Everywhere we look these days, it seems computer manufacturers are steering consumers towards tablets and smartphones, but for gamers, desktop PCs still have a viable purpose. Some games lend themselves more to the desktop format but, more importantly, some games aren’t available for tablets or smartphones…yet.
For years, the consumer market has slowly made the transition away from the desktop PC. Laptops were popular for a while, but smartphones have caused many consumers to second guess the need for a full PC. E-mail, photos, and even banking transactions can all be managed through smartphones, which are even more portable than laptops.
But while smartphones are great for gamers on the go, the format can be very limiting. Games must be reconfigured for small screens and touchscreen controls. This limitation has stalled some games that simply don’t translate well to the new format. But even these games know they must eventually make the conversion.
Tablets have offered a larger-screen alternative to gamers. Debuting only two years ago, tablets now hold an estimated 31 percent of the market among Americans who use the Internet, according to New York Daily News. That number is up a full twelve percent from only a year ago and it is expected to continue to grow. Still, the tablet format holds the same limitations as smartphones when it comes to controls.
World of Warcraft, once among the most popular games, is a perfect illustration of the effect of the trend toward smartphones and tablets. When World of Warcraft owner Activision announced membership had dropped to nine million members—it was at ten million only three months earlier—experts speculated that PC-based gaming was an idea whose time had come and gone.
Gamers are increasingly heading toward the beautiful imagery of touchscreen-based games like the Infinity Blade series, which has been compared to World of Warcraft. Not only does this format offer gamers a chance to play anywhere, they also tend to be significantly cheaper than traditional PC-based gaming. Infinity Blade, for instance, is only $5.99, whereas a World of Warcraft subscription is $15 a month.
As the electronics industry switches toward virtualization and Cloud-based computing, desktop PCs will eventually seem unnecessary. Experts predict that in the not-so-distant future, everything will run off Cloud-based servers, with consumers paying monthly fees for access to everything from their operating system to their movies, music, and photos.
Games are, of course, among those items expected to move toward the Cloud. A gamer will only need to turn on a device that connects to the internet to access every game he or she owns. Those consumers who do prefer to remain loyal to the desktop format will only need a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, with connectivity to the internet allowing them to access everything they need.
While the transition is still in progress, desktop PC sales are already lagging far behind sales of other devices. Gamers may be among the few desktop users with continued reliance on the format, but as games turn toward the Cloud, the last remaining desktop gamers are sure to follow.
An avid gamer, Louisa Logan is obsessed. Her favourite games are Counter Strike for after work, Angry Birds for when shes on the tube and Super Mario for total enjoyment. She likes to use Soft 32 to be alerted for when an update is available.
For years, the consumer market has slowly made the transition away from the desktop PC. Laptops were popular for a while, but smartphones have caused many consumers to second guess the need for a full PC. E-mail, photos, and even banking transactions can all be managed through smartphones, which are even more portable than laptops.
But while smartphones are great for gamers on the go, the format can be very limiting. Games must be reconfigured for small screens and touchscreen controls. This limitation has stalled some games that simply don’t translate well to the new format. But even these games know they must eventually make the conversion.
Tablets have offered a larger-screen alternative to gamers. Debuting only two years ago, tablets now hold an estimated 31 percent of the market among Americans who use the Internet, according to New York Daily News. That number is up a full twelve percent from only a year ago and it is expected to continue to grow. Still, the tablet format holds the same limitations as smartphones when it comes to controls.
World of Warcraft, once among the most popular games, is a perfect illustration of the effect of the trend toward smartphones and tablets. When World of Warcraft owner Activision announced membership had dropped to nine million members—it was at ten million only three months earlier—experts speculated that PC-based gaming was an idea whose time had come and gone.
Gamers are increasingly heading toward the beautiful imagery of touchscreen-based games like the Infinity Blade series, which has been compared to World of Warcraft. Not only does this format offer gamers a chance to play anywhere, they also tend to be significantly cheaper than traditional PC-based gaming. Infinity Blade, for instance, is only $5.99, whereas a World of Warcraft subscription is $15 a month.
As the electronics industry switches toward virtualization and Cloud-based computing, desktop PCs will eventually seem unnecessary. Experts predict that in the not-so-distant future, everything will run off Cloud-based servers, with consumers paying monthly fees for access to everything from their operating system to their movies, music, and photos.
Games are, of course, among those items expected to move toward the Cloud. A gamer will only need to turn on a device that connects to the internet to access every game he or she owns. Those consumers who do prefer to remain loyal to the desktop format will only need a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, with connectivity to the internet allowing them to access everything they need.
While the transition is still in progress, desktop PC sales are already lagging far behind sales of other devices. Gamers may be among the few desktop users with continued reliance on the format, but as games turn toward the Cloud, the last remaining desktop gamers are sure to follow.
An avid gamer, Louisa Logan is obsessed. Her favourite games are Counter Strike for after work, Angry Birds for when shes on the tube and Super Mario for total enjoyment. She likes to use Soft 32 to be alerted for when an update is available.
