How Microsoft Could Kill PC Gaming (And Profit!)

[NayusDante]

One word: DirectX


This wonderful API has given us PC gaming advances for years now, and the industry is nearly dependent on it. Should Microsoft make the Xbox 3 with DirectX 11 as a platform-exclusive, PC gaming would slowly go away. OpenGL is a good contender, but can you see all the development studios in a mass-migration?

Honestly, I think that this might be a good thing. If the next generation of consoles has full "personal computer" functionality, do we even NEED PC gaming anymore? The personal computer could make a move back to being an office tool, while game consoles become centralized entertainment hubs.

We're already seeing signs of a coming change. PC-accessory manufactures such as Logitech are making console accessories and input devices. They'll see no losses from a transition like this. Microsoft would see a dramatic increase in the Xbox brand's profitability, as PC gaming would move to the new platform with accessories such as lapboards and gyro mice bridging the control gap. This would leave Sony and Nintendo (maybe Sega if they feel like it) to dominate console-style gaming.

What's your opinion on this? Do you see it happening? Do you embrace it or oppose it?

[Leo_A]

Of course it won't happen, and I'd fully oppose it. There are many experiences you can only find on PC's, such as racing and flight simulators.

[NayusDante]

But with the accessory companies making console peripherals, (more) racing wheels and flight-sticks for consoles aren't very far off. USB opens a HUGE world of possibilities.

[ProgrammingAce]

From a programming standpoint, that doesn't make any sense. Even if Microsoft blocked DirectX 11 from PCs (which they're not, by the way) the GPU manufacturers would freak out and offer an alternative.

You certainly don't need a framework like DirectX to build a game engine, i took a sophomore level class in college on how to design game engines from scratch. Some enterprising company would step in to fill the gap.

[Misto]

PC gaming won't be over for a long time. If you think about it, DirectX isn't the only library for making games, just a major one. Even if Microsoft made it excusively for Xbox 360, another library would step up like ProgrammingAce said.

Plus the hardware on a pc is always changing and up to date. Newer, more powerful hardware comes along every few months, while new consoles only come ever couple years. This means, that the best games can always be featurered on a computer, while it may take several years for consoles to catch up to the latest hardware.

[boatofcar]

Should Microsoft make the Xbox 3 with DirectX 11 as a platform-exclusive,

Why in the world would they do that?

[OldSchoolGamer]

Everytime newer more powerful and admitidly PC like consoles emerge another round of PC as a gaming platform doom ensues. It is not going away because many people own PC, play games on PC's and don't care about consoles............

[Jorpho]

Everytime newer more powerful and admitidly PC like consoles emerge another round of PC as a gaming platform doom ensues. It is not going away because many people own PC, play games on PC's and don't care about consoles............
Well put. Except for maybe the excessive number of periods.

PC gaming is going nowhere.

[boatofcar]

PC gaming is going nowhere.

Haha, I had to read that a few times to understand your meaning. At first I thought you meant PC gaming was dead, as in it's going nowhere. Like, "development for the Gamecube is going nowhere, so we're going to discontinue production."

I see now that you meant PC gaming isn't going anywhere.

[Push Upstairs]

PC gaming won't go away because PC's, and their components, are the things pushing tech boundaries.

Or to put it another way: PC's are the testing ground for theories, ideas, and inspirations that will go into future game consoles.

[j_factor]

PC gaming won't go away because PC's, and their components, are the things pushing tech boundaries.

Or to put it another way: PC's are the testing ground for theories, ideas, and inspirations that will go into future game consoles.

I don't remember any PC's with PowerPC processors, other than a few rare IBM's in the mid-90s. ;)

[Andred]

PC gaming is necessary for the moment. A main advantage of the PC is that it is most often a permanent fixture on a desk, where a keyboard/mouse/joystick are easily accessed and stored. The notion of using a mouse and keyboard while sitting on your couch (which I do, btw) doesn't make much sense. What solid surface do you mouse on? Where do you store everything when you're done? There are several types of games that are much better suited to mouse and keyboard (FPS, RTS, FlightSim, MMORPG) and unfortunately, living rooms simply aren't set up for it.

