After discovering this article exploring the possibility that PC gaming could be losing traction, I found myself wondering – how can console gaming even hold a candle to that of the PC world? Now, considering what Vista will bring to the table in the gaming world, I believe that PC gaming will be seeing a fresh shot of adrenaline here very soon. As new titles begin coming out, designed to run on the new OS, I suspect people will see the advantages to true online gaming with a PC versus a console.
Is Microsoft simply competing with itself, or instead, hedging its bets?
There is no question, Microsoft is looking at taking advantage of both platforms and it should be given a thumbs up for doing so. Even with the Xbox 360 offering so much to the would-be gamer, I am simply too old school to care. I cannot even begin to get into a game that is not controlled by a mouse and keyboard. Creature of habit, maybe. But I would much rather spend my time pimping out a Vista gaming rig versus trying to coordinate my clumsy hands around yet another unfamiliar controller.
So is PC gaming really on its way out? Nope.
I believe that PC gaming, instead of becoming obsolete, will instead evolve into something for more games like World Of Warcraft. Because I will tell you this much, if Vista can bring some fresh features into this title with WoW’s next expansion pack, Xbox 360 will quickly become an aging “First Person Shooter box” while the Vista gaming PC will have evolved into the toy that receives the most love from hardcore gamers.
Am I nuts here? Maybe there is enough love for both the console and the new game titles set to be coming out this year? Thus far, I think it is rather foolish to say that the PC will ever become obsolete as a gaming appliance. There are just too many possibilities here I think.
[tags]gaming,vista,xbox,wow,windows, wow, world of warcraft[/tags]
You left out the PC’s most important feature: you can write your own games for it!
Matt,
I agree with you on staying with the PC for gaming. I have tried out a couple of console versions of PC games on my brother’s Xbox 360, and IMHO the PC version is far superior.
However, two of my favorites – Medal Of Honor and Call of Duty – have recent console versions, but have not released a a PC version in over a year, and looking at their respective websites, I don’t see any mention of a future release of a PC version in the near future.
PC gaming had better not go down the tubes.
I have to admit that as hi-def TV comes along, the old adage of “My game at 1280×1024 has 5x the quality of your console TV game!” is fading away, and new innovative controllers like that with the Wii add another element too…
… but until a mouse is standard, no ‘true’ FPS gamer will be happy with a console.
Being a “first person shooter” gamer myself, specificly, Ghost Recon. I do actually play both Xbox 360 and PC versions of this game, and I have found that you get far, far more controllability(if thats a word) using the PC over the console. There is just SO much the game writers can allow you to do when using the PC. Dont get me wrong though, as far as a driving game goes, I am still loving PGRII on the 360. I believe that there has been a huge lull in the release of top of the line PC games. Nothing huge comes to mind since the Half Life and Doom III releases.