I'm gonna go ahead and say that PC gaming is only declining because of the expensive technology involved and the lack of code optimization.

The cost of of building a computer to run the latest games is insane. Looking at over $1200. And for some of the parts, it's not a one time cost. You have to upgrade if you want to keep in the loop. And with newer technology coming out YEARLY now, game developers feel the need to write their game with those parts in mind, forcing people to upgrade. Parts I'm mentioning are the CPU, and video card, with RAM dependant on the type of CPU.

Meanwhile, specific game consoles are cheaper and they don't need upgrading. This is due to the fact that the game developers optimize their games to the console and squeeze the fullest potential from the system. Meanwhile, PC developers just code the game and submit their rough draft as final, not giving a shit about their audience. If it means having to upgrade, they could care less.

(and people wonder why other people pirate.) :)

My thoughts exactly, Render.

My PC is...I think 3 years old now, and I have no chance in hell of playing a game that is released now.

It is SO annoying, that the developers of these games feel that they MUST use every bit of processing power that is available at this point, even though most people only upgrade their PCs like what every 4 years? What is the point of this? I find it hard to believe that in 3 years the system requirements increased 4 times, without seeing huge differences in quality.

Take a look at Half-Life 2. It's a solid game, and quite frankly it looked awesome then and now still, but even 3 years ago they didn't force you to have the best of the best equipment to play that game. Even 3 years ago 700 mhz was easy to have, as opposed to games like crysis, a game that's not even out yet, but has higher system requirements then most people have at this point.

Thread back from the dead!

I couldn't recall the last time I had seen any serious number of PC gaming threads in the gaming forum. There are some threads about multi-platform games like Crysis and UT2k7, but other than that, nada. I've decided to not upgrade my computer because of the current dry spell, but I've gone back and played a few PC titles lately like Dawn of War and really hope that the PC side of things springs back to life in 2008. Unfortunately, there's no reason for it to what with consoles being so successful. Maybe we will start seeing some PC-like titles (besides FPS :rolleyes: ) on consoles eventually?

Well they're always trying to get RTSs to work on consoles. After they beat their heads against the wall for nother generation or two they may just pull it off.

As for myself I upgraded my PC this summer specifically for UT2K7 (UT3 for the new people to the series). I got a dual-core, Phys-X card, 8800GTS, the works. Can't wait for the game to come out. Sure PC gaming is dying but UT and C&C are the only PC games I've ever cared about since each of their debuts so the decline has made little difference to me, knock on wood.

I was going to get Stranglehold for my PC, but at 12Gigs, I dodn't want to wait for that beast to install or the used HDD space when I can just wait another month and get it for my PS3 with no install time.

Yeah, what PC titles are there? Crysis is multiplatform? I don't recall reading that.
PC games are in decline, that's true. And that's basically the consoles fault. Cause, most game devs these days seem to develop their games first for the console, then for the PC.
I don't know the numbers, but it's probably because consoles have the bigger user base.
The number of PC only (or even PC first) devs is ever more shrinking. The only developer which I really think is very PC centric in its design philosophy would be Valve, but even they have something of a simultanous release of the Orange Box on all systems now.
Is it a good thing? As a long term PC gamer who actually grew up gaming on PC only it's kinda sad, but on the other hand, I'm glad that nearly every game I can have on PC is available on a console. I mean... I spent 350€ on an Xbox360. That thing will - in theory - last for five years (don't laugh, I said "in theory"!). If I spent the same amount on PC hardware, I wouldn't even have gotten ONE close to state of the art core piece (CPU / GPU ).
I'm officially through with PC gaming on the long run. It's too exensive, and too often a matter of "Plug'n'Pray". I won't upgrade my current gaming rig any more. Okay, it's a rather solid rig which will eventually last me for one or two years, but still. I don't want any more upgrades so I can play two or three games in a shiny resolution.
PC like titles on consoles? I bet Fallout 3 will be a multi platform release. But there are some things that just don't work well on consoles. RTS, or well, strategy games in general, at least not the same kind of strategy game you might see on a PC.

Until console makers start letting you use a mouse and keyboard for controls. Then I might finally start playing FPS games on consoles, too.

I'm currently trying to get a grip on dual analog controls in console FPS.
It's possible, but learning how use it PROPERLY is pretty frustrating, especially since it seems that most modern console shooters are trimmed to a pretty hardcore crowd, whose grip on the control scheme is of course some six or seven years beyond mine.
The only FPS'ish thing I've ever played on console was Metroid:Prime...

