PC Gaming is Dead: 2007 Sales Numbers (unless you play MMO)
Only one PC game in 2007 sold over a million units (and it’s name is Warcraft). The PC game take of $911 million is a lot of money, but console games had a record year and total sales of $17.94 billion. Another comparison, the #10 console game sold twice as many units as the #2 PC game.
Game publishers need to wake up and realize it’s a lot easier to buy a console than a new PC. Both Crysis and Bioshock were huge titles available, on the PC, and made headlines. Neither made the PC top 10 list though. The numbers are over at Shacknews (2007 PC sales and 2007 console sales) and are worth some attention. WoW is actually the number one and two PC game for sales. It doesn’t change that fact that Mario Party 8 beat out the whole rest of the PC game field, but it stands out to me that none of the six Warcraft or The Sims games on the top 10 list require much PC hardware to run.
What does that mean to gamers? … you’re better off paying eBay release-day prices for a Wii, PS3, and XBox 360 than you are to drop $4,000 on a new gaming PC.
{ 02.10.08 at 10:01 pm }
I always knew you Engamer guys were all secretly communists!
I disagree with your headline. Just because consoles sell more games doesn’t mean PC gaming is dead. PCs will always have more content available, more bug fixes available and, if you have the hardware, will always have the best visuals.
Oh and did you catch this little tidbit about Steam:
http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/02/steam-reaches-1.html
{ 02.11.08 at 2:06 am }
Nels, how did you know!?!
I’m sure PC gaming will have a comeback someday, but it looks dead for this year.
For now the consoles are far faster than most home PCs, cheaper than gaming rigs, and have loads of marketing $$$ to throw behind new launches and exclusives. Still, just like zombie movies, I’m sure PC gaming will rise from the dead someday – just not this year.