Playing games on the PC is making a comeback

[Collector]

http://www.cnet.com/news/playing-games- ... -comeback/

[Tawmis]

I can see this.

While it seems like it'd be easier to code for a console (you don't have to worry about six hundred different types of video cards, memory sticks, hard drives, sound cards, and what version of OS, or what version of drivers, etc) - the downside to console gaming is - if you want to play online, most of them have that additional cost (such as XBox Live). Not sure about the Playstation Network (?) - on top of the internet cost you're already paying to be connected. So why pay the extra for XBox Live, when you can just play on the PC and not have a cost of Internet + Console Service. Just Internet Cost. Makes a lot of sense. I prefer gaming on a console these days, but I haven't had XBox Live in a very, very, very long time - other than when I get a gift card for like 90 days of XBox Live (which I never get the most out of).

[Collector]

I think that it is easier these days to accommodate a wider variety of hardware given things like HTML5 .NET, java, etc. than what it was at one time.

[Rath Darkblade]

It's about damn time.

I've never bought a console and I never will. "Why Rath?" Well... I just can't see the point in owning hardware that can only do one thing - whether it be playing games, using AutoCAD or whatever. PCs have always been more versatile than consoles, which is why I never bothered with consoles.

[adeyke]

It's about damn time.

I've never bought a console and I never will. "Why Rath?" Well... I just can't see the point in owning hardware that can only do one thing - whether it be playing games, using AutoCAD or whatever. PCs have always been more versatile than consoles, which is why I never bothered with consoles.

I've also never owned a console. However, I do see why people would want them.

Part of it is the exclusives. While you can certainly play games on PCs, you can't play every game there. I've often heard people say that a particular game is worth buying a console for (though whether that's actually true would depend on both the quality of the game and the person's financial situation). I know that I am rather culturally illiterate because I've missed out on so many console-exclusive games.

Also, it can just be a different experience: sitting at a desk in front of a computer vs. sitting on a couch in front of a big t.v. The latter is also much more conducive to local multiplayer.

I also don't think specialized hardware is necessarily a bad thing. For example, even though I have a smartphone, I still prefer to use an MP3 player to listen to music on the go. And if someone has a console to play games on, they can get by with a far less powerful PC.

[DeadPoolX]

The real driving force that's been making the PC a viable platform again is Steam. The article Collector linked to even says as much.

So what's causing a change? In a single word: Steam.

Three out of every four times a game is sold for a PC, it's sold through an app and website called Steam. Part social network and part online store, the service is offered by game maker Valve. It's like Apple's App Store for the iPhone, only it launched nearly a decade earlier.

Steam's popularity stems from its various features, such as the ability to synchronize game files across various PCs, as well as semiregular discount and sales bundles. The company also encourages game developers to offer its users access to games that are still in development, which makes the service an attractive avenue for game makers hoping to test out ideas or crowdfund new projects.

By comparison, consoles seem stodgy. Their games are still overwhelmingly sold as discs, stuffed inside shrink-wrapped plastic boxes.

I know some people here have a rather negative view of Steam, but the truth is that without it, the PC market would be quite small, if not entirely defunct.

Even competitors to Steam (such as GOG, Origin, Desura, etc) might not exist without Steam first establishing itself.

[Collector]

Exactly. Think of all of the Indies that publish mainly through Steam. The only complaint that I have had with Steam is the problem with end-of-life activation, but even this is being mitigated by many DRM free games that are distributed not only on Steam, but other digital distribution systems (GOG, Humble Bundle, etc.) as well.

[MusicallyInspired]

Steam is fantastic. I don't believe that anything will be in danger after it hypothetically tanks. The games can and will be unlocked. I'm just not worried.

[Collector]

Most of my concern was from when Steam was new.