Just a couple of years ago it seemed as though PCs were on the way out, as far as gaming was concerned. The video games world was all about the console, and the only real competition was between the Xbox and the PlayStation. But slowly, things started to change.
The main reason for this change was therise of online gaming, and in particular, free games that could be accessed online without having to buy them upfront. Even paid-for games could be found easier and often cheaper online, and just as high street shops are disappearing in the face of online retailers, so the days of going into your local games store and spending a not-insignificant amount of hard-earned cash on the latest console game packaged in a brightly printed box may also be numbered.
Improving technology
None of this would be possible, however, if not for theincreased power and capabilityof today’s PCs. Consoles achieved their dominance of the games market because they were specifically designed for maximum quality gameplay. No serious gamer would have been caught dead playing on a PC in the early 2000s: they were too slow, and the sound and graphics just couldn’t compare to what was standard for the latest console.
Multiplayer games
然而，现在，这不再是这种情况。今天的PCS具有与游戏机更好的图形，声音和速度，或更好。他们喜欢的另一个主要优势是连接。可靠，高带宽宽带的推出允许出现两种新形式的视频游戏，这将成为未来几年的主要趋势：大量的多人在线游戏，如魔兽世界和传说联盟，以及在线赌场游戏呼吁广泛的游戏玩家，包括那些通常不会使用控制台的游戏玩家。
The digital casino
现在有几十个UK casinos在线，提供各种实时游戏，包括视频扑克，二十一点，轮盘赌和当然，插槽。随着传统的游戏场所所遭受的同时，这些人的流行程度同时，随着网站繁荣，宾果群岛，宾果音乐厅和拱廊关闭。视频游戏技术使赌场通过普遍存在的PC，赌场在21世纪的数字环境中生存。
Ready for action
This is the other reason why PC gaming is so popular – most of us already have a personal computer in our homes. We already use it for work, shopping, communication and watching films and TV online, so it makes sense to play games on it as well. You can be playing in seconds, and for those new to games, there’s no need to purchase expensive and intimidating gadgets (i.e. consoles) in order to get started.
The fightback
Consoles can hit back with exclusive major games, but in the long run, this just won’t be commercially viable for games publishers. The other way in which consoles are adapting is by basically becoming more like PCs, and so meeting the overwhelming demand for online gaming. But with online PC game retailer Steam boasting over 125 million active users, the dominance of the PC seems assured.
