The trouble with consoles

[742]

if this is going to be another console VS pc debate let me just settle this really quick

console fanboys unite, look like idiots, try to tell everyone else how much it costs to buy/build a PC because theirs is a dell/gateway/sony/compaq
stupid PC gaming people look like idiots and fanboys
smart people make you all look like even bigger idiots (the console people somewhat moreso). and most of us/them (decide for yourself which i should use) are posting here from a PC. because what kind of idiot posts to forums with a console/cell phone?

 

[Aardvark]

The trouble with threads like this is that the subject has been done to death. PC/console fanboys are all losers. The only not-losers are the people with the cash to purchase all of them. If you're not one of these, go get a job, save your pennies and join our ranks, you poor, unwashed scum.

 

[not a zaar]

because what kind of idiot posts to forums with a console/cell phone?

I object to the title of "idiot". My phone, a Nokia E71, is specifically designed to render pages in a similar fashion to PC browsers, and therefore, I have used my phone to post on this website. I have used my Wii to post to forums before when my PC was either unavailable or when it would have taken too long to boot it up, and the same with my Palm T|X PDA.

Yeah right, you could boot up a cheapo Dell with a dozen bit of startup bloatware programs in the time it would take you to write two paragraphs on the damn Wii virtual keyboard.

 

[Laughing Man]

Total BS. You can get a gaming PC for under $450 at Newegg that beats the pants of the PS3 or 360. Take a look:

Right time to tear up yet another PC fanboy's flawed arguement.

Firstly you have neglected to add a somewhat essential component to that PC list, *cough* an OS. So what's that another £70 to add to the price.

Second you added up the total yet some how neglected to include the price of the case and the psu. So lets say another £20 for a cheap ass case

Thirdly you would have to be a combination of stupid, mad and insane to actually try and run a PC off the case supplied cheap as chips PSU. So that's another £40 for a semi decent stable PSU.

Fourth you have all your components your PC together and the OS everyone seems to forget about now to install it. Uh oh no no Media drive, add another £7

Fifth great it's ready to install now I'll just install it on my HARDRIVE, add another £40

So there you have instantly added another £177 to the total cost which works out to be at least another $250. This debate has been done over and over and over and NOONE has managed to provide a PC set up that will match a console for a cheaper price without having to make some serious compromise on the PC or in most cases just plain forgetting vital and required PC components in their parts line up.

Lets do a proper comparative. First lets take a game that has come out on both console and PC.

Race Driver

Right here's the recommended specs for the PC

* Windows XP/Vista. (If running Windows Vista, SP1 is recommended)
* DirectX 9.0c
* Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.66Ghz or Athlon X2 3800+
* 2GB RAM.
* Graphics Card: GeForce 8800 or Radeon X1950
* Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Sound Card.
* Dual Layer Compatible DVD-ROM Drive
* 12.5 GB Hard Drive Space

Right here goes

1). The components are sourced from a single place (www.overclockers.co.uk), I am not gonna go trawling around to find the cheapest component. A side effect of this is that postage costs will not be included in the final total. If you were to buy the cheapest component from several sites you would have to factor in the cost of several delivery charges.
2). All components are new
3). If the source doesn't have a required spec component for sale the most immediate comparable component has been chosen.
4). Component compatability has not been checked I have just gone for the cheapest one avaliable.

CPU = AMD 4200+ = £34
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-178-AM

Mobo = Gigabyte Gigabyte GA-MA770-DS3 = £67
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-111-GI

GPU = Zotac GeForce 9800 GT 512MB = £103
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-009-ZT

Memory = Corsair 2Gig DDR2 4200 = £25
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-096-CS

PSU = Antec Basic 500W = £41

Sound Card = Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme = £33
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=SC-052-CL

HD = Samsung Spinpoint 80Gb = £24
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-062-SA

Optical Drive = Samsung TS CD RW = £11
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CD-109-SA

OS = Windows XP OEM = £71
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=OS-001-MS

Total = £411.60

Now what you get there is a PC built to run Race Driver according to the required specs, i.e not higher res than console, or more graphic detail or any of the other bullshit. To run the game in a way that allows you to enjoy it the same as you would on a console.

Now the console

PS3 = 283.79 from Amazon.co.uk
XBox 360 = £159.99 from Amazon.co.uk

A PC for £160 that can run a game at the same level of quality as the 360? That's laughable.

I however I am willing to see if anyone can actually come up with PC soec that can do the job for less cash.

 

[axia777]

Too big a price for too little features and quality.

Your joking, right? DO you know how much cash you would have to spend to get a PC with the game playing power of a PS3 or a 360? Because that is what we are really are really talking about here, playing games. Around $800-1,000. So what gives you the most game playing bang for our dollars? It is not a PC I can tell you this much.

