So what is the advantage of a console?
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The problem I have with the argument is that I can't really differentiate it from the argument that a bicycle is better than a Corvette because it's easier to pick up and ride.TehCookie said:
Let me set it up this way: If someone came up with a machine that never crashed, never had hardware compatibility options, and never needed updating, but still did the exact same thing as a PC, then I would call it more convenient than current PCs. But if you made a "PC" that had no modding support or changeable hardware, then it wouldn't be "easier to use" in any real sense; instead, it would just be lacking features. If consoles could offer what the PC does but do it in an easier or more reliable way, then it would be a point on their side. But just taking out something and saying, "See, now it's more accessible!" strikes me as the worst kind of positive spin on a blatant negative.
What I'm arguing is that a console is not really "more convenient" because a comparison of convenience requires even a basic equivalence. Saying that a lighter is more convenient than a nuclear power plant might be technically true, but it's meaningless in a discussion of their merits as power producers because they don't perform the same function. So if you want to argue that the console is an inferior toy version of a PC, then that's fine. But if you want to argue that they're in any way equal in merit, then you can't pass off a result of their inequality as a point on your side.
Does that make sense? It's a hard idea for me to accurately express because I'm exhausted right now.
Yeah, it's quite hard to go wrong when plugging stuff in, since you can't phu=ysically plug them in the wrong place. Well, most of them, at least, but that's why everything is also colour coded. Unless, you know, you feel lazy enough to make sure you know what cable you are holding by following it to both ends. Ah, most slots also have a sign describing what goes in.Matthew94 said:
See above. It's slightly more complex than LEGO. Well, probably depending on what LEGO set you have, I guess, but yeah.Vanitas likes Bubbles said:
Nuh-huh, we have them before you. It's called a mouse, sheesh.Aerosteam 1908 said:
Actually funny, since I'm doing this right now. Well, I'm not really gaming but I was up until 20 minutes ago. I'm still on the sofa, though.Aerosteam 1908 said:
So, yeah, I'll now sit on my sofa and go download those patches and setting fixes so I can play this one game I want. And hope it wouldn't crash. And then find some fixes for the sound or another issue. I expect to have roughly 2:1 ratio between making it work and actually playing it. But I'll do it from the sofa, and that makes me superior!
[small]Still no Journey, though
[/small]
Well, one reason I'll choose console over PC if a game comes out on both, is I'm running out of space on my PC, and since I'm a programmer and have a lot of programs stored on my computer for work, it's kind of a problem. I'll have to get a bigger hard drive eventually, but I don't want to do that until I absolutely have to. Also, installation times suck.
I'm not talking about the other functions, I'm talking about the same function. Playing games. It's like saying the PS3 is better than the 360 because it has bluray, that's nice and all but we're talking about gaming not media centers. That may just be me since I want a cheap console to play games that I know will work, I don't care about the extra features.peruvianskys said:
Though I disagree that lacking features is a negative. Is an automatic car worse than a manual? If you like cars and want that control over it you may say yes, but for the people who don't care about cars and just want a quick easy way from point A to point B will probably like the automatic.
You can plug it into a TV, pop a disc (or cartridge, cassette, possum skull, etc.) in, and play.
No having to be connected to servers, no having to wait for patches to download for hours, no having to deal with compatibility issues (unless you're trying to ram a SNES cart into a PS3), and you can just play.
Also, consoles are cheaper and require less work to maintain than a PC. A gaming rig needs upgrading every couple years with at least one or two new parts, and you've got to deal with all the issues of a PC as well as a console.
Sometimes, a consoles is just easier.
No having to be connected to servers, no having to wait for patches to download for hours, no having to deal with compatibility issues (unless you're trying to ram a SNES cart into a PS3), and you can just play.
Also, consoles are cheaper and require less work to maintain than a PC. A gaming rig needs upgrading every couple years with at least one or two new parts, and you've got to deal with all the issues of a PC as well as a console.
Sometimes, a consoles is just easier.
convenience is probably the biggest and you dont have too much on one machine. I rather like my gaming machine to be separate from my computer since I use a laptop as a home pc.
However for me the biggest advantage of getting my PS3 was it was a blu-ray playera nd where I lived it was the cheapest option, and it also just happpened to play videogames. And for most games you dont have to worry about if youre going to lose connection, which, eve though in the US internet connection is getting better if you can afford it, there is the question of if you can afford it, and how good it actually is past that.
However for me the biggest advantage of getting my PS3 was it was a blu-ray playera nd where I lived it was the cheapest option, and it also just happpened to play videogames. And for most games you dont have to worry about if youre going to lose connection, which, eve though in the US internet connection is getting better if you can afford it, there is the question of if you can afford it, and how good it actually is past that.
