Home Gaming The reign of the PC is over

The reign of the PC is over

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sad but true

PCs might be king on the gaming front, but it’s no longer the world’s preferred computing device. This time round, Windows 8 is not to blame.

PC shipments have declined a further 10.9 percent, making it a record fifth consecutive failed quarter. This after PC shipments’ worst decline in history, as reported in April. Not restricted to any one region, global shipments continue to fall as the world adopts tablets as their preferred computing device. The fact of the matter is most people just don’t need a desktop PC anymore; tablets are now able to fulfil their basic needs. It’s smaller, cheaper, mobile and easier to use.

“We are seeing the PC market reduction directly tied to the shrinking installed base of PCs, as inexpensive tablets displace the low-end machines used primarily for consumption in mature and developed markets,” Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa said in a statement.

This has the potential to influence the PC gaming market greatly, why would developers continue developing for PC when the market has so to say collapsed? Developers are already making their biggest profit on consoles and with next-gen consoles; this would never have been truer. Console will see more platform exclusive AAA games, with PC gamers (as we already are) only getting games released weeks and sometimes months after the console release. Being the master race, but not having the games we want doesn’t really help us out at all.

The fact that the PC market is at such a dismal decline only further strengthens my belief that in the future there won’t be any distinction between PC and consoles, but rather different brands of super consoles. It seems now though, that PC might start adopting more console-like features to survive than consoles becoming like PCs. While tablets and touch technology take over consumption in mature and developed markets, or in simpler terms, office/every day use. More intelligent tablets will take over the role of the desktop PC.

Last Updated: July 11, 2013

72 Comments

  1. matthurstrsa

    July 11, 2013 at 11:49

    But how do you develop MOBA games for consoles? Considering MOBA games are the most popular online games by a massive margin, I can’t see PCs disappearing. Maybe they won’t be as mass market as they used to be, but they’ll always be around. And if I have to wait for a release on PC, then its fine. I just think in future it will be harder to only be on PC.

    Reply

    • Yolanda Green

      July 11, 2013 at 12:03

      It’s not impossible 🙂 I never thought I’d see an MMO on console, Tera has proved that it is not only possible, but massively enjoyable. Where there is a will, there is a way. That being said, PC’s adopting console features, does not mean we’d lose our peripherals as well.

      Reply

      • matthurstrsa

        July 11, 2013 at 12:34

        For me, MMO is different to MOBA though. MOBA requires many keystrokes in quick succession at the same time. But you never know, there are very smart people around.

        But yeah, custom PCs and peripherals are here to stay.

        Reply

        • Argentil

          July 11, 2013 at 14:23

          There are plenty games with M&Kb options on PS3, the problem is, people use the default input option, and suck. So people using the M&KB usually don’t have much of a challenge. Dust514 is an example.

          Reply

  2. Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

    July 11, 2013 at 11:50

    But I still have a big question on this as last time.

    Is this pre-built and complete PC build sales or does this include separate component sales as well because people tend to lean more towards buying components at separate vendors and putting it together themselves. Just a curiosity over these stats because it’s no surprise if pre-built PC sales are dropping. People are smarter than that nowadays.

    Reply

    • John Ambitious

      July 11, 2013 at 11:50

      I was thinking that exact thing.
      If consoles were as customizable and upgradeable they may actually have a stronger future above PC’s.
      But they’re not

      Reply

    • Yolanda Green

      July 11, 2013 at 11:58

      I’d imagine the date is from already assembled machines, which in my opinion makes no difference to this article. When developing for a platform, you not only look at the amount of components sold, but potential new customers. So essentially, the PC market as a whole, the less PCs sold, the smaller that market gets of potential gamers. The amount of people who do buy components instead of assembled machines are far smaller than the mass consumer market.

      Reply

      • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

        July 11, 2013 at 12:00

        You do make a valid point. Darnit you and your logic!

        Reply

      • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

        July 11, 2013 at 12:05

        I disagree. Crapload of ppl custom buy.

        If you are serials about gaming on PC, you will NOT buy an off-the-shelf-box

        Reply

        • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

          July 11, 2013 at 12:08

          Majority of people don’t know how to assemble A pc hell most people do not know what is inside a pc.

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

            July 11, 2013 at 12:09

            That actually makes me feel even more elite.

            Thank you sir!

          • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

            July 11, 2013 at 12:09

            I also said custom buy, not custom build

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            July 11, 2013 at 12:10

            Okay wait … I’m ignorant to that , what is Custom Buy?

          • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

            July 11, 2013 at 12:11

            You go to a distributor, select which exact specs you want and it gets built for you as per your request

          • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

            July 11, 2013 at 12:11

            You pick out your parts, and they assemble as well as stresstest and burn in components for you

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            July 11, 2013 at 12:12

            You yourself pick out parts? but how would the general person know what’s good?

          • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

            July 11, 2013 at 12:14

            They don’t, hence ELITE

            😛

            I’d post a link, but that would just be advertising

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            July 11, 2013 at 12:16

            So then it’s a very small percentage, would hardly comprise a chunk of overall sales would it?

          • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

            July 11, 2013 at 12:17

            If you could track all the individual parts sold I think you would find there is a truckload being sold

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            July 11, 2013 at 12:21

            Hmm true, but still does not seem like it accounts for most of the computer user base though, PC gaming seems like a very elite division , and to the majority of people PCs are seen as a practical machine not a gaming one

          • Anon A Mouse

            July 11, 2013 at 12:15

            Easy, If you go with a pentium 3 processor with 500MB ram and 40 gig hard drive. you’ll rock on until the next century. Throw in a Voodoo gfx card and you’re l33t to the max.

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            July 11, 2013 at 12:16

            Lol I had a voodoo back in the day and you sound like you will easily scam unsuspecting buyers, dodgy person

          • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

            July 11, 2013 at 12:16

            Riiiiight, check your calender quickly 😛

            (btw, hahahahhaa)

        • John Ambitious

          July 11, 2013 at 13:09

          Come to think of it. Everyone I know who uses their PC’s for gaming custom buys everything

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

            July 11, 2013 at 13:27

            True dat

          • Argentil

            July 11, 2013 at 14:30

            I think it’s an indication that our generation is becoming more tech savvy. Pre-built PC’s will lessen in demand over time.

      • Paul Fouche

        July 11, 2013 at 14:39

        yet the market for the components make much more money than pre built machines im sure. lots of companies sell “gamer rigs” these fall under components because you pay for each component and not a standard machine , im pretty sure the sales bracket would go up considerably if they took that into account. not to mention people have no use for being pre built machine’s my 8 year old sister can already put together a machine 😛

        Reply

        • Yolanda Green

          July 11, 2013 at 15:07

          what :O sister of win! I don’t think the high-end PC market will be affected negatively because of something like tablets.

          Reply

          • Marc O Polo

            July 12, 2013 at 05:31

            they only negative i can see if the possibility of prices starting to creep up…

    • AlwynvZyl

      July 11, 2013 at 12:01

      I totally agree with you…also, the time between PC upgrades tends to be longer than in days past. I haven’t upgraded my pc in quite some time as there has been no need to. It would not surprise me if next gen actually helps PC’s as we now need to upgrade to match the higher performance requirements of new games?

      Reply

      • Weerwolf

        July 11, 2013 at 17:20

        Totally agree with this. A few years back you couldn’t go a year without upgrading since the advancement of technology was crazy fast. Nowadays things have significantly calmed down. I bought my GTX 560Ti 2 years ago and it can still handle most games at very high graphics. So I don’t know why developers would base their projected sales on the sales of PC’s.

        Also, if you’ve already got a PC, you’re just going to upgrade it, ie buy new components. You won’t sommer buy a whole new PC. Pretty sure game developers are smart enough to realise this.

        Reply

  3. Mathias

    July 11, 2013 at 11:51

    Oh, don’t you worry. In 2-3 years, when next-gen consoles become “the old thing” again, PCs will make a comeback.

    Reply

  4. Alwyn Venter

    July 11, 2013 at 11:56

    I am excited to see consoles growing the way they are. I think it makes getting into gaming a lot cheaper (in the long run). I also think consoles will drive e-Sports growth in SA which is fantastic!

    The reign of PC might be coming to an end but they will always stay relevant (especially with games like SC2, LoL, Dota2 etc.) Unless tablets and consoles have extensions available (I am not console fundie), PCs will stay relevant for quite a while still.

    Reply

    • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

      July 11, 2013 at 11:59

      Yup, but e-sports are mostly PC games, hopefully this will change in the future, but very exciting indeed 🙂

      Reply

  5. Kromas

    July 11, 2013 at 11:57

    Our lord Gabe disagrees.

    http://gaben.tv/

    Reply

  6. CrasH

    July 11, 2013 at 12:02

    The PC gamer will always be around, but thats a small margine compared to the corporate world.
    With Virtual desktop, terminals, tablets, windows go and man more you dont need the PC really.

    And a tablet that basically is it all in one is the MS surface. (well the second version)

    And with hyper-v 2012, you can setup vitrual desktops that can run on ANY device, Anywhere you have a connection to it.

    Windows 9 go, you have a usb stick that you plug into any pc and its your office?
    Pull out plug into next pc, boot up and your back at your logon screen.