Total BS. You can get a gaming PC for under $450 at Newegg that beats the pants of the PS3 or 360. Take a look:

HEC 6K28BBX585 Black 0.8mm SECC Steel MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case 585W Power Supply - Retail
Model #:6K28BBX585
Item #:N82E16811121004
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock

$69.99 -$10.00 Instant $59.99
1 GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #:GA-G31M-ES2L
Item #:N82E16813128357
Return Policy:Limited 30-Day Return Policy
In Stock

$54.99 $54.99
1 MSI N9800GT 512OC GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

MSI N9800GT 512OC GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Model #:N9800GT 512OC
Item #:N82E16814127387
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Mail-in Rebate

$139.99 -$15.00 Instant $124.99
1 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail
Model #:BX80570E8400
Item #:N82E16819115037
Return Policyrocessors (CPUs) Return Policy
In Stock

$164.99 -$5.00 Instant $159.99
1 G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail
Model #:F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ
Item #:N82E16820231122
Return Policy:Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
In Stock

$49.99 -$10.00 Instant $39.99
Subtotal: $439.95

Plus:
New PC game = $50
New console game = $60
And that's not even mentioning the scam that is DLC...

The one and only problem with all that is Windows eats up quite a lot of your systems resources, even if you are running XP. If you are running Vista it is even more. Consoles are optimized to run games and only games. Thus developers can get more out of the systems equipment.

 

[Untamed Waters]

Too big a price for too little features and quality.

Your joking, right? DO you know how much cash you would have to spend to get a PC with the game playing power of a PS3 or a 360? Because that is what we are really are really talking about here, playing games. Around $800-1,000. So what gives you the most game playing bang for our dollars? It is not a PC I can tell you this much.

Total BS. You can get a gaming PC for under $450 at Newegg that beats the pants of the PS3 or 360. Take a look:

HEC 6K28BBX585 Black 0.8mm SECC Steel MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case 585W Power Supply - Retail
Model #:6K28BBX585
Item #:N82E16811121004
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock

$69.99 -$10.00 Instant $59.99
1 GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #:GA-G31M-ES2L
Item #:N82E16813128357
Return Policy:Limited 30-Day Return Policy
In Stock

$54.99 $54.99
1 MSI N9800GT 512OC GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

MSI N9800GT 512OC GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Model #:N9800GT 512OC
Item #:N82E16814127387
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Mail-in Rebate

$139.99 -$15.00 Instant $124.99
1 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail
Model #:BX80570E8400
Item #:N82E16819115037
Return Policyrocessors (CPUs) Return Policy
In Stock

$164.99 -$5.00 Instant $159.99
1 G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail
Model #:F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ
Item #:N82E16820231122
Return Policy:Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
In Stock

$49.99 -$10.00 Instant $39.99
Subtotal: $439.95

Plus:
New PC game = $50
New console game = $60
And that's not even mentioning the scam that is DLC...

The one and only problem with all that is Windows eats up quite a lot of your systems resources, even if you are running XP. If you are running Vista it is even more. Consoles are optimized to run games and only games. Thus developers can get more out of the systems equipment.

Nonetheless, windows is (really) the only computer than can play games, A mac just doesn't do it and Linux isn't a big enough seller for developers to make games for.

 

[Xojins]

Here are my list of problems with the new consoles:

Xbox 360
1. Releasing a console with so many internal problems
2. Forcing XBL users to use Microsoft Points to buy stuff from the XBL Marketplace

Playstation 3
1. Exorbitantly expensive
1a. Much too expensive because of useless features (Ex. who really needs to connect 7 controllers to one system?)

Wii (this could take a while)
1. Has virtually no original games (few exceptions)
2. Motion-sensitive controls handle very poorly
3. The online community is laughable
4. Graphics that of a last generation console, sometimes not even that good
5. Games that shoehorn the aforementioned motion-sensitive controls

However, the thing that makes me the most furious is the Microsoft Points. I don't want to go through Microsoft's fucking retarded, arbitrarily roundabout way of buying stuff from XBL. Especially when I can't buy the amount of points I actually want, and am forced to buy their equally fucking retarded, arbitrary pre-set amounts.

 

[runtheplacered]

Playstation 3
1. Exorbitantly expensive
1a. Much too expensive because of useless features (Ex. who really needs to connect 7 controllers to one system?)

How many times do people have to point out how close the Xbox and PS3 is, feature for feature, in price? I thought it was becoming common knowledge, but I still see this everywhere.

You could have chose all kinds of other things to pick on the PS3 for. PSN is pretty weak, the much awaited Home is incredibly boring, the game selection isn't quite where it should be at yet, or anything else you can think of. But, instead you went for something that really isn't even true. Or if it is true, then this same con needs to be put into the Xbox 360 section as well.

