Why PC Gaming Is Growing
05.09.08 - 08:47pm
Contrary to everyone else clamoring about the death of PC gaming, I’m going to write quite the opposite. How can I confidently make such a statement? Well simply, I have faith in the casual gamer sitting in the office cubicle. Some offices might have a console in the break room, but every office is almost guaranteed to have a PC that is connected to the Internet. Through this portal many options are available to the casual gamer.
The era of the hardcore PC gamer has been over for a decent length of time. In it’s place has arisen the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, two consoles that feature near-PC caliber hardware specs at a reduced cost and functionality. Console gaming has become increasingly mainstream in America as consumers become hardware abstracted users and desire more simplicity in their lives with fast warranty processes and non-finicky hardware. The high-end PC DIY market is shrinking due to skyrocketing prices and differing trends in player gaming habits.
How Can This Be?
With all that said, how can I dare claim that PC gaming is growing? Well, I didn’t specify precisely which division of PC gaming is growing. There is a large userbase of casual players that utilize web browsers with flash and java enabled to play very short and simple game titles typically without outright paying to play. Websites such as AddictionGames.com and NewGrounds.com offer users hundreds of flash based games that launch in seconds and offer simple gameplay with short periods of time required. No longer is the average gamer willing to play for lengthy durations of time, instead the average gamer is looking for a short distraction from their work day and busy lives. In addition to the time requirements, these games are typically free, supported by on-site advertising.
It hurts me to hear this, but gaming is traveling down this road with a blistering pace. Before I know it my hobby will be an archaic piece of the past as laptops replace desktops and server-side flash/java games replace stand-alone video games. I believe consoles will continue to be successful due to the simpler controls and abstraction of the hardware from the user however PC titles will always have the possibility of being superior in technology due to their ability to undergo short period hardware refreshes versus 3 year cycles for consoles. Hopefully short-duration browser based games will grow in production quality and yield titles capable of weaving stories that the best stand-alone titles of current gaming offer.
I should have used more clear wording. By client-side vs server-side, I wasn’t referring to the system doing the processing but rather the relationship between the data solely residing on the computer vs the data being dished out my a server for each time played.