Variable Values of Videogames.

[wilsonscrazybed]

I bought fallout on PC. I did the same with Oblivion. The reason: Bethseda has always had a long history of great user created mods that just doesn't happen on consoles. Actually, Bethseda decided not to release an editor this time around. Much to their consternation however, talented and perhaps unscrupulous programmers (buccaneers?) had already set about removing all the little annoying bugs and features that plagued the game well before the game even hit the shelves in the stores.

I look at the history of Bethseda's work and wonder if the PC version is worth more due to the kinds of modifications that can be done to it? Oblivion, for example, had it's graphics overhauled, many much needed fixes to strange bugs, addition of literally hundreds of weapons and armor, and nipples all free of charge to the customer. On the other hand, the console version of Oblivion had several pieces of DLC totalling about 25 USD. Some of that console content was considered sub-par by a majority of the reviewers, 1up openly mocked the 2.50 horse skin known as the "horse armour catastrophe."

Of course I never bought any armour for my horse. I have invested a month's pay into my game machine. I can turn my horse into a psychedelic flying chipmunk with the click of a download button. I realize not everyone is lucky enough to have a rig good enough to play new games. That is one of the biggest cases against buying the PC version of a game, I suppose.

There is also the matter of trophies/achievements. I don't feel particularly motivated to buy an 60$ game just for some spurious reward, but it is nice to have a record of your gaming, and sometimes those achievements force you to play a certain way that you didn't realize would be fun until you tried it.

So what do you think? PC or console? Here are some things related to this thread you may wish to discuss.

Discussion:
[li] Do your computer specs limit your ability to play new games? If so, does it influence you in purchases of console games?[/li]

[li]How do mods stack up to DLC to you? Like me, would you buy a PC version of a game for mod content? Or is there other reasons for buying content directly from the developer?[/li]

[li]Do achievements/trophies influence your purchases? [/li]

[li]Bethseda's decision to not release an editor; is it a good idea to limit the amount of modding done on your game, or is it corporate pandering to console manufacturers?[/li]

 

[Amnestic]

Discussion:
[li] Do your computer specs limit your ability to play new games? If so, does it influence you in purchases of console games?[/li]

[li]How do mods stack up to DLC to you? Like me, would you buy a PC version of a game for mod content? Or is there other reasons for buying content directly from the developer?[/li]

[li]Do achievements/trophies influence your purchases? [/li]

[li]Bethseda's decision to not release an editor; is it a good idea to limit the amount of modding done on your game, or is it corporate pandering to console manufacturers?[/li]

In order: No, my computer specs are generally high enough to run pretty much every game on medium to high settings with high FPS. As such, whether I purchase a game for my consoles or the PC is simply down to whim most of the time.

For games like Fallout and Oblivion, I'd definitely pick up the PC version for the mod content. For other games like FPSes or 'action-adventure' games though it'd again come down to choosing on a whim. Generally the console games are closer to the door in my local games retailers, so I end up picking console games up rather than PC games.

No, not at all. Achievements and trophies don't influence my purchase of a game at all. They might influence my playing of it, I'll go after an achievement or two after I finish the game for kicks and giggles, but the inclusion of them doesn't affect my actual purchase, platform or otherwise.

I wasn't aware they'd decided not to release an editor, I thought they'd just delayed it for whatever reason. If they are deciding to absolutely not release an editor then I would have to say it's a bad move personally considering the amount of modding that went on with Oblivion.

 

[Grampy_bone]

My computer is usually up-to-date and can play all the newest games. Despite it's reputation as a 'dead platform' lots and lots of games come out for PC all the time, even if they are multi-platform xbox titles. And hey plug in a 360 controller and you can play the games for ten bucks cheaper, they usually run better and look better.

Modding was also the reason why I bought Fallout 3 for PC. Plus, if you have a Crysis-capable machine, you might as well use it for something. Sometimes DLC that Xbox-ers have to pay for we get for free on PC.

I could give a rip about achievements. I mean, if I find a dollar on the sidewalk, I'll stop and pick it up and feel happy about it, but that doesn't mean I'm going to suddenly start scouring the streets for pennies.

As for Fallout's editing tools; I believe the reason they haven't released them yet is because of the whole nude-rerating fiasco with Oblivion. When people modded Oblivion to include nudity, even though Bethesda didn't create the content they were at fault for allowing users to do so, or some such. Be patient and I'm sure an editor will be released.

 

[Hanji]

1. My computer hasn't failed to play anything yet, so no.

2. DLC is relative to how much you like the game. It's usually more of the same, so if you liked the base, you'll like the additions. Mods more often do things the developers are specifically not going to do, giving a creative edge and a pleasant contrast. Thus, I'll usually go for PC if a game strikes me as something that could be modded with interesting results. You can't get high-quality lightsaber sounds for KotOR2 on console, or play Vikings for TF2, or basically change Oblivion's entire leveling mechanic. For this, I am glad I have to PC versions. For them occasionally exploding without reason, not so happy. Consoles/DLC will always have reliability, RROD notwithstanding. I have a PS3 anyway.

3. I like trophies, but they wouldn't influence my purchase. I think they do contribute more to some games than people give them credit for, though.

4. I don't know anything about this, but it seems like they just made the decision without any corporate conspiracies or spite for modders.

Answered that like a survey. Oh well.

