Editing PC game (section)

== Platform characteristics ==
The defining characteristic of the PC platform is the absence of centralized control, an [[open platform]]; all other gaming platforms (except [[Android (operating system)|Android]] devices, to an extent) are owned and administered by a single group.

PCs may possess varying processing resources of video gaming systems. Game developers may integrate options to adjust [[Display resolution#Computer monitors|screen resolution]], framerate,<ref name="ivan11">{{cite magazine|last=Ivan|first=Tom|title=Console Battlefield 3 is 720p, 30fps. DICE explains|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/308112/console-battlefield-3-is-720p-30fps-dice-explains/|magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]]|date=June 20, 2011}}</ref> and [[Spatial anti-aliasing|anti-aliasing]]. Increased [[draw distance]] and [[Non-player character|NPC]]s amount is also possible in [[open world]] games.<ref name="warner11">{{cite web|last=Warner|first=Mark|title=Tweaking Skyrim Image Quality|url=http://hardocp.com/article/2011/11/23/tweaking_skyrim_image_quality/3|publisher=[[HardOCP]]|date=November 23, 2011|access-date=February 24, 2012|archive-date=September 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190917181538/http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/11/23/tweaking_skyrim_image_quality/3|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=cvg11>{{cite magazine|title=DICE on cutting Battlefield 3 console content: 'We're not evil or stupid'|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/313066/dice-on-cutting-battlefield-3-console-content-were-not-evil-or-stupid/|magazine=[[Computer and Video Games]]|date=July 26, 2011}}</ref> The most common forms of input are the [[Computer mouse|mouse]]/[[Computer keyboard|keyboard]] combination and [[gamepad]]s, though [[touchscreen]]s and [[Motion controller#Gaming|motion controllers]] are also available. The mouse in particular lends players of [[first-person shooter]] and [[real-time strategy]] games on PC great speed and accuracy.<ref name="nintendo">{{cite web | author=Joe Fielder| title = StarCraft 64| work=Gamespot.com |date = May 12, 2000| url = http://www.gamespot.com/n64/strategy/starcraft64/review.html?q=starcraft%2064| access-date = August 19, 2006}}</ref> Users may use third-party [[Input device|peripherals]].{{citation needed|date=January 2016}} 

{{Essay-like|date=April 2023|section}}

The advantages of openness include:
;* Reduced software cost
: Prices are kept down by competition and the absence of [[platform-holder]] fees. Games and services are cheaper at every level, and many are free.<ref name=sweeny07>{{cite web|last=Sweeny|first=Tim|title=Next-Gen podcast|url=http://wap.evilavatar.com/forums/showpost.php?p=824721&postcount=13|publisher=[[Next Generation Magazine]] podcast|access-date=February 23, 2012|year=2007|quote=We've been developing games that are community-based for more than ten years now, ever since the original Unreal and Unreal Tournament. We've had games that have had free online gameplay, free server lists, and in 2003 we shipped a game with in-game voice support, and a lot of features that gamers have now come to expect on the PC platform. A lot of these things are now features that Microsoft is planning to charge for.|archive-date=May 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514233614/http://wap.evilavatar.com/forums/showpost.php?p=824721&postcount=13|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=lane11>{{cite web|last=Lane|first=Rick|title=Is PC Gaming Really More Expensive Than Consoles?|url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/121/1214544p1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111213174954/http://pc.ign.com/articles/121/1214544p1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 13, 2011|website=IGN|date=December 13, 2011}}</ref>
;* Increased flexibility
:PC games decades old can be played on modern systems, through [[Emulator|emulation software]] if need be. Conversely, newer games can often be run on older systems by reducing the games' fidelity, scale or both.
;* Increased innovation
: One does not need to ask for permission to release or update a PC game or to [[Video game modding|modify an existing one]], and the platform's hardware and software are constantly evolving. These factors make PC the centre of both hardware and software innovation. By comparison, closed platforms tend to remain much the same throughout their lifespan.<ref name=economist12 /><ref name=bertz10>{{cite magazine|last=Bertz|first=Matt|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|title=Valve and Blizzard Defend PC Platform, Diss Console Flexiblity|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/13/valve-and-blizzard-defend-pc-platform.aspx|date=March 13, 2010|access-date=February 23, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425064648/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/13/valve-and-blizzard-defend-pc-platform.aspx|archive-date=April 25, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There are also disadvantages, including:
;* Increased complexity
: A PC is a general-purpose tool. Its inner workings are exposed to the owner, and misconfiguration can create enormous problems. Hardware compatibility issues are also possible. Game development is complicated by the wide variety of hardware configurations; developers may be forced to limit their design to run with sub-optimum PC hardware in order to reach a larger PC market, or add a range graphical and other settings to adjust for playability on individual machines, requiring increased development, test, and customer support resources.{{Citation needed|date=June 2012}}
;* Increased hardware cost
: PC components are generally sold individually for profit (even if one buys a pre-built machine), whereas the hardware of closed platforms is mass-produced as a single unit and often sold at a smaller profit, or even a loss (with the intention of making profit instead in online service fees and developer kit profits).<ref name=lane11 />
;* Reduced security
: It is difficult, and in most situations ultimately impossible, to control the way in which PC hardware and software is used. This leads to far more [[Copyright infringement of software|software piracy]] and [[Cheating in online games|cheating]] than closed platforms suffer from.<ref name=koroush10>{{cite web|last=Ghazi|first=Koroush|title=PC Game Piracy Examined|url=http://www.tweakguides.com/Piracy_5.html|publisher=TweakGuides.com|date=December 2010}}</ref>

