Valve: No PC Gaming "Crisis"

PC is Valve's home, and at a press event Thursday at its Bellevue, Wash.-based headquarters, the company made that clear in its defense of the platform. The company behind the 15 million user-strong Steam digital distribution service and PC favorites such as Half-Life, Counter-Strike and Team Fortress 2 went full force to slap down notions that the PC market is in some kind of irreversible turmoil.

"Is there a crisis in PC gaming?" Newell asked during a presentation. "No. But there is a perception problem."

[pwnsause]

its not a crisis when you play MMOs and Valve Games on the PC, the rest, well is in its downfall

[ISA_Scum]

the results of Gabe Newell walking through your city. Collapsed sky-scrapers, destroyed roads, demolished McDonalds with all the food taken prior to their collapse. Children missing due to being digested by an unidentified walking vehicle.

Gabe, you're fat.

[Lets-Game]

PC gaming will never die.

[TK421]

This was the same guy who flapped his chins about the PS3 being broke because you actually had to work with it. His laziness is obviously affecting other areas of his life.

[jadenkorri]

look how fast a game is hacked once its released to stores...usually its out by launch and sometimes before...Devs will not want to make a game for PC if people crack/hack it in days...they lose lots of money that way and the way its going their switching to console cause less people hack/mod their PS3/360/Wii/PSP/DS... Yes the problem is still their but on a lesser scale... It really sucks for PC users cause I especially build my cp towards games...

[killax3563]

Gabe Newell is the biggest a**hole in the videogame industry. Being a former Microsoft employee, he is a puppet of Microsoft and the Xbox 360.

Look at all the a**hole-ish things he has said about the ps3:

http://www.google.com/searc...

[jadenkorri]

lose some weight, and exercise some more, once you do that, hopefully your brain can comprehend ps3 coding, you better learn it, cause everyone else has, and your company will be one of those game companies that will slowly fade away...yes you made Half Life. good for you....but basing your whole company on 1 game is not a good practice... Sequels get old, pc gaming is too expensive and games get hacked on day 1 on pc... You can stay back in the times, while the rest of us move on into the next generation of gaming

[donator]

Please Gabe Newell, go on a diet. I don't want you to have a heart attack because you won't be able to provide us with Half Life goodness!

[solar]

agreed! hl:2 is the best FPS of all time and i want more. dont croak gabe! and screw the ps3 brats that trash you for not liking the ps3. they whine because they know they are missing some great games!

[bumnut]

He looks a bit like the fat computer technician from jurassic park!

[Drekken]

This guy is a heart attack waiting to happen. How can you run a successful company like Valve and look like a fat slob who doesnt shower in every picture you take?

[deeznuts]

There is no crisis in PC Gaming. However, the supply of twinkies in his region is in dire straits!

[Vojkan]

Dude if you dont loose few pounds it is going to "Crisis"

[Half-Life_Fan]

Just please for the love of God hurry up with HL2:EP3 for Christ sakes the wait is killing me and I need to destroy the Borealis for Eli.

[Ghoul]

true as much as i love half life (best shooter ever) they could honestly hurry up a little, the episodes wherent that awesome to take 1-2 years dev time.

[9331]

pc gamer will die....every game coming out its in the torrent...

[mbmonk]

Torrents are hardly a new tech. Torrents and pirated PC games have been out for a long time and PC gaming still isn't dead. So I don't see how torrents will all of a sudden be able to kill PC gaming when it hasn't been able to do so yet.

The rising cost of development seems to be pushing game to multiple platforms. Heck Street Fighter 4 is coming out on the PC. Capcom has been really supporting the PC.

I love how consoles are now PC's, yet some console owners love to trash the PC.

[DARKKNIGHT]

half life story is lame now, kinda like the rambo remake some 20 odd years later.

i say repolish css throw in some dx10 effects, give the game some destructable environments ....rinse and repeat.

wait, what? thats already been done? crysis? ooo00o

come to think of it most games on pc are washed up....most of them are repainted fps offering nothing new to gaming but the gusto of being able to say " I CAN RUN THAT ON ALL HIGH SETTINGS".....BORE. Creativity seems to be a companion to consoles when it comes to new material.

i guess pc gaming is dead, lets see...diablo3, crysis2, callof duty 35.7 extended cut...at least pc has mmorpg's, those games definitely keep things interested. world of warcrack is a prime example of fun gameplay outshining shiny new graphics. Right CRYTEK? its pretty sad when a game is nothing but a graphical demo containing absolutely no substance, its even sadder when said game is such a resource hog that not even 2 gigs of dedicated vram can give you 60fps at max settings.

at least we dont have to mess with settings with consoles.......just pop in the disc and enjoy .

question to newell:

dude wtf happened to your neck? did you get hungry and u ate that too? sheeeeeeesh someone get this guy a lifetime supply of twinkies,.

