[PC] Decline of PC Gaming?

I don't know if it's just me, but I think the PC games industry has been in a slight decline over the years. Maybe it's just me refusing to play a MMO, which seems to be what is flooding the PC library right now. It just seems that my favorite genres on the PC are somewhat either declining in quality or quantity. RTS games have alwasy been a favorite of mine in the PC world, but I think the last good RTS game that came out (IMO) was Age of Empires 3. I tried Rise of Legends because Rise of Nations was good, and I was severely disappointed. I'm still waiting for a direct sequel to Starcraft, my personal favorite RTS game of all time. And Warcraft 3, for how much it was hyped, sucked ass in my opinion. FPS games fare a bit better in that most of them are still fun. FEAR, Quake4, and hell, even the CS series is still gold. But this seems to have slowed down somewhat as well I haven't seen a good FPS since FEAR, so I dunno. RPGs outside of MMOs have been one of my favorites, but they're just about nonexistent in the PC world. I guess you could make a case for Oblivion, but I felt Oblivion was a little too open ended for my taste. It ended up feeling like a MMORPG without the "MO", leaving a Massive Role Playing Game. I dunno if it's just me, but the lack of any real direction kinda ruined it for me. The last RPG that was decent in my opinion was Fallout. I dunno....have I just not been looking hard enough, or are my tastes just too refined?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Omnislash124

The last RPG that was decent in my opinion was Fallout.

Eh, Fallout is pretty ancient. If you really feel that way you probably just aren't into PC rpgs in general because I can think of at least 7 rpgs right off the bat I thought were pretty "decent" since 1998 for the PC. (honestly, I could think of far more I personally enjoyed but I can think of 7 that were critically acclaimed or obsessively praised by large fanbases)

I don't really see where you're coming from either way, since pc gaming has always been a little slow IMO. There are the same number of shitty releases being released with a small ratio of "good" games as there always were. The only real difference I can see is that somewhere along the line developers ditched "point and click" style adventure games and, like you said, MMOs became the apparent "rage".

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I hear Oblivion was great. PC gaming isn't declining, and it will never stop. Sure, they have a lot of crap games, but there are plenty of good ones.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Hmm....so my tastes are just really refined then.....What are some good games that you would recommend that are big? For one thing, I was never a fan of sports games or fighting games. To an extent I never got into Sim games either. I like the old school RTS games, FPS games are usually fun, and I guess the traditional RPG type game would be my third in terms of PC genres. Most other ones generally don't fit my preferences for PC games.

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Some great FPS games off the top of my head are FEAR, Call of Duty 2, Half-Life 2. FEAR is getting an expansion soon, and so is Half-Life 2 (Sort of). Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter is somewhat decent, though it's not at all like the original by any means. Rainbow Six Lockdown was good, but it's just a generic arcade shooter now. Still good fun though.

RTS games aren't so hot this year, but some good ones are coming. Company of Heroes, and Supreme Commander being the top two. I personally loved Empire At War for it's space battles.

RPG Games have always lacked on PC, that's true, but some pretty good ones are Oblivion, and Dungeon Siege 2. Those are the only ones that have been released semi-recently. There are other great ones too, that are a bit old, like Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2.

I was speaking idiomatically.

If you are into RPGs oblivion is a blast. Just make sure your computer can handle it :/

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Yeah, I've got Oblivion, but for some reason, it just feels TOO open ended for me. That and it's not exactly a true RPG per se. Rather, it mixes too many genres together....There is indeed the RPG element as well as a somewhat FPS element but with sword fighting, and then a massive MMO world. It's the latter two that I don't like in my RPGs. FPS element is fine, but I don't like the FPS + Swordplay. MMOs, like I've said, is somewhat too open. Maybe, it'll just take some getting used to....I dunno, any other suggestions?

FELIPE NO

Neverwinter Nights for all of your RPG needs on PC.... You're looking at a shitload of hours just for the Original game, then you got the expansions, then the Premium modules and after that online content.

Virtually limitless.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Stealth

I hear Oblivion was great. PC gaming isn't declining, and it will never stop. Sure, they have a lot of crap games, but there are plenty of good ones.

