Ignoring whether you might like or dislike a particular genre, today’s consoles simply can’t handle the computational requirements of current generation strategy games.
For example, on a 2.26GHz P4, large Combat Mission scenarios sometimes takes the AI more than the 60 second time segment toa actually play through the turn.
Games like MOO3, C&C Generals, Galactic Civilizations, the Medieval series, and others simply won’t translate to the consoles of today, mainly because the AI requirements are simply too computationally intensive. Heck, even some action games don’t translate well – EA & DICE put a stake through the heart of the console version of BF1942 because it just wasn’t going to work.
Consoles, in another generation or two, will be able to handle whatever game type you care to throw at 'em. That’ll not be the issue.
For me, the issues are:
1 – Resolution - 600x400 or whatever TVs do just sucks when you’re used to 1280x1024. HDTV may fix this. Complicated games and those with busy interfaces NEED resolution.
2 – Control scheme - For me, FPS and RTS demand (DEMAND!!) a mouse and keyboard. If you’re going to do online RPG stuff, likewise. Anything that needs communication demands keyboard and mouse.
Fix those two issues, and I care not what platform you release your game on.
Mouse and keyboard is the true way for fps, and I mean REAL shooters not Metroid aiming action/adventure. Playing Halo on the second to last diffciulty… if only the Aliens knew how much more I’d kick there butts with m/kb! As is I overshoot, undershoot in Halo … aiming still sucks with a pad. And same with moving. WASD ALL THE WAY!
So what’s the point here? It’s likely that total PC sales are up over what they were a few years ago, even if they only represent 7% of an expanding market.
The real question is, I think, will consoles ever be able to innovate the way you can on the PC?
The interesting thing is that lately I think the answer is starting to be yes. Maybe just not in the same way.
I’m seeing some cool stuff appear on the console market, beyond the look I made Zelda stuff that seems to so in with the cool kids these days.
GTA3, Mark of Kri, there may even be another good fighter one day soon…
I don’t really think you need a mouse for an online RPG. A keyboard, yes, but in EQOA, no matter how asstastic the graphics were, the control was quite good. I didn’t feel limited at all by the lack of a mouse.
That sounds great, but I think the situation is not nearly as good for a typical civilian. I went to bestbuy.com and drilled down to their desktop computer page. There were three systems under $1000 (even after adding a monitor), all using S3 ProSavage graphics with shared memory. I don’t know much about that hardware, but I doubt that would qualify as decent gaming hardware.
The 4th system listed on the front page was a Sony VAIO for $2100, and it only had a GeForce 4 MX video card with 64 MB. While that’s pretty good, there are also much better components available and it’s already over $2000 without a monitor.
I know in ten minutes everyone here could find parts for about $1000 that would spank the VAIO, but that is not an option for most people. And Best Buy probably has better deals than the four they list. But a “non computer person” really won’t even be able to judge a ProSavage vs a GeForce. He’s going to rely on the store’s advice, and get a preconfigured system. Probably the extended warranty too.
$3000 is an exaggeration, but I think it’s probably closer to correct than $1000 for a normal person getting a decent gaming PC from a retail store.
Tim, I’d argue that the people upon whom the high-spec PC game industry relies are going to know that the Best Buy deals are bogus and have traditionally been very bang-for-buck oriented shoppers.
Thanks for nitpicking. When I say “keyboard & mouse” it’s kind of like saying “Peanut butter & Jelly”. If you’re getting one, you assume you’ll have the other. I really shouldn’t have to include an additional paragraph explaining how some games would benefit from a keyboard but don’t really need a mouse - although I suspect that’s what I’m doing now.
