Have consoles held back PC gaming?

[Necuno]

Yes mostly, but also with game mechanics/engine etc.

I'm no game dev, but surely PC processing power allows for more complex engine design and features, and this will also be held back.

Not to mention PC input is not limited by the buttons on the console controller. We already see how this blatantly puts PC users at a disadvantage with examples like Skyrim and Oblivion, which had crappy inventory management, solved somewhat by mods on PC, while Morrowind's inventory still is way ahead.

You did play half life 2, right?

Compared to what was before it came out it already improved a lot on mechanics, design and graphics. I don't see star citizen being hold back, do you?

OMG I am botheredz by how it looks ugh ugh guh gah kakkas. lol.

You been whipped

HOWEVER... you are correct in a sense. Most developers dev consoles first and that base code is reused for the pc.

Is it still viable to dev for the PC as a primary platform? I would say yes, but what are you pushing out? Is it kak? Is it just a tech demo? There is a good reason why Indie and Kickstarter has taken off like it did.

[Edelweiss]

Seeing the announcement and release of 'next gen' games has got me thinking. Surely consoles have held back PC gaming quite a bit, as many games are developed on consoles first, and thus PC gaming has had to lag behind waiting for 'next-gen' consoles to be released.

Of course they do update the PC versions often with better graphics features, and there are games developed specifically for PC, but I reckon quite a lot of games could have been made far better on PC had they not been held back by consoles.

This is the general consensus... there was a thread I posted last year called 'the diminishing returns of console graphics" and what I gathered from that is that as time passes on console and pc graphics will ultimately converge on the same graphical fidelity because our eyes can only see that much and won't be able to tell the difference. Consoles are basically playing catch up to the PC. Just my 2c.

[Ike_009]

Pretty much and that's excluding steam sales and some pre-orders can have a R200 difference. Then you can still sell your old parts and save the proceeds for your next build.

After 8 years the console is still the same, your pc however can walk into the next gen.

[Orion]

Pretty much and that's excluding steam sales and some pre-orders can have a R200 difference. Then you can still sell your old parts and save the proceeds for your next build.

After 8 years the console is still the same, your pc however can walk into the next gen.

But many of my friends play on consoles and not pc, so yeah, and I think it is easier to cheat (hack) a pc game rather than a console game.

Piracy is also a big problem on pc games rather than console games because to play that sort of games on a console it has to be chipped.

[DieGrootHammer]

There is no denying the fact that the graphics capabilities of a PC is much greater than that of even the newest consoles, if you are willing to invest in getting the best components. This is a non-issue, and on that front I would say consoles have held back graphic innovation.

But gameplay is another story. There are not a lot of AAA titles designed as PC exclusives, but what PC does have better is indie game support and mods. This area is where a PC will always be better for gaming than consoles, irregardless of what happens on the consoles. Indie game have had some of the most innovative gameplay mechanics I've ever experiences. But let's be honest, there is also only so far you really can push certain genres, like FPS games.

Price wise, there have been many debates for and against PC over console gaming. I think it comes down to you own personal budget and willingness to spend.

But has it held back the PC gaming industry...quite frankly I don't think so. Console has ensured that the whole gaming industry grew in leaps and bounds. Without consoles and their incredible buying power, I wonder if the industry would be as massive and lucrative as it is today.

[Orion]

Why guys think that pc games prices are about R350-R400 and console games R600-R700, new??

I always wondered this.

[Solitude]

But has it held back the PC gaming industry...quite frankly I don't think so. Console has ensured that the whole gaming industry grew in leaps and bounds. Without consoles and their incredible buying power, I wonder if the industry would be as massive and lucrative as it is today.

It helped gaming in that way but with regards to graphics and engine power I'd say consoles held back pc gaming. I think we are going to see a great leap in what games look like, even on pc now that everything doesn't have to be scaled back for older consoles.

[Iam3G]

It helped gaming in that way but with regards to graphics and engine power I'd say consoles held back pc gaming. I think we are going to see a great leap in what games look like, even on pc now that everything doesn't have to be scaled back for older consoles.

I'm seeing a lot of this. How games are going to look going forward. Look at Tomb Raider with the face lift for PS4 and PC. Are you really going to get it just because it looks better? I guess for those who didn't have the privilege to play yet will. But for those of us who did, it makes no sense.

How many of the current-gen games are going to have the next-gen equivalent? And how many will be just the same, but better looking?

Devs should start focusing on giving us games that last. That make us think. That keeps us busy. As DieGrootHammer mentioned, Gameplay is another aspect. Its like they're just moving more and more away from this and looking to see how good they get a game to look when they develop something new.

[brendanvb]

I definitely think consoles have held back PC gaming. But unfortunately, were that not the case, I don't think I would be able to afford the kind of PC one would need to play games that utilise the full potential of today's PC's. Consoles have a good few years in them and you always know the games you're buying will work. That is why I love consoles.

[Razor88]

I see merit in consoles, even though I don't own one.

But one thing that always annoys me is that I suspect that they are the main reason for the slow decline of the RTS genre. It's just too tricky to port to console (the controls aspect) imo. And I never enjoy other genres as much as I enjoy RTS.