 

[Ameatypie]

The absolute correct answer (in my opinion) is PC. The range of games available for PC's is wider then that for the Xbox360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii put together. As well as that, the interface for a PC is big (by this i mean a keyboard, mouse, monitor, joystick etc.) while the interfaces for consoles are relatively small. Provided your computer can run modern games (and even when you cant) i say PC all the way

 

[Altorin]

my computer could probably play most games if I tried to play them, but I enjoy console games. I like achievements (I really don't know why, I've always been a completionist in games, and having the ability to track those accomplishments really appeals to me), so I like my 360.

I don't really have the money to buy a new system or upgrade my current rig, so I just stick to my console. There are a few PC games that I've missed that I'd like to play, like the Witcher, but most any game that I want to play drops into my Xbox quite well.

I do have oblivion and I did download some user mods for it, but I felt that Oblivion was badly flawed in many ways that NEEDED patches to fix. If I had played it on a console, I probably would have been very disappointed. I don't download much DLC on my xbox, mainly because of the aforementioned lack of money, but I completely agree that PC has the DLC market locked. I just haven't seen many things in the console version of fallout 3 that I felt were flawed enough to require a fix. The level system is a simple experience based system, I don't feel the NEED to do certain things and grind out exp.

The Horse Armor DLC was a bad joke, and they admit that it was a bad move, but they didn't know the basics of DLC back then. That being said, I don't think they've lowered the price of it, those bastards.

 

[Lvl 64 Klutz]

1. I've always been a console gamer. Someday I'll probably have to learn all the computer lingo if I want to make it as a journalist in the video game world, but until then you can keep all your fancy schmancy gizmos, computers just frustrate me.

2. I logged in about 350 hours in Star Ocean 3 trying to get as many of the 300 Trophies as possible before losing my memory card. I just recently got Okami and had a bit of a nerdgasm at how much shit there is to collect. Yeah, they affect my purchases.

3. World of Goo, LittleBigPlanet, I think UGC will almost always beat out DLC, usually in ingenuity and originality more than quality.

 

[Jumplion]

To be completely unoriginal;

1. Hell yes, my Hand-Me-Down computer flat out sucks in specs and struggles to play anything aside from Flash games on the internet. I guess what Lvl 64 Klutz said.

2. Since I don't own any Pc game that has mods installed for it, I'd have to say DLC. For one i'm paranoid about bugs and viruses from untrusted Mod sites and stuff (I've crashed my sister's computer 3 times before, all new computers. Don't ask me how, I just did!) and second I just don't have any PC games I'm interested in finding mods for.

3. Trophies do affect my status with a game, but lack of them or easy trophies will never make me not buy/buy a game. I always buy a game if I think I'll have fun with it, the trophy whoring is a bonus.

4. I guess they want people to find out what exactly they hate about the game.

Though I suspect trickery afoot Wilson. This seems to me too close to a PC vs. Console thread, eh Crazybed?

 

[SimuLord]

Discussion:
[li] Do your computer specs limit your ability to play new games? If so, does it influence you in purchases of console games?[/li]

[li]How do mods stack up to DLC to you? Like me, would you buy a PC version of a game for mod content? Or is there other reasons for buying content directly from the developer?[/li]

[li]Do achievements/trophies influence your purchases? [/li]

[li]Bethseda's decision to not release an editor; is it a good idea to limit the amount of modding done on your game, or is it corporate pandering to console manufacturers?[/li]

In order:

1. I spent $1500 on this sucker back in 2006 (hooray for Dell's no-interest-for-18-months financing and my good credit!) I've since sunk about $500 into upgraded parts. Still runs like a dream on anything I throw at it (but I'm a bit worried about how Fallout 3 will fare when I get it later this month.)

2. Morrowind, Oblivion, I rest my case. Most games I buy don't have console counterparts (there's no Hearts of Iron 2 on the 360), but when it comes down to PC or 360 it's not much of a contest. It gives me chills to think there are people out there who are forced to play vanilla Oblivion. OOO and KCAS by themselves turn Oblivion from a "good, but not great" game into my #5 game of all-time. And that's before you get into stuff like Qarl's Texture Pack and the many faptastic body mods.

3. I'm against the whole concept of achievements because I'm not the type of person to jump through hoops and play the game the way the developer wants me to. If I had a 360 my gamerscore would be entirely due to achievements picked up in the incidental play of the game, not one point more.

4. Making a PC game console-tarded makes the baby Jesus cry. Not only that, but it's bad for business to put out a game that can't be extended by the fans on PC. We kind of expect this stuff like a birthright and it can't be THAT hard to put an SDK out (look at Firaxis and what they did with Civ 4. Brilliant move on their part.) But the clinching argument for PC > Console is Civ 4 > Civ Revolution.

 

[N.K]

I rarely get a new PC which means that there's only a window of time wherein I am able to pick and choose between PC and console games. Bought Fallout 3 for PC because of the genre, I prefer PC RPG's (mostly, if it's a Hack'n'slash-ish RPG like Fable, I prefer to play it on consoles.

I'm not that big of a fan of mods, haven't downloaded many but with Fallout 3 that may change. DLC is a fickle business, if it's too expensive I just wont buy it, but occasionally there's a good deal to be had. Basically I usually stick to the basic game and that's it, which may or may not work in my favour.

 

[Syntax Error]

I take it that by the end of this thread, we'd get to the conclusion that Mods >>>> DLC.

Come to think of it, the world would not have Counter-Strike if Half-Life wasn't modded.