Today Rockstar Games announced that they would be releasing GTA IV on the PC this coming November in both North America and Europe. Good news for those holding out for such a version, and those looking to enhance the gameplay through hacks and scour code for some warm coffee. However, with the number of people who seem to have interest in such a port diminishing in recent years, why would Rockstar make such a decision.

GTA has always had a place in the PC world. From personal experience, GTA was the first game that I had ever played online, yelling across the house to make sure no one picked up the phone as my friend dialed his modem to mine. The game was released on the PSOne during the same month in 1997, but that online functionality and the style seemed designed for the WASD or arrow keys (the wall on that issue is still standing). The expansion packs and sequel were released on both platforms within a week of each other, as well, giving PC gamers the continued opportunity to play alongside the console gamers. However, with GTA III the balance of power had shifted. The PS2 came out months before the PC version was even released [which I held out for] and since then that series has had its place firmly in consoles.Not that GTA is the best litmus test for the state of PC gaming, but it is good to note that there are companies that continue to support the platform with AAA titles that have already had huge success across the console market.

Entering this generation of consoles, it has been widely emphasized that if PC gaming isn’t dead, it’s on life support. With developers dropping out of the market, or delaying almost all multiplatform releases, it seems that there is dwindling hope for the previous hardcore market of gamers in their stand to have their PC platform as their sole platform. Electronic Arts has removed the popular Madden series from the PC, where it once held very firm on sales and fanbase throughout its early years, and companies like Crytek (developers of the Far Cry and Crysis series) have scorned the platform’s faithful for their lack of commitment to purchasing through piracy.

Chris Remo, of Gamasutra fame, has an opinion article on the site about the state of PC pirating and just who is to blame in this culture/commerce war. He states that piracy is a problem that can not be ignored, despite the echoes of that being a grossly overestimated (and to some completely fictional) problem. Even games that have been PC-centric franchises like Fallout are having their sequels being built with strong focus on the console market, as the developers have stated how much they enjoy the Xbox 360 platform [link via Kotaku].

It’s not all doom and gloom for PC enthusiasts, however. The market is still there. There are certainly quite a few games that are made for the PC coming along, and the hype along with them. Will Wright’s Spore has received accolades for the last few years and will get many people building up their PCs for the occasion, the relatively new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series continues to draw people towards their newest title Clear Sky and there is always Crysis and company by Crytek, who still devote a lot of time to the PC. Most major titles this year have made their way to the platform through Games for Windows, like Bioshock, Gears of War and quite a few other PC titles.

And, of course, there is always Valve and Blizzard. As mentioned in the Remo article, they seem to remain the untouchables in the industry. Blizzard continues their independence, even through the merger with Activision, and continues to work on their own schedule fueled by hype for sequels to their popular franchises and mountains of WoW gold. Valve works on two fronts, one through the (occasional) release of solid PC-centric games like The Orange Box and all its contents, and the upcoming Left 4 Dead. The second attack point for Valve is Steam, their digital delivery and piracy checksum service that has become a haven and archive for PC gaming. Indie developers and major organizations alike have the platform and the audience thanks to their efforts, and we’re all thankful.

PC gaming’s demise has been predicted since the home consoles first started to gain steam during the era of the ColecoVision (and the gaming crash shortly following). However, as the console market begins to mimick PCs more by having the online components, high density inputs and multiple control interfaces across many platforms, the idea that the PC world is due for a sudden and complete shutdown will never be too far from the gaming community, but it seems that all it takes are a few solid titles to get gamers excited about their keyboard and mouse again.

PC gaming is dead. Long live PC gaming.