The Console PC predicament.

Most gamers consider themselves part of one sub genre of gaming or another. Either console or PC while some may play both they would still classify themselves as one or the other.

While the PC market seems to be declining the console gaming market appears to be rising. Although the sales differ both platforms are struggling to find the future of their respective platforms.

PCs seem to be struggling with the openness of the platform. While this is the greatest thing about PCs its also their biggest problem. The ability for any one to use and develop high quality games and mods for the PC is still one of the best things for gaming, and one of the PCs strongest points. Another great thing about the PC is its ability to be so customizable. You can truly have the experience you want with custom setups, displays, systems, parts, headsets, mice, keyboards, you name it you can customize it on PC.

But that's also where most of its faults begin. With custom PCs that means developers have to create games that will work on as much hardware as possible without sacrificing there graphical and artistic visions. Because there is so many competing companies making custom PC parts that also means that it is a constantly evolving field of technology. Which in turns means that consumers are forced to pay alot more to keep their PCs playing the newest and greatest games.

Not only that but the openness of the system and its software mean that PC gaming is a hotbed for cheating glitching and illegal downloading. These things are some of the things that are hurting the PC gaming market. With glitching and cheating so incredibly prevalent it ruins many experiences for all the players.

Not only that but the pirating of PC games also destroys the market in many ways. Not only do they hurt the market in the sales category, but they also mean that companies are forced to create DRM systems that annoy many gamers and in some cases even ruin experiences of players. Thus the way I see the clear movement of PC games is towards the slightly more closed off ways of the consoles. Which of course is both a blessing and a curse for PC gaming.

Now on the other side you have consoles. Which are the complete opposite of the PCs in that they are relatively closed off and tight. These more closed systems have the clear benefit cost efficiency and the fact that all consoles are the same price and that they all have the same hardware. You also have the support of the first party companies. Which is incredibly helpful in terms of system updates and a constant stream of content and things like that.

The problem with the console however is that it is too closed. Meaning that external developers have a lengthy process to go through to get everything from games to title updates that can fix glitches. It also has very little in the way of indie developed games. Which means that  there is no really good way of making amazing independent talent to the top of peoples attention. Which means that creativity is stifled by the fact that most companies feel that they have to make safe decisions with the games they make. Meaning that incredibly risky original games tend not to be made as much as they should.

Thus consoles and their manufactures see these problems and move to the solution. Which just so happens to be towards PCs. Meaning that both platforms are each moving inwards to what they could do to get the best of both.

I feel that this is what is best for the industry, but I also feel that each has its own respective strengths and that each deserve their own broad space in the industry as a whole. I also believe that there are diffidently lessons each could learn from the other. I myself play consoles the most but do play the PC pretty often, and love every minute I spend playing both.