=== Modifications ===
{{Main|Mod (video gaming)}}
The openness of the PC platform allows players to edit or modify their games and distribute the results over the [[Internet]] as "mods". A healthy mod community greatly increases a game's longevity and the most popular mods have driven purchases of their parent game to record heights.<ref name="CinemaBlend_1Jul12">{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemablend.com/games/DayZ-Helps-Arma-2-Rack-Up-More-Than-300-000-Sales-44161.html |title=DayZ Helps Arma 2 Rack Up More Than 300,000 In Sales |publisher=Cinema Blend |last=Usher |first=William |date=1 July 2012}}</ref> It is common for professional developers to release the tools they use to create their games (and sometimes even [[source code]]<ref name=alienswarm_sdk>{{cite web|title=Alien Swarm Game & Source SDK Release Coming Monday|url=http://store.steampowered.com/news/4081/|publisher=[[Valve Corporation|Valve]]|date=16 July 2010}}</ref><ref name="q3source">{{cite news |title=Quake 3 Source Code Released |url=http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/38305| date=August 2005 | access-date= October 22, 2006}}</ref>) in order to encourage modding,<ref name=peel12>{{cite web|title=Red Orchestra dev on mod tools: "I never understand why companies effectively block people from doing that stuff."|url=http://www.pcgamesn.com/article/red-orchestra-dev-mod-tools-i-never-understand-why-companies-effectively-block-people-doing-stuff|publisher=PCGamesN|date=8 October 2012}}</ref> but if a game is popular enough mods generally arise even without official support.<ref name=smith11>{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Adam|title=Mods And Ends: Grand Theft Auto IV|url=http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/10/07/mods-and-ends-grand-theft-auto-iv/|publisher=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]]|date=7 October 2011}}</ref>

Mods can compete with official [[downloadable content]] however, or even outright redistribute it, and their ability to extend the lifespan of a game can work against its developers' plans for regular sequels. As game technology has become more complex, it has also become harder to distribute development tools to the public.<ref name=kalms11>{{cite web|last=Kalms|first=Mikael|title=So how about modtools?|url=http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/battlefield-bad-company-2-pc/1350772-so-how-about-modtools.html|publisher=[[Electronic Arts]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100923144056/http://forums.electronicarts.co.uk/battlefield-bad-company-2-pc/1350772-so-how-about-modtools.html|archive-date=September 23, 2010 |date=20 September 2010}}</ref>

Modding has a different connotation on consoles which are typically [[digital rights management|restricted]] much more heavily. As publicly released development tools are rare, console mods usually refer to hardware alterations designed to remove restrictions.<ref name="console_modchips">{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/21/ps2_mod_chip_win/|title=Judge deems PS2 mod chips illegal in UK|website=[[The Register]]|access-date=September 22, 2006|date=July 2004}}</ref>

=== Digital distribution services ===
{{Main|Digital distribution of video games}}
PC games are sold predominantly through the Internet, with buyers downloading their new purchase directly to their computer.<ref name=economist12 /><ref name="esafacts12">{{cite web|title=2012 Essential facts About the computer and Video game industry|publisher=[[Entertainment Software Association]]|date=March 2012|url=http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2012.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102205511/http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2012.pdf|archive-date=January 2, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> This approach allows smaller independent developers to compete with large publisher-backed games<ref name=stuart10 /><ref name=garr11>{{cite web|title=Download distribution opening new doors for independent game developers|url=http://www.statesman.com/business/technology/download-distribution-opening-new-doors-for-independent-game-1409285.html|publisher=Statesman.com|date=17 April 2011|last=Garr|first=Brian|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110421074810/http://www.statesman.com/business/technology/download-distribution-opening-new-doors-for-independent-game-1409285.html|archive-date=April 21, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> and avoids the speed and capacity limits of the [[optical disc]]s which most other gaming platforms rely on.<ref name=kuchera07>{{cite web|last=Kuchera|first=Ben|title=Is Blu-ray really a good medium for games?|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2007/01/6658/|website=Ars Technica|date=17 January 2007}}</ref><ref name=rage_capacity>{{cite web|title=Rage Will Look Worse on 360 Due to Compression; Doom 4 and Rage Not Likely for Digital Distribution|url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/53976/rage-will-look-worse-on|publisher=[[Shacknews]]|date=1 August 2008}}</ref>

