[bit-tech] DirectX creator defends PC gaming - Overclock.net

linskingdom · 03-25-08

Quote:

Alex St. John, CEO of WildTangent and one of the creators of DirectX, has spoken out in support of PC gaming, dismissing the idea put forward by developers like Tim Sweeney that console gaming is the future.

In a recent interview with ExtremeTech St. John claimed that Tim Sweeney of Epic, who has been vocal in his on-going support for consoles despite being a member of the PC Gaming Alliance, was wrong when he said that consoles are surpassing PCs. St. John believes that the PC will always have more power than any console.

Speaking about the future of the platform, St. John (pictured) said that he believes digital distribution is the future for the industry and that retail stores are doomed to fail if they continue to rely on pre-orders as a way of generating cash.

Remembering a recent trip to his local computer game store, St. John said that he saw entire shelves labeled "Coming soon!" and trying to entice preorders. St. John described this as "selling futures on unreleased games."

"You can think of it as walking into a grocery store and saying, "Hey, I'm a customer for some chocolate, do you guys have any chocolate?" And the grocery store says, "Yeah, we have 50 pound barrels of it over there. They're a thousand bucks a barrel." You say, "Well I like chocolate, but not that much." The store says, "Well go to hell, that's all we've got. A thousand bucks or no chocolate for you." That's how retail games are sold. And it's an extremely inefficient business model. It's very crude."

Ugh - please St. John, don't mention chocolate again so soon after Easter. We feel sick enough as it is.

Source

SZayat · 03-25-08

LOL.. that guy looks like a

and he knows how to use metaphors really well!

RussianGrimmReaper · 03-25-08

All your base are belong to the PC Gaming Alliance?

IcedEarth · 03-25-08

Yes PC's will always be more powerful. But that doesn't matter anymore.

Both the 360 and PS3 can match the graphical power of the PC with lesser hardware. Not only that but consoles are mainstream and popular.

Anyone would be foolish to think PC gaming has a better future than consoles.

Consoles cost less and are more readily available. The average user will always choose the console.

MasterKromm · 03-25-08

Quote:

Speaking about the future of the platform, St. John (pictured) said that he believes digital distribution is the future for the industry and that retail stores are doomed to fail if they continue to rely on pre-orders as a way of generating cash.

Unfortunately that sentiment is not specific to the computer/gaming industry... It's gotten to the point that I do the bulk of my non-grocery purchases online. But, why?

It's cheaper, and 2 fold at that

1) Many items that can be purchased online VS in store are almost always cheaper online.
2) Ordering things online helps cut down on unnecessary driving thus saving precious time and gas(both time and gas = $$$)

The question now becomes, Can retail stores in all their various incarnations re-invent themselves and stake a piece of the consumer pie? Or have they been fated to a slow and painful demise?

ZealotKi11er · 03-25-08

Seriously i think conoles are for noobs. They are good at first but so dam boring after. PC games re so much fun + when you are playing PS3 that 100% time spend in entertainemt. In PC you play for 1 hour then you get to you work and so on. The same story was when Sony came out with PS2 and was going to destroy PC world "not just gaming" Now they want to destroy gaming in PC. Wait until PS3 gets a bit old and they will shut up until next gen Consoles.

binormalkilla · 03-25-08

I enjoy his editorials in Computer Power User.

Pheatton · 03-25-08

Im really dissapointed with retail stores and PC games in general. Go to the local EB and GameStop and look at all the console crap. It out numbers the PC stuff like 50:1. Its crap that the industry that started the whole gaming thing is now being attacked. I really hate console gamers as the normally turn out to be complete douche bags.

**DuckieHo** · 03-25-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by binormalkilla

I enjoy his editorials in Computer Power User.

From CPU, he seems like someone I wouldn't like but he does offer interesting prespective on the industry,

dankoni · 03-25-08

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZealotKi11er

Seriously i think conoles are for noobs. They are good at first but so dam boring after. PC games re so much fun + when you are playing PS3 that 100% time spend in entertainemt. In PC you play for 1 hour then you get to you work and so on. The same story was when Sony came out with PS2 and was going to destroy PC world "not just gaming" Now they want to destroy gaming in PC. Wait until PS3 gets a bit old and they will shut up until next gen Consoles.

Ummmm..... run that by me one more time, please?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pheatton

I really hate console gamers as the normally turn out to be complete douche bags.

Man, you nailed it! Whenever I go into a Gamestop, all I see are complete douche bags. A single mom buying a Wii for a Christmas present? Douche bag! A kid reserving his copy of the next Zelda or Mario? Douch bag! Yet when I play WoW, or CSS, or stop in my local LAN center, nary a douche bag in sight!

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[bit-tech] DirectX creator defends PC gaming

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