Published in Gaming

Romero: PC is decimating console

by on28 July 2014



Doom man says PC gaming is no doomed

Id Software veteran John Romero says PCs and mobiles are "dominating" the gaming landscape, while console platforms are losing traction.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Romero said he believes PC and mobile will continue to dominate gaming and he does not expect virtual reality systems to make much of a dent on the industry. 

Romero sees programmes such as Steam's $5 free-to-play buffet offer as a big threat to consoles.

“The PC is decimating console, just through price. Free-to-play has killed a hundred AAA studios,” said Romero.

Romero argues everybody is getting better at free-to-play design and people are learning to live with "freemium" monetisation models.

"People are spending a lot of time trying to design this the right way. They want people to want to give them money, not have to. If you have to give money, you’re doing it wrong... For game designers, that’s the holy grail,” he said.

He also talked about VR kit such as Oculus, which he praised for its amazing display quality and accurate, mouse-like control. However, Romero believes VR gaming is not going to take off. The technology is there, but other considerations need to be addressed.

“VR is going away from the way games are being developed and pushed as they go back into multiplayer and social stuff. VR is kind of a step back, it's a fad,” said Romero.

Romero pointed out that PCs will continue to maintain a technological edge over consoles and that upgradeability, arguably the biggest advantage of PC gaming platforms, will remain a crucial advantage for PCs moving forward.

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