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Kotaku PC Guy Is At It Again.

K

Kintaro

Worships the porcelain goddess
Fresh off his Razer article comes this beauty.

Faux Futurists Want to Keep PC Gaming in the Past

There are two types of PC gamers. Firstly, there are people who love PC gaming because of all the fantastic things PC games have that their console or mobile games do not: a complex, precise interface; the ability to easily extend game experiences with modifications both official and otherwise; an incredible wealth of indie and experimental games; and the best graphics and sound experience a normal human being can buy.

Then there are the gamers who like the PC because they mistake tinkering with hardware from a couple of dozen of vendors—all of whom get their silicon from three giant corporations—as some sort of engineering, despite that it's more or less electric LEGO for masochists. These tinkerers are holding back PC gaming hardware—and that includes the very benchmark by which they gauge themselves: graphics performance.
Click to expand...

PC gaming isn't going to die—but PC tinkering just might. And it's not heretical to be okay with that. I'm disappointed in the short-sighted, overly defensive members of the PC gaming community. Last week I wrote an effusive post about the Razer Blade gaming laptop, pointing out all of the laudable, intelligent things Razer (and its engineering partner, Intel) were doing with the new product line—as well as the thing they were screwing up. (The price.)

Instead of measured rebuttals, many of those that chose to comment on my piece trotted out arguments that have been in place since the original Nintendo hit the scene—arguments which are even less true in the modern gaming and technology landscape than they were two decades ago. (There were some polite, reasoned responses, as well, although they were the minority.)
Click to expand...

So PC gamers got very upset upon my suggestion that, you know, maybe it'd be okay to let Intel and Nvidia (and perhaps AMD) standardize the PC platform a little bit so that programmers and operating system engineers could more readily access the kind of computational power that's inside our hot-rod PC hardware. And as I watched it unfold, I felt like I was watching a bunch of polo players quibble about saddle design next to a freeway.

It is absolutely asinine that our smoking-hot, electricity-slurping gaming towers and massive laptops aren't providing experiences so far beyond that available on consoles and mobile phones that even non-gamers could immediately see the difference. Sure, we can tell the difference between Infinity Blade running on an iPad and latest Unreal Engine game running on a $1,500 PC. But you know who can't? Millions upon millions of people who buy games.

And don't forget that the games will follow the money. And right now the money is moving into free-to-play, mobile, and hosted games, be they on Facebook or on streaming services like OnLive. Consoles aren't even the only, or indeed the largest threat to PC gaming! We've probably got one more generation of "hardcore" dedicated consoles like the Xbox before they, too, are obsolesced by streaming or mobile hardware.
Click to expand...

Disagree all you want, but I'm not saying anything that PC gaming stalwarts like Valve and id Software aren't saying themselves.

"We're terrified by the future," [Valve's Gabe Newell] said. "You need to be looking at what's happening with Apple, Google Android and thinking that could impact the living room in a big way. You need to be looking at Onlive and how it is integrated with the television."

PC gaming isn't going to die. But it's going to change. And unless PC gamers embrace that change, we're going to find ourselves increasingly marginalized, with fewer games to experience that are unique to PC. I don't hate the tinkerers. But it's time they stopped pretending that they hold any real influence over where the future of gaming is going.
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"Games follow the money!" So, if the money is "moving into free-to-play, mobile, and hosted games, be they on Facebook or on streaming services like OnLive" (OnLive hasn't even proved itself one bit btw), why have a PC at all? Why would OnLive be successful if consoles are going bye bye and all thats left are mobile games? Why would intel, etc continue to standardize PC at all when the money is in mobile?

I don't think Joel Johnson think that hard about what he writes as he just ends up making the opposite point.
 
P

PaulLFC

Member
These tinkerers are holding back PC gaming hardware—and that includes the very benchmark by which they gauge themselves: graphics performance.
Click to expand...
I... what?

Surely if nobody bothered to build their own PCs and replace components then graphics cards, processors etc would advance at a *slower* rate because there wasn't as much demand for them to be improving so rapidly?
 
L

Lasthope106

Member
Coming from Kotaku, the website known for its award-winning coverage of pc gaming.

I still remember the podcast Crecente and Totillo did about "All things pc gaming" and then they started talking about their machines from 20 years ago. lol
 
D

demolitio

Member
I'm not going to bother clicking the link because this sure as hell doesn't deserve the hits and it seems like that's what he's going for anymore. I'm still amazed at how big that site's become. They have a high bullshit:normal article ratio.