I do firmly believe that as soon as we figure out a better/equally efficient control scheme for all games the PC will definitely be done as a gaming platform. But that seems a long way off.

[calthaer]

The only reason PC gaming is suffering is because of a long history of buggy, crappy releases. It's funny that, even as the Windows operating system has become more stable, the games which depend upon it are not. It has nothing to do with DirectX and everything to do with a lack of proper testing and a whole lot of "we'll fix that with a patch after release" nonsense.

Which is why people stop buying PC games when they're released...and they drop in price and don't make as much money...and then people stop producing them...etc., etc.

The only way for the glory days of PC gaming to return at this point is for there to be some sort of "Nintendo Seal" or quality-of-assurance bit that guarantees that the games will at least work. Until then, it will never die - it will just limp / gimp along.

[monkeychemist]

Personally I don't understand how anyone can be an avid PC gamer...unless you have lots and lots of money. I mean, just to keep up with new games you have to have a new PC every 3 months...it is ridiculous

[Flack]

If anything, I could see Microsoft using DirectX on the next Xbox and then making games compatible between the PC and the Xbox3.

One of the reasons arcades died was that gaming shifted from short/quick/fast games to RPG and adventure games, which home consoles and computers were better at delivering. In the future I can see this divide forming between consoles and PCs.

[NayusDante]

The only way for the glory days of PC gaming to return at this point is for there to be some sort of "Nintendo Seal" or quality-of-assurance bit that guarantees that the games will at least work. Until then, it will never die - it will just limp / gimp along.

That was what I had hoped that Games For Windows would be. I still think that they could salvage the concept, but it's not standardized enough for performance and such. Once they start using Vista System Ratings as system requirements, I think that developers can start using console-mentality to optimize for those specs.

[jb143]

OpenGL is a good contender, but can you see all the development studios in a mass-migration?



There was a time when DOS was the PC game development platform of choice. Then the studios left their tried and true DOS routines and made a mass migration to Windows(becasue of DirectX). When push comes to shove people will make changes. Most graphics engines sit on top of DirectX anyways, so if they have OpenGL or some other support either already existing or added later, then from the programmers point of view, very little will change.

[Lucifersam1]

I am a High School teacher and have had the conversation of console vs. pc gaming with some of my students. These "young" kids are dedicated to PC gaming.. swear by it. Sure many of them own PS3, Wii, 360, etc., BUT, they prefer to play PC games (they even prefer PC versions of the games over console games where applicable). Now, I haven't played PC games since Quake came out, and Doom is probably one of my favorites of all time, so I would not be qualified to debate their claims that PC gaming, in terms of graphics and game play, wreck console gaming. Anyone have any thoughts on their claim? Anyway, like some of the other posters said: I don't think PC gaming will go away anytime soon.

[NayusDante]

PC gaming is becoming restricted (DRM) and the diversity of available content is a problem. Console gaming has a system of licensing, so no DRM is required. Yes, the quality of visuals will always be better on PC, but that's just because of hardware revision cycles being shorter.

What I'm trying to get at is that if Microsoft omitted Windows support in DirectX 11, the Xbox 3 would be a replacement for the desktop PC. Essentially, the device would be a gaming pc with licensed games. Where the kids today have a desk in their room for a PC, the tower would be replaced by the gaming machine. The home computer would become the de facto machine for running Office and such, but the gamer's PC would supply email, media, and internet browsing.

[Jorpho]

Personally I don't understand how anyone can be an avid PC gamer...unless you have lots and lots of money. I mean, just to keep up with new games you have to have a new PC every 3 months...it is ridiculousIt's surprisingly easy if you don't insist on playing every new game as soon as it comes out. But maybe that would make one "not avid".
The home computer would become the de facto machine for running Office and such, but the gamer's PC would supply email, media, and internet browsing.Bah! People have been proposing something like that for years now, and it hasn't happened! Remember the Sega Saturn web browser?

I suppose when high-def TVs become more common (much, much more common than they are now) it might be a little more feasible.

