2 things that will keep pc gaming alive for many more years

[vlad321]

Mendicate Bias said:

vlad321 said:

Mendicate Bias said:

jefforange89 said:
"They will always have uniform system specs"

People always say this as a downside to PC gaming, but it really isn't. In fact, it's one of the biggest advantages to PC gaming.

Want to spend a token few hundred dollars to play games moderate settings? You're allowed to.
Want to spend a little bit more for a PC with much more power than the HD twins could ever dream of having? Go right ahead.
Want to drop three grand on a system with two 5970s powering six 1600p monitors playing games at such a resolution? You're more than welcome!

But with PS360, you're locked in with the same, old, underpowered, outdated hardware for as long as Sony and Microsoft want you to be.

Which also means that developers have to take the time and make sure the game runs flawlessly with every possible hardware setup out there. Now I'm not a game developer but I would imagine it is far simpler to code for one set of hardware than it is to code for 50 different combinations of hardware.

Or if you want to show your mettle in doing amazing stuff with hardware ( like Carmack) then it's a blessing that you aren't restricted to the same old games and looking like everyone else.

True but even with a single hardware format developers continue to learn tricks and optimize their codes so while the graphical jump over a five year span for the consoles won't theoretically be as large as the ones for the PC that jump will still be there. Just look at games like Uncharted 2, Killzone 2, Alan Wake, GoW2, GT5, Forza 3 and Heavy Rain and compare them to games 2-3 years ago and you see the difference.

Theres also the fact that first party titles get major financial backing and big advertisement campaigns from their console manufacturers allowing the developers to spend more money and time pushing the graphical boundaries for the game which is a resource PC games sorely lack in.

Oh I absolutely agree, but also keep in mind that in those 5 years the graphics jump is far more significant than if it was just on a static piece of hardware. As I always said, build a PC about 6-12 months into a generation and you will be able to handle ALL games the consoles can manage plus any future PC games.