I would say yes in general.

I think the only game genre that keeps PC's as a viable platform to game on is MMO's without them the PC would be dead for gaming. You walk into your local GS or EB and most of the time you are lucky if they even have a PC area and if they do it is a bookcase or something. PC games definitely don't get the primetime wall space anymore.

Sony, Nintendo and MSoft are doing a pretty good job at enticing people to use there platforms. I have a PS3 and love it, I can play games, surf the web, watch blu-ray movies, stream video movies (ie: netflix) and if you have the older PS3 like I do you can install the Linux OS on it. All for $300-400.

Crap you can barely buy a high-end gfx card for that money. I think it really comes down to convience in the end. I mainly use my PC to update my website :), surf the web a bit, learn some software packages and the occasional game.

I have a pretty decent gaming rig that I paid roughly $1k for and it should last a few years. But it still cost me $1k instead of $300. Then I have to sit at a desk instead of the couch or bed 🙂

I have to admit that the consoles are coming out with better games and draws me to them instead of the PC that is a big issue as well like you addressed Pinback. The availability of good games on the PC are getting slimmer.

No..

And that is all I am going to allow myself to say for fear of fanboy backlash and accusations (of being).

The simple matter is that consoles are just being pushed more by their respective corps because they generate more income (in the short term) than PC's.

They even try to implement console restrictions and limits on PC games too for the same reason.

That's going to come back and bite in the nikta for sure.

In the long run, PC's have more staying power and a much wider versatility (not to mention audience).

Ok, so it wasn't a simple no, but I just had to get a few more lines out in regards to this.

Outside of games PC's, PC's will be around forever. But strictly talking gaming I do see a big decline in game quality. The PC gets the title last or its a messed up conversion from a console. There isn't really any A+ standalone PC titles that come out much anymore, unless they are MMO's or strategy/rpg games.

Personally I like the PC for gaming I think the keyboard and mouse combination is a lot more accurate and responsive in FPS games and in strategy games.

I read on one of the PS3 websites that this past Friday Sony sold over 400k PS3's in one day. Companies are indeed cashing in or trying to. But consoles do effect PC game sales for a fact. I wouldn't call today's consoles short term investments, because this generation has been out three years now and will be around for atleast 2 more. That's five years, I buy a PC at least every three to stay current with today's games. So there is a cost factor there as well.

If I look at it from a kids point of view, not one of my kids asked for a PC game for Xmas only PS3. Even though there PC is more powerful than the PS3 in technology 🙂

I have to say yes, PC gaming days are numbered.

For me, its just history repeating itself. Back in the early 90s, the first 16 bit consoles came out and helped kill off the Amiga and Atari home computers. I used to go into game shops and see the ever shrinking Amiga section, now its happening all over again. The software companies know that the average game player likes the simplicity of just switching on a console instead of having to install and configure a game before playing it. Also there is the piracy issue too that is pushing things along the console path.

Finally I have noticed a general dumbing down in some games (eg Deus Ex Vs Deus Ex2). Its easy to spot a console port of a game when it comes out on a PC, DE2 in particular felt so hollow compared to its predecessor. This does worry me about the future direction of gaming design. I would hate it if all the new games that came out lacked any depth, especially so with space based games. 🙁

You know I just can't see anyone using a dedicated PC to play game ten years on (2019 Bladerunner date 😮 😆 ).

I got no doubts about the PC still being the centre of enterainment hub,but I think its role

will be more of a sever streaming games,music,films,tv around the house to other devices.

The infrastructure might not be in place yet,but I think schems like onlive will be the future of gaming.

As for the dedicated console as we have now,they will proberly go the same way as Pc and become

one of devices that gets its games through the PC or direct from the internet.

I disagree. Consoles are great for having friends over and for a dedicated gaming machine that doesn't have to be upgraded every few years, but the PC has a much better control scheme for most games (at least for me). The PC is a much better machine for space sims, most FPS, and certainly RTS. Consoles are only superior for fighting games or beat-'em ups if you ask me.

