Altered Allegiance

[HeartAttackBob]

Switching over to consoles? Leaving your man-cave to be in the living room??
What's next? Will you soon tout the wonders of <a href=http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/01/09/ target=self>Barbie Horse Adventures?

I joke. Consoles aren't all bad, I must admit I have enjoyed many hours of gaming on them over the years, although the last one I personally owned was an N64.
While I place myself firmly in the <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/22-The-Witcher target=self>PC Gaming Master Race, I will begrudgingly confess that if I had the money to burn I'd probably pick up a console or two.

 

[jamesworkshop]

I don't know

Currently Available


Bioshock
Assassins Creed
Mirror's Edge
Borderlands
Street Fighter 4
Resident Evil 5
Devil May Cry 4
Dead Space
Prince of Persia
Fallout 3
Batman: AA
Team Fortress 2
Left 4 Dead
Grand Theft Auto 4
Race Driver: Grid
F.E.A.R 2
Red Faction: Guerrilla
Need For Speed: Shift
Section 8
[Prototype]

Upcomming

Assassins Creed 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Bioshock 2
Dead rising 2
Left 4 Dead 2
Colin McRae: Dirt 2
Dragon Age: Origins
Aliens Vs Predator
Crysis 2
Supreme Commander 2
Mafia 2
Max Payne 3
RAGE
Deus Ex 3
All Points Bulletin
Alpha Protocol
Mass Effect 2
Super Street Fighter IV

And thats just counting multiplatform titles so I don't see a particular need to make a console switch over now or even in the future

PC exclusives
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
Starcraft 2
Diablo 3
Guild Wars 2
Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising
Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer
Torchlight
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Shattered Horizon
Cities XL

I would still say the Golden age of the PC is now

 

[BonerMacTittyPants]

I own 3 consoles and 4 pocket ones. I spend most of my gaming time on my PC.

I am a person who likes to play video games, I detest the word "gamer". I don't get what's the big deal with the whole "pc gaming vs console gaming" thing. I just enjoy the games and don't care about the so called wars.

And no, I'm not a casual gamer.

 

[JakobBloch]

Apostate!

Blasphemer!

ok now that is out of my system lets get serious.

I am a PC-gamer and there is little chance I will ever be anything else. I play console games right enough but in many games I find myself thinking to myself that this would be so much easier or effective with a mouse and keyboard. This is just ingrained in my being. If a game comes out both pc's and consoles I am buying it for the pc even though it might be argued that the game would be easier on the console. The reason is that for me it wouldn't be (unless the controles for the pc was completely broken because the developers are stupid... this is a comment on a resent game from a well known publishers. You get a cookie if you can guess which one.). I am too used to the keyboard and the mouse. A change would take months of rehabilitation.


oh and then of course there is the difference in the price tags on the games. The only reason why I would choose to play a game on a console over the PC would be because 1) the game did not come out on the PC or 2) the game is just more fun when playing with other people (in the same room) in which case my PC is a bit cumbersome.

 

[DevilSShadoW]

Reading the full article, i could feel my PC gamer heart skip a beat. I have to give credit to the author for excellent writing skills.
As for dying PC gaming...no, it's not dying. The real problem is that people are getting (and excuse the term here) dumber and dumber. I have quite a lot of acquaintances that have told me that it's simpler to buy for the console than for the pc because, and i quote "all those installation steps make me go nuts". I received this response from basically 80% of my friends. Hence the "casual gamer" trend. Another term that makes me die a little inside every time i hear it. People just have a dumbed down alternative to PC gaming and for some unexplained reason they are going with it. Fear not my fellow PC gamers because our beloved community is not dying. Think of it as natural selection! The weaker ones go to the consoles whilst the ones who truly love the PC community stick by it. "But that about the games" i hear you say? Well, there will always be good PC games. There will always be PC ports. There will always be BAD pc ports. You see, if you sit back and think about it for 2 minutes you're gonna realize that we are not as "extinct" as some may think. Almost 90% of the console games eventually make their way to the PC (look at Star Wars: The Force Unleashed). Fear not, PC gaming will eventually pick up and eventually overcome it's difficulties. All you PC fans out there, just stick with it a little longer and all your waiting and devotion will be re-payed.

 

[Dirty Apple]

I am going to blow some minds here; you can use controllers with PCs.

I've always wondered, if the second gen consoles offered mouse and keyboard peripherals, would it unbalance the status quo? If the only obstacles to the contentiously prominent PC genres (ie: RTS, Sims, FPS, Strategy) are control options, why hasn't this been addressed?

 

[Hybridwolf]

So your basic message is don't favor one type of gaming platforming? Completely true, but sadly the elitist PC players will disagree, because they have one thing console players don't have: truth.

