Why is Microsoft killing off PC gaming?

[shio]

nightsurge said:

shio said:

nightsurge said:
Piracy is killing PC gaming. Consoles are less prone to piracy, but even then the 360 will lose many thousands of sales due to piracy.

Just over the last year piracy of games, movies, songs, etc. accounted for $50 billion of lost income. When pretty much every game on PC is available free via piracy, it makes developers want to switch to safer platforms. No one listen to Megadude. He's an anti-MS, PS3 fanboy.

The fact that PC gaming is actually increasing faster than Console gaming proves your entire opinion wrong.

There are too many reasons why PC is the best platform for many developers: lower development costs, no royalties/fees, varied business models.

 

Java based web games doesn't exactly count as "PC gaming increasing faster than console gaming".

Oh and regardless if developers still make games for PC and people still buy them, they are still missing out on a potential $50 billion because of piracy.  The PC either needs to find a way to beat piracy without annoying DRMs or the developers will eventually move.  Just as "PC gaming is increasing" so is the amount of piracy, and piracy is increasing faster than PC gaming.

 

In the grand scheme it doesn't really matter how much piracy is increasing. What developers/publishers should look at is how healthy are the sales of PC games and how is PC gaming's growth:

- China's Online Gaming Market increased over 75% in 2008
- Digital Distribution Services Steam and Gagersgate grew 100% in 2008
- MMOs grew 22% in 2008, in western countries

Developers are indeed fighting piracy by offering better value for your money from a bigger variation of business models.