[DARKKNIGHT]

hmmmmmmk.

i just got a x48blackops.

and yes pc gaming still fails.

[millerlite]

He's living in a fantasy world. I'd been a PC gamer for years until I got a PS3. The thing about console games is that they have real BUDGETS. Sure, you'll get a nice tech demo on the PC (like Crysis), but the really money, production values, story, etc are all coming from consoles. Most people can't see enough difference in what Far Cry 2 can do on the PC versus the much cheaper 360 or PS3 to justify the cost. Stores have all but abandoned PC gaming. But sorry, Gabe says it's just a perception problem, while saying the PS3 is "just a waste of everybody's time."

[fermcr]

Another thread about the END OF PC GAMING...

Console fanbabies (wining and crying) should read this interview (it's not even that long)...

If you have no money to buy a PC, get a job you winers.

[mbmonk]

How long has PC gaming been 'dieing' now? It's been a really long time. I figured it would have kicked the bucket by now if there was any truth to it.

I love how people are trying to take Valve to task when Valve released Portal arguably the most innovative game of last year.

[THE_JUDGE]

not my cup of tea. I prefer a control to a keyboard and mouse. Strange that Valve likes to pat themselves on the back about PC games yet their console games are lacking. Don't they know that theres devs who do both and very well? Step your game up!!

[xodee48]

I've been a PC gamer since 98 but to be honest the only thing keeping me on my PC is CS:S and Half-Life series.
I will always prefer a keyboard and mouse over a control but the big game titles seem to be available on console or are console exclusive.

[Figboy]

how's that PS3 "do-over" looking to you NOW?

i stopped caring about what this guy had to say the moment he started trashing a piece of technology because it was too "hard" to work with.

Kojima, Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Guerrilla Games, and many more devs that have wrangled that PS3 beast say hello.

anyway, on topic, PC gaming won't go away anytime soon, but i think it's time for a lot of the PC gaming community to admit that the hobby is becoming too costly for most would be PC gamers to keep up with, and because of that, developers will start to shift focus to the more common consoles.

yes, there are MILLIONS more PCs in homes than there are consoles, but most of those PC's can't even run Doom 3, let alone Gears of War 2 or Mass Effect.

the devs will always make a PC version if they're a company known to make PC versions of games, but don't get upset if the PC version doesn't sell as much as the console version, due to the common tech in all consoles, whereas PC's don't have standard specs from home to home.

and people argue the "well, if you buy a PS3, you have to buy an HDTV."

yeah, but your HDTV, at $500-$1500 doesn't have to be replaced every six months.

how much are the latest video cards now? $600?
how long until that card becomes obsolete? about 12 months, then you have to shell out ANOTHER $600 for the NEWEST model?

that $1500 i paid for my HDTV last year was an investment. so far, i haven't had to upgrade my set in order to enjoy games, and i haven't had to upgrade my PS3. that $600 i spent on the PS3 was ALSO an investment.

i don't have to worry about not being able to play Final Fantasy XIII, or Killzone 2, or God of War 3 next year, because my Playstation 3 may not be able to run it due to spec changes.

i LOVE PCs, and i love the technological leaps PCs take, in particular when it comes to gaming.

BUT i just can't afford to keep up with those changes, and a lot of gamers out there can't either.

PC will not go away, and i find Valve, the most successful PC developer of them all at the moment, seconded only by, Epic (thanks to them licensing Unreal Engine 3 to every Tom, D*ck, and Harry with the dough), so their comments, i think, are coming from a different space. how about we ask that smaller dev, who DOESN'T have an insanely successful PC download service what THEY think about the state of PC gaming?

and Gabe, it's called a gym. seriously. the continuation of your existence demands that you put the Ho Ho's down...

[mbmonk]

PC gaming does cost more. But as of right now games are $10 cheaper, DLC is normally free, and you get other things than just games (IE Itunes, etc..)

To call a $600 video card obsolete after 1 year is just plain wrong. Look up the definition of obsolete. Also you don't have to replace your monitor every time you buy a new computer. I have a 21' CTR Sony Triniton for about 7 years now. I have had 3 different computers hooked up to it.

People always over exaggerate the price of PC gaming.

That being said I agree with your larger point about most PC's today can't run Doom3. And over 90% of your post is right on target.

I would say though I think most companies are paying attention to what the two biggest winners in PC gaming are doing. Valve and Blizzard do two things in common. First they make great games and don't rush things; secondly their games run on a ton of machines. With the widening gap between standard PC's and Gaming PC's this is a big deal.

