PC gaming and the mainstream

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[mintred]

Re: PC gaming and the mainstream

Good article. I often wonder about my console-owning friends.. especially those that hack the hell out of the machines. Just get a PC if you want to play games, watch MPG4, etc. Damb.

Scott
mintred.com

[trance444]

Re: PC gaming and the mainstream

Well i think if Micro$oft made a dvd-hd usb drive and say a pci add on card (if required) to play Xbox 360 games on the PC then the divide will be bridged.


Something like this;

MS 360 DVD-HD USB drive for PC so xbox 360 games can be played on PC.

Driver disk for 360 drive to PC.

Usable on both 360 and PC.

Optinal pci integration add on card for compatability Xbox 360 to PC, say sound security converter chips etc drivers.

Sure we would have to do the updateing and normal pc stuff but we are use to this.

Say cost around $200-$300 AU for above would be cool yes M$ this would mean more $$$ profit. As any pc with windows could play 360 titles. and would more or less future proof 360 games in a sence of performance as a 8800 gtx kiks the 360 core graphics atm. Unify the gamming industry and community dont divide it.

[Nza]

Re: PC gaming and the mainstream

That is a fine idea but unifying the game format between 360 and PC involves much more than that I would think - they'd have to develop Windows to the point a user's hardware config is seamless to the game as otherwise developers would have to approach their 360 games with different PC configs in mind. I think this could lay with DirectX and its standards - make them stricter for 3D chips to comply and that would leave less wiggle room for config issues - amongst other aspects to Windows anyway.

Maybe it will be a possibility for the next console and next Windows. Apparently MS are anticipating a 2009 ish release for the next Windows so it might come before their next console instead of after with Vista, allowing console developers to get a peak at the new Microsoft gaming standards on the PC for what's to come with their next console. This is pure speculation on my behalf, but I think MS might indeed be heading down this road within the next 1 or 2 console/Windows releases. Combining the gaming audiences from both would be a huge task likely with some unforeseen circumstances and changes, but as I said in my editorial, it would be a new era for PC gaming that is for sure - it's just who knows if by then it would truly still be the PC gaming enthusiasts know and love today, keeping the PC's open approach to games (i.e. mods, user content etc) and unifying the platforms would be tricky to put it mildly.

First things first though, they'd have to get the PC acting as easy to develop for hardware config wise as a console (which only have one or two hw configs, not countless configs like the PC), but since they don't dictate the hardware market they'd have to do this while PC gamers still have access to thousands of different possible PC configurations, i.e. they'd have to do this on the software side. This is asking a lot and may very well be totally unachievable any time in the near future without the hardware market limiting its options, but if someone will do it, I guess it will be MS, as they're basically the only ones in a position to realistically give it a shot, unless a darkhorse company comes along with the end all gaming OS :)