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Are PC Games No Longer Profitable?


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#26 Ion Cannon!

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Posted 06 January 2010 - 23:05

View PostWizard, on 6 Jan 2010, 22:45, said:

Oi! Don't knock the Wii. And who the bloody hell, at ANY point in time, thought that the Wii was anything more than a social activity console??? Did you really think Nintendo had gone back to the glory days of........erm........ Duck Hunt? The hardcore game that it was.

Seriously lay off of it. Personally I think it's the best of the consoles. No other console can put you in the same room with people and have that much pure fun. It's the gaming equivalent of just letting go and enjoying yourself. When you compare it to what PC gaming AND gaming in general is now becoming, I think I'd prefer to take it. Bunny hopping-n00b tubing-wall hacking-build order-Zerg Rushing-mic spamming-server flooding-asshats. You can't pick up a mouse these days without someone having ruined the fucking the game for you 3 months before it reaches the shops, that don't sell it anymore, which is precisely 2 days before they release the DLC for it, that you were promised for free, only then it's released as a sequel, so it could be boycotted by everyone, only to become the biggest selling game of the year......

Yeah, the Wii is totally a useless console. I mean, all you can do is play games on it...... D8


Yes, some of them are fun as a group but things like Warioware smooth moves, where one of the activities seems to be blowing up a baloon with a pump? I mean, why waste your time doing that.

Oh you also get points for speaking your mind after I slated it so much :P
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#27 BeefJeRKy

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Posted 06 January 2010 - 23:11

View PostIon Cannon!, on 7 Jan 2010, 1:05, said:

View PostWizard, on 6 Jan 2010, 22:45, said:

Oi! Don't knock the Wii. And who the bloody hell, at ANY point in time, thought that the Wii was anything more than a social activity console??? Did you really think Nintendo had gone back to the glory days of........erm........ Duck Hunt? The hardcore game that it was.

Seriously lay off of it. Personally I think it's the best of the consoles. No other console can put you in the same room with people and have that much pure fun. It's the gaming equivalent of just letting go and enjoying yourself. When you compare it to what PC gaming AND gaming in general is now becoming, I think I'd prefer to take it. Bunny hopping-n00b tubing-wall hacking-build order-Zerg Rushing-mic spamming-server flooding-asshats. You can't pick up a mouse these days without someone having ruined the fucking the game for you 3 months before it reaches the shops, that don't sell it anymore, which is precisely 2 days before they release the DLC for it, that you were promised for free, only then it's released as a sequel, so it could be boycotted by everyone, only to become the biggest selling game of the year......

Yeah, the Wii is totally a useless console. I mean, all you can do is play games on it...... :P


Yes, some of them are fun as a group but things like Warioware smooth moves, where one of the activities seems to be blowing up a baloon with a pump? I mean, why waste your time doing that.

Oh you also get points for speaking your mind after I slated it so much :P

Things that appear to be a waste of time are more fun after you try them. The fun thing about Warioware is that you have to do random stuff like inflate a balloon, shake some salt onto a salad, push the plunger of TNT etc... all in the space of seconds. It's fun when with friends. Obviously the experience is different from a more engrossing and involving game on the "classic" systems D8.

Edited by JRK, 06 January 2010 - 23:11.

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#28 Ion Cannon!

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Posted 06 January 2010 - 23:19

View PostJRK, on 6 Jan 2010, 23:11, said:

View PostIon Cannon!, on 7 Jan 2010, 1:05, said:

View PostWizard, on 6 Jan 2010, 22:45, said:

Oi! Don't knock the Wii. And who the bloody hell, at ANY point in time, thought that the Wii was anything more than a social activity console??? Did you really think Nintendo had gone back to the glory days of........erm........ Duck Hunt? The hardcore game that it was.

Seriously lay off of it. Personally I think it's the best of the consoles. No other console can put you in the same room with people and have that much pure fun. It's the gaming equivalent of just letting go and enjoying yourself. When you compare it to what PC gaming AND gaming in general is now becoming, I think I'd prefer to take it. Bunny hopping-n00b tubing-wall hacking-build order-Zerg Rushing-mic spamming-server flooding-asshats. You can't pick up a mouse these days without someone having ruined the fucking the game for you 3 months before it reaches the shops, that don't sell it anymore, which is precisely 2 days before they release the DLC for it, that you were promised for free, only then it's released as a sequel, so it could be boycotted by everyone, only to become the biggest selling game of the year......