If you look at games like Starcraft 2 and Battlefield Heroes, those are games that are going to run on a wide variety of machines. Ironically the most demanding games are going to be console ports. I think Crysis is going to be the exception rather than the PC rule. Though I wonder what Battlefield 3 is going to require.

[Figboy]

and i admit a bit of exaggeration, but not by as much as you imply.

as for monitors, i used the same 19" SDTV for 8 years before i finally bought my 40" HDTV last year. before that 19", i had ANOTHER 19" SDTV that got me through my middle school and high school years. in short, it was time for an upgrade.

when it comes to PC video cards, they may not change every 6 months, but it's hard to argue that, generally, at 12 months, the new video cards are out, and most hardcore PC gamers chomp at the bit to get them.

i bought my PC video card about two years back for $300. a year later, i couldn't even run the Splinter Cell: Double Agent demo. a DEMO! i could run games like UT3 and Oblivion perfectly fine, but games like Bioshock, Splinter Cell, etc, couldn't run on my machine.

instead of chucking another $300 and up at a new vid card, i simply bought a PS3 for $600, and eventually bought my roommate's 360 for $150. i haven't upgraded my PC since, because a lot of PC games are coming to the consoles.

PC gaming isn't dead, and it won't die, but it's certainly struggling in this current economic state, while consoles are flourishing like mad (just look at the Wii. the 360 and PS3 aren't doing to shabby either, and i don't even NEED to mention the PS2 and DS), and it's becoming more of a niche category for most gamers as it IS hard to keep up, even when the upgrades come in 2 to 3 year intervals. at least here in America, where the average American can barely pay his/her rent and food/gas expenses a month, let along shell out ANY amount of dough on a hobby like games.

oh yeah, and the reason why games like Starcraft 2 will run on a large variety of consoles is mainly because RTS titles rarely push the graphical envelope, and the developers are kind enough develop to a lowest common denominator, as it also maximizes profit. the market's love of shiny graphics, however, and the devs eagerness to appease that need, means more and more PC gamers will be migrating to consoles in the months and years to come, especially as certain consoles, ie, the PS3 support mouse and keyboard, hard drive, etc, so it's like a home away from home for PC users (though their stubborn pride generally won't LET them consider a console, mouse and keyboard, and mod support be damned. lol).

[Charlie2688]

@figboy: reading your comments its tells me you are/were familiar with PC gaming but you are HORRENDOUSLY outdated on the info or you are simply brutally exaggerating your comments to the max to justify your console purchases like SO many people do on this site

[Figboy]

because it's wrong.

i'm very familiar with PCs, and i've built my fair share over the years.

the truth of the matter is that not everybody can afford to upgrade their PCs every time a Crysis rears it's head.

i don't need to justify my console purchase, and, from what i've been gathering the past few years, it's the PC community that has been on the defensive lately, vehemently denying that their preferred method of playing games is struggling.

there was a time, not that long ago (last generation, actually), when it was absolutely LAUGHABLE that a console would be able to run a PC game in even a FRACTION of the way the PC ran it (see Half Life 2 on the original X Box).

now you have numerous games, from Bioshock, to Unreal Tournament 3, and the latest, Far Cry 2, running on par with their PC counterparts. i have to say that's progress on the console's part, and a telling sign of the times.

i hate the word convergence when it's used in relation to video games, but there's a lot of console/PC convergence this generation:

1) We finally have consoles that, for now, can hang with PCs (Far Cry2, Bioshock, the upcoming Cry-Engine game for consoles).

2) The two big consoles support hard drives.

3) The two big consoles have download services (putting those HDDs to use).

4) The Playstation 3 supports mouse and keyboards, USB external HDDs and other USB peripherals, and a web browser. you can also install Linux on the PS3 if you are so inclined.

in the meantime, PCs have been getting more console games.

i think what i'm trying to get at, is that we are ALL gamers. PC and console. why segregate ourselves? we all want this industry to thrive, and i wouldn't be surprised if in a few generations of technology, the PC and console have fully merged, as console specs get higher and higher each successive generation.

of course, the super high end deluxe gaming PCs will still exist, but much like now, i see them being very niche. you'll be hard pressed to find the average gamer willing to shell out a grand or more on a gaming PC capable of playing the latest PC hit for the next year or two or three.

sure, you can get Crysis, Bioshock, and Far Cry 2 on your PC, but if you haven't upgraded your unit in a few years (like myself), you're going to spend a nice chunk of change. maybe not $2000, but it's certainly over $400-$500 in upgrades (ie, RAM, maybe processor, video card, etc).

