Just why is PC gaming the master race?

[Wintermoot]

if there wasn't any steam dev,s would release it with their own DRM just look at consoles they have no steam and seem to be perfectly fine
PC,s can be close to infinitely upgraded and are 100% BACKWARDS COMPATIBLE AND REGION FREE!
can your Xbox 360 run a Australian copy of Halo 1?
well my PC can run ANY region,s games regardless of age!'
now if you excuse me I,m going to play my imported copy of Doom!
PS
just joking with the smugness I just hate it when people say PC gaming is on the brink of death.

 

[Elsarild]

But then again, Console Graphics look like arse.

As someone who games on both PC and console, I would just like to say that the Uncharted trilogy would like a word with you.

As someone who also plays on both the PC and the PS3 I'd like to say that red Dead Redemtion L.A. Noire, killzone 1-3, Homefront, GTA IV, Countless Tomb Raider games would like a word with you.

Sorry, but it dosen't come down to personal opinion, it isn't hard to see how bad the AA is in most console games, and BF3 was a real doosie for Xbox, and didn't look half as good on PS3 as on PC.

Nvidia even did a graph on the computing power of consoles vs pc : http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/09/22/nvidia-say-pc-super-awesome-best-by-2014/

So yeah, some games can do very well in the graphic department, but those who do it really well are few and far between.

 

[Elsarild]

Sorry, connection Issues, double post, please disregard.

 

[Voodoomancer]

Now, to be clear, there's nothing wrong with consoles. However...

... but the keyboard, oh god the keyboard.

What's wrong with keyboards? You're using a keyboard right now. My guess is you just have a really bad one, or haven't thought of remapping the keys to be more comfortable.

Face it guys, the only thing keeping the PC alive is Steam.
...
(Please no raging.)

This is called baiting. You shouldn't do it.

 

[eyel2kay]

I don't understand the frustration with the keyboard...

also the money issue... you spend ~$1000 on a computer that does EVERYTHING, what does a console do? it plays games. On a computer you can do homework, surf the internet efficiently, plays music on speakers than your headphones, video chat with family without consoles (everyone has a computer), etc etc etc. You can say that the console can do some of these things like music or video chat, but really, how practical is it when a computer clearly does it better and can do multiple at the same time.

not to forget, you can spend $1000 some of the best stuff to play the graphic games and if you did it right, you only have to upgrade your graphics card to an sli or just a better one no sooner than 3 years.

 

[joecool5000]

I don't really care what console I play, I just want to play some good games. If I want to play some Halo, I'll play it on the XBox 360. If I wanted to play some Mario, I'd play on the Wii or the DS. If I have an urge for some Portal, Half-Life, Team Fortress, what have you, I'll open Steam on my PC. I'll play on whatever I need to to get a good gaming experience. Who needs to be biased about consoles? Argue about the reason they exist. Argue about the GAMES for Sarge's sake.

 

[A Tasty Burger]

Because they are better than consoles in every way.

-Better controls
-Better graphics
-Modding
-The online community isn't full of 13 year olds
-When something breaks you replace that one part, not the entire console
-You can emulate nearly every other console on your pc
-Building a pc is incredibly fun

 

[aashell13]

Why do you care what other people think of your chosen platform? As long as you have good (i.e. not based on the opinions of others) reasons for playing what you do, why should it matter?

 

[silasbufu]

I, for one, play on Xbox 360 and PC . The "graphics for PC are superior" argument is pretty lame in my opinion . I always looked at gameplay and story first - because I still play games like Neverwinter Nights, Baldur's Gate, Morrowind ( these games are the reason I still use the PC for gaming ). I got an Xbox because I found the PC to be really stubborn sometimes, unpredictable errors, installation problems, crashes and whatnot. That's why I prefer to just put the damn disc in the console and play the game, without worrying about requirements and the such.

I still can't understand why the fuck we can't get along, but I gues that's fanboyism for ya' .

 

[Scizophrenic Llama]

For the most part: People want to justify why they spent $1,200 on a PC versus $200-300 on a console.

If you spent that much on a PC you've just been conned, my good fool! You can get a PC that is better in tech than the console for easily £400 and if you spend more you've just made it last longer meaning you don't have to buy a by-then cheap graphic card that'll allow you to continue.

Sick of people saying PCs are that expensive. Do some research.

I spent $1,200. However, I future proof my computers when I make them new as opposed to just upgrading. So I'm sure I'll still be using this same computer(I doubt I'll upgrade at all for at least the next three years) by the time the next generation of consoles is starting up.

