# Is PC gaming on the way out? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 19, 2012, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149 "2012-09-19T07:50:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/141 "2012-10-02T16:29:27Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > That’s true. I built my computer in April 2009 for $650. At the time, a 60gb XBox 360 was $300. So my initial costs were higher (this is ignoring the obvious fact that I do more than play games on my computer). However, since 2009, I’ve bought about 140 games for the PC for a sliver of what they’d have cost on a console. I suppose this matters less if you only use your console to play Modern Warfare or Madden and nothing else but, for people who like a huge variety at their fingertips, you’ll make up that start-up cost difference very, very quickly. I don’t really think this is valid; If you’re willing to wait until all the games you want go on sale on Steam, you can wait until the console games you want go on sale too. I can buy Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition for $13 on Amazon RIGHT NOW. That’s only $3 more than I paid for it during the “super mad crazy insane savings limited time only Steam sale” a couple of months ago. And that’s not even a “sale”; That’s just what the game COSTS now. Steam is great for buying games that you’re not sure you want, but the fact of the matter is that for a lot of people it also leads to you buying a ton of games you don’t actually play (I still have at least half a dozen games acquired this summer that have never even been installed). Not really saving myself a lot of money there, no matter how good the bargains seemed at the time. Are there some titles that are nichey enough that they don’t go down in price a whole lot? Sure. They’re also games that are nichey enough that I can’t buy them on Steam (or the PC at ALL) for any price, so they pretty much don’t deserve consideration in a “how much money am I saving” context. I’d be very, VERY curious to see how much you -actually- saved on those 140 games. Because I have sincere doubts that it’s as much as you think it is. Especially if you were willing to purchase used physical media (and why not? It’s not like you’re losing anything, even if all you get is a disc, since your digital purchases don’t come with any ‘feelies’ either.). Regarding Planetside 2: Well, I’m sure it’s a great technological feat, but get back to me when it has A) Actually come out and B) Actually made back its development costs. Because the first one wasn’t exactly what I’d call a runaway success. And if B never happens, it won’t be because it was “held back by consoles”. But it might well be because developing games that use all this cutting edge stuff is just too damn expensive, even now. The only “revolution” we ever get when there’s a new generation of consoles is a revolution in how much it costs to develop for them (As in, it goes way the hell up) - I’ve never, EVER heard anyone say anything to support Kinthalis’ claims that “squeezing a lot of detail out of outdated hardware” costs more money. It’s actually the reverse - the longer a console has been out, the more tools there are and the more expertise there is in terms of methods and the like, plus, all the code for a lot of this stuff has already been written. It gets -cheaper- to make games as the console generation gets longer, not the reverse. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/142 "2012-10-02T16:37:49Z")
Used games? You mean the $5 discount from Gamestop? Seriously, I don’t know how you could possibly not know that digital distribution allows for prices to come down on games sooner, and allows for sales that are simply NOT going to happen at retail. A couple of Steam sales ago I got an entire publisher’s catalog of games for the price of a single, new console game. Some of these games were only a few months old. You just can’t do that at retail. As for the cost of development, I did say that it was several factors. The marketing, legal, and sunk in costs of retail as well as higher development costs from having to work with outdated tech + development fees due to the console manufacturers. Not just that one factor. I would admit that it might be one of the smaller factors, but it’s still a factor. