PC: The Largest Threat to Next Gen Consoles (according to Gametrailers)

How the fuck is ios/android that low. Lower than Wii U? LOL

Mobile is clearly the largest threat to traditional gaming (console/portable/pc) in general. That huge, expanded audience that we saw during the Wii/PS3/360 gen is GONE thanks to fucking 99 cent phone games. Just look at the sales of 3DS Brain Age. That audience ain't coming back. They get their fix and have no need for a dedicated gaming device.

#2 is definitely current gen consoles. Again, it comes back to that expanded audience. The audience that bought a Wii or 360 for Wii Sports or Just Dance or Guitar Hero and never touched it again, maybe just to use it for Netflix. Those people exist, and they aren't upgrading to a $300+ console. They don't need it.

Console sales will be way down from this current gen for these two reasons alone imo. Then again I'm pretty bad at predictions so I guess we'll just have to wait and see ^_^
 
I wish to own a great gaming pc, but I also will be playing Infamous. PC being a threat is fine I don't mind pushing multiplats beyond what consoles do if the 1st party console stuff has to maintain great quality which I felt PS3 accomplished that for me and I'm sure PS4/Xbone won't dissapoint.
 
Or maybe one of the Ys games? Apparently TLR was patched on PC, which improves the game over the console version somehow, but I don't think that's generally regarded as one of the best JRPGs this gen either way.

I know that a lot of people think it's Square's best work in a long time, but honestly it's not my area of expertise. Dark Souls is more my kind of JRPG.
 
glass.gif

Oh god so good.
 
If PC is a "threat", then the rest below PC are a joke.

There really is no threat. They'll coexist because PC doesn't get the games developed on consoles, and the trend is showing more PC games going console as multiplatform now that consoles are taking a more developer friendly architecture (not Wii U).
 
lol the PC will never be a threat to consoles. Casuals like consoles.

Casuals like iPads now, the fight here is over the dollars of people who are considered enthusiasts. Microsoft wants to attract them by hooking the Xbone into their cable box to do a bunch of stuff it already does, but apart from that the casual market is pretty well served by Apple and Google.
 
I do agree that console sales probably peaked. There's still a lot of money to be made if hardcore gaming grows, though. That's where all the good money is anyway, if the goal is to sell many games per console.

Oh definitely. I think console sales will still be good this gen (mainly thanks to PS4 and Xbone, Wii U will reach 20 million if it's lucky), but there is a large chunk of the audience that is definitely lost to mobile, or bought their first console this gen and will never upgrade.
That's kinda why I personally think MS insisting on Kinect is a really bad move. They caught the end of the wave with the original Kinect. Right now, they're just inflating the barrier of entry to their platform by $100 over an audience that probably doesn't want or need that product. I might be wrong there; I was wrong about the orignal Kinect, after all.

YES. Guaranteed Kinect is going to be a complete bomb with Xbone and they will be selling a Kinectless bundle for $399 by E3. I can't believe they think the audience for that thing is willing to spend $499 on a new box. Blows my mind.
 
But no one cares about PC gaming, if they did there wouldn't be millions of pre-orders for nextgen consoles.
While most of use know all the benefits of PC gaming the rest of the world don't care and don't even think of PC as a gaming platform beyond Facebook games solitaire.
There are millions of people who will be buying nextgen consoles this year and next year for a game that will run on their PC because they do not see PC as an option.
ya can argue until you are blue in the face but its true.
 
LOL PC... Outside of Dota 2 I don't see myself playing anything else on it. Meanwhile on the consoles side It'll have exclusives games that I'd like to play.
 
But no one cares about PC gaming, if they did there wouldn't be millions of pre-orders for nextgen consoles.
While most of use know all the benefits of PC gaming the rest of the world don't care and don't even think of PC as a gaming platform beyond Facebook games solitaire.
There are millions of people who will be buying nextgen consoles this year and next year for a game that will run on their PC because they do not see PC as an option.
ya can argue until you are blue in the face but its true.