 

[SteveDave]

Surely the fact that both PS3 and X360 sell at a loss would indicate they are in fact value for money?

i knew that the ps3 sold at a loss but the 360 is new info for me

Yeah but the 360 gets more money from software.

 

[Frank_Sinatra_]

Too big a price for too little features and quality.

Right the 360 fits it nicely. Open it up and the 3d day I had it RROD up the ass.

 

[L33tsauce_Marty]

Too big a price for too little features and quality.

Your joking, right? DO you know how much cash you would have to spend to get a PC with the game playing power of a PS3 or a 360? Because that is what we are really are really talking about here, playing games. Around $800-1,000. So what gives you the most game playing bang for our dollars? It is not a PC I can tell you this much.

Total BS. You can get a gaming PC for under $450 at Newegg that beats the pants of the PS3 or 360. Take a look:

HEC 6K28BBX585 Black 0.8mm SECC Steel MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case 585W Power Supply - Retail
Model #:6K28BBX585
Item #:N82E16811121004
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock

$69.99 -$10.00 Instant $59.99
1 GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #:GA-G31M-ES2L
Item #:N82E16813128357
Return Policy:Limited 30-Day Return Policy
In Stock

$54.99 $54.99
1 MSI N9800GT 512OC GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card

MSI N9800GT 512OC GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Model #:N9800GT 512OC
Item #:N82E16814127387
Return Policy:Standard Return Policy
In Stock
Mail-in Rebate

$139.99 -$15.00 Instant $124.99
1 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail
Model #:BX80570E8400
Item #:N82E16819115037
Return Policyrocessors (CPUs) Return Policy
In Stock

$164.99 -$5.00 Instant $159.99
1 G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail
Model #:F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ
Item #:N82E16820231122
Return Policy:Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
In Stock

$49.99 -$10.00 Instant $39.99
Subtotal: $439.95

Plus:
New PC game = $50
New console game = $60
And that's not even mentioning the scam that is DLC...

20$ - Day of Defeat : Souce, Counter-Strike : Source, Half Life 2 : Deathmatch.

I bought all of those games and have been playing them for 3 years( DOD:S 4 ). Beat that Halo!

 

[TheGhostOfSin]

I now have all three consoles, and the only problem I have is that my new PS3 just plain refuses to connect to the internet.

EDIT: Oh Just pointing out that PC and console games cost the same in Gamestation. (Well the one I work in anyway.)

 

[Xojins]

Playstation 3
1. Exorbitantly expensive
1a. Much too expensive because of useless features (Ex. who really needs to connect 7 controllers to one system?)

How many times do people have to point out how close the Xbox and PS3 is, feature for feature, in price? I thought it was becoming common knowledge, but I still see this everywhere.

You could have chose all kinds of other things to pick on the PS3 for. PSN is pretty weak, the much awaited Home is incredibly boring, the game selection isn't quite where it should be at yet, or anything else you can think of. But, instead you went for something that really isn't even true. Or if it is true, then this same con needs to be put into the Xbox 360 section as well.

Well, actually, it is true. I said it's expensive because of it's useless features, like the blue-ray movie player, which the Xbox 360 doesn't include. Also, the PS3 forces you to buy a larger HD with it than the 360 does. In fact, you don't even have to buy an HD for the 360. So yes, it is true that the PS3 is more expensive.

 

[runtheplacered]

Playstation 3
1. Exorbitantly expensive
1a. Much too expensive because of useless features (Ex. who really needs to connect 7 controllers to one system?)

How many times do people have to point out how close the Xbox and PS3 is, feature for feature, in price? I thought it was becoming common knowledge, but I still see this everywhere.

You could have chose all kinds of other things to pick on the PS3 for. PSN is pretty weak, the much awaited Home is incredibly boring, the game selection isn't quite where it should be at yet, or anything else you can think of. But, instead you went for something that really isn't even true. Or if it is true, then this same con needs to be put into the Xbox 360 section as well.

Well, actually, it is true. I said it's expensive because of it's useless features, like the blue-ray movie player, which the Xbox 360 doesn't include. Also, the PS3 forces you to buy a larger HD with it than the 360 does. In fact, you don't even have to buy an HD for the 360. So yes, it is true that the PS3 is more expensive.

I said feature for feature. So no, it doesn't.

And sure, you can not have a HDD in your Xbox. Have fun with that.

I still don't know why you dodged my actual question. Instead you just tried patronizing me. How is price the only con you could have possibly thought of, when there's so many others to choose from that aren't so debatable?

 

[CmdrGoob]

Surely the fact that both PS3 and X360 sell at a loss would indicate they are in fact value for money?

