In the chase to keep up with all the advances in gaming and PCs I'm wondering who is chasing who?

Most of the time we hear about the gaming industry pushing the limits, but I am not so sure it is not the other way around. What do you think?

(Note -- aargh, third time of retyping this due to external distractions.:loser: )

Gaming driving hardware or hardware driving gaming?

I prefer to think of it as the Slinky theory (It's Slinky, It's Slinky, it's fun and a wonderful toy..... It's fun for a Girl and a Boy)

Slinky Theory in a nutshell:

Hardware pushes forward with a new breakthrough that is signifigant enough that current software becomes the bottleneck.

Software developers start working with and writing for the new hardware abilities, and write their games/software to totally max out the hardware, therefore putting the bottleneck back to the hardware.

Hardware developers then feel the push to make newer and faster hardware so that the games do not bog down due to hardware limitations, and when they do, the bottleneck goes back to the software . . .

And so on.


Ultimately it is always going to be that dance that brings about the development in the gaming hardware industry. If I had to pick one over the other, it would be probably the software driving the hardware.

The Consoles are always going to be chasing the PC come on now.

Simply because where Consoles failed to realise and establish themselves in all forms and areas of gaming, the PC market drove forward. basically for long periods Consoles never considered the Internet to be anything apart or tied to gaming, and left it be just creating there own form of multiplayer games that could link a console or 2 together.
The consumer has now realised that it isn't so much the single player of a game, but the multiplayer that makes them choose to purchase these games.. Multiplayer especially online multiplayer games now out sell other games simply because you know they will last longer in terms of playability and value for money, heck even the enjoyment factor.

Consoles have been playing catch-up for many years, and that process will stay the same.
You have seen the gap close recently with the X-Box 360, but PC still edges the market due to games like Call of Duty 2 will stay the same on X-Box 360 or require the consumer to pay money to obtain get new features to the game... whereas the PC version of the same game has mods, and new features made and consistently being made all the time.

PC games are very versatile and can be changed or modified, whereas Console games never really have been, no doubt in a few more years that will change but it hasn't for now and thats why Consoles are always playing catch-up.

Interesting theory Graaille. I would be curious though how they know or predict each others next improvement. When DirectX10 comes out some are saying it will make a huge impact.

Excellent points on consoles MBO. (Is that you?) I am not a console fan, because I love PC gaming so much. Don't forsee that changing either. Especially with the price of the consoles being so very high. I would much rather have the kickin' PC, than a console.

Quote: Originally Posted by Foe Interesting theory Graaille. I would be curious though how they know or predict each others next improvement. When DirectX10 comes out some are saying it will make a huge impact. Excellent points on consoles MBO. (Is that you?) I am not a console fan, because I love PC gaming so much. Don't forsee that changing either. Especially with the price of the consoles being so very high. I would much rather have the kickin' PC, than a console.

I'm not a huge console fan anymore, once you experience the PC to its full potential a console never feels the same.
But games recently like Halo 2 have been exceptional, and its fun being in a room with about 8-10 people playing that on X-Box.. Looking forward to seeing the new consoles in there glory, i got a 15 year old brother so will always get to play a next gen console

And yes it is me... just sporting less weight and a funky beard :p

Awesome! Welcome MBO! :biggergri

Let me put it this way, and don't flame me for it...
I see myself moving back to being a console gamer...because, in reality...its much cheaper to get the "full experience." There are games coming out for the 360 and the PS3 that are going to make us all go "wow." Could the computer equal it? Sure...but more than likely you're going to have to have a kicking system. Which means that you may have to pay a pretty penny to equal what the consoles have. To get my gaming computer setup right now, I had to pay almost 1000 for it all (spread out over a year).

• 400 on a video card
• 120 on a sound card
• 200 on 2gb of RAM
• 150 on CPU
• 80 on a motherboard

thats 950 dollars folks. And that doesn't include my case, fans, and extra cooling equipment to make my computer faster.. which would approach another 150+

in the coming years, if I want to upgrade again to "get the best out of it" I'll have to upgrade the videocard and the motherboard (AGP is dying, have to move on to PCI-E). I'm not complaining, but that could/will be a potential 600 dollar investment in the future...

The xbox360 cost me 400. I won't buy another system until the next xbox or the next system I deem "worthy" enough to have me spend money on it. Which, in the end...could be around 500 dollars.

Now, to answer your question Foe...I kinda like Graaille's slinky theory...but I'll put it this way...

Consoles push the PC to do better a year into their life
For about a year or so, they are (for all intents and purposes) equal
then PC pushes the consoles to do better towards the end of the console's life.

Rinse, and repeat every 5 years.

I really, think the PC crowd is underestimating the power of the PS3 and Xbox 360. There seems to be a "PC elitist attitude" towards the new consoles. The 360's launch titles are not taxing the system. Games like Gears of War, Too Human, Mass Effect, MotoGP 2006, Fight Night Round 3, etc...literally wipe the floor with anything, any platform has to offer.
I think the PC is a wonderful gaming platform, don't get me wrong. I love playing my RTS' and Counter-strike on it. And, in no way am I ever going to say the "PC is finished" because it isn't. There are absolutely wonderful and amazing things that the PC can do that the console can't. But, that bridge is closing faster and faster.

All systems are great, and I wish I had the extra cash to buy them all so i can reap the benefits of all of them.
So, foe...there really isn't an option for me to vote on I think they both push eachother.

Err...wow, i went off a tangent and didn't notice that the poll was Gaming industry (aka, software) and PC industry (aka hardware) I thought this was a PC vs. Console thread...wow... Must be Cingular...let my new phone get on the net! Come on! You want me to spend money right?!?! lol

So, to actually answer your question.... I have to agree with what Graaille said. There isn't just one pushing the other...its a constant battle, which only helps us in the end

I agree with Graaile on this one. I actually wrote a guest DD post over at PCA that hopefully IronSerif will put up soon enough that covers this...

In my opinion, on the PC side it is a continual escalation that goes back and forth between game developers and primarily video card manufacturers.

I am going with NCXCstud on this one. I think that it is a close toss up for sure. I am a equal kind of gamer...a little PC and a little Console. But I game like a MOFO! But I am leaning on the console side being better then the PC. And for sure once the XBOX 360 shows its true colors and when the PS3 comes out there will be many that flock to the console seen once again. Right now the PC is winning because the console scene died out for a while. This happens every 5-6 years. A new console becomes old after 5 years and if the next generation console is not ready then YES the PC will take the lead...but only for a while. Thats the only thing nice about the PC is its ability to make quick changes with its hardware to keep up with the software. I cant change the xbox's hardware (software on the other hand....lol, if I could only talk about it) but you can change your PC hardware.

Even though the gaming consols have right now in regards to cost, I think they're always going to be chasing the PC........especially now that dual & quad card graphics are in retail now. And you've got to remember......you can only do one thing on gaming consols.....and that's game. PC's you have so much more that you can do.......internet access, Word, Excel, Photoshop, e-mail, etc......

Quote: Originally Posted by Highperf15 PC's you have so much more that you can do.......internet access, Word, Excel, Photoshop, e-mail, etc......

Actually my regular xbox can do all that too....lol

And wait for the PS3 there trying to change there limits, they want them to do more..just wait. XBOX 360 still has stuff up there sleeves to unveil to the public too, they just need some more time. This argument can go on for a long time really, I guess its just a preference really. But like I said I am a equal gamer, I love and enjoy both of them!