'New' PC sales have declined - but that's hardly a death throw - have you any idea how many PC's and Macs (let alone iOS and Android) there are globally? lets put it this way.. take all the sales of every console ever, times it by 1000 and you still wont be even close.
PC's components are upgradable and if you are a gamer, you will get into upgrading rather than buying a whole new unit every x years.
I remember some people writing off the PC as a gaming machine in around 1989 - and then the 486 and Creative Soundcards came about, and again in the early 00s when 'next gen' consoles came out (Xbox and PS2).
It didn't happen then, its not happening now - and frankly to think that the new consoles are going to fly off the shelves any better is a fanciful notion as most western economies are still suffering from recessionary affects - which by the way is more the reason why 'new' PC sales have suffered - that and windows 8 has kind of bombed.
With things like Steambox and Steam controllers on the horizon, with Oculus Rift and crap loads of innovative stuff coming on the horizon, the likely victims will be the consoles over the next 5 years.
Even though worldwide PC sales have declined every quarter since early 2012, you do have to see these things in context though. Only an estimated 80M units were shipped last quarter.
Only... 80... million...
Clearly, PC's are about to vanish from the scene. Not.
However, as far as MMO's are concerned, I suspect it will be the push by publishers and developers toward consoles and tablets that will most strongly affect the games as we know them today.
This push will be to access a wider potential playerbase, but broadening the scope of the platforms they're targeting will inevitably mean that the games must be playable on a tablet. The lowest common denominator always wins out in the end...
I find funny how you guys notice pc are selling less but don't think maybe, just maybe the market have enough PCs around to last and the upgrades lately are not as huge like it was years before, before in less tehn a year we would ahve enough new things to double or even triple the PC power, now the price for teh upgrade is not that much anymore, computer need a new archteture to keep growing and till they find a way for it it will not sell much more because the computer we have now can hold well anything they make
Originally posted by Atrocitus Massive declining sells of the PC are making news articles columns. The death throes of the pc are in full effectas the smart phone and tablets take the vacated throne.Will this switch effect MMO gamers? Is buying a gaming PC going to become difficult
Do you have any figures to back this assumption up? Or is it a dream or wish that this is true? My PC can outperform any other gaming device on the market right now.
I just built a new computer. Dell, HP, and Alienware did not show any sales from my purchases. There are lots of computer part sellers that did, though
As Phry pointed out, PCs are modular. Want to upgrade? Easily done. Not so with phones, consoles, or tablets.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse. - FARGIN_WAR
Hey if more people are building their own instead of buying premade ones more power to them. No longer having to call customer service for basic info that should be on the parts listing but they give some annoying simple codes instead. I swear from their marketing companies like Dell HP and Alienware must think people should buy a whole new computer every year.
Gamers would much rather use that money buying games to play and I'm sure game makers would like that as well.
It sure won't. The people not buying PCs are people that never wanted them in the first place. It might actually improve games by not having them geared toward casual gamers. Let those tools play brainless crap on their iPads and consoles, and leave real gaming to the PC owners.
Here is the fundamental problem: We're reaching the limit on what we can do with the "old" game design technology. Most PCs, even the crappy HP or Dell ones, can run 90% of the games on the market. If your system can run a game that you want to play, why upgrade? So are PCs declining. Perhaps, but once games start becoming more system intensive, you'll see an increase in sales and/or personalized systems (like mine).
I built my PC for Warhammer, and went a little overkill. To this day, it can still play 99% of the games on the market on max graphics.
Raquelis in various games Played: Everything Playing: Nioh 2, Civ6 Wants: The World Anticipating:Everquest NextCrowfall, Pantheon, Elden Ring
I do know people that used to play MMOs on the PC that no longer do so.....Like many have mentioned they have moved to smart phones or tablets...None of these people were hardcore gamers but were still part of the numbers......Like others have said, these other formats dont really replace the PC but offer a more convenient way of casual gaming that definitely appeals to some people.....games like Angry Birds dont appeal to me one iota and Im sure many other PC gamers feel the same way.
