Developer Bethesda will release Fallout 3 on the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 this autumn, but the game maker concedes that the complexity of the format; the unclear nature of system specifications, has left the PC lagging behind consoles.

"In general I think PC gaming still suffers from the fact that it is one platform, and 10,000 platforms, at the same time," he explained.

Several big name PC releases have failed to sell as well as hoped lately, although MMO games, and online distribution services like Steam continue to thrive.