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PC gaming sector enjoyed significant revenue growth in 2010, the 'Alliance' reports
It's no surprise that the PC Gaming Alliance, a non-profit organization comprised of companies like AMD, Dell and Epic Games, would have a sunny outlook when it comes to the successes of the PC gaming sector. Fortunately, the group has some promising numbers to back up its glass-half-fullishness: In its third annual "Horizons" report, via Industry Gamers, the PCGA reported that global revenue generated by the PC gaming industry increased 20 percent from 2009 to 2010, netting $16.2 billion for computer-centric publishers, developers and hardware manufacturers last year. Unsurprisingly, China contributed the largest wad of cash to the global market, spending some $4.8 billion on PC gaming in 2010. More noteworthy is that no regional markets showed revenue decline last year. Really? Because we heard that Switzerland is just chock-full of Xbots and Sony-cronies.
PC gaming revenue grew in 2009 as retail PC game sales shrank
[Logitech PC accessories] Despite fears about the languishing PC game industry, revenue seems to have grown a bit in 2009. According to PC Gaming Alliance's Horizons Report, revenue hit $13.1 billion in 2009, versus $11 billion in 2008. Don't expect that growth to translate to increased shelf space for PC games, however. The report notes that digital distribution sales are way up, as are the sales of virtual items. "In 2009 we saw North America and Europe experience a rapid uptake in purchasing virtual items," PCGA president Randy Stude said. "This model is what drove growth in Asia and we think it is just starting to come to Western markets." As expected, given the rise in digital distribution, packaged game sales have dropped for a second year, now accounting for just 20 percent of PC game revenue. It appears that PC games are going to go all digital unless we start seeing some really awesome cloth maps.
GameStop, GameTap and others join PC Gaming Alliance
The PC Gaming Alliance, a non-profit initiative established to preserve and promote the PC Gaming industry, recently added a bevy of heavy hitters to its ranks. Eight more companies have signed on to lend their support to the cause, including GameStop, GameTap, Gas Powered Games, BFG Technologies, Bigfoot Networks, Flextronics, Howie's Game Shack and InstantAction.We support the notion of this group enrolling new members -- but we're curious why GameStop has agreed to lend its massive, wealthy hand. Has the unrivaled gaming retailer finally figured out how to purchase and resell used PC titles?[Via Edge Online]
Activision passes on PC Gaming Alliance membership
It could be pretty easily argued that Blizzard is one of the biggest PC gaming development houses in the business today -- they consistently own both the sales charts and the playtime stats in terms of PC gaming. But Activision-Blizzard has quietly confirmed that they've passed on a membership to the PC Gaming Alliance, a group that claims to be "the authoritative voice on PC gaming worldwide." Activision, for their part, says that they just couldn't justify the membership fee, and this isn't the first industry group that they've snubbed: they famously left the ESA and their big yearly conference at E3 last year.The PCGA claims that this isn't a big setback -- despite this and a few other losses, they say their numbers have grown, and they cite a few other big still-members, including Microsoft, Nvidia, and Intel. But given how much of an influence Activsion-Blizzard is in PC gaming, it's hard to say you're the "authoritative voice" of the platform when you don't have any formal connection to the biggest developer/publisher in the industry.What does this mean to us players? Probably nothing right now -- the PCGA is right: the loss of Activision probably won't affect their work at all. But Blizzard, for better or worse, is being steered by Activision away from the industry at large. Right now, with events like BlizzCon and a huge reputation of their own, they don't need to be tied into these industry groups. But that may not always be the case.
Report: PC remains 'most lucrative platform,' worth $11b
Considering the PC gaming industry started out the year with 10 million World of Warcraft subscribers under its belt, is anyone shocked to find out that the PC has been called the "most lucrative platform" of 2008? In a study paid for by the PC Gaming Alliance -- a "non-profit industry alliance" made up of members of various companies, including Activision and Microsoft -- PC gaming in 2008 apparently brought in over $11 billion in revenue. The study itself was conducted by DFC Intelligence, a market research company specializing in the game industry, and reached some interesting conclusions. According to the study, expanded broadband penetration and adoption of digital download services (like Steam by Valve) lead the way for the PC gaming market's growth in 2008, as well as "the growing presence of game cards at major retailers like 7-Eleven." Unsurprisingly, the study also found that MMOGs are "the leading products for both revenue and profits," citing WoW as 9% (or $1 billion) of the entire PC gaming market's revenues last year.We'll take this report, compounded by the NPD report that retails sales of PC games in 2008 dropped by 14 percent, as solid evidence that PC gamers are the first to take major steps towards exclusively downloadable games.[Via Edge]
The Best Of Big Download: February 9-15
Did you get what you wanted for Valentine's Day? Whether you did or not you can't deny that once again Big Download had a busy week. As we always do on Sunday let's look at the highlights for the past week:Exclusive features F.E.A.R. 2 review and feature: We give our final word on Monolith's first person shooter sequel. We also take a look back at the original F.E.A.R. to see how the story's events in that game set up the sequel. PC Gaming Alliance president interview: We chat with the organization's head man Randy Stude to get an update on their efforts to improve and promote PC gaming. Turning Games into Comics: We examine the growing trend of video and PC games being adapting into comics with part one and part two of our feature series. The Actors of Red Alert 3: Uprising: We look at the many live action performers recruited for the upcoming EA downloadable RTS game. Mac Monday: Our regular Mac game column takes a look at the kingdom building sim game Be a King. Independent Minds: Our regular look at the indie game scene gives some opinions on how to create a good story. Big Ideas: Our regular look at game themes talks about if there is room for new genres in games. Big Iron: Our weekly hardware feature takes a look at AMD's new Phenom II chips. Freeware Friday: Our weekly feature on free games takes a look at the newly free RTS-FPS title Savage 2. Contest: Want to win one of 10 copies of the PC version of Mirror's Edge? You can by entering our contest before Feb. 18.