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/143 "2012-10-02T16:52:27Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > I don’t really think this is valid; If you’re willing to wait until all the games you want go on sale on Steam, you can wait until the console games you want go on sale too. Here is a list of what I currently own. Age of Fear: The Undead King Alan Wake Alan Wake: American Nightmare Alice: Madness Returns Amnesia And Yet It Moves Anomaly Warzone: Earth Assassin’s Creed 2 Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Assassin’s Creed: Director’s Cut Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Atom Zombie Smasher Audiosurf Bastion Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Batman: Arkham City Beat Hazard Binary Domain Binding of Isaac Bioshock Bioshock 2 Borderlands Braid Breath of Death VII Bulletstorm Cities in Motion Cities XL 2011 Civilization V Civilization V: Gods & Kings Coconut Queen Cogs Company of Heroes Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts Crayon Physics Deluxe Crusader Kings II Cryostasis Cthulhu Saves the World Dangerous High School Girls in Trouble! Darkness II Darksiders Death to Spies Death to Spies: Moment of Truth Deus Ex: Human Revolution Divinity II: Dragon Knight Saga Dragon Age 2 Dragon Age: Origins Drakensang: Phileassons Secret Drakensang: The Dark Eye Drakensang: The River of Time Driver: San Francisco Edge Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Europa Univeralis III Fallout 3 Fallout: New Vegas Far Cry 2 From Dust Frozen Synapse Greed: Black Border Half Life 2 Half Life 2: Episode One Half Life 2: Epsiode Two Half Life 2: Lost Coast Hammerfight Homefront Jade Empire: Special Edition Just Cause 2 Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning Kings Bounty: Armored Princess LA Noire Lead & Gold Left 4 Dead 2 Limbo Lone Survivor Machinarium Mafia II Magicka Collection + The Stars are Left Majesty Gold Majesty II Collection Mass Effect Mass Effect 2 Medieval II: Total War Metro 2033 Mirror’s Edge Mount & Blade: Warband Osmos Payday: the Heist Penumbra Collection Portal Portal 2 Psychonauts Quantum Conundrum: Season Pass Red Faction: Armageddon Red Faction: Guerrilla Reign: Conflict of Nations Revenge of the Titans Rig & Roll Risen Rome: Total War Gold Edition Saints Row: the Third Shadowgrounds: Survivor Sniper Elite V2 Space Rangers SpaceChem Stalker: Call of Pripyat Stalker: Clear Sky Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Star Wolves Starvoid Steel Storm: Burning Retribution Super Meat Boy Superbrothers: Sword & Sorcery EP Syndicate Team Fortress 2 Terraria The Secret World The Witcher The Witcher 2 Theatre of War 2 Torchlight Total War: Fall of the Samurai Total War: Shogun 2 Trauma Trine Trine 2 Tropico 3 UFO: Afterlight Universe Sandbox Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines Velvet Assassin Victoria II VVVVVV Warlock: Master of the Arcane World of Goo Ys: The Oath in Felghana Total on that is a little shy of $600 From Gamestop’s website, this is what I can get for the same money (including used discs) Alice: Madness Returns Alan Wake Alan Wake: American Nightmare Assassin’s Creed 2 Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood Assassin’s Creed: Director’s Cut Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Bioshock Bioshock 2 Darksiders Dragon Age 2 Dragon Age: Origins Fallout 3 Fallout: New Vegas Elder Scrolls: Skyrim Elder Scrolls: Oblivion Just Cause 2 LA Noire Mirrors Edge Saints Row the Third Witcher 2 That’s about 20% of the list. I made it easy on myself by just starting with the franchise titles I assumed would be readily available on the Xbox360. And, sure, there’s a lot of indie titles and stuff in there (and also a lot of AAA titles including PC exclusives – really, you guys don’t get the Total War or Civilization franchises?) but, yeah, there’s a BIG gulf between your purchasing power on a PC versus on a console. I’ll also be the first to note that this isn’t hard science. Sure, stuff might be on sale at Gamestop some other time but, likewise, I’m using used disc pricing today for games I’ve owned for years. It’s good enough to make my point. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/144 "2012-10-02T16:59:53Z")
Eh. If it’s good enough to make you feel you’ve made your point, that’s good enough, I guess. I personally would never, ever use Gamestop as a price guide, but if that’s where you would’ve bought the stuff, that’s that. When I’m talking about used games, I traditionally start with Amazon, where I can usually score $10 to 50% off ‘list’ depending on the age and popularity of the game. Acting like Gamestop is the only place to buy games is like acting like you can’t hook up a PC in your living room. Both common conceptions that don’t reflect reality very effectively. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/145 "2012-10-02T17:27:02Z")
