PC Retail

Most serious gamers nowadays will either have an Xbox360, a PS3 or a Wii.
The PC has never been promoted as a games machine, so I sould suggest that whilst occasional gamers may like to play their favourite titles on the PC, most gamers won't care if the titles are only available for consoles.

The PC is a great platform for gaming, it annoys me that it doesen't get the same level of respect that the 360, PS3 and Wii gets. The consoles are so keen to push their online gaming features – just remember where it all started!

With competition in our house for the wii and the playstation, I only play on the PC ! However, absolutely no interest in american football, so no loss there.

It is a tough argument on both sides since the decline of PC gaming has meant that game developers face an agonising commercial decision as to whether they are going to see a return significant enough to warrant releasing games on this platform.

From the gamers perspective I whole heartedly agree with the views of many PC users that EA has a responsibility to the traditionalists who elect to do their gaming via the good old home computer.

There is no easy solution to this one but if EA are to wise they should heed the warning issued by many that their software could soon by veto'd as a consequence of ignoring the masses!

One of the most popular games around 'World of Warcraft' is only on the PC which suggests that the platform only struggles with certain genres.

I would put this down to one major factor:

The playing environment - Games such Maddan are best enjoyed sitting on a sofa in front a large screen (i.e. your 32" or 42" plasma TV) rather than in an office chair in front of a desk.

Yes, my notebook could do this and I could even buy a wireless controller for it to get a similar experience to my Xbox - this would however take me a while to set up, plug in and get started where as my xbox requires a simple push of a button to get me started.

Vendors are certainly still pushing 'gaming desktops' and 'gaming laptops' – they clearly think the PC is a modern, powerful platform that is more than capable on taking on the consoles.

I happen to agree...

PSiG hit the nail on the head. I've owned PCs since the early 90s, but I've always preferred to play sports games like FIFA or Pro Evo in front of the TV, on a games console. It's just so much easier and more relaxing. The PC comes into its own with solo strategy games (eg Football Manager) and first person shooters. And don't forget the rise of casual games - another genre that the PC gave birth to. Many casual games are crazily addictive (eg Bejeweled 2, Peggle).

Sorry, my last post should have said:

The PC comes into its own with solo strategy games (eg Football Manager) and online first person shooters.

There is unfortunately a fairly wide gap between the economic reality of the PC platform and oft-repeated dogma from PC gaming enthusiasts. No two ways about it, piracy hurts the platform very badly. Cross-platform titles, present on console and the PC, end up doing way better on console. Not to say they aren't playing the PC version, they're just not paying for it.

As for "The consoles are so keen to push their online gaming features – just remember where it all started!"... Be that as it may, consoles are delivering a largely superior experience by virtue of the fact that stuff 'just works' and that most gamers have headsets and so on. The PC market failed to substantial improve the experience in games and online for years, resorting instead to building rubbish lock-in gaming services rather than inter-operating with anyone else. You have to experience the full horror of Ubisoft's online implementation for Raven Shield etc to believe it.

Equally in other respects the PC market continues to be its own worst enemy. Crysis was pretty much broken as shipped any which way you look at it. Thankfully the market is unlikely to die because of the relative ease of developing PC and Xbox 360 in parallel due to shared tools but honestly, if you tried Crysis on PC - the console is looking pretty good...

Have to say, for a lot of games/game types always preferred a console anyway, but EA dropping Madden is a bad sign, not worried about that, but if they were to drop Fifa from the PC I would be more than a bit annoyed!

I have 4 cheap controllers set up and enjoy playing it with my mates on the PC hooked up to my large screen. Cant afford to fork out for a PS3 / Xbox !

What really gets to me is that PC gamers have to wait for the likes of GTA to come out on the far superior platform that is the PC when its released on the PS way before...

Have to say, for a lot of games/game types always preferred a console anyway, but EA dropping Madden is a bad sign, not worried about that, but if they were to drop Fifa from the PC I would be more than a bit annoyed!

I have 4 cheap controllers set up and enjoy playing it with my mates on the PC hooked up to my large screen. Cant afford to fork out for a PS3 / Xbox !

What really gets to me is that PC gamers have to wait for the likes of GTA to come out on the far superior platform that is the PC when its released on the PS way before...

Consoles may be easier, that doesen't make them better. Granted you have to spend a fair bit more on a decent gaming PC than a Wii or PS3, but if you have the money or your prepared to saveup, then you will be rewarded with a great experience.