Yeah, the Wii is totally a useless console. I mean, all you can do is play games on it...... :P


Yes, some of them are fun as a group but things like Warioware smooth moves, where one of the activities seems to be blowing up a baloon with a pump? I mean, why waste your time doing that.

Oh you also get points for speaking your mind after I slated it so much :P

Things that appear to be a waste of time are more fun after you try them. The fun thing about Warioware is that you have to do random stuff like inflate a balloon, shake some salt onto a salad, push the plunger of TNT etc... all in the space of seconds. It's fun when with friends. Obviously the experience is different from a more engrossing and involving game on the "classic" systems D8.


I would rather just chat to people than do any of that.
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#29 Warbz

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Posted 06 January 2010 - 23:21

To be honest I do think the Wii is the only thing that can be classed as 'Next Gen'. The Xbox 360 and PS3 were basically the same as previous generations but a bit more powerful.

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#30 Zhao

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Posted 06 January 2010 - 23:47

The WII IMO , Is the kind of system you play when other people are around to play it with you , SSBB anyone :P

Edited by Zhao, 06 January 2010 - 23:48.


#31 AllStarZ

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 00:00

While I think that the Wii adds the potential for a whole new dimension in gaming, it's more fun to play if you have friends.

And I have no friends.

...

Therefore, I got a PS3.

~

There are still a lot aspects of PC gaming that consoles will not be able to match for awhile, like modding capability or RTS gaming. For a game like say, Fallout 3, you can equip a number of user-made mods to improve overall gameplay and/or better suit the game to your own tastes. Occasionally, you get a well-made TC mod that is superior to a retail game.

But yes, online purchasing of PC games has far more advantages than retailing them in stores. You don't have to get out of your chair to buy a game, there's always copies available, and for the seller, has a far larger profit margin per sale.

~

I think that one reason why PC gaming is on the decline is due to hardware requirements and the fact that consoles are much easier to play with. To be able to play a game at optimal quality and performance requires over a thousand dollars for a pre-assembled system. Assembling it yourself isn't much cheaper. Consoles cost less and generally ensure consistently good quality and performance compared to PCs. Plus, now that every console out there has decent online gaming capability, that's one more leg taken out from under the PC.

You also have to consider the kind of people that play games.

Not everyone knows the intricacies of computers beyond say, using Microsoft Word, doing cool things in Photoshop, or browsing for porn. For them, it's simply much easier to play games on the consoles than fiddle about with settings for the PC.

Then there's also multiplayer. Like someone has already pointed out, split-screen multiplayer on a console tends to be a more social experience than playing online. LAN parties, while capable of being just as fun, are less common and more complicated to set up than parties involving a console.

Edited by AllStarZ, 07 January 2010 - 00:44.


#32 retry_1

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 00:47

View PostJRK, on 6 Jan 2010, 16:16, said:

The Xbox has no browser, but you're right they can do that. But the PS3 does it painfully. Gotta admit they are brilliant at the movies and music bit though. Notice the absence of the Wii in this equation.

the wii does have an internet browser. it's confusing and awkward. but it is there.

i personally don't game on my PC anymore. i actually have been using my Ipod Touch for games more than my PC since i got it. but that's mostly due to the fact the ipod can run the assassins creed app, while my computer cries at the mention of the game. The only new console i have is the wii, and it's fine for guitar hero, and those workout games, but it's utterly ruined madden. My not-so-trusty PS2 has been rebuilt twice in the past two months. but i still use it.
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#33 ΓΛPTΘΓ

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 02:09

I totally disagree a console system cost more than a PC. For the same price of a PS3, I can build a half decent system without a screen. Where the PC you can do far more than a console, and at the same price.

You can hook your PC to a TV too, so no screen is not really a argument.

Look at my system, it cost less than £400 without my soundcard, sound damped case and upgraded PSU. It can run Crysis on high and most games at max.
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#34 Wizard

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 09:42

Are you seriously trying to telling me you can buy a working, Crysis ready desktop PC for less than £224.80? I somehow doubt that.

#35 Ion Cannon!

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 11:46

View PostWizard, on 7 Jan 2010, 9:42, said:

Are you seriously trying to telling me you can buy a working, Crysis ready desktop PC for less than £224.80? I somehow doubt that.