I agree that there haven't been many blockbuster PC games as of late, but to be honest there are few satisfying console games. Most games these days offer very little innovation and are just way too short. older games like StarCraft, the older C&C games, FreeSpace, etc. offered tons of enjoyment and I still play them to this day. The newer games are generally one-time plays. Gameplay has been thrown to the dogs for superior graphics.

The most innovative games that I have seen have actually been indy games or online Flash games which are almost all primarily PC.

I do think that we are on the tipping point of a major change in the way we buy and play game.Over

the next few years.Pc games will move from being bought in retail to the internet,followed by the

consoles.As the games industry move to eliminate the thing which it hate the most,the buying and selling

of 2nd hand games.

I also think we are going to see big changes in the way we play and interact with game,you can see some

of it now with the wii controlers and the wii fit board ect or the features of the ipod touch.And what

impact will 3dtv have on the industry.have you seen the Milo & Kate clip its been dismissed as

smoke and mirrors,but it still impressive.

That video of Natal was pretty sweet, I didn't know that project was that far along and advanced. If MSoft keeps it up I might have to add a 360 to my livingroom. I have to admit that is the experience right there to be able to actually interact with the game on a personal level.

This is the type of technology that will create a immersion into a game that will hook you almost instantly. This type of detail would be great like on a space station where you could interact with the patrons or help with repairs on your ship 🙂

I would not worry about running out to get a 360 just yet,Peter Molyneux had a bit of rep for overhyping stuff.

and I dout that is a standard 360.

Well, there are arguments you can make both ways. The only non-subjective way to answer the question is to compare sales data, and for the PC sales are declining. For consoles, they're increasing. Bottom line.

But will PC gaming every really die? No, ofcourse not. It's MUCH easier to make/publish a game for a PC. You still see major releases for the PC that don't make it onto consoles for that reason. Crysis comes to mind.

If the PC is going to remain competitive, they will need to undergo some serious changes. They can't rely on MMOs' and keyboard based games because keyboards are now available for consoles. That versatility edge the PC once enjoyed is all but gone. You can literally do everything on a PS3 that you could do on a PC, and lets face it, when was the last time you had 'installaion problems' on a console? You put the game in and you play. Boom, done, everytime. PC gaming is gonna have to get to that point sooner rather than later.

It will also have to do something about the cost of high-end graphics cards. It's laughable that a radeon 4870 costs almost as much as a ps3, which is basically a whole computer with 120G hard drive and wireless control pad for under $300 now.

I actually think that the PC, Consoles, Internet and Television are all going to merge in the coming years.

Currently, there are just too many things I can do with a PC, that can't be done with a console. System customization and System privacy are two of the major ones.

Well there's no question that consoles can't replace PC's for non-gaming needs. If anything it's more likely that, way down the road, PC's would replace consoles than the other way around. I don't see either happening in our lifetime though.

Hey DarkOne, I've got a PS3 and a 360 and let me tell you, you're not missing a damn thing. Only nice thing about my 360 is that it's modded so I can backup my games and trade with friends. If a game is released for both ps3 and 360, I'll always get it for the ps3. And it's not because the ps3 network is free while 360 online costs money.

That said, the Natal thing looked fantastic. Hype or no hype, how can someone not be impressed by that?

PC Gaming isn't dieing, I would say it's very much alive and kicking.

PC Games being sold at retail is pretty much dead.

As others have noted, we'll all be downloading our games in the not-too-distant future and our entertainment systems will converge into one. It will not surprise me if we see Sony coming out with TV's that have built-in Playstations (and therefore built in Blu-Ray).

Consoles may have a bigger market, but there's still always going to be a core of users on the PC and for certain types of games, the control mechanisms just work better on the PC.

Finally, I don't know if OnLive is going to work, but if they don't pull it off someone else will, and when that happens, that will produce a major shift in the industry.

Your not so far off right now fourteentoone. Seeing some of the things coming through CES 2010 and the TV's are more integrated now with streaming and Blu-ray players getting even sharper and more streaming capabilities too.

I haven't checked on OnLive in a while but if they do perfect there streaming game technology it will be a hit and console vendors will have to be concerned. Personally I would like to see OnLive create a system where you rent the games, this way when you pay $60 for MW2 and the SP campaign is only like 6-15hrs in length you can get your money's worth out of it by only renting the game.