Historically most advances in gaming have come from the PC, be that 3D graphics, all the modern genres such as FPS and RTS and online gaming. That's not the mention the modding capabilities which make it a hot bed of creativity. With such a weight of achievment and prooved resiliance over the years, are you really so willing to wright the PC off so quickly just because your Xbox 360 has a nice new interface, and features pioneered fifteen years ago elsewhere?

It's not a question of 'wright'ing off the PC so quickly. It's a question of what the public are doing. Take a look at the Chart-Track all-format individual SKU games chart right now. I'll link it for you: http://www.chart-t...10032

*ONE* PC title in the entire top 40 games. This is a good week too, C&C3; is doing alright. What this is about is the commercial realities of the platform and no amount of nostalgia or wishful thinking changes the fact that the platform is looking less and less attractive to games publishers every day.

Cmon .. Guys .. the Only reason why the charts show high console rankings is that (A). The fact of matter is that Console have been marketed to Mass.. every Tom, Dick and Harry has one.. it family friendly .. can be played with anyone ..even none gamers.. seriously for a real Gaming Experience .. PC is only way to go. (B) Games titles which cross over to the console, have been programed to be easier to finish ... Buy it, play it, finish it and move on... pfff (C) Consoles are limited in usage.... there a one trick pony with even with wifi capability and online playability ..

Yes i think PC's are always portrade as the poor cousin of console's but for me there is no option i can't afford a PC & a console... much less have room for both!! the PC can stand it's own if given the chance.... come on EA play fair!!!!!

As long as there is a PC in the home/office, there will always be games written for them. Because one producer decides to pull back one game from the format does not mean an end to PC gaming. There is no doubt that there is much piracy but they'll have to come up with new ideas to protect their investment- Microsoft can do it with some success, it just requires the will. I have never bought a pirate game at any stage - it's just theft - if people want to protect the PC format - go and buy the real deal....

....and Crysis is a brilliant game but best played on the PC - I can't imagine playing it 'relaxing' on a sofa as it is just too intense and immersive - much better on a PC.

It would still make good business sense for a game written for a console to also be made for the PC. With millions of PCs in homes across the globe, no sensible business strategy would ignore them. It may be that the PC version of a game comes out at a later date, as the producers try to eke out more cash from a console product but the format has such reach, that games will still be there for a long time yet. What's all the panic about ?

Having spent over 30 years in computers/PC's & working with the game developers I find it very annoying that they still don't understand hard ware. I helped bridge the gap some years ago to try and give them strong development hard ware which primary means PC's. Todays consoles are based on PC technology unlike the Atari's of old with their atrifacting chips. Todays consoles are built strongly with profit, ease etc and the oddd consideration in running games.The hardware in general is not leading edge and is just a compromise taken from the PC world.

PC's offer customers choice in many areas including running Call of Duty 4 with a £400+ graphics card. Something thats worth more than a PS3 or Xbox 360. Clearly the console cannot match this leading edge technology at the price point. I'd dust off my xbox if it did. Then there's the game itself. Have you ever played BF2 on a console then on the PC and seen all the stuff missing from the console. Criminal!
You can't have this if your trying to take over the world!

The publishers/developers should remember without PC hard ware & software development the consoles would be weaker than they are already.

Yes some games are best left on consoles for the younger players but please don't forget who earns the money to pay for them.

It's ridiculous that developer's and publisher's continue to favor the console's. PC Gaming is what started everything & can do twice as much in terms of performance.

The big companies are selling out and leaving the OG's behind.

Join the PC Gaming is Alive website and help keep the PC Gaming community strong. We need to band together and let our voice be heard. (website should be up shortly) PCGiA.com

I have been a PC gamer for many years, even dating back to the Amiga and Spectrum, always staying away from consoles because they just play games and nothing esle, but this is not true any more consoles are becoming more like pcs every day

They have taken all the best bits of pc gaming and put them on an easy to use platform that just plugs into your telly and works
All the key areas where PC was king are now changing. Chatting to friends on Teamspeak whilst playing FPS on the PC was something console owners could only dream off, now they are all doing it! and with less installing/updating that a pc would been.
Downloading content is so easy on consoles, and patches too, no browsing website waiting for someone to post the new patch.
You can even connect a printer to the PS3.
Also another big reason is the cost, I bought a £400 GFX card just to play Crysis, and even then it wont run on very high, and next year I will have to buy another GFX card
Yet, GTA3 on the PS2 was top, but San Andreas had better loading time, bigger levels, better graphics and far more game content on the SAME HARDWARE. This is something that never happens in the pc world.
There is definately a big decline going on, looking on shopping sites to see whats comming soon for the pc and its all sims and MMO games. I really thing the next gen of consoles could finish it off!!!!! I hope not but even I am switching!!!