A few things

1. Good preorder numbers for consoles doesn't really imply that "no one cares about PC gaming
2. There's plenty more games that are hits besides facebook games and solitaire
3. Maybe they see PC as more high end and their needs are met by consoles at a better price value
 
Things are looking good for the next-gen if PC gaming is the biggest threat.

The advantages that a PC holds over consoles have always been there, and yet, it has never surpassed console gaming in terms of success (mainly due to the casual market).
 
Water is wet.

Fire is hot.

Ice is cold.

I don't know if it is a given. PC hasn't always been a threat. The PC market for gaming has seen its ups and downs. PC is going through a bit of a resurgence right now on all fronts. I don't believe that it will be a substantial threat to next gen consoles though.
 
Has it been stated that the Wii U is number 5 behind last gen and media diversions aka films?

On a list of largest threats to next gen consoles?

That's too harsh on the Wii U for even me lol

I mean there's kicking someone when they're down and then there's the general treatment of the Wii U by the media
 
Consoles have great price/performance.
PCs have more potential power and moddability.

I don't think it's as much consoles vs PC as it is consoles + PC vs mobile devices.
 
It must be tough being a games journalist.

There just isn't enough interesting stuff to fill those pages and get those clicks every day I guess.

Gotta write something I suppose. Bills to pay and such.
 
It honestly can be for some people. While I scoff without hesitation at the usual excuses cooked up by console warriors around these parts, there are some pretty obvious things about PC gaming that are troublesome to some people. SteamOS could help solve some of those problems, but it still won't be as simple as putting in a disc and playing.

Then again, console games ship with day one patches and such now, so it's not all what it should be for that crowd outside of the portables.

Well, you are not considering other important aspects like form factor, design, and price.
 
Consoles have great price/performance.

So do PCs. It gets better every year. The insistance upon most developers building towards console level hardware actually helps PC gaming by keeping it accessible for even low end systems. If you consider the visuals a PC can pump out at 1440p or 2160p (4k) and what it costs, it's really a 'good deal' if you are into those sorts of things.

A better way of saying it would be to point out that the consoles represent the easiest and cheapest entry point into most gaming. With stuff like SteamOS, GeForce experience, Mantle etc... the PC crowd is starting to encroach on console turf more and more. And this time, consoles aren't faster than most PCs, and nowhere near as fast as high end hardware is right now.

If all goes according to plan, PC gaming will be a very real thing and a huge threat (because of increasing overlap) by the end of the next gen cycle. Dismissing it is simply foolish.
 
Not a threat, even with the Steam machines, some people will still find PC's too complex to use.

The console crowd will always be there.
 
Doesn't Ouya making list the pretty much invalidate it altogether? I mean, Leapsters a bigger threat.

The ouya is a piece of shit due to poor execution, but the idea is solid. A cheap ass box that plays good games, emulators, and streams media could really be a deadly thing to a $500 console if done right.
 
Many people love to play with a controller in the living room, and lets face it online it does not mix with a gaming mouse that is pixel perfect.

So unless there is a segregation of mouse and controller online, even with small pcs in living room, many will stick to simpler consoles.

I have often thought of building a gaming rig, but don't want to play with a mouse (but I don't want to be gimped online).
 
Well, I am sure GameTrailers will do the right thing and fight on behalf of their corporate overlords, eh I mean the consoles, against the Mongol horde of PC gamers.
 
With regard to relentlessly increasing production costs for video games (esp. those with good graphics) I think that PC gamers are underestimating the importance of purchasing power: GTA5 made $800,000,000 revenue within 24 hours and without the platform PC. That didn't go unnoticed.

I also think that PC gamers are overestimating the importance of tech like Mantle, G-Sync and Oculus Rift for the mass market. I mean, the dumbest assumable user will never understand what Mantle or G-Sync are and he probably won't spend $300 on a peripheral that needs high-end hardware to function and that will probably only work in a few handpicked games.

Having funky tech is nice for the technophiliac gamers, but will this tech generate $800,000,000 in 24h? I also start to question the importance of VR, because I think that good games will never need it. I fear that it will affect gaming like 3D did affect the cinema: Producing beautiful pictures without any form of acceptable substance. Suddenly, 3D was the only substance needed.

