PC vs. Console

[[AK]Hylander]

I just received this months MaximumPC Mag and on page 8 there is an article titled "PC Gaming Alive and Kicking". Talks about a new group formed called the "PC Gaming Alliance" (PCGA). They claim PC gaming sales in the US Last year was $2.76Billion, up 12%.

Just an FYI

[[AK]Faxman]

Why 2008 might turn out to be a good year for PC gaming.

[[AK]Hylander]

FiRST RACING
Ex-Lead guys from Papyrus(basically the GOD of racing sims until Sierra closed
them down)are now working on self-funded online-centered hardcore racing sim to be released in 2007

Self-Funded = John Henry (Owner of Red Sox) and partner in Roush-Fenway Racing in NASCAR

iRacing.com = In the next couple of months

I'm all over this because they partnered with the SCCA to license the Spec Racer Ford - which is one of the series I use to race in:


A combination of laser scans and measurements will provide the data required for iRacing.com engineers, technicians and artists to build an extremely accurate digital rendition of SCCA's most popular race car, the Spec Racer Ford.


By precisely determining the location and mass of each significant component of the Spec Racer Ford and accurately measuring all suspension geometry, iRacing.com's digital model of the car will perform in the simulation exactly as it does in the physical world.

You won't find this on a CONSOLE!

[[AK]StitchJones]

All of the points mentioned for the PC gaming side are both good and valid. And 2008 does look like it's shaping up to be a great year for PC gaming. Like I have mentioned before my only real issues at this point is hardware upgrading. Companies as a whole should be creating games with a certain baseline that covers a much larger hardware scheme. Not having the most cutting edge performance that you need to pay to achieve. I realize with what I just said could be attacked with "Well just turn the settings down". We shouldn't have to turn the settings down, more games should be optimal as a norm. Look at Quake Wars from last year. OMG that game had so much going on in it, but it ran as smooth as silk with my aging PC hardware. Cyrsis on the other hand made my PC go into a state of depression that took weeks to get it to come out into the public again.
We are all a very diverse group and that is why there are so many choices. So at the end of the day, each platform has a group of fans to enjoy. I am a gaming wh0r3 so I own 'em all

[[AK?]Azmodious]

Now that consoles are getting more advanced they are catching up in the area of Grafix, but imagine wow with NO MODS. the game whould have never made it as far, if it were not for the customization options that come with it. You can realy twist the UI to suit your own gaming style. I have seen a lot of good games in the past get killed by a crappy UI. Now I wont be surprised when we start buying console games loaded on solid state drives that allow modding, or console systems that allow for something like that. I know the XBOX got verry close to this. The one thing that does still hold a lot of sway is the Unerversal Standard, there is now on adv. more than 1 computer in every home in America (Im not sure about europe). Playstation, nor XBOX can claim that. So if a designer wants to hit as large a market as possible... PC is the answer. If they want to keep support cost low (Make your money and go Method) they can go Console... But all in all a Static game that never changes will probably never hold #1 game ever again, now that Dynamicly designed and updated MMOs are out there.

[[AK]Bribo]

but imagine wow with NO MODS.

Better yet - imagine WoW with no keyboard or mouse. :P

[[AK]Nuts]

Better yet, imagine AK with no WoW.