Lack of PC games on shelves

eire_dd

Has anybody else noticed or is it just me that there seems to be a ever decreasing range of pc titles on the shelves in game gamestop and most of all pc world......who seem to be more interested in selling Tv's rather than pc's and accessories.

For Example I went to their store at liffey valley yesterday to buy a joystick and was told that they dont sell them anymore, would find that hard to understand.

Are there any shop's left with a decent range...????????

challengemaster

online really is the best option any more. but you're dead right, it sucks the way they're doing that.

mukki

If i was you i'd just buy a games console

you wont need to worry about drivers problems, tweaking settings, harware upgrades or downloading update patches ever again

eire_dd

I've got a 360...but as far as I'm concerned there are games that are just meant to be played on a PC...

challengemaster

hahahaha.. can you imagine playing something like CS or UT on a console.. with like.. a ****ty control pad? bahahahhahaa.

eire_dd

Lol

The Roach

I love my 360 and my Wii, but to make me abandon my PC would involve prising it from my cold dead hands!

And don't even get me started on the whole topic of mods and addons for games and the like, something that REALLY makes PC games stand head and shoulders above consoles.

Endurance Man

Consoles are for racing games, fighting games and sporting games, i wouldnt waste my time playing anything else on them. I was playing COD3 on the 360 in peats the other day, i felt like turning the gun on myself .

eire_dd

Wii does look like a bit of crack, would need a few people around and a 72 pack me thinks. Can't see it getting my handicap down though........

Anti

challengemaster wrote:

hahahaha.. can you imagine playing something like CS or UT on a console.. with like.. a ****ty control pad? bahahahhahaa.

Yes i can, i owned ut on the ps2 and hl2 on the ps2. They were.....Crap.

eire_dd

Anyone Playing Rainbow Six Vegas....is It Anygood

Redisle

i agree with you op most shops arent stocking many pc games anymore.. the one place that does stock them is virgin, they usually have a good selection, game also sometimes have a good selection, never gamestop.I could never abandon my pc for a console,i have not really played my ps2 at all since i built my current pc last february and now when i try to play a game on a ps2 pad im like a noob, i even tried hooking the ps2 pad up to the pc recently (i have an adaptor) and i tried flying in bfv and bf2 and it was soooo hard because it is completely different to the pc controls, i am totally reliant on pc controls ,my hands are used to w,a,s,d and the mouse!
i was always saying to myself that i would get a 360 or ps3 but now im not so sure.. i may end up getting the ps3 as an entertainment device rather than a gaming device,

Maybe we should all go complain somewhere to make shops stock pc games! .. these shops should realize by now that not all of us like/have consoles!

eire_dd

A Yes Virin, I Forgot About Them.
The One In Dundrum Has A Great Selection And A Lot Of Their Stuff Are Priced Arseways So You Can Pick Up A Bargain If You Have Time To Root...

eire_dd

Game On Henry Street Are Closing Aparently (i Overheard One Of The Staff Telling A Customer On Friday) Not A Good Sign

challengemaster

tbh, i'll probably get a ps3, but i'll get it with a keyboard and another mx518. nothing else will suffice now..

Kwekubo

eire_dd wrote:

Game On Henry Street Are Closing Aparently (i Overheard One Of The Staff Telling A Customer On Friday) Not A Good Sign

True, but they're just after opening a new shop a stone's throw away in the Ilac Centre.

Steffano2002

Interesting thread. I've been thinking the same lately... Wanted to buy a PC game recently cos I was waiting for my new Magnet connection but they had nothing in game shops!

And I don't play consoles anymore... Haven't used my PS2 in nearly 2 years! Keyboard & mouse can't be replaced AFAIC. I only play FPS games and IMO this type of game should not be released on consoles. That's why CoD3 is driving me mad

Endurance Man

Steffano2002 wrote:

Interesting thread. I've been thinking the same lately... Wanted to buy a PC game recently cos I was waiting for my new Magnet connection but they had nothing in game shops!

And I don't play consoles anymore... Haven't used my PS2 in nearly 2 years! Keyboard & mouse can't be replaced AFAIC. I only play FPS games and IMO this type of game should not be released on consoles. That's why CoD3 is driving me mad

Yup, people will say they owned in this game and that game, but you arent really playing well until you can stand up to someone using a mouse and keyboard, which will never happen .

Gryzor

eire_dd wrote:

decreasing range of pc titles on the shelves in game gamestop and most of all pc world

bottom line is if they were making money from them, the shelves would be stuffed full of them....internet sales and a move to consoles of the younger generations has to be hittin the PC game sales in bricks and mortor shops...

