Is the video game industry dying? Like Languish?

[CountDeMoney]

I think there's still growth for the console industry, there just needs to be another jump in processor speed and functionality. 

Really disagree.

We're seen on the PC side

Apples and oranges. 

[Barrister]

I think there's still growth for the console industry, there just needs to be another jump in processor speed and functionality. 

Really disagree.

We're seen on the PC side for several years that games just aren't needing or taking advantage of all the increases in processing power that is now available.  Where once you needed to upgrade every couple years because the latest games needed the latest software, now you can have a pretty ordinary machine last for several years and still play all the latest games.

Besides, graphics have reached a point where I'm not certain how getting any better is going to make that much impact.  The difference between 8-but and 16-bit games was huge.  But we've really hit the opint of diminishing returns.

It's because we are held back by the console market.  Those who have the means to use all the hardware we have on PC don't do it because they want a similar experience accross all platforms.  That means weaker graphics on PC, no multi-core use for advanced AI and no use of more than 2-3gb of memory by default, for most games.

The few that uses the hardware potential don't have the resources to make shiny graphics and/or don't want to place their games out of reach for the lower level hardware.

Disagree.

Shinier graphics are just not a big selling feature anymore.  If they were then someone would come along and make a PC-only game with the shiniest graphics, and people would buy it because they are attracted to shiny graphics.

But they aren't.  Instead we get the dynamic Jacob talks about - a few companies clustered around the big blockbuster titles, with marketing campaigns just as expensive as the games themselves.  And when you spend that much on marketing, you want as wide a player base as possible.

[merithyn]

Is it wrong to hope this will mean that my ex gets laid off?

It is. I'm sorry.

[Barrister]

Is it wrong to hope this will mean that my ex gets laid off?

It is. I'm sorry.

Joy from the suffering of others *is* wrong, but it's also so very, very natural...

[Valmy]

Pity PC gaming will suffer as collateral damage.

[Neil]

Pity PC gaming will suffer as collateral damage.

I'm not so sure.  Most of the PC games I've enjoyed lately have been smaller, niche releases.  The big, multiplatform releases I tend to play on Xbox.

[MadImmortalMan]

Pity PC gaming will suffer as collateral damage.

That's already water over the bridge. The damage is done. It's the recovery that's coming, and yeah a lot of shops won't survive it.

[Jacob]

I'm not so sure.  Most of the PC games I've enjoyed lately have been smaller, niche releases.  The big, multiplatform releases I tend to play on Xbox.

Yeah, I think there's still plenty of room for innovation and development on PC too, exactly as you said. The barrier to entry is pretty low, relatively speaking.

[Valmy]

That's already water over the bridge. The damage is done. It's the recovery that's coming, and yeah a lot of shops won't survive it.

Is it?  Because it seems to be going strong to me.  But surely it would mean things like Elder Scrolls wpuld be less profitable if they were just PC.

[Grey Fox]

www.steampowered.com

There is no reason to buy a pc game for more then 30$*.

*I know, we all failed that with D3.

[katmai]

www.steampowered.com

There is no reason to buy a pc game for more then 30$*.

*I know, we all failed that with D3.

What is this "we" shit tonto.

[merithyn]

Company layoff

After terminating 36 employees in January 2006, High Voltage Software reported to Gamasutra that the company had "right sized" their staff from 156 employees to 120. Post layoff, Kerry Ganofsky [owner] stated "High Voltage has long been one of the biggest and most established independent game developers, but we had grown to a size where our focus and quality was suffering. It's imperative that we have the right people and the right critical awareness to make certain that we make great games."

In August 2010, it was revealed that the company laid off an additional 25 staff members.

[garbon]

www.steampowered.com

There is no reason to buy a pc game for more then 30$*.

*I know, we all failed that with D3.

What is this "we" shit tonto.

Seriously.

[frunk]

You mean other than subscription based games where you end up paying $120 or more a year?  Suckas!

[Eddie Teach]

The hundreds of dollars I spent on WOW were much better spent than most of the 20 dollar games I've bought over the years.