Im tired of "Better Graphics" being a major argument of PC vs. Console

[Ildanach]

What's stupid is how held back game development for PCs is because the industry insists on porting games to consoles. Or in most cases with even more tragic results, the other way around.

What I think is stupid is this argument.
The developers want more money therefore it has to be multiplatform, it is easier to make a version directly 1:1 on all platforms, it is more fair too.
Even PC exclusives aren't using all the hardware available, did Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3 use all the hardware?
Do Paradox use all the extra PC hardware for their PC only games?
No they don't.
Exclusives could have the best graphics technology in it but they usually don't.
Only thing I have seen that has come close is The Witcher 2.
No its not consoles... its developers.
As shown by CD Projeckt

OT. No one platform is superior it is the games that make the platform not the platform.
For example Ps3 has more games I like on it than PC and its region free so I can play games in many different languages/styles and I can import unlike on PC in recent years thanks to STEAM/GFWL/Origin. I live in NZ online store deals make life so much easier

Also I am aware that I can change language options/play different styles of on PC too but the imports are a greater subject here.
Also I like boxes most of the time I hate digital distribution (apart from GoG no DRM soundtracks and wall papers I can make into boxed copies etc) and hope that boxed copies always stay the norm.

 

[hazabaza1]

While the better graphics are nice, it's because of higher FPS that I generally prefer gaming on a PC.

 

[NoNameMcgee]

snip

Look, I'm not one to get involved in system wars, I am a PC gamer, and I am biased because PC is obviously my preference. I don't care if people prefer consoles and the most I'll ever do is make a few jokes.

But when it comes to specific games. Well, the fact is, if a game gets released on a PC, 99% of the time, yes, it's better. Objectively. Unless its a really shoddy port.

If you have a system to utilize what a game offers, you can enjoy not only better graphics, but much higher framerates (resulting in much smoother, more comfortable gameplay), and higher choice of control schemes. Personally I used an X360 controller for Sleeping Dogs anyway, so it was essentially the console version except it looked better, and played better. I fail to see how you can honestly say the console version is better when taking these things into account. and this applies for the vast vast majority (so vast I'm struggling to think of 5 different examples) of cross-platform PC games ever.

I understand the subjectivity of choosing a platform, and I'm not saying PC's are better than consoles (although they are in my opinion, obviously) because you have to take into account a lot of different things that are personal. But if you HAVE a PC that can handle playing the latest games, yes, any game is almost certainly better on PC, full stop. That is just something you'll have to deal with.

 

[J3bba]

My main argument for PC over console is mouse and keyboard...
and the fact that online is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better...
and mods...
and the list goes on...

 

[TelHybrid]

More reasons PC gamers have a better deal:

1. No proprietary peripherals. Competitive pricing.

2. Mods

3. Free DLC (not always but often)

4. More control choices. Not a fan of keyboard and mouse? Plug in a 360 controller!

 

[Daveman]

My argument is usually along the lines of "I can play Just Cause 2 on the train."

That and everyone has one generally speaking so it's quite easy for me to get a bunch of mates over to play 4 player L4D2 with everyone having their own screen.

Laptop gaming is legit.

Also there is one game literally all my friends have played at some point, Rome: Total War. Everyone I know likes it. Now imagine playing it on a console... and you see the other argument.

4. More control choices. Not a fan of keyboard and mouse? Plug in a 360 controller!

Or use both in one game. My mate uses a mouse and keyboard for running around in JC2 but then switches to a 360 controller for vehicles.

 

[Shadowstar38]

A slightly prettier picture isnt really a good enough argument for PC gaming to be superior. And really, that and the "FPS's are better" arguments are the only ones I've heard. spoken ad nauseum.

What about modding and customization? That's the main draw to PC, for me. Well, that and I like PC games...

Modding can possibly make a game more fun, I'll give you that. But customization is only an advantage if you know what all the shit in there is. With a console, you can pop a game in there from the begining of the console's lifespan to the end without worrying about minimum system requirements.

 

[VeneratedWulfen93]

Usual escapist majority PC gamer community. I really hate having my console shit on. I actually feel like some form of tramp, punished because I've kept my 360 since it was released and had fun with it.
In all honesty I will never become a PC gamer. Xbox exclusives rock, none of my friends have PC and never will and I can't play PC in my room.
You see my router is on powersave mode, it goes off at 11pm every night. Alot of PC games require an internet connection to even run so theres another reason why.

My biggest gripe with PC gamers is how they seem to be trying to get people to play PC when they put forth the reasons a PC is better. They write this big list that looks like an advert trying to convince whoever is reading to buy PC. People play what they want for their own reasons.

 

[Hagi]

PCs, simply put, are better than consoles. By simple virtue of consoles being less powerful PCs.

Consoles might get some great exclusive games, but that's not a virtue of the console itself.

You might bring up that consoles are more plug and play, but with current processor speeds and connectivity that really doesn't go any more. Game installations on PCs are faster than they ever where, plus consoles often feature installation times as well. Driver updates are easier and faster than ever and rarely pose any problems at all.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the people who use either of these are in any way or form smarter or better than one another.