Originally posted by Theocritus I do know people that used to play MMOs on the PC that no longer do so.....Like many have mentioned they have moved to smart phones or tablets...None of these people were hardcore gamers but were still part of the numbers......Like others have said, these other formats dont really replace the PC but offer a more convenient way of casual gaming that definitely appeals to some people.....games like Angry Birds dont appeal to me one iota and Im sure many other PC gamers feel the same way.
i move some of my gaming to tablet/phones too.
There are lots of bite-size & fun RPgs like Shadowruns Return, and Warhammer Quests. And tablets/phones are a lot more convenient.
PCs are becoming a mature industry. There are no longer compelling reasons to build faster computers, so the efficiency gains are going into producing cheaper and more reliable PCs. If anything, MMOs with their long lives should be well-poised to capitalize on a stable base of long-lived machines.
A more interesting question might be whether the rise of MMOs led to a decline in PCs? Games have always been a driving forcing in gettting early adopters for bleeding-edge tech. With MMOs being less demanding of hardware and more demanding of free time, has this reduced the market of people seeking the latest and greatest PC?
A more interesting question might be whether the rise of MMOs led to a decline in PCs? Games have always been a driving forcing in gettting early adopters for bleeding-edge tech. With MMOs being less demanding of hardware and more demanding of free time, has this reduced the market of people seeking the latest and greatest PC?
Nah. MMOs can actually be quite demanding, especially when there are a lot of people on screen.
The reason for the decline of PC is because people don't need a big box and all those cables just to access facebook. Before they had no choice but to use a desktop. Then came the laptop and then came the phone and tablet.
If it takes all the must have everything now, must play every new game type of people and creates a market for them on phones and tablets then it will leave the more traditional mmo players to have a market of their own.
I don't think either type of person is bad. I just think they're bad to try and have together in one game.
The last, overlong, console generation has a bit of influence here. Many games are targetted at 6+ year old technology. PCs of a modest stripe can handle them. Not nearly as much pressure to upgrade. A new generation of consoles will raise the bar some. As an example, in the next couple of years you will see serious multi-threading becoming the norm.
Given the major backers of the two standard consoles desires to run them for another five years, this effect will only be active for a short time though. Scalability increases may help here.
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Massive declining sells of the PC are making news articles columns. The death throes of the pc are in full effect
as the smart phone and tablets take the vacated throne.
Will this switch effect MMO gamers? Is buying a gaming PC going to become difficult?
Nvidia and AMD say NO to this. Just look what's ahead.
Sure it might become harder to buy games in stores because most gamestores have slim downed their PC games section.
Yet we can not ignore the amount of pc games that can be digitaly bought.
Sure the PC might once again became either businness used or for the actuall PC gamer who wants graphics and gameplay to go deeper then what "could" be done on console's. Thought the next gen console do come close to yesterday's(2 years ago) high end pc system.
There still be gamers (like me) who want to be visually blown away by next gen graphics and console still are not reaching that of what tommorow generations of gaming systems can achieve.
For those of you who have been with consoles the next gen might blow you way visually just like they did 2 years ago on high end pc systems. But while they might be a decline in live store sales I bet most do not count digital purchases or just think about how succesfull Steam is which is just one example. And just look at the SteamBox, which will still be a PC centered gaming system yet with the possibilty to stream and play the games of your pc in your living room. I think they are on to something. Mainly because I know there are people who will never touch a console but might at the same time enjoy just hanging out with friends on the couch playing some games.
I do believe we will see more MMO's on the PS4 and XBOne so we might aswell already get use to that.
Do you realy think that pc gamers sitting in there dungeon suddenly all going to play on smartphone or tablet?
Don't think so.
But the decline is true mainly for mainstream who eather go console or there phones and tablets.
Yes its little harder getting parts now i see some shops i always buy my parts shrinking in diversity and have maybe 10 differetnt AMD cards and 20 nvidia cards or only few memory and highend suffers like corsairs ddr 3 platinum series suddely few shops i normally go dont have them anymore.
