PC Gaming is Cool And All... But...

[Sampler]

Now I have fourteen games consoles - but I prefer gaming on the PC, it's my personal preference - what I don't get are all the arguments.

Keyboard & Mouse vs Pad - PC's support pads, hell the wired xbox one plugs straight in and you can get adaptors that allow you to use keyboard and mice on games consoles - a friend of mine was looking to buy one for his PS3 only the other day.

Cost - Games consoles cost less, apparently, as PC's need updating every two years. My "gaming" PC was built in 2006 - it is infact older than my 360, Wii and PS3 and it still plays all the latest titles looking as good as the console version. I did spend £600 building the machine myself to start with so it's twice the price of the PS3 - but it does alot more, I can use my PC for work, and indeed have as I had a job where I worked from home half the time. Since the install other OS was taken of the PS3 I certainly couldn't use that - and probably couldn't with the option anyway. But gaming costs aren't down to the initial hardware - gaming costs are ongoing as games cost money - if I want to pre-order the new Deus Ex I'm looking at £35 for PS3 or 360, PC £28 (all prices current on Amazon) a friend of mine got the "augmented" edition for £25 on pre-order.

This is consistent across every game I've looked at buying, PC games are simply cheaper, on average £10 (yeah, I didn't pick a great example above). Plus there's additional hardware, second xbox pad, £25-£30 - two player's not a problem on the PC, you don't have any friends.

J/K'ing

PC Games getting sub-par Console ports - game's crap don't buy it, ***** at the company who made it why you're not buying it so they can make an informed decision next time, general bitching on the interwebs at those who bought the better console version isn't going to get back to the studio to make the changes that are needed.

I don't see why people get bent out of shape about it - use what you feel comfortable with, I like RTS and FPS-RPG both I feel more comfortable playing on the PC. It's other folk spending their money and what you have to say may have no bearing on how they like to game. If you can, buy everything, then the issue is moot - but only if you can afford it, otherwise you may be making the choice between car insurance so you can keep your job or eating.

I wonder what instruction manuals taste like, not like I've ever read them so they might aswell go to some use...

 

[Stalydan]

I personally think that cross-platform multiplayer would be pretty cool. But it won't happen if we keep bickering about whose machine does what better.

Well that my friend is already happening with some games. Now that PSN and Steam are linked up together, you can play Portal 2 with anyone from your Steam or PSN friends list or just anyone in general on those two online systems. And I don't think Valve is going to stop there. I can see future Valve developed games also having this feature. I know I wouldn't invest all that money just to have that one cross platform feature in one game.

 

[Henkie36]

You make the argument of graphics, but, be fair here. When the PS2 hit its graphical limits, the pc kept moving on, so it went on to look better.

Controllers will never offer the precision of consoles which mouse and keyboard do. End of story.

And most importantly, where as consoles are stricktly limited to gaming and maybe a few things that have an entertainig value, pc's are useful for everything else, including what consoles can do.

And be honest to yourself here. Who here knows a person who does have a console, but doesn't own a pc? You'll buy one anyway, might as well be a good one.

 

[Vigormortis]

snipped to shorten post

Take a PC when you want capability, take a console when you want convenience.

I'm not entirely sure just how exactly this is a topic worthy of any real discussion.

QFT. Very much so. In the end, this is really what the whole debate boils down to. From my own personal experience, most people I've met who prefer console gaming (and often tout it's "superiority"), tend to have this very dilemma. Either a misunderstanding about or lack of knowledge in PC gaming and the associated hardware. More then likely it's due to them being too easily or too willing to buy into the misconceptions on PC gaming. Like having to "upgrade" every year or two, or having to spend $1000 for the initial setup to play any of today's titles.

This is, of course, all bollocks. In truth, over the long run, it's actually cheaper to game on PC. For example, reusing some hardware I had from back in 2006 (including my case), I was able to upgrade to my current rig which can hand everything I can throw at it on the highest settings (even the fabled Crysis), for around $400. Granted, I still plan to invest in a second GPU for a Crossfire setup (and upgrading my CPU and maybe doubling my ram in about a year, for personal reasons), but as it stands, my rig is more than capable of running anything out now or to come in the near future. Which is more than today's consoles can say.

Ah the glorious PC Gaming Master Race.

Honestly I could care less about PC Gaming. IMO, it's much harder to play a game on a keyboard and mouse then it is on a controller. It's also feels a lot more tense (not the good kind) to stand up straight (unless your playing WoW) playing on the PC when you can just sit and relax and still be competitive on a console.

