i would say
1.steam
2.bundles like humble bundle making indie games popular
3. indie games living up the hype
4. The possibility that any old game now can be re-released heck even remade for today , duck tails, earthbound, redux like shadow warrior, duke nukem reloaded, old releases like system shock 2 etc
3. never ending wait and false promise of half life 3.............
4. i hate to admit this one but freaking mmos :X and cod games.........sigh
5. limited console capabilities memory size etc....this could change since xBone and ps4...

I wouldn't necessarily call it a resurgence, as I don't think the popularity of PC gaming ever really decreased, but there certainly has been a noticeable increase in the popularity of PC gaming. As to the cause, I think it's due to several things coming together.

First, the ubiquity of PCs capable of running games. The rapid increase in the power of PCs means that even those who are simply buying a PC for e-mail and web browsing end up with a machine that, while not able to run the absolute latest AAA titles, can still easily run most titles a couple years old and most indie titles. As a result, people don't have to put down a significant up-front payment to get into PC gaming, they can just get started on the machine they already own.

Second, the rise of digital distribution dramatically lowered the barrier to people buying PC games. Driving down to a store and trying to find something in their rather limited selection of PC games takes a lot more effort than simply going to a website and downloading one of thousands of games easily available, and often at very reasonable prices.

Third, the reduced barrier to entry for those wanting to make games. This is in part related to the digital distribution of games, but these days making a game does not require a large outlay of capital, beyond the work that actually goes into making the game. As a result of this the PC is very attractive to developers looking to break into gaming, as the indie renaissance is evidence of.

Fourth, gaming console becoming more and more like PCs (in terms of architecture) resulting in porting or developing games for multiple platforms being much easier. The reduced costs mean that developers and publishers are much more willing to make their game available on multiple platforms (including the PC), rather than simply having it being console exclusive.

The result of all this is that PC gaming has become very attractive to developers due to the low barriers of entry to developing or co-developing a game for the PC, and is also very easy for gamers to get into, so as a result you have a significant increase in both the suppliers and consumers of PC games.

Love.

DD, there is no doubt that is what caused it. Now games can be accessed by everyone really easily, and there is something for everyone out there.

for those of us who aren't into consoles (I imagine there's quite a few PC gamers when aren't) consoles are still dead ends.waste of mkney .

My guess is the increased variety with the rise of indie and casual.

PC gaming used to be very hardcore with very hardcore hardware requirements. Right now you have all sorts of games you can play with an older laptop. There's a very small audience of people with the latest hardware after all.

While the next gen console are the closest in architecture, there has still been a slow move in past console generations making them more like PCs (at least relative to the much earlier consoles). The end result, and what mattered most, is that porting a game (or co-developing one) became a lot easier than it had been in the past, although it was still easier with some consoles than others (my understanding is that in the past console generation the XBox360 was the easiest, while the PS3 was still a bit more difficult due to the cell architecture).

I wouldn't say "the Resurgence of PC Gaming" but more "the Resurgence of Computer Gaming" because it's not only PC.

1. Back in the 90s and the very early 2000s, TV was the main device at home. And if one wanted to get some information, he would watch TV. If one wanted to watch TV series, well... And so on. I think that's why consoles were obviously the main gaming system because they are linked to TV (even if some early computers did it as well).

But, from what I noticed years after years, emergence of Reality Shows, shutdown of nice TV series (I'm thinking of Farscape, Firefly, X-Files, The Lone Gunmen, and many others), made me think that TV's influence has decreased as the main entertaining system, for many people.

Concerning News and information, the emergence of free daily newspapers and internet news websites have made traditionnal newspapers's and TV news's need decreased. Maybe the more alarmist stance from TV news made people flee from watching them, too.

So, now, why considering buying a console system if you don't need a TV for anything else? While Console manufacturers said that consoles would always be cheaper than computers, for years, I don't think it's now true. Yes, computers' prices have decreased since 1990, but now, if you want to buy a console system, you'd rather think about buying a TV with it (think about obsolescence and new "HD" and "3D" and taller TVs).

But now, more and more people already have a computer, to chat, to mail, to work, to watch series or movies on Video on demand. And if it's not a problem about prices, it could be about place.

2. Another thing a bit linked to the previous one: there are plenty new devices since the 90s, audio players, video players, PDA and now smartphones, netbooks, tablets... And all of them can be linked to a computer. I think that computers are the main controlling device at home. So gaming on them cannot do anything but expand.