I don’t understand this perception that consoles v PC has to be an either/or proposition, or why any conversation about their relative strengths and weaknesses always ends up sounding like a Mac v. PC argument. Console gaming is great because you never have to worry about system compatibility, you never have to upgrade your system between generations, easy, local multiplayer is a guarantee, and you can sell back your games to recoup your initial outlay. PC gaming is great because hardware quality is \*\*always \*\*going to be better at the high end, games can be much more complex (MMOs, strategy games, etc) because of ubiquitous keyboard/mouse setups (and the aforementioned better hardware), Valve keeps discounting the crap out of absolutely everything (forcing other digital platforms to follow suit), online infrastructure for console games can easily support hundreds of players in a game at a time, there’s basically infinite backwards compatibility all the way back to the beginning of computer gaming, and of course a computer is way, way, way more useful than any dedicated media platform. To me they’re complementary devices, and I use both. I have a PS3/xBox in my living room and I have a high-powered gaming machine in my office. Neither platform is going away any time soon and I’ll continue judging on a case-by-case basis which system I’ll be playing which games on, using a variety of criteria. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/146 "2012-10-02T17:52:05Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > Acting like Gamestop is the only place to buy games is like …acting like Steam is the only place to buy games 😛 If your counter-argument is that I could have combed Amazon or eBay for used games from who-knows-who to make up the other 80% of my list for the same cost, I’m very skeptical but I’m not about to start combing Amazon to find out for you. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/147 "2012-10-02T18:24:47Z")
The whole price argument is a bit self-serving too, IMHO. It’s like arguing that your $50 phone calls only cell phone is better than my iPhone/Galaxy S3 because it’s cheaper. Yeah, it’s cheaper because there are things you cannot do on your $50 cell phone, that you can do on an iPhone. If all you do is make calls and you don’t care about the 1,000+ other things you can do on a smartphone, that’s enough for you I guess. But some segment of the population is willing to pay more for a better experience -hence iPhones 😉 It just so happens that in fact, at the end of the day the actual price of the platform, including a gaming library, isn’t too far off from a console, despite insistence that it is from people who don’t know better. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/148 "2012-10-02T18:32:07Z")
Sure. I’m much more interested in how much the platform costs to develop for, and the fact is that everytime we’ve had a new console generation, that price has gone up a ton. There’s a reason so many JRPG developers have basically fled to handheld development. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/149 "2012-10-02T19:47:18Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Console gaming is great because you never have to worry about system compatibility, you never have to upgrade your system between generations, easy, local multiplayer is a guarantee, and you can sell back your games to recoup your initial outlay. > > PC gaming is great because hardware quality is \*\*always \*\*going to be better at the high end, games can be much more complex (MMOs, strategy games, etc) because of ubiquitous keyboard/mouse setups (and the aforementioned better hardware), Valve keeps discounting the crap out of absolutely everything (forcing other digital platforms to follow suit), online infrastructure for console games can easily support hundreds of players in a game at a time, there’s basically infinite backwards compatibility all the way back to the beginning of computer gaming, and of course a computer is way, way, way more useful than any dedicated media platform. > > To me they’re complementary devices, and I use both. A-fucking-men. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/150 "2012-10-02T20:02:23Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > … local multiplayer is a guarantee, … This USED to be the case. Now a days it’s a “feature” to have local multi-player on console games that aren’t built around the concept (i.e., fighting games, beat 'em ups). ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/151 "2012-10-02T20:11:00Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > But some segment of the population is willing to pay more for a better experience -hence iPhones 😉 It just so happens that in fact, at the end of the day the actual price of the platform, including a gaming library, isn’t too far off from a console, despite insistence that it is from people who don’t know better. I have both, so I know first hand. As Airk pointed out, Steam sales are great if you want to wait for prices to come down. On release, games cost the same. Most gamers are keen to buy on release, particularly multi-player games. The difference-- and I’m pretty sure we’ve talked about this before-- is that console games can easily be traded, allowing a discount of sorts after the fact. If you don’t like what retailers will give you, you can sell them on eBay or Amazon. PC games