[[Valve Corporation|Valve]] released the [[Steam (service)|Steam]] platform for Windows computers in 2003 as a means to distribute Valve-developed video games such as Half-Life 2. It would later see release on the [[Mac OS X]] operating system in 2010 and was released on Linux in 2012. By 2011, it controlled 70% of the market for downloadable PC games, with a userbase of about 40 million accounts.<ref name="forbes-gnprofile" /><ref>{{cite web|title=40 Million Active Gamers on Steam Mark|url=http://gamingbolt.com/valve-releases-pr-steam-userbase-doubles-in-2011-big-picture-mode-coming-soon|publisher=Gaming Bolt|access-date=7 January 2012|date=6 January 2012}}</ref> [[Origin (service)|Origin]], a new version of the [[Electronic Arts]] online store, was released in 2011 in order to compete with Steam and other digital distribution platforms on the PC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://investor.ea.com/common/download/download.cfm?companyid=ERTS&fileid=475188&filekey=6d4ea4b7-0389-4c68-964f-af21a86c5a7d&filename=E3_2011_IR_Breakfast_-_6-8_-_small_file_size.pdf|title=PDF E3 2011 Investor Presentation|access-date=2012-04-26|publisher=[[Electronic Arts]]}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=January 2024}} The period between 2004 and now saw the rise of many digital distribution services on PC, such as [[Amazon Digital Services]], [[GameStop]], [[GFWL]], [[EA Store]], [[Direct2Drive]], [[GOG.com]], and [[GamersGate]].

Digital distribution also slashes the cost of circulation, eliminates stock shortages, allows games to be released worldwide at no additional cost, and allows niche audiences to be reached with ease.<ref name=senior11>{{cite magazine|last=Senior|first=Tom|title=Paradox sales are 90% digital, "we don't really need retailers any more" says CEO|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/07/06/paradox-sales-are-90-digital-we-don%E2%80%99t-really-need-retailers-any-more-says-ceo/|magazine=[[PC Gamer]]|date=6 July 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114030409/http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/07/06/paradox-sales-are-90-digital-we-don%E2%80%99t-really-need-retailers-any-more-says-ceo/|archive-date=January 14, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> However, most digital distribution systems create ownership and customer rights issues by storing access rights on distributor-owned computers. Games confer with these computers over the Internet before launching. This raises the prospect of purchases being lost if the distributor goes out of business or chooses to lock the buyer's account, and prevents [[First-sale doctrine|resale]] (the ethics of which [[First-sale doctrine#Application to digital copies|are a matter of debate]]).

Valve does not release any sales figures on its Steam service, instead it only provides the data to companies with games on Steam,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2011-04-21-valve-no-steam-data-for-digital-sales-charts|title=Valve: no Steam data for digital sales charts|date=April 21, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Parfitt |first=Ben |url=http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/digital-charts-wont-pick-up-steam |title=Digital charts won't pick up Steam &#124; Games industry news &#124; MCV |website=MCV |date=April 21, 2011 |publisher=Mcvuk.com |access-date=2013-08-28}}</ref> which they cannot release without permission due to signing a [[non-disclosure agreement]] with Valve.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kuchera |first=Ben |url=http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/its-time-for-the-gaming-press-to-grow-up-and-ignore-the-npd-group |title=The PA Report – Why it's time to grow up and start ignoring the monthly NPD reports |publisher=Penny-arcade.com |date=2012-07-02 |access-date=2013-08-28 |archive-date=March 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130306103524/http://penny-arcade.com/report/editorial-article/its-time-for-the-gaming-press-to-grow-up-and-ignore-the-npd-group |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/61425/Garrys-Mod-Breaks-1-Million-Sold-First-Peek-At-Sales-Chart |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530001351/http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/61425/Garrys-Mod-Breaks-1-Million-Sold-First-Peek-At-Sales-Chart |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 30, 2013 |title=Garry's Mod Breaks 1 Million Sold, First Peek At Sales Chart – Voodoo Extreme |publisher=Ve3d.ign.com |access-date=2013-08-28}}</ref>
However, [[Stardock]], the previous owner of competing platform [[Impulse (software)|Impulse]], estimated that, as of 2009, Steam had a 70% share of the digital distribution market for video games.<ref name="Graft">{{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/stardock-reveals-impulse-steam-market-share-estimates |title=Stardock Reveals Impulse, Steam Market Share Estimates |last=Graft|first=Kris|website=[[Gamasutra]] |access-date=November 21, 2009|date=November 19, 2009}}</ref> In early 2011, ''[[Forbes]]'' reported that Steam sales constituted 50–70% of the $4 billion market for downloaded PC games and that Steam offered game producers [[gross margin]]s of 70% of purchase price, compared with 30% at retail.<ref name="forbes-gnprofile">{{cite magazine|last=Chiang|first=Oliver|title=The Master of Online Mayhem|url=https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2011/0228/technology-gabe-newell-videogames-valve-online-mayhem.html|magazine=[[Forbes]]|access-date=14 February 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.1up.com/news/steam-experiences-sales-growth | title = Steam Experiences Another Year of Sales Growth in 2011 | first = Chris | last = Periera | date = 2012-01-06 | access-date = 2012-02-02 | website = [[1UP.com]] | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120526021635/http://www.1up.com/news/steam-experiences-sales-growth | archive-date = May 26, 2012 | df = mdy-all}}</ref>