Remember guys, PC games don't look that much better than consoles except for the normal resolution differences! There's no benefit to getting BF3 on PC! :|
 
Glass Rebel

Glass Rebel

Member
Like every article on PC gaming it has a faint glimmer of truth that is completely buried by a thick coating of shit.
 
stuminus3

stuminus3

Member
This would maybe have made a little bit more sense around 2004-2006 if worded a little differently.

In 2011 it's just plain stupid. We already worked this shit out.
 
T

tim.mbp

Member
Kintaro said:
Why would OnLive be successful if consoles are going bye bye and all thats left are mobile games?
Click to expand...

Mobile won't be the only platform left. Consoles will still exist, the will just be small streaming boxes or baked into TV's.
 
P

Projectjustice

Banned
And don't forget that the games will follow the money. And right now the money is moving into free-to-play, mobile, and hosted games, be they on Facebook or on streaming services like OnLive. Consoles aren't even the only, or indeed the largest threat to PC gaming! We've probably got one more generation of "hardcore" dedicated consoles like the Xbox before they, too, are obsolesced by streaming or mobile hardware.
Click to expand...

The day that happens is the day I quit gaming all together.
 
C

Castor Krieg

Banned
Sure, we can tell the difference between Infinity Blade running on an iPad and latest Unreal Engine game running on a $1,500 PC
Click to expand...

But you don't need a $1,500 PC. A pretty standard PC will provide vast superior graphic than the consoles. The very fact that he thinks he needs so expensive PC shows he doesn't know what he is talking about. Let me guess, he writes articles on a Mac to hang with the cool kids?
 
S

Sethos

Banned
"So PC gamers got very upset upon my suggestion that, you know, maybe it'd be okay to let Intel and Nvidia (and perhaps AMD) standardize the PC platform a little bit so that programmers and operating system engineers could more readily access the kind of computational power that's inside our hot-rod PC hardware."

Now, please punch me here if I'm wrong but isn't that what's called DirectX?
 
W

Wallach

Member
jim-jam bongs said:
"As I watched the replies roll in on my last piece of troll bait I had a great idea for my next one!"
Click to expand...

Exactly.

Kotaku, you shut the fuck up. I'm not clicking on this shit.
 
G

ghst

thanks for the laugh
kotaku: where asspain belching comment rebuts pass for editorials.

p.s, kintaro, you might wanna remove the link lest someone accidently click on it.
 
H

h3ro

Member
I would put Kotaku back into my RSS feed if they stuck to what they do best.





Pics of game cakes.
 
F

FieryBalrog

Member
He has a point. Anyone getting into PC gaming gets pretty overwhelmed by the nonsensical array of hardware. I've been a PC gamer for years- never a techhead type though- and looking at a list of modern videocards makes me want to curl up into a ball and suck my thumb. I rely on a couple of my friends to cut through all that and point me towards the right hardware for my budget.

Also more standardized hardware makes it easier, way way easier, for developers to get consistent performance for their games on the PC. Removing all customization is not the way to go, but there is surely an argument to be made for reducing it.
 
F

FStop7

Banned
Stick to posting about the lousy dates he had off of OKCupid and buying stolen iPhone prototypes.

And why the fuck isn't *.gawker.com banned from GAF?
 
K

Kintaro

Worships the porcelain goddess
FieryBalrog said:
He has a point. Anyone getting into PC gaming gets pretty overwhelmed by the nonsensical array of hardware. I've been a PC gamer for years- never a techhead type though- and looking at a list of modern videocards makes me want to curl up into a ball and suck my thumb. I rely on a couple of my friends to cut through all that and point me towards the right hardware for my budget.
Click to expand...

Conversely, there are people who can't make up their mind about whether they get a fucking PS3 or 360.

People can't handle options. That doesn't mean we should take them away.
 
Manp

Manp

Member
Then there are the gamers who like the PC because they mistake tinkering with hardware [...] as some sort of engineering, despite that it's more or less electric LEGO for masochists.
Click to expand...

you know, i've been an hardware enthusiast myself, but i kind of agree here

:)
 
D

Davidion

Member
Yes, we're all doomed, and the panacea to all our ills is a fucking $2.7k underpowered laptop...you know, priced to drive that standardization.

This is "enthusiast" aka nimrod journalism at its best
 
I

Insayne

Member
He is an obvious Troll.

You don't like the choice you have by building your own rig? Go to Dell/HP/Alienware - you pay premium for your ignorance, but never have to worry about it.
 
W

Wallach

Member
FieryBalrog said:
He has a point. Anyone getting into PC gaming gets pretty overwhelmed by the nonsensical array of hardware. I've been a PC gamer for years- never a techhead type though- and looking at a list of modern videocards makes me want to curl up into a ball and suck my thumb. I rely on a couple of my friends to cut through all that and point me towards the right hardware for my budget.