have typically been harder to resell, largely, IMO, because of the piracy issue. I have bought secondhand PC games, it’s just not as easy. It may not be so easy for console games for much longer, though. I wouldn’t think that was so bad if consoles moved to digital download, but if it’s still physical media, and that media can’t be recycled via resale and trade, that will be a definite argument against console ownership for me. Jophiel, the $650 you paid for your PC, that’s just parts, I got that right? A lot of buyers consider a monitor to be part of the cost of a PC system, and I’m guessing you didn’t include that. How about the OS? Are you running Windows? Any upgrades? And the 140 games on your list, they cost $600 over 3 years of bargain hunting, right? You’re not saying that I could go to Steam and get those right now and pay about $4 each. Because I’m sure I can’t. I expect that some of those games on your list may have been ones you didn’t really want and maybe haven’t played, but that you got as part of a bundle. On review I see that Johnny Bravo already talked about recouping costs. He also has the right of it when he says that PCs and consoles are complimentary. That’s true for me, especially with kids in the house. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/152 "2012-10-02T20:27:42Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > I have both, so I know first hand. > > As Airk pointed out, Steam sales are great if you want to wait for prices to come down. On release, games cost the same. Most gamers are keen to buy on release, particularly multi-player games. On release most PC games cost $10-$20 less. And as mentioned, you don’t have to wait as long as you do for the price to come down as you do with retail games (Blizzard games being about the only exception to this). > [@](#): > > The difference-- and I’m pretty sure we’ve talked about this before-- is that console games can easily be traded, allowing a discount of sorts after the fact. If you don’t like what retailers will give you, you can sell them on eBay or Amazon. PC games have typically been harder to resell, largely, IMO, because of the piracy issue. I have bought secondhand PC games, it’s just not as easy. > > It may not be so easy for console games for much longer, though. I wouldn’t think that was so bad if consoles moved to digital download, but if it’s still physical media, and that media can’t be recycled via resale and trade, that will be a definite argument against console ownership for me. Agreed on both counts. Game trading has been dead on PC for years now. No one does that anymore. But again, those sales have taken the sting out of that feature. And thanks to a largely digital distribution platform for the PC, even games selling at low prices equals substantial revenue for the game developers. It’s not unheard of for game devs to end up making more money a year after release thanks to a Steam sale than they did back when the game came out! Something that is just not going to happen on the console side of things precisely because of the sunk in costs of retail. Also, resale of console games is something devs/publishers hate, as it’s a LOT of revenue they do not see. > [@](#): > > Jophiel, the $650 you paid for your PC, that’s just parts, I got that right? A lot of buyers consider a monitor to be part of the cost of a PC system, and I’m guessing you didn’t include that. How about the OS? Are you running Windows? Any upgrades? I would assume he included the OS in his price, or he might have already have a copy of windows handy. But the monitor? Should we include the price of a plasma TV to console ownership? > [@](#): > > And the 140 games on your list, they cost $600 over 3 years of bargain hunting, right? You’re not saying that I could go to Steam and get those right now and pay about $4 each. Because I’m sure I can’t. I expect that some of those games on your list may have been ones you didn’t really want and maybe haven’t played, but that you got as part of a bundle. > > On review I see that Johnny Bravo already talked about recouping costs. He also has the right of it when he says that PCs and consoles are complimentary. That’s true for me, especially with kids in the house. Yes, I agree, consoles are for kids. Joking. Kind of. