PC Gaming - Where Are You?

Where are the big PC Game releases for this year? It seems that big name PC only games have dried right up. Most of the big name PC game releases for this year have been ports of console releases or multi-platform games. The biggest PC Only game release for the year has been Conan: Age of Hyborian Adventures. You would hardly consider this to be a title which reaches across the spectrum of gamers to reach the widest possible audience.

Most games now are provided in a multi-platform format. It would be fair to say that these games are created with the lowest common denominator in mind. High end PC gamers are missing out to a degree. The money that this part of the gaming market spend on their overclocked high end gaming rigs is becoming a waste. The reality of homogonized console gaming is becoming more of reality every single day that passes. Look in to the future and try to think of the big name games which are going to be PC only ... Spore. Spore is hardly the type of game which appears to push the boundaries of PC hardware. There are even rumours circulating that Diablo 3 will be multi-platform. This does not surprise because Blizzard will want to reach the largest audience possible to make as much money as possible.

It is easy to jump on the "Death of PC Gaming" bandwagon but the future doesn't look to bright. Games releases are what we should be judging this future by. PC Gaming is the backbone of the gaming industry. It has outlasted any console on the market. It has done this through diversity. It has provided a greater number of gaming options than the limited input of consoles. Unfortunately, this may not be enough to save the format from homogonized releases.

I don't believe that PC gaming will die. But what we will see is less PC only releases and more cross format titles. At the point in time when there are no PC only game releases then, at this point in time, should we judge PC gaming to be dead. Currently, there is no other platform which allows people to enter the world of games development without a massive outlay. Hopefully, it will be the modding community which keeps PC only gaming alive.