Where does all this PC Vs. Console argument come from anyway?

[Buizel91]

It will always happen, PC gamers like upgrading their stuff and having the best graphics for there games, Console gamers like it simple (and by simple i mean not having to install 3 CD's for one game...)

Neither is better or worse, they all have there downsides, I'm mainly a console gamer, Apart from the odd RTS on my Laptop, along with Kotor, and i can see the downs and ups, wish everyone else could.

 

[procyonlotor]

A mix of insecurity, adolescent rage and plain old biggotry?

Honestly, it does piss me off when my copy of Fable 3 has "bad console port" written all over the splash screen. You know you're in trouble when menu navigation doesn't support mice and the "select-cancel" keys are mapped to 1 and 2 respectively.

Still, I'd love to get a console, but I couldn't possibly fund a 360 or ps3 together with my pc. I can barely afford to get get the games I'm really interested in as it is.

 

[Murray Kitson]

I love this debate actually. Yes, PC graphics can be better, but there is more to a game than that. I have a PS3 and a PC. I am happy to say that I enjoy both. League of Legends on PC is a great game, but doesn't really use much graphics processing power. This is the game I play most, but I still enjoy gaming on my PS3.

When it comes to controls, PC has more button or macro creating potential and the mouse is a great touch for certain types of games. RTS, Shooter (i hate shooters on console), and a few others as well.

PC gaming is not dead, it's just not thriving as it used to. but for people like me, both are needed to cover all my gaming needs.

 

[Racecarlock]

I think it started when one of my stupider console gamer brethren said that PC gaming is dying. Thus PC gamers responded with modding and complex RPGS with lots of controls. Then PC gamers said "Holy shit! We have really complex RPGS with insanely hard to figure out controls! This must make us smarter and superior to console gamers. And the keyboard has more buttons. Yee!". And so the bullshit started and it has only gotten worse from both sides. For example, apparently I am destroying the whole goddamn game industry because