Computer world is dying!

[Dan(DK)]

On average, nine games were sold every second of every day of 2007;
Halo 3, the best-selling title of 2007, took in more revenue in its first day of sales than the biggest opening weekend ever for a movie ("Spider-Man 3") and the final "Harry Potter" book's first day sales; and,
The entertainment software industry sold over 13.4 million portable game units in 2007, easily trumping the much-hyped Apple iPhone, which sold just four million units.
The genre with the greatest growth was "Family Entertainment," which grew 110 percent over the previous year. Family games accounted to 17.2 percent of all games sold in 2007, more than one of every six games sold, up from 9.1 percent in 2006.
www.theesa.com
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. -- The IBM PC was announced on August 12, 1981 and became available for sale two months later. Because IBM encouraged other companies to develop IBM-compatible PCs, it quickly became a standard for the whole PC industry. Compaq introduced the first IBM-compatible PC in January 1983 and over 100 other companies followed in the next decade. In the early 1990s Microsoft wrestled away IBM's leadership of the PC standard and changed it to Windows-compatible PCs.

Information about the importance and impact of the IBM PC is available at http://www.futurecomputing.com/All/pubs/8108_billion.aspx. The first market research report, "IBM's Billion Dollar Baby," is available for download at Future Computing's website. This research report was available a few days after IBM's announcement and became a bestseller.

The next table shows the 25-year growth of the IBM PC and the industry it created. The data includes 5-year periods for PC unit sales and PC retail value. The sales started slowly with 5.7M units from 1981 to 1985, which grew to 855M units in the last 5-year period ending August 2006.

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MS-DOS & Windows PC Sales
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USA WW USA WW
Million Units Million Units Value $B Value $B
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1981-1985 3.8 5.7 10.5 16.9
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1986-1990 28.1 60.3 76.4 181
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1991-1995 64.3 172 153 447
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1996-2000 162 444 335 1,010
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2001-8/2006 267 855 424 1,440
----------------------------------------------------------------------
8/1981 to 8/2006 580 1,540 998 3,100
----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Computer is not dying

 

[MenOpaws]

It is real simple, and for this I have to disagree, FatalSinz. The PC gaming indistry is a billion $ industry by itself, gaming authors would be idiots if they would drop that This is not going to change any time soon.

MenOpaws

 

[Clarko]

I think this thread should just be closed already.

 

[KyanWan]

Both industries are strong, but with the price of consoles climbing up to that of PCs - and their functionality climbing up to that of PCs (while being limited by proprietary hurdles) - IMO a full move to PC/computer gaming is inevitable. The PC industry has been getting stronger and stronger, with better titles released all the time.

Seriously - they're both computers, except ONE has standardized hardware that's dedicated to gaming.

All is needed is a way to standardize the PC gaming field more - and some way to get gamers all on a near level playing field hardware-wise. After which the PC industry will completely wipe out console. Consoles are bound to become more and more expensive over time - PS3 nearly overtook the price of a decent gaming computer.

If the console market gets any more expensive, than what real reason do we have for consoles anymore? Why get a dedicated machine when you can get something superior for less?

Console
+ Standardized platform for gaming
+ No upgrades needed
+ Compatibility with released titles guaranteed
+ Should be cheap
+ Level playing field for multiplayer
+ Easy to use
- No upgrade capability
- Development is limited and costly ( expensive devkit systems must be purchased from console manufacturer - small time developers are cut out of the business. Just imagine the gaming world without ID and Apogee. )
- New technology limited
- Price is getting high for limited functionality
- Interface options are usually limited for certain games. ( Joystick for FPS = BLEH )

PC
+ Does anything, very functional
+ Easily upgradeable & expandable
+ Huge support for a variety of different gaming formats
+ Variety of parts available to enhance gameplay
+ Easy to develop & publish for ( Anyone can develop for PC with ... just a PC. No need for costly Devkits like with console.)
- Nonstandard platform, many different formats
- Maintenance may be costly
- Gaming on the BEST systems may be limited by games having compatibility with lowest-common-denominator systems.

---

Let's sum it up quickly -

PC is the best platform for us.

Console is the best platform for the software publisher.

I support what's best for me and you, not them. And just look at that point I bring up with development. PC's pretty open, Console is closed. PC's almost like the "open source" of gaming (if you will.) Without this open format that ANYONE can make games for - some of the most awesome games EVER made would have NEVER been made. ( Seriously. If FPS weren't popular - you think something incompatible with the console would have EVER been made? Halo, COD, HL, Quake, even Wolfenstein? No. Probably wouldn't have happened. Seriously - even Metal Gear started on PC. It was ported over to console. How about strat games like Warcraft, C&C where a mouse was necessary? How about a crappy little company back in the 90's named Blizzard Software - who made Warcraft. You think they would have succeeded in the console world with a game like that? No. I think I rest my case. Without PC - the best games we've ever played would NOT exist. )

 

[FatalSinz]

It is real simple, and for this I have to disagree, FatalSinz. The PC gaming indistry is a billion $ industry by itself, gaming authors would be idiots if they would drop that This is not going to change any time soon.