Well this is kinda untrue, because they sell for a loss but try to make up for it by charging developers, who then pass that on to consumers, so console games are more expensive. So while on paper the hardware might seem cheaper because it's being sold for a loss, that extra cost mostly ends up coming around to you anyway.

 

[runtheplacered]

I now have all three consoles, and the only problem I have is that my new PS3 just plain refuses to connect to the internet.

EDIT: Oh Just pointing out that PC and console games cost the same in Gamestation. (Well the one I work in anyway.)

I had that problem at first. Have you tried shutting off media server? That worked instantly for me. I found the fix by surfing the official PS3 forums. You could also adjust your router settings, but unless you use that feature, you may as well shut it off.

 

[Xojins]

Playstation 3
1. Exorbitantly expensive
1a. Much too expensive because of useless features (Ex. who really needs to connect 7 controllers to one system?)

How many times do people have to point out how close the Xbox and PS3 is, feature for feature, in price? I thought it was becoming common knowledge, but I still see this everywhere.

You could have chose all kinds of other things to pick on the PS3 for. PSN is pretty weak, the much awaited Home is incredibly boring, the game selection isn't quite where it should be at yet, or anything else you can think of. But, instead you went for something that really isn't even true. Or if it is true, then this same con needs to be put into the Xbox 360 section as well.

Well, actually, it is true. I said it's expensive because of it's useless features, like the blue-ray movie player, which the Xbox 360 doesn't include. Also, the PS3 forces you to buy a larger HD with it than the 360 does. In fact, you don't even have to buy an HD for the 360. So yes, it is true that the PS3 is more expensive.

I said feature for feature. So no, it doesn't.

And sure, you can not have a HDD in your Xbox. Have fun with that.

You can argue "feature for feature" all you want, but there are options with the 360 to make it cheaper.

I never said that I didn't have an HDD for my 360, I said it was an option.

Edit: I'm sorry if I offended you or something, but you sound a lot like a PS3 fanboy.

 

[runtheplacered]

Playstation 3
1. Exorbitantly expensive
1a. Much too expensive because of useless features (Ex. who really needs to connect 7 controllers to one system?)

How many times do people have to point out how close the Xbox and PS3 is, feature for feature, in price? I thought it was becoming common knowledge, but I still see this everywhere.

You could have chose all kinds of other things to pick on the PS3 for. PSN is pretty weak, the much awaited Home is incredibly boring, the game selection isn't quite where it should be at yet, or anything else you can think of. But, instead you went for something that really isn't even true. Or if it is true, then this same con needs to be put into the Xbox 360 section as well.

Well, actually, it is true. I said it's expensive because of it's useless features, like the blue-ray movie player, which the Xbox 360 doesn't include. Also, the PS3 forces you to buy a larger HD with it than the 360 does. In fact, you don't even have to buy an HD for the 360. So yes, it is true that the PS3 is more expensive.

I said feature for feature. So no, it doesn't.

And sure, you can not have a HDD in your Xbox. Have fun with that.

You can argue "feature for feature" all you want, but there are options with the 360 to make it cheaper.

I never said that I didn't have an HDD for my 360, I said it was an option.

And I didn't say you said you didn't have a HDD in your 360. I don't know what the hell made you say that.

And yes, yes I can argue feature for feature all I want. But if you're going to compare the cost of a Toyota Corolla to the price of a Porsche, you're wasting your time. You need to compare things by the features they come with. How can you not understand this?

(from my previous edit.. copied and pasted because you replied too quickly to read it.): I still don't know why you dodged my actual question. Instead you just tried patronizing me. How is price the only con you could have possibly thought of, when there's so many others to choose from that aren't so debatable?

 

[s3cur1tr0n]

Too big a price for too little features and quality.

Your joking, right? DO you know how much cash you would have to spend to get a PC with the game playing power of a PS3 or a 360? Because that is what we are really are really talking about here, playing games. Around $800-1,000. So what gives you the most game playing bang for our dollars? It is not a PC I can tell you this much.

Did your mother have any smart children?

 

[runtheplacered]

Too big a price for too little features and quality.

Your joking, right? DO you know how much cash you would have to spend to get a PC with the game playing power of a PS3 or a 360? Because that is what we are really are really talking about here, playing games. Around $800-1,000. So what gives you the most game playing bang for our dollars? It is not a PC I can tell you this much.

So how's it going playing your console games without a television? Or are we conveniently omitting that cost?

Let me guess, you'll come back with, "But you'll have a TV anyway!". To which I'll reply, "And you apparently have a PC (at least most people do), which you can just upgrade as needed."

Console gaming is not more "bang for your dollars". Nor do people need to spend a thousand dollars to get video games to play on their computers.