And don't forget that consoles are a threat to PC gaming, too: With increasing production costs for AAA games, the PC built up a niche for low-budget productions and indie gaming. These low-budet productions and indies will find their way to the console in the next generation. I mean, just look how all these indies are embracing Sony right now. This fact alone should make some PC gamers wonder, especially when you take the buying power of the console audience into consideration.

GTA5 made a lot of money. But is an income once every 3 years? Do you have any idea how much WoW generates a month or a year with 7 million suscribers? Yeah probably if you estimates the sales of the whole GTA series til their 15th iteration it will match WoW numbers till 2013.

Do you have an idea of how many indie titles have been Greenlit this week? 37. Do you have an idea of how many more are waiting?

PC high end and enthusiast tech is what drives innovation, is what makes companies create new tech to be used on your next gen console.
 
I personally think MS insisting on Kinect is a really bad move. They caught the end of the wave with the original Kinect. Right now, they're just inflating the barrier of entry to their platform by $100 over an audience that probably doesn't want or need that product. I might be wrong there; I was wrong about the original Kinect, after all.

YES. Guaranteed Kinect is going to be a complete bomb with Xbone and they will be selling a Kinectless bundle for $399 by E3. I can't believe they think the audience for that thing is willing to spend $499 on a new box. Blows my mind.

I agree with both of you; Kinect 2 isn't going to be big within people like with the first one, especially not $500 worth.

Many people have already grabbed Kinect for Xbox 360, got bored with it after a while, & have moved on.
 
I like how those saying "casuals like consoles" or "nobody cares about PC" are conveniently ignoring stuff like The Sims, F2P games with 10 million+ active players, browser games, etc etc. The main disadvantage for PC games in a discussion like this is simply that it's not a single unified platform or brand than can be summarized in one breath.
 
With regard to relentlessly increasing production costs for video games (esp. those with good graphics) I think that PC gamers are underestimating the importance of purchasing power: GTA5 made $800,000,000 revenue within 24 hours and without the platform PC. That didn't go unnoticed.

I also think that PC gamers are overestimating the importance of tech like Mantle, G-Sync and Oculus Rift for the mass market. I mean, the dumbest assumable user will never understand what Mantle or G-Sync are and he probably won't spend $300 on a peripheral that needs high-end hardware to function and that will probably only work in a few handpicked games.

Having funky tech is nice for the technophiliac gamers, but will this tech generate $800,000,000 in 24h? I also start to question the importance of VR, because I think that good games will never need it. I fear that it will affect gaming like 3D did affect the cinema: Producing beautiful pictures without any form of acceptable substance. Suddenly, 3D was the only substance needed.

And don't forget that consoles are a threat to PC gaming, too: With increasing production costs for AAA games, the PC built up a niche for low-budget productions and indie gaming. These low-budet productions and indies will find their way to the console in the next generation. I mean, just look how all these indies are embracing Sony right now. This fact alone should make some PC gamers wonder, especially when you take the buying power of the console audience into consideration.

Spot on.
 
PC isn't a threat, there is too little overlap in genres. Consoles will never see the millions in the MMO / MOBA / RTS / FTP markets just like how PC's won't see the millions in the AAA / Nintendo markets. It's best as an alternative if there's nothing on console you like. People also really need to realize that PC's these days is damn good, way better than 5 years ago, and lightyears better than it's dead shell farther back. It is a very viable alternative to consoles than before.
 
A few things

1. Good preorder numbers for consoles doesn't really imply that "no one cares about PC gaming
2. There's plenty more games that are hits besides facebook games and solitaire
3. Maybe they see PC as more high end and their needs are met by consoles at a better price value
I know that and you know that but a majority of people don't or haven't given it a second thought
And to the other guy that quoted me, no you don't need to argue till ya blue in the face, not saying that you will or have to.
But consoles have a better perception as a gaming platform, thats all
And that effect it more then anything
 
No. It took current-gen consoles with their multi-core processors to establish multi-core processors among PC gamers and will take next-gen consoles with their hetero-core processors to establish hetero-core processors among PC gamers.

What??? Multi core processors were lauched before the PS3 dude WTF!!, and hetero-core processors are low mid range tier, they got nothing on discreet solutions.
 