Just another thought on the original post from Joe. Indeed, the PC sections have dramatically lessened in both EBs and Software, etc.s. However, having said that, these last two years, and the months coming up have presented, from this player’s perspective, a slew of wonderful PC games, many of which I have, most of which I haven’t played, and a few of which I haven’t even opened! From RPGs, to action, racing and strategy titles, some of the most enjoyable and pretty PC games ever have come our way - even if some are console ports, like the incredible Splinter Cell. At my advanced age (65), I likely won’t have enough time left to play them all! With 3 to 5 hours per day playing time, and a review to write every few weeks, I’ve finally given up any thoughts of getting a console. When would I use it? And for what games? The PC still, for me at least, has the quantity and quality of games I want and need for the next two years, even if they stopped making and marketing them tomorrow!..Dave Fisher (the best looking Dave on this site)
Depends. I remember back during December people were posting help on someone buying a Dell system, and someone noticed a “gamers” package on Emachines for $1000. I can’t remember the exact specs but it was a nice system, with a Radeon 9700 PRO in it. So you don’t have to settle for crap if you look in the right places.
That is the key. Unlike the Amiga, and the Mac, or any other extinct or endangered computer platform, there are still tons and tons of PCs out there running the same basic flavor of OS, and that isnt going to change anytime soon.
I dont think we are ever going to see a resurgence of PC gaming where PCs take market share back from consoles, but I do think there will always be a market for PC games. Especially in the genres that seem to flourish on the PC and flounder on the consoles.
No its not. A friend bought a new PC(with '17 monitor) from Dell last Sept or so. It had a P4(2.4GHZ), 512MB RDRAM, CDRW, SB Audigy, and a Ti 4200. for $1100 after shipping. Thats a quality machine that can do gaming just fine.
If you want to find a good PC bargain, Best Buy isn’t the best place to start looking.
Falcon Northwest has a great line of budget systems (the “Talon” line). For $995 you can get:
AMD AthlonXP 2200+ 266 FSB Processor
nVidia nForce2 motherboard
80.0 GB Hard Drive, 7200 RPM
256MB PC2700 DDR Memory
nVidia GeForce4 Ti4200 Video 64mb
16X Toshiba DVD (48x CDROM)
Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse
Logitech Deluxe Keyboard
1.44MB Floppy Drive
Mid Tower Case
300 Watt Enermax Power Supply
Microsoft Windows XP Home
Falcon RatPadz™ Mousing Surface
System Recovery CD
3COM V.90 PCI Modem
Or Optional 10/100 Network
My in-laws bought one of the Talon systems, and they are very happy with it. eMachines had a great $1000 system that came with a Radeon 9700 Pro (How they managed to fit a $400 video card into a $1000 package, I’m not really sure), though it doesn’t seem to be available any more.
Anyone paying anywhere near $3000 for a PC today is out of their gourd. Unless they are tacking on all sorts of expensive luxuries such as big LCD monitors, there is no reason to pay that much money even for a high-end PC.
I think you guys are arguing trees, not forests. Price is a consideration, yes, but not the only one. So far as innovation, it’s just logical that consoles would steal from PCs. PCs get evolved in some way every few months. Consoles just get released every few years. It’s no mystery they snag what they feel are the most promising features PCs have developed in the meantime.
I like seeing crossover games. It gives me as a consumer options about my entertainment. My primary beef with consoles now (since I’ve already bashed the PCS) is that they don’t offer extra features. With a PC game I can look forward to upgrades and maybe expansion packs. With most console games that’s not the case (long-time lurkers will remember my rants over Morrowind Tribunal not coming out for Xbox). I understand that’s starting to change, though. Mechassault has on-line content that can be added. It could be the start of a really powerful new move by consoles to glom up a big new chunk of neglected entertainment market share. If I can loaf in my easy chair AND play together with up to 3 of my friends in the same room against a bunch of on-line types, all the while getting the latest updates-heck, it almost makes the arguement for HDTV.
One other little business fact tidbit to add to the mix is this. The console game market has a (relatively) predictable business cycle. In the end years of a console before a new console comes out (something everyone knows is happening well in advance), all sales related to the old console slow. Out comes the new console, hardware sales jump followed later by software sales. And so it goes. PC games do not share the console cycle. As such, assuming a company has the wherewithal to work on both PC and console games, there is some incentive to keep a toe in the PC waters as a hedge against the console cycle.
That’s what the analysts say, anyway. Of course, they also thought that little energy trading company in Houston had a lot going for it, so who listens to those guys?
