Do you know why PC Gaming will never die? Would you believe that PC Gaming is on an uprise? What is making PC the platform for game developers to use over console?
I watched these pretty convincing videos on PC Gamer Digital on Steam yesterday from a developer round table. It was interesting to listen to their theories on PC gaming compared to console. It made sense to me, and convinced me that PC Gaming is not Dead.
The biggest cause of the resurgence of PC Gaming is Indie developers. With distribution, and publishing much easier now almost anyone can sell a PC Game. You no longer need big name publishing companies to be able to distribute your game to thousands of retail outlets.
You can now offer digital downloads, and use Steam to help propel your sales. Another advantage of Steam is you are able to cross promote with Valve to make unique items for TF2, or Portal which is a win-win for both companies.
Other advantages of PC Gaming is you don't have to have the game perfect on launch. There are so many gatekeepers for console that changes can take months, and with PC it can just be hours. Indie developers don't have any higher ups to answer to so they can make the game how they want. The problem with bigger companies they are always seeing something successful on another game, and you are constantly changing the game because of them.
I am sure that is why MMORPG's are rare on console. It takes to long to get patches approved, and content added. On PC you can fix bugs almost immediately, and keep your players happy. With console it might take three months for Microsoft to approve your changes.
One disadvantage to PC Gaming is companies are able to launch games that still have bugs, and may not be completed. It would never fly for a console game. If you look at it that way than console gaming will always have better polish than a pc game at launch.
Also Indie developers can raise money by letting you play during beta, or alpha. Minecraft is a good example of selling your game before it is ready, and raising funds to finish the game. They call this pre-sale. Another example of this they mention is a new Indie game called SpyParty. It costs $15 to join the beta, but you get all future updates for free.
I plan on joining this beta because the game just sounds different than any other game out there. It is multiplayer, but no one knows who are players, and who are npc's. You are both spies, and could be in the same room together, and not know it. The object is to find out who the other spy is in the game.
They also mentioned that being an Indie developer you don't have to worry to much about things in your game like poking humor at things, products, and etc. Most big gaming companies are too worried about being sued so many things get taken out of games whereas being an Indie it isn't such a big deal to poke fun at Jay Leno, Family Guy, South Park, and etc.
It just makes sense that PC Gaming is going Indie, and eventually there may be less big gaming companies like Activision, and EA. I think Indie is becoming so huge because it is opening gamers eyes to gameplay, and that graphics isn't always the answer.
I watched these pretty convincing videos on PC Gamer Digital on Steam yesterday from a developer round table. It was interesting to listen to their theories on PC gaming compared to console. It made sense to me, and convinced me that PC Gaming is not Dead.
The biggest cause of the resurgence of PC Gaming is Indie developers. With distribution, and publishing much easier now almost anyone can sell a PC Game. You no longer need big name publishing companies to be able to distribute your game to thousands of retail outlets.
You can now offer digital downloads, and use Steam to help propel your sales. Another advantage of Steam is you are able to cross promote with Valve to make unique items for TF2, or Portal which is a win-win for both companies.
Other advantages of PC Gaming is you don't have to have the game perfect on launch. There are so many gatekeepers for console that changes can take months, and with PC it can just be hours. Indie developers don't have any higher ups to answer to so they can make the game how they want. The problem with bigger companies they are always seeing something successful on another game, and you are constantly changing the game because of them.
I am sure that is why MMORPG's are rare on console. It takes to long to get patches approved, and content added. On PC you can fix bugs almost immediately, and keep your players happy. With console it might take three months for Microsoft to approve your changes.
One disadvantage to PC Gaming is companies are able to launch games that still have bugs, and may not be completed. It would never fly for a console game. If you look at it that way than console gaming will always have better polish than a pc game at launch.
Also Indie developers can raise money by letting you play during beta, or alpha. Minecraft is a good example of selling your game before it is ready, and raising funds to finish the game. They call this pre-sale. Another example of this they mention is a new Indie game called SpyParty. It costs $15 to join the beta, but you get all future updates for free.
I plan on joining this beta because the game just sounds different than any other game out there. It is multiplayer, but no one knows who are players, and who are npc's. You are both spies, and could be in the same room together, and not know it. The object is to find out who the other spy is in the game.
They also mentioned that being an Indie developer you don't have to worry to much about things in your game like poking humor at things, products, and etc. Most big gaming companies are too worried about being sued so many things get taken out of games whereas being an Indie it isn't such a big deal to poke fun at Jay Leno, Family Guy, South Park, and etc.
It just makes sense that PC Gaming is going Indie, and eventually there may be less big gaming companies like Activision, and EA. I think Indie is becoming so huge because it is opening gamers eyes to gameplay, and that graphics isn't always the answer.
