Why don't game designers make more games that are playable on bog-standard PCs?

Most games are made for multiple platforms, and so the quality of the game needs to keep up with the most recent console. Also, most gamers game for the "experience," and the high quality and demanding graphics are very important in that "experience."

That said, however, I agree that it's not necessary for all PC games to be the "latest and greatest." As long as the quality of the game (story, game play, re-play value, etc.) is good, I don't mind older graphics. In fact, I'm still playing games like Baldur's Gate. The graphics are horrible, but it doesn't matter.

If I were you, I'd look back in time to find awesome PC games. They'll be cheaper, and honestly a lot of older games are better than what's out right now.

From all of the game developers and publishers in the world today, most of them churn games out designed for the console first because there is generally a higher demand for them and frankly they are able to achieve record sales more so in that market than the PC market.

Eventually over time, popular game titles may eventually hit the PC market; and since with consoles and the game engine in which they have been designed for; are not able to hastily make the transition to the PC environment.

Two major operating system companies in the world, Mac O/S and Microsoft develop operating systems that corner the entire world's market whether for personal consuming or commercial business. In order to drive these buggy operating systems, you would need computer systems to run them efficiently without any forthcoming limitations. Which is why for every piece of software released for the PC world; you are given minimum and recommended specifications.

Every PC game released from the late 1980s till present have this labeling on all original boxed games and it is up to the consumer to choose whether they want to play the minimum specification or the maximum (recommended). It is to provide choice and for those with a certain X amount of resources to keep up with the demands of their own usage and the usage of future expectations.

People's behaviour is often unpredictable, over time, we as human beings regardless of gender , demographics, socio-economic status; will have changing views of a number of things throughout our lives. So with computer games, that is no different to bike riding or buying a car. Those who start up buying a cheap and affordable tool whether for work or as a personal consumer purchase will change.

Its like for me, buying a digital camera to take P&S photos for basic function; over time, that has increased my passion, knowledge and expectations to buy a DSLR. Again the same with bike riding, initially it was for commuting, buying a cheap affordable bike for that purpose, over time; it has led to become a very very expensive hobby as well as exercise. And just with a car also, I use to drive a small economical vehicle, but now drive a somewhat overpowered family SUV.

With this perhaps over-exaggeration, the circumstances are more or less the same; multimedia software developers for design and gaming in accordance with operating systems drive the market to push the boundaries in giving consumers more choices.

If you have a "bog-standard PC", you have it by sheer choice for what ever the reason might be. So if you want to experience proper gaming, then you will have to make further choices whether or not to go and buy yourself another computer system to be able to enjoy that gaming experience; if not, then give you some other alternative choices to perhaps upgrading your system through components.

The same goes with a car / vehicle, you buy a stock standard run of the mill cheap car and if you can not afford to buy a better overpowered car; then you modify it, strictly of course due to the insurance and RTA guidelines; to enhance the exhaust system, the onboard ECU with a power chip; adding a supercharger or turbocharger to increase the performance overall; adding extra airflow to the intake cooler and so forth.

We live in a society where the media (advertising) drives our decisions whether we like it or not

well with more demands from gamers, games need more power to run them, bigger maps, more detailed players, more detailed scenery and such.

if game manufacturers made all games compatable with every PC, or even 10 year old PC's they would take way too long to make and we would be stuck with old game engines.

a new basic computer can play some modern games on low settings. but there are a lot of people with high end gaming machines or even mediocre gameing machines.

The big money is in fast , colorful new games so that is what they develop.