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The state of PC gaming has been a hot topic in recent months. Some members of the industry have maintained a positive outlook while others have been a bit more negative. Now Microsoft VP John Schappert has decided to chime in and agree with the former group, saying that things are fine and dandy in the land of mice and keyboards.
“Today I’m excited to report that Microsoft and a growing community of the gaming industry’s leading publishers, hardware manufacturers and retailers have made the Windows-based PC the largest gaming platform in the world. Every major region will see PC gaming continue to grow in audience, game revenue and hardware purchases for the foreseeable future. While the challenges we face as an industry are many, PC gaming has never been stronger, and we’re confident this trend will continue in the years to come,” he stated before a Games for Windows event earlier today.
"The past year has seen exponential growth in online activity and sales, continued platform and hardware innovation, and continued success with the Games for Windows branding initiative, which adds prominence, a quality and technical bar, and a consistent look and feel to the retail PC gaming experience.”
Schappert backed up his statement by releasing a list of sixteen games (viewable after the jump) that will be releasing under the Games for Windows brand in the next few months.
While I certainly agree with his overall message that PC gaming isn’t going away any time soon (one need only look at the billion-plus install base to realize that), I’m not sure that these games were necessarily the best example of that -- all of them besides Crysis Warhead, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, and Zoo Tycoon 2: Ultimate Collection are cross-platform. Still, for those of us in the old guard that prefer to have physical copies of the games we’ve bought, it’s nice to see Microsoft stick up for the retail side of PC gaming.
@TheDreadHawk: you guys buy bundled packages? the best way to do it is buy the parts individually and assemble it yourself. thats the least expensive way.
I agree with Velt, even if you're graph...... read more
though the PC is great for gaming, the Windows operating-system most surely is NOT :-)
Now I know most games work only on Windoze, but the truly multi-platform games ( that don't use Wine :p ) generally run better on Linux/MacOsX then they do on comparable PC's running windoze...
Despise Vista. Not because it's buggy, but because they make it such a trial for third-parties to get drivers to work with it without causing some truly annoying issues.
And, why are Windows stronger than ever? MMOs are the primary reason. Most of those games on that list will sell a heck of a lot more on consoles rather than PCs.
The only thing consoles have on me is playing some graphically demanding game like Oblivion on max settings since my computer can't handle it. And maybe achievements too, but I see Steam expanding from Orange Box and changing that in the future. Did I stay I love Steam? I don't care about the points, I just like working towards a goal.
Its pretty much what you'd expect an exec to say. I agree that the PC game market is still in good shape, but besides an MMO most of those games listed I'd probably rather have on my console. The only PC game that I'm looking forawrd to would be Diablo 3. Even if there was 1 person in the world gaming on a PC don't expect any exec to say that their industry is dying.
Actually consoles don't play Oblivion on anything near max settings. A PC of comparable price to a console will do a much better job with the game these days.
But yeah, meh for Microsoft and GFW. I guess it's good they're still porting some 360 games to PC though, I'm really excited for Red Faction 3 coming to PC.
Wedge, I sort of disagree. A standard commercial computer that costs about $250-550 wouldn't run most games on max settings. Now if you do what pretty much every hardcore PC gamer does (which is, well most of us, right?) you'd buy a cheap computer and completely mod the hell out of it.
Meh I only play PC for MMOs. It imo will be the ONLY medium for playing MMOs, due to their complexity and the necessity for a keyboard. And I'm fine with that. I'd play all my FPSs on a PC too- if I had a £2000 computer to run them.....
Oh I forgot, PC is the only medium for strategy games too. Gonna have to upgrade for SC2 and DoW2.
PC Gaming is great, in spite of Microsoft. They have absolutely NO fucking ground to brag about PC gaming's success considering all they've tried to do to sabotage it.
@Milkman519: How could you even try to claim shovelware like Limbo of the Lost has to do with the install base of PCs or is representative of the biggest PC sales successes? It's a piece of shit small time game published by a vanity press outlet that was released almost a year and a half ago and took that long for someone to buy it and notice the extremely blatant content theft.
Limbo of the Lost isn't representative of anything. Ever.
So, when will we see Freelancer 2? If Windows feels so strongly about its PC games, they should release a sequel to, what I believe, was the best Microsoft game ever made for PC
i like my mouse and keyboard.
Xp works fine with games, I havent tried vista yet, I heard is not that good.
And you dont need to spend LOTS of money on a PC, and its not going to become useless in 6 months to a year. Those arguments are stupid.
Of course, the argument is, you have to go and buy the super extra GTX from Nvidia... no, you dont, a good PC is a good PC for two years, and a 200 dollars graphic card wont blow your eyes out but you wont suffer with a rrod and in time that 200 dollars video game card is getting better graphics than a console.
So yeah, if you dont like PC´s because you dont know how to handle them, ok, I get it, buy a console and a mac. But dont come up with stupid arguments.