PC has an edge on graphical capability (if your rich enough to buy the hardware and make it), mods (could care less about USER content unless it's missing content mods that were cut from the orignal game at launch like KOTOR 2 or graphic patches, otherwise, every other mod is pretty useless.), and...well I'm not sure what else but someone who is a heavy pc gamer will probably comment on this post and say something else.

Otherwise, consoles are just a lot more user friendly and a lot more people have always played games on consoles then they did on PCs.

Ah the glory of irony. Just as you mock PC gamers for claiming to be "superior" (clumping all of us into the same obnoxious group, even though most don't make that claim), you yourself act exactly like those you mock. Wait, that's not just ironic. That's...um...what's the word I'm looking for here?

Anyway, regardless, within your opinion you prefer console gaming. That's great! Believe it or not, so did I. I grew up with the things. (even play several today)

However, I have to ask. What in the hell are you talking about?

PC players have to "stand up" to play whilst consolers can sit? This statement must have been made in haste or some kind of stupor because it makes no sense at all. I, in fact, am currently reclining on my couch in front of my big screen, flat panel TV as I type this. (PC's hooked up to the tele and a monitor for dual-screen goodness)

Mods useless? I know most people aren't aware of this but many of today's best selling games owe their ideas (and often their entire origins) to those so-called "useless user-generated mods". Even triple-platinum games like Call of Duty got their start with ideas and content generated by the users. So, while you may not like user-generated content, and much of it is crap, the fact remains a good portion of gamings ideas we accept as "the norm" came from them.

Oh, and one more thing. People have been "gaming" on computers since at least the early 70's. And, while consoles are "easier" to game on, they're not what I'd call "user friendly". The cost of use and the over-bearingly closed systems (i.e. Live) are far from "friendly".

 

[scott91575]

You don't need to update a PC every year or so. You only need to do it if you want to play at very high resolution with anti aliasing, etc. You could have a NVidia 7 series card with a Core Duo from 5+ years ago and get the same graphics as current consoles for console ports. There are only a handful of PC games that require newer hardware than that, and even then you are talking about DX10 level cards (like the NVidia 8 series) and Core 2 Duo from about 4 years ago.

Keyboard and mouse are way more precise than a controller for fps games. Of course, if you want, you can use an XBox controller on many games (pretty much any console port).

BTW...if you think PC games look like console games, you clearly have not seen some of the better PC games. Even developers will admit PC games are well ahead of the curve.

What consoles are is simple. Everyone has the same hardware so it's easier to develop for. In the end, consoles are pretty much PC's dedicated to gaming. If you like them, great. Yet your views on PC gaming are way off.

 

[Macrobstar]

Console, PC.

Ain't nothin but forks and spoons. There are things eaten with a fork, things eaten with a spoon, some things can be eaten with either, but no real conflict amongst silverware.

If we are going for that analogy, then consoles are just spoons, while PCs are <url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splayd>splayds.

PCs really are just the objectively superior platform. Nothing is wrong with likely consoles (I have a PS3 for console exclusives), but its incorrect to say that they are equal, as a PC can do everything a console can do (and do it better as well) as well as having literally thousands, if not millions, of other fuctions.

If nothing is wrong with liking them why do you keep going on about it, its like saying "Theres nothing wrong with you, your just a ****"

OT: I have a PC good enough to play most games, but I don't, you know why?
Because I have more fun on consoles, therefore for me consoles are superior, now can we all just STFU about it, this argument has been going on for so long, when you people enter a forum to say "Lol consoles FTW!" Do you honestly think people are gonna go "ah fair point sir you've won us all over"?
There is NOTHING that makes me want to play games on my pc, and thats fine you'd say the same for console, and I don't mind, its great that we can all have different tastes

In conclusion STFU Fanboys and elitists

 

[FalloutJack]

-Snip-

Here is the problem of why they will never see eye-to-eye: Perspective. Everything you're use to is always easier than what you're not. There are not nearly as much people who play PC and console as those who favor one or the other. Why? Because each one feels awkwardness towards the other's control schemes. A console gamer doesn't like to have its functions spread out over a keyboard and a PC gamer hardly knows what to DO with a controller. (And if they did, they wouldn't be complaining now would they?) Each one feels foreign to the other. So, they have these stupid wars over who is better, which is of course frigging ridiculous. Neither one is better, obviously. They're just options.

 

[Richardplex]

Despite how much superior PCs are to consoles, consoles still do good for PCs. It stops developers making games only playable by the top 1% of computers for example. And for the record, I grew up on consoles, but after a couple of PC games their superiority is blatant.

