PC game

Video games
Platforms Arcade video game Console game Game console Home console Handheld console Electronic game Audio game Electronic handheld Online game Browser game Social-network game Mobile game PC game Linux Mac Virtual reality game
Genres Action Shooter Action-adventure Adventure Casual Puzzle Role-playing Simulation Sports Racing Strategy
Lists Arcade games highest-grossing Best-selling games franchises Longest-running franchises Most-played mobile games Games considered the best Game of the Year soundtracks Negative reception Cancelled games
Development Producer Developer Designer Artist Programmer Design Level design Programming Engine AI Graphics Music Testing
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A personal computer game, also known as a computer game^[a] or abbreviated PC game, is a video game played on a personal computer (PC). The term PC game has been popularly used since the 1990s referring specifically to games on "Wintel" (Microsoft Windows software/Intel hardware) which has dominated the computer industry since.

Mainframe and minicomputer games are a precursor to personal computer games. Home computer games became popular following the video game crash of 1983. In the 1990s, PC games lost mass market traction to console games on the fifth generation such as the Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64 and PlayStation.^{[citation needed]} They are enjoying a resurgence in popularity since the mid-2000s through digital distribution on online service providers.^[1][2] Personal computers as well as general computer software are considered synonymous with IBM PC compatible systems; while mobile devices – smartphones and tablets, such as those running on Android or iOS platforms – are also PCs in the general sense as opposed to console or arcade machine. Historically, it also included games on systems from Apple Computer, Atari Corporation, Commodore International and others. Microsoft Windows utilizing Direct3D become the most popular operating system for PC games in the 2000s. Games utilizing 3D graphics generally require a form of graphics processing unit, and PC games have been a major influencing factor for the development and marketing of graphics cards. Emulators are able to play games developed for other platforms. The demoscene originated from computer game cracking.

The uncoordinated nature of the PC game market makes precisely assessing its size difficult.^[1] PC remains the most important gaming platform with 60% of developers being most interested in developing a game for the platform and 66% of developers currently developing a game for PC.^{[3][better source needed]} In 2018, the global PC games market was valued at about $27.7 billion.^{[4][better source needed]} According to research data provided by Statista in 2020 there were an estimated 1.75 billion PC gamers worldwide, up from 1.5 billion PC gaming users in the previous year.^{[5][better source needed]} Newzoo reported that the PC gaming sector was the third-largest category across all platforms as of 2016^[update], with the console sector second-largest, and mobile gaming sector biggest. 2.2 billion video gamers generate US$101.1 billion in revenue, excluding hardware costs. "Digital game revenues will account for $94.4 billion or 87% of the global gaming market.^{[6][7][better source needed]} The APAC region was estimated to generate $46.6 billion in 2016, or 47% of total global video game revenues (note, not only "PC" games). China alone accounts for half of APAC's revenues (at $24.4 billion), cementing its place as the largest video game market in the world, ahead of the US's anticipated market size of $23.5 billion.^{[citation needed]}

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