A Conversation Of Mainstream: GTA IV PC, PC Trends, And Consoles

GTA IV for the PC might come or it might not come. It’s a big maybe for me as I don’t know. Console players tend to justify their purchase in their console to short-live their end of not being able to buy powerful PC platforms which are far up the paygrade. And quite frankly, they will defend it. Claims include: PC has NO games (when honestly it has tons more with more original storylines and indie developers).

As stated in a previous article, Rockstar wanted to apparently focus solely on PS3 and 360 given the immense demands this time around with Multiplayer and single player (as I can tell you it’s not like any of the previous games.) Comparing them would be a sin. I suppose they can port over to PC, but it will be more difficult than it previously was.

But as sales charts shows, according to analysis charts by the NY Times regarding PC ownership in Q 08, the general ownership of mid-end PC’s are increasing, but the ownership for high end PC’s are decreasing at a faster rate. And that’s no surprise. More people are shifting as a result of bad word of mouth about PC’s and simply because as technology gets more advanced, it eventually gets more expensive on the high end side.

Now we can’t say that PC’s can handle games the same (mid-end consumer ones.) Even for the high-end PC’s we can’t say it. You’re probably going “WTF?” The thing is in the engines. The fact is that when a developer begins a game, they optimize the engine more for consoles than they do for PC’s. It’s true, and it’s mainstream facts. Even if they were to dev on PS3, 360 , and PC simultaneously, the engines are optimized for the venue where they make the most $$. Truth be told, PC’s could theoretically do what this gen is doing ages ago. Had devs chosen to work on PC more.

It’s definitely to keep Sony and Microsoft’s Xbox Division happy, but mainly it’s also for devs to keep themselves happy. Which is a #1 priority and not the PC fan base. If every person started buying high end PC’s and ditched the consoles, I guarantee you would see these titles as PC exclusives than anything.

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The above is a conversation I had with someone regarding PC gaming, GTA responses, and the general trend.


Posted By: Usman Ihtsham
ON Monday, April 28th, 2008
8:44 PM
0 Comments


Gaming To Get Its Guinness On

For those gamers who enjoy reading (That’s about 3 of you) I’m sure you’ll be happy to know that Guinness is creating a World Records book devoted entirely to gaming. Now you can cry when you realize that you spent 3 days straight memorizing every tidbit in Ikaruga only to have your high score decimated by 42-year-old loser Jeremy McBallzlicker who still lives with his mom. Congratulations. If you’re really interested in the world records, use google and save up your money for GTA4 and MGS4.

Guinness now prints video gaming record [News OK]


Posted By: Zack Martin
ON Saturday, April 12th, 2008
2:25 AM
0 Comments


Kids Love Learning Games

Kids nowadays want video games with everything. Video games with happy meals, at libraries and now at schools. Some site I’ve never heard of actually took a survery of kids, which is amazing cause they probably did more work in that one instance than I do all month. The survey found

- More than half of students in grades 3 through 12 believe educational gaming would help them learn;
- Only 16% of teachers, 15% of administrators and 19% of parents are on board today — although there was significantly more support for further exploration of the potential;
- And, 11% of teachers say they’re already using video games in class, no matter how much you roll your eyes.

The solution to this problem is simple, get rid of teachers, admin and parents then we can put games into school. I only got to play one game in school and that was Oregon Trail but I learned a lot in that game. (That going outside will instantly give me malaria and Timmy is kinda like SouthPark’s Kenny, only more prone to dying.) Kids, find a way to get games as a part of your school’s curriculum! If you need me, I’ll be sitting on my butt playing Crisis Core. (What if the entire school curriculum was just video games?)

Most kids want educational video games in school, survey shows. … So? [Network World]


Posted By: Zack Martin
ON Friday, April 11th, 2008
12:07 AM
0 Comments


Video Games? Irrelevant? Blasphemy!

One of the reason why Hideo Kojima doesn’t think games are an art form is that what looks good yesterday, doesn’t look good today. As opposed to art, which can be appreciated for ages. This article takes that same premise and dares ask if video games may someday be irrelevant. One reason is that games we used to play ten years ago, don’t shine as brightly now as they did then. Movies, on the other hand, shine just as brightly now as then, at least assuming you’re not watching something using CGI. I can understand where this dude is coming from, but even now I love to go back and play old school games, like Mario, Sonic, FF6, FF7 and so on. There are some games that hold up better than others. I’m sure that V.R. will eventually make all video games, as we know them, obsolete. So, what do you think? Are games just a fad that’ll die out in 50 or so years? Will something replace it?

Are all video games doomed to irrelevance? [Controller Freak]


Posted By: Zack Martin
ON Saturday, March 29th, 2008
12:56 AM
0 Comments


Girls+Gaming=Uber-Awesome

The only thing I love more than video games is girls. Then again, considering how much time I spend with games vs girls, I think the opposite is true, or is it? Here’s an idea, why not combine the two? No, I’m not talking about tomb raider or dead or alive. I’m talking real girls in video game settings. (Mmm, Angelina Jolie) Well, some girls have taken my dream and turned it into a reality. Check out more of these sweet pics on their site. (I wonder if they’re available.)

Landscape [Antoinette J. Citizen]


Posted By: Zack Martin
ON Friday, March 28th, 2008
12:21 AM
0 Comments