Gaming industry - an interesting breakdown...

[Darren S]

http://hexus.net/gaming/news/indust...re-market-worth-67-billion-2014-pcs-dominate/

Handhelds are such a dinosaur these days. A shame too. I'd much rather game on the go with a handheld than use the limited functionality of a smartphone.

 

[iain187]

Surprised PC gaming outweighs consoles and phones there

I guess there isn't demand for handheld gaming anymore - otherwise someone would surely invent a plug in d pad for mobiles sort of device

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

I adore my PS Vita. If I had to pick a console to keep out of all the ones I owned it would be the Vita. It's not like I even take it out the house either, it's used purely on the sofa while a s**t movie is on, in bed when I can't sleep or while I'm on the shitter.

PC gaming is and always will be the pinnacle.

 

[Toypop]

Those results don't mean what you might think they mean.

I spend at least £1k a year on PC upgrades. I spend £600 once every 8 years on consoles. PC gamers have to/want to constantly refresh their hardware where as consoles are almost a once a decade purchase. Plus of course almost every console gamer also owns a "PC" that they "play games on". A laptop with farmville no doubt counts.

So of course PC hardware sales will be higher. That doesn't mean PC gaming is bigger.

If you look at AAA games, sales on consoles still massively outnumber sells on PC.

 

[welshname]

Those results don't mean what you might think they mean.

I spend at least £1k a year on PC upgrades. I spend £600 once every 8 years on consoles. PC gamers have to/want to constantly refresh their hardware where as consoles are almost a once a decade purchase. Plus of course almost every console gamer also owns a "PC" that they "play games on". A laptop with farmville no doubt counts.

So of course PC hardware sales will be higher. That doesn't mean PC gaming is bigger.

If you look at AAA games, sales on consoles still massively outnumber sells on PC.

One thing you've overlooked is that PC gamers tend to be creatures of habit. Just because more games are sold for consoles doesn't mean anything. PC gamers usually get a game and hammer it. CS:S was the only game I really played for 5 years. I think in that time I bought TF2 and COD4 so 3 games in 5 years. I've had a PS4 since November and have estiny, BF4, FC4, Last of Us and a couple of other games.

 

[Addicted]

Those results don't mean what you might think they mean.

I spend at least £1k a year on PC upgrades. I spend £600 once every 8 years on consoles. PC gamers have to/want to constantly refresh their hardware where as consoles are almost a once a decade purchase. Plus of course almost every console gamer also owns a "PC" that they "play games on". A laptop with farmville no doubt counts.

So of course PC hardware sales will be higher. That doesn't mean PC gaming is bigger.

If you look at AAA games, sales on consoles still massively outnumber sells on PC.

Not everybody spends £1k a year on PC upgrades though, don't forget. I do agree though, people are more likely to upgrade their PC more often than consoles.

Doesn't really surprise me though, and consoles now-a-days are just PC's with some shitty UI on, so if you were counting the latest gen consoles too, it'd wipe the floor of everything.

 

[SharkyUK]

Just because more games are sold for consoles doesn't mean anything.

I would respectfully disagree. It means EVERYTHING. Games sales are where the profits are made and the larger number of console sales is the reason why PC gamers get pi$$ed because they've spent 'x' thousand on their system yet is not seen as the priority platform for developers. :smile:

EDIT: PC gamers may arguably be the 'master' race but not necessarily in terms of generating cold, hard profits.

 

[dangerous dave]

Pc gamers have Steam offering games up for buttons while us xbox and ps4 boys are paying top dollar...

Also we have a limited number of games available for the ps4 etc... They scale the games down from pc level to a sh1tter xbox 360 level, but now they have to scales them down a little less for the lasted consoles..

Pc games are always available at the highest quality, it's just a case of making sure your machine can play the game..

 

[Darren S]

It's the variability of the PC platform that single-handedly wins it for me. The fact that last night I re-downloaded BF4 again with premium access and played around with the graphics to suit my priorities, was great. Of course, a lot of people CBA or don't want to be arsed with such 'trivialities' - but I could have just as easily accepted the defaults and jumped right in.

While that was downloading, I noticed EA/Origin were giving away the original Syndicate from 1993. Having had fun memories of playing through and completing that game over 20 years ago - I could have got it again - this time for free. I didn't, but I could have - that choice is mine. As is playing the carbon-clone of Double Dragon for a couple of quid, or alternatively, buying two mega-powerful cards to run anything I want in 4K.

Again, that choice is mine and mine alone. No other platform gets anywhere near close - and for that, I will always remain loyal to PCs. Until a truly revolutionary interface becomes publicly available, I know where I'll be staying!

 

[welshname]

I would respectfully disagree. It means EVERYTHING. Games sales are where the profits are made and the larger number of console sales is the reason why PC gamers get pi$$ed because they've spent 'x' thousand on their system yet is not seen as the priority platform for developers. [emoji2]

EDIT: PC gamers may arguably be the 'master' race but not necessarily in terms of generating cold, hard profits.

You weren't talking about money when you said that PC gaming isn't the biggest. It undoubtedly is the biggest, and game sales have nothing to do with that as a statement.

 

[CrippsCorner]

I used to love PC gaming, I was obsessed with Command & Conquer and Quake 3 Arena for a long, long time... however, probably like a lot of people that grow up from their teens I just don't find time to really dedicate to sitting in front of a computer. Much more of a casual gamer these days by which I mean I might play once every few months 😧 I'd like to get obsessed again tbh, miss it. Still just ordered an Xbox One and soon to get a lovely new TV so hopefully it'll restore some interest!

