Record PC game sales in 2011

[BladeVenom]

http://pc.ign.com/articles/122/1220114p1.html While console gaming is on the decline, PC game sales are higher than ever.

 

[sandorski]

:'(

More evidence of the Death of PC Gaming. Makes me wonder what it will take to get me beyond my denial.

 

[BurnItDwn]

thanks to awesome pricing and steam ... I spent more on games last year than the 3 or 4 previous years combined...

 

[motsm]

It makes sense, since this console generation has dragged on so long. Unfortunately, higher sales haven't meant better games, as we still mostly get crap ports that are hardly worth wasting time on.

 

[modestninja]

Does this include things like Facebook games? If so, it's definitely not a surprise.

 

[gorcorps]

I bought so many games I don't even know what to play anymore.

 

[magomago]

yup i also purchased a record number of games. Maybe like 15. And I only play like 3 of them (That is steam sales for ya). Of course, since the majority were Steam Sales, i probably paid <100 total (actually maybe more, I got skyrim...but I got it on sale!). SC2 & Skyrim right now

edit:
funnily enough i purchased zero on the consoles. my PC can give me good enough graphics that the draw for the consoles isn't as great - I have way more flexibility in my PC to surf the net, read ATOT, watch youtube videos all while i'm playing my game on that secondary monitor.

 

[thespyder]

What is funny is the fact that a lot of the PC market today is Console Ports. So although there may be more PC game sales, most of those sales are probably multi-platform products which are being held back because of the aging consoles. More's the shame.

 

[Red Storm]

IGN should read AT's PC Gaming forum, they got it wrong!

 

[mindcycle]

I'm hoping it will be a year or two still before the new consoles come out. That will give developers some time to make some good PC geared titles, which are also profitable, before consoles suck it all away again.

We'll probably never see an explosion of great PC only, or PC centric, titles like we did in the late 90's and early 2000's, but i'd be happy with a good year or two. That would be a very refreshing change for me. I honestly feel that modern consoles have greatly contributed to completely dumbing down most of what I really enjoyed about gaming when I was first really getting into it back then. I realize of course that's highly debatable, but it's also just an opinion after all..

 

[ViviTheMage]

IGN should read AT's PC Gaming forum, they got it wrong!

luckily we probably make up .005% of all PC gamers around the world.

 

[Dankk]

Also, Gabe Newell is now a billionaire.

 

[BD231]

There's no way in hell consoles can keep up with the advancement of 3D accelerators in computers, friends come over and can't believe the eye candy they've been missing out on playing console games. nVidia/AMD are basically powering their way to superiority over consoles, which is great considering Microsoft is in the console club now.

It really is a shame there are so many console exclusive titles, they'd look so much better on a computer.

 

[PowerYoga]

i'd kill a man to see uncharted on the pcs.

 

[thespyder]

I'm hoping it will be a year or two still before the new consoles come out. That will give developers some time to make some good PC geared titles, which are also profitable, before consoles suck it all away again.

We'll probably never see an explosion of great PC only, or PC centric, titles like we did in the late 90's and early 2000's, but i'd be happy with a good year or two. That would be a very refreshing change for me. I honestly feel that modern consoles have greatly contributed to completely dumbing down most of what I really enjoyed about gaming when I was first really getting into it back then. I realize of course that's highly debatable, but it's also just an opinion after all..

It's true that we will probably never see the PC specific market take center stage again. And it is also true that consoles have contributed to the dumbing down of a lot of good titles, but not just because of the hardware limitations. Also because consoles give access to a broader (and often times shallower) market base. So developers have to play to their market.

Personally, i would like the next generation of consoles to come out sooner. I think that the boost would allow game developers to create using the full power of the PC now and for a few years to come while still meeting their own nugget (i.e. making it multi-platform). And I suspect that PC innovation has been slowed in recent years due in part to being guilty of "Resting on it's laurels" since it has it all over the consoles. let them have to stretch to top the new console capabilities. Might be good for the industry.

 

[Jabberrwocky]

The desktop has been my gaming platform of choice since Wizardry was on the Applie IIe. I am glad to hear that the rumors of it's death have been greatly exaggerated.

 

[Rambusted]

Until consoles figure out a way to include kbm control schemes in all games where it is superior I and many others will never take them seriously. I miss the days when consoles stuck to what they were good at, 2d platformers, fighting games and top down rpgs. How the hell they decided to start making every other game a gamepad contolled fps, and why anyone would play them is beyond me.

 

[mindcycle]

It's true that we will probably never see the PC specific market take center stage again. And it is also true that consoles have contributed to the dumbing down of a lot of good titles, but not just because of the hardware limitations. Also because consoles give access to a broader (and often times shallower) market base. So developers have to play to their market.

I definitely agree with you there. The broader market appeal of what used to be niche game genres has really hurt the complexity of the big budget games being produced in those genres nowadays. RPG's being a big one on that list, IMO. There are a few standouts that don't skimp out in terms of complexity, but those are pretty few and far between anymore.

