Can The PC Survive the Next-Gen?

I hate to tell you PC gaming, but you might want to start making your “final arrangements.” I like PC gaming. Now, I know this might be an unpopular opinion to some, as I’ve already touched on how the gaming community almost always breaks down into one of two camps: console or PC. Of course, there are those who dabble in both. (I should know because I am one.) Lately, I’ve been more a console guy just because I’ve not been able to keep up with the ever-rising need for high-end hardware (an issue that I know many PC gaming enthusiasts can relate to). However, there looms a bigger problem on the horizon for the future of PC gaming. One that transcends expensive video cards and the need for 15 sticks of RAM. Developers no longer feeling the need to support the PC platform. There was a time when many console titles you’d see in the Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo section of GameStop would also have a PC counterpart available somewhere in the store. At the very least, if the PC version of a game wasn’t immediately available at launch, it would come out within a year or so of the original. Frankly, I just don’t see that trend continuing. Why? Take the recent comments made by Destiny developer (and former Halo creator) Bungie. In reference to a PC port of the upcoming game, Community Manager Eric Osborne said that the company would not develop a version of their game for one platform at the expense of another.

Now, I can tell you there are those who would almost throw their money at Bungie if they’d simply bring a PC port to market (a sentiment shared by Osborne). However, it’s clear that the developer has no interest in making desktop gaming a priority any longer. If the past is an indication of future events, you can probably accept his comment as the final nail in the coffin of seeing a PC port of Destiny. Halo 2 received a PC release, but Halo 3 did not, despite an overwhelming outcry from PC gamers wanting it. We continue to see developers deprioritize desktop gaming as a necessity, as technology moves the consoles into a more competitive position. The gap between what the PC and the home consoles can do has steadily closed, and developers find every resource they need to create the game they want on the console. How much longer can we expect to see franchises such as Battlefield or Call of Duty throw their weight behind the desktop with PC releases of their titles? Yet another sign of the times comes from one of the most well-known names in PC: Valve. With the next round of the console war about to begin in just a few short weeks (with the release of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4), Valve has stated its intent to plant its flag right in your living room. Its Steam Machines look to carve out a spot on your shelf next to the mainstay systems (by creating an “entertainment experience”). It’s been said (many times, by some at this very site) that it will take a killer app, most likely in the form of Half-Life 3, to make it a real success.