PC Games Are Making A Comeback

[HardOCP News]

It's amazing how we have PC gaming comeback stories every year. How can we be making a comeback every year?

Sales generated by PC games are poised to overtake those for video game consoles, a monumental shift that is many years in the making, according to data from industry researcher PwC. By the end of 2016, PC game sales are expected to reach $29 billion around the world, compared with $28 billion in sales for the console market.

 

[Savi]

never been need of a come back, pc gaming like always, been there done that and only getting better as it ages

 

[nutzo]

Could it be due to the lack of newer games for the older consoles, and the low market share for the new consoles?

Once the Wii-U came out, the Wii was basically abandoned. Just as all the new DS games are 3DS only.
Meanwhile, most the new games are just rehashes of existing games with better graphics. Not enough to justify spend hundreds on a new console.

Since the kids have pretty much outgrown the Wii (and there's no longer anything new for it, I decided to pick up an Xbox 360 last Christmas.
There are plenty of existing 360 games (that are new to us) and I can get them cheap used. There are even new games coming out occasionally. Combined with the Xbox live subscription that gives me a couple free games each month (and discounts on others), that should take care of us for a few years.

 

[Ashbringer]

Not that the PCMasterRace is making a comeback but here's a bit more salt to be rubbed into the wounds of console owners. There's a Xbox 360 emulator in the works and it's close to be able to play 360 games. Here's a video of it playing a Dragon Ball Z games with missing textures, but otherwise working full speed with sound and works with the 360 controller. Here's the developers Github.

PC has backwards compatibility with 360 games but not Xbox One? PCMasterRace wins again. Looks like we'll finally get Halo games on PC.

 

[Ashbringer]

Woops linked Github twice. Here's the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5FKb2j2Yx8

 

[kbrickley]

Could it be due to the lack of newer games for the older consoles, and the low market share for the new consoles?

Once the Wii-U came out, the Wii was basically abandoned. Just as all the new DS games are 3DS only.
Meanwhile, most the new games are just rehashes of existing games with better graphics. Not enough to justify spend hundreds on a new console.

Since the kids have pretty much outgrown the Wii (and there's no longer anything new for it, I decided to pick up an Xbox 360 last Christmas.
There are plenty of existing 360 games (that are new to us) and I can get them cheap used. There are even new games coming out occasionally. Combined with the Xbox live subscription that gives me a couple free games each month (and discounts on others), that should take care of us for a few years.

That might be the reason for PC games leading ... but PC technology has advanced to such a point that even the most basic systems are capable of playing games at some level ... the advanced systems are putting consoles to shame (as they always have) but now benefit from the synchronicity of console technology so that it is possible for games to be available cross system regularly (and with more online games the PC is better at offering mod or add on capability, like those of Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout, etc)

 

[Kor]

Once the Wii-U came out, the Wii was basically abandoned.

The Wii was abandoned long before the Wii U was released, that machine was dead to third parties for years with the exception of shovelware mini game collections.

 

[MacLeod]

I've been hearing about the death of PC gaming since I started playing games on my Commodore 64 back in 1983. I am surprised to see them overtaking consoles though. I mean I knew they were selling enough to keep developers coming back but I figured console sales would be on top virtually forever. Any Joe Sixpack can hook up an Xbox but you have to be at least a little tech savvy to be a PC gamer.

 

[Nenu]

PC game sales are expected to reach $29 billion around the world, compared with $28 billion in sales for the console market.

The difference in actual number of games sold must be much greater.
The average price of PC games is a lot less than the console prices.

So far from making a comeback, PCs have probably been leading for a long time.

 

[dandirk]

I want to call shenanigans....

There is no way vendors have been reducing PC support for years and suddenly PC add-on/DLC sales is 10x that of consoles.

Sounds like they could be including phone/tablet games in their numbers. Probably including sales from those crappy freemium games that have $99 options 'cause I presume there are idiots that will spend that much on a game for their phone.

I will buy that PC games are rising in popularity but the numbers and attitude in the article just doesn't seem right. We wouldn't be seeing year long delays getting PC versions nor crappy UI ports.

I do agree e-sports are probably getting bigger. A friends nephew LOVED to watch lets play videos, I have heard similar comments from others. The next generation is getting more into games, just as my generation got into professional sports (and it blew up).

 

[RadXge]

So yes, PC is making a comeback, which if fine for the average PC out there, but games pushing high end setups are still relatively rare.