or, you can simply plunk down $400 and get a PS3, which will have Bioshock, a Cry-Engine game, and Far Cry 2, PLUS titles like Uncharted, Ratchet and Clank, MGS4, Gran Turismo, Killzone 2, Final Fantasy XIII, God of War 3, and bunch of other titles that simply WON'T see the light of day on a PC. and you don't have to worry about upgrading so soon after buying the console. hell, if you hold off and wait for the above listed games to hit, i imagine the PS3 will be down to $300-$350 (i'm expecting a PS3 price drop later this year).

i'm not speaking against PC gaming. but i think it's a little silly to think that a handful of hardcore PC gamers will be able to sustain a market where it costs over $15 million to develop a halfway decent game. not everybody that owns a PC is a gamer. but it's safe to say that, at the least, over 95% of people that own a 360 or PS3 have it for the games (yes, even the PS3; i like Blu Ray movies, but i spend my dough on GAMES first, movies during slow periods. the fact that the PS2 played DVDs didn't stop it from selling an @ssload of gaming software during it's run).

[Charlie2688]

"how much are the latest video cards now? $600?
how long until that card becomes obsolete? about 12 months, then you have to shell out ANOTHER $600 for the NEWEST model?"

I think that quote was enough to confirm some one brutally exaggerating to meet and end (console purchase justification anyone?) cuz last time I checked ANYONE up to date that wanted to get a good performance card will get the $190 8800GT or the $250 8800GTS, hell anyone remotely familiarized with current date PC gaming would tell you that today more than ever PC gaming has never been this cheap and upgrading this easy

and your last part of your comment pretty much reconfirmed my point about your throw dirt to PC gaming to re justify your console purchase seems you simply CANT hold yourself from wanting me to see the "wrong" way, cuz believe me if you just posted the first half I might have said I was wrong but you couldn't avoid showing me the "right" way of consoles and the "evils" of PC gaming

sorry dude but the second I thought I was wrong you proved to me you are just one of the many console biased persons of the site (but hey at least you have some PC familiarity compared to the massive ignorance about PC gaming on this site) and believe me there is nothing wrong with loving your console and telling others you like it but the second you start to throw dirt to PC gaming and desperately try to justify why others should should switch to consoles (like you did) its when the words like biased and fanboy start to pop up

[solar]

@ Fig

you are assuming its "to hard" for them to program for. you dont know that. and ill tell you the same thing i tell every ps3 brat that thinks every company should release all their games for ps3...go cry like a little baby. Valve didnt get where they are today with Steam and all their great games because they cant program. and i agree with Charlie...

[bootsielon]

But developing on PS3 could further finance PC and 360 projects and viceversa.

[Pain]

......

[Revvin]

PC developers (including Valve) shot themselves i nthe foot years ago. Just as the internet become more widely available to the home user back in the mid 90's so we saw a big increase in the number of patches being released for games. At first it seemed like minor bug fixes with a lot of patches including new content, levels etc. Soon the tide started to turn and developers just got lazy. With the advent of the internet they could push titles out the door with increasing speed and develop software with the "sell now, patch later" mentality that saw no end of bug filled games or games that were poorly optimised.

As a younger PC gamer with a decent job I could afford to buy the best hardware available yet I was constantly amazed at how poorly games ran even on my monster setups. I've had games that still ran like a dog on a PC I built 6 months or more after buying the game and I was still unable to un at full detail. Grand Prix Legends, Doom3, Armed Assault, Lock On to name a few titles off the top of my head. My happiest days of PC gamign were back playing games like the original Doom, X-Wing and so on. Just before the internet came along and gave the developers the lazy way out.

I'm still a PC gamer but these days I also own a PS3. PC gaming will linger on for some time yet, the pirates have quite some way to go before they kill it off or the end user just gets fed up of the latest draconian copy protection that assumes the end user is a thief before they even start playing. Steam is not a bad solution but not without problems so for trouble free gaming its no surprise more and more gamers, including mature gamers are also buying consoles to get their gaming fix.

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

I hate Steam. I brought a videocard last year, bundled comes in a Lost Planet.

The game runs on Steam, so it comes the keys and everything. I have the work to install and all just to realize someone already have used this code... But I don't know how is it possible, since I had the original game copy on my hand, and all the access keys... Unless this system is accessible to pirates and crackers. If that is the case, why use this piece of crap at all? Spend 2 hours instead of 1 hour to install a game?

Copy protection my @ss.

[Charlie2688]

Well I think Valve is the last company you are gonna hear PC gamig has problem since they have being doing so great with STEAM, but I do agree with Newell there is a HUGE amount of perception problem and ignorance I might add...I mean just read at some of the comments on this thread

...sigh

[gk07]

i like the pc games butt 1 thing buggs the shhhit out of me fockking patch this patch that DIEEEEEEEE patching fockkkkks stop selling me broke shhhhhh and isa scum thats foul funny butt foul lol