Your thougts on the future of PC gaming?

Its amazing how much PC gaming is lacking as of now. I look back a few years ago, and im amazed at this downfall. We had brand new original titles that where not MMO'S. I know we still do, but it was just so different. All the source games alone where epic. I look at the upcoming titles for pc and the only original ,pc exclusive ,worthy title looks to be SPORE. Guess what, thats not even my kind of game. I probally wont buy it. 90% of this newer pc games are ports that i played months ago the consoles, bad ports, crapware, and mmmos. I know the reason why PC gaming is failing is Piracy and fanbase. The consoles have graphics that are so close to the PC. I love PC gaming but imho its over. Well at least the golden age anyway. i predict that its just going to phase out. Team fortress 2 is the perfect example of a game that in 2004 would have went to be PC exclusive. Now its on the consoles. I guess the devs figure, more $$$. Now i even see that the next BF game and future MMO's will be console exclusives. What do you think is in the PC gaming future?

 

I think that the future of gaming in general is heading toward the same thing. I mean, looking at consoles, they are not far from fully functioning PCs. Maybe PCs will eventually have a dual boot with some sort of unified gaming OS that allows the potential of that PC be tapped? Maybe the holodeck will be invented, and PC and console gaming will both die.

I think as long as there exists a market among PC gamers, devs will still port most of everything over to PC. There are entire companies(GFX card manufacturers) riding on the success of PC gaming so I don't think it's dead yet.

 

i think it will get better being that consoles are basically computers now, heck the ps3 is said to be hardware upgradeable. I think eventually PC will take throne again, hopefully the alliance formed by ati/nvidia/epic/MS will help this to happen sooner. Epic is guilty anyways, they got a third party company named people can fly to port gears of war, and the port is HORRIBLE...either way no gaming will ever die, because its growing so fast, and new innovative tech and software is being developed more and more because of this hunger for it

 

the future of gaming for me is playing old games on my pc.......................................end of story. heck i have stopped playing cod 4 and have reverted back to Hearts of iron 2. then when i get sick of that i will play empire earth and then sick of that maybe patrician 3 then probably aoe2 then probably back to cod1 then probably back to a new game for a week or 2 than back into the cycle of my awesome old school games that have poorer graphics but infinitely better gameplay.

and i should learn to use punctuation.

 

PCs have a much lower cost of entry than consoles. I know about XNA, but it is still far easier to throw together something on a PC and put it up on a website. I see PCs continuing to dominate MMOs and strategy games, and being the "indy" part of the games scene. That said, I don't think it will die at all. It has to contract, that is a buisness fact. However, that does not mean it will disappear.

I think we will see the middle ground FPS/Racer/RPG devs abandon the PC for the greener pastures and easier money of consoles, leaving it to the low ball and top end devs and strategy games. I think we will see a ton of crapware games, a bunch of innovative indy titles (not distributed through standard channels at first, but companies would be possitively stupid not to capitalize on it), and a few high end titles from people like Valve. Valve for one we can virtually guarantee is not going to let Steam die easily, and that means a major market player behind the PC platform.

 

have you guys watched the movie "the island", the way Lincoln 6 Echo and Jordan 2 Delta fight with each other on xbox.

 

off topic, but just curious. How much did your desktop and laptop cost?

 

Yeah, you really should Jeff.

No, PC Gaming isn't dead, nor will it ever die. True, we are deep in the Era of Consoles right now, but it will peak relatively soon. The PC is an enduring platform. Console fans wont see it this way, but the PC is the one infringing on console territory, not the other way around. Xbox 360, PS3, even Wii (sans Wii-mote) are simply standardized hardware built around a standardized API (Apple, anyone?). Each of these consoles will eventually bite the dust and be replaced by more powerful successors, but at some point the standard, bargain bin PC will be more powerful than a similarly priced console and the two will fuse.

And finally, PCs will always have the edge in backwards compatibility due to their more flexible code base and the absence of 'console exclusivity'. I can still play Spear of Destiny on my Vista Ultimate PC through Steam, but for some reason I don't think I'll be playing Metal Gear on my Xbox 360 anytime soon.

Just wait a few years and see, eventually the gaming PC and console will become one in the same. What will be unique is the supplied API, and this is where Microsoft already has an edge over Sony and Nintendo.

 

Pc have a very very large niché market with advanced Wargames/Strategygames. I have worked on several turnbased wargames myself and is working on two new ones as an graphics artist. The Niché market is large and those advanced games can never hit a console anyway. Let the consoles have their non original FPS games. Every new FPS is the same nothing innovative. I mean they can´t rely on better graphics all the time if not the actual gameplay improves. Strategy/RTS/Wargames/MMO´s are PC´s area of expertise and of course new FPS games too.

It is on the PC that the hardware development actually moves forward. Consoles when they are new they are great, but falls behind easily within a year by their non upgradable hardware. Now do you really think consolites would like to upgrade a CPU on their console or even a GPU? That won´t happen and if it happens then it´s not a console anymore, it is a PC, so go figure

 

That would be sweet virtually kicking the crap out of each other. Imagine COD4 in that type of virtual reality.