The Roach wrote:

to make me abandon my PC would involve prising it from my cold dead hands!

my sentiments exactly ...a controller is fine for racing games etc....but for COD2, BF2 you'll have to beat me to death with my own keyboard before I'll give it up...

BostonB

The harsh truth is there's more profit on a console title than a PC game. There will always be a market for PC games, if that has to be from specialist shops on the internet, I've no problem with that. PC World seems to still have a decent selection, even if they are usually at rip off prices.

calex71

eire_dd wrote:

Anyone Playing Rainbow Six Vegas....is It Anygood

Single player is good enough, but the multi player is top drawer stuff, so much so i'm only halfway through the second mission lol,

I'm playing on xbox 360 , is this out on PC?

Endurance Man

calex71 wrote:

Single player is good enough, but the multi player is top drawer stuff, so much so i'm only halfway through the second mission lol,

I'm playing on xbox 360 , is this out on PC?

Yup

L31mr0d

fact of the matter is, kids don't have the kind of money to build PCs that can run the latest games coming out, so they don't bother. They just buy themselves a new console which can guarantee them at least a year, if not more, of guaranteed compatibility. When I was a kid, any game would run on any system out there. Nowadays, to fully appreciate new games your PC has to be in a constant state of flux, upgrading with each new release. I can see a day when every new PC game will come bundled with a new graphics card. Plus it's a lot harder to pirate Xbox 360, Wii and PS3 games then it is to get PC titles, which must be also destroying the market.

I'd say it will get to a point where games will just be made for consoles, and then just slightly adapted to be played on the PC. You can see this already in the likes of R6: Vegas, the HUD is meant for the console, so are the option menus... its like they just slapped a PC tag on the packaging and recoded the same game directly over to the PC.

I also think we'll see PC games becoming episodic, like what they are doing with HL2, Sin episodes and FEAR. This will increase the playable life of a game, by releasing 4 or 5 episodes to be played over a period of a few years based on the same engine, which will make it cheaper for companies to make new releases without having to completely write a new engine or design a new game from scratch each time.

8T8

My own two cents...

A couple of factors are contributing to this;
* It's new console season so a lot of noise and all the focus will be on those till things die down a little bit.

* North American retailers ones like Gamestop who have been encroaching here have always favoured game consoles over the PC unfortunately & their policies are spreading as they buy out other chains not just here but in the US as well.

* Lack of standardisation has been a major factor in the US not so much here as we were far ahead in adopting DVD style boxes and the like but it still hurts the shelf space.

* Marketing kick backs, retailers get assistance training etc. from the console vendors to sell their product.

* Advent of online stores like Play & others will have no doubt had an effect as well.

On a more positive note;
* The PC game industry is free which means it will never go away or die like some fools claim as there are no royalty's to pay so developers can try new things, test out new IP or make a name for themselves e.g Crytek or look at F.E.A.R which made it's way to the consoles.

* The PC game industry is also in part driven by technology as those who lose a taste for it or the upgraders itch are replaced by another generation who like to toy with hardware. Same goes for developers some like to push the technological envelope and see the limits of 3D technology.

* PC gaming is one of the few areas that hardware vendors can sell to there is a vested interest in it for example NVIDIA has one of the largest dev relations group in the world bigger than ATI's and Microsoft's for it's Xbox console.

* Digital distribution will have an impact on PC games with broadband connections will definitely augment the retail channel and help other genres back to like like the adventure game e.g Sam n Max or indie devs that produced Darwinia & Defcon.

* Microsoft although it may not seem that way it does has a vested interest in PC gaming as the Xbox project is basically recycled technology and tricks it has learned from the PC gaming platform. They are planning a more standardized platform for gaming in Windows under the Games for Windows brand which have white/blue cases with a Windows logo, a lot like a console game case.

Anyway the point being is they plan to offer marketing and support to developers who sign up to the effort to better promote PC games at retail with dedicated for GFW sections in stores and they must support various features like background install, wide screens etc. they have also made it easy to port games between Windows and the Xbox 360. Whether it will work out in the long run who knows but hopefully it will as it is a good thing.