As for the last statement, I never said they were expensive. What I was saying is that the people who do spend the $1,200 tend to be the ones who feel entitled to gloat about the master PC gaming race more-so than those who don't.

 

[guitarsniper]

I play PC because I live in a tiny-ass dorm room with no space for a TV. also i'm not going to buy an xbox now while the next gen console should be out within a couple of years. Am thinking about picking up a controller for my PC for some games. Honestly, most of the hardware we pick up for PC is wasted because devs mostly build games for consoles and their hardware capabilities and then improve them slightly for PC. I have no problem with console games/gamers and would be one myself if i could afford/had space for another gaming setup

 

[Aprilgold]

I've just gotten really pissed off with this one guy who, despite being a member of the master race, just raged at everyone who made the slightest criticism of the PC as a gaming platform. And I'd just really like everyone who does this to stop. It's not the master race, and it just makes you look like a nob when you shout at people for saying that PC gaming isn't absolutely perfect in every way. Now before ANYONE shouts at me I would like to say that I play games on the PC and consoles and, despite both of them having their pros and cons, they are both about the same on quality. PC has mods and the mouse is much more suited to fps' than the Xbox controller but the keyboard, oh god the keyboard.

People who rage at console gamers for being console gamers are only making themselves look like dicks. Face it guys, the only thing keeping the PC alive is Steam.

Now let the foruming commence!



(Please no raging.)

Actually, PC gaming has been alive longer then consoles, and we don't constantly change out hardware, unless we have to to keep up to date. So no, we wouldn't be dead without Steam, it just wouldn't be as big.

On the console bit, how godamn big of a hypocrite that makes you, you complain about PC gamers then say that we shouldn't complain at you, but its ok for you too?

Don't make your opinions facts, because they really aren't, hell, if you hate pc gamers then your just being a elitist console gamer, and then THERES my point, you or I am not better then each other because of what we like to play on.

For the most part: People want to justify why they spent $1,200 on a PC versus $200-300 on a console.

Not that expensive, its actually possible to make a computer to the specs of a 360 for less then a actual 360. And no, you don't need to change out your hardware every year, just about the time that consoles start a new generation and even then you may not have too.

 

[LokiSuaveHP]

Mouse and keyboard will always have superior ability to control.

There isn't a limitation on what you can do with the controllers. You will never be able to have an RTS on a console, which is really something that you have on the PC. Communication will always be limited, unless you use voice control, something that you never will have with a controller.

Recently, consoles have been looking more like computers, do you think that this is an accident.

Why there is so much backlash - because consoles have been getting all of the credit and getting all of the games because they make the most money.

 

[Mr. Omega]

Ok, most of it is subjective matters like m+k vs gamepad and whether or not shiny graphics are that important to you, and it's just very vocal PC Gamers being dick-measuring jerks, but there is one point I'm more than willing to debate.

simple
our communities for the most part are less terrible.

Spoiler: really?

Spoiler: Really?

Spoiler: Really?!

Spoiler: I mean, REALLY?!

Spoiler: Do you REALLY want to make that claim?

Spoiler: Are you SURE you want to make that claim?

Well, post Uber-Update for this community...

Spoiler: ARE YOU REALLY FUCKING SURE?!

And keep in mind CoD exists on PCs as well, and these are just the worst of the worst I could find.

 

[Jazoni89]

Here's a shocker for you guys!

I'm a PC, and console gamer, and i play them both equally as much.

I have no preference when it comes to platform, it could be on a frikken calculator, and I wouldn't care, so as long as the games on it are good.

With a PS3, and a moderate gaming PC, I can play most games, so I'll be in the moral high ground while you fanboys fight to the death.

 

[Bento Box]

For the most part: People want to justify why they spent $1,200 on a PC versus $200-300 on a console.

PC does have the technical concept that nearly every game has potential to have limitless content if the community is determined enough to add to it. That doesn't make it the master race though.

Sorry, buddy, I don't do my PC gaming on overpriced Apple garbage (OOOO, THIS THREAD JUST WENT META). $1,200 for a gaming PC? Please. If I wanted to put together a gaming machine that plays games comparably to a $300 console, I'd have to pay...

About $300. Fact is, desktop PC's are not that expensive if you know how to use a screwdriver (I'm stealing that forever, by the way). You can get a bare-bones rig for about $150, and a mid-range graphics card for roughly the same. Considering that a mid-range card in the year 2011 is orders of magnitude more powerful than the semi-high-end graphic chips that the consoles have had since 2006-ish, you're talking about a vastly superior machine for the same cost.