Consoles can allow to play a game without have to worry about if you have the right video cards or processors or any other required parts that may require you to carefully shop around for said parts or spend enough cash on a new PC to grow a few acres of farmland with (I don't know if its a good way to put it, but I think you get my point).
You just put the game in and start playing, what a novelty!
You just put the game in and start playing, what a novelty!
Technicality-wise, there is next to no advantage over PC the console has.
<< (Best wording ever)
But to me, I'd rather spend about six hundred dollars on a console and not have to spend any more money on it until another one comes out, and also lowers in price by a fair bit. Whereas my flatmate, who is a mad PC gamer (But isn't a cock about it) has spent nearly five grand on PC graphic cards, RAM, cases, mice, keybpoards, monitors, etc, since the 360 was released (Granted, that's not that much since the 360 came out in 2005, but still...five grand is a fair bit of money).
But the only real advantages I see that consoles have is being able to put in a game and play it. Me and my flatmate got Mass Effect 3 at the same time. We put the discs in at the same time. Ten minutes later, he was listening to loud music on his head phones since he was still installing the game, and I was playing it. Three hours later, I was still playing it, and he was raging incredibly hard over Origin being a celestial wanker and constantly crashing. He hadn't even been able to start the game up. Not to mention that while PC games look better on better PC's, if you don't have a decent PC, you spend a while mucking around with the graphical settings (Assuming the game let's you do so) and sometimes, it looks worse than it does on console.
But in the end, generally, the major differences are usually aesthetics. And I've said this many times over on the Escapist. Say all you want shiny and realistic looking graphics, GTA San Andreas is still much more fun than Crysis 2.
<< (Best wording ever)
But to me, I'd rather spend about six hundred dollars on a console and not have to spend any more money on it until another one comes out, and also lowers in price by a fair bit. Whereas my flatmate, who is a mad PC gamer (But isn't a cock about it) has spent nearly five grand on PC graphic cards, RAM, cases, mice, keybpoards, monitors, etc, since the 360 was released (Granted, that's not that much since the 360 came out in 2005, but still...five grand is a fair bit of money).
But the only real advantages I see that consoles have is being able to put in a game and play it. Me and my flatmate got Mass Effect 3 at the same time. We put the discs in at the same time. Ten minutes later, he was listening to loud music on his head phones since he was still installing the game, and I was playing it. Three hours later, I was still playing it, and he was raging incredibly hard over Origin being a celestial wanker and constantly crashing. He hadn't even been able to start the game up. Not to mention that while PC games look better on better PC's, if you don't have a decent PC, you spend a while mucking around with the graphical settings (Assuming the game let's you do so) and sometimes, it looks worse than it does on console.
But in the end, generally, the major differences are usually aesthetics. And I've said this many times over on the Escapist. Say all you want shiny and realistic looking graphics, GTA San Andreas is still much more fun than Crysis 2.
Less things can go wrong, but when they do you can't fix them
Less cheaters and haxors, both ingame and in online leaderboards. Many (good) arcade games on consoles have more systems in play to ensure legit leaderboard scores, replays of top scorers is a good example.
For some games like shmups especially bullet hells, having standardised hardware is very important for competative players, these games have intended slowdown programmed into the game which can change from one PC to the next. Some shmup players just don't play PC shmups because of it.
For example with Jametown alot of ppl put superplays of Jamestown on YT, only the were running at 2/3rds the normal speed due to fraps, all those fraps players scores will be on the leaderboard.
I think its a similar thing for tournament fighter players.
Less cheaters and haxors, both ingame and in online leaderboards. Many (good) arcade games on consoles have more systems in play to ensure legit leaderboard scores, replays of top scorers is a good example.
For some games like shmups especially bullet hells, having standardised hardware is very important for competative players, these games have intended slowdown programmed into the game which can change from one PC to the next. Some shmup players just don't play PC shmups because of it.
For example with Jametown alot of ppl put superplays of Jamestown on YT, only the were running at 2/3rds the normal speed due to fraps, all those fraps players scores will be on the leaderboard.
I think its a similar thing for tournament fighter players.
Console games don't suffer technical issues nearly as often. PC games, especially older ones, can be rife with problems depending on the game. Many times there are workarounds you can find for these issues, but it takes time and energy I really don't want to spend. I want to play my game, not troubleshoot it.
To illustrate my point using my own experiences, here's a short list of my problems with PC games I've had lately:
-Alpha Protocol is buggy as hell and requires a little tinkering to reach a reasonably playable state.
-F.E.A.R Extraction Point has a strange issue that plunges the frame rate every 10-15 minutes.
-Force Unleashed goes into a ridiculous slow-mo frame rate drop almost every time I do something like swing my saber.