The PC gaming market wont disappear it will motor along like it always has but it doesn't have the opportunity to grow however Vista with it's GPU requirements and the GFW brand may change that in the long run only time will tell...

challengemaster

L31mr0d wrote:

fact of the matter is, kids don't have the kind of money to build PCs that can run the latest games coming out, so they don't bother.

ehm.. im 15, and when the 8900gtx comes out my rig will be

C2D e6600
2gb OCZ platinum
8900gtx
520W OCZ
MSI P-965 mobo

soo.. we dont have the monies, do we? :P

L31mr0d

challengemaster wrote:

ehm.. im 15, and when the 8900gtx comes out my rig will be

C2D e6600
2gb OCZ platinum
8900gtx
520W OCZ
MSI P-965 mobo

soo.. we dont have the monies, do we? :P

eh... do you think you are speaking for every 15 y/o in the world? because if you do then you need to take that silver spoon out of your mouth and have a look at the bigger picture. How may I ask are you coming about the kind of money to pay for that rig at 15? Working the night shifts at McDees? I think not.

Tell you what, do a little survey for me, head down to your local community college and ask around and see how many kids have C2D's with G80's, then find out how many have Wii's or Xbox 360's. Come back to me with your results.

challengemaster

L31mr0d wrote:

How may I ask are you coming about the kind of money to pay for that rig at 15? Working the night shifts at McDees? I think not.

saving monies + a bit from parents.

Manic Moran

HavoK wrote:

Pretty much what L31mr0d said. PC Game requirements have been shooting through the roof lately on some games, which hits alot of PC onwers hard.

Doesn't mean to say you can't pick up last year's games in the bargain bin, and then run them on the affordable machine of today: A game is just as good when purchased a year later, even if you don't have a top-of-the-line system.

NTM

abccormac

I went into my local gamestop the other week to find for a look around, and the PC shelf was dominated by MMOs. They had WOW, EQ2, Archlord, RF online, City of heroes/villains, guild wars and Auto Assault all on the shelves. They didn't have a single copy of flight sim x or football manager 2007, 2 of the traditional big sellers in the PC gaming market. Personally I think it's no coincidence that the games that were easiest to find were essentially unpiratable.

The fact that almost every PC gamer has broadband access must be having a massive impact on the ammount of piracy that goes on. When the latest PC games can be got for free with a quick google search and a few hours of a download has to be having a serious effect on sales. Just out of curiosity, is there anyone here without one or two pirated games on their PC?

The pace of technological advance and the cost of keepin a PC up to date so you can play the latest games is a factor but I honestly think piracy is the main force behind the lack of availability of PC games on the high street.

BopNiblets

mukki wrote:

If I was you I'd just buy a games console

you wont need to worry about drivers problems, tweaking settings, hardware upgrades or downloading update patches ever again

Some people like that!
I wouldn't be able to not sit by while something I bought just sits there and ONLY plays games that possibly has bugs that can't be FIXED!
As for hardware upgrades, get em' ya can afford em, keep it all dynamic and changeable baby.

Manic Moran

abccormac wrote:

. Just out of curiosity, is there anyone here without one or two pirated games on their PC?

You know, I don't think I do. Which, frankly, surprises me. However, the sort of games I like are produced in small enough numbers that I can afford to buy them all!

Copy protection for Steel Beasts is a little unusual: They took a survey, and once they got past the "Put Starforce on it and die!" reactions, they decided to go with a USB 'key'. Plug it in and go. Uncopiable, undownloadable, and pretty hard to crack, particularly if the key's 'codes' can be reset with each patch. No intrusive software, no mucking around with 25-character codes, and you can make a number of backup copies of the CD. All you need is a free USB port. I have to say, I like it.

NTM

dr.bollocko

I was sceptical of playing a COD title on a console, but COD3 on the 360, as a singleplayer title kicks ass.
Its a shame that the multiplayer sucks ass but still, I couldn't stop playing it and I was expecting a total lemon.

AnCapaillMor

Piracy has hit Pc games big time. any pc title is pretty much avalible on the net for download. With a PC crack, it involves cracking the title, with consoles it involves getting your console chipped and pretty much rules you out of any online gaming. I've the 360 myself, but 90% of the time i'm pc gaming. I can PC games going the way of direct2drive, steam or EA downloader. I've a net connection so i'm down with it. PC all the way.


as for the whole, joystick mouse, i can't play Gears of War, aiming without a mouse, i can't bloody do it.

Stephen

My local gamestop has almost 0 PC games besides a bunch of poxy MMO's and the sims 2

**** 'em, more orders for play.com

MisterAnarchy

PC Game Titles in general seem to be very limited these days.
Its mostly strategy or football manager games being released over the last few months.
Where are all the shooters gone ?

abccormac

I was flicking through edge in the newsagents today, and they had an article about PC gaming. I only took a quick look at it, but they said PC games sales had dropped by 10% every year, for the last 5 years in a row.

