http://ign.com/articles/2013/07/11/pc-sales-suffering-longest-decline-in-history

This is worrisome.

Gaben must deliver

People realized they can upgrade?

Why bother constantly and more frequently upgrading when requirements are generally more stable when games tend to be developed cross platform? Streaming media, browsing the internet and communicating is easier across the multiple available platforms nowadays and doesn't require frequent upgrades either. Sure there are going to be titles developed with the pc first and foremost in mind and that can be a good thing - it can act as a showcase for what can be done. No reason to splurge over ￡500 on a graphics card though or keep on buying a new desktop unit every year or two just so an insecure muppet can sit their stroking their [censored].

The market is just evening out is all. They act as though we must continue to buy regardless of whether we need it or not.

- Most consumers are happy with the PC they have and only upgrade when it dies.

- Businesses aren't upgrading to Windows 8 and most have already finished their Windows 7 upgrade

- Any gamer who gives a hoot doesn't buy a prebuilt

So, why is this surprising?

What that article fails to mentions is that PC digital sales numbers are not counted anywhere because they are kept secret.

Anything dealing with "PC sales" is almost exclusively physical box related, and a decline in physical boxes isn't surprising, since everything went digital on the PC.

...Okay. I don't really understand why this is worrisome. The basis of tablets and all other electronics starts with computers, they're not just gonna disappear and be taken over by pre assembled developer locked garbage.

Also IGN. I strongly dislike IGN.

They're not talking about games.

IGN only reported on it. They didn't do the research.

The data is collected by Gartner and IDC. IGN is just presenting the article and it's been reported by other news outlets as well.

Does anyone even buy pre-built PCs made by corporations besides laptops?