PC gaming should adopt a console approach to regain momentum.

What if the ram is not compatible?

Happened to me on my Skylake build, it won't even boot.

If modular phones were a thing they would also eventually have incompatible parts as tech develops. Even with current phones you can get incompatible SD cards. With consoles right now, you can get incompatible hard drives. Incompatible parts are just a reality of any tech that has any piece changeable.
 
If modular phones were a thing they would also eventually have incompatible parts as tech develops. Even with current phones you can get incompatible SD cards. With consoles right now, you can get incompatible hard drives.

I doubt the general consumers would even know they could upgrade their consoles' hard drives, and would not bother even if they knew.
 
1) Most major multiplatform (console-centric) publishers do almost no advertising for PC. So those sales percentages are actually impressive considering that fact.

2) Most people who own a PC have a laptop that isn't ideal for playing most games (trackpad and small keyboard). That's even more true in the case of a multiplatform publisher that releases games designed around a console controller.

3) Cost.

I really don't think anything like increased "ease-of-use" or "console-like life cycles" would do anything except annoy the dedicated PC gamers that already exist.
 
I totally agree, the future IS consoles. There's no getting around it, You can buy a PlayStation™4 for only $299.99 MSRP which is more powerful than most p c's plus it has exclusives like Bloodbourne, and others while the p c doesn't really have any that aren't already going to be PlayStation Plus games that I can get totally free.
Look what you did OP.
 
Steam could easily have a built in benchmark that replaces minimum and recommeded specs with a cpu and gpu scores. Would be a good thing too considering the massive performance difference between a desktop Atom and i7.

Min specs (Medium settings)
CPU score: 200 x 4
GPU score: 600 (1080p)
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 50 GB
 
Hahaha

They need ads with a thin guy dancing "this is for the r34l hardcore playa"

Harcore pC - proud sponsor of champions league

And pack in an inflatable comfy couch ffs
 
The ASUS motherboard was not compatible with Kingston DDR4 sticks, so I changed it with Corsairs DDR4.

Were those kingston sticks listed on the ASUS website under compatible vendors for your board? ASUS, to my knowledge from using their boards, always provides a so-called "memory report" that lists all the modules that they can confirm work with their mbs.

IMO, always look for recommended makes.
 
Wake me up when PC has a healthy multiplayer user base for casual mainstream games like CoD, .......

My son plays CoDBO3 daily online for long periods of time. He has never complained about waiting for a match to start or trouble finding players. I just see him playing against others. Player base might be lower than console, but its enough to find matches regular.
 
Were those kingston sticks listed on the ASUS website under compatible vendors for your board? ASUS, to my knowledge from using their boards, always provides a so-called "memory report" that lists all the modules that they can confirm work with their mbs.

IMO, always look for recommended makes.

I didn't know you have to look up compatible lists prior to building a PC, I always thought PC building was easy as a 9 year old building a Lego.
 
So it seems like we should have reasonably powered and standardized x86 based hardware that people can use to plug-and-play video games with a controller as they see fit.

I dunno, I don't think it'll catch on.
 
OP raises some valid points but when I see threads like these I can't help but think of this;

1231131-happilydyingsince1985.png


Also, GAF is a pretty console centric place, we're not the median.

To stay on topic, isn't this what the Steam machines are about? I'm not a big fan of regarding one specific service or platform the savior of PC gaming, if it even needs one, but they have been doing their best, in their own interest offcourse.
 
I really like how Intel pushed the Ultrabook label on things: Require certain specifications to be met in regards to battery life, size, and power.

I can't see why Intel, Nvidia or Valve can't do something similar. Maybe PC makers can partner up with big games and slap "ULTRA" labels on PCs that can run said game at ultra settings.
 
Which is why I always chuckle whenver some posters claim that building a PC is that simple, lol

It's as much of a rarity to run into ram that doesn't post at ALL as it is to run into a blue/red light of death. Either requires a trip to the store for an exchange or a call into Sony to wait a few weeks for a replacement.
 
What does the picture in the OP even imply? That console ports sell portly on the most played and possibly highest grossing gaming platform on the planet?