[otaku]

No way! I like having a gaming PC and playing on it. You can have much better hardware with a PC and thats part of the fun (the hardware) and then there is modding the software etc which is best done on a pc. ANd then I use notebooks so I can game on the go. And... just no!!!!

[OldSchoolGamer]

What I'm trying to get at is that if Microsoft omitted Windows support in DirectX 11, the Xbox 3 would be a replacement for the desktop PC. Essentially, the device would be a gaming pc with licensed games. Where the kids today have a desk in their room for a PC, the tower would be replaced by the gaming machine. The home computer would become the de facto machine for running Office and such, but the gamer's PC would supply email, media, and internet browsing.

I believe if MS attempted this there would be enough backlash to force them to reconsider.............

[Push Upstairs]

Does MS get a license fee or something for Direct X tools?

[ProgrammingAce]

Does MS get a license fee or something for Direct X tools?

No
...

[ScourDX]

If Microsoft would make DirectX console exclusive, I think they will lose a lot of their OS sales. I think Microsoft has to rethink their strategy and revive the PC gaming community or else people will switch over to Linux or Mac OSX.

[Jorpho]

I think Microsoft has to rethink their strategy and revive the PC gaming community or else people will switch over to Linux or Mac OSX.Ow, my brain.

[jb143]

If Microsoft would make DirectX console exclusive, I think they will lose a lot of their OS sales. I think Microsoft has to rethink their strategy and revive the PC gaming community or else people will switch over to Linux or Mac OSX.

And isn't Vista built on top of DirectX now anyways? I don't see them changing that anytime soon.

[ScourDX]

And isn't Vista built on top of DirectX now anyways? I don't see them changing that anytime soon.

Well Microsoft made DirectX 10 exclusive to Vista and hopefully force PC gamers to switch over to Vista. Big mistake.

[ANONPLOX]

There was a time when DOS was the PC game development platform of choice. Then the studios left their tried and true DOS routines and made a mass migration to Windows(becasue of DirectX). When push comes to shove people will make changes. Most graphics engines sit on top of DirectX anyways, so if they have OpenGL or some other support either already existing or added later, then from the programmers point of view, very little will change.
lets just say this actually happens and Microsoft blocks DX11 from PC if all developers goto OpenGL this is the window that APPLE needs to get ppl to also produce games for MAC because MACS run on OpenGL if this happens this could be the push Mac gamers have been waiting for.

[j_factor]

This thread reminds me of Anthony1 for some reason...

[Jorpho]

This thread reminds me of Anthony1 for some reason...Aye, I thought something about it seemed oddly familiar.

[thedeityofhardcore]

Eh PC Gaming has been dead for years

[Nophix]

Personally I don't understand how anyone can be an avid PC gamer...unless you have lots and lots of money. I mean, just to keep up with new games you have to have a new PC every 3 months...it is ridiculous



That is actually a very untrue statement. PC games are developed to work on a multitude of systems, through proper configuration of settings. Even Crysis!

My wife is gaming on a 2 year old Pentium Dual Core, with 2gb's RAM and an 8600GT vid card. This is all roughly 2 year old tech, running on Windows XP 32bit.

She plays pretty much everything with maxed settings, and I can play Crysis on it on medium settings with good results. This thing is nowhere near up to date.

Add to that the fact that PC components can be upgraded on the fly, such as adding more memory or a better video card. The shelf life of upgradability on a PC is actually a bit above the 5 year mark for consoles.

[NayusDante]

I disagree. An 8600GT is still a decent card, and "two year old tech" is still expensive for the average consumer. So is any Pentium DC chip, especially if you need to get a new motherboard to support it. If you don't have the system specs to play today's games, you're looking at $200 to get up to date, assuming you're replacing two components or more. For the same price, you can get a 360.

The next generation of systems will likely be $300+, and I can guarantee that you'll need $300 or more to upgrade your computer to play games released after that. The only exception would be those with a high-end system now. And we're back to "people with lots of money" dominating the PC scene.

