14 DAY TRIAL // John Carmack is a name known by most of the people that are somewhat involved in the gaming industry (as product consumers, as well). When such a person speaks, his words will produce some big waves, especially if he talks about the gaming industry, the one he knows so well.
In an interview done by Gamasutra, he discussed the "war" between PC and Console Games, a subject that will always have (at least) two sides: the ones saying that consoles are the future of video gaming and the others saying the exact opposite. As strange as it might seem, Carmack is somewhere in the middle.
He says: "If you make a cross-platform game, the PC is not going to look that much different there. There is a little bit better graphics fidelity, and it's lot more powerful than a high-end console. You certainly only have about half efficiency, but still, you get some influence. But it's not really drastic."
Still, the PC has its own advantages and strong areas, with the most important being the Massively Multiplayer Online Games. For Carmack, WoW is the "train" driving all the PC game sales. And that's the thing he said that might produce the big waves.
Even though I am not even close to Carmack's experience, I still have my own thoughts. One of them is about moderation. Indeed, WoW is being played by millions of people, real life relationships emerge from the game as well as many more other incredible things that just happen, but the statement might be a little over the edge. First, because I doubt anybody would just buy PC games because they played that "great" game a while ago and think all of them are the same. I loved the "Saboteur" series back on the HC platforms, but this doesn't mean I still search for audio-taped video games to play.
On the other hand, why would a game like WoW boost the sales of football management, sports or strategy games? Why would you say that games that are in the history, starting with Dune 2 and Doom, up to the recent Far Cry, Half Life or The Sims have (had) such a great success just because WoW exists?
No, every game should be unique, every game should bring something new, the innovation we all expect, the "revolutionary" change that every producer announces, but so few actually manage to make it happen. Every game should be a true and unique experience for any gamer around the world, and not something bought hoping it will be as good as WoW. Even though it's hard for a game to be better or match the existing ones topping the charts, it's the main objective everybody should aim for. And, in the end, it doesn't really matter if it's a console or a PC game - it's all about feeling and enjoying. There are no "trains" driving this industry, there are no unbeatable "trains"- it's just the lack of something better.