Brilliant idea maybe we can convince the army that it would be a good way to train soldiers and then they can use their government funding to better my video game experience!

 

there are tons of threads like this...

 

ahhh you sound like my type of gamer. have you checked out volcano mods?

 

It's on the PC that hardware AND software really can move forward. Developing for a console costs so much that there is a strong pressure to avoid risk, which translates to derivative safe bet games. Truely innovative ideas will come out 95% of the time from small devs or indy types on the PC, and not touch the consoles.

 

Jeff I will check out volcano mods now that you mention it. I do play FPS games of course from time to time, but when a FPS game is completed you never usually go back to beat it again. Except Half Life 2 which to me is the best FPS out there and that I can actually go back and play again. What most FPS games lack that Half Life 2 has is how the story evolves. You feel like you are an actual part of the game.

But wargames/strategy games have a high replayability. Even if I did not like Crysis, well it is a fun game. I think Crysis is the way FPS games has to go, open wide areas, more freedom, not corridor shooters with limited movement.

Jeff it could be that I am 30 years old that I am more into niché business than console gaming. I do own a 360 though that my kids play on and I actually bought GTA IV for it

 

well consoles havent beaten pc hardware yet. the only major downfall for the pc game industry is piracy!.. its hard not to notice all the major game titles nowadays allways come to console first!.. and usualy takes about another 6-8 months to come to p.c.. why?.. i like to assume its piracy.. probably in a another 10-15 years time games will console compatible only.. unless pirates find a way crack the 360 and ps3.. well for the future of pc gaming i hope they do!!.. i mean not everyone can afford a ps3 or 360, but mostpeople can afford a decent pc.. besides console games are RIDUCIOUSLY EXPENSIVE GTA4 was selling at 110CHF here in swiss 2 days ago.. a new pc game will be max 60chf or 70chf.. so financial wise its more economical for guys like us.Thats also something game producers should think about

 

The golden era for PC-games would have to be the 90is, so yeah, its gone.

What people fail to see however is that the reason consoles grow so big right now is that they are more and more emulating the PC. And for every generation the consoles become more and more like it. So, do they kill the PC? No, they become the PC. If they dont evolve towards the PC they fall behind on everything but games. Wich means there will be tons of PC users, becuase they need a machine that handles more than games. Meaning a demand for PC software and PC games.

Its almost impossible for the PC to die, even for gaming uses. As for consoles, they die. Will Plastation survive? No one knows. X-box probably will but, as stated, it will probably be a PC sooner or later.

 

Actually about PC piracy.. its only for a trend now and soon developers will outsmart the hackers. Its already happening for the new games now, World in Conflict for example dont install exe files onto your computer so you'll need the cd always. Its probably not imperveous to hacks but i think its a right step foward for the pc gaming industry.

Well anyways, the future of PC gaming will never play exactly the way we play now. Making money on loner gamer just dont make enough anymore. Notice the trends, the nintendo Wii making a substantial entry on the console market by playing off this family play console idea, parents will agree to buy more and more expansive consoles if they're also in for the fun. Future PCs should take advantage of WiFi networks that will cover the entire globe a decade down the line. PCs will be plugged into 50 inch floating glass displays with advance controller inputs and be automatically connected to other PC players playing the same game through WiFi. This will probably come true in 20 years. I'll bet on it.

 

Until the day we stop using the PC for most of our word processing and internet needs I don't see any end in sight for PC gaming. The bells and whistles and the games we play will definitely change over time but I'm confident 15 years from now I'll still be in front of a laptop playing something new.

 

i own a ps3, an xbox 36 and a PC, i use the xbox for thrashing my mates on games like cod 4, and others.

i use the ps3 for extreme graphics, racing games, and games that in my opinion are better on console than PC (e.g oblivion/GTA), also i use the ps3 for local multiplayer splitscreen with mates (hopefully more splitscreen will be available soon).

and the laptop takes up my pro gaming, css:source, COD 4, some strategy's and of course half life (my fave game ever), i believe that PC will always be a FPS and strategy console for me, the xbox will be the social aspect console with fun multiplayer (including the odd FPS), and the ps3 picks up all the amazing graphical things, and whatever falls inbetween FPS/MMO/strategy's

that includes motorstorm, GTA and oblivion.

 

To me, oblivion runs just great on PC...
Im still a sucker for Mouse>Gamepads...
Now, thats beginning to change with the Wii Remote...
For those who dont know, try playing Medal of Honor Heroes 2 on the Wii so you see what I'm talking about...
Feels just great.

But, PC Gaming will survive to the end of days when the battle between ceiling cat and basement cat take place.

 

Oh,another thread about this...
Hmm, we`ll be wirelessly connected to a VR room and have no limbs, but our brains in jars.

 

Oblivion on console sucks. Why not test the PC version which is far superior to the 360 and PS3 versions, not to talk about frame rate wise and especially you with a M1730 with 8800m GTX SLI. Try Oblivion on that one at 1920x1200 and with some nifty mods and you´ll have a whole new experience.