PC Gaming Alliance seeking to set guidelines
As much as we like gaming on our PCs, even the most stalwart fanboy has to concede that sometimes the whole process is just a huge pain in the butt. While installing Age of Conan for the first time the other day, this blogger spent no less than five hours downloading the client, patching Windows Vista, updating video drivers, then tracking down a hack to undo the damage down when those video drivers didn't work properly. While there are supposedly a "maze of challenges" ahead with porting the game to consoles, those problems are largely Funcom's and not the consumers'.This is something that the recently-formed PC Gaming Alliance (PCGA) would like to solve. Rick Carini, CTO of gaming technology at Dell and chairman of the PCGA, posits that this needless complexity is the barrier impeding the continued growth of PC gaming. Even hardcore gamers find themselves stymied sometimes by this. The PCGA is looking to push for standards on the side of game makers and computer manufacturers to ensure that a computer sold as a "gaming PC" should be able to run the majority of games. We're not sure what, if anything, will come of the PCGA's work, but we're hopeful they can develop some sort of standard to bring more warm bodies into the fold.
The Best Of Big Download: June 15-21, 2008
It's yet another huge week here at the Big Download news site. For a "game" that's not really a game, Maxis' Spore Creature Creator generated more buzz than most true PC game titles. But that's not all we had. Take a look at the highlights from the past week.Exclusives Spore Creature Creator: Not only did we chat briefly with Spore's executive producer Lucy Bradshaw, we launched a Spore Creature Creator contest that will give the winners some cool prizes. Interview: Brad Wardell of Stardock: We chat with the CEO of Stardock about The Political Machine 2008, Sins of a Solar Empire, their new Impulse game delivery system and lots more. Interview: Randy Stude of The PC Gaming Alliance: We quiz the president of the non-profit organization on their plans to promote and improve PC gaming. Freeware Friday: Our latest free game spotlight goes to the sci-fi action strategy game Battleships Forever.
MMOs thought to account for health of PC gaming
Players and pundits alike have been pointing to NPD figures as an indicator that PC gaming is in a decline compared to console sales. However, as pointed out by Randy Stude, PC Gaming Alliance president and Intel gaming program director in a recent interview, these figures ignored MMO subscription sales, something NPD hadn't been tracking until earlier this year. "And lo and behold, after just a quarter of research, they found -- under a rock that they hadn't looked at before -- a billion dollars."While Stude was essentially calling for the PC gaming industry to come together to clear up this sort of confusion, there is more at work here than simply saying that PC gaming is hale and healthy based simply on MMO subscription numbers. For one thing, MMOs are merely one arm of the industry, not the industry itself. World of Warcraft alone must count for a significant total of those NPD numbers, not to mention virtual worlds like Club Penguin.
Joystiq FAQ: All about the AMD Game! Program
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) today launched AMD GAME!, a program aimed at providing "a better experience for the mainstream (core) gamer" by helping to educate them on buying a PC that's capable of playing today's games. The program, separate from the PC Gaming Alliance, has a lot of support from hardware makers and retailers. We talked with AMD Gaming Strategist Brent Barry to get a better understanding of the program.
The PC Gaming Alliance is here to save the day
Fret not, PC gaming fans. As if in reply to the cries of Peter Molyneux, a new elite task force of industry giants has banded together to save PC gaming, under the banner of the PC Gaming Alliance. The group, which officially announced its existence at a GDC08 press conference, is comprised of some of the biggest names in the business, a mix of game development, OEM, and hardware companies: Activision, Epic, Microsoft, Dell, Alienware, Intel, Nvidia, AMD, Acer, and Gateway.Randy Stude of Intel is the fearless leader of the PCGA, and spoke of their strategy in bringing PC gaming to the attention of consumers: "One of our main major objectives is to provide one voice on the PC gaming market. There's no one source that says 'hey this is where the PC market is going'. Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft are always calling their market share -- we're going to call our market through this group." As well as their "united front" in promoting the PC as a gaming platform, the mix of companies within the PCGA plan to work closely together to share important and useful statistics, and to find solutions to issues like phishing, cheating and piracy.[Via Develop]
