Friday 29 January 2016

PC Gaming Is On The Rise

PC Gaming

PC gaming went though a lull in the early noughties, with many console users opting for Xboxs and PlayStations, rather than the old, reliable Personal Computer. However, the PC has entered a renaissance period, whereby PC gaming is firmly back on the map and game users are investing in the more traditional format.

A good example to use is Valve Stream, in 2013 it had over 50 million registered users, which in that year was more than both XBox live and Sony's Playstation. Game sales are rising in the retail sector, with PC games overtaking Nintendo 3DS sales; thus becoming the fourth largest platform in the United Kingdom.

In 2012, Diablo 3 became the fastest-selling PC game ever, managing to shift an amazing 6.3 million copies - all within its first week of release. This is in comparison to Halo 4 on the Xbox, which only sold 4 million in its first month. In the first part of 2013, Electronic Arts made more money than PlayStation 3 - an astonishing feat, meaning that gaming habits are definitely changing.

What are the reasons for change?

It is sometimes difficult to put a finger on exactly what has seen the rebirth of the PC and gaming on this particular format. The shift is perhaps down to the availability and amount of games available on PC; the quality of the games is something to really behold. Companies, like Electronic Arts, have invested a lot of money in trying to reignite the interest that there once was in PC gaming.

The turning point for the format may also be down to amazing graphics, dynamic lightning, geometric realism and physical effects. The amount of time spent by game design teams is now immense, and the amount of detail that goes into PC games is phenomenal. To stand out in an already crowded marketplace, PC games needed something new, a refreshing look that really appeals to the gamer. Since 2011, it appears that the fortunes of PC gaming have taken a positive upturn.

It is positive for the gaming industry that PC gaming is now challenging the other major players because it means games released on all formats have to be cutting edge, so that the gamer is enticed to purchase. Furthermore, a PC is far more developed technology-wise than a console is, therefore PC gaming manufactures can use this to their advantage when creating, marketing and selling games on this platform.

Pc gaming has gone through a phoenix-esque rebirth and it puts a smile on those faces who want to see it return to be the 'tour de force' it once was.