Is PC gaming really worth it?

[M0PHEAD]

This thread seems to be split into two halves: those who say having a mid/high range pc allows you to enjoy a good standard of gaming with moderate graphics capabilities, and those who sing the praises of having a "super rig" that can out-graphic a console or normal pc by miles. Most of both groups seem quite adamant that "teh keyboards and teh mouses" are superior to a dedicated gaming controller.

To that first group- isn't what you're describing basically the console experience?
"I can play a variety of good games without too much expenditure"- Sounds familiar.

For some reason these days there's a real stereotype concerning the "console-tard". But I've gamed for years on that basic everymans platform, the Xbox 360, and don't think I'm missing out on much. If I'd invested the same money in a pc three or so years ago I'd have an OK computer which I could have used to play a couple of exclusives. Same goes for the PS3 I guess. Or I could have sunk an English grand into a high powered rig and played the same exclusives with better graphics, but been too poor to by food or clothes for the next decade.

As a final point; if mouses and keyboards are so superior for the playing of games, why do machines designed exclusively for gaming use controllers? I get that they can be a bit difficult to use in an RTS if the interface is bad, but done properly (in say, C+C Red Alert 3) they handle OK. And lets face it, it's a damn sight easier to connect four controllers to your Xbox for local multiplayer than it is to squeeze even two people onto a keyboard

I could just be an uneducated console-tard misunderstanding the whole issue, and I agree that PCs make up the ground with game customisability, but... I don't know. At best that puts them level with consoles as a platform.

Except the Wii. That thing can burn in hell.

 

[omegaminus]

As a final point; if mouses and keyboards are so superior for the playing of games, why do machines designed exclusively for gaming use controllers?

Probably because of the long-running association of console gaming with playing from the couch. The couch is not at all mouse/keyboard friendly.

 

[Demodeus]

pc gaming only suffers from developers not making enough pc games because of all those tempting PS/Xbox exclusive offers from sony and microsoft respectively.
Other than that its head and shoulders over console gaming. My current pc is 4 years old, I bought it back when crysis was released. Back then, the Playstation 3 went for 500 or 600? I think. I built my pc out of parts and in the end it cost me like 350-400? and Im able to play Crysis on High (ultra is disabled because I wont switch to Vista/7) with 8x AA..
So in the end I spent LESS and got MORE.
Thats why I believe that consoles are crap.. oh, that and the horrible controller.

 

[Delusibeta]

To that first group- isn't what you're describing basically the console experience?
"I can play a variety of good games without too much expenditure"- Sounds familiar.

"I can also play a variety of mods to enhance a variety of good games to make them better". Or I could jack it all in and play Spelunky for free.

Mods and (legally!) free games, are two of the best reasons to be a PC gamer. Another is the prices of the games (I've yet to see anyone sell Dragon Age Ultimate for under the £9.99 I bought it from the EA store, for example).

As a final point; if mouses and keyboards are so superior for the playing of games, why do machines designed exclusively for gaming use controllers? I get that they can be a bit difficult to use in an RTS if the interface is bad, but done properly (in say, C+C Red Alert 3) they handle OK. And lets face it, it's a damn sight easier to connect four controllers to your Xbox for local multiplayer than it is to squeeze even two people onto a keyboard

You mileage may very (e.g. beat 'em ups, but then again arcade sticks tend to trump controllers for them), and certainly joysticks has been present for PC gaming for ages. However, for FPSes, even Microsoft concluded that mouse + keyboard is better than controllers.

I could just be an uneducated console-tard misunderstanding the whole issue, and I agree that PCs make up the ground with game customisability, but... I don't know. At best that puts them level with consoles as a platform.

That's probably because you don't know quite how customisable some PC games are. Obvious example: Half Life 2 [http://www.moddb.com/games/half-life-2/mods]. That's a hell of a lot of content, right there. Sure, most mods don't get released, or get stuck in Development Hell (*cough* Black Mesa *cough*) but for this one game, there's enough released to be getting on with.

 

[xchurchx]

well i look at it this way...
They both have their advantages and disadvantages

 

[Nick Angelici]

PC isnt horrible, I dont mind PC games, but man it cant Devil May Cry for shit with out a controller those keyboard controls suck.

PC cant play EVERY game, thats one thing I learned, and luckly, with a USB controller

 

[Choppaduel]

PC Gaming will always be one step ahead of consoles, although both are perfectly good platforms.

PC: POWER! RTS! THE INTERWEB! SHINY GRAPHICS! CUSTOMIZATION!

CONSOLES: CONVENIENCE! COMMUNITY! COST-EFFECTIVE! PORTABLE!

PC Gaming will always be there, and I think will expand as gaming gets bigger...

People will always fit into the PC Gamer demographic.

