PC gaming is a niche? As opposed to what?

[-Slacker-]

I've even heard this crap from some PC gamers themselves, several of which had powerful gaming rigs.

I have to call bull on this one, since steam alone has 30 million registered users, and thy say they represent 50 to 70% of the PC games market.

http://www.techspot.com/news/42447-valve-were-more-profitable-per-employee-than-google-apple.html

That means there would have to be anywhere between 45 million and 60 million PC gamers out there who buy their stuff legally, and it's believed that there are about as many people who pirate their games, so the total number could be 90~120 million.

By comparison, about 100 million ps3's and xbox 360's have been sold so far (source:wiki).

Even if you were to consider the absolute lowest estimate of how many pc gamers there actually are (for the sake of argument), 45 million, I still don't understand how anyone can say that 45 million = niche, but 100 million = super popular.

Brainwashed by sony and microsoft much?

 

[SickBeast]

I think if you actually look at the number of computers than can properly run a modern game, you would see that it's actually closer to 5 or 10 million people.

 

[Zen0]

Probably is a niche, because probably only 5% of PCs in existence can run modern games, unless we are including Solitaire or Plants vs Zombies or whatever.

Everyone seems to have one video game system though. If they are a gamer. Counting all gamers, I'd probably say 90/10? Console vs PC in terms of total gamers.

I am registered on Steam but I don't play games anymore.

 

[sandorski]

I think if you actually look at the number of computers than can properly run a modern game, you would see that it's actually closer to 5 or 10 million people.

Fail.

 

[sandorski]

For some reasons all Consoles get lumped together as if they were 1.

 

[arkcom]

I'd say there is one gaming capable pc for every video card sold in the last 5 or 6 years. They may not look pretty, but they will run most games.

 

[-Slacker-]

Probably is a niche, because probably only 5% of PCs in existence can run modern games, unless we are including Solitaire or Plants vs Zombies or whatever.

Everyone seems to have one video game system though. If they are a gamer. Counting all gamers, I'd probably say 90/10? Console vs PC in terms of total gamers.

5% of the PC's in existence is over 50 million, so it would be more like 20/10 for consoles.

I am registered on Steam but I don't play games anymore.

I'm sure there are console owners who don't use their consoles anymore.

For some reasons all Consoles get lumped together as if they were 1.

I'm still waiting for someone to type a wall of text about the Wii, so I can then reply with a quick "LOL"

 

[Powermoloch]

i love pc games,

1) cheaper compared to consoles (although the upfront cost for a gaming rig varies WIDELY)
2) custom game settings
3) You can play pc games on a variety of computer rig combinations vs 3 consoles available right now.
4) mouse + KB

 

[Maximilian]

Yeah ive never really bought it being a niche either... Theres always tons of people online in most games i play, i dont see how that can be niche. Stamp collecting is niche, pc gaming is a lot more popular than its made out to be.

 

[Skurge]

I think if you actually look at the number of computers than can properly run a modern game, you would see that it's actually closer to 5 or 10 million people.

So 25million people on steam can't run modern games?

More than half the systems on steam are DX10 (vista/7 + DX10 card), and the most popular cards are 4800s, 8800s, 5700s, etc. So I would say that number is ridiculous.

 

[Lonyo]

http://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2010/04/19/hear-that-knocking-sound-its-pc-gaming/

http://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2011/01/27/value-proposition-pc-or-consoles-games/

 

[wuliheron]

Thanks Lonyo. It's sad to see how flat the sales are for enthusiast desktops, but good to know we aren't totally irrelevant yet.

 

[shortylickens]

For some reasons all Consoles get lumped together as if they were 1.

Theres more cross-platform games amongst the 3 consoles than there are between console and Windows. That helps promote the "us versus them" mentality.

As for the issue at hand, the numbers always un-include World of Warcraft.
If you were to include MMO subscriptions then PC gaming kills all the consoles ever made about 8 times over.

 

[Skurge]

Theres more cross-platform games amongst the 3 consoles than there are between console and Windows. That helps promote the "us versus them" mentality.

As for the issue at hand, the numbers always un-include World of Warcraft.
If you were to include MMO subscriptions then PC gaming kills all the consoles ever made about 8 times over.