3. Computers gaming is more "multiplatform'd" than console gaming, because if you want to be a retrogamer, you have to have a computer. You could want to play old console games or old PC, Atari, Amiga, Amstrad, ZX games, you must have a computer. And beyond that, emulators are available on every computer OS (Windows, Mac OS and Linux). Maybe people are tired of thinking that the console system they have just bought, would be the only system where they could play its games far years from now (with the fear of lack of support, of obsolescent systems).

Game Industry happened. If no one is makign proper PC games no one can buy them either. The question is why did the Game Industry abandon the PC? The answer is DRM.

A console is like one giant DRM box. Of course there is piracy on consoles as well, but the level of entry is higher. on top of that console gamers were not used to editors or mods, they would buy DLCs which PC gamers would take for granted. Consoles gamers are not necessarily as tech savvy as PC gamers either, so lying to them is much easier. No PC gamer in their right mind would pay for a Peer to Peer connection, yet people pay for XBox Live. The Xbox 360 and PS 3 also raised the culture of "hardcore gamers", people who buy games on day one, preorder DLC, pay for online passes and so on. Such people do exist on PC as well, but hardcore PC gamers will invest in hardware, not software.

Basically the "hardcore gamer" was easier to manipulate. Of course this doesn't apply to everyone, there is a large number of players who trade games or buy used in order to minimize cost. No all people are stupid enough to buy a 10 hour game on day one, beat it and then leave it on their shelf forever. These people are a thorn in the Game Industry's side.

That's wh their new saviour is Steam. Steam is basically a software console and you cannot sell your Steam games ever. That's why pretty much all new "PC" games force Steam down your throat. Steam is just replacing one evil for another. Some people say Steam is good for PC gaming, I say being kicked in the guts is better thn being stabbed, but I don't see why i should have to put up with either.

I feel we've had a perfect storm hit gaming allowing the current blip in it...

1) Long console generation. This was by far the longest generation we've ever had people were expecting new consoles over 5 years ago and they are only just arriving now.

2)TV/Monitor convergence. The move to LCD panels has surely helped along with the now standard 1920x1080p display.

3) PC's slight tech stagnation. What do I mean by this? I mean that beyond multicore processors (which lets be honest still aren't fully utilised) CPU's haven't really got faster in about 5 years. This means most computers now are "good enough" for gaming especially at 1920x1080p

4)The recession. No seriously this has probably helped more than you think, it's forced people to notice they can get the same games on PC for a fraction of the cost of console games

5)The Xbox 360 controller. It has standardised the PC controller, most modern controllers have Xinput modes now and most follow the 360's layout (some still use the PS style cramp grip but to each their own :P )

6)The internet, no more having to go to a game store etc, you can just choose your game,pay and download and your up and running. The fact that PC games also have day 1 digital editions doesn't hurt either.

It couldn't be a better time for PC gaming it's relatively cheap to get into and more like console gaming than it was 5-10 years ago, much of that has to do with the rise of steam and the dominance of the 360 controller.


Unless you live in the EU, the court case here finding that they must allow digital licence resale and the current one going through Germany's courts right now (directly targeting steam) should see them forced to allow them.

i'd say patches, fixes, browsing www for solutions
able to upgrade individual hardware parts

some people still use windows xp and can play some games
old consoles... what can u do with them when they're no longer maintained?

That ruling was for software that was more expensive than your entire PC. There hasn't been a precedence case yet, so no one really knows what the applicable consequences for that ruling are. Time will tell.

Of course, if it gets passed it will open awhole new can of worms; ther won't b any 75% off sales anymore and the Industry will be looking for some new new way to excess control.

1. Publishers have gotten interested in PC market again. After a longer period of time, there is a bigger and more diverse offer of games again. People have already said why. Games are getting bigger. It means a bigger budget and need for bigger payoff. Xbox + Playstation aren't enough anymore.

2. Steam. Piles of money for older releases indicated that new games can make even more. It also provides DRM which is popular among industry powerhouses.

3. Multiplatform Support. NVidia, Valve, Unity, Humble Bundle. They all recognized the uncatered market. Mac and Linux users have always received crumbs; their will to pay more than average Windows user is strong which leads to money. It's without doubt the weakest stimulus out of three however it has been attracting new paying customers and enlarging the userbase.

Everything else like backward compatibility or low hobby expenses.has already been there.