I miss Crysis!

 

[kbrickley]

I want to call shenanigans....

There is no way vendors have been reducing PC support for years and suddenly PC add-on/DLC sales is 10x that of consoles.

Sounds like they could be including phone/tablet games in their numbers. Probably including sales from those crappy freemium games that have $99 options 'cause I presume there are idiots that will spend that much on a game for their phone.

I will buy that PC games are rising in popularity but the numbers and attitude in the article just doesn't seem right. We wouldn't be seeing year long delays getting PC versions nor crappy UI ports.

I do agree e-sports are probably getting bigger. A friends nephew LOVED to watch lets play videos, I have heard similar comments from others. The next generation is getting more into games, just as my generation got into professional sports (and it blew up).

It could also have more to do with the used market as well, since we are talking dollars and not the total number of titles purchased ... the PC has almost no used market with the migration to digital ... the consoles, which still rely on physical media extensively, have a much larger used market ... if the used market is not included then that could shift the balance back again (or the decreased revenue for AAA titles that are purchased used instead of new would reduce the totals as well) ... or alternately if the console publishers can kill the used market (something they would like to do) then it would increase their revenues

 

[tetris42]

I want to call shenanigans....

There is no way vendors have been reducing PC support for years and suddenly PC add-on/DLC sales is 10x that of consoles.

Sounds like they could be including phone/tablet games in their numbers. Probably including sales from those crappy freemium games that have $99 options 'cause I presume there are idiots that will spend that much on a game for their phone.

I will buy that PC games are rising in popularity but the numbers and attitude in the article just doesn't seem right. We wouldn't be seeing year long delays getting PC versions nor crappy UI ports.

I do agree e-sports are probably getting bigger. A friends nephew LOVED to watch lets play videos, I have heard similar comments from others. The next generation is getting more into games, just as my generation got into professional sports (and it blew up).

Well there are two things:

1. Even when there was a slump in PC sales, GAMING PCs were actually on the rise. So sales for systems with real dedicated graphics were actually improving. Most of the lost on traditional PC sales was likely being eaten from the tablet market.

2. There's a hell of a lot of pc gamers globally. Intel said 711 million earlier this year, but that DOES include the casual types also. They made a projection back in 2010 that I think put estimates about 300 million, with "serious" gamers (non casual) ones that drive hardware numbering around 100-150 million. So that would put them at around 250 - 350 million by the same percentages.

3. As for publishers not giving PC preferential treatment, there's a lot of old guard mentality among management. Also PC still requires more support, has higher piracy, and are accustomed to lower prices. In AAA games, consoles still get higher sales, although in indie to mid-production games, PC games are like a swarm.

 

[tetris42]

And I can't count or edit.

 

[Ducman69]

I thought we had already seen PC gaming exceed console game revenue, but perhaps this is a "new" comeback due to a surge of game buying for the new generation consoles.

Obviously as the consoles age, with their performance remaining static and non-upgradable, they become less and less desirable.

The other problem of course is that less and less people are spending time in the living room. These days it seems most of the family are on their own computers or tablets in their own rooms so they can consume the media they want. Seems more anti-social, even if they are socializing by playing online with friends or on facebook and what not, but the huddling around the TV in the living room is starting to phase out, the way that most new home constructions don't even have dining rooms anymore because fewer and fewer people use their dedicated dining rooms anymore.

 

[Dayaks]

So yes, PC is making a comeback, which if fine for the average PC out there, but games pushing high end setups are still relatively rare.

I miss Crysis!

Just buy a 4k or 3440 monitor and games that push your system aren't rare anymore.

 

[Deleted member 88227]

So yes, PC is making a comeback, which if fine for the average PC out there, but games pushing high end setups are still relatively rare.

I miss Crysis!

Start playing games at 4k.

 

[rudy]

Not that the PCMasterRace is making a comeback but here's a bit more salt to be rubbed into the wounds of console owners. There's a Xbox 360 emulator in the works and it's close to be able to play 360 games. Here's a video of it playing a Dragon Ball Z games with missing textures, but otherwise working full speed with sound and works with the 360 controller. Here's the developers Github.

PC has backwards compatibility with 360 games but not Xbox One? PCMasterRace wins again. Looks like we'll finally get Halo games on PC.