I dunno what future brings but im bit worried also.
We can see eather decline or maybe a rise of pc's if this is good its hard to tell?
Rise is if the new approach AMD(very aggresive approach indeed) introduce mantle if succes this could repeat history with GLIDE in 90's and nvidia plus intel will lose major but this is still speculation we will see what AMD say in NOVEMBER when they reveal there plans with MANTEL.
Microsoft is btw helping alot in decline of PC with windows 8 and not support win7 with DirectX and if XP dies they start fast destroying win7 also you eather go win8 or consoles or MS say screw you.
Hope to build full AMD system RYZEN/VEGA/AM4!!!
MB:Asus V De Luxe z77 CPU:Intell Icore7 3770k GPU: AMD Fury X(waiting for BIG VEGA 10 or 11 HBM2?(bit unclear now)) MEMORY:Corsair PLAT.DDR3 1866MHZ 16GB PSU:Corsair AX1200i OS:Windows 10 64bit
Massive declining sells of the PC are making news articles columns. The death throes of the pc are in full effect
as the smart phone and tablets take the vacated throne.
Will this switch effect MMO gamers? Is buying a gaming PC going to become difficult?
Dude that might be the case over the pond in the US but we aint falling for this buy our smart phone tablet shit over here. I would of thought it was pretty oblivious with the newer consoles going down the lets make them like a PC route that the PC is here to stay and grow larger because it has the self build and power gamers want and need. Also people like me build our own mega over clocked toys which you aint getting in no slim crap handset.
Also people are getting savvy to the high street shops selling them piles of crap for loads of $$'s that's they throw away in 12 months time or never get used and a re passed on the whoever wants them. TAKE it from me the PC aint dying sunshine.
Originally posted by Atrocitus Massive declining sells of the PC are making news articles columns. The death throes of the pc are in full effect
as the smart phone and tablets take the vacated throne.
Will this switch effect MMO gamers? Is buying a gaming PC going to become difficult?
The Performance Level of my PC is probably 3 times that of one of the new Consoles. No game really uses this power for more gameplay, only some overdone visuals. I dont plan to buy a PC the next 5 years, maybe even 10 years. I could play most of my good games with an PC that is 7 years old only upgrading the GPU to the Level of those that were released 2 Generations ago...
Lower sales dont mean a lower base of installed PCs, it only means a slower growth!
PS: I expect Consoles to become restrictive PCs in the future...they be already based on PC tech...Consoleros may claim a Win but in reality they only have a restricted PC in their house.
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
Comments
its all moot anyway. sooner or later, cloud gaming/computing will be truly viable in any form and we will just have screens in our house.
Silly OP..
'New' PC sales have declined - but that's hardly a death throw - have you any idea how many PC's and Macs (let alone iOS and Android) there are globally? lets put it this way.. take all the sales of every console ever, times it by 1000 and you still wont be even close.
PC's components are upgradable and if you are a gamer, you will get into upgrading rather than buying a whole new unit every x years.
I remember some people writing off the PC as a gaming machine in around 1989 - and then the 486 and Creative Soundcards came about, and again in the early 00s when 'next gen' consoles came out (Xbox and PS2).
It didn't happen then, its not happening now - and frankly to think that the new consoles are going to fly off the shelves any better is a fanciful notion as most western economies are still suffering from recessionary affects - which by the way is more the reason why 'new' PC sales have suffered - that and windows 8 has kind of bombed.
With things like Steambox and Steam controllers on the horizon, with Oculus Rift and crap loads of innovative stuff coming on the horizon, the likely victims will be the consoles over the next 5 years.
Even though worldwide PC sales have declined every quarter since early 2012, you do have to see these things in context though. Only an estimated 80M units were shipped last quarter.
Only... 80... million...
Clearly, PC's are about to vanish from the scene. Not.