Actually sales have been slipping for the past few years while console games keep growing.

The consoles are starting to look like PCs only they just play games and that's it, and they don't have roaming hardware configurations and the consoles are fairly cheap. There was an article about this in the most recent Game Informer.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I made a thread about this before the recent crash, so I might as well reply here.

I'm convinced that PC gaming is declining, although it's such a slow process that most of us (especially those who never witnessed the dawn of PC gaming) won't really notice.

Sure, the PC has a lot of great games and is home to a few select genres currently unimaginable on a console, but the days of truely awe-inspiring and innovative PC games slowly but surely is coming to an end.

The high production values undoubtedly go into console games today and it's such a better place for gaming if you look at all the advantages a gaming console has over a desktop computer. All major and well-known franchises have made their way to consoles or are even console-exklusive.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not dismissing the PC as an important platform for games, but just look at the shift of focus over the past few years. Gaming is big on consoles now, not PCs.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I've never really enjoyed gaming on my PC. I like to sit in my comfy chair, in front of a large TV, and kick back while I play a game. I'm not suggesting that PC games are inferior to console games, because I've enjoyed a vast number of titles on the PC. It's just that given the choice between the same game on console and PC, I would always choose the console verison, unless it's a terrible, lazy port.

For those reasons, the decline and even eventual fall of PC gaming is a non-issue for me. I don't like sitting at a desk to play.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Isn't there already a thread about this?

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Originally Posted by Soluzar

I've never really enjoyed gaming on my PC. I like to sit in my comfy chair, in front of a large TV, and kick back while I play a game. I'm not suggesting that PC games are inferior to console games, because I've enjoyed a vast number of titles on the PC. It's just that given the choice between the same game on console and PC, I would always choose the console verison, unless it's a terrible, lazy port.

For those reasons, the decline and even eventual fall of PC gaming is a non-issue for me. I don't like sitting at a desk to play.

You said it all! Plus most of the games I like are console exclusives or have a console version.

Anyway, PC gaming won't die so easily and half quoting a portuguese PC maganize editor: 'As long as you can use that machine over that corner to play PC game market will continue.'
Plus there are many, many PC hardcore gamers than not only buy games but also buy hardware and I'm not talking about graphic cards only and they really don't like consoles thus keeping the hardware market alive.

Also the PC the only plataform where you can truely do homebrew games and have a chance of amking some bucks with it, and now (or when MS finally releasees every part of it) with XNA you can develop a game on Pc and then port it over XBox 360. Maybe your basement 2D plataform/shooter/whatever will be the 360 next big 2D game!

And let us not forget emulation, that IMHO is the only good PC gaming
I think it's worth wasting 500€ on a PC just to use Kega Fusion and have some good old MegaDrive fun. Plus if we are lucky, someone, someday will create a good low level Dreamcast emulator and we shall once again enjoy Jet Set Radio, Soul Calibur 1 or the masterpiece that Shenmue is.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by wvlfpvp

Isn't there already a thread about this?

This thread was made first and is at least in coherent english.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Being a long time PC gamer, I definitely agree that it is on the decline. First and foremost, new games just keep requiring people to upgrade their computers, and this isn't something that everyone can afford to do. Then we have the sea of MMORPGs that simply don't interest me either, and the ton of "me-too" titles. Half-Life 2 is arguably the last great (non-mmorpg) PC game to come out, and that was in November 2004. Games like FEAR, and Battlefield 2 were good, but I could easily have lived without them.

Even the latest HoMM5 is a disappointingly average game. I'm a huge HoMM fan and I am optimistic enough to see great potential in it, but as it stands there are simply too many things to nitpick that I find little enjoyment playing it.

All in all, the best PC gaming experiences are still found in the classics made years ago (eg. StarCraft, Neverwinter Nights, Counterstrike, WarCraft 3, etc.). The next PC games that I have high expectations for are HellGate London (by the folks who made Diablo 2), and Supreme Commander (the guy who made Total Annihilation). PC gaming isn't dead, but console games are quickly catching up in the online department and with constant upgrades being a necessity, it's getting less and less appealing to always play catch-up.