You can't for £224.80, but depending on how many games you buy PC gaming is cheaper or at least evens out in the long run.

Edited by Ion Cannon!, 07 January 2010 - 11:47.

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#36 Nid

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 12:44

What Ion said, at roughly £50 a game, buying just four games would have set you back £424.80 already, meaning you could have gotten a PC and a few games for that price already, as well as a far more versatile machine that is upgradable.
PC games bieng within the range of about £20 to £30, you will soon begin to be saving money over console gamers.

That said, keeping your PC up to date in order to handle newer games is a task that is well, expensive also.

TBH just bieng a gamer in general is one of the most expensive hobbies you could choose. And you thought Games Workshop hobbies were expensive to get into?

Edited by Nidmeister, 07 January 2010 - 12:45.

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#37 Wizard

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 12:49

Where is everyone getting this £50 per game from? MW2 is the only game that has cost that much afaik. New releases are £40 (on nearly every site I've just looked at). That is a £40 difference for just 4 games.

#38 Ion Cannon!

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 13:06

View PostWizard, on 7 Jan 2010, 12:49, said:

Where is everyone getting this £50 per game from? MW2 is the only game that has cost that much afaik. New releases are £40 (on nearly every site I've just looked at). That is a £40 difference for just 4 games.


I thought the RRP for COD MW2 was £55? I've seen assasins creed II and quite a few other games for £50 as well. Granted I haven't shopped around, those are just prices I have noticed in my local GAME shop. Online retail is generally cheaper than from the shops though.

Edited by Ion Cannon!, 07 January 2010 - 13:07.

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#39 Chyros

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 13:31

View PostIon Cannon!, on 7 Jan 2010, 15:06, said:

View PostWizard, on 7 Jan 2010, 12:49, said:

Where is everyone getting this £50 per game from? MW2 is the only game that has cost that much afaik. New releases are £40 (on nearly every site I've just looked at). That is a £40 difference for just 4 games.


I thought the RRP for COD MW2 was £55? I've seen assasins creed II and quite a few other games for £50 as well. Granted I haven't shopped around, those are just prices I have noticed in my local GAME shop. Online retail is generally cheaper than from the shops though.
Yeah, with a little looking around online retail can get you substantial amounts off. In the case of MW2 I got it for half price - 30 euros. Same price for L4D2.
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#40 TheDR

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 13:33

View PostChyros, on 7 Jan 2010, 13:31, said:

View PostIon Cannon!, on 7 Jan 2010, 15:06, said:

View PostWizard, on 7 Jan 2010, 12:49, said:

Where is everyone getting this £50 per game from? MW2 is the only game that has cost that much afaik. New releases are £40 (on nearly every site I've just looked at). That is a £40 difference for just 4 games.


I thought the RRP for COD MW2 was £55? I've seen assasins creed II and quite a few other games for £50 as well. Granted I haven't shopped around, those are just prices I have noticed in my local GAME shop. Online retail is generally cheaper than from the shops though.
Yeah, with a little looking around online retail can get you substantial amounts off. In the case of MW2 I got it for half price - 30 euros. Same price for L4D2.

That is PC though, i bet it would be really hard to find the console version that cheap.
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#41 Chyros

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 13:34

View PostTheDR, on 7 Jan 2010, 15:33, said:

View PostChyros, on 7 Jan 2010, 13:31, said:

View PostIon Cannon!, on 7 Jan 2010, 15:06, said:

View PostWizard, on 7 Jan 2010, 12:49, said:

Where is everyone getting this £50 per game from? MW2 is the only game that has cost that much afaik. New releases are £40 (on nearly every site I've just looked at). That is a £40 difference for just 4 games.


I thought the RRP for COD MW2 was £55? I've seen assasins creed II and quite a few other games for £50 as well. Granted I haven't shopped around, those are just prices I have noticed in my local GAME shop. Online retail is generally cheaper than from the shops though.
Yeah, with a little looking around online retail can get you substantial amounts off. In the case of MW2 I got it for half price - 30 euros. Same price for L4D2.

That is PC though, i bet it would be really hard to find the console version that cheap.
Hard if not impossible. One advantage of PC games is of course that they are cheaper than their console versions.
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#42 Zhao

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 14:15

The only reason i like the WII is backwards compatablity. :P

#43 Warbz

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 14:48

You can easily get console games for the same price as PC games, you just have to not be a tool.

