At least in some countries PC gaming is doing very good. I looked at the sale charts for last month in Sweden and 7 out of 20 games were on PC, 3 were 360, 4 were PS3 and the rest were Wii, PSP and DS games. Northern Europe is a small market, but it shows that it's not just about piracy or computer specs it's a cultural thing. People in the US don't seem to play as much on PC as people in Europe. So should they not try to change people's view about PC's as work stations to gaming stations instead of blaming it all on piracy and such?

Because it isn't doing fine, that is why it is being blamed on piracy. PC gaming would have a thriving market if it wasn't for the fact that piracy has caused developers to recieve so little profit, it makes future development seem like a waste of time.

BiggerBomb: I'm not saying piracy isn't hurting, but considering that PC games sell well in some countries (and we have more piracy than in the US) it seems to be more a cultural thing. People in the US are not as much used to using their PC's to play games while more people have video games consoles over there. If the PC Group or whatever they call themselves managed to change people's view of PC's to be a gaming platform PC games would sell better. Gaming computers have been bigger in Europe than in the US since the C64 and Amiga days they need to make the regular Joe play games on his PC.

"BiggerBomb: I'm not saying piracy isn't hurting, but considering that PC games sell well in some countries (and we have more piracy than in the US) it seems to be more a cultural thing. People in the US are not as much used to using their PC's to play games while more people have video games consoles over there. If the PC Group or whatever they call themselves managed to change people's view of PC's to be a gaming platform. Gaming computers have been bigger in Europe than in the US since the C64 and Amiga days they need to make the regular Joe play games on his PC."

I have a friend who keeps saying "PC gaming is dead", however every time I tell him he is wrong. I live in the UK and personally I think that it can be seen from all the MMO players out there playing games like WoW and Warhammer Online and big games like Spore and Team Fortress 2 that the world of PC gaming is far from the grave.

I was gonna say in the US it seems, the PC is certainly less popular than anything else - meanwhile in the Uk when I was growing up being a console gamer had me derided as a child - it is most definately a culture thing - certainly I know more people who play PC games than own a console.

Most games come out on PC, and do just fine...

Overall, I think PC Gaming is fine. Piracy is a problem, but it's inevitable.

I think that the casual hardcore games, your typical shooter, rpg, racing game, whatever - is no longer a PC strength. This is mostly in reference to the single player aspect, as good multiplayer games tend to do very well on the PC.

The PC has a different demographic of late:

1) Big Multiplayer Games: MMOs like Warhammer Online, FPSs like Team Fortress 2 and Battlefield 2, RTSs like Starcraft and Red Alert 3. Big multiplayer is thriving on the PC ...it's thriving on the Xbox too, but when you give the PC version customizations, the ability for custom maps and mods, communities, all that shit, it takes off. There are so many TF2 communities and fan sites, it's probably the biggest game of the sort lately.

2) RPGs. RPGs have been a console thing too, but on the PC, with modding, it's still pretty strong. It seems that with things like Fallout 3 and Oblivion its been headed in the console direction, but with Neverwinter Nights 2 and The Witcher, the PC is still fighting back. This category could tie in with #4 because the complex RPGs are the PC ones.

3) Ultra casual games - These include your browser games, your arcade games, your casual simulation games, like Spore, Sims, Nancy Drew, Barbie, whatever.

4) Complex Games / Macabre Games - Stuff like STALKER and System Shock 2 are hard, complex, and dark - evil dark. For some reason games like these are prevalent on the PC.

Those 4 categories are what I believe is the strength of the PC. If you're not targeting one or more of those areas, then the PC isn't going to be your forte.

"I buy games on newegg.com then while im waiting for it to ship I go pirate it from piratebay and have some fun trying to crack it I know alot of people who do this since they dont like waiting. So piracys not that bad I think renting console games, and buying used console games is just as much of a danger.

I support rentals and used game sales dont get me wrong its just as hurtful to the industry as piracy though.

"

I think the PC market would do a lot better if they lowered the prcies. It's pretty hard to shell out $50 or more for a game that might be good...I think a lower price point would see a lot less piracy and more sales. 

"I buy games on newegg.com then while im waiting for it to ship I go pirate it from piratebay and have some fun trying to crack it I know alot of people who do this since they dont like waiting. So piracys not that bad I think renting console games, and buying used console games is just as much of a danger.

I support rentals and used game sales dont get me wrong its just as hurtful to the industry as piracy though.

"

"WilliamRLBaker said:

"Levio91 said:

"I buy games on newegg.com then while im waiting for it to ship I go pirate it from piratebay and have some fun trying to crack it I know alot of people who do this since they dont like waiting. So piracys not that bad I think renting console games, and buying used console games is just as much of a danger.

I support rentals and used game sales dont get me wrong its just as hurtful to the industry as piracy though.

"

lol yeah in your lil world its as hurtful but last i checked someone purchased a game full price and then i can purchase it from them for cheaper thus the dev only loses one sale thats from me, but piracy? someone pays full for the retail cracks it uploads it and 50 people download it so the dev loses 50 sales.

I pirate and pirate often but i dont delude my self with such silly ideals as rentals and used game sales hurt the industry as much as piracy."

Theres way more used sales and rentals than piracy. Not everyones a hardcore computer wiz that knows how to pirate  but everyone rents and buys used."

Punctuation. This thread lacks it.

Piracy is a PC gaming killer, because of lazy ass poor people that download games for free, we are gonna suffer in the process.

PC gaming isn't dead though, console gaming is simply very popular at the minute

The developers are killing PC gaming with this DRM nonsense. The only people who suffer because of DRM are the people who bought the game. Pirates just crack the game. Also not every pirated copy is a lost sale. Some people just don't buy games.

PC gaming is doing great, regardless of what the media says. It's just that the definition of a successful game has changed in the last couple of years. Hell, Crysis sold over 1.5 Million copies and it was somehow a failure :S. Sure, piracy is a problem but it's far from something new. The biggest problem for me is that a lot of the big companies don't really care to make a worthwhile PC version of a game (hello Oblivion), and it usually comes out later than the console versions.

Whether people pirate games over the internet, or in person, its going to exist. Even if they manage to bring down all torrent sites (not going to happen), their will just go up several other sites where local people will meet and swap discs, or some other solution. Do I pirate games? Yes, but I go out and buy the ones I actually continue to play (aka, aren't crap).