Emulators are not a positive thing for PC gaming. Why? Because they never get wide acceptance and all they really seem to do is hook more players on console games. When the next system releases and that person wants to play Mario they often lose self control and just buy a Nintendo console. I have watched many of my emulator toting friends do this.

Its funny how much work a bunch of PC gamers will put into trying to essentially help consoles.

What PC gamers should do is just support the games that release on PC. As long as PC gamers who want some style of game go to emulators they are reducing or ignoring the markets needs for similar games.

 

[Flogger23m]

Emulators are not a positive thing for PC gaming. Why? Because they never get wide acceptance and all they really seem to do is hook more players on console games. When the next system releases and that person wants to play Mario they often lose self control and just buy a Nintendo console. I have watched many of my emulator toting friends do this.

Its funny how much work a bunch of PC gamers will put into trying to essentially help consoles.

What PC gamers should do is just support the games that release on PC. As long as PC gamers who want some style of game go to emulators they are reducing or ignoring the markets needs for similar games.

Let me put it this way. There are some console games I want to play that aren't on the PC. There are a lot of PC games that I have zero interest in, even if they are AAA games. I'd assume it is the same for those people. Very few PC games are actually PC only type games anyways. Just view the general gaming forum and you'll see what I mean. Or maybe you won't.

 

[rudy]

I think as PC gamer you probably just view it that way simply because you cannot play the game. The main reason console gamers don't view it the other way is because, wait for it, wait for it. nobody doesn't own a PC.....If there was a world where PCs were mutually exclusive of consoles you might see a lot more complaining. Case in point the most popular games on earth such as LoL are pc "exclusives" Emulators are glorified piracy, and ultimately we have learned that pirates not only steal, but also generate interest in real purchases, and increase the popularity of a work. Emulators will do the same for consoles. This is what console makers know and why they don't bother to put "emulators" for PC games into consoles. If a game is not a console game they don't want you becoming hooked on the IP and having nostalgia. I see so many people who are absolutely hard up for Nintendo IP even when there are perfectly good copies / alternatives on the PC.

 

[Godmachine]

PC market is dying. PC games are dead.

Its another week..

PC market is thriving! PC games are healing the sick..


I just don't even give a fuck anymore.

 

[Flogger23m]

I think as PC gamer you probably just view it that way simply because you cannot play the game. The main reason console gamers don't view it the other way is because, wait for it, wait for it. nobody doesn't own a PC.....If there was a world where PCs were mutually exclusive of consoles you might see a lot more complaining. Case in point the most popular games on earth such as LoL are pc "exclusives" Emulators are glorified piracy, and ultimately we have learned that pirates not only steal, but also generate interest in real purchases, and increase the popularity of a work. Emulators will do the same for consoles. This is what console makers know and why they don't bother to put "emulators" for PC games into consoles. If a game is not a console game they don't want you becoming hooked on the IP and having nostalgia. I see so many people who are absolutely hard up for Nintendo IP even when there are perfectly good copies / alternatives on the PC.

Never heard of the console makers developing an emulator. It is always fan based. Being that the consoles are locked down you obviously won't see emulators on them. And you'd have to be crazy to believe Sony would develop a Windows/Xbox/Nintendo emulator for their console and vice versa.

Games like LoL, DOTA, ect. is the crap I was referring to. IMO those kind of games as well as "free to play games" are the biggest threat to gaming.

As for console gamers, I'm sure plenty wished there were emulators to play other console/PC games on it. But there aren't, so they can't. Likewise, many PC only games are built around peripherals or hardware that just isn't available on the console. PCs will be able to run console games, use their controllers (N64, PS2, ect. all work via 3rd party adapters). One of the reasons why PC gaming is the best.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

Case in point the most popular games on earth such as LoL are pc "exclusives"

What is LoL? Never heard of it.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

In the past it used to be difficult to track sales figures for PC's, as the official figures from publishers usually didn't include digital sales, and the likes of Vale didn't report their figures sold through Steam

Has this changed?

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

...and why they don't bother to put "emulators" for PC games into consoles.

You can't emulate up. You can only emulate down.

It takes the power of the system you are trying to emulate PLUS overhead for the emulation, usually LOTS of overhead.

This is why we are only now, 10 years after its launch starting to hear about an Xbox 360 emulator.

Trying to take a console that is underpowered to begin with and emulate a gaming PC is just lol-worthy.