I mean come on, PS3 graphical powerhouse compared to your M1730? Either you don´t use it right if you think PS3 has better graphics on the same games as PC or your eyes are more geared towards PS3? No hard feelings, but reading the PS3 as graphical powerhouse just makes me laugh, so the PS3 is a graphical powerhouse but not the 360 then?

I own a 360 myself though, but for instance I prefer to play Gears of War on the PC instead of my 360 since it looks better and with higher resolution too. GTA IV has serious framerate issues on both 360 and PS3, so when they release it for PC I will grab it directly and play it like it should be played without serious framerate issues and at 1920x1200.

 

PC>PS3>360>Wii. Try Oblivion at 1920X1200 with HDR enabled and all graphical settings pegged, then tell me PS3 or 360 looks better. Then download a few of the texture upgrade pack mods and tell me again.

 

Virtual Reality is obviously the future of gaming. My university has a high tech VR room and its intense. I remember I tried it they had me in a desert, and once I got into it they changed it to falling 200 feet onto a city sidewalk and I freaked the F%# out. It was intense.

 

Dude, where is that , I wanna try it

 

How does that room work? Is it box or sphere shaped? What shows the video, screens or projectors? Does it support floor or is that always black? Is the image 2d or some kind 3d?

Just of curiosity.

 

University of Florida.

No its a regular room but they use some kind of projector (they called it something much more technical) . The floor is modeled also. You have to wear some type of crazy goggle contraption.

 

So do you move or how do you go about it?

 

This has been a topic since gaming consoles existed all the way back to the Atari 2600.

PC gaming will die when PC's die. For whatever reason, if there is an electronic device, games will be developed for it. I remember a basic programmable calculator where we programmed a simple turn based shooter (set angle, firing velocity, and had to compensate for wind and elevation).

PC's are the ultimate gaming platform. There is so much flexibility with peripherals, upgradable hardware, and vast array of software and programming packages. That flexibility turns developers away because it is difficult to beta test on all the options. Hopefully the new consortium of developers (whatever that new gaming committee is called) can correct that by issuing a level of standards that hardware and software developers MUST meet.

 

Setting aside the obvious impossibility of imposing a mandatory standard on PC game devs, it would be a bad idea to have a MANDATORY one anyway. One of the major strengths of the platform is that it has practically no barriers to entry. If you have a PC, you can download free APIs and a free compiler and be up and writing a game right there. As soon as you have some standards that must be met, you raise the barriers to entry, and decrease innovation. That said, VOLUNTARY standards would be good.

 

My university just got a VR setup that also includes motion capture... 2 rooms, you can interact with the motion capture virtual model of the person on the other side(Play catch and other things).

 

Yeah you can fully interact with it. Its like a videogame, they simulate physics for the room and stuff. So you can jump across buildings and stuff and if you don't make it it simulates what happens.

Mostly they use it for geological and medical research but they like to have fun on occasion.

 

Well, for one, I think the PC Gaming Alliance is trying to clarify what standards on a gaming box mean. Every publisher uses different system requirements, and not all mean the same thing. Although many refer to CPU frequencies based on a Pentium 4 system which in this day and age is pretty much completely antiquated.

Plus, a lot of times minimum system requirements are meaningless. There's times where the minimum system would run the game at 3fps at 800x600 resolution. What's the point?

It would be nice to have a system rating somewhat like Windows Vista does, albeit something completely more thought out with a more complex algorithm to determine your system's capabilities. That number or group of numbers could be published with the game for someone to easily determine if their PC is up to snuff.

 

that would be nice. Or something to analyze your system and tell you frames wise and settings wise what you should see...but then again this is why devs dont want to do PC so much, making this algorithm or program to serve each game would be more work for them.

 

there are quite a few on that site. http://www.volcanomods.com/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=13&Itemid=27 i generally play the panzer ones and replay battles of ww2 but there are quite a few alternate history ones. and some more old school battles as well. you can go into a lot of detail and the strategy is rather in depth.

the graphics aren't up to much.........but in all honesty, who needs graphics.

i am 19 but i play most of these games with my cousin who is 27......i play hearts of iron 1 and 2 and a few of these scenarios that i linked.

lots of hours of fun and replayability.

 

No, it wouldn't be a program for each game, but a standard program that the end user would run and end up with a score like Windows Vista score or 3DMark06 etc. Maybe have the score keep GPU and CPU seprate, so for example your CPU is a 21 and your GPU is a 25, and the game says minimum requirements are CPU 16 and GPU 18, recommended is CPU 21 and GPU 24, you know what your PC is capable of.

This program would be a free download from the alliance website, and be updated accordingly to accommodate new technologies. This is all my idea, not sure if that's where they're going with it. But then it relieves some confusion about what the system requirements mean, and the average user doesn't need to know what kind of CPU ,GPU, memory, etc they have in their system.

 

So could you get your good buddy Eleron911 inside for an hour or so?
I`d really like it if this were more popular,gaming just on the computer means less exercise and I hate the lack of sport.