Did Console Kill The PC Gaming Star? (TAKE 302)

The future does not look good either: Gabe Newell declared once that he does not find in Vista anything that might help him in any way possible. Coming from a guy like him, that’s just awful. But what is Windows Vista doing for gamers is really not that spectacular: an automated detection system that chooses the right settings for a game, based on the installed hardware; improved parental control, for games rated “M”; the possibility to access games from a separate menu (now that’s just like a useless appendix…); the possibility to search for upgrades automatically (no thanks, games have that too…); Direct X 10 (yeah, I’ll need to buy a new graphics card to have Aero work…). And only a single famous title that will fully use Vista’s capabilities for 64-bit computing and its DX 10 feature: Crysis, produced by Crytek. Of course, to be able to play it you’ll need to totally renew your PC, which might just make you think a PS3 or an Xbox 360 or even a Wii is not that bad…

- Analysis: Did Consoles Kill the PC as a Gaming Platform? [Playfuls]


The article makes many of the same points as before - piracy and hardware complications make the PC less and less desirable for developers who are getting increasingly better development tools and more mature consumers from consoles. Course, I've been up like 40 hours out of the last two days - so maybe it doesn't.

"Kill" is of course the problematic term here. "Greatly diminish" just doesn't sound the same in headline, though. The PlayStation 3 is more of a wildcard than ever before as well - with Linux support out of the box and broad compatibility with Bluetooth keyboards and mice in the pipeline as well (some devices may already work). As HDTV's bring the living room's viewing resolution to the same graces that PC owners have kept secret in the second bedroom for so long, as the Wii tries to bring you weather and news at the flick of a wrist ... consoles are making inroads in more ways than just cheap ways to get powerful, customized hardware.

Course, PC's still have the World of Warcraft. So there will probably still be sales for some time.



tagged: game, gaming