C95J said:
mindlesspuppet said:
I find that the controller is easier to use than a mouse and keyboard because you never actually have to move your hands when playing games, and controllers nowadays are super ergonomically designed for easier and comfier gaming. Consoles themselves are more convenient to use and much quicker as well. Buy a game, put game in, play game, done.
And just the fact that consoles are much more innovative. And it's family friendly, lots of people can play on the same console at once so it is the obvious choice if you just want to have relaxing fun, as well as other genres which might not be so relaxing.
I'm not saying PC gaming is bad, just you seem to be very one minded and unfair towards consoles.
There's just a bad stigma towards PCs, for some reason people still envision them as being tucked away under a desk in some cramped office space rather than as the center of an entertainment system.
The Xbox 360 controller works for PCs just fine, as do countless other third party devices. If I want the "console" experience I can sit back on my couch with my 360 controller and play on a PC, however if I chose to play a game that requires a more complex controller setup (any RTS for example) I have that option available as well.
I'd disagree that playing on consoles is quicker, sure you can forgo the 10 minutes it takes to install a game, but in the same regard once it's installed you don't have to deal with shuffling discs. Of course you can install games to a consoles HD, but in this case there's really no difference.
Not really sure how consoles are more innovative, unless your referring to the whole motion controller thing, which, to me, is a terrible direction for gaming to take. They are a part of the problem, more and more consoles appeal to the casual crowd. An audience that wants to have "relaxing fun"; your own words describe the very mentality that is causing games to be dumbed down. I don't want to relax, I want a challenge, I want something that makes me think or react quickly, not something to lull me into a mindless stupor.
Jake Martinez said:
Present company at the escapist excluded, most console players *are* stupid. It's not the fault of the platform in specifics, but mostly an effect that the player base is so freaking large, that the law of averages is going to dictate that the average console gamer is ... well exceptionally average.
Just be realistic about it, when you're talking about a demographic that spans anywhere from 8 year old girls to 60 year old grandmothers, I think you can see how the consoles would get a "bad rep" by most PC gamers, who tend to be A) male and B) pretty technology savvy (ok admit it - nerds)
Now I think the general problem here is that publishers are afraid to sell games that are hard. The fact that the biggest dollar market is compromised of people who wouldn't actually *notice* that the games are too easy, doesn't really give them much of a financial incentive to make the games difficult (or in marketing speak, "less accessible").
So really, if we're going to blame anyone - blame profits.
I agree with you 100%, it's no different than how the New York Times is written at a sixth grading reading level. As I mentioned earlier, developers make what sell, so I do blame the profits.
Edit (expanding a bit): I do think you're underestimating the number of female PC gamers. As far as percentage go, I can only speculate, that there is a higher percentage of female gamers on PCs than console.
As far as being tech savvy, I have to disagree here. I think most PC gamers are at best novice computer users, however, sadly that still puts them heads above most of society that understands nothing about the technology they use everyday and don't take initiative to look things up.
Edit (again, last one): Did some searching for female gamer numbers, found this http://www.gamespot.com/news/6212734.html .. It claims 50% of PC gamers are female, 28% of console.
