Giveaway of the Day Forums

1. 

   mikiem2
   Moderator

   Interesting topic, WR... Windows 10 lowered the bar quite a bit I think -- my cheap tablet uses a Intel® Atom™ Processor Z3735F, with a current MSRP of $18 [LOL], & it'll run the typical MPC-type games, & if I use a mini-HDMI cable, it'll do it in HD! My cheap miniPC uses a slightly more powerful Celeron SOC -- if it was a later generation chip, with HDMI 2 vs. 1.4, it would do full 4k [1.4 is limited to 4k at 30 refresh]. You only really feel pain usually when it comes time to update, and I think to an extent that devices like those, and similarly powered laptops & chromebooks, have done away with mid range PCs. At the same time the mid to high end cell phones people tend to get with their cellular service contracts are pretty powerful themselves, & of course you've got all the Android & iOS games. That's another couple of nails in the mid range PC's coffin.

   So today we're left with the low & high end, with little in between, and harder core gaming is as you aptly put it: "a rich mans hobby." And they can wind up spending $4k-$5k just on graphics cards & the power supplies to feed them. Might be part of the reason why PSP & Xbox sales are relatively booming.

   That said, *Maybe* AMDs promising new CPUs will bring back a little sanity to the market? By the time you spend $500-$600 just on an Intel CPU & M/board, nevermind all the other pieces you'll need, you've lost the mid range market. AMD is pricing their new 470 cards [maybe the minimum for more serious games] as low as $130 on sale after rebate.

   Posted 7 years ago #
2. 

   ChrisS
   Administrator

   Might be part of the reason why PSP & Xbox sales are relatively booming.

   
   and the gaming systems might represent the real competition for Steam. If Microsoft isn't careful PC gaming will cease to exist beyond low-end games and then where will Steam be? It seems to me that Steam is geared toward "hard core gamers" but if they leave for consoles then what's left? If Xbox or PS4 offered a way to move licenses then it might already be too late for "Katie to bar the door".

   Consoles can get by with lower specs because they offload a good bit of the video processing to the TV and you sit much farther from the screen. To get good gameplay on a PC you need increasingly better, and more expensive, hardware but the hardware cost drives many potential PC gamers away, which moves PC gaming to a niche market, which then makes the hardware vastly more expensive since you no longer have a strong market demand for the products. It's a classic death spiral.

   You're absolutely right about the bifurcation in the PC market; you've got low-end everyday systems, high-end gaming systems and not much in between. Why buy a high-end gaming system with a 27-32" high DPI monitor when you can get a low-end PC with a 27" HD monitor, a gaming console of your choice, a 55-65" 4k TV for the console and another 55-65" 4k TV for movies/TV for less money? You get an everyday use PC, a dedicated gaming system, a media TV, extra cash in your pocket and you avoid the high DPI scaling problems with Windows and programs like today's Aomei Partition Assistant Pro 6.1 which doesn't recognize high DPI.

   Maybe Apple will become the mid-level PCs for those who need high DPI since their fonts have always scaled better.

   Posted 7 years ago #
3. 

   Whiterabbit-uk
   Games Guru

   ''And they can wind up spending $4k-$5k just on graphics cards & the power supplies to feed them. Might be part of the reason why PSP & Xbox sales are relatively booming.''

   I agree totally. Though personally I like my high end graphics. I realise the latest generation consoles now have capabilities to upgrade graphic chips. seems like they are becoming PC like. I'm sure prices will rise eventually if they start to use the chips that are used in PC's.

   Apart from a Wii, which we bought specifically for family gatherings where we could all play silly little sports games together I've always avoided consoles. Though I did buy a virtually new X Box 360 still boxed and as new, with over 30 games (some of which were collectible versions with all the extra's), simply because I was keen to play Grand Theft Auto V before it was released on PC (took almost a year for it to be released on PC following its release to X Box and the PS3/4), plus there were several games included in the package that were specific to either X Box or consoles in general, for example Red Dead redemption. so I bought it via eBay for a knock down price just after X Box One was released (Got the X Box, that extra that allows you to play interactive games (forgot what its called, plus the 30 plus games, several of which were relatively new releases such as GTA V for just over £100. When I connected it all up I discovered i had to pay an annual fee (I think it was something like £45 for the privilege of joining the X Box community, so I unplugged the thing and it's remained in one of my spares cupboards in the attic.

   The main advantage still that PC's have over Consoles are of course the graphics plus the cost of the games. the console games always seem to be at least a third more expensive (the last time I purchased a hard copy) than the PC versions, though Steam may have changed that since XBox can use Steam now.)

   Posted 7 years ago #
4. 

   mikiem2
   Moderator

   ...seems like they are becoming PC like. I'm sure prices will rise eventually if they start to use the chips that are used in PC's.

   Well... the Xbox One gave way to the S model, which went over the holidays for around $200, but the new Scorpio version due out this year is supposed to have a price jump. The Xbox One now runs Windows 10, & Microsoft's been bringing over more & more of the features you see on your PC. They're also pushing game developers to release PC & Xbox versions at the same time, based on the same code, with both licenses included when you buy the game. And they're adding more Xbox features to Windows 10, while improving the gaming related capabilities of their universal platform used in the store -- there have been problems with the few AAA titles released in the store missing features &/or capabilities present in the Steam versions.

   The main advantage still that PC's have over Consoles are of course the graphics plus the cost of the games. the console games always seem to be at least a third more expensive

   I'm not at all sure Microsoft knows where they're heading with the Xbox. Lots of people bought Sony & Microsoft consoles for Blu-ray players, and Microsoft looked like it was positioning the Xbox to be a livingroom everything entertainment box, but they seem like they're backing off that approach, at least compared to Sony. They do have movies to rent, but IMHO at higher prices than Amazon etc. *IF* they're successful with their game strategy, devs will code their games once, and they'll be available via the store for Xbox & PC -- you'd get both licenses & versions for no extra cost when you bought the game. They're also trying to push the idea that apps/games using their store's universal platform can be sold on Steam or anywhere else, and that they do not need to be loaded or installed through the store.

   At the same time they still haven't beat Sony in console sales, investors have pushed them to spin off the Xbox as a separate company, they've taken huge write-offs from their failed efforts with the Windows phone, so are gun shy when it's not their core business, and their CEO is a cloud guy, with most of his focus on selling to biz. And right now their Xbox development team makes use of an Insider program that's way too complicated with too many levels of participation.

   Posted 7 years ago #

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