Yes your PC can run things better, quicker, faster etc etc. But I'd rather be having pure simple fun on the console simply because I can't be arsed to buy and/or keep upgrading a pc nor could I afford it.

 

[smelldredge]

I don't buy the "pc is dead" theme that the article seems to produce, sure, there's a grey area nod in there but it seems like an afterthought. I have all of the big 3 consoles, and a pc, and I spend most of my time on the PC. Personally, i'm glad that console gaming has become more powerful, and drawn market share away from the PC. It's clearly made room for smaller developers to produce and market games, I doubt that Steam would have been nearly as sucessful if they were competing with market giants like EA and activision at launch, instead, other companies focused thier attention elsewhere and left space for a smaller company to step in, with great results.

 

[ike42]

I thought the article was well written and made me question when it was that I took the leap from pc to console. Probably around 2003. Anyway, I just couldn't pass by this article without complaining about the reference to such a horrible movie. The Man in the Iron Mask (and all the musketeers movies for that matter) was a horrible attempt which really just shat all over the original work.

 

[Lost In The Void]

Meh I really can't afford anything other then what I bought before I moved out and went to college so I guess I'm stuck with my RTS and some RPG on my gaming laptop and everything else on my xbox. I have no issues to those who use an exclusive platform but please don't be an arrogant jerk about it unless it's satire please it like religion you can preach and preach but someone always thinks their way is better.

 

[Abengoshis]

Reading the full article, i could feel my PC gamer heart skip a beat. I have to give credit to the author for excellent writing skills.
As for dying PC gaming...no, it's not dying. The real problem is that people are getting (and excuse the term here) dumber and dumber. I have quite a lot of acquaintances that have told me that it's simpler to buy for the console than for the pc because, and i quote "all those installation steps make me go nuts". I received this response from basically 80% of my friends. Hence the "casual gamer" trend. Another term that makes me die a little inside every time i hear it. People just have a dumbed down alternative to PC gaming and for some unexplained reason they are going with it. Fear not my fellow PC gamers because our beloved community is not dying. Think of it as natural selection! The weaker ones go to the consoles whilst the ones who truly love the PC community stick by it. "But that about the games" i hear you say? Well, there will always be good PC games. There will always be PC ports. There will always be BAD pc ports. You see, if you sit back and think about it for 2 minutes you're gonna realize that we are not as "extinct" as some may think. Almost 90% of the console games eventually make their way to the PC (look at Star Wars: The Force Unleashed). Fear not, PC gaming will eventually pick up and eventually overcome it's difficulties. All you PC fans out there, just stick with it a little longer and all your waiting and devotion will be re-payed.

Wow that's exactly how I feel! My friend only argues with subjective points which is annoying.

 

[Abengoshis]

I am going to blow some minds here; you can use controllers with PCs.

I've always wondered, if the second gen consoles offered mouse and keyboard peripherals, would it unbalance the status quo? If the only obstacles to the contentiously prominent PC genres (ie: RTS, Sims, FPS, Strategy) are control options, why hasn't this been addressed?

There is a mouse peripheral for the PS3...

 

[Doug]

Console are just limited PCs.
Why get both a computer and a console when you can have one machine that does it all ?
If you miss using a pad, get a USB pad.

The day I'm stucked on a console is the day I stop gaming, period.

Sadly, because alot of games only come out on console now, or at typically we get a version a year later that is a shoddy port.

I just hope Deus Ex 3 isn't too simplified by its console friendly approach. Action is fine, but Deus Ex was never just about the action.

 

[katsabas]

I liked the article very much. Top notch writing skills. And yeah, PC gaming is not dying, no way in hell (Diablo III is just around the corner) but it IS declining. The way it is written reminds me of one word: depression. That and the fact that the feel of the text seem like the comic Fallen Son: Spiderman. Very nice.

 

[pompom8volt]

"There was a time - let's call it 2007 - where I resolved that any game released on a console where there was likely to be a PC port was either worth waiting for the port or not worth my time. I did so, stubborn and full of self-righteousness at the purity of my chosen platform. To my mind, RPG and RTS games projected onto my television screen were threadbare silhouettes of what could be accomplished by my Windows enabled computer."

ok here is how it goes:

PC:
Shooter
Strategy
RPG
Simulation

Console:
Driving
Hack&slash (all fighting games, Dynasty Warriors, and God Of War)
Sports
Platformer

games under one category suck on the other

2000 is the end of Quality media, not just gaming

Since when do driving games suck on the PC? Sure, with the basic keyboard+mouse set up it rough going, but with the right peripherals the game play far surpasses that of a console.

 

[DObs]

Consoles for show, PC for a pro

 

[Crunchy English]

Good article. Introspective and meandering, but never so self-absorbed I lost interest.