FELIPE NO

my theory's always been that there will always be a "decline" as long as things are dynamic. for as long as there is change there is deviation from earlier times. i dunno if it's just nostalgia or our tastes in certain things become set in stone at a certain point in our lives, but a lot of us are resistant to changes... i guess especially in video games.

example: just think about sitting in front of the tv playing round robin style mario kart on the snes..... or is that just me? well insert your own example and you'll find as graphics and technology go "up", we're more likely to be disappointed by a lack in actual fun.

for those who didn't want to read the whole post, my theory (i repeat, theory) is the "fault" is in our expectations and not the games themselves.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

If you like X-Men, there is a PC version of X-Men Legends 2(Actually has some exclusives over the console version). I also like the Lord of the Rings based RTS Battle For Middle Earth 2(I also hated Warcraft 3).

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by DarkMageOzzie

If you like X-Men, there is a PC version of X-Men Legends 2(Actually has some exclusives over the console version). I also like the Lord of the Rings based RTS Battle For Middle Earth 2(I also hated Warcraft 3).

The PSP version of X-men Legends 2 also had some exclusives. I heard that the PC version stank, but I haven't tried it myself.

I've heard good things about BFME 2, and I'm thinking of picking up the Xbox 360 version when it comes out in July.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Newbie1234

The PSP version of X-men Legends 2 also had some exclusives. I heard that the PC version stank, but I haven't tried it myself.

From what little I messed around with it, I couldn't really tell much difference between the PC version and the console version. I would never try playing it without a USB gamepad though.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Wow, I haven't checked this thread in a while and it exploded....

But yeah, I see that it's not just me seeing a decline in PC games. I personally prefer PC games to most other Console Games:

1. Completely configurable, Able to strike a balance of performance and quality to fit personal tastes.

2. Much more personalization of games. (i.e. customizable characters like whoa as opposed to "unlockable costumes" of the consoles, which are near pointless)

3. Better Multiplayer online than any console out on the market. (or at least ultimately less headaches getting it to work)

4. No Split Screen Multiplayer (at least for the most part. This pissed me off the most on many console games)

That said.....PC gaming I still feel is on the decline:

1. Harder and harder to keep up with the technology curve (at for graphic whores) with nVidia and ATI releasing a card like every 3 months.

2. PC games right about now are getting relatively few good games with more console-to-PC ports and games that are absolute crap.

3. As I said before, PC library is filling up with MMOs which personally, I'm not a fan of.

I think point 1 will probably correct itself soon with pricetags on the PS3 and XBOX360. With the cheapest of each at $499 and $299, respectively, the same money could get you a very nice graphics card....I'm talkin about cards in the high range with GeForce 7900GT ringing in at about $309.99 or a Radeon X1800XT at $319.00 (prices courtesey of newegg.com). Afterwards though, with the complete control of Performance/Quality comes a complicated process, especially those who aren't that bright technologically. It's a long process for the impatient, compared to the time it takes to pop in a game like Halo 2 to properly configuring F.E.A.R for fun gameplay, the difference is quite a bit. Then again, if you're playing F.E.A.R, you should already know how to configure it quickly, so it won't be that much of a problem, so at any rate, that'll fix itself too.

Now, the only problem is the problem of the games. As said before, the library is filling up with MMOs, Crap, More Crap, and Console-to-PC Ports, which count usually as even more crap. This is not to say there are no good games coming out or already out, because F.E.A.R is a damn good game with an expansion coming out some time soon. Classics will always stay (Starcraft, Counter-strike, Quake/Doom series, etc.), and I'm sure good games will continue to come out. It's just recently been somewhat slowing.

Originally Posted by Djehwty

my theory's always been that there will always be a "decline" as long as things are dynamic. for as long as there is change there is deviation from earlier times. i dunno if it's just nostalgia or our tastes in certain things become set in stone at a certain point in our lives, but a lot of us are resistant to changes... i guess especially in video games.

example: just think about sitting in front of the tv playing round robin style mario kart on the snes..... or is that just me? well insert your own example and you'll find as graphics and technology go "up", we're more likely to be disappointed by a lack in actual fun.

for those who didn't want to read the whole post, my theory (i repeat, theory) is the "fault" is in our expectations and not the games themselves.