@TheDreadHawk: you guys buy bundled packages? the best way to do it is buy the parts individually and assemble it yourself. thats the least expensive way.
I agree with Velt, even if you're graphics card is a bit outdated, that doesn't mean you can't play new games. just crank the settings to low and you'll be fine.
@Kaikara: Don't worry, Blizzard promised that SC2 can be configured so it'll play on old PCs with acceptable framerates. won't be able to see the fanciest effects though
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though the PC is great for gaming, the Windows operating-system most surely is NOT :-)
Now I know most games work only on Windoze, but the truly multi-platform games ( that don't use Wine :p ) generally run better on Linux/MacOsX then they do on comparable PC's running windoze...
Despise Vista. Not because it's buggy, but because they make it such a trial for third-parties to get drivers to work with it without causing some truly annoying issues.
And, why are Windows stronger than ever? MMOs are the primary reason. Most of those games on that list will sell a heck of a lot more on consoles rather than PCs.
Victories for the computer!
The only thing consoles have on me is playing some graphically demanding game like Oblivion on max settings since my computer can't handle it. And maybe achievements too, but I see Steam expanding from Orange Box and changing that in the future. Did I stay I love Steam? I don't care about the points, I just like working towards a goal.
Its pretty much what you'd expect an exec to say. I agree that the PC game market is still in good shape, but besides an MMO most of those games listed I'd probably rather have on my console. The only PC game that I'm looking forawrd to would be Diablo 3. Even if there was 1 person in the world gaming on a PC don't expect any exec to say that their industry is dying.
Actually consoles don't play Oblivion on anything near max settings. A PC of comparable price to a console will do a much better job with the game these days.
But yeah, meh for Microsoft and GFW. I guess it's good they're still porting some 360 games to PC though, I'm really excited for Red Faction 3 coming to PC.
Wedge, I sort of disagree. A standard commercial computer that costs about $250-550 wouldn't run most games on max settings. Now if you do what pretty much every hardcore PC gamer does (which is, well most of us, right?) you'd buy a cheap computer and completely mod the hell out of it.
Just playing Devil's advocate.
Meh I only play PC for MMOs. It imo will be the ONLY medium for playing MMOs, due to their complexity and the necessity for a keyboard. And I'm fine with that. I'd play all my FPSs on a PC too- if I had a £2000 computer to run them.....
Oh I forgot, PC is the only medium for strategy games too. Gonna have to upgrade for SC2 and DoW2.
What a surprise. Not one comment yet about how PC gaming is dead.
Zoo Tycoon 2!!! I can't fucking wait.
Yeah, sure, PC is biggest platform. But that's because of all the useless shit that is pumped into it all the time. *coughLimbooftheLostcough*
PC Gaming is great, in spite of Microsoft. They have absolutely NO fucking ground to brag about PC gaming's success considering all they've tried to do to sabotage it.
@Milkman519: How could you even try to claim shovelware like Limbo of the Lost has to do with the install base of PCs or is representative of the biggest PC sales successes? It's a piece of shit small time game published by a vanity press outlet that was released almost a year and a half ago and took that long for someone to buy it and notice the extremely blatant content theft.
Limbo of the Lost isn't representative of anything. Ever.
Whether or not Microsoft are right or wrong, did you honestly expect them to come out and say "Whoa, PC gaming is dead in the water! Sorry folks!"
PC gaming is far from dead, here in the Netherlands the PC gaming shelves at stores are larger than the console ones...
It might sell less in the US but PC gaming is def. bigger in mainland europe.
So, when will we see Freelancer 2? If Windows feels so strongly about its PC games, they should release a sequel to, what I believe, was the best Microsoft game ever made for PC
wow all of those games will fucking blow
coolmicrsosoft/
i like my mouse and keyboard.
Xp works fine with games, I havent tried vista yet, I heard is not that good.
And you dont need to spend LOTS of money on a PC, and its not going to become useless in 6 months to a year. Those arguments are stupid.
Of course, the argument is, you have to go and buy the super extra GTX from Nvidia... no, you dont, a good PC is a good PC for two years, and a 200 dollars graphic card wont blow your eyes out but you wont suffer with a rrod and in time that 200 dollars video game card is getting better graphics than a console.
So yeah, if you dont like PC´s because you dont know how to handle them, ok, I get it, buy a console and a mac. But dont come up with stupid arguments.
@TheDreadHawk: you guys buy bundled packages? the best way to do it is buy the parts individually and assemble it yourself. thats the least expensive way.
I agree with Velt, even if you're graphics card is a bit outdated, that doesn't mean you can't play new games. just crank the settings to low and you'll be fine.
@Kaikara: Don't worry, Blizzard promised that SC2 can be configured so it'll play on old PCs with acceptable framerates. won't be able to see the fanciest effects though
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