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/153 "2012-10-02T20:48:14Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > Jophiel, the $650 you paid for your PC, that’s just parts, I got that right? A lot of buyers consider a monitor to be part of the cost of a PC system, and I’m guessing you didn’t include that. How about the OS? Are you running Windows? Any upgrades? Parts and OS. I didn’t include monitor for the computer nor the cost of a TV for the console. Arguably you use the TV for other things but then again, you use a computer for other things besides gaming. Or you could just hook up your computer to a TV. I don’t remember if I put in 16 gb of memory from the start or paid $30 along the way to upgrade it. I haven’t upgraded the video card yet because the 9800 GTX+ still works fine and I can’t personally justify spending the cost of a significant upgrade (and obviously don’t want to spend money on a nominal upgrade). > [@](#): > > And the 140 games on your list, they cost $600 over 3 years of bargain hunting, right? You’re not saying that I could go to Steam and get those right now and pay about $4 each. I’d barely call it “hunting”. PC game sales are like apples in the fall. Steam, Amazon, GMG, GetGamesGo, GamersGate, etc. I’ll admit that it’s difficult to do an immediate apples to apples comparison (as I noted, I was also using ‘used disc’ pricing today for games that I bought several years ago which obviously far undervalues them) but if you want to convince me that you could amass the same collection for the same price, I’ll leave that burden on you. Of course, I’m also a lot happier buying a $5 game digitally from retailers I know than hoping that the $5 used copy of some disc I get from some random guy on Amazon/eBay is a working copy and actually arrives in a timely fashion. I mean, if that’s my console answer to PC pricing, keep me signed up for PC gaming, please! > [@](#): > > I expect that some of those games on your list may have been ones you didn’t really want and maybe haven’t played, but that you got as part of a bundle. I’ve played or will play most of them. But then, I don’t think “Yeah sure but you got eight of those games for $2 in an indie bundle!” is a real criticism of PC game pricing. Especially when those bundled games include titles like Audiosurf, Bastion, Braid, Binding of Issac, Torchlight, Terraria, Psychonauts, Amnesia, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/154 "2012-10-02T21:08:50Z")
Well, where I’m buying, PC new releases list the same as console. Are you in the US? Actually, if I buy from Steam, I might even pay more for a new release, depending on the exchange rate. For example, Borderlands 2 is $69.99 AUD console or PC at the local shop. It’s $69.99 USD on Steam. I’d get gouged a bit on the exchange rate, so I’d be better off buying local. I’m aware that console games developers and manufacturers dislike game trading. That’s why I mentioned that it probably won’t be around much longer. Seems like I have to repeat points around you a lot. Most people are going to consider a TV to be a sunk cost, because they already bought it to watch, well, TV. It’s something they already bought or were going to buy anyway. It’s not like I’m suggesting that hardware that you don’t need for gaming (like a printer or whatever) be considered. People are likely only going to buy a monitor for because they bought a computer-- and for gaming, it’s going to have a damn good one if it’s going to compare to the average TV. > [@](#): > > I would assume he included the OS in his price, or he might have already have a copy of windows handy. If you’re running Windows, it costs money. If he had a copy of Windows laying around, he presumably paid for it. Anybody pricing budget gaming computers would be well advised to check if an advertised build comes with an operating system, in my experience. I’d also say that $650 is distinctly on the low side. You can go lower still, a local retailer has an “express gamer” build advertised for $419-- that’s parts only, no monitor, no OS, no keyboard, no mouse. So for a bunch of pieces that you put together yourself-- and can’t even game on until you buy some other stuff-- you’re paying double, at minimum, for what a console costs. At minimum. I don’t think it’s any news to you that a high end gaming system-- excluding monitor(s)-- will set you back 10 times what a new console costs, so maybe you should give the “PCs win on price, too” line a rest, especially if you’re going to tout the joys of the high end PC experience. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/155 "2012-10-02T21:54:11Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > On release most PC games cost $10-$20 less. And as mentioned, you don’t have to wait as long as you do for the price to come down as you do with retail games (Blizzard games being about the only exception to this). I think this is pretty subjective. Also, I just checked a sample size of two (Xcom, Skyrim:P), and it costs the same on PC as it does on a console. I’m not aware of any games where this is not the case. I guess you could say that PC Exclusives cost between $10 and $20 less, but I don’t really feel that’s true. Of course, I can’t name any recent triple-A retail PC titles, so I can’t really check. > [@](#): > > But the monitor? Should we include the price of a plasma TV to console ownership? No, because everyone buys a TV for TV. Well, everyone except me. People, as a rule, use their computer monitors for…their computer. On the other hand, they probably have one already, and unless they are concerned about input lag, it’s probably good enough, unlike the rest of the PC, which may not be. The whole price argument, is to me, fundamentally a waste of time. There are too many factors and no one is going to be able to produce the data necessary to actually make a point on the matter. Let’s drop it. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/156 "2012-10-02T22:04:01Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > I think this is pretty subjective. Also, I just checked a sample size of two (Xcom, Skyrim:P), and it costs the same on PC as it does on a console. I’m not aware of any games where this is not the case. I guess you could say that PC Exclusives cost between $10 and $20 less, but I don’t really feel that’s true. Of course, I can’t name any recent triple-A retail PC titles, so I can’t really check. Seriously? I thought you gamed on PC. Most titles are $60 on consoles, ~$50 (or less) on PC at release. That was the case for Skyrim, BTW. And.. let’s see: F1 2012 just came out last week (cool game btw) It’s $32 on PC and $59 on consoles (From Amazon). Borderlands 2 is $60 on consoles and $53 on PC. Xcom: enemy unkown on Amazon is $45 on PC and $60 on consoles. Skyrim right now is $36 on PC and $56 on consoles Fifa 2013 just came out. It’s $58-$60- on console and $40 on PC. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/157 "2012-10-02T23:21:07Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > Most people are going to consider a TV to be a sunk cost, because they already bought it to watch, well, TV. As I said, so hook up your computer to your TV. Of course, you have a bunch of people who get their “TV” these days via Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, network sites and other shadier means. So they’re either watching their “TV” via monitor or else using their TV hooked up to a computer. > [@](#): > > Anybody pricing budget gaming computers would be well advised to check if an advertised build comes with an operating system, in my experience. I’d also say that $650 is distinctly on the low side. It got me a system that still works just fine today. Skyrim, Saints Row the Third, Metro 2033, etc all run fine on my “low end” system with graphic settings at Medium or higher (usually higher). I may one day decide to upgrade the video card. If I do it will be as a luxury to myself; taking a system that’s already well more powerful than a current console and making it even _better_ than that. I’ll happily agree that there’s people who spend more than twice as much for a cutting edge system. That’s a choice they make for the experience, not a requirement to play today’s games. > [@](#): > > The whole price argument, is to me, fundamentally a waste of time. Without “price”, 80% of the console argument goes out the window and leaves you with “Well, it’s easier” and some select console exclusives. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/158 "2012-10-02T23:25:29Z")
> [@Kinthalis](#): > > Borderlands 2 is $60 on consoles and $53 on PC. $37.50 from GMG right now (with 25% off voucher code) > [@](#): > > Xcom: enemy unkown on Amazon is $45 on PC and $60 on consoles. 33.75 right now on GMG w/ voucher > [@](#): > > Fifa 2013 just came out. It’s $58-$60- on console and $40 on PC. $30 on GMG with voucher. This would be more unusual if GMG didn’t _always_ have 20-25% vouchers these days listed in their blog. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/159 "2012-10-02T23:28:25Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > No, because everyone buys a TV for TV. Well, everyone except me. People, as a rule, use their computer monitors for…their computer. Given that the console is a dedicated machine, I think it’s perfectly fair to call it a wash when comparing the need for the TV to the need for a monitor/a more expensive computer. You use the TV for other things than gaming, you use the computer for other things than gaming. If one is set on comparing costs, it makes the most sense to compare the cost of a gaming console against the price difference between a productivity PC and a gaming PC; after all, a PC you’re only going to use for word processing and websurfing sure as hell doesn’t need a $300 video card. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149/160 "2012-10-02T23:46:32Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > $37.50 from GMG right now (with 25% off voucher code) > 33.75 right now on GMG w/ voucher > $30 on GMG with voucher. > > This would be more unusual if GMG didn’t _always_ have 20-25% vouchers these days listed in their blog. God damn it Jophiel, do you have to upstage me every time? I love GMG 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-pc-gaming-on-the-way-out/635149.md?page=9)