 

[tetris42]

In the past it used to be difficult to track sales figures for PC's, as the official figures from publishers usually didn't include digital sales, and the likes of Vale didn't report their figures sold through Steam

Has this changed?

No, it hasn't. What is happening is publicly traded companies report their PC sales figures. So there's a chance things are larger than what's reported.

This is why we are only now, 10 years after its launch starting to hear about an Xbox 360 emulator.

Screw that, we don't have an Xbox original emulator yet. Power-wise we probably could have had a 360 emulator several years ago. While there is loss like you said, it's not like it's just now we're beginning to have the power to do it. The biggest dampening factor is people are trying to illicitly reverse-engineer a console. It's a lot of shots in the dark. That task ranges from excruciating to practically impossible. If Xenia calls it quits, that's it, the emulation is dead in the water again.

 

[temujin987]

not too long ago pc gaming was declared dead because, according to potheads like michael pachter, a ps3 was vastly more powerful than a pc. oh and mobile gaming... should have killed everything.

 

[rudy]

Never heard of the console makers developing an emulator. It is always fan based. Being that the consoles are locked down you obviously won't see emulators on them. And you'd have to be crazy to believe Sony would develop a Windows/Xbox/Nintendo emulator for their console and vice versa.

Games like LoL, DOTA, ect. is the crap I was referring to. IMO those kind of games as well as "free to play games" are the biggest threat to gaming.

As for console gamers, I'm sure plenty wished there were emulators to play other console/PC games on it. But there aren't, so they can't. Likewise, many PC only games are built around peripherals or hardware that just isn't available on the console. PCs will be able to run console games, use their controllers (N64, PS2, ect. all work via 3rd party adapters). One of the reasons why PC gaming is the best.

Console makers do develop emulators but only for their older games for backwards compatibility. They can do it if they want to the point is they don't because they know that would actually feed back into more sales for PC games. They only want the kids getting hooked on their own IP which is why nintendo is so successful dispite having over a decade of launching under powered lame consoles. Console emulation on PCs is bad for PCs because it keeps people playing console IP and sooner or later those people will get busy and just buy a wii instead of getting those players to go try many of the great IP that would fill the same niche that is available for PC.

 

[rudy]

I also wanted to say that PC gaming has the potential for astronomical growth. The reason I say this because I cant still walk into just about any public place, ask 10 people about steam and maybe 1 will know what it is. Ask them what an xbox or a playstation is and 8-9 will know.... Getting the word out about steam is probably the best thing any PC gamer could do to help PC gaming. Heck stock up on a bunch of $1 humble bundles and hand them out like candy during Christmas, Halloween etc.... Even if you hate steam it gives people a gateway and they can learn about other games that do not use steam.

 

[DarkStar_WNY]

I have to wonder if these increases are related to the simple fact that game sales on Steam were rarely, if ever, included reports of total game sales, so if, as the article states, 3 of 4 PC game sales are on Steam suddenly counting those sales would result in a suddent 300% increase in reported PC game sales.

 

[WaltC]

PC market is dying. PC games are dead.

Its another week..

PC market is thriving! PC games are healing the sick..


I just don't even give a fuck anymore.

It's likely you know this already, but it never hurts to review the facts...

More PCs are sold in a month than the xBone & PS4 combined have sold since they started shipping. Unlike consoles, however, PCs can be used for many more things other than running games. The PC gaming market is a lot more fickle and demanding accordingly, and developers have to hit a higher bar in programming games for it. PC games ought to be handily outselling console games, but they struggle with it because of three factors: most PC gamers aren't interested in console ports, PC gamers choose from a vast library of game software starting at under $5, and most PC gamers don't want to pay $60 for admission to the latest games. Additionally, PC backwards compatibility for games is terrific and PC owners can run practically everything made for the PC for the last 30 years. The library of x86-Windows games is gigantic, which means PC gamers have much more to choose from. Then there's also the fact that game modification is very big on the PC--Skyrim is but one example.

The console game market is a different beast--the programming standards are often lower--sometimes much lower--and console owners are a captive market--unlike PCs, the *only* kind of software console owners can buy are the games that are put in front of them. At the prices that are put in front of them, too. And backwards compatibility for games? For xBone and PS4 forget it--it doesn't exist.

The short of it is that developers feel they can make more money for doing less work on the console side of the house. But for consumers like us, consoles don't come close to the value of a PC.

