TechSpot - PC Technology News and Analysis

Not so long ago, PC titles were the mainstay of video gaming, but they have slumped in recent years overshadowed by game consoles. The latest indicator of this trend comes from some NPD numbers, showing the games industry made a jaw-dropping $18.85 billion in 2007, but only $910.7 million of that came from PC sales at retail. Moreover, many formerly PC exclusive franchises are now moving to the console, perhaps in light of the lackluster game sales figures.

It’s worth noting though that this evidence isn’t exactly conclusive as NPD doesn’t track digital download revenues, a portion of the market that’s rapidly growing thanks to options like Direct2Drive and Steam, and their figures are based on U.S. sales only and not worldwide. That’s why in our latest poll we want to know where you are buying your PC games.

Also see results from our previous poll where we asked our readers if they think Vista is hurting PC gaming. Though I don’t necessarily agree with the results, the general audience’s perception seems to be that despite promises of better-looking and better-playing games through the introduction of DX10, Microsoft’s latest OS is indeed hurting PC gaming.