My only concern about the whole streaming and buying games via online on consoles is the whole archiving thing and how do you know your game purchase won't be lost.

I'm not a fan of streaming because if your internet dies your **** i think the future is steam or something like it perhaps desura one major advantage PC games have is user generated content look at little big planet that would be nothing special on the PC but console fans went nuts for it

Someone said about games in general being stale i agree Indies mods and flash games are superior

PC games getting less space in shop is partly due to digital distribution I haven't gone to a shop for a game in 2 years and I'm not alone in that.

Nah, don't think PC Gaming is dead.

Some games I simply still have to play with a mouse.

And user created content will be a force to be reckoned with. And that's where the consoles are still lagging behind. And if it is possible, most of the times you would still need a PC to create it or mod it 😉

I agree with KageMusha. The PC is far from dead. In fact, I believe that PC games inspire far more creativity. Gamers in general, are consumers. PC gamers, however, have a greater potential to get into modding or design themselves while pure console gaming generally does not allow room for modding or much learning or creativity.

Right. That is exactly the reason that I do not own a console, and perhaps never will. If I like a game, I play it "straight" once, and then play it again with hacks, mods, or "cheats" to improve some aspect that I thought needed tweaking. The modding/hacking is part of the fun for me.

Also, the games seem to have more depth on PCs. I played one of the Tomb Raiders on a PC, then played the same game with my daughter on her console. The console version had smooth graphics but it was MUCH easier; and did not seem to have the richness of content of the PC version.

For the price of a console, I can buy a graphics card and more memory for a PC. The PC has much more utility than a console, and the games are more robust on the PC.

Sure, I know that consoles offer impressive graphics power for their price, but I would rather have my kids get comfortable with spending their time on a real computer rather than a game console.

I also don't own a TV. For the price of an LCD TV, I have a projector for a computer in the living room, with surround-sound speakers, that gives me 108-inch diagonal home theater. It has seven times the display area of a 42 inch TV, and has 720p HDTV resolution, fewer ads than regular TV and no need for extra cableTV/satellite/Tivo/DVR.

Instead of a TV remote, I have a mini-size bluetooth keyboard with a built-in touchpad (it is from Logitech and it is awesome for home theater).

And a HUGE bonus to this setup is that, when done with a laptop and headphones, I can take my theater with me wherever I go. I sometimes spend weeks or months in a hotel room for work... so I can take my entire theater almost as easily as I can pack my laptop. Or take it to a party, or into the back yard (after dark, of course). A white sheet on a clothes line makes a decent outdoor screen.

For my tastes, the PC is superior in every way.

The same here. Even for boxed products, I prefer buying them online. Not to mention that I can find bargains you can not find in a real shop? (How about 33 euros for both Red Faction Guerilla and Borderlands?) And I also like the portability of Steam and Impulse games. I have all my Steam and Impulse games on two (or more I like) machines. There is the problem that after some years these companies may go the way of the dodo 😀 , but by then I will be able to find the games I like, in abandonware sites 😀 .

Will we still be useing a mouse in ten years time?.Or will we be shouting obsecenities at the computer and touching the monitor inappropiately. 😆

Iam going to miss boxed games,not a big fan of DD.

Then the word "joystick" will get a whole new meaning. 😆

I like boxed games too. But believe me DD save you from a whole lot of marital problems, especially if your boxed games collection counts a hundred or more of games. 😆 😆 😆

I'm more of a fan of boxed products too. Downloads mean that you could lose everything in the event of a hard drive crash, and depending on how the system works, you might have to pay again. If you have a boxed product, at least you have a backup on hand for certain.

So true! I already have trouble with putting my stuff away (organised), I wouldn't know where to put all those boxes and CD's. My gf is already telling me everything to keep it tidy! >.<

Now many games need to be activated online. So even if you get a boxed game and have to reinstall it, you have to re-activate.

And for downloaded games, you can easily back them up as well (but for Steam games I don't bother, just redownload with 13 MB/s 😈 )

No. End of. 😉