I'm somewhat ambivalent with your theory personally as my expectations haven't changed. I've always prefered traditional games over those that are overly revised. I'd take Final Fantasy VI over Final Fantasy XI any day, Similarly, I'd prefer Starcraft over Warcraft III. That is not to say new games all suck, because I'd prefer F.E.A.R over any Resident Evil and Quake 4 over any other Quake. I'm just saying that games that are deviating too far away from the original formula for those games I tend to alienate myself from. A good example is Tony Hawk series, where the first game and the second game were fun games (That is Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2). The Tony Hawk Underground 2 revision is pretty much crap. Alternatively, there are always some good, new ideas that are worth trying and become genuinely fun. While there aren't many nowadays, there was a time when some of our systems were newly invented and unheared of before, including the ATB system in the Final Fantasy series or the idea of a real time strategy before it exploded. I personally saw the ATB system a unique characteristic of the Final Fantasy Series. Now that they have ditched it in their newest games, I have lost contact with the Final Fantasy series somewhat.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I personally believe PC gaming is going down hard. Mainly because everyone is trying to bring better graphics with each game and its hard as hell to keep up with technology. I read above someone said oblivion is great? yes it really is it does kick alot of ass, BUT! right now it has a ton of problems crashing of all sorts, im waiting on a patch myself and then ill play it again. PC gaming i think will die from hacing to upg your computer all the time to be able to play when you could just buy a console and them last 5-7 years and no extra hardware needed other than controllers or maybe memory cards.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by The Ghost

I personally believe PC gaming is going down hard. Mainly because everyone is trying to bring better graphics with each game and its hard as hell to keep up with technology. I read above someone said oblivion is great? yes it really is it does kick alot of ass, BUT! right now it has a ton of problems crashing of all sorts, im waiting on a patch myself and then ill play it again. PC gaming i think will die from hacing to upg your computer all the time to be able to play when you could just buy a console and them last 5-7 years and no extra hardware needed other than controllers or maybe memory cards.

That was back in the day when consoles did not sell for that much. Nowadays, the price of two decent graphics cards will cost about as much as a console (referring to PS3 and XBOX360). So if you see it this way, You could get midrange cards everytime at about $100-$200 price range. Those will be sufficient to play the games. Like Oblivion....I'm running a Pentium 4 2.8GHz with 896MB PC3200 RAM and a GeForce 6600GT. It runs fine at framerates ranging from 30-50FPS.

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Wow, FPS Games havn't been good since FEAR? Play games like Condemned: Criminal Origins if you feel that you need a original twist on the FPS genre, Also if you havn't already pick up Half Life 2 I noticed you did not mention that one so thats why I am mentioning it as an amazing title.

RPG wise, Have you played the Star Wars: Knights of the old rebulic game? It's an amazing RPG experiance, In my opinion it's a better game then Fallout. I don't understand how you do not like Oblivion, Yes maybe The Elder Scrolls 3 could have seemed boring to the average gamer but Obvlivion kept with the same formula but added so much more that it became one of the most addictive RPG titles to hit the PC.

Also, Slow down on the "dunno".

FELIPE NO

Maybe I need to give Oblivion a second chance, but I've already played through Half Life 2, and there's no compelling reason, for me anyways, to play through it again. Maybe I should check out KOTOR. I've never been a fan of Star Wars, but this might be a turn for the better. I'll give it a try. I've never heard of Condemned: Criminal Origins, but I'll look for that too. Thanks.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

For some reason, western RPGs aren't as appealing to me as Japanese ones, probably because I prefer anime-like sprites and brightly colored background... it's a shame that no companies are willing to bring over all those RPGs Falcom has made for PC over the past 7 years oversea...

KOEI should also consider localizing their RoTK series for PC here, they did that for PS2 with crappy resolution and complicated controls which can be executed with a few clicks of a mouse in the PC version...

Jam it back in, in the dark.