However, as far as MMO's are concerned, I suspect it will be the push by publishers and developers toward consoles and tablets that will most strongly affect the games as we know them today.
This push will be to access a wider potential playerbase, but broadening the scope of the platforms they're targeting will inevitably mean that the games must be playable on a tablet. The lowest common denominator always wins out in the end...
I just built a new computer. Dell, HP, and Alienware did not show any sales from my purchases. There are lots of computer part sellers that did, though
As Phry pointed out, PCs are modular. Want to upgrade? Easily done. Not so with phones, consoles, or tablets.
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
Hey if more people are building their own instead of buying premade ones more power to them. No longer having to call customer service for basic info that should be on the parts listing but they give some annoying simple codes instead. I swear from their marketing companies like Dell HP and Alienware must think people should buy a whole new computer every year.
Gamers would much rather use that money buying games to play and I'm sure game makers would like that as well.
Here is the fundamental problem: We're reaching the limit on what we can do with the "old" game design technology. Most PCs, even the crappy HP or Dell ones, can run 90% of the games on the market. If your system can run a game that you want to play, why upgrade? So are PCs declining. Perhaps, but once games start becoming more system intensive, you'll see an increase in sales and/or personalized systems (like mine).
I built my PC for Warhammer, and went a little overkill. To this day, it can still play 99% of the games on the market on max graphics.
Raquelis in various games
Played: Everything
Playing: Nioh 2, Civ6
Wants: The World
Anticipating: Everquest Next Crowfall, Pantheon, Elden Ring
PC sales decline is there. No one can deny that. But that does not tell the story of pc gaming.
Why? Because it is installed base, not yearly sales that matters.
PCs are in most homes in the US. If the sales slow down, it only means people take longer to upgrade, and not fewer people who have PCs.
And not all games need the top of the line PC to play.
i move some of my gaming to tablet/phones too.
There are lots of bite-size & fun RPgs like Shadowruns Return, and Warhammer Quests. And tablets/phones are a lot more convenient.
PCs are becoming a mature industry. There are no longer compelling reasons to build faster computers, so the efficiency gains are going into producing cheaper and more reliable PCs. If anything, MMOs with their long lives should be well-poised to capitalize on a stable base of long-lived machines.
A more interesting question might be whether the rise of MMOs led to a decline in PCs? Games have always been a driving forcing in gettting early adopters for bleeding-edge tech. With MMOs being less demanding of hardware and more demanding of free time, has this reduced the market of people seeking the latest and greatest PC?
Nah. MMOs can actually be quite demanding, especially when there are a lot of people on screen.
The reason for the decline of PC is because people don't need a big box and all those cables just to access facebook. Before they had no choice but to use a desktop. Then came the laptop and then came the phone and tablet.
If anything I think it will improve them.
If it takes all the must have everything now, must play every new game type of people and creates a market for them on phones and tablets then it will leave the more traditional mmo players to have a market of their own.
I don't think either type of person is bad. I just think they're bad to try and have together in one game.
The last, overlong, console generation has a bit of influence here. Many games are targetted at 6+ year old technology. PCs of a modest stripe can handle them. Not nearly as much pressure to upgrade. A new generation of consoles will raise the bar some. As an example, in the next couple of years you will see serious multi-threading becoming the norm.
Given the major backers of the two standard consoles desires to run them for another five years, this effect will only be active for a short time though. Scalability increases may help here.
If you are holding out for the perfect game, the only game you play will be the waiting one.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Nvidia and AMD say NO to this. Just look what's ahead.
Sure it might become harder to buy games in stores because most gamestores have slim downed their PC games section.
Yet we can not ignore the amount of pc games that can be digitaly bought.
Sure the PC might once again became either businness used or for the actuall PC gamer who wants graphics and gameplay to go deeper then what "could" be done on console's. Thought the next gen console do come close to yesterday's(2 years ago) high end pc system.
There still be gamers (like me) who want to be visually blown away by next gen graphics and console still are not reaching that of what tommorow generations of gaming systems can achieve.
