I very much enjoy PC gaming. I also like to play on consoles. I find
the style of game play is quite different in each medium.

Ultimately the consoles prove the easiest and least expensive to buy
and upgrade. Generally a console and two games, maybe a few more
items, can be had for $300.

It is hard to put a decent pc together for gaming for under $1000.
About double that will net a decent machine with upgrade potential,
but without the need to upgrade for some time.

The upper end of pc gaming runs around $8000.

Obviously, more people can buy in for $300 than for the $1000 plus.

Part of me wants to be a pc hotrodder, and build an ubermachine. Big,
bad, and hot. With adequate cooling, as well. That part of me does
not have access to the purse. Sadly, real life expenses have first
claim on my wallet.

So, I am watching the trends, and encouraging myself to adopt the
philosophy that I am a gamer, and the platform is less important than
the experience. It is within the scope of possibility, and probably
in the path of great profitability for the makers, that console
online multiplayer games will be of such game quality in the future
that holding onto the pc platform will be only an option, and not a
necessity.

Alternately, I can see online game manufacturers selling systems to
insure their audience is there. Wouldn't that be grand? Order the
game and the system all for one monthly payment. Upgrade components
will be shipped when software demands require it. Your system will
always be current.

What will the future hold? I don't know, but I am sure I cannot be
shelling out several thousand dollars every other year. The cost has
to be brought in line with the spending capacity of a large audience,
or else the hobby will suffer decline.

Barto Proudfoot