And I think this has three causes:

  1. Valve. They definitely came to stay.
  2. Current gen being on the market for eight years.
  3. Nvidia driving a PR campaign against next-gen consoles.
I think especially the third point isn't much more than a nuisance at the moment. If one of the next-gen systems would be powering Nvidia tech, then Nvidia would tell us all day long how awesome it is and so on. I see it more like a background noise at the moment.

The second point is also the reason why a console like PS4 can't satisfy demand for release. Parts of the hard core crowd wanted a new generation badly and some of them switched into PC gaming prematurely.

Valve is indeed a threat, but I think that Valve's influence on the mass market is rather low at the moment and I expect it will stay low for the next gen. I also think that Valve can't compensate for the high purchasing power of the console audience, because they don't have EA and they don't have Blizzard. And don't forget: You can still do PC gaming without using Steam at all.

You make it sound like this resurgence is just a recent thing here. With crediting Nvidia recent push and all that. This has been in the works for years now, long before Nvidia started pushing it hard and when the next gen console were rumors.

The real reason in my opinion is the raise of digital distribution. That is what has pretty much single-handedly brought life back to the platform. Before that PC games had to compete for self space with multibillion dollar platform owners and of course the droves of thirds party consoles devs. Most PC developers/publishers couldn't and went under.

Digital distribution shifted the paradigm and made it so anyone could make a game and distribute it all over the world for cheap. Huge hits like Minecraft probably wouldn't of existed if digital distribution didn't take off. Indies are now able to make games that no publisher would of touched(which Sony was/is very smart to grab a piece of) and mid tier PC publishers/developers no longer have to compete for limited retail space.

On top of that crowed funding just recently exploded and has given fans of long dead genres the chance to get those games created again. While I am at it lets not forget to mention the explosion of F2P, social, MMOs and browser games on the system. Games that generate huge profits, but for some reason GAF likes to pretend don't exist. PC gamers are the ones that dug the platform out of the ground over the past few year and I don't think the long generation played a major part of that.

With that said I disagree with Gametrailers as I don't see PC gaming as a threat to consoles. PC gaming will continue to grow and get better, but I don't see it pushing the majority of console owners over to PC gaming. As people like to go over and over in every PC vs Console thread on GAF there are still many reasons(cost, accessibility, and so on) why people prefer gaming on consoles. Reasons that I don't see going away in the future.
 
No. It took current-gen consoles with their multi-core processors to establish multi-core processors among PC gamers and will take next-gen consoles with their hetero-core processors to establish hetero-core processors among PC gamers.

SMH.

Multi core CPUs for common PCs were not around for very long at all before the consoles came out!
Claiming that multi core consoles is what it took to get multi threaded PC games is a load of BS when multi core was also pretty new to PCs at the time!
And even then most games that have come out over their lifespans still are satisfied with 2 cores, bar the fact that the 360 has 3 cores and 6 threads (5 usable for games) and the PS3 has 9 threads (with 8 usable for games)!
 
No. It took current-gen consoles with their multi-core processors to establish multi-core processors among PC gamers and will take next-gen consoles with their hetero-core processors to establish hetero-core processors among PC gamers.

I hope your trolling..because everything in this post is no true, not even the slightest.
 
You know I didn't know there was a $400 computer out there that could run BF4 at High end graphics.

This list and video is garbage. Mobile and Consoles are two completely different platforms.
 
Not seeing it, enthusiast level PC gaming is an entirely different niche especially compared to entry level console gaming where the entry cost is far less.

That's what bugs me about any X killing Y statement, it's like saying birds that exclusively feeds on insects and lives in trees would out compete fish that exclusively feeds off algae and/or other plant life.
 
You know I didn't know there was a $400 computer out there that could run BF4 at High end graphics.

This list and video is garbage. Mobile and Consoles are two completely different platforms.

There isn't a console out there that can run BF4 at high end graphics period so what's the comparison?

I'd say Apple easing into gaming is a far greater threat than PC

I doubt anyone is gonna want a $1200 apple console.

it'll probably cost more than that

Amazon seems more of a realistic threat.
 
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