The tech savvyness is also pretty significant. There's a reason I don't have mods on any of my games, it may or may not have something to do with the fact that when I come to technology, I am a moron. And when it comes to arguing too, depending on your view.

When it comes to mods it is 99% just copying a file to a folder and there is always a readme telling you what to do. It is very simple, you should try it out.

You say that, but you're telling this to a man who took a year and a half to learn how to install addons to wow. Also, I don't have winRAR or anything like that.

 

[ResonanceSD]

Just so you know - Consoles are cheaper than upgrading your computer, yes. But when you upgrade your computer, it lasts for 4-5 years maybe. A console lasts 6 (as you said). And a console game is much cheaper than a PC one (plus you can pirate games as well) so by my calculations, the console is more expensive.

But as to the PC vs Consoles - It's all a matter of choice. Each system has it's up and downs, but I personally prefer the PC, although I grew up with a PS1.

This is why PC gamers, like me are..vocal, about their machine superiority. We invested a shedload of time and money into our gaming rigs, a LOT more than people spend thinking about the intricacies of "which console do I get".

in marketing terms, a gaming PC is a high involvement decision. A console is as well, but less so.

 

[Macrobstar]

You don't need to update a PC every year or so. You only need to do it if you want to play at very high resolution with anti aliasing, etc. You could have a NVidia 7 series card with a Core Duo from 5+ years ago and get the same graphics as current consoles for console ports. There are only a handful of PC games that require newer hardware than that, and even then you are talking about DX10 level cards (like the NVidia 8 series) and Core 2 Duo from about 4 years ago.

Keyboard and mouse are way more precise than a controller for fps games. Of course, if you want, you can use an XBox controller on many games (pretty much any console port).

BTW...if you think PC games look like console games, you clearly have not seen some of the better PC games. Even developers will admit PC games are well ahead of the curve.

What consoles are is simple. Everyone has the same hardware so it's easier to develop for. In the end, consoles are pretty much PC's dedicated to gaming. If you like them, great. Yet your views on PC gaming are way off.

Its not like people don't own PCs, everyone on this forum does, its just the people who game on console actually prefer that, its not like they wish they could play on there pc, they can, they just choose not to.

 

[RaikuFA]

Console, PC.

Ain't nothin but forks and spoons. There are things eaten with a fork, things eaten with a spoon, some things can be eaten with either, but no real conflict amongst silverware.

thats... thats brilliant. youre a genius thats like something the gaming equivelent of ghandi would say

btw, theres japanese in my captcha

 

[Kieran Shuttleworth]

I think that consoles are more accessible. It gets kind of frustrating having to download this and that and buy new parts and everything just to get a damn game to run moderately. And then theres problems when you want to play your older games. I know that these are fixable problems but I personally don't have the patience. Although for me PC has a stronger line-up of games, and then there is Steam.

 

[Daveman]

People shouldn't think of it as the same as buying a console because ultimately you'll be buying a computer as well anyways. So why not combine the two budgets and get an epic PC? Unless you're going to cheap out a lot on a laptop you'll spend something like £400 anyway on it so why not add the £250 or so quid to the budget for a good laptop. Factor in 2 years of Xbox live for example as well which is like £80 and you've got plenty to build or buy a decent laptop or PC for gaming. Also the "upgrading the graphics hardware" is just balls. You don't need to upgrade when your PC is already better than the consoles. If your PC you had got, say, in 2007 when Crysis came out was capable of running it well, then odds are you won't have had to upgrade at all, it's all your preference.

Also, you do realise they do Xbox controllers for PC right? My friend uses it for most of his games and he's never owned a console. Besides, with Xbox you get ONE choice of controller, you get like a bajillion with PC and you can map the buttons how you want.

Also, I play all my games on my laptop, meaning my "console" as it were is 100% portable and I can play Fallout: New Vegas on it. What more do you need? I play mostly in my freaking bed.


Literally the only strength I ever saw in console gaming was local multiplayer but now it seems they're trying to get rid of that...

 

[JokerCR]

The idea that you need to update your PC every 2 years is ridiculous. As long as you're PC is on par with what was out when the console came out your graphics will be better on the pc. Also, you can just plug in a controller to your pc if you like having a less complex and less precise experience.
You didn't make it but often people will say something along the lines of- "I like to sit back on my couch and relax to play games so consoles are the most best for me." That "argument" gets me more than most because you can just plug your pc into a tv.

 

[Soxafloppin]

I prefer consoles, All my friends play on consoles, I actually don't personally know any PC gamers.