MenOpaws

Then they should have a crapload more PC games out then. As far as i can tell, all computer stores i go to have games on the shelf that don't get sold because they aren't good.

It just SEEMS as if console world as more alive than the PC world.

 

[Michael Scott]

This is somewhat true.

Think about it, less games are PC exclusives these days, why? Because consoles are where the money is. Why is that? Simple: Pirates. It is unbelievably easy to pirate PC games. And the game companies make less money.

I wouldn't say the PC is dead, just that due to all of the horrible people who pirate games, there are less PC exclusives, and many people elect to play on consoles because they're convenient.

I enjoy PC gaming and I hope people keep making great, exclusive games for it.

And, for anyone who has every pirated games, music, movies, congrats. Its your fault there's so much DRM in everything we buy. Thanks. (Just look at frigging EA's download service, such a waste.)

 

[KyanWan]

And, for anyone who has every pirated games, music, movies, congrats. Its your fault there's so much DRM in everything we buy. Thanks. (Just look at frigging EA's download service, such a waste.)

Some copy protection is a necessity - but - I wouldn't go so far as to blame the more draconian DRM on pirates. EA's new version and these you can only install it X times are just pure garbage.

They're to eliminate the secondary market and drive up sales period. They're not to eliminate piracy.

B U T -

There's piracy with consoles too. Haven't you ever heard of modchips?

Have these modchips made it hard to play your own games or sell your games?

No. They haven't .

There's your proof that EA's DRM is underhanded.

 

[FatalSinz]

Just thought i'd throw this in here, but to those wanting this topic locked, i don't see why. This is a great discussion. People are taking part and not just going around in circles.

 

[Michael Scott]

Some copy protection is a necessity - but - I wouldn't go so far as to blame the more draconian DRM on pirates. EA's new version and these you can only install it X times are just pure garbage.

They're to eliminate the secondary market and drive up sales period. They're not to eliminate piracy.

B U T -

There's piracy with consoles too. Haven't you ever heard of modchips?

Have these modchips made it hard to play your own games or sell your games?

No. They haven't .

There's your proof that EA's DRM is underhanded.

I understand that there is piracy with consoles, is it as widespread as on PC? I doubt it. A lot of people wouldn't bother with the process of pirating games on a 360 with the potential to brick their 360's.

I agree there needs to be copy protection, but the way piracy is on PC companies are forced to punish the honest end user who bought the software by implementing tedious DRM into the software.

However I do agree that blaming pirates for EA's service was silly of me.

 

[Captain Ashton]

The day the computer world dies is the day the world will end!

 

[Techno-Squid]

Hey KyanWan can I steal a few of your arguements?
I'm in yearbook and their is a page dedicated to console vrs computer

and for my on topic bits

Mod chips are way more detectable than torrents
PC gaming is the best imho because of the mouse and joystick capabilities, not to mention the novint falcon is growing more and more...
also have you ever noticed that if you try to play a game of team fortress 2 on console their is like 10 people to a game at max?
seriously mods make the gaming industry way more pwn...
I hope games like little big planet start coming out more, and games with LUA coding and triggers and stuff like warcraft 3 or garry's mod become more mainstream because the best part of gaming is totally the community

 

[KingDeuce]

Yea. what you say is true. I mainly think it is because computer software/hardware gets "old" in like weeks or a month. Graphics cards are a perfect example, one month you buy a graphics card for like 400 bucks and the next month is half that. People i guess are trying to get a stable system for all the new games, but what they don't realize is that the new technologies for computers may not be necessary. My rig has lasted me 2 years, and i think that is sufficient time to get a little extra money to upgrade when NEEDED. In fact, I just bought some new upgrades and they should be here this weekend or by Tuesday at the latest. Can't wait to see the difference! =P

 

[.7g]

I think of it as gas prices, if that makes any sence

 

[M3dley]

How many times have I heard this? Atleast once every 3 or 4 years.... I've lost track.

It goes like this:
PC Gaming is great
A new console comes out that surpasses current pc tech
PC holds tough as console games catch up to their tech
PC starts to "die" when console games utilize full tech capability
PC tech catches back up to console
PC passes console
Rinse and repeat

I do not think a console has ever passed the "tech" of a PC.

 

[Cryptex]

I have yet to see any quad-SLI configs in a console yet. It's not the tech, it's the price of the tech.

 

[felon]

No robot overlords in the future

The only ones left now are Global warming or a zombie apocalypse.

!chair

 

[Techno-Squid]

the original 60 gig PS3's with the dream engine or whatever it was called was more expensive than the parts in it
Otherwise they wouldn't make munny... ya dig?

