What game are you playing?

[DavidW]

And just when one thinks the light might be around the corner, RAM prices have now trippled.

Gaming is starting to become an hobby for rich people.

PC gaming, yes, gaming no. You can buy a console for a few hundred bucks, and they usually play new games, old games, AAA games and indie games.

For PC gaming it is just the pendulum swinging back around. There are periods in which it is affordable, and periods in which it is not. BUT... the stagnation in hardware means you don't have to rush out and upgrade parts every few years.

[drogulus]

And just when one thinks the light might be around the corner, RAM prices have now trippled.

Gaming is starting to become an hobby for rich people.

    There is still good stuff cheap if you're willing to to play at lower settings. Behold...

If I was going to buy a prebuilt I'd probably get a PowerSpec from MicroCenter. The prices are reasonable and they're easy to upgrade.

   


    AMD Ryzen 7 7700X (4.5GHz) Processor
    Gigabyte B650M C V3 Motherboard
    32GB DDR5-6000 RAM
    AMD Radeon Graphics
    1TB NVMe SSD
    Gigabit LAN, WiFi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 4.2
    Windows 11 Pro

    I'd have to add a GPU because integrated graphics on the 7700x are heinous. But it's a nice unit for $899.

   

[PaulR]

PC gaming, yes, gaming no. You can buy a console for a few hundred bucks, and they usually play new games, old games, AAA games and indie games.

For PC gaming it is just the pendulum swinging back around. There are periods in which it is affordable, and periods in which it is not. BUT... the stagnation in hardware means you don't have to rush out and upgrade parts every few years.

I wonder if the AI bubble bursts, if RAM will lower in price or if this will be the new normal regardless of AI.  I am lucky I got my new PC last year, maybe not the top of the line GPU (I got a 4070 Super TI. SO I should be good for several years)

I'm somewhat concerned about the affordability of Console gaming going forward--the price increase for Game Pass (I...have to remember to cancel my sub), and $70-$80 games at the top end for AAA. 

[DavidW]

I'm somewhat concerned about the affordability of Console gaming going forward--the price increase for Game Pass (I...have to remember to cancel my sub), and $70-$80 games at the top end for AAA. 

I thought MS walked that price increase on gamepass back almost immediately due to the backlash. As for the pricing of games, I don't buy them unless they are sub-$40. Isn't $80 only gta6, literally the only game that could get away with it? I remember that as soon as other publishers tried the same thing they needed to immediately walk it back because no one was buying.

[PaulR]

I thought MS walked that price increase on gamepass back almost immediately due to the backlash. As for the pricing of games, I don't buy them unless they are sub-$40. Isn't $80 only gta6, literally the only game that could get away with it? I remember that as soon as other publishers tried the same thing they needed to immediately walk it back because no one was buying.

I believe they only did that in certain countries, not in the US so on 12/1...I'd be paying 29.99. That would be 5 $70 games a year (With the added bonus the game youre playing might leave the service)

It does look like Xbox did shy away from $80 price tag....but $70 would be my limit (that's if I really want the game and cant wait for it to go on sale.)

Has it been confirmed if the next console generation will be all digital?  Which would be terrible for used game market

[Opus131]

PC gaming, yes, gaming no. You can buy a console for a few hundred bucks, and they usually play new games, old games, AAA games and indie games.

For PC gaming it is just the pendulum swinging back around. There are periods in which it is affordable, and periods in which it is not. BUT... the stagnation in hardware means you don't have to rush out and upgrade parts every few years.

I think RAM prices are going to affect everything. I think the Xiaomi CEO came out saying smartphones will get more expensive as well as a result of this.

[Opus131]

And now GPU prices are said to rise again due to the RAM shortage. I give up. I was almost entertaining the idea of upgrading but i think i'll just keep my 5700 XT until its last, dying breath.
 
On a poisitive note old school gaming is doing better than ever. The eXo guys have finally got around doing Win95 emulation. In case you don't know, eXoDOS is a project aimed at "preserving" almost everything that came out for the DOS platform, but this is not just a mere archive since their idea of "preservation" implies the ability for anyone to just get the game up and running without any technical knowhow. Every game is already pre-configured and all you need is a couple of extra steps to get them up and running.

Modern gaming may be going down the drain but at least retro gaming is alive and well.

[DavidW]

I'm currently playing VtMB 2. It doesn't have the multiple endings, plethora of choices, diversity in character design, etc, etc that the original has... but... I still like it.

[PaulR]

My backlog of games is yelling at me....so I started playing Persona 5 Royal again. 

SMT V: Vengeance and SMT: III Nocturne on Steam sale is tempting.