Lol
 
I didn't know you have to look up compatible lists prior to building a PC, I always thought PC building was easy as a 9 year old building a Lego.
What happened to you is pretty darn rare in my personal experience of building PCs for nigh 15 years. It is far from necessary to look for such a thing. But when I buy things, I tend to research quite a lot about them anyway so that the chances of that happening rapidly approach 0.
Which is why I always chuckle whenver some posters claim that building a PC is that simple, lol
Pc building websites do this for you if you do not care to take the time to look into low probability ram compatibility problems.
But beyond this, it still is actually pretty simple even if you do not use a pc build website. The compatibility problem between ram stick vendor is quite darn rare.

Now that I think of it, what was your case Finaika? i.e., what were the modules and what was the main board?
 
A i7 is faster than a i5. A i5 is faster than a i3. It's not that complicated.

This isn't really true. The difference between an i7 and i5 and an i3 is the feature set, not necessarily the clock speed. It's possible to have an i5 that will outperform an i7 in a specific given situation, depending on model.
 
I didn't know you have to look up compatible lists prior to building a PC, I always thought PC building was easy as a 9 year old building a Lego.

Building is easy, picking the pieces out can be the tricky part. That shouldn't matter though since there's tons of resources that'll tell you the exact parts for whatever range machine you want.
 
I didn't know you have to look up compatible lists prior to building a PC, I always thought PC building was easy as a 9 year old building a Lego.

It's easy if you're a 9 year old putting together the Lego, but the parents have to buy the Lego itself.
 
The dirtiest word(s) to those who love PC gaming: buy pre-built!

Lol, tbh I'd get into PC gaming were it simpler but I've known all along that the joy is the freedom and ability to customise to your needs.
 
But I really like this post. This seems pretty cool, I had no idea arcades were going PC as early as 1997 (or earlier). I thought that was a thing SEGA started doing with Lindberg (or Chihiro, if you can count an Xbox based board as a PC) and everybody else caught on eventually.

Gauntlet Legends ran on what was essentially a stock Voodoo 2. I remember way back in the day seeing a dude working on getting it to run on an actual PC (with limited success).
 
Out of curiosity, what were this months peak numbers for LoL, DOTA2 and HotS? What were the peak numbers on Xbox Live and PSN?
 
I love that people are still taking the OP seriously after multiple pages.

PC gaming was in dire straits around 2009.

But luckily I saved PC gaming by igniting passion and imagination around the world with my screenshots.

2009-2012 was the era where I had to do the heavy lifting. Now things are more self-sustained but we have to remain vigilant.
Thanks Dennis! Where would we be without you.
 
Gauntlet Legends ran on what was essentially a stock Voodoo 2. I remember way back in the day seeing a dude working on getting it to run on an actual PC (with limited success).

Wow. After looking it up, I now remember my local arcade actually carried Dark Legacy. Never played, always passed it up for Time Crisis, HOTD, or Tekken 3 when I was a kid.
 
With the world getting more tech savvy I'd say pc gaming will continue to flourish, and the console market will still be there for the long haul.

Two will co exist side by side, no need for console approaches as PC's have the pc approach, which is customization
 
Thanks Dennis! Where would we be without you.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=478074

Wow. After looking it up, I now remember my local arcade actually carried Dark Legacy. Never played, always passed it up for Time Crisis, HOTD, or Tekken 3 when I was a kid.

It was a really good game, kind of a shame the best port we got was to the N64 and Dreamcast. No native PC port, despite running essentially on PC hardware (much like VF5, actually, which people have also made run on normal off-the-shelf PC hardware).

I like it more than the modern Gauntlet reboot.
 
Of course they are. No need to force consumers into buying the newest more expensive models.

Trouble is, even as someone who has built PCs in the past and works in IT, tracking this many variations when you're trying to find out which is the best option is several hours of research in itself. The problem even exists when you're looking at pre-built systems.

Instead, I got irritated and decided to stick with my existing 6 year old laptop which can't run many games anymore.

OPs figures are interesting because if that's sales figures rather than revenue, you can see 61% going to consoles - but the value of each sale is likely much, much higher too. PC games tend to release more cheaply and be discounted more aggressively.