Also more standardized hardware makes it easier, way way easier, for developers to get consistent performance for their games on the PC. Removing all customization is not the way to go, but there is surely an argument to be made for reducing it.
Click to expand...

Standardized hardware isn't really the issue; lots of PC gamers understand the benefits of things like Larrabee and other on-die integrated solutions being advanced because of the standardization benefits.

The problem is that none of that shit even has a rat's fart to do with Razer's laptop abomination. Literally nothing. Razer isn't doing anything to advance standardization in the PC space whatsoever.
 
T

Typographenia

Member
Kotaku has a pc guy?


It is absolutely asinine that our smoking-hot, electricity-slurping gaming towers and massive laptops aren't providing experiences so far beyond that available on consoles and mobile phones that even non-gamers could immediately see the difference.
Click to expand...
The gap can get wider if companies keep making progress.
No, wait, that's wrong, sorry. Let's just accept it and standardize everything.
 
Ponti

Ponti

Member
I have a feeling that Kotaku employs idiots like this intentionally because of the amount of attention they bring to the site.
 
G

Gully State

Member
Wallach said:
Standardized hardware isn't really the issue; lots of PC gamers understand the benefits of things like Larrabee and other on-die integrated solutions being advanced because of the standardization benefits.

The problem is that none of that shit even has a rat's fart to do with Razer's laptop abomination. Literally nothing. Razer isn't doing anything to advance standardization in the PC space whatsoever.
Click to expand...

Exactly...PC gamers are all for more standardization. A $2800 laptop that most people can't afford/won't buy doesn't represent any sort of standardization.
 
S

Sober

Member
h3ro said:
I would put Kotaku back into my RSS feed if they stuck to what they do best.





Pics of game cakes.
Click to expand...
Might as well go to r/gaming over on reddit then. At least people there don't get paid from clicks.
 
J

jim-jam bongs

Member
This type of shit is only going to get worse as this console generation drags on and we get more converts who just want the exact same games as on 360 but with better visuals. Then again I do own an Alienware netbook so perhaps I'm really part of the problem.
 
D

Derrick01

Banned
Do these people read the things they write? What a completely stupid opinion piece.

Yeah I want to spend $4000 on a computer because Intel or whoever decided it was a great idea, instead of building the same one for $700.
 
B

BurntPork

Banned
FieryBalrog said:
He has a point. Anyone getting into PC gaming gets pretty overwhelmed by the nonsensical array of hardware. I've been a PC gamer for years- never a techhead type though- and looking at a list of modern videocards makes me want to curl up into a ball and suck my thumb. I rely on a couple of my friends to cut through all that and point me towards the right hardware for my budget.

Also more standardized hardware makes it easier, way way easier, for developers to get consistent performance for their games on the PC. Removing all customization is not the way to go, but there is surely an argument to be made for reducing it.
Click to expand...
It took me a couple of days to from knowing nothing about graphics cards to being able to tell which cards are best for a person's needs, and I'm an idiot.
 
oneils

oneils

Member
I feel like an apologist. I don't know Joel Johnson, and I've never read anything written by him before.

I'm sure PC Gaf will not agree with this article, but I do.

For many gamers the hardware is a means to an end. Not the end itself.
 
E

Emitan

Member
I wouldn't mind standardization in graphics cards. Like there's an enthusiast card, a high end card, an average card, and a budget card. There are way too many graphics cards that are at more or less equal power.
 
K

Kintaro

Worships the porcelain goddess
jim-jam bongs said:
This type of shit is only going to get worse as this console generation drags on and we get more converts who just want the exact same games as on 360 but with better visuals. Then again I do own an Alienware netbook so perhaps I'm really part of the problem.
Click to expand...

Still cheaper than the Razer Blade. lol =)
 
E

Emitan

Member
oneils said:
I feel like an apologist. I don't know Joel Johnson, and I've never read anything written by him before.

I'm sure PC Gaf will not agree with this article, but I do.

For many gamers the hardware is a means to an end. Not the end itself.
Click to expand...
How can you agree with $3000 PCs being good for PC gaming?
 
J

jim-jam bongs

Member
oneils said:
I feel like an apologist. I don't know Joel Johnson, and I've never read anything written by him before.

I'm sure PC Gaf will not agree with this article, but I do.

For many gamers the hardware is a means to an end. Not the end itself.
Click to expand...
I'm sure you thought that this was profoundly educational when you hit post but, well, no shit.
 
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