PC Gaming isn’t dead, nor will it ever die. True, we are deep in the Era of Consoles right now, but it will peak relatively soon. The PC is an enduring platform. Console fans wont see it this way, but the PC is the one infringing on console territory, not the other way around. Xbox 360, PS3, even Wii (sans Wii-mote) are simply standardized hardware built around a standardized API (Apple, anyone?). Each of these consoles will eventually bite the dust and be replaced by more powerful successors, but at some point the standard, bargain bin PC will be more powerful than a similarly priced console and the two will fuse.
PCs will always have the edge in backwards compatibility due to their more flexible code base and the absence of ‘console exclusivity’. I can still play Spear of Destiny on my Vista Ultimate PC through Steam, but for some reason I don’t think I’ll be playing Metal Gear on my Xbox 360 anytime soon.
Just wait a few years and see, eventually the gaming PC and console will become one in the same. What will be unique is the supplied API, and this is where Microsoft already has an edge over Sony and Nintendo.
Steam is blowing open the floodgates for the PC as a gaming platform. I buy many more PC games than console games, and it is all thanks to Valve’s distribution service.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved Gears and Mass Effect and Halo (123) and Metal Gear and Final Fantasy and Zelda and Mario…but as time passes, games become less console-centric, even considering the fact that many companies claim they are focusing more on consoles. Consider ‘console exclusives’ like Gears, Mass Effect, even games like Guitar Hero! Maybe it’ll take a few extra years for Wii-style games, because of the (fabulous) Wii-mote, but in the end, every console is destined to die off, while the PC will continue to live on in one form or another. Now I’m off to start up Steam and get a good game of Spear of Destiny going!