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#44 n5p29

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 16:41

my only reason for PC gaming is just for mods. the new games need to upgrading my computer which is expensive.
as for consoles I just have wii (still cant decide between X360 or PS3).

anyway, there's still a thing called "emulator", which makes you can play non-PC games on your PC. :P

#45 BeefJeRKy

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 17:16

View PostNidmeister, on 7 Jan 2010, 14:44, said:

What Ion said, at roughly £50 a game, buying just four games would have set you back £424.80 already, meaning you could have gotten a PC and a few games for that price already, as well as a far more versatile machine that is upgradable.
PC games bieng within the range of about £20 to £30, you will soon begin to be saving money over console gamers.

That said, keeping your PC up to date in order to handle newer games is a task that is well, expensive also.

TBH just bieng a gamer in general is one of the most expensive hobbies you could choose. And you thought Games Workshop hobbies were expensive to get into?

Upgrading your pc doesn't have to be as costly as you imagine. You probably won't need to spend more than $200-300 every two years as long as you maintain your PC properly and don't get faulty parts (it happens randomly too). If you got say a 500 pound PC, the upgrades needed within two years would likely be either some RAM or a new graphics card. Storage and memory are inexpensive to upgrade and even mid-level graphics cards are decently priced today. The only hassle is changing the CPU and Mobo tbh though that can be done in the long term. Still I can see why this wouldn't appeal to most people who aren't keen on tinkering with things like this. I know I'm gonna spend some cash on upgrades for my PC this year starting with a new CPU fan.

View Postn5p29, on 7 Jan 2010, 18:41, said:

my only reason for PC gaming is just for mods. the new games need to upgrading my computer which is expensive.
as for consoles I just have wii (still cant decide between X360 or PS3).

anyway, there's still a thing called "emulator", which makes you can play non-PC games on your PC. :P

But emulators can often feel clunky. Only the ones that emulate 5th gen consoles (N64, PS1, etc..) seem to run smoothly. I think you could stretch it to the original Xbox on a powerful enough pc.
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#46 Warbz

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 17:37

Emulators never give you a good feel to the game either, I much prefer playing console games with console controllers.

Also, with console games, you can buy them really cheaply pre-owned. I bought Forza 3 today for £20, but it had a bad scratch in the disc so the Manager replaced it with a brand new unopened copy of Forza. Winner winner chicken dinner.

Edited by W!, 07 January 2010 - 17:39.


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#47 Ion Cannon!

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 17:51

View PostW!, on 7 Jan 2010, 17:37, said:

Emulators never give you a good feel to the game either, I much prefer playing console games with console controllers.

Also, with console games, you can buy them really cheaply pre-owned. I bought Forza 3 today for £20, but it had a bad scratch in the disc so the Manager replaced it with a brand new unopened copy of Forza. Winner winner chicken dinner.


I still maintain that in general PC games are substantially cheaper than their console counterparts. I think I bought 6 games off steam over the christmas period for £20 total, granted thats an exceptional circumstance, but it just wouldn't happen in the console market.

I guess it also depends on how many games you buy. I would say I have alot more than the average person.

Edited by Ion Cannon!, 07 January 2010 - 17:52.

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#48 Shirou

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Posted 07 January 2010 - 22:35

The PC is and has always been the technological pioneer when it comes to gaming, and after a certain something has proven succesful on PC it will go to the consoles.

The PC is currently suffering from the cheap prices of consoles and how the market has developed (Console games can be sold for more than PC games) because of piracy. However, PC gaming is still at the forefront at some elements, especially the current trend of digital distribution. Innovator Steam and similar services are succesful and as always, I do predict for hardcore games on the consoles to also migrate to a digital distribution model.

In the end when that happens, the PC and the Console may even be closer together than ever. I don't think this has been settled yet. Innovations go so fast that a dying PC-market may as well be booming in the next due to cross-platform innovations or new inventive ways to utilize the platform like Stream my game through glass fiber.
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#49 deltaepsilon

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Posted 09 January 2010 - 07:09

Wii's still a really fun console but imagine how kick ass it'd be if Nintendo decided to give it the hardware grunt that equalled the PS3 or 360.
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#50 Wizard

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Posted 09 January 2010 - 10:41

You are right HDMI is the one lacking feature of the Wii.



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