Gabe Newell Explains Why PC Gaming is Awesome

In the latest issue of PC Gamer UK, Gabe Newell, the head-honcho of Valve, explained why PCs are still being used today. Right out of the gate, Gabe talks about how PCs are great bang for your buck, “There were 350 million PCs sold last year so the economies of scale are tremendous so you get great value for money.”

That may sound erroneous as laptops and computers cost a bit more than consoles, but you have to realize that PC games are usually much cheaper than their console counterparts. This is due in no small part to Valve’s fantastic summer and holiday sales.

Gabe then talked how PCs are customizable and people get to “have the one they like”. Newell elaborated further, “People like their PCs. There are huge numbers of them and each person gets to have the one that they like rather than the one that someone else has defined for them.”

That seems to be a statement that teeters on personal preference as plenty of people would rather not worry about anything and just turn on a console. Although, as someone who has custom-built his last three computers, I definitely have to go with Newell on this one.

It may seem corny but Gabe says that he isn’t in this booming gaming industry for the money. He is just doing what he loves and enjoys working with people, “For me, it’s always been about opportunities to work with people I really like and respect. And to build stuff. In that sense, as Valve has been more successful, it’s brought in an even more talented and stronger group of people for all of us.”

While it may come off as cliché or even as a lie, it’s hard to think that Gabe isn’t constantly having the time of his life when talking to people…well, save for one German hacker.