In a recent interview with Epic Games' Mark Rein (Unreal Tournament, Gears of War), he laments the fact that FPS based games, once a bastion of PC gaming, have now made a near total transition to consoles:
Traditionally the FPS was very much a strong point for PC, but now do you think consoles are catching up?I'm a real fan of the PC, but yes, consoles are definitely stealing a lot of hardcore gamers from the PC. When Call of Duty 4 came out, I heard some of our guys sitting around talking about the great game they'd had last night and I'm like, 'Hey guys, what server are you playing on? I'd love to come and join you,' and they said, 'Just send us a friends request,' It was at that point I realized they were all playing it on console. Plus, the sales of the console versions are something like ten times the sales of the PC versions.The advantages that PC games once held over the console market (online multiplayer, amazing 3D graphics, ease of control, high definition displays) are now a thing of the past. Looking at the Xbox 360 in particular, I feel that Xbox Live is far superior to anything available on the PC (Steam comes close), the price is right (vs. shelling out thousands for a PC), the friends list system is intuitive and a cinch to set up and use, and and the ease of connecting the console to an increasingly prolific number of high definition TVs makes the console a very attractive prospect for a gamer.
The last remaining foothold that PC still has against the rising tide of console supremacy is in the realm of the MMORPG. Titles like World of Warcraft, Eve Online, and Everquest I and II still have millions of active users and show no sign of slowing. This is partially due to the mouse/keyboard combo, which lends itself to MMO style game play. Plus, Microsoft still hesitates to allow companies to release games which would require the hard disk to play, a stance that many, including myself believe that they should relax in order to allow for greater flexibility for game developers (you too Xbox Live Arcade space limit!)
I foresee MMOs also eventually coming to consoles, and the PC gaming market to revert back into a enthusiast only industry.
Using updated rosters, the people over at ArmchairGM have simulated this weekend's Super Bowl match up between the Giants and the Patriots with the NES classic Tecmo Super Bowl. Youtube videos are available at the site of the two halves of the game, so I won't spoil the results - click for the game summary.