I am not wanting to start a fight here, everyone has there own opinion but Mxman posted "Todays consoles are built strongly with profit, ease etc and the oddd consideration in running games.The hardware in general is not leading edge and is just a compromise taken from the PC world" and its just not true
The first point to make is the PS3 where sony lost money on every one sold!!! and made with ease? everything goes down a production line with the every effort to cost cutting and consoles primary function are games. Consoles do use older hardware but a playstation or xbox will get more out of the hardware than pc users will, the point Gareth Lynch made about crysis is right, I do get the freedom to go out and buy a £400 GFX card but why should I have to do that so often, where as the games and the gfx on consoles improve with time because developers get more out of the same hardware, also £400 and the game still does not run on very high!

Also what stuff are you missing from BF2? Online gaming?
Online chat?
I dont miss having to miss nights gaming because thers a new patch for BF 2142 and its 400mb and ea servers are going sooo slow. The only thing I can think of is the mouse and keyboard, and Im praying it stays that way otherwise the consoles will be better all round!

Probably one of the best gaming platforms around yet its size
and the Limited capacity of laptops is its downfall.

yet everything has its place i suppose.
PC= fps, rts, rpg, flight sim,
Consoles Driving, fight sim,

There is still a market for the PC builders just need to think
and make them smaller. (and get rid of Vista)

as for the piracy comment if it comes on a cd or dvd it can be pirated playstation 3 will be done soon i am sure so not the issue and pc does need more attention to it way do some companys make playstation or xbox only games more sales would come from more options

A decent Games PC is maybe £1500+ investment, it requires some level of expertise to use and constant upgrading, you need to understand what software will run on it, and what won't... A decent games console is £200? you buy a game for it, plug it in and play, two years later you throw it away for the next-gen, it requires no expertise, no upgrades. Personally I despise consoles, but it's obvious why they are attractive to a much wider audience than a PC, and thus the 'gaming' industry.

I have been a computer gamer my WHOLE life, and as much as consoles can be good, ultimately the PC beats them out... eventually leading to console emulation. Its precisely BECAUSE Of PC gaming that we have consoles with the graphics technology we have. If they stop making the PC games, they may lose a lot of gamers like myself, who might just be content playing the older games which sometimes had more quality and though put into them anyway.

Take a gaming PC like mine, add a controller identical to any system, and you have an even better machine, capable of even more stunning graphics. Additionally the benefit of being a PC gamer, is when game bugs mess you up, you have the ability to fix it. Where as on a console, you have no other choices.... not to mention the community build mods for said games.

Interesting comments in this thread. I'm surprised one of the computer mags hasn't done an in-depth article on this subject.

I would love to know how much faster PC graphics are than PS3, (if at all). With new HD TV screens in the living room, are the consoles producing better garphics than the PC, or not?

A number of folk make the point about really expensive PCs, expensive graphics cards and needing to renew every couple of years... but what if you buy middle of the road £100 cards. Are console games all more expensive? Sounds like food for a great PC mag article

As long as there are no keyboard and mice options in the XBox360 games for PC will still exist
Playing the same game on a PC or a console is like the difference between Chess and Draughts the consoles will ALWAYS be aimed at the draughts player
Graphics are great But when u r playing who gives a rats your to busy trying to achieve something to notice sunlight glistenning on a window !
Having been a games player for over 20yrs (yes im that old)
I have yet to prefer a game on the console to that on the PC BUT that doesn't mean it wasn't FUN !
Pirate bay ETC have a lot to answer for in terms of revenue re generation crysis was available BEFORE release date and most people slagged it before sale !
Paying a monthly fee (WOW) is the way forward with games released for free or minimal cost with a playing charge.
I run 2 PC shops one is heavily aimed at Gamers and all ANYONE is asking about is....Battlefield Heroes a FREE download when is it available etc will we have a server IF its as much fun as it looks people will pay to play and then it willl catch on ..... i bet my bootstrap on it (told u i was old)

PC not a gaming platform??? PC is the PERFECT gaming platform. The fact that PC's are upgradable and consoles are not makes this true. There are some PC's out there made JUST for gaming (Alienware, Cyberpower, etc...) and all have superior play to the console.