I wouldnt say all 3, (the wii shouldn't be included in any gaming discussion) probably the PS3 and 360.

 

[ImpulsE69]

I wouldnt say all 3, (the wii shouldn't be included in any gaming discussion) probably the PS3 and 360.

You can't uninclude the Wii. Even if it doesn't meet your standards, it still is the only game system in many homes even with pc's not used for gaming.

As for pc's playing modern games. I don't think that arguement is valid either. Tons of people are perfectly happy playing on low end graphics and still on XP. It doesn't mean they don't game. They still purchased those games even if 2-3 years late.

 

[Skurge]

You can't uninclude the Wii. Even if it doesn't meet your standards, it still is the only game system in many homes even with pc's not used for gaming.

As for pc's playing modern games. I don't think that arguement is valid either. Tons of people are perfectly happy playing on low end graphics and still on XP. It doesn't mean they don't game. They still purchased those games even if 2-3 years late.

Fair enough, but it doesn't have as many crossplatform games as the other systems.

 

[Zargon]

You can't uninclude the Wii. Even if it doesn't meet your standards, it still is the only game system in many homes even with pc's not used for gaming.

As for pc's playing modern games. I don't think that arguement is valid either. Tons of people are perfectly happy playing on low end graphics and still on XP. It doesn't mean they don't game. They still purchased those games even if 2-3 years late.

then you should expand the 'gaming' pc market a LOT. my wifes on IGP and can play a ton of puzzle games on steam that have as good of graphics as the wii :biggrin:

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

niche doesn't mean it's small

 

[sigurros81]

I don't think PC gaming is a niche but I don't think it's a large enough number either if you look at gaming as a whole, including consoles. Take a cross platform game as an example (COD or Assassin's Creed) and look at the sales by each platform--PC totally gets dominated.

As for the stats on how many people use steam, that number really is not that accurate. If a game requires Steam, that means whoever plays that game has to register. My buddy don't game much, but I gave him a copy of Civlization 5, so BAM, he's a registered Steam user.

 

[Skurge]

I don't think PC gaming is a niche but I don't think it's a large enough number either if you look at gaming as a whole, including consoles. Take a cross platform game as an example (COD or Assassin's Creed) and look at the sales by each platform--PC totally gets dominated.

As for the stats on how many people use steam, that number really is not that accurate. If a game requires Steam, that means whoever plays that game has to register. My buddy don't game much, but I gave him a copy of Civlization 5, so BAM, he's a registered Steam user.

A lot of those numbers don't include steam. Like sales for COD.

 

[wuliheron]

The numbers also don't show long term trends and can't predict the future. Right now indie games like Angry Birds are even hurting console game sales. The computer industry is gearing up for making cheap portable devices that don't suck for 3D gaming and its anyone's guess which way the wind will blow next for game developers.

In the midst of all this confusion the more serious developers like John Carmack are working on game engines that scale really well on just about any device. Instead of just pushing what the latest technology or available consoles can do they work on games that can be played on anything and look good on all devices. That's the future of gaming, many different niches, not any particular platform.

 

[BladeVenom]

In the US, video games were a $24.7 billion dollar market last year.
51% PCs
43% consoles
6% mobile devices
Most of the different categories of PC gaming are growing rapidly. Console game sales were on the decline last year.

http://hackmywii.net/consumer-spending-on-video-games-reached-25-billion-this-year

 

[simonizor]

A niche is defined as a position particularly well suited to the being who occupies it, so you could really call anything a "niche." Console gaming is a niche, portable gaming is a niche, etc... The word is thrown around far too often to describe things that only a small group of people like, but that's not really what the word means. It's just something that works with you.

 

[NoSoup4You]

If we use Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 was an indicator, during it's peak the PC would average around 100,000 users logged into the MW2 servers on a weekend night. PS3 was around 400,000 users each night, and XBox averaged around 900,000. So roughly 13:1 in terms of console vs pc.

But the larger point is - that's still 100,000 each night logging into the game! That's hardly "an afterthought"...etc. PC gaming is alive and well, though I'd love to see Red Dead Redemption finally make it's way over...