The PC Gaming Phenomena: From Arcade Roots to Modern-Day Mainstays.
Video games have come a long way. What started as a passing fad found in the arcades of the 1970s has evolved into an industry worth an estimated $138.7 billion in 2020, and with continued growth expected for the foreseeable future. One platform in particular – the personal computer – has become an enduring haven for gaming for well over three decades. With a root in the early home video game consoles, the PC has been able to keep up with the changes in technology and the industries around it, becoming one of the most popular ways to game.
From mazes and pixels to cutting-edge realism, the personal computer has become one of the major staples in gaming. While the choice of platform is ultimately a matter of personal preference, PC gaming has long been considered the premier way to play because of its potential for unrivaled graphical fidelity and flexibility.
To better understand the popularity of PC gaming and its place in gaming history, let’s take a look back at the humble roots of the platform as well its current standing. What started as a niche market has now become one of the largest segments of the gaming industry and a major force in entertainment.
The Early Years: Arcade Machines, Home Computers & Commodores
Back in the mid-70s, the video game industry was in its infancy and had yet to take the world by storm. Pong, one of the earliest arcade titles and considered the most successful game of its era, was released in 1972, and it wasn’t until 1977 when Atari released the iconic Space Invaders that the world really took notice.
Before long, more and more arcades were popping up and the average consumer, who was not yet able to possess their own television set, found their outlet for gaming at the arcade, where they had access to games like Missile Command, Pac-Man and Defender. The golden age of arcade gaming had begun.
Not long after arcades began to see their heyday, personal computers started to enter the market. Home computing was just beginning since the early 70s, when microprocessors started to become widely available. The market was still in its infancy and the product prices were out of reach for the everyday consumer.
Still, the basics of PC gaming had already been established. Early computers such as the Altair 8800 and the Commodore PET allowed users to program their own games as well as play ones released by software companies, such as early text-based titles. But the machines lacked the power and the graphics of the dedicated gaming consoles of the era, such as the Atari VCS and the Mattel Intellivision.
The Rise of the PCs: Graphical Adventures, Simulations, & Dungeon Crawling
As technology improved and more powerful processors were released, home computers started to catch up with the consoles of the time. In 1983, IBM released the IBM-PC, revolutionizing the market in the process. With a modern operating system, the IBM-PC allowed users to run graphical programs, play games, and access the burgeoning internet.
The IBM-PC and the compatible clones that followed created a space for a new type of gaming software. Before the advent of 3D games, developers had to work with the limited computing power of the PCs of the 80s. As a result, many classic adventure and role-playing titles were made. Games like King’s Quest and Ultima IV were developed using text-parsers and top-viewed graphics, challenging gamers with puzzles, monsters, and open exploration.
The success of these games led to a resurgence of the fantasy and sci-fi genres, which in turn lead to the development of multi-player options powered by the internet. Historically, one of the earliest online multi-player games was Meridian 59, a dungeon-crawling game released in 1996. In Meridian 59, players could explore underground catacombs, solve puzzles, quest for treasure, and even engage in player versus player combat.
Besides the early graphical adventures, the PC was home to other popular genres. Gaming simulations saw great emersion on the PC platform, with titles like SimAnt and F1 Grand Prix making the home-computer their primary market. The ability to generate realistic visuals and research simulations due to the additional computing power gave the PC an upper edge in the gaming market.
The Noughties to Today: Action, MMOs & High-Fidelity Experiences
If there were two words to describe the gaming market in the 2000s, those words would be “action” and “online”.
PC gamers were immediately captivated by the frequency and the quality of the titles compared to the other gaming platforms. Games like Half-Life and Counter-Strike, FPSs that combined the hard-core action with a deep story. Then the launch of the Warcraft III and its expansion World of Warcraft, finally sparked the new wave of popularity of the MMORPGs and thus spawned a new wave of games utilizing the so-called “persistent world”. Games like Eve Online, Ultima Online and Lineage II would join the party, bringing with them a new kind of experience to gamers.
The late 2000s saw the arrival of the high-end gaming rigs like the Alienware Area 51 and the Lenovo IdeaCentre K210, allowing developers and players alike to experience gaming at its best. With the improved graphics and processing power, current-generation titles such as Assassin’s Creed, Dishonored, and The Witcher 3 created an immersive experience like never before seen.
The power of the personal computer has been combined with the mythic portability and affordability of the laptop, creating an irresistible market for those who value powerful gaming above all else. Popular eSports titles such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, and League of Legends are further testament to the PC’s appeal.
The Future of PC Gaming: 4K, VR & Competitive Gaming
It’s clear that PC gaming has come a long way since its infancy in arcades. In the past three decades, the platform has gained popularity with each passing stage – from the graphical adventures of the 80s to the immersive experiences of the present.
As technology continues to evolve, we can expect PC gaming to continue its remarkable trajectory. One area that is particularly exciting is the rise of 4K gaming, with more and more titles offering the sharpest images possible.
Virtual reality, introduced in 2016 with the launch of the Oculus Rift, is another area of gaming that is growing in popularity, allowing players to experience gaming like never before. We can expect to see more titles that are optimized for the technology and more players embracing it as the technology improves.
Finally, competitive gaming, or eSports as it has been labelled, is continuing to grow in popularity. Titles like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rainbow Six Siege, and League of Legends are pulling in millions of viewers and millions of dollars in revenue. This new trend is expected to continue, with more games and tournaments appearing on the horizon.
The PC gaming market is a growing, and promising, one. From now on, it is thinking that the battle between the gaming platforms shall be evolving around the PC, whether it’s high-end rigs and laptos, adventures and simulators, or just the latest titles and experiences. PC gamers are tucked in safe, and now they shall have time to enjoy the wonderful world of gaming as they always have.