Posted on June 15, 2012, CJ Miozzi Alienware: “PC Gaming Is The Future”
Alienware has long stood as the leading name in third party gaming PCs, and we had the opportunity to catch up with the company at E3 2012 and discuss the state of PC gaming.
Contrary to what so many would have us believe, Alienware’s Joe Olmsted thinks that not only is PC gaming not dying, but that it’s healthier than ever — and that consoles are the dying breed.
Speaking with the Product Marketing Manager, Game Front asked Olmsted how he would reply to the long-standing claims that PC gaming is dying. “PC gaming is the future,” he said simply.
Olmsted went on to explain that not only will PC gaming weather the storm of the next generation of consoles, but that console gaming is the endangered species:
“PC gaming took a hit when the last generation of consoles came out because of platform-exclusive titles like Halo, but it won’t take a significant hit when the next-gen consoles are released. Consoles are fading. Their distribution model is dying — more and more gamers are buying digitally. Even now, we’re debating whether or not to include an optical drive in our next units.”
Showcased at E3 was Alienware’s X51, a compact rig that combines the aesthetic and portability of a console with the power of a PC: a 3rd generation Intel i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a GTX 555, packed in a case that carries the company’s signature look.
We asked how much importance is placed on the design of Alienware systems, and Olmsted said that the design is the first thing they work on — and do so extensively. Pointing out a case that had automated cooling vents that open based on CPU temperature and a panel that slides down at the press of a button, he said, “We spent hours and hours and hours just deciding how fast that opens.”
The slick design and Alienware quality comes at a price, however, and Olmsted admitted that Newegg is the company’s biggest competition — consumers who assemble their own PCs. But that doesn’t make the PC enthusiast the enemy. “We respect the do-it-yourself guy,” said Olmsted, and pointed out that many Alienware customers eventually make their own upgrades on a pre-assembled system to prolong its life.