At that point, consoles are basically PCs anyways.

The way I see it, the fact that almost every console game has a PC release is just further evidence that I should spend that 350 dollars on a new video card instead of an Xbox.

You see, the problem I have with those games, is that they're often very "obviously" console ports. Of course, mostly it's just a feeling, but to me a game developed for PC feels diffrent somehow than the umteenth X360 port with shoddy optimaztion and the "vibration[ ]" box still in the controls menu. (Yes I know, that option might be used for a plugged in X360 for PC controller or something...)
Still... It's a matter of "purity" if you want... Stalker for example was a pure PC game. Bioshock was very clearly not. It's that most games nowadays that are brought to PC are actually ports. And the "original game" is then usually meant to be played with a controller and not with WSAD-Mouse...
It's hard to explain I guess...

Yeah, $350 computers that can run a game much better than any $1000 computer will, and, unlike computers, games actually look better the longer a system is out while maintaining the same hardware. Not to mention you have uniformity between all systems so you're plagued with fewer bugs and have more equal settings for every player in a game (don't tell me there's no advantage to running HL2 at 1280x1024 versus someone at 800x600).

If I could just attach a $20 keyboard and mouse to a console I'd never buy a computer game again, because the entire advantage of computers is negated.

That's why I'm hopint that UT2K7 on the PS3 with WSAD-Mouse support inspires more developers to do the same. Especially if they're going to put an RTS on the system.

@Bradylama
"At that point, consoles are basically PCs anyways."

It would require a lot more then that, especially seeing how K&M is just a means of input just like a controller and has nothing to do with the fact that it's the hardware and capabilities that make something a computer or a console. Not how you use it. However if the 360 had word processing or some feature like that then I would probably agree with you.

That's a good point about K&M support. Funny enough, I used to play Quake 3 for Dreamcast quite a bit using the Dreamcast keyboard & mouse. After that I was spoiled and haven't played a true FPS on consoles since. (Metroid Prime 3 is closer because of the Wii-mote, but with lock-on it's still not there yet.)

Crysis
UT3
BioShock
Spore
WoW Expansion
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Orange Box (HL2)
Fallout 3
Mafia 2

There's plenty to come that are great titles. You won't see as many console ports until the consoles control as well as a PC.

The only games on that list that arn't already being ported is Fallout 3. Crysis and WoW have strong likliness of being ported in the near future based off developer interviews.

And Bioshock is a 360 game that got ported to PC. Don't get that mixed in there.
(They said they'd develop it for both platforms at the same time, but IMO it's much more a console game than not...)

Yeah, it definitely shows.

I had much higher hopes for Bioshock than perhaps I should have. Don't get me wrong, it was a great game and all, but it went against several aspects of PC Gaming that I cherish quite a bit. A major one of these being the challenge factor of the game. Going from playing System Shock 2 in anticipation of Bioshock was maybe a mistake, but I stand firm in my opinion that System Shock 2 will forever be the superior of the two in almost every way but the graphical capabilities.

Once again, a case of "you got console game in my PC game you pricks."

Exactly. It's easier to make a game look amazing when you know everyone has the same hardware. You can use every trick you know when making a game cause you know what the system will do and won't, and stretch every little bit of processing power of the system without worrying about end user slowdown.

I'll use HL2 Orange Box as a case in point. I can't use the bloom effects and the highest water effects on my PC cause I'm limited by my graphics card but if you've seen the videos of Orange Box on 360, every effect is in there and they all look amazing, and I haven't seen anything PS3 Orange Box yet, but I'm sure it looks even better.

Except for modding. That's why I don't own a 360, or regular XBox for that matter. Any of the good games get ported to PC and are done better as well as continuing to get better due to the modding community. The games that are exclusive to PCs are going to be hard pressed to find anything equal to them on the console. Diablo II? Star Craft? Freelancer? Guild Wars? Baldur's Gate (and the countless good western RPGs that are on the PC that never see the light of day since it's not "Final Fantasy" enough). There is no comparison for FPSs nor RTSs on the console compared with PC, due to the control scheme, but even above that, there is no modding on the console, so the games that come out remain the same, while PC games generally improve the game over it's lifetime.

Given a choice, I would take a PC over any console to date, just for the capabilities open to it, plus the non-asian RPGs that are present on it.