Convenience: Laptops can be played anywhere, not just in a place where there a large HD tv. You can buy every PC release online & dl it, rather than having to drive to a store & back.

Community: the PC communities are much more sophisticated, mature, and rational than those of, for example, xbox live.

Cost Effective: I'm guessing everyone of you reading this owns a computer, safe bet. If you have any income & you at all interested in how a PC works, you probably own a desktop, with a pci-e slot & a graphics cards. Now seeing as how you would have bought this anyways to watch movies or whatever you use your desktop for, PCs are already saving $400, and if you encounter a game than doesn't run, you can upgrade the video card or RAM or w/e instead for under $400. Then theres games; Steam greatly undercuts in store prices on titles that have been out for 2 months. (ex Fallout New Vegas was $25 USD over the holidays on Steam)

Portable: yeah you can take a console where you want, but you'd also have to carry around a large tv and a generator to power them both. Laptops are more portable.

So seeing as how PCs are more Convenient, cost effective, portable, and have a better community. I'd say that yes PCs are definitely worth it.

the reason pc seems to be taking a back seat in this generation is simple. console games are easier and cheaper to make and less affected by piracy.

bingo.
For the listed reasons, consoles are better for corporations and worse for the end user than PCs.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

PC Gaming has a greater degree of freedom of play, a huge free back catalogue, no silly charges, multiple sources of where to get your games, very little censorship and still provides the best experience in some categories.

Console gaming has a far simpler set up, far less chance of unexplained errors, no real need for upgrades, greater backing and can be enjoyed by the computer illiterate(like rugrats). It also provides the best experience in some categories.

Pirates exist on both markets and harm both markets. There's more PC pirates because there's more to pirate on a PC.

How about both exist for their designated market?

Either market can be seen as "expensive" depending on how you spend your money.

 

[Bravo 21]

worth it, well I have a stock PC that serves me well, and while it may not be as fast as some of my friends custom Gaming rigs, its cheaper, and as for more on the cost of PC gaming, L4D2 for 7 Dollars on a steam sale! Bad Company 2 for the same amount! go steam sales! that alone makes it worth it for me.

 

[M0PHEAD]

That's probably because you don't know quite how customisable some PC games are. Obvious example: Half Life 2 [http://www.moddb.com/games/half-life-2/mods]. That's a hell of a lot of content, right there. Sure, most mods don't get released, or get stuck in Development Hell (*cough* Black Mesa *cough*) but for this one game, there's enough released to be getting on with.

Customisability is all well and good, but in console land we still get to see it applied to a lesser extent where console games most benefit from it- the user created content communities of Halo 3/Reach being probably the best example.

From another angle I can see how the plethora of free game extending add-ons is a real plus for PC gamers when you want to play that special game you love for just a little bit longer. As a console gamer I make do with waiting for an improved sequel (which I'd have to pay for, -_-), or just move on to a new game. Luckily with the XBLA I have a multitude of inexpensive, fun and innovative titles at my fingertips, and the catalogue of full disc based Xbox games is enough that I'll never be left without something to play.

I guess that's a personal thing- I like to try lots of different and new concepts rather than restrict myself within one game. That said, I spent ages on Fallout 3 acquiring all of the achievements and playing through the DLC, so there's an instance where I would have really liked to get my teeth into modded content.

Like I said originally, there are arguments for and against each platform- if I were looking to advertise console based play I would cite large industry bias leading to more releases, wider social community of players (although half of them are hooting d*ckholes I'll be the first to admit), price, portability, and just being a damn sight more convenient. You'd cite all of PC gaming's advantages and we'd get nowhere because at the end of the day they're pretty much equal.

 

[Choppaduel]

PC piracy is ridiculous.

How is it subject to ridicule? I'd say that it's a very serious issue.

 

[M0PHEAD]

You mileage may very (e.g. beat 'em ups, but then again arcade sticks tend to trump controllers for them), and certainly joysticks has been present for PC gaming for ages. However, for FPSes, even Microsoft concluded that mouse + keyboard is better than controllers.

Mouse- Yes, I can understand how that gives you greater aiming fidelity in a shooter.

Keyboard- Duh-Whuh?
In all the times I've tried to play an action game (say a shooter, a hack and slash, a fast paced puzzler) where the keyboard contains more than three of the buttons needed in regular play, my experience has been a horrible mess off accidental key presses, having to look away from the screen whilst the spawn of satan devours my virtual arse, accidentally closing the game, having windows "shift keys" vomit all over my brain when I could have sworn I turned the damn thing off...
I could go on. It's just not intuitive to me; the thing is a flat board with fifty odd identically shaped and textured buttons, with some slightly easier to identify ones spaced an uncomfortable distance apart!
Yes, I'm not a 'tard. I know where all of the keys are located. But remembering and finding the right one in a split second whilst still manipulating all of the others in a high pressure and above all very distracting situation? No, not a chance. It just breaks immersion; the controls should disappear in one's hands, you should impart your wishes upon the game world without concious thought for the mechanism by which you do so.
That is, unless you're playing MS flight simulator.