 

[SharkyUK]

You weren't talking about money when you said that PC gaming isn't the biggest. It undoubtedly is the biggest, and game sales have nothing to do with that as a statement.

Apologies - may have got my wires crossed as I thought we were talking money made from games.

 

[SharkyUK]

In fact, it is a bit of a hard point to argue on reflection because it depends on which data sets you are looking at (I'm talking game sales here in terms of revenue generation). Just looking at various data set sources you could argue both ways in that PC > consoles sales and vice versa. Including F2P and slow-burning (long-term) MOBA's and typically PC does appear to have the edge. Looking at another data set based on the critical launch window for that short period at launch (with a major title) in which the majority of money is taken, it is generally the console market that takes the lions share.

Other than t hat, apologies if not making sense or if I've got the wrong end of the stick. Working away from home and not slept since Sunday!

 

[Darren S]

I can see where you're coming from on that point as well, Andy. There's also a 'mindset' in to what is deemed an acceptable price for software on different platforms.
Take GTAV for example. I was quite impressed buying it for £37.99 for the 360 when it first came out as a lot of places were charging £44.99 - and it was still selling in droves.
I really want to buy it on the PC too for all the extra graphical loveliness - but like Hell am I paying £39.99 for it on Steam! In a strange way, your brain accepts one charge and not the other - despite them being the same product.
Once it drops to circa £25, then I'll invest in it for the PC.

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

My favourite game now, and since I gave up Eve Online (best game ever) is Heroes of Newerth. It's a free download, yet I've probably spent about £150 over the years on gold to get special skins. 100% worth it. I once added up that I'd dropped £1.5k into Eve. Drop in the ocean compared to some, but still insane money to play a game. I've not spent that on consoles ever (including all games/hardware I've bought).

MMOs are big business, but if you can sell one time titles for £40-50 a pop and to a mass market (think GTA or COD) then you're laughing.

 

[AdDaMan]

You must be a special kind of sad.

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

You must be a special kind of sad.

Irony at it's finest.

 

[Brand86]

The saddest thing is that the whole console market has pretty much died in Japan, meaning fewer and fewer Japanese studios.
Nintendo are like Arsenal though, people always quick to criticise but they always perform well in the end and occasionally pull out something very special (e.g. last year, Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros)
I am even tempted to get a new Nintendo 3DS, even though I probably wouldn't play it much

 

[Toypop]

I can see where you're coming from on that point as well, Andy. There's also a 'mindset' in to what is deemed an acceptable price for software on different platforms.
Take GTAV for example. I was quite impressed buying it for £37.99 for the 360 when it first came out as a lot of places were charging £44.99 - and it was still selling in droves.
I really want to buy it on the PC too for all the extra graphical loveliness - but like Hell am I paying £39.99 for it on Steam! In a strange way, your brain accepts one charge and not the other - despite them being the same product.
Once it drops to circa £25, then I'll invest in it for the PC.

I've bought it on PS4. Been playing it all week.
I can trade it in and get half of it back so it will only cost £20 in total.
Plus I knew it would work when I bought it....
The PC version probably won't run properly for a couple of months after launch as I will have to wait for patches and driver updates as has been the case a lot recently.

The only way I could get the PC version for £20 this year would be to wait until about October on a grey import key site. Still at least by then it should run properly...

 

[st3ve]

The pie chart is revenue from hardware sales so obviously PC is going to be the biggest.

I've bought it on PS4. Been playing it all week.
I can trade it in and get half of it back so it will only cost £20 in total.
Plus I knew it would work when I bought it....
The PC version probably won't run properly for a couple of months after launch as I will have to wait for patches and driver updates as has been the case a lot recently.

The only way I could get the PC version for £20 this year would be to wait until about October on a grey import key site. Still at least by then it should run properly...

The reason for that is because the majority of developers and publishers don't give a rats backside about the PC anymore. Piracy has seen to that, but this isn't a "my console is way better than a PC thread"

 

[Darren S]

The pie chart is revenue from hardware sales so obviously PC is going to be the biggest.

The reason for that is because the majority of developers and publishers don't give a rats backside about the PC anymore. Piracy has seen to that, but this isn't a "my console is way better than a PC thread"

I think that that boat has long since past. Sure, piracy exists still on all platforms, but I cannot honestly say when the last time I tried a pirated game on the PC was. The ease of use with platforms such as Steam and Origin and the significantly cheaper price-point on the PC to begin with - smacks of CBA when it comes to illegal versions of the software. Couple with the point that Toypop made about patches and updates being churned out for the PC (which personally, I think is great - running on v1.0 eternally is rarely a good thing) - which would also need to be applied and re-cracked.

The more common fact is that console piracy exists under the radar. There are still a HUGE number of PS3 and 360 players out there. And now those consoles are dirt cheap. My first 360 was a cracked device which I had before buying a legit one over a year later. Many households have multiple consoles now - usually with the older incarnation being passed on down to the youngest member of the family - and I will GUARANTEE that the majority of those are not running Live or PSN accounts, yet still play a lot of games on them.

 

[Cliotoby]

I do £1k every 4-5 years so on a PC. Generally I upgrade everything except the GPU then upgrade that a few years after.

Only play minecraft these days. My brain doesnt work so well and I cant compete with the lightning reactions of kids of Battle Fields now.

Vita is f**king s**t - potential was there - quality piece of kit. But the games aside from MGS HD are f**king w**k. Im curently looking at a windows tablet for retro games (Dos, Emulation and general PC gaming) but theres limited info available as to which one to go for.