PC Remains Top Dog In The Gaming World

For all the talk about consoles, the PC remains the main worldwide platform for gaming.

Forget the Wii or the Xbox. According to a new report by the PC Gaming Alliance, the PC is the most popular platform for gaming.

The report was delivered on the opening day of the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, and claimed that the PC gaming industry took in around $11 billion globally last year.

A report by IDC says there are over 1 billion personal computers world wide. The PC Gaming Alliance (PCGA) claims that 250 million are those used for gaming, leading to the claim.

"Despite Xbox LIVE and PlayStation, the online platform that remains the most accessible and robust is the PC," said PGCA president Randy Stude.

The IDC report also highlighted the three big trends of 2008: an increase in digital distribution, the presence of game cards at retailers, and the rise in free games that have micro-transaction models.

"The biggest story in PC games is the expansion beyond retail," said Mr Stude.

"PC games have successfully pioneered online subscription and distribution models that have resulted in a global boom that shows no signs of slowing."

According to reports, Americans spent $21 billion on games and hardware in 2008, up $3 billion on 2007. So, in spite of the recession, things look rosy for gaming. Attendance at the GDC is down a little on last year’s 18,000, but still healthy.

GDC event director Meggan Scavio told the BBC:

"It’s true that maybe some of the bigger players, publishers and studios can’t send as many people as in the past but at the same time I have found that people are finding their own way to come to GDC.”

"They are sharing hotel rooms, they are car pooling, they are probably sharing passes and they come for the entire week."