Despite the video game consoles, smartphones and tablets hogging up most of the spotlight when it comes to gaming news, it would indeed be extremely inaccurate to assume that PC gaming is no longer as healthy as it was nearly a decade ago.
EA Maxis lead producer Kip Katsarelis reinforced this fact during his recent interview with GamesIndustry International, in which he asserted that PC gaming space is as alive and healthy as ever.
Currently working on the latest title in the SimCity franchise, the last of which came out in 2003, Katsarelis has no doubts about the game finding a large PC audience eagerly waiting to jump straight into the experience.
Even though the smartphones and current-generation consoles of Sony and Microsoft have been making most of the headlines because of new gaming titles, software updates and supporting technologies such as motion sensing input devices in order to enhance the experience, PC has always been there in the background, managing to stay at least one step ahead of gaming consoles in terms of graphics, performance and online connectivity. While the popularity of alternative gaming platforms has grown in recent years, PC has managed to stay in a league of its own, offering far beyond what other platforms are capable of offering.
Katsarelis pointed out that the huge success of Activision Blizzard’s Diablo III was a clear indication of just how popular PC gaming still is. The game sold 3.5 million copies in just 24 hours of its launch, setting a new record, one that is expected to hold for quite some time.
The lead producer of SimCity further noted that the Sims franchise has also enjoyed a lot of success and proven the fertility of the PC gaming space.
Katsarelis conceded that though there is a possibility of the upcoming SimCity game hitting a number of platforms, the firm considers PC as its primary market.
“I can see us on many platforms, there’s definitely an appetite for SimCity, it’s one of those games that everybody can relate to, they all live somewhere,” he continued. “Not only has gaming changed, there is that whole generation who may be aware of SimCity, and maybe they’ve played the iPhone version of it, but they haven’t really experience that true experience on the PC.”
For those born in the 80s and with an opportunity to experience the titles that arrived on Windows during the 90s, SimCity is a name that they will be pretty familiar with. However, most of the younger generation only got to experience the city-building simulation on other platforms. Maxis appears to bring the game back to the platform where it enjoyed most of its success and earned recognition.
The development of SimCity 5 is being done using the Glassbox Engine and is expected to hit Windows and Mac by next year.
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