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The Future of PC Gaming

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A lot of other things in gaming need to be severely upgraded before we worry about pushing more graphical frontiers even though lighting is a big one that is needed.
 
wuliheron said:
2) Physics and AI- The new 8 core bulldozer and sandy bridge processors coming out will be perfect for physics and AI. These kinds of programs are difficult to optimize for games and 8 cores is a good minimum because of the innate symmetry of the equations. The next generation consoles might get by with quads thanks to their not having to run operating systems and the games being optimized for them, but PCs can lead the way again with 8 core processors that allow programmers to play more with the technology. That will mean a new generation of basic physics routines added to virtually every game made as fast as programmers can develop them. The same is likely to occur with gpu based physics as consoles adopt modern programmable graphics cards and PCs can once again lead the charge.
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PC gaming is not about playing against AI. The PC's huge advantage over the consoles is online multiplayer and the ability to create and install free custom content. It's also about out-of-game community interaction on discussion forums, IRC, and other communication programs. This is and should be PC gaming's primary selling point.

"If you want to play games for kids, play consoles. If you want to play grown ups' games, play on the PC." If you want competitive online multiplayer cybersports without being told what to do by a game developer or console maker, play on the PC.

One of the things that has really hurt PC gaming is consolization--the removal of those things that make PC gaming great. For example, UT3's online multiplayer and customization capabilities were far inferior to those of UT99 or UT 2004. Dragon Age, an in-line successor to Neverwinter Nights, lacked online multiplayer support (!!!); it moved backwards!

I think developers would be making a big, big mistake to expect gamers to have octa- (8) core systems. Few non-gaming computer applications require or will require more than a quad core and developers would be shooting themselves in the foot to expect people (especially younger people) to run out and drop $1000 on the latest and greatest computers merely to be able to play their newest games. This is especially true when the nation's economy is in the dumps, when new college graduates cannot find college-education-requiring jobs and end up working for $10/hour at Starbucks while trying to pay off their student loan debt, and when the prices of gasoline, food, and health care are skyrocketing.

I'd like to see PC gaming move in the direction of less DRM (something similar to what Stardock has done with its games), better online multiplayer features and functionality, and increased modding and custom mapping capability. (In other words, use the original Unreal Tournament (1999) as a model.)
 
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gothamhunter said:
I'm excited for the future of PC gaming. A lot of new technologies that won't easily be implemented into consoles will hopefully start giving developers reasons to put PC gamers first again.
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If the technologies are not easily implemented for consoles, it just means they won't be implemented period. That's the crux of the issue.

PC gaming isn't dead, it will simply be confined to games that can be played on consoles (at least for the big budget FPSs). The days of spending a few grand on a rig to run the latest graphics-intensive shooter are over, I'm afraid. Best to buy hardware analogous to that gen's console.
 
so, as graphics have certainly improved steadily, just as the actual quality of games has steadily declined...your prediction is that improved visuals is what will fix PC games?


um, no. Graphics mean dick when it comes to quality games.
 
Texashiker said:
I look for Valve, Gearbox and ID Software/Bethesda to take the lead in the PC gaming market.

Now that ID and Bethesda have merged, I look for some great ideas and great games to come from them. I might be wrong, but Rage looks pretty sweet.
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I wholly agree. By Q3, the creative content had long left Id, but Carmack is a frickin' genius, and like Sweeny, can pull off engines that can be updated quite a bit before they hit a wall. Meanwhile, FO3 and F:NV still have some of the same Gamebryo issues from 10 years ago (stuttering w/ lots of action, inelegant distant scenery and NPC/enemy view, LOD not scaling by what is in the frame, etc.).

Just imagine: a fun, smooth-running, and stable Bethesda real-time RPG! 🙂
 
Cerb said:
I wholly agree. By Q3, the creative content had long left Id, but Carmack is a frickin' genius, and like Sweeny, can pull off engines that can be updated quite a bit before they hit a wall. Meanwhile, FO3 and F:NV still have some of the same Gamebryo issues from 10 years ago (stuttering w/ lots of action, inelegant distant scenery and NPC/enemy view, LOD not scaling by what is in the frame, etc.).

Just imagine: a fun, smooth-running, and stable Bethesda real-time RPG! 🙂
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Yeah, I can just picture games like Fallout running on the ID Tech 5 engine with huge draw distances, infinite textures, and fast response times. It would be nice to see someone do something similar with flying games. Personally I'd love to see a great modern remake of Rogue Squadron. Games like that require just plain better textures and draw distances before worrying about fancy lighting effects and whatnot.
 
The only thing that will visibly move PC gaming forward will be the release of next gen consoles, whenever that will occur.
 
Darklife said:
The only thing that will visibly move PC gaming forward will be the release of next gen consoles, whenever that will occur.
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If PC-gaming is dependent on consoles, which means that the PC games will primarily be console ports and suffer from consolization, then PC gaming won't really be moving forward. It will just continue moving backwards.
 
WhipperSnapper said:
If PC-gaming is dependent on consoles, which means that the PC games will primarily be console ports and suffer from consolization, then PC gaming won't really be moving forward. It will just continue moving backwards.
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Well I'm talking mainly in terms of graphics, seeing as it's pretty much the only part that actually improves.
 
Just seen a couple of days the new Unreal engine. Things look great if you ask me.
But speaking in general i think the 3D gaming will be the next experience.
 
Any smart developers out there would realize there is an audience of gamers out there with hardware years beyond console. All they need to do is deliver a great game exclusively designed for todays PC and reap the reward. ID did in the day as well as EPIC

OH LOOK theres one......

http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/01/11/red-orchestra-2-heroes-of-stalingrad-preview/

"more modern multiplayer experience than anything else currently on or on its way to your PC. It’s generation-leaping stuff."
 
samduhman said:
Any smart developers out there would realize there is an audience of gamers out there with hardware years beyond console. All they need to do is deliver a great game exclusively designed for todays PC and reap the reward. ID did in the day as well as EPIC.
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I wish Epic would produce a bona-fide PC-only UT99-2, but that's not going to happen because their only interest seems to be to use the UT games to showcase their engine and not primarily to make a great game. They're also sold hook, line, and sinker on consolization. It would be nice to see them release a new UT game for the primary purpose of releasing an excellent new game and not to showcase an engine.
 
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