 

[ShamisOMally]

>"Poised to overtake consoles this year in game sales"

They've only outsold consoles since 2006. Great journalism there.

 

[CreepyUncleGoogle]

Haha! They talked about e-sports *snerk* and VR headsets. Really the only thing they got right was to point out the dominance of mobile gaming on stuff like tablets and phones.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

To me it really doesn't matter.

I don't play games on phones or tablets.

I haven't played any game on a console since my 8bit NES in the 80's. (Except Katamari Damacy on PS2, that shit was goofy and fun)

I got my first PC of my own at age 11 in 1991, and since then I have been a member of the PC Master Race.

The only time I even look at consoles or phone games, is to make a snarky disapproving comment.

I won't even play most titles that are either codeveloped or developed for consoles first then ported to PC.

They don't have to be PC exclusives. I don't care if they port them to consoles afterwards, as long as no one on the design team has consoles on their mind during the original development, as it usually ruins the feel of the game, by dumbing it down to console levels or sabotaging the controls to make them console compatible.

Some say that without consoles there would be no AAA titles, that they need the greater audience in order to spread the cost of development.

That is fine by me. AAA titles tend to suck anyway.

The games most worth playing have always been indies and PC exclusives.

So I don't give a rats ass about console or mobile games sales. They don't exist to me anyway. I don't consider them part of the same market.

They are low quality games for people happy to consume trash.

 

[zkostik]

I also agree that PC games didn't need a comeback, though this year we had so many good titles coming out. I think it's been a while since I've purchased so many games in a year, specifically at full launch price. Been really enjoying Witcher 3 btw!

 

[kbrickley]

I also agree that PC games didn't need a comeback, though this year we had so many good titles coming out. I think it's been a while since I've purchased so many games in a year, specifically at full launch price. Been really enjoying Witcher 3 btw!

Although I agree that they didn't need a comeback, they do wax and wane a bit depending on various factors ... I think now that we have hit critical mass in the digital delivery market it removes a lot of the previous risk of PC gaming for developers and publishers ...

managing your supply of physical media so you don't overbuild or underbuild is always tricky with games ... with digital they can sell as many copies as the market needs without managing and delivering warehouses of boxes ... they still have the option to deliver physical media as well (but at a much smaller scale with much less risk) ... they can also utilize CE and SE versions for the physical media to maximize profit and increase web presence (if they design really effective and interesting CE/SE versions)

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

but they struggle with it because of three factors: most PC gamers aren't interested in console ports, PC gamers choose from a vast library of game software starting at under $5, and most PC gamers don't want to pay $60 for admission to the latest games.

<snip>

The short of it is that developers feel they can make more money for doing less work on the console side of the house. But for consumers like us, consoles don't come close to the value of a PC.

The truth is - however - that digital distribution makes the per unit sale price much less relevant, as evidenced by this old information from Gabe Newell.

Essentially, with digital distribution, the lower the price, the more money you make, in almost all cases.

The truth is, when you lower prices, you increase volumes. We all know that. Basic economics 101. With digital distribution - however - your increase in cost from selling more units is marginal (bandwidth, server load, electricity) compared to manufactured/boxed products.

So this means that in digital distribution, volume trumps price even more readily than in traditional distribution.

 

[Phoenix333]

The only thing that's hurt PC gaming is consolitis and every big studio looking at CoD selling the same crap over and over and deciding, "Durrr, we gotta do wut dey is doin fur m0n3y$," and producing crap games as a result. Since that thankfully seems to be a dying trend, we're starting to see more games, a larger variety of games and game genres, and hopefully better AAA titles in the future as a result.

 

[Croaker]

The truth is - however - that digital distribution makes the per unit sale price much less relevant, as evidenced by this old information from Gabe Newell.

Essentially, with digital distribution, the lower the price, the more money you make, in almost all cases.

The truth is, when you lower prices, you increase volumes. We all know that. Basic economics 101. With digital distribution - however - your increase in cost from selling more units is marginal (bandwidth, server load, electricity) compared to manufactured/boxed products.

So this means that in digital distribution, volume trumps price even more readily than in traditional distribution.

One other really important point with digital distribution is inventory. You don't have any. Warehousing and retailer returns due to overstocking kill you. I don't know what the numbers are today but mid 90s it used to be a returned game cost you an additional 6 dollars per copy above and beyond the lost revenue. Got even uglier if they demanded pricing protection on the perceived next big hit to make up for the "failure".