I can't tell you how disappointed I was when Oblivion was first released and a few hours into the game I realized everything was leveling up with me, making my meticulous stat, armor, and weapon upgrades pretty much useless. I was coming pretty much straight from Morrowind at that point, having only recently played it at the time Oblivion was released, and it saddened me that the "new and improved" version was so dumbed down from what I had just played. I was so disappointed, in fact, that I have yet to buy Skyrim for fear of being majorly disappointed again. From what i've read it's likely a much better, and hopefully more complex, game, but i'm still going to wait until it hits $20 or so just in case. Plus, i'll get the added benefit of all the mods released up until that time, so win, win, really.

Personally, i would like the next generation of consoles to come out sooner. I think that the boost would allow game developers to create using the full power of the PC now and for a few years to come while still meeting their own nugget (i.e. making it multi-platform). And I suspect that PC innovation has been slowed in recent years due in part to being guilty of "Resting on it's laurels" since it has it all over the consoles. let them have to stretch to top the new console capabilities. Might be good for the industry.

I do feel that with a new console generation graphics and related technology would improve and be used to more of it's potential. On the flip side, gameplay and complexity wouldn't necessarily get better and that's what i'm more worried about. However, I may just be kidding myself by thinking a delayed console generation will have any impact on game complexity. Especially given the fact that the article mentions the growth in the PC market is mostly due to MMO's. I won't even get into my hate for those.. lol

 

[postmortemIA]

consoles are primarily for casual gaming, PCs always have been hardcore gaming platforms. Sure there are some hardcore gamers on consoles. As consoles age, people lose interest in them. I see more people trying to sell used consoles than gaming PCs. Even if you sell your gaming PC, you do so to buy fancier one.
At least this will make companies rethink their strategy.
What Valve did with TF2 and Blizzard with WoW is perfect example how you can milk money from game after 5 or so years

 

[thespyder]

I do feel that with a new console generation graphics and related technology would improve and be used to more of it's potential. On the flip side, gameplay and complexity wouldn't necessarily get better and that's what i'm more worried about. However, I may just be kidding myself by thinking a delayed console generation will have any impact on game complexity. Especially given the fact that the article mentions the growth in the PC market is mostly due to MMO's. I won't even get into my hate for those.. lol

I would point out the "Wave" combat of DA2. This was a step that should not have been necessary in the PC version, but was limited because of what the Console could take (and the Dev decision to make both versions identical). And stands as an example of how the current generation of consoles are impacting PC gaming above and beyond the graphics capability.

I would hope that a next generation console would not be limited in that way at least. I am thinking 1080p, plus at least a quad core with a decent Cash. Throw in a beefy GPU and a reasonable hard drive and it should be able to stand toe with most current generation PCs. Then we wouldn't have any of the "hardware" limitations that the console-port-to-PC titles are currently giving us.

 

[mindcycle]

I would point out the "Wave" combat of DA2. This was a step that should not have been necessary in the PC version, but was limited because of what the Console could take (and the Dev decision to make both versions identical). And stands as an example of how the current generation of consoles are impacting PC gaming above and beyond the graphics capability.

I didn't buy DA2 as the original didn't really hold my interest but I just read up on what you are referring to by wave combat. This is pretty much the exact reason I only shell out full price for games developed first and foremost for the PC. Unfortunately, they are pretty few and far between, but you will never see a game developed first for the PC with an issue like that.

A good example of a well produced PC centric RPG "action" game, IMO, is Risen. Knowing the graphics and gameplay decisions were made based on PC tech I never felt like paying $60 upon release was going to end up being a bad idea. It also helped it was coming from a seasoned developer as well. On the flip side though, console design can suffer, as was shown with Risen 1. But that's also a good example of why we need PC and console centric games IMO. Ports can be ok, but it would be a welcome change to see a few more PC only big budget titles IMHO. And i'm not talking "Mass Effect" big budget either. Just something a little beyond indie really.

 

[modestninja]

Also, Gabe Newell is now a billionaire.

He must have eaten a couple of half billionaires to get there!

 

[blastingcap]

He must have eaten a couple of half billionaires to get there!

I've been saying for years now that Valve is not a PC game developer that happens to have a side business of digital game distro. It's the other way around. Still, I am shocked that Valve is valued at $3B+ already. I can't imagine that no competitors will emerge and depress margins... EA is trying to mount opposition with Origin, and Gamestop with Impulse. Those two are probably in the best position to rival Steam. Reminds me of the Amazon vs. publishing houses battle that still rages on.

 

[wuliheron]

Besides the current consoles getting older the current average computer is just better and newer games are better optimized to run on wimpy computers. Almost half of Steam users are still using dual core processors and the other day I even heard one guy blessing the ground id walks on because he got Rage to run on his Intel integrated graphics. Llano sales are great, Trinity is coming out soon, and Haswell will be released in a year or so. Cheap PC gaming has arrived at last and consoles will just have to step up the plate with something worth paying extra for because they just are not going to remain the cheap alternative much longer.

 

[postmortemIA]

EA's DRM is worst advertisement for their service. They won't let me use games I own on Steam on more than one PC. No doubt they made it even more restrictive on their own service. Plus steam is pretty transparent to all publishers.