-Something deleted all my saves belonging to EA published games such as Dragon Age or Dead Space (I genuinely have no idea what in the hell would cause this).
-Call of Cthulhu displays raindrops as a triangular object. I didn't play much of it, there is a small possibility this is some kind of twisted design choice.
Here's a list of my problems with console games I've had lately:
-Catherine locked up on me once.
I like playing PC games and am willing to put up with this horseshit in exchange for exclusives, graphics, and Steam, but damn it gets annoying.
To illustrate my point using my own experiences, here's a short list of my problems with PC games I've had lately:
-Alpha Protocol is buggy as hell and requires a little tinkering to reach a reasonably playable state.
-F.E.A.R Extraction Point has a strange issue that plunges the frame rate every 10-15 minutes.
-Force Unleashed goes into a ridiculous slow-mo frame rate drop almost every time I do something like swing my saber.
-Something deleted all my saves belonging to EA published games such as Dragon Age or Dead Space (I genuinely have no idea what in the hell would cause this).
-Call of Cthulhu displays raindrops as a triangular object. I didn't play much of it, there is a small possibility this is some kind of twisted design choice.
Here's a list of my problems with console games I've had lately:
-Catherine locked up on me once.
I like playing PC games and am willing to put up with this horseshit in exchange for exclusives, graphics, and Steam, but damn it gets annoying.
It is a preference.
People have different wants and needs, so no one solution is "best" for everyone. No one should have to "justify" console to you for it to satisfy them. At the same time, you can live with the knowledge that other people prefer console, and still be satisfied with PC.
For me, there are tons of reasons why I play some games on console, and tons of other reasons why I play some games on PC. There are even several reasons why I play some games on mobile; and a very specific set of reasons why I play one or two games in a browser. It's just a case-by-case situation that works well for me, and I couldn't care less what works for you.
You know, I've seen him post about "People don't have the knowledge do do computers stuff", but I get this feeling he has never actually tried.Matthew94 said:
Complains about not having the knowledge --> never try---> continue to complain.
Blowing it out of your ass 101.
Well, technically you could just as well use a large tv as a computer monitor and play PC games that support the use of a controller.. I don't know anyone who actually bothers to do this, but it certainly rules out relaxing on a sofa being an impossibility.Aerosteam 1908 said:
Anyways.. For me, the appeal of consoles is in the convenience of use, the assurance that whatever I get will work just fine, never having to worry about upgrading and the like, and support for local/splitscreen multiplayer (although admittedly, this isn't as common as the good old days)
Also, since I'm not one to bother setting my PC up with a controller and big screen, the comfort of playing in positions not involving close proximity to a desk arms held over a keyboard.
Also cost. These days I'm rolling with a 3 year old laptop only, which ran everything just fine in it's day, and usually still can, but not to the point where new high end games can be run unquestionable, or at the least fiddling with settings to drop graphics and the like. My console on the other hand, is much older, was far cheaper, and can absolutely run everything that comes out for it to this day.
Overall, I definitely play games more on my PC, but the console certainly has it's place.
You probably already got this multiple times, but the PC does have motion controls, it's called the RAZR Hydra (or the Kinect, if you hack it).Aerosteam 1908 said:
Easy to use: Just plug in and play
Games are guaranteed to play everytime, don't have to worry whether or not it could handle a game. No fiddling with new video cards, drivers etc...
Controllers: Not all PC games have gamepad support
Split-screen is tons of fun with friends.
But mostly financially: I've spent MAYBE $500 total on hardware the past ten years. That includes two consoles, controllers, headsets etc...
And for that amount of money, compared to the performance of the machine is a pretty good deal. Contrary to what the "PC Gaming Master Race" would tell you, console games don't look that much worse than PC games.
Consoles are also a nice baseline for developers building their games
Games are guaranteed to play everytime, don't have to worry whether or not it could handle a game. No fiddling with new video cards, drivers etc...
Controllers: Not all PC games have gamepad support
Split-screen is tons of fun with friends.
But mostly financially: I've spent MAYBE $500 total on hardware the past ten years. That includes two consoles, controllers, headsets etc...
And for that amount of money, compared to the performance of the machine is a pretty good deal. Contrary to what the "PC Gaming Master Race" would tell you, console games don't look that much worse than PC games.
Consoles are also a nice baseline for developers building their games
I hate the whole PC vs Console argument. Anyone involved in one can't seem to wrap their head around the fact that it's personal preference.
Also isn't the smartest thing to do is have both? I post this whilst re-spawning in Reach and letting my Tekkit (Minecraft Mod) do it's thing in the background.
Also isn't the smartest thing to do is have both? I post this whilst re-spawning in Reach and letting my Tekkit (Minecraft Mod) do it's thing in the background.