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

      July 11, 2013 at 12:03

      Yeah man, thats crazy tech. But yeah, future indeed

      Reply

    • CrasH

      July 11, 2013 at 12:05

      Windows 8 go… dam phat fingers

      Reply

  7. Admiral Chief Groot Wors

    July 11, 2013 at 12:03

    EPIC header

    Reply

    • Skyblue

      July 11, 2013 at 12:05

      Second that, Hetfield is the man!!

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

        July 11, 2013 at 12:13

        *puts in Metallica playlist*

        Reply

  8. Skyblue

    July 11, 2013 at 12:03

    LIES I TELL U, ALL LIES! Burn the heretics!!

    Reply

  9. Brett Miller

    July 11, 2013 at 12:07

    Huh? It’s a pretty big jump from “low end PCs are getting replaced by tablets” to “the end of PC gaming”

    “We are seeing the PC market reduction directly tied to the shrinking installed base of PCs, as inexpensive tablets displace the low-end machines used primarily for consumption in mature and developed markets”

    People buying tablets as opposed to low-end machine for media consumption has what effect on the gaming market? Why would the displacement of low-end machine effect the AAA market?

    Publishers (not developers) have a far more complex view on their targeted demographic than “how many PCs are there?”

    Also consoles aren’t about the hardware, they’re a distribution channel. I won’t touch on the difference between the open PC channels versus the closed systems of the console manufactures because you didn’t in your “article”

    Reply

    • Yolanda Green

      July 11, 2013 at 12:11

      No one’s saying it’s the end of PC gaming 😉

      Reply

      • Brett Miller

        July 11, 2013 at 12:16

        “The reign of the PC is over”

        Reply

        • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

          July 11, 2013 at 12:17

          In all fairness that could mean in business as well. Doesn’t have to mean gaming 😉

          Reply

          • Yolanda Green

            July 11, 2013 at 12:19

            indeed :>

        • Yolanda Green

          July 11, 2013 at 12:19

          not “The reign of PC GAMING” 😛

          Reply

  10. Xelus

    July 11, 2013 at 12:10

    Interesting article, I am however glad to see that consoles are evolving into a bigger market, as having only one platform could be an extremely big issue for all of us, however I do also agree the pc platform won’t die out. Computers are the base building block of the majority of technology in our day and age, it might shrink in the gaming department, but in general, I can’t see how one would be able to do work on consoles like you would on a computer, controllers are made for gaming.

    Reply

  11. Mark Treloar

    July 11, 2013 at 12:10

    So here’s the thing. PC sales are declining, but what percentage of the declining PC sales are related to gaming? Are Gaming PC sales declining? This is a skewed stat that really proves nothing.

    Reply

  12. 1smith1

    July 11, 2013 at 12:11

    The pc will never get replaced it’s more the notebook that will be replaced in the future by the tab, the power pc and gaming rig will never be replaced its the godfather the alpha and the omega

    Reply

  13. Uberutang

    July 11, 2013 at 12:19

    This is for prebuild HP/Dell etc systems. The data they use is only from certain sources also. That does not include the sale of GPUS, CPU’s etc for self build or non ‘brand name’ builds.

    I agree that office workstations are dying out. People now get tablets and notebooks. ( fought like hell to not get a notebook, still got saddled with one 🙁 ) but Gaming PC’s and components for them is on the rise, not fall.

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

      July 11, 2013 at 12:23

      Agreed, and well said my simian friend

      Reply

  14. Billy Bob

    July 11, 2013 at 12:48

    yea but you still need a PC to create all this stuff on…
    windows 8 is also directly contributing to the “decline” in pre-built PC sales. usually new OS requires better/newer PC, but Win 8 is not that popular. every launch in new OS saw an increase in PC sales, not this time…
    and as some people have mentioned, people are the wiser to buying components, and component performances lasts longer these days,
    corporate offices will not let everyone walk home with their so called plug&play dockable high processing tablet.. its a risk.
    higher productivity with a keyboard and mouse and a screen, better posture too.
    hocus pocus rubbish this
    a PC, a tablet, a smarphone, they are tools, every tool has its use, even the blunt ones…

    Reply

  15. Jonah Cash

    July 11, 2013 at 13:04

    I think a lot of you are missing the point here!! This is all PC’s, and if I have to think what would be the biggest part of the PC industry: It would be low end machines that is used by staff at big companies just to use word and excel and so on…. So if a R3000 tablet can use word and excel why would the bi company or even smaller company buy a desktop PC? I would also buy a tablet and then your workforce can work 24/7 365!! No more my doctor says I must stay home, oh ok Carol no problem you have your tablet with you we will mail you the things that you need to load…… Carol is going to be pissed!!!

