At a time when people seem to be lamenting the "death" of the PC gaming industry, the famously famous Gabe Newell, along with the Valve team (of Half Life, Portal, and Team Fortress fame) have come up front with Eurogamer to discuss their thoughts on the state of the PC market.

And Valve is certain that whilst everyone is crying into their virtual hankies about the "good old days" of PC gaming, the PC format is the real future of gaming.

"PC's are the same all over the world. All of sudden, if you can open up emerging markets and go somewhere like Russia or South East Asia, you've gone way further than you can go with a closed console. There are 17 million PC gaming customers in Russia alone."

"As you move away from that huge first weekend, big blockbuster mentality," says Newell, "you're getting back to an area where smaller and smaller groups can connect with customers. I think you're going to find that the enjoyment of being in the game industry as a developer on the PC is a lot greater than outside of it."

There's a lot more through the link above, and its well worth the read.

Tags : Gabe Newell : Half Life : Half Life 2 : pc : Portal : Team Fortress : valve : World of Warcraft

Comments

By: Snake Plissken

On: 10:59 Jun 27th, 2008
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When I first read the title I went"HA!" but after reading this I can see the man does have a point. PCs are easier to develop for and far more widespread then every console combined.

I don't know about real future but PC gameing aint dead yet and won't be for a while it seems.

By: Gamoc

On: 11:36 Jun 27th, 2008
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PC gaming is on it's way out. A PS3 is cheaper than a PC that can play Crysis, and the PS3 can accomplish better graphics.

By: Snake Plissken

On: 11:40 Jun 27th, 2008
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Actually as things currently stand the very best graphics cards top the current 7th gen consoles. (PS3/360)

By: Dragonsoul

On: 12:22 Jun 27th, 2008
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I personally think PC gaming will be the wave of the future. As people become more interested in multi-functional systems, the PC will offer the best option for anyone who wants that. Let's be honest, as a society, we've become increasingly interested in multi-media products and a console just cannot compare to the PC. We're gonna want everything--gaming, business, internet, music, movies, etc.--all on one product for ease of use. I know that's what I want. <3

By: Dragonfly

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On: 12:34 Jun 27th, 2008
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Gamoc;52368

PC gaming is on it's way out.

WoW's profits say otherwise, a modding scene, and the global social aspect of the PC which can't be matched on any modern console says otherwise.

Gamoc;52368

A PS3 is cheaper than a PC that can play Crysis, and the PS3 can accomplish better graphics.

The PS3's graphic card is pretty average. It can do more than a lot of PCs can with less power simply because it doesn't have a GUI tucked underneath it, stealing half the system resources.

The PS3's graphics processor is also famous for its inability to handle lots of complex graphical techniques. It's a common occurrence for PS3 games to have far less going on at any one time, which makes a lot of the game worlds look very "static" in nature.

Consoles will always be limited by the resolution of the graphics as well, and current TV technology.

What the PS3 does have is a hefty processor, that can work some amazing wonders when its actually used at it best.

By: Samuel

On: 12:43 Jun 27th, 2008
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For me, at least, the future of gaming lies in both the console and PC markets; My PC is mine, it has a small screen and it's tucked away in the corner of my room. I play Unreal tourney, Half-life, and C&C. Thanks to the internet, I'm alone but never lonely.

But I would never play guitar hero, rockband, halo or even Devil May Cry on a PC? Hell no. Even on a PC hooked up to my telly I would still have to boot the PC, navigate to my game, and then wait for it to load. And then there's a whole host of problems that PC's can encounter.

I value the simplicty of a console; I like to be able to come home, throw a disc in, pick up the pad and play. I like to be able to sit down on a comfortable sofa, get wasted and effortlessly glide from game to game playing no-bollocks local splitscreen with three of my best mates.

I'd say that the console market will never die so long as there are people like me; who appreciate a quick and easy option that they can just pick up and play with the minimum amount of effort.

By: Dragonsoul

On: 01:03 Jun 27th, 2008
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That is an excellent point Sam--it's just so darn convenient to use a console over a PC when it comes to gaming. Though PC gaming has its own niche, particularly when it comes to multi-functionality, the console has its own distinct and opposite advantage. Maybe this is just one of those things were there's a need for both to give the gamer the options they want.

By: Laylia

On: 03:25 Jun 27th, 2008
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Personally, I think that the biggest setback for PC gaming is the fact that it's so easy to just download and play, never paying for the game.

Sad but true.

PC gaming is popular because it can be free... But that's not particularly useful for an industry that's trying to make some money.

By: SwitchxA

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On: 03:58 Jun 27th, 2008
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Ahhh, PC Gaming. Interesting and complicated topic. Sure you have WoW, MMO's, RTS, CSS, and whole big mod scene, but the PC game scene seems to be pigeon holed in those. On the other hand I think PC gaming is a little different then it was a few years or even last year. Bigger studios are trying out ports of popular console games to PCs more then ever. For the first time in years I can look at a top selling PC game list and not see junk software like "1001 fun games".

I heard a study earlier this year that said even though PC penetration is high, the majority of owners don't know they can play real games on it. This along with the conflict over if the scene is dead or not, and the inability to have certainty that a game will run have scared people off. Since PC games aren't reaching console numbers many turn to piracy for their scapegoat. This in turn drives off more people with ridiculously strict DRM. Bioshock and Mass Effect are proof of that.

Gabe Newell could be right; Steam is a step in the right direction. More can be done to simplify the experience. I think a stream-lined method for those PC users who aren't power users could do wonders as well. The final point to help PC gaming would be more original, innovate titles for PC that don't over work the best PC's. I think PC devs can learn a lot from the console market in terms of creating an experience that's easy and enjoyable.

By: Shad

On: 04:05 Jun 29th, 2008
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Steam owns, PC gaming owns, modding games owns, thanks for playing.