For those of you who have been with consoles the next gen might blow you way visually just like they did 2 years ago on high end pc systems. But while they might be a decline in live store sales I bet most do not count digital purchases or just think about how succesfull Steam is which is just one example. And just look at the SteamBox, which will still be a PC centered gaming system yet with the possibilty to stream and play the games of your pc in your living room. I think they are on to something. Mainly because I know there are people who will never touch a console but might at the same time enjoy just hanging out with friends on the couch playing some games.
I do believe we will see more MMO's on the PS4 and XBOne so we might aswell already get use to that.
Check out my band if you like music.. www.myspace.com/icrime
Do you realy think that pc gamers sitting in there dungeon suddenly all going to play on smartphone or tablet?
Don't think so.
But the decline is true mainly for mainstream who eather go console or there phones and tablets.
Yes its little harder getting parts now i see some shops i always buy my parts shrinking in diversity and have maybe 10 differetnt AMD cards and 20 nvidia cards or only few memory and highend suffers like corsairs ddr 3 platinum series suddely few shops i normally go dont have them anymore.
I dunno what future brings but im bit worried also.
We can see eather decline or maybe a rise of pc's if this is good its hard to tell?
Rise is if the new approach AMD(very aggresive approach indeed) introduce mantle if succes this could repeat history with GLIDE in 90's and nvidia plus intel will lose major but this is still speculation we will see what AMD say in NOVEMBER when they reveal there plans with MANTEL.
Microsoft is btw helping alot in decline of PC with windows 8 and not support win7 with DirectX and if XP dies they start fast destroying win7 also you eather go win8 or consoles or MS say screw you.
Hope to build full AMD system RYZEN/VEGA/AM4!!!
MB:Asus V De Luxe z77
CPU:Intell Icore7 3770k
GPU: AMD Fury X(waiting for BIG VEGA 10 or 11 HBM2?(bit unclear now))
MEMORY:Corsair PLAT.DDR3 1866MHZ 16GB
PSU:Corsair AX1200i
OS:Windows 10 64bit
Dude that might be the case over the pond in the US but we aint falling for this buy our smart phone tablet shit over here. I would of thought it was pretty oblivious with the newer consoles going down the lets make them like a PC route that the PC is here to stay and grow larger because it has the self build and power gamers want and need. Also people like me build our own mega over clocked toys which you aint getting in no slim crap handset.
Also people are getting savvy to the high street shops selling them piles of crap for loads of $$'s that's they throw away in 12 months time or never get used and a re passed on the whoever wants them. TAKE it from me the PC aint dying sunshine.
Asbo
The Performance Level of my PC is probably 3 times that of one of the new Consoles.
No game really uses this power for more gameplay, only some overdone visuals.
I dont plan to buy a PC the next 5 years, maybe even 10 years.
I could play most of my good games with an PC that is 7 years old only upgrading the GPU to the Level of those that were released 2 Generations ago...
Lower sales dont mean a lower base of installed PCs, it only means a slower growth!
PS: I expect Consoles to become restrictive PCs in the future...they be already based on PC tech...Consoleros may claim a Win but in reality they only have a restricted PC in their house.
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
MWO Music Video - What does the Mech say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF6HYNqCDLI
Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0x2iwK0BKM
Delete this pls for double posting
"Torquemada... do not implore him for compassion. Torquemada... do not beg him for forgiveness. Torquemada... do not ask him for mercy. Let's face it, you can't Torquemada anything!"
MWO Music Video - What does the Mech say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF6HYNqCDLI
Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0x2iwK0BKM
I wonder how much of the decline in PC sales is due to the fact that they have been mostly "fast enough" for the past few years.
MMO's is a very strong market. PC gaming is not going anywhere.
I built my pc almost a year ago. My hardware is better than the next gen consoles. Just sucks I have to wait for developers to get up to speed. lol
Probably will upgrade my graphic card to a 6g next year. Some people are car people, but my baby is my pc.