2012 - The Revival of PC Gaming?

[NayusDante]

It's been a long time coming, but it seems like things are going back to where they were in about '99. We had a new Deus Ex last year, and it was a surprisingly good return to form. Shogun: Total War got a sequel last year. MechWarrior is coming back as an MMO, and it might actually be good. Microsoft Flight launches soon.

Ever since 9-11, I've felt that the gaming industry has embraced slow, military-themed shooters, something I've never really understood the appeal of. Genres like science fiction and simulation took a backseat to modern combat and the virtual theme parks we call MMOs.

I'm just happy to see that developers are finally starting to branch out and pick up where they left off. I've even seen rumors of reviving the Unreal series. Has anyone else noticed what's been happening? Am I right that we're exiting the "dark ages" of PC gaming?

[Jorpho]

Has anyone else noticed what's been happening?

All I've noticed is that people routinely declare the "death" of PC gaming at least once a year or so.

I have no doubt that there's been no shortage of "genres like science fiction and simulation" if you just know where to look. Spore is the first thing that pops into my head. ("But Spore sucked!" is the obvious response.)

[Gamevet]

I'd like to more exclusives from the big studios, but for every Starcraft 2, or Shogun, comes a dirth of console games that were ported to PC. Diablo 3 should be a big title for the PC; I just hope it gets the sales numbers it deserves.