouse, keyboard, or monitor).

 

It depends what you mean by advanture games. I believe Adventure games (ex: Runaway, Sam and Max, Full Throttle, Broken Sword, Money Island, Gabriel Knight) ,point and click games, have always been better on computers than consoles. (Too many companies classify action games as adventure games these days. )

 

You make a fair point.

I bought my ps3 before purchasing an HDTV, and this no doubt colors my perception of the one being linked to the other.

Then again, I wonder if we could find some statistic revealing how many people actually own HD-consoles but no HD display. I think the former definitely leads to purchasing the latter, and perhaps, to some extent vice versa?

Given that the average american home does have a computer (and impliedly a monitor) but does not have an hdtv - I still tend to think that an hdtv should be factored into the inherent cost of hd-console gaming, at least for purposes of 2008.

At the point that all of the programming changes to HD, this probably drops out of the equation.

 

this might make for interesting reading then:

http://www.pcretailmag.com/news/30432/PC-gaming-remains-a-force-to-be-reckoned-with

mind you, it's biased; and claims we are witnessing the "last generation of consoles." bollocks, say i, but read it for yourself.


PC gaming remains a force to be reckoned with
Matt Grainger Sep 1 2008, 10:11am

The PC Gaming Alliance's Horizon Report crushes speculation on the end of PC gaming

The PC Gaming Alliance has unveiled key findings from its Horizon Report, which found that PC gaming was a $10.7 billion dollar industry during 2007.

Additionally, retail only accounted for 30 per cent of overall revenue, while digital distribution generated nearly $2 billion. Online gaming revenue was the PC gaming markets biggest performer, generating $4.8 billion, nearly double amount made by global retail sales and in-game advertising accounted for $800 million.

It’s clear that the PC gaming market can no longer be measured by retail sales as so many PC gamers are internet based. The director of the PCGA, Randy Stude, said: "Our analysis clearly shows incredible growth in online PC gaming, proof that this industry is far stronger than anyone has reported. Today’s consumers shop where they live – online."

Alex St. John, CEO and founder of the online gaming network WildTangent, believes that there will be no console market by the year 2020 as the struggle between retail and publishers will leave the way clear for the PC to become the gaming platform of choice.

"Its obvious that we're looking at the last generation of consoles. The game market will be dominated by ad-funding, micro-payments and massively multiplayer games. The retail business for on-the-shelf boxed games will completely dry up.

"The only reason a retailer carries a console is because of all the games they sell. If the platform holders are monetising games online, the retailers don't have a reason to give them shelf space. So the online model puts boxed games out of business. That puts power in the hands of the developers."

 

most people need a comp for work, adding a graphics card won't cost much.

 

What took us down that path was the statement by someone who said that it costs $$$ to own a computer that can play the latest games at the highest resolutions. Therefore, I do think it's fair to include the HDTV in the cost of next-gen console gaming, because you do need one to play the latest console games in their proper resolutions. Xbox 360 @ 480p is not the comparison that's being made here. As far as gamer comparisons go, the HD signal is for the games, not the TV channels. I know five friends, who bought their next-gen console and HDTV on the same day, and only one of them even has cable.

 

I really meant like Zelda-esque games.. Adventure/RPG types. But platformers for sure.

 

PC Gaming is alive and well, and if anything is close to killing it, it isn't piracy - its anti-piracy bs. Look at Stardock (Sins of a Solar Empire, Galactic Civilizations 2). Incredibly successful, don't use copy protection, don't make casual games, don't make mmorpgs.

 

the best buy here in michigan has about 3 times more PC games than console games lol, they have one isle for sony, one for MS, one for nintendo, 2 isles filled with pc games

 

When consoles can provide me games like Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 and Office I'm in without any questions.

Until then I'll stick with PCs.

 

Oh hi there Sir.

 

the best buy here in spokane is like that too. im glad, i like all my pretty game boxes. (though if i can find it at amazon or something cheaper ill get it there)

i dont think pc gaming is dieing at all. mmo gaming is something that consoles cant match (at least for now), same with rts (i tried an rts on a console once...confused me so much, a controller sucks for them.) plus laptops are getting perty darn good for gaming now, adding a "portability" consoles dont really have (sure, you can take em to a freinds house, but can you play em on a city bus or in a car? NO!...unless you ahve a tv in the car)

only thing i really like about consoles is playing with my freinds at my house on my 46" lcd tv.