[calthaer]

That is actually a very untrue statement. PC games are developed to work on a multitude of systems, through proper configuration of settings. Even Crysis!
...
Add to that the fact that PC components can be upgraded on the fly, such as adding more memory or a better video card. The shelf life of upgradability on a PC is actually a bit above the 5 year mark for consoles.

a) The only company whose products I have found generally work (and work well) even on low-end PCs is Blizzard. Oh, and free Flash games, but we're not talking about those.

b) Everything you say in that second statement about being able to upgrade PCs is largely untrue for laptops, which are becoming (and are estimated to become even more) one of the largest-growing segments of the PC market:

http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/03/22/pc_shipment_2006/
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/hardware/0,39042972,62046000,00.htm

I myself, having once been a PC aficionado who a penchant for high-powered desktops, have abandoned them for the laptop scene. One big reason is the lack of a clear winner in the desktop sound card arena - I can't stand Creative Labs and their shoddy products.

[cyberfluxor]

The whole upgrade costs on a computer are still being debated? An example, the computer I'm typing with right now is approaching 5 years old. It's cost me a total of $1600 which turns into $320/year, including all upgrades I've done. It isn't a powerhouse by any means, but it wasn't until games released earlier this year that I can no longer play on all-around high quality settings, and that's primarily due to a slow FSB coupled with AGP; when a game gobbles up over a GB of memory it creates a tight bottleneck. However, this sytem still works wonders surfing the internet, running office and graphics applications, accessing VPN and SSH services, handling email, chatting with others, watching DVDs and online videos, and so forth. Consoles are obtaining more roles of a standard gaming computer than the other way around. On top of that, why isn't an Xbox360 or PS3 offering a 1TB model yet?

Sometime later next year I plan to build my next home computer, which has been on hold for nearly 2 years since it hasn't been totally necessary. So much has changed over the past half-decade in terms of cost, efficiency, power, and options that it appears a newer system could become a great benefit.


I myself, having once been a PC aficionado who a penchant for high-powered desktops, have abandoned them for the laptop scene. One big reason is the lack of a clear winner in the desktop sound card arena - I can't stand Creative Labs and their shoddy products.

This is actually one of the topics I'm concentrating on. I plan on getting a pair of Mackie's like these (http://www.guitarcenter.com/Mackie-HR824mk2-8-75--Active-High-Resolution-Studio-Reference-Monitor-104325196-i1175384.gc). I've gone through a large assortment of studio monitors and these are around where I'd like to be in terms of quality.

[NayusDante]

If you're going to spend $320 a year, don't buy a top of the line rig. I built a usable desktop last friday for $255, minus CD drive and OS, so that's a good start for anybody.

If you build/buy a system now for $400, it should be enough to last you a year before you really need to upgrade. When that time comes, swap the video card and maybe the ram or proc. Whatever you can get for your set budget. The next year, swap the opposite components. Get a new mobo to support whatever new CPU socket there is, and either reuse or upgrade your ram depending on support.

Back on topic, upgradable consoles would seal the deal. I think that Microsoft had the right idea with the 360 hard drive, being enclosed in plastic and attaching to the case. Apply the same concept to video cards, processors, etc, and you get licensed hardware vendors producing "cartridges" that you plug into expansion slots. Just include "base spec performance standards" for those who can't upgrade, and everybody gets a smooth experience. A next generation machine's base spec might include an Intel quad-core with 2gb DDR2, but Spec Revision 2011 might entail installing a licensed ATI Radeon X6000 series or an nVidia GeForce 13 series card and an Intel Core Trio chip. Many companies already make tons of different hardware models, so there's not very much for them to adapt to.

[Iron Draggon]

I'd be all for a system that finally standardizes the components enough that I never have to worry about configuring all my PC games to work properly on my system again. Even better if I never have to screw around with installing them all again too. And you'd think by now we'd at least have a standardized way of storing all our save files on a portable backup device of some sort, so when something inevitably wipes out all our game data and causes us to have to reinstall it, we could at least recover all the unlockables we worked so hard to get, without having to restore them all by starting the games over and doing all that crap again. I'm so tired of trying to figure out where all that information is stored on my computer, only to find out that it's been hidden somewhere that my system refuses to grant me access to it, so I can back it up and not have to worry about losing it all for the zillionth time.