Right now I believe we are on the verge of PC gaming’s second golden age.
You might remember the first – the arrival of Doom in the mid ‘90s through to huge hits such as Half-Life and StarCraft in the late ‘90s. Then came the slow transition to digital downloads as the industry fought its way through obstacles such as piracy and declining boxed sales.
Now, with millions watching games on livestreaming sites like Twitch, eSports selling out stadiums (I still can’t find a ticket to the League of Legends quarter finals in London, dammit), and virtual reality just around the corner, it’s arguably the most exciting time for PC gaming.
Distributor are also increasingly fighting over this space. For example, Tech Data hopes to become a one-stop shop for system builders by putting dedicated resources in place to support them, while VIP Computers has also signed major gaming brands in a bid to become a top gaming distie. And with that comes more exciting opportunities for retailers and resellers.
To celebrate, PCR takes a closer look at the opportunities around PC gaming in our five-page special on page 18. (check out our digital edition here)
Gaming system builders are enjoying serious success right now (see our special behind the scenes visit to Overclockers UK on page 36), with the likes of eSports, 4K and high-end accessories driving sales. Like OCUK and YoYoTech say, we all have to work together as a community to drive growth in this community-based sector.
Intel has just launched its new Skylake processors, and is already working on some advanced memory tech (read our interview with UK channel sales manager Matthew Birch on page 28).
Beyond that, AMD is already thinking about 16K, having released a new smaller Fury Nano GPU and teased its Quantum concept PC (see page 26). This month we’ve also got interviews with Cherry and PDP, as well as a look at the latest gaming accessories and components.
Also, don’t forget to sign up to PCR Boot Camp North 2015, our next conference and expo taking place in Leeds on November 18th.
We hope you enjoy the issue and it gives you some ideas for your business as we enter the new golden age of gaming.

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