Hot damn, that's ironic- I just typed three paragraphs about the unsuitability of keyboards (albeit in a gaming context).

 

[Easton Dark]

Customisability is all well and good, but in console land we still get to see it applied to a lesser extent where console games most benefit from it- the user created content communities of Halo 3/Reach being probably the best example.

That's the best example? That is the least of the lesser extents to which PC gaming is moddable, so, dang. Adding over 100 weapons to Oblivion would probably be the least example for PC. Changing a game into another game entirely would be the greatest.

Mouse- Yes, I can understand how that gives you greater aiming fidelity in a shooter.

Keyboard- Duh-Whuh?
In all the times I've tried to play an action game (say a shooter, a hack and slash, a fast paced puzzler) where the keyboard contains more than three of the buttons needed in regular play, my experience has been a horrible mess off accidental key presses, having to look away from the screen whilst the spawn of satan devours my virtual arse, accidentally closing the game, having windows "shift keys" vomit all over my brain when I could have sworn I turned the damn thing off...
I could go on. It's just not intuitive to me; the thing is a flat board with fifty odd identically shaped and textured buttons, with some slightly easier to identify ones spaced an uncomfortable distance apart!
Yes, I'm not a 'tard. I know where all of the keys are located. But remembering and finding the right one in a split second whilst still manipulating all of the others in a high pressure and above all very distracting situation? No, not a chance. It just breaks immersion; the controls should disappear in one's hands, you should impart your wishes upon the game world without concious thought for the mechanism by which you do so.
That is, unless you're playing MS flight simulator.

*Shrug* I change my keys around so I know where they all are (close to the wasd keys) and I never have to look down or press keys accidentally (except in STALKER where there's like, 30 buttons).

To each their own.

 

[M0PHEAD]

Customisability is all well and good, but in console land we still get to see it applied to a lesser extent where console games most benefit from it- the user created content communities of Halo 3/Reach being probably the best example.

That's the best example? That is the least of the lesser extents to which PC gaming is moddable, so, dang. Adding over 100 weapons to Oblivion would probably be the least example for PC. Changing a game into another game entirely would be the greatest.

Halo- A good example in that virtually every player of online Halo uses the user generated content, and it's shared throughout the community. Anybody can pick up a controller and create a map or game variant, which could be played by thousands of people within the week. Bungie endorses and creates official playlists based around the most popular content.

Compare that to an extra hundred weapons in Oblivion which maybe two hundred people will ever see... You get my point. Some PC mods are unbelievably incredible works of art and dedication which enrich and change the original game, others are pants. The user generated content in Halo stands up in a mid-range "it's good, well integrated, simple to use and popular" way.

I wasn't trying to say console modding is the equal of PC modding (because it really REALLY isn't)- but it can and has been done well, and it definitely adds to the experience.

 

[FieryTrainwreck]

I put together an $1800 machine that functions as my home entertainment hub, and I couldn't be happier. I bought about 30 games on Steam for easily 25-30% what you'd pay for a similar haul on consoles, and I don't have to swap discs to play any of them. Everything looks fucking brilliant, and it's nice to have the entire internet just an alt-tab away.

So I guess for me, PC gaming is fantastic. Aside from a very small handful of exclusives, I never touch my consoles anymore. I've also come to the conclusion that any reasonable person, given the option, would do the exact same thing I've done. It wasn't hard, it wasn't expensive (I spent way more than I needed to - who the fuck needs a SSD?), and the majority of criticisms leveled at "PC gaming" are either woefully outdated or downright dishonest.

 

[Savagezion]

DRM has one major purpose, to cut out the 'used games' market.

1:30 "If it weren't for my horse, I wouldn't have spent that year in college."

There's almost no honor left among those who pirate.

No honor amongst thieves? Nooooo... inconceivable.

 

[M0PHEAD]

SNIP.

I hope i did the SNIP well

Well... you do know you can connect your controler to a PC, right?

A good thing about PC gaming is that its cheaper (many of you are in a state of shock right now). The thing is that you NEED a PC anyway. You dont need a console. I save space and money getting a PC for 750 $ THAT STILL can play everything at Ultra settings.
You dont need 750 dollers to play a PC game and still have it look better than a console one. Console games RUN ON LOW-MEDIUM (at best) settings. I can get a PC that can do that for 300 dollers. I can buy a pre-made one for 400 dollers. Hell my old PC (build in 2001) can run COD and METRO 2033 at the same settings a console can.

