Whee! Blame Bush that PC gaming is "dying"! Hey everyone, it's a conspiracy!
Honestly. I think you ought to look into the reason for higher prices. Mad Cat's got it in one.

In my experience, widescreen aspect ratios are far, far, far, far superior to non-widescreen ratios, ESPECIALLY in games like Sins where you can really make use of the extra space on the edges. So you lose a half to one inch in height - it's MORE than made up for by the width, however.


Mad Cat

While PC gaming is not dead, it most certainly is dying.. Having been a PC gamer for 20 years, I've seen the decline, especially in the last few years..   On my last few visits to stores like Gamestop, EB, Walmart and Best Buy, you are lucky to find one shelf of PC games.. while console games now take up 90 percent of their gaming area..  Most remaining PC gaming companies are only geared for Online games so they can market you even as you play..  So Let's just thank goodness for companies like Stardock and a few others, who still think making good PC is not just a money cow but see it as a joy, a commitment and an art ..

To me, playing a great PC game is still like curling up with a good book..

 

 

 

I invite you to come look at Steam and Stardock Central/Impulse, which are digital stores offering PC games.

http://www.steampowered.com/
https://www.stardock.com/products/sdcentral/
https://forums.stardock.com/forum/457
http://www.impulsedriven.com/

actually consoles might suffer piracy now that some of the 7th gen consoles have internet.

n York region (Ontario, Canada) where I live, there was actually a law forbidding the resale of open PC software for a while, which meant that the EB Games stores could not buy or sell used games. Ironically, travel a few kilometres south to Toronto and the EB Games stores there could still do it because they were not bound the York region laws.

That being said, the other reason they don't pay much attention to PC sales is because their entire operating philosophy fails with PC games. When I bought Dungeons & Dragons Online, the guy asked me if I wanted to insure the game. Basically, you pay $3 more so that if the DVD gets damaged so that you cannot use it, you can get a new whole new box (I presume they just clean up your old disc and resell it as "used"). I promptly informed him that this was useless because a) the game was an MMO and if I swapped it for a new one, the next person to buy it would not be able to use it because I had already created an account with the game key, and most MMO developers allow you to download the game off their website (in case something happens to your discs). The same argument applies to Valve's games, but the EB Games staff are forced to push a corporate agenda, unfortunately.




I've had the same experience. While the PC shelfspace may not be nearly as large as the consoles, there is still quite a lot of shelf space for PC games. I even find obscure, little known titles hanging around.


Mad Cat

This thread is probably the biggest debauchery of every subject from computer gaming to economics that I have seen in quite a while.

And for that, I must give you your props Seth

Stupid fanboys...

Just how does the economy affect whether PC Gaming will die or not? Besides people buying computers and games.

Er, it sounds more like they're clearing shelf space. Of course, I could be wrong.




They probably just got tired of their BS. I know I have. "Would you like to ensure that for-" "Frak no, now leave me alone and let me BUY the frakin' thing!" "Uh, ok. Just remember, you can also trade in your old PC games." "What, you mean the ones that cost me $50 two months ago which you are offering me $2 to take off my hands?"


Mad Cat

I think you misunderstood my point: the "insurance" being sold by EB Games is USELESS for PC games. They might be worthwhile for consoles, cause if your disc goes, so does your game, but for MMORPGs and Valve games for PC, offering trade-ins / insurance is a pretty stupid thing to do.

As for DRM, I think the BEST way to "combat" piracy is via Valve's Steam method, though, truth be told, I don't trust anyone but Valve (and maybe Blizzard) to do it right.


Mad Cat

Actually, PC is the only Platform, capable of building good Games. With Console, you can´t...

1. mod a Game
2. play with the latest graphical Engines
3. never be up to date with the overall Game Scene
4. only play Arcade like Games
5. Not improve the Game with Addons etc.

...it´s really funny how young People always think, that PC Games aren´t as good as Console ones. That´s simply because most of PC Games are much more complex then Arcade-Console-Waste...

well said