My biggest problem with PC games nowadays is that there is almost no more offline, split-screen multiplayer, as opposed to consoles, where this is a standard.
The reason probably is that console hardware is constant for everyone, whereas PCs would vary too much in power to allow smooth gameplay for everyone.
I really hope that PCs and consoles will approach each other somewhere in the middle, so that split-screen will be back again.
The PC will always rule in the high-end graphics sector, for FPS games and (massively) multiplayer online games.
Console hardware is too constant for several years for that, and companies like Nvidia or ATI will always push the hardware and gaming market.
More so with the current 3D hype.
Lucien wrote:
It's not the death of PC games. The trend towards accessibility and "fair" games has caused game developers to focus on making games that let the players feel they're doing well from the first time they play. Games like BF2, UT, CS, and the like are all incredibly hard on new players and give experienced players the chance of actually getting good at the game. If you dumb down your game so new players can get into it easier and old players are not so willing to stick around, then the game itself and more importantly its sequel(s) are much easier to sell. Then there's the fact there are loads more gamers who are a lot more casual overall. They simply don't want to have to actually learn the game. Their attitude is often "I have a right to win" and devs are willing to support this.
This is the truth.
In fact, you can easily substitute the word "casual" with "dumbed-down for the masses" in every case, and still always be right.