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Gabe says: “The PC is still the centre of innovation”

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Even with Valve’s recent interest in multi-platform gaming, with Steam for Mac, the rumored Steam for Linux, and their reemergence in PS3 development, they started out on the PC, so naturally, they’re more interested in us.

Gabe says: “The PC is still the centre of innovation”

At CES, in Las Vegas, Gabe not only praised Intel’s Sandy Bridge processor, which combines a GPU and a CPU, mentioning that it “allows for a console-like experience on the PC”, implying that this processor will permit developers everywhere to create and optimize engines easier, and that PC users will have an easier time upgrading and running games.

He also talked about the possible superiority of the PC platform, due to its open nature:

“We see [the PC] as the centre of innovation of everything that’s going on, whether it’s microtransactions, MMOs, free-to-play, or something like CityVille which – after its first month – has 84 million people playing. To us, this is just an indication of why open platforms are where innovations are going to occur.”

We agree with Gabe, but it is interesting to see him mention MMO’s. While the power and innovation of the MMO must be recognized, we can’t help but be a bit curious.

Remember, one of Valve’s first game designs, Prospero, later evolved into a MMO. While development on Prospero eventually ceased, and Gabe and Doug consider “Prospero, the game we never shipped” as one of their failures, Gabe said this back in June 2006:

Would you still like to do Prospero?
Yes. Right after TF-2.

With DotA 2 representing Valve’s first fantasy title, who knows what they’ll do next?

Just make sure it comes out after Episode Three, please.

7 Comments

  1. I agree that the PC is a superior for desktop gaming- try running starcraft 2 on your mac and you will agree- but desktop gaming is hardly the only frontier for gaming innovation. Look at the plethora of games emerging for mobile, and especially iOS! iOS can’t be ignored for the innovation going on there.

    • Absolutely, but Gabe’s point was that it was the biggest centre for gaming innovation, due to its more open nature. Innovation is happening on many platforms, but it’s more noticeable on the PC, I’d say.

      • You think? Games that use the accelerometer on your iphone or ipod touch, and kinect that uses your body as a controller are the biggest innovations I’ve seen since the Wii. But I can’t say its the only innovation because I don’t do a lot of desktop gaming.

        • Naturally, those are innovations, but arguably, they are mere gimmicks. In any case, the PC’s innovations lie in its open nature, and especially in terms of technology. The Sandy Bridge is one such example. Same with microtransactions, free-to-play, and some of the most powerful and robust engines of the last decade started out on the PC. Unreal, Source, CryEngine.

  2. At least one company recognizes the PC as a good gaming platform, I was starting to get a bit worried that PC gaming was dying.

  3. Good to see Valve still rooting for the pc.

  4. I am glad to hear that I am not the only one who thinks that the PC is still the ultimate gaming console and center of innovation.
    I also don’t understand why some companies that started on the PC have turned their backs towards the PC *cough* Red Dead Redemption *cough*

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