Only real way to take a slice of that pie is Steam machines, so it's like an appliance - essentially just a steam console. You have to remove all traces of a configurable Windows running PC and offer set SKUs, and not too many of them.
 
As a mid-90s to mid-2000s PC Gamer, the one thing that would really get me back is a simplification of the naming and numbering system for video cards and CPUs. Things can get really confusing and unless you don't do the proper research you could possibly be paying more for a product that you think is better but is actually worse than an older, cheaper product.

This is true.

I've spent a good couple of months trying to assist someone in their aim to buy a budget gaming PC for their son.

Forever I am being approached with boxes that contain Core2Duo or Nvidia 210's, them clinging to tangible concepts of 1GB vram and 1TB hard drive as markers of quality/performance.

What chance do they have in understanding the multitude of Intel configurations and all sorts that exist?

There is a population out there who want to play games who don't want to even go near this world of knowledge. Someone has already said this in the thread and the solution is a console. For a great many person, a PC is a terrible gaming platform choice and a console is better. Although cannot say this sort of thing out loud lest you invoke the angers.
 
I just wish it was easier to go into a shop and buy a value-for-money gaming PC.

It basically seems to be impossible, around here anyway. And if you go to the likes of Alienware you can't help but feel completely ripped off.

Then you head into build-your-own land, where indeed one feels entirely in control and feels like you're getting value for money. But it's a hobby onto itself almost. Certainly not 'casual' friendly. I've built my own in the past, will probably be doing so again soon, but if there was a quality off the shelf alternative that wasn't crazy money, I'd be all over it.
 
I just wish it was easier to go into a shop and buy a value-for-money gaming PC.

It basically seems to be impossible, around here anyway. And if you go to the likes of Alienware you can't help but feel completely ripped off.

Explain how the Alienware Steam machine is a complete rip off.

Build me a similar computer at a similar price that is a similar size. Don't forget to include the steam controller in the cost.
 
Explain how the Alienware Steam machine is a complete rip off.

Build me a similar computer at a similar price that is a similar size. Don't forget to include the steam controller in the cost.



Well, he's right. Alienware Alpha is the exception, not the rule. Assembled gaming PC are expensive, its a fact. And I think Steam machines missed an opportunity to not offer more things like the Alpha.
 
Explain how the Alienware Steam machine is a complete rip off.

I should say, the above is a fairly subjective commentary based on my own recent attempts to just what I consider a good gaming PC in a simple/fast fashion. For me, a 2GB gpu isn't attractive. If you want the higher end PC experience that I'm currently looking for (e.g. a 970-esque system +) it seems like you either build your own or pay a substantial premium that puts it out of my comfort zone. I'm happy to be proven wrong though - I live in the EU, if there are other fast/value-for-money ways of getting a system like that that isn't build-your-own, I'm all ears! (As I say, I'll probably end up building my own anyway if not, but the lack or obscurity of other options is lamentable).
 
Explain how the Alienware Steam machine is a complete rip off.

Build me a similar computer at a similar price that is a similar size. Don't forget to include the steam controller in the cost.
But that's not the performance tier that most enthusiasts on GAF will want.

gofreak is correct that at higher tiers prebuilts still seem like ripoffs, by and large. The good thing (well, if you don't enjoy building PCs) is that with the speed (or lack thereof) of CPU advancement these days you only need to build a system every 6 years or so, and then switch out the GPU once or twice depending on how high-end you want to stay.
 
This has to be a joke thread.

PC's are the easiest they've ever been to put together and play games on.

I don't know, my C64 was super easy to play games on. Plus it had character with the wonderful sounds my 1541 drive made while loading the games, which also afforded me plenty of time to get my snacks and drinks ready, my seat comfortable, my homework done....
 
But that's not the performance tier that most enthusiasts on GAF will want.

gofreak is correct that at higher tiers prebuilts still seem like ripoffs, by and large. The good thing (well, if you don't enjoy building PCs) is that with the speed (or lack thereof) of CPU advancement these days you only need to build a system every 6 years or so, and then switch out the GPU once or twice depending on how high-end you want to stay.


Not only that, it depends of the country. While Alienware Alpha base model was 450 or even 399 dollars in USA... It was 669 euros in Europe.
 
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