PC Gaming: The Evolution of an Industry.
Today, PC gaming is one of the most popular and powerful forms of entertainment on the planet. It’s no exaggeration to say that PC gamers around the world play a variety of games, from shooters to sports titles, using the latest and best hardware and software. But how did the industry get to this point?
At the dawn of the age of modern computing, PC gaming barely existed. In the early days of the personal computer in the 1970s, the games that early adopters could access and play were fairly basic, consisting of text-based adventures, turn-based strategy games, and primitive arcade-style shooter games. Rarely did these games have anything resembling modern graphics or realistic physics, and only recently have games begun taking advantage of the computational power the average PC offers.
In the 1980s, hobbyist hackers began creating their own games on the increasingly powerful machines, and programming languages such as BASIC and assembly made it easier for would-be developers to get started. Companies began to develop and publish PC games, with the most popular titles of the era being simulations, strategy games, and RPG format. The US market saw the emergence of bigger names such as Infocom, Origin Systems, and Electronic Arts.
Along with the emergence of these larger companies came the growth of console gaming. The Nintendo Entertainment System, the Sega Master System, and other similar systems became popular in the US, which meant some developers shifted their focus away from PC gaming.
By the mid-1990s, the PC gaming industry had matured a great deal. Companies had settled into the roles of publisher, developer, and distributor of games, and larger companies had moved on from simple strategy games and simulations to larger, more complex 3D-rendering and physics-based titles. In this climate, companies such as Blizzard Entertainment and Valve Corporation released some of the most popular and successful titles ever, such as Warcraft and Half-Life.
The early 2000s saw the further development of the industry, as products such as DirectX as well as high-speed Internet access allowed developers to create larger worlds and more complex games than ever before. Games such as World of Warcraft, Battlefield, and Gothic popularized Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) and online gaming, introducing the concept of persistent online worlds.
PC gaming also saw the emergence of new genres such as the action-RPG and the First-Person Shooter, bringing with them even more platform-specific titles such as Counter-Strike and the Elder Scrolls series.
Today, the PC gaming industry is bigger than ever. With the arrival of powerful consumer-level graphics cards such as NVIDIA’s GeForce and AMD’s Radeon, players have access to jaw-dropping visuals and physics-based graphics that make today’s games look and feel like you’re inside the game.
The industry is also innovating in other ways, with the emergence of virtual reality and motion controls, as well as subscription services such as Steam and Xbox Live. Combined with the development of digital distribution platforms such as GOG and Fanatical, the landscape of PC gaming has never been more open or inviting. From the early days of text-based adventures to the sprawling universes, realistic visuals, and completely immersive experiences of today’s PC gaming industry, the evolution of the world of PC gaming has been a joy to watch.
The PC gaming industry has come a long way, and with the ever-growing market of options available to PC gamers, it’s doubtless that the future continues to look bright for the industry. From new and innovative studios releasing original titles in the indie game market, to the continued growth of online and subscription-based gaming, the landscape will no doubt continue to evolve in the years to come.
PC Gaming: The Evolution of an Industry.