    Reply

  16. Tbone187

    July 11, 2013 at 13:05

    Tablets are for social networkers…period! expensive novelty items the lot…

    Reply

    • Jonah Cash

      July 11, 2013 at 13:07

      I actually use my iPad Mini everyday for work. When I go to asses a car I do my whole report on the tablet and mail it to the insurance… It saves me about an hour to even two hours of work on every claim that I do…. Best investment I have done over the last 3 years….

      Reply

      • Tbone187

        July 11, 2013 at 13:10

        I’m glad you found a practical use…I do however believe you are in the minority…And I’m not sure how effective a reporting process will be on a touch device…Between a laptop and a good phone, there’s no need for these devices imo…

        Reply

    • PsychoSpazz

      July 11, 2013 at 14:00

      Id have to agree with you…. I sold my tab… it drove me insane… if found it so limited… and the ADS attached to EVERYthing………… Grrrrrrrr

      Reply

  17. Theo Steenekamp

    July 11, 2013 at 13:29

    HAHA, you console boys will never have my upper body strength! I can use mine to actually get a gym session going when I set up for a LAN. beat that.

    Reply

  18. Rags

    July 11, 2013 at 13:36

    Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrm. This is probably also the fault of the economic reality? Companies with 5000 employees are sticking to their old machines because it is still powering good old Microsoft Word just fine. Once the economy comes out of the slump I am sure it will pick up again.

    “Why would developers continue developing for PC when the market has so to say collapsed.” Collapsed? Whuut? There is just a -1.5% decline in the USA. Also PC market != PC Gaming Market. There are still more PC shipped per year than the PS3 over its entire lifespan. How well are Razer, Steelseries, nVidia, AMD etc PC Gaming products sales performing? This should give us a better indication.

    While I am sure the PC gaming market has declined over the years it is far from collapsed.

    Reply

  19. ChaosPixy

    July 11, 2013 at 14:07

    Personally I think its a good thing. We will have fewer casual players thus we’ll see the PC gravitate back to its more complex and creative roots. Thus the PC will become the choice of more discerning “hardcore” players. If the first generation of crowd funded games come off successful i.e. Star Citizen, Torment, Wasteland 2, Project Eternity. I think we’ll be in for exiting times for PC gaming.

    Reply

  20. BeatzByChrisBrown

    July 11, 2013 at 14:23

    “machines used primarily for consumption in mature and developed markets”
    The key word here is consumption. Using a tablet or mobile device to create content is a nightmare. With PCs you just get more bang for your buck. PCs isn’t going anywhere.

    Reply

    • Zubayr Bhyat

      July 11, 2013 at 16:07

      tbh PCs are still good, it’s how mobile and powerful they are that needs to be discussed. ATM I’m using a core i5 based laptop and it’s working for what I need it to do. Gaming wise, console 🙂 We’ll see more gaming-oriented PCs for sure, just not in desktop form.

      Reply

  21. Daniel Keevy

    July 11, 2013 at 17:39

    Do the shipping numbers include digital copies?

    Reply

  22. Harvey P. Cheesewinkle

    July 11, 2013 at 18:22

    Just curious if you know exactly how many PC’s still sell yearly, even with the drop? Let’s see, in the 2nd quarter (which is what we’re talking about), PC’s sold ~76 million (that’s roughly 304m/year). Nobody in their right mind looks at the vast, vast possibilities of revenue from an install base that size, as too risky. Are all of them used for games? Of course not, but they’re all capable of it, and PC’s sold today perform pretty dang well.

    Reply

  23. Pitt90

    July 11, 2013 at 21:55

    Well, I’ll be the last one on the PC then, ’cause I loathe consoles. And since I haven’t bought a “ready made” PC in years and years (but own a custom built one), perhaps I’m just an old anachronism…

    Reply

  24. Ocelotty1

    July 12, 2013 at 04:55

    They can have my PC when they pry it from my cold, dead hands, Neither my iPad nor Surface Pro will ever replace my gaming rig 🙂

    Reply

  25. WhiteRock

    July 12, 2013 at 08:07

    See, the problem I have with this is multiple:

    1. When PS2 / PS3 came out, this same argument came around – the end of PC’s and PC gaming. Not sure what the stats looked like at that time though?

    2. If there is a decline in sales, are we below PC sales from 5 years / 10 years back or is this a year-on-year statistic?

    3. As a software developer, there is no way in hell I can see myself developing software or doing serious tasks on a tablet – especially seeing as I currently have two 23″ screens and at times the screen real estate feels too small 😉

    Just my 3 cents 🙂

    Reply

  26. Gerhard Davids

    July 12, 2013 at 09:46

    Nice title there….

    The research needs to show some source here. Where is the original release.
    If this only includes pre-packaged PC’s then this article doesn’t really do anything but chew the cud.
    It makes a hell of a different because you can be ignoring an entire hardware market shift in favor of nice headlines. There’s so much more to this then what’s being alluded.

    Reply

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