A new xbox, from argos.co.uk, has less than a third of a standard new gaming computer (and presumably this 700 pound above alienware rig has even more power again). 250gb harddrive seems a little insubstancial when we're talking in tb for the desktop. Assuming the xbox 360 will have the same lifespan of a gaming PC[footnote]It won't.[/footnote] there are 5-10 years (more if it's the PC user intends to upgrade it) of online fees, the cost of the screen (how much of that 700 pounds is for a sexy full HD screen?). Extra peripherals such as headsets and games are hugely more expensive as well. Of course, it would be silly of me to mention that I can put together a budget gaming computer[footnote]which is a far more sensible comparison to a gaming console than a cutting edge gaming PC[/footnote] (still with considerably more power than an xbox 360), and get change from $400au +screen (somewhere in the region of 200 pounds, again not including the cost of the screen), which, given the massive price of anything in australia (for example xbox 360s with no hdd or games packaged sell for ~$250au) is pretty cheap.Geo Da Sponge said:I'm sorry, am I missing something? £700 for a gaming PC, and you're all nodding your heads sagely and agreeing wwith how cheap that is?
A new Xbox 360 with a 250 GB hardrive costs, on Argos.co.uk, £190. That's less than a third of what your PC cost you. A 250 GB PS3 costs £285 from Argos, and that comes with two free games. I'm honestly struggling to see what exaclty is cheap about the PC option.
I'm honestly not seeing how anybody can possibly argue, with a straight face, that console gaming is cheaper than PC gaming, especially when they are using the xbox 360 as a benchmark for consoles.
Absolutely agree. Owning a PC is cheaper when you know what you're doing, but there's an effort involved and for a great many people it's worth spending a little extra on the convenience of a console.Eggsnham said:Yeah, if you know what to do, PC gaming can *sigh* be awesome, but for most average folks who are just trying to play a game here and there and don't want to spend upwards of $700-1500 on a good rig that they'd have to assemble themselves, plus the expenses of upgrading it over time; a one time payment of $200-400 for a pre-assembled PS3 (or Xbox, if paying $50 a year to enjoy online is your thing) that can play most games on the level that a gaming rig can is most definitely a good choice.
Now to tackle the hurdle of there being no mods or modding on consoles...