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Is PC Gaming Set For a Comeback?

Posted by Soulskill on from the we'll-enjoy-our-mice-and-keyboards-while-you-flail-around dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A combination of factors like console penetration, piracy, and the huge inherent variability in PC hardware setups have made the PC a third-class citizen for many gaming genres, especially the kind of high-adrenaline action games that were once the PC's bread and butter. Epic is a company that has been vocal in its shift toward consoles, with many controversial statements dropped over the years in reference to piracy being the reason. So it was with some surprise that we noted Epic's VP, Mark Rein, pointing out recently that the PC is as important as ever. Why the turnaround? This article suggests that the extended length of the current console generation will drive some developers back to the PC as new games push up against hardware limits."

4 of 495 comments (clear)

  1. PC gaming never went away. by Winckle · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Steam proves that the right games sell well on PC.

    1. Re:PC gaming never went away. by am+2k · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Yes, Steam is pretty genius, but not just due to having "the right games". I started to use it recently (due to the Mac client). Every time you want to play a game, you have to start up the client first, and it presents you with a list of discounted games (only today for -50%!).

      I'm really not susceptible to ads, but I already bought 3 games I wouldn't have otherwise. When they're at $5-$8, that's below my impulse-buy threshold.

      I also own consoles, and the games are much more expensive there -- games that are a year old still sell for $40-$60! I'm seriously considering moving back to PC gaming right now, since the very same game usually costs half of that on PCs.

      The Steam platform fixes the biggest issues with PC gaming --- automatic updates and online distribution.

  2. Wait, what? by decipher_saint · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Comeback"? Did it go somewhere while I was playing all these awesome PC games?

    --
    crazy dynamite monkey
  3. Dollars by LBt1st · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's true that many developers want to do things that the consoles can't handle. But in the end, money is the driving force of any successful business. The one thing we've learned this generation is that graphics are not the selling factor they once were. From a business standpoint there's little reason to abandon consoles when console sales rake in the money.