PC's do come with their own failings. Most of them, though, really boil down to how much effort you're willing to put forth, and how much common sense you have; I use my computer for more than just games - for instance, I'm using it right now to surf the internet. Of course, since I have some common sense, I have antivirus software on it, and tend not to click on every cute-looking piece of malware. Sweeping generalization? Not really, but that kind of scrutiny is part of the upkeep of a computer. Little things like that can become annoyances, and if all you want is to pop a game in and play it, then a console is more for you. This is to say nothing of console exclusives.

I'm not an elitist, but I do recognize that the PC is, if you're willing to show it the love and give it the protection it needs, an objectively more powerful platform.

 

[Blastinburn]

As someone who has mostly migrated from console to PC gaming I think I can explain quite a bit.

Spoiler: PC side:

-As you said, Steam is a major factor, the deals and services provided by the program, such as automated download and install and steam cloud are incredibly useful.
-Convenience, one device that does all the work I need to and plays games, plus I use a laptop so it's portable. PCs also have allot more, and potentially unlimited, space, so you can have more downloaded games installed and ready to play at a time, while on a console you need to change discs (I know you can download full games now, but space is more limited and valuable on a console).
-This includes immediate and nearby access to the internet.
-Control options, on a console a gamepad is your only option and often lacks customizable controls. But in lots of PC games there is not only an option to use a gamepad if you want, but most allow for customizable controls.
-Future, eventually the current consoles will be replaced but you will need to keep the old one around to play old games AND get the new one to play new games. On the PC you just upgrade the hardware to make it powerful enough, then it's just an issue of OS compatibility, which is usually carried over.
-Mods, this one is self explanatory.

Though PC gaming is by no means the master race. While there are only a small number of disadvantages of PCs over consoles they are big ones.

Spoiler: Console side:

-It will work, this was one of the 2 major reasons that kept me away from PC gaming since I got my first console. If you put a game into a console it's going to work, while on the PC you put the disc in (or download the game) you better hope to god (referring to whatever higher power you believe in) that it will work and there won't be one small piece of hardware or software that isn't compatible with the game and that you didn't just spent $60 on wasting hard disk space.
-Intuitiveness, this is the other major reason. A gamepad has a limited number of buttons, so it is entirely possible and feasable to figure out the controls. On a PC though, unless you use a gamepad, you have the entire keyboard that can have any action assigned to any key, and other than WASD + E-action + mouse, there isn't to much of a standard in PC controls and trying to figure them out can be daunting.
-Faster play, this one is less relevant with games needing to install and update just like the PC now, though after the first on disc update this is still true for the Wii.
-Play with others IN PERSON, consoles have 4 controller ports (or connect up to 4 controllers wirelessly) so up to 4 people can all play together on one console. Though it is possible to play with multiple people on one computer, it is difficult without at least 1 gamepad for each player beyond the first and then they have to gather around close to a smaller computer monitor (unless your monitor is huge or you bother to connect your computer to a TV). Also, direct human interaction is important and very enjoyable, a different and unique experience from playing online.

I hope this clears up some of the confusion regarding why PC gamers feel they are the master race and possibly lead to a more peacful relationship between PC and console gamers. Then maybee Nintendo could release a game on something other than Nintendo hardware and the Escapist could give up meat. Tell you what though, I'll settle for Nintendo releasing their entire library via virtual console or re-release, localizing Mother 1 and 3 along with the rest of the fire empblem series, and brining Pandora's Tower, the Last Story, and Xenoblade to america (or at least removing the region codeing), then having Animal rights groups put more money into cultured meat (yes I have watched the Big Picture recently).

 

[Jegsimmons]

i play both, some games i want on pc, some i want on console.

 

[6037084]

Well imho PC gaming can be considered "master race" for a variety of things, better hardware, ability to customize everything exactly to your liking both hardware and software, mods obviously, more indie games, ability to play games from way back in the day, ability to play console games via emulators, arguably superior controls and esports. Out of all of these I find the most important one to be the fact that you can basically run everything on a PC sooner or later, this gives you a chance to play games that were released ages ago and can't be played without spending hundreds of dollars buying consoles and games off ebay.

 

[Wuggy]

Face it guys, the only thing keeping the PC alive is Steam.

(Please no raging.)

Oh you.

Anyway, for me platform is personal choice. I don't care if you opt out for a console or a PC, it has nothing to do with me. 'Objectively' PC is superior to the console, because it can do anything a console can and more. But a console is cheaper and easier to handle. So yeah.

And I use the "Master Race" thing, but mostly for self-deprecating purposes.