Thats a massive drop in sales coinciding pretty closely with the widening availability of broadband, and the easier access to pirate games that comes with high download speeds.

The online capabilities of the newer consoles are removing the one unique selling point that PC gaming has had until now and I think that could be one of the last nails in the coffin of PC games. Personally I own an xbox 360, a ps2 and a PC, and play games on all of them, but the convenience of knowing that my 360 will be able to play any game that comes out for the next 4-5 years without any upgrades compared to my laptop which won't be capable of playing new games in a year or two really outweighs any benefits the PC has as a gaming platform.

All in all I can see PC games becoming a very small market over the next few years. The inconvenience of having to upgrade regularly for the player, and the widespread piracy of your work for the developer will end up killing it off.

projectmayhem

abccormac wrote:

I was flicking through edge in the newsagents today, and they had an article about PC gaming. I only took a quick look at it, but they said PC games sales had dropped by 10% every year, for the last 5 years in a row.

how much of that is just a sheer lack of games? PC games have a tendency to either be stunning, or mediocre. everything after hl2 felt "meh", and even now we're gearing up for ep2. this year includes that, stalker (hyped to bits) & spore (among others).

i'd say at the end of 2007 we'll be reading articles about how "2007 saved pc gaming", but 2008... eh, not so much

Zillah

mukki wrote:

If i was you i'd just buy a games console
you wont need to worry about drivers problems

You mean you won't be able to upgrade to superior drivers?

tweaking settings

Optimising settings. You know, like making it look really really pretty or reduce them to account for that awful chopp framerate consoles are known for.

harware upgrades

"Worry" about? Upgrading is great, it makes things better. The closest option with consoles is to throw them out and buy the next one.

or downloading update patches ever again

..or getting improved or adittional content..

abccormac

projectmayhem wrote:

how much of that is just a sheer lack of games?

I don't disagree that there's a lack of games for the PC, the question is why is there a lack of games. I would say it's in part because of piracy reducing profitability.

And Zillah, most people find upgrading drivers to be a chore, settings only need to be optimised because every PC runs on different hardware, upgrading is a pain when your top of the range graphics card is merely average six months down the line, and consoles now have the same potential to provide online cotent updates as the PC.

The PC is a fantastic games platform, if you can afford the 1000 euros or so to get set up with something half decent and are prepared to fork out a few hundred euros more every now and then for a new processor or graphics card. If you're not technically minded or don't have deep pockets a console is often a more sensible option.

Manic Moran

abccormac wrote:

The online capabilities of the newer consoles are removing the one unique selling point that PC gaming has had until now

Ahem, ahem...

The vast majority of games I have on my PC wouldn't have a hope of being played on a console, unless the console comes with a keyboard.

Try playing Falcon 4: Allied Force on a Playstation 3.

NTM

de5p0i1er

eire_dd wrote:

I've got a 360...but as far as I'm concerned there are games that are just meant to be played on a PC...

Your right there. Sometimes you need a mouse and keyboard.

johnny_ultimate

Excuse me while I join the disinfranchised masses, but was disgusted today when I went searching for Dreamfall in town, which I expected to find easily and for thirty euro or under
After trying every game shop between grafton street and Henry Street I finally came across a lone copy in HMV Henry Street at a price of 50 euro.
Consider me irked.

abccormac

There's no technical reason to stop you using a keyboard and mouse on a console though, the xbox360 and ps2 have usb ports and i assume the ps3 does aswell. The fact that things like flight sims and other niche market products end up on the PC is probably more to do with the costs of developing for the PC compared to a console.

andyps2.5

I played both pc and console games before and this how I see it. PC games have a huge varity of games but they will only work if you upgrade your pc with the right parts for the game. Console games are easier to work since there little or no divers to add-on but there isn't as mush games.

Personally I prefer Console games mostly because you never run into bugs in the middle of the game. but for now I'm back to the pc games, I'm tring to aviod buying more games and save for ps3.

DarthWraak

andyps2.5 wrote:

Personally I prefer Console games mostly because you never run into bugs in the middle of the game.

Not necessarily. The GTA series on the Playstation was as bugged as hell. I can remember in San Andreas where you couldn't build up your stats anymore for some reason, which caused me to delete and restart the game

But the PC wins here actually, as most games have patches released to counter such bugs. However, this system of patching is coming (or has already come) to consoles.