PCs used to be the uncontested choice of the serious gamer back in the early 2000s. Since the unveiling of the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and later the next gen Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the market for console gaming risen considerably and put PC games firmly in the sidecar.
Yet is that a trend that’s going to continue in the near future? Even with the eventual release of the Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4, consoles have always and will continue to be a step behind PCs in terms of their graphical capability. The graphics of consoles have a definite cap that cannot change aside from the release of a next-gen version of that console.
PCs on the other hand are completely customizable in terms of their memory and graphical capabilities.
For an enthusiastic gamer, a PC is really the complete package. You’re getting a machine that will run your operating system, allow you to customize hardware at a whim (for generally low costs) and play games at the uppermost graphical and technological threshold.
Even if the Xbox 720 produces fantastic graphics (and we’d be surprised if it didn’t) PCs will have already outpaced those graphics by the time the 720 hits the shelves. If we have to wait nearly another decade for a new console, think of how outdated the 720’s technology will be by then.
It just doesn’t make sense that people would prefer consoles over PCs; yet they do, and it’s affecting the business side of PC gaming.
So why is it happening? Here are a few possibilities:
Convenience of Consoles
The gaming console has long been associated with the TV in the living room, which to most people means you don’t have to have a keyboard, mouse and monitor to use it. It’s convenient and a quicker solution than going out and buying a desktop computer. This has undoubtedly had an impact on the market for PC games as consoles seem on the surface to simply be the more practical entertainment solution.
Price of a Gaming PC
Even if you already have a monitor, mouse, keyboard and operating system to install, a decent gaming PC will run you at least $600, which on the surface, seems like a bad deal when you can get a current-gen console for less than $500. People don’t realize that a good PC can be upgraded and improved over time, therefore giving you a better return on your investment. Even still, the sticker shock is an issue.
The Casual Gamer
A lot of people like to play video games, but greater majority don’t take it tremendously seriously. These casual gamers don’t analyze graphics enough to worry about the difference between a PC game and an Xbox game. Sure the PC version might look better, but many of them have never even seen the PC version of the games they’re playing.
Take the Modern Warfare series for example. Those games are nearly photorealistic on a PC at the maximum settings, and by far a better graphical experience than its Xbox 360 port. However, most people who play Modern Warfare on the Xbox aren’t even aware of the PC version. It just doesn’t cross their minds.
A Cultural Stigma
When people think of PC gaming, they think of being addicted to World of Warcraft or Diablo III. Basically, it’s thought of as more of a geek thing and possibly even a bit outside of the mainstream. This has done a lot to limit to appeal and popularity of the PC as a gaming medium.
The Outlook
For PC gaming enthusiasts miffed by the console empires, there is plenty of good news. Many of the best games are still developed and released primarily for the PC. The Fallout, Bioshock, Modern Warfare and Crysis series’ are all PC focused and are some of the best games available today. The PC gamer can rest assured that they’re still being treated to the optimal gaming experience with the best titles money can buy.
Whether or not the PC ever makes it back into the forefront of gaming popularity is yet to be seen. The amount of people who have a desktop computer in their home is certainly on the decline, but that could actually be a good thing for gaming PCs.
If people know that a desktop PC is primarily a gaming solution, it might take on the role of “the more sophisticated console” and outpace the less advanced gaming system.
Time will tell.
[Image Credit: Flickr User Intel Photos]
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