I game almost solely on consoles, but every once in awhile I have to dust of my gaming PC, (I use a mac for just surfing around) turn the big crank handle on it, and boot up steam. Then I look for some classic I'd always meant to play and never got around to it. six months ago I bought the Syberia Double Pack (Although I think I ended up buying that off a service other than steam) Last month I bought the Freedom Force double pack. Both great buys. Both ancient.

Personally speaking, Modern PC games have two disadvantages. One, I work in a console games only store and get a discount on consoles and their games. Two, I freaking hate system requirements. There's nothing worse than buying a game and being told flatout that I have the WRONG BRAND of card.
I haven't bought a PC game from a real-world retailer in years. Steam and I never seem to have these problems.

PC ports are often improved from their console cousins (I'm thinking of Mass Effect here) but I rarely have the forsight to wait for them. The 360 is there in the den, the game is there on the shelf. I'm not willing to wait, or worse buy it again, for an improved visual or a better laid out menu.

On the other hand, Shamus Young's stories alone are enough to make me want to check the mods on games these days. Seems like developers get off easy on PC with the community doing most of the work. Mods are the only thing about PC gaming that I flat out Want.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Mods are the only thing about PC gaming that I flat out Want.

Which is probably why a good number of developers would like to kill off PC gaming entirely and have us all playing on consoles. They've discovered the Holy Grail of low-effort profitability: DLC.

I'm a perfect example of the enemy of these people. I have not bought a single DLC for either Oblivion or Fallout 3. (I do have Battlehorn Castle for Oblivion, but I picked it up when Bethesda was offering it for free.) Why not? Because there are absolutely free, professional-quality Mods out there that blow away anything the DLC can offer. Hoarfrost Castle is an order of magnitude more enjoyable than Battlehorn Castle, and I didn't pay a penny for it. Not to mention other Mods like Ivellion, Bravil: Blood & Mud, Gates to Aesgaard, Return of Dagoth Ur... hell, those are just four of several dozen quest-type Mods you can get for free, never mind the countless other tweak, item and overhaul Mods out there (look up FCOM sometime). Why should I pay for something that isn't even half as good as any of this? I'd have stopped playing Oblivion at least two years ago if all I'd had to enjoy was the vanilla game and the DLC.

And there's the problem, as far as some developers are concerned. They don't care that I'm more likely to buy a game if there is a Mod capability. To them, I'm fickle. There's plenty of console gamers who will buy a game on hype, or for the multiplayer aspect (which is in many ways easier for developers to make than an involved single-player game). And once the console gamer buys the game, that's all they get- there's no Mods, no overhauls, no texture packs to be had. Then the developer can drabble out extra pieces of the game that the console gamer already paid for, with price tags based on points (it's easier to spend points than dollars, there's that little mental disconnect there) and content basically equivalent to a simple quest Mod. Cue the sound of money being raked in hand-over-fist from a captive audience.

I have absolutely no problem with consoles, or those who play games on them. You're my fellow gamers, and I, as someone who has fond memories of console gaming up to the PS1 and N64, salute you. My issue is with the developers who think that my money is no longer worth pursuing, because it's "too much effort" to give me what I'd like. That's fine- I'm not about to shell out $300 for a console and as much for a decent TV (since my only television is an old 20" CRT that hasn't even been plugged in for the last two years) just so I can play your games in exactly the manner that you choose.

 

[Katana314]

I hate these personal-based articles.
I'm a PC gamer not because I'm any elitist or anything, but just by choice. There's reasoning behind it. Sure, it's somewhat personal to me.
1. Being a console gamer is more expensive.
I said it and I meant it. Take a look at the array of games at gamestop and you will rarely see any get below $30 or so, EVEN on the tiny DS. Compared to the every-five-years upgrade you MAY need to do on your PC to keep it current, I'd say that's a fair price. In turn, I get to take a look at more indie and episodic games, whereas thanks to digital distribution, I can even get huge mainstream games for as little as $5. This is just the way I buy things though, as many of my friends are against the thought of *GASP* not buying everything that comes out on release day.

2. I'm not excited by console releases.
Well, don't get me wrong, a cutscene of MGS4 in which a ninja slices through giant bio-weapons is pretty awesome. But all these cutscenes and single-player experiences don't last. The greatest of games got their thrown by being awesome, but they kept it by things like mods and multiplayer. Some would call Bioshock as awesome as Half-Life 2, but truth is it had neither of the M's. Thus, no hype until Bioshock 2. When I spend $50 on something, I want it to be a lasting experience; something 5 months later I pick up and say "Yknow, I haven't played that in a while" As amazing as I'm sure Brutal Legend is, it's single-player and doesn't seem to have some infinite-retention cycle. (Conversely, I got Batman:AA simply because I do NOT get tired of beating up, and hiding behind, thugs)