Add your comments to the bottom of this page. And the bigger market means bigger hits. A leading video game typically sells about 3 million copies a year, vs. about 1.5 million for a year's top seller on the PC, according to PC Data, a research firm. In fact, some analysts and industry executives are now beginning to wonder if the personal computer will ever be able to emerge from the shadow of the dedicated game console as an entertainment device. But today, game-industry observers have scaled back their expectations for personal computers.
Price is one factor.
The devices are made only for displaying games, meaning no other functions or features clutter up the screen or bog down the machine's performance. For that and other reasons, they tend to process graphics much more quickly. And finally, there are key advantages for game developers as well, who like knowing that all users will be controlling hardware with identical specifications. With a PC, you've got to make sure you have the right versions of software installed. A certain number of people will always want a lower-end device.