Hmmm, nothing in the bullet points about making better games. Why are PC games sales in a slump? Because they're not fun to play anymore.

When you have to wonder if your hardware will run a game at an acceptable frame rate then that's a problem. There needs to be a baseline standard for hardware similar to consoles. That would give developers a platform to make games that everyone could play as opposed to the low-end, mid-range, and high-end.

I bought Crysis which was probably the most hyped shooter of 2007. While I am enjoying the game it's only because my hardware (2GB RAM, 8800 GT video card, and 2.4.GHz quad-core CPU) is up to snuff. The game itself isn't revolutionary and even the character details aren't as "life-like" as I expected them to be.

If PC gaming is to rise again there will have to be more variety in addition to better games. These are the elements that will save it, not another committee.

What BS.... hardware vendors trying to squeeze more money out of us. And Microsoft + Epic trying to get us to upgrade to directx 10 and unreal 3. Directx9 is fine, how about you a holes learn to program.

The hell, why are graphics even important to a game???????

Games need to be designed with gameplay in mind, not graphics. The entire industry should take notes from Blizzard. All of Blizzard games have never stressed computers, you always needed the most budget of cards to play them.

Game developers should be forming an alliance not to PR graphics, but to make better games.

PCGA = groupthink, marketing BS.

PC gaming is going to continue to be marginalize while gaming consoles evolve to become gaming systems with standardized hardware.

The total sales figures, the shelf space ratio in B&M stores, amount of PC games versus console games being developed in recent years make the truth painfully obvious. Only a die-hard PC fanboy will ignore it.

There are a couple of reasons that is it happening.

#1- The PC gaming world has outgrown the scale of economics for its intended market. It is not that desirable for large publishing houses to go with PC. The lack of potential profit and a lot of risks is a big no.

#2- The majority of former hardcore PC gamers (people who grew up on PC games from 80s and 90s) no longer have the time or $$$$ to mess around with their hobby as they did in their earlier days. They settle for simplicity of gaming consoles for whatever remaining time and $$$$ they have left for gaming.

#3- Many of the original advantages of gaming PCs had over gaming consoles have eroded over the years. PC had HD gameplay for a long time, could handle 3D audio streaming in games for a while, network multiplayer for years, were third-party content/mod friendly etc. Consoles eventually caught up with 360 and PS3. The only thing they are missing is official keyboard/mouse support.

#4 -The current generation of young gamers grew up with PS1, SNES, N64, DC and have more of a connection with gaming consoles then what they do with PCs.

I blame laptop computers. Many people are switching to laptops as their primary computer and barely any laptops are decent gaming machines. A recent scan of the laptops (and some desktops) at the local future shop and not one machine would have been a decent gaming machine. All had integrated graphics and more then 80% had GMA 3100. Laptop manufacturers need to combat this and start making descent graphics hardware a priority on laptops. And price them realistically, there are good gaming laptops but I can't find one south of $2000 (CAD)

Like it or not the living room or the office has to give up. We will eventually not discern a difference between a console or a PC or a handheld, because it will be capable of all three, and more.

The PC is dying. It is too restrictive these days to have a device sitting on a desk collecting dust. As an IT Manager, I am bored of desktop upgrade cycles. How is it really helping my users get their work done any better? Why are we a slave to this client/internal server/cloud mentality?

The console is dying: It's 3-5 years of tech that people must watch as they work with outdated graphical tech mere months after release. Consoles are in the best position right now: they all do what they need to do very well.

The smartphone is dying: The interfaces all suck, yeah even iphone, and a lot of improvement can be done here.

Yet all live on. But we won't know this tech in 10 years.

This move is an effort for Dell and PC manufacturers to save their own asses.

what we need is an industry-wide effective way to counter piracy..

you can't really pirate a good PS3 single player game, but I knew so many people who simply download cracked versions of single player games, beat them, then never think about 'em again.

I think with the increased profits from games actually selling well, an alliance like this should be able to fund lawsuits against sites hosting pirated titles...

just my $0.02. I hate it when I see good games getting downloaded and played through for free :\

Hm, so of those five points, two are about marketing and two are about alot of talking. Only the third point actually strikes as being interesting. None of this looks like a serious attempt revamp, streamline, reinnovate PC gaming. In fact, I imagine they're setting this up just to be a fallback excuse if PC gaming does crash for good (which I don't believe will happen).

"Hey, we TRIED to fix things. So its all the fault of you horrible pirates and stuckups who want something other than cookie cutter FPSes!"

Maybe AMD and Nvidia will support this with lower video card prices! *crosses fingers*

It's funny how people complain that they need a million dollar video card to play a game, as if they need to play it at 1600x1200. Then say how consoles are better when many of the games (Halo 3) can't even run at 720p with AA.

Just play the game at 1024x768 with no AA. Any cheap card can handle that.

One critical reason why PC gaming is losing interest is because of the Amount of Diminishing Returns. PC's are horribly inefficient when compared to their console competitors, and require more money and more hardware to essentially generate the same game experience. If they were serious, they'd make that problem first and foremost a priority by making a barebones, game-oriented, driver-supported OS.

C'mon TR you're being a little naive. Most of those bullet points ARE marketing bull.

Valve and Id are conspicuous by their absence.

pc gaming marketshare is down to 14% so let's all keep counting on flash and keep pushing that more expensive hardware is the cure for all of the industry's ailments........ keep beating that tired old horse with the whip and the stick until it becomes young again and quick....... not going to happen.

Um, that 14% is of retail sales, not total sales (i.e., including online distributed sales). PC gaming is far from dead--just because Epic bitches loudly and often about piracy when their real problem is a lack of interest in yet another UT derivative doesn't mean the end is nigh.

they have a "mole" between PCGA( Micro$oft ). I wonder if Sony and Nintendo will like to join :))
Developing guidelines to simplify hardware specifications and introduce new technologies more quickly.
Yes good . so you have to buy a video card in less the 3.
Setting up forums to discuss "all aspects of PC development" and provide guidance for solving industry problems like piracy and online cheating.
Good .Nice :)) this will eradicate piracy and cheating.
Stimulating the sharing of information between PCGA members.
I'm sure Intel will want AMD to share some info. with them .(Fusion , APU,and other insignificant tech)

It will be interesting to see how they collude together to create ways to increase their profits. :)

should have been a decade ago.

I hope they get Valve on board with this as well.

Let's hope it's not just a marketing initiative, because console ports just plain suck.

Awesome, this is good to hear.

Sounds great!