The Future of PC Gaming | IGN asks some developers about the direction PC games are heading

Colin Campbell writes:

"This year we have seen the successful launch of fantastic free-to-play games like PlanetSide 2 and Tribes: Ascend, the arrival of killer MMO Guild Wars 2 and the announcement of The Elder Scrolls Online. There has been a host of fascinating PC indie games including Torchlight 2, Thirty Flights of Loving and Botanicula, as well as the flowering of innovation-enablers like Greenlight and Kickstarter. We’ve seen demos for a credible virtual reality headset and talk of new hardware innovations from Valve that will seek to bring PC gaming into the mainstream. And, of course, we’ve enjoyed traditional hardcore games like Far Cry 3, Dishonored and Diablo III that showed the PC at its very best."

[aliengmr]

My opinion, PC gaming will slide back into a state of "perceived obscurity" when the new consoles are released. At least in regards to multi-plat AAA titles. I also see some of the devs that recently embraced the PC running back to consoles next gen.

However I think PC gaming will end up focusing more on independently developed games and AA titles.

On the PC, publishers aren't really needed, IMO. And with today's tech you can do a lot more with a smaller budget.

This, of course, assumes a future minus a "Steam-box", since I have no idea what that would end up being.

[aliengmr]

To be clear, I was saying that when the new, shiny, consoles are release most gamers and journalists(I use that term loosely) will forget all about the PC. And then you have exclusivity wars on AAA titles.

The PC will, of course, always be around no matter what happens.

[Somebody]

At first I want to counter your statement with the presence of MMOs and F2Ps on the PC. Then, I remembered that Sony and MS are now furiously trying to get those two genres into their next gen consoles. I also remembered when MMOs were said to be the only thing that's keeping the PC alive during the mass migration of the PC developers to the current consoles. Now, F2Ps are providing such an alluring prospect that PC game developers-turned-console game developers are coming back. As if the PC gamers would forgive them and pretend all those years leaving the PC to whither never happened.

And you're right, alienmr. When the next gen comes around those pc game-makers-turned-console-gam e-makers-turned-to-pc-games-aga in will again exclusively become console game makers. Why do we keep supporting this guys anyway?

First they love us. Then they left us for another platform. Now they love us again since we have some new shiny toys to play with. But deep down we all know that once the other platform comes in a new, shinier toy...they'll leave us cold again. It will take another 2-3 years before they come back crawling again to the PC. Repeat the dumping-getting back together-dumping cycle all over again.

[3GenGames]

IMO It's going to stay how it is. Offer any developer a nice platform to start with (Which gets better with OpenGL and all other graphics/sound libraries) then then it'll have as good quality if not better ports from other systems. It'll always be the system of innovation, so there's really no need to worry. Games like Minecraft wouldn't' have happened because before he showed he can make a game and make money Microsoft, Sony, AND Nintendo would have laughed it off and wouldn't have ever gave him a developers license. That's why PC will always be relevant, it'll always have those great exclusives for long periods of times that are made by just random developers. The good ones.

[TitanUp]

ill be buying one of the new consoles but my focus will be on pc games.

[DERKADER]

PC gaming is always a constant. It will continue to evolve naturally over time. The great thing about PC is that you don't have to wait as long for evolution. The PCs we have now are the consoles of the future.

[TukkerIntensity]

own all 3 consoles. 95% of the time I play on PC. the number of f2p and ultra cheap (hellllooo humble bundle!) games is staggering on the PC - while the consoles over charge and try to nickle and dime you out of everything for inferior service, graphics and performance.

[Zha1tan]

I dont see a point in getting the new consoles, my current PC will already be high above what they are unless they are going to charge £800 + for their initial release.