 

[KyanWan]

Don't mind if anyone carries on with my arguments.

---

But I've seen a lot. Way back from 5 1/4 floppies up to today. There's always been copy protection.... back in the day, you'd need to whip out your instruction manual and "type in the 3rd letter of the 12th word on page 53." to play your game. Though, you could make a backup COPY of your disc no problem - and use that to play instead of your originals. In fact, the publisher TOLD you to make one, and use it - so you don't ruin your original disc!

Now, if these people didn't make money letting you make backup copies of your games ... why are they still in business?

Seriously - we're not crooks here. I buy good titles. I WANT to buy good titles. If there were singleplayer expansions for COD4, Battlefield 2, World in Conflict - hell, I'd BUY THEM. I realize that if there's a good thing out there, and you want more - buy a copy - support it. If you like some brand of food in the supermarket, buy it. They'll stock more, and even get more flavors in the future. It's how the market works. Games, clothes, food, etc -- buy and they make more.

IMO - GOOD content based control is the best antipiracy measure there is. Require an internet connection, and register a user's keys online. Give them the option to give up their key if they want to sell a game. Make it EASY for the people who pay - not an EA DRM nightmare.

EA ... ugh ... makes me want to barf. I remember when I bought Armored Fury for BF2 - I tried to play it ... wouldn't work. I paid for the expansion, and could not play it. I tried to get EA Support to help me play it ... they couldn't. By chance - complete accident - a YEAR after I bought it - I got it working. Their DRM kept it from running for me, a legitimate buyer.

That EA Downloads center garbage program that slows your system ... it's horrible. What a joke. They tried to copy steam but failed horribly.

Needless to say - that drove me away from buying other expansion packs from them, and, drove me away from playing their games.

the original 60 gig PS3's with the dream engine or whatever it was called was more expensive than the parts in it
Otherwise they wouldn't make munny... ya dig?

Console people don't make money on the system - they make money on the licensed/authorized titles by taking a usage/release royalty on each title sold by a publisher.

That's why you can walk into Wal-Mart and pick up games for $9.99 like those PopCap games - BUT - if you had the same thing released on a PS3 - it would need to cost like $40-50. PCs don't have licensing like the consoles do. They're an open platform with a lot more opportunity for everyone.

I have yet to see any quad-SLI configs in a console yet. It's not the tech, it's the price of the tech.

You'll never see cutting edge technology or really high performance tech in consoles. By their design and nature - they're made to be cheap, uniform, and mass produced - to simplify game development.

Another thing to think about with consoles - the graphics - way back when you had PS1 / PS2 - sure, they had great graphics. But, when your output is like 640x480 - you don't need that much power to have amazing graphics.

Shift that to 1280x1024. Go figure.

Now the consoles have PC grade GPUs, just to give you an idea of which platform has more processing & gaming power.

Last thing I really want to point out - is the source of console strength. The OS.

Consoles are built for gaming - 100% of their hardware is dedicated to your game. Take the PC on the other hand -

Microsoft has the great idea of taking 50-90% of your PC to run some stupid OS that handles like a game. ( come on, Aero? Please. I don't want transparent spinning windows - my desktop's messy enough. ) I want my brand new GeForce with 1gb ram to be handling my fragging - not my desktop.

Vista's all wrong. When I buy new hardware - it's for FPS, Frags, Graphics, Gibs, Explosions, Lighting, Multiplayer, and kicking butt - not for windows to have their contents display while I drag them, and animated closing windows. Gah. If MS wants to make fancy graphics - start making more games - not some OS that eats half my system for stuff I don't even care about.

If I could still run DOS 6.11 and run today's software - I'd be running it. Unfortunately, there's no drivers for it.

Back then is when we had most of our systems for gaming. 640k RAM for the OS - and all the rest for us. Those were good days.

Now, you need a half a gig for the OS - and whatever's on top, maybe it's for you ... if the OS feels like letting you have it.

Consoles don't got that problem. So, PC gaming is literally at the whim of Microsoft.

IMO - we need a windows compatible gaming OS - a windows OPTIMIZED for gaming, not for showing off MS's latest OS. That may fix the whole gaming issue. No office, no spreadsheets, no weird service stuff for corporations, no fat web browser that demolishes your system - nothing. Just everything you need for your game. Low resource version of windows that has all kinds of multimedia features, full DirectX, Codecs, Networking, Lightweight web browsing - all the essentials for a good game. Nothing more, nothing less.

You'd have a PC based console then - 100% of your system for your game.

Watch what happens to consoles if we had that.

[EDIT/Note] Anyone out there actually take the time to pick apart XP and set it up for a good game? Disabling all the services you don't need and all that. If so - tell us. That squeezed some extra performance out of your system, didn't it? I know when I do that here - You can kick a system up a few notches just by turning off things you don't need, getting rid of resident programs etc. The more resources you've got available for your game, the better it runs. That simple.