Meh, you say that but my computer needs to be a laptop (as I'm a student, portability is key)- and to get a laptop that's console gaming spec is for more expensive than a desktop. Anyway, if you're buying a computer to play games at a console's graphics standard don't you remove one of the core advantages of pc gaming that you're advocating? These days you can get an Xbox 360 for £100 and an OK (not really game standard) laptop to do work and the interwebs for about £250. If you buy you're games from a decent shop (yes I said shop, not the net) then you can pick up three month old titles for a tenner (probably preowned- am I right in thinking some DRM filled PC games don't allow this?).

For me it's a choice which fits my lifestyle as well as what I want from gaming.

PS. Yes, I did know you can plug a controller into your PC

 

[Johnmcl7]

I have been increasingly disappointed with PC gaming over the last few years, I've got a decent machine (i7, 8GB, SSD, 2560x1440 monitor) but the PC doesn't get many big exclusives and much of what it does get is fairly poor ports from consoles. I'm platform agnostic as I think there's plenty to be enjoyed on each platform for any genuine gamers, RTS was always my favourite on PC but recently that genre has been a let down. C&C4 is probably the worst in the series and I wasn't at all impressed with Chaos Rising after eagerly awaiting it for months.

I also seem to end up spending a lot more time trying to get the game working than actually playing the game, while I have the ability to sort out problems I'd obviously rather spend a couple of hours free playing the game rather than raking through forums to find out why half my textures are missing. Chaos Rising in particular was a massive pain in the neck to get going, Steam wouldn't play ball initially and in its usual helpful way wouldn't give any sort of useful error information to work out why it wouldn't start. When I did eventually get it going, Chaos Rising needed a massive patch despite only being released a couple of days ago. When that was finally downloaded it wouldn't let me start a game citing problems with Windows Live taking up to 15 minutes each time just to report back an error. After finally getting the game started I wasn't amused to find most of the textures missing in game which despite the massive patch was a bug caused by having DoW2 installed. Another search online to find the solution for that one, once I could finally play the game I found it quite a letdown and didn't spend much time with it.

DRM is another annoyance with the PC that I'm starting to get sick of, I gave up trying to play Red Alert 3 co-op over the LAN due to problems keeping a connection to the server. My connection was fine but for some reason there were still issues, eventually I had enough as the only way at the time to play with two legally purchased copies of the game was to use pirated versions with a hack which was just a joke.

All that said I do get some game time out of my PC and particularly enjoy some of the smaller indie games, at the moment playing Just Cause 2 which I'd tried as a demo on one of the consoles but didn't like it at all particularly the clumsy controls. However friends had praised it so picked it up in the Steam sale for a fiver, worked fine on my machine out of the box and sunk many hours into it as the controls aren't bad and it looks stunning at 2560x1440.

John

 

[e2density]

Also, you don't have to pay money to use that internet you already pay for monthly (XBox Live)

 

[Signa]

You mileage may very (e.g. beat 'em ups, but then again arcade sticks tend to trump controllers for them), and certainly joysticks has been present for PC gaming for ages. However, for FPSes, even Microsoft concluded that mouse + keyboard is better than controllers.

Mouse- Yes, I can understand how that gives you greater aiming fidelity in a shooter.

Keyboard- Duh-Whuh?
In all the times I've tried to play an action game (say a shooter, a hack and slash, a fast paced puzzler) where the keyboard contains more than three of the buttons needed in regular play, my experience has been a horrible mess off accidental key presses, having to look away from the screen whilst the spawn of satan devours my virtual arse, accidentally closing the game, having windows "shift keys" vomit all over my brain when I could have sworn I turned the damn thing off...
I could go on. It's just not intuitive to me; the thing is a flat board with fifty odd identically shaped and textured buttons, with some slightly easier to identify ones spaced an uncomfortable distance apart!
Yes, I'm not a 'tard. I know where all of the keys are located. But remembering and finding the right one in a split second whilst still manipulating all of the others in a high pressure and above all very distracting situation? No, not a chance. It just breaks immersion; the controls should disappear in one's hands, you should impart your wishes upon the game world without concious thought for the mechanism by which you do so.
That is, unless you're playing MS flight simulator.

Hot damn, that's ironic- I just typed three paragraphs about the unsuitability of keyboards (albeit in a gaming context).

Yeah, that's why I fought WASD controls for the longest time and just shifted all the keys over the to the Arrows. Then I got this [http://www.simhq.com/_technology2/technology_091a.html] and it made things so much better for most of my games. There are still a few that feel better on the keyboard, but the buttons are placed so ergonomically that I don't even look at the arrow keys anymore.

Ok, one exception. I still haven't found a good way to play Thief and Thief 2 without using the arrow keys because of Home/End making great Run/Lean Forward keys. Even so, I still have to reach to the other side of the keyboard to select my weapons.