For me the only way to get the best out of a FPS like Unreal Tournament 2004/Unreal 3/Call of Duty 4 is on a pc with a keyboard and mouse. Having played the same titles on various consoles I found it very frustrating trying to get the same sensitivity as is possible with a mouse.
Yes a half decent gaming pc is always going to be more expensive than a console but the fun of playing older games after installing a sparkly new gfx card in a year old pc and cranking everything up to full is not something that's possible on a console.

Theirs 3 main issues that stop publishers releasing onto PC's
1. Piracy of PC software costs excessive amounts of money. this is cache 22, you make a brill game, and instead of people buying it, they download it. Consoles dont suffer this.

2.Cheating in games. Gamers Bane is the cheaters in game. These are rife in PC games, since theyre hacked and modified

3.Cost in production and support.

thiers a few types of changes in consoles, however in PC's developers have to worry about multiple hardware configurations.

in all, making computer games is about business and making money. you can make more money from the console games, cause people cant pirate them so easily. Hopefully once theyre cracked and easily piratable (cause it will happen eventually), these gaming companies will grovel back to the PC markets.



at the end of the day its their own faults for not solving these issues.

to Dave Sedgwick (comment 25)

PC Graphics are already miles ahead of console graphics, and yes, they are already more powerful too. PCs already have directx10 and consoles are stuck on dx9. Now we have graphics card monsters like the latest from Nvidia. Please take a look at the Geforce GTX 280 - it is incredibly powerful and can now be hooked up to another 2 of the same card...and amazingly it actually scales well.

PC gaming is expensive, sometimes troublesome and sometimes takes longer to get into, but I don't care! PC gaming is so exciting and surprising. I would happily trade my consoles in and keep my pc if i had to =)

PC gaming has been on he decline for years. Todays PC gamers are mostly hardcore and enjoy the aspect of beefing up their PCs...at a high cost.

Where the PC is positioned within a house and the physical/windows interface is the main problem. These days people prefer to play games in a comfortable social environment on the large screen at the push of a button.

Games that still do well are those where you really need to sit up close to the monitor and use mouse input.

If my memory serves me correctly the XBOX & XBOX 360 both had superior graphics when they released for a short period of time them PC's caught back up with them rather quickly with new graphic cards.

No not really, PC gaming is better suited to FPS games or RPG games and the use of the keybord and mouse allows for alot quicker interface with those games whereas the consoles are better suited to having different peripherals attached to them - e.g Rock Band (guitar, drums, mic), Gran Turismo (steering wheel) and just the traditional controller too. FPS games are better on the PC because the mouse allows for quicker turning and aiming, whereas on consoles the turning speed has to be set. and with RPG games the keyboard give alot of 'hotkeys' pretty much anything can be quick selected by pressing any key it becomes too fiddly on controllers. The thing though is the PC can be used just as good with differern peripherals too, but to get the same experiance you will need a good graphics card, sound card and large screen monitor. So many more of the genres are passed to consoles where the consumer doesn't need to keep upgrading their hardware every 2-3 years. where the FPS and RPG games can continue to release 'updates' and 'expansions' for many years and have no need to upgrade the system.

With so many unneccessary configuration offerings, 10 different types of video cards ranging from 50 bucks to 800 bucks, there is less and less quality assurance testing going on. Gamers want to run their games flawlessly, and with consoles, you get that, more the most part...

Once you install a game on a PC, or Mac(why would you play games on a Mac anyway?) it's an entirely different environment with millions more different variables. This is the reason most gaming houses are leaning towards consoles these days. The power has rivaled that of PC GPUs and CPUs.

What people seem to forget is that the vast majority of console games are developed on a PC so where is the hardship of tweaking it to run on a PC.
Also people have to remember the provenance of modern game consoles, they were born from the PC, and utilise similar core components as that used in a PC. if it wasn't for the PC these consoles wouldn't exist.
A console is a PC cut down on features but hyped up in graphics, to upgrade your console you have to get the next best thing cost 100s of pounds, to upgrade the PC you just replace the components you need.
"Sorry I went off on a tangent, but I think EA should remember where they were born from". "PC GAMING".

Owned most consoles over the years, and been an avid PC gamer for about 25. Still MUCH prefer my PC over the consoles.. Yes my ps3 is a great piece of kit, but the type of game I play has a lot to do with my weapon of choice. And its a PC. The demise of Madden barely registers here, and to be fair its a game I'd buy for my PS3 anyway.