I was still playing on my Gameboy Advance a few years ago and had great fun with it. As a gamer that platform was an excellent choice because I greatly enjoyed playing on it. But as a platform the Gameboy is, obviously, vastly inferior to other platforms.

Hell, my PC can emulate a Gameboy and do literally everything it can. If the PS3 and XBox 360 OS were open-source my PC would be able to run those within a few months as it'd take no time at all for people to get basic hardware support up and running.

Purely as a platform the PC is, and will always be, superior. Simply because even at the release date of a console there'll already be PCs with more powerful hardware.

As a gamer however the best choice is, and will always be, the platform on which you have the most fun. And, as anyone with age old Gameboys can tell you, inferior platforms can still be a hell load of fun.

 

[Griffolion]

All I'm going to say is, I've seen the differences between games that are on both console and PC; and I laughed at how much better it was on PC. The differences weren't slight, they were enough to elicit a "wow, the PC version really is generations ahead, graphically" response. Because they are actually generations ahead.

Sure graphics aren't everything, but they are a hell of a lot. I'm blessed with a good pair of eyes, and thus can't admit to playing any games that are purely an auditory experience. Direct me to some that are recommended.

Besides, it's all relative. Graphics are a lot to one person, not so much to another. There is no "right" answer in this discussion. It's a case of what you like.

As a game however the best choice is, and will always be, the platform on which you have the most fun. And, as anyone with age old Gameboys can tell you, inferior platforms can still be a hell load of fun.

Well put.

Captcha: you rock! - I know captcha, but it's so hard to be this awesome all the time...

 

[Signa]

Siding with PC gamers here. Once you get used to the fidelity of games on the PC, looking at a console version is like wearing sunglasses indoors. You take them off (look at the PC screen) and you feel like you can see the world anew.

And as someone said, graphics don't matter because Deus Ex. The problem is that there is no Deus Ex of the modern gaming world (Shut up! No matter how good HR was, it still doesn't match the original). Maybe if quality titles like that could be made again, you'd hear less about graphics and more about the importance of game mechanics.

 

[KINGBeerZ]

i find it annoying when people say that any game platform, system, pc etc. is better than any other one, because really they all have their merits and their downfalls.
portable systems like the DS are portable and easy to pick up and play but have limited battery life, The Xbox 360 Has a nice variety of games and good online play but it's graphical capabilities may be lacking and it focuses a lot on shooters (my opinion), PC has a lot of it's own unique games and can have very good graphics but is much more expensive and the WII has some of the best multiplayer but some terrible controls (seriously whenever i have the choice i'll use the gamecube remote.

I also find it annoying when people say that graphics are the most important thing in a game, because really i believe plot is eg.

FFIX amazing plot and characters less then stellar graphics> FFXIII Stunning graphics but less likeable story and characters.

 

[Zeren]

I like the option to use a joystick, controller, or keyboard and mouse. I like the ability to customize the controls anyway I like. I like mods. These are but a few reasons I prefer PC gaming.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

It is funny how some people in almost the same breath on this site (and others) will respond to a thread about PC Gaming with 'the graphics are better' and then go on to 'I don't think graphics matter with a videogame, it's all about gameplay, story, presentation.'

You'd think if the graphics truly didn't matter, then it wouldn't matter whether PC had better ones or not, but I suppose I'm just an uneducated console scrub who doesn't know what he's talking about.

 

[Aircross]

Yeah, graphics isn't the only thing people should talk about when discussing PC vs. Consoles...

I mean, you also have:

-Mouse & Keyboard + Optional Controllers vs. Controller
-Mods vs. No Mods
-Emulators vs. No Emulators

 

[Blunderboy]

The simple fact is, whether you're tired of it or not, the argument is still there and just as valid. PC gaming generally looks a lot better than console gaming. There's also near infinitely superior control schemes and options, often (unless the devs get a case of retardation, like the early Crysis 2 release as an example) much better customization of visuals vs performance and so on and so forth.

There's just no escaping the simple fact that PCs are a superior platform when it comes to hardware and options. There's of course drawbacks like it then becoming harder to develop for as a result and the average PC gamer isn't as easy to please as the average console boy. Comes with the territory, generally.

Oh, and where console gamers just have to bend over, grab their ancles and hope they're able to ride out the shitstorm, PC gamers can usually do something about retardation from game developers. Dead Island as an example. Came with downright stupid issues, damn near no proper customization and was basically a horribad release. Checked a forum I frequent and right enough, third-party customization applications everywhere. Even if you wouldn't trust one of those, you could still fiddle with the files yourself.

If it's broken... you can actually fix it, or someone else can and shares it with you. That just doesn't happen on consoles.

Well said.

It's a fairly major draw for me. That and the mods etc.

 

[lukey94]

Really it's all about getting the most out of what you pay for, you could pay £40 for a game on the Xbox/PS3 and get 30 hours out of it. Or pay £30 for a game on Steam and get 100+ hours out of it. Thanks to places like Nexus mods and the Steam Workshop, additional content is never more than a few clicks away.