This might be a stupid question but do you feel that in 10-20 years pc gaming will still be as large as it is now or do you think console gaming will take over.

Why is everyone asking this question lately? (I think it''s because of the X-box, but probably has to do with online gaming coming to consoles.)

Touchy, but I think I''ll try my hand. In terms of market share, I believe the consoles will overcome the desktops because it is becoming less and less relevant what type of computer (they''re all computers) that a player is on. Most families will go the route of the cheaper hardware of consoles despite the often higher prices of the software. Others won''t see the purpose of getting a balzingly fast desktop computer and a console when they can jus tbuy the same software for it. That''s the way it''s been, that''s the way it''s going to be until a revolution comes along, if one does.

In terms of numbers, however, I beleive that the ammount of users on desktops will reamain fairly steady. Most people who play on their home computers now have most likely passed on consoles or have one but still chiefly use the desktop for whatever reasons.

This same question came up back in the day of the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo. Guess what? PC gaming is still here and going strong. Why? The hardware of a console is fixed as soon as it is released.

In the computer hardware world, your hardware is out of date about two seconds after you take it out of the box. It doesn''t matter how top-of-the-line it is, it will be obsolete in a matter of weeks or months at best. Consoles usually start with an edge on a PC in performance, but it isn''t long before a moderately priced PC with an average graphics card is better and can do little Timmy''s homework too.

PCs on the other hand can be (relatively) easily upgraded. Plus, PC developers can constantly be designing for the next Big Thing(TM) in hardware. At the same time, console developers are stuck with the same limited hardware and memory, which seems more and more restrictive as time passes. There is a saying that no matter how powerful your hardware is, software will grow to use it. With a console, there is no room to grow until the next generation of it comes out.

This topic is cross-posted (without reason) and is in very bad form. The responses have been varied, but concerted following is impossible due to there being seperate threads in different fora. Therein lies the disadvantage of unnecessary dissemination: you dilute your audience and lose out on good arguments and counter-arguments.

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Those who can do nothing criticize; those who can, critique.

Well this topic is closed, it''s a lounge topic, not a Game Design one.

People might not remember what you said, or what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.
Mad Keith the V.