Has Microsoft killed PC gaming in retail stores? One site says, "Yep"

Posted Jul 12th 2009 11:00AM by John Callaham
Filed under: Biz, Culture

In many ways PC gaming is still evolving from a retail box industry to a more downloadable and even browser based type of business. And in our opinion, there's nothing wrong with that at all. However the business-based gaming site IndustryGamers decided to look at some of the reasons why the retail store has become less and less of a factor in gaming.

While there are other factors brought up in the article such as piracy and DRM set-ups that seem to be against the average consumer, IndustryGamers puts the big blame on Microsoft. Their launch of the Xbox 360 console has caused many PC-only game developers to move into console development, often putting the PC version of their games as a low priority. Add to that the dismal launch of Windows Vista and Microsoft's own moves to close down much of their own PC game developers and it's hard to argue with this article's conclusion. Of course Microsoft's own official stance is that they are still big supporters of PC gaming (as our recent chat with the marketing head of Games For Windows Live demonstrated). The next 12 months will show if that claim is real (with the launch of Windows 7) or whether it's just hype.

Tags: drm, microsoft, pc-gaming, pc-gaming-alliance, piracy, windows-vista

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

I guess we were overdue for a "PC is dying" article.

I would have added retail stores to that list. Gamestop has been pushing PC titles out of the door for some time now. And wasn't Microsoft supposed to be buying space in stores for PC titles? Looks like that went over well.

While that interview with the marketing head for GFWL was appreciated, they still need to put their money where their mouth is. They have been saying how important the PC is to them and at the same time seeming to burn down their PC gaming foundation. I hope that if you guys score another interview after seeing MS continue to decline in their support for the PC, that you PLEASE call them on it (although the last time is was done in an GFW Magazine interview, there were no more interviews afterward).Posted at 11:24AM on Jul 12th 2009 by ChimpWithAHandgun

They've admitted that they intend to take down PC gaming. Blizzard has also commented on this.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/53403

"If we launched a Halo game on PC and 360 in Germany simultaneously, 80 per cent of sales would be on the PC," he told GamesIndustry.biz. "We basically shoot ourselves in the foot by allowing the German market to choose to play the PC version."

Though Zetterberg seems to indicate that Microsoft is intentionally limiting the PC market to further its console business--echoing an accusation made by World of Warcraft developer Blizzard--the executive claimed that both platforms are "equally important" on a global scale. Posted at 11:47AM on Jul 12th 2009 by Crazy Horse

I love how they discuss a article written by IndustryGamers.com and don't even link the article.

how assbackwards is this site?Posted at 12:46PM on Jul 12th 2009 by Born2expire

@Born2expire: Methinks you missed the bis ass SOURCE button next to the comments button that you no doubt used to make your statement.Posted at 1:32PM on Jul 12th 2009 by ChimpWithAHandgun

@Born2expire and @ChimpWithAHandgun: Methinks you both missed the even bigger link to the source at the top of the article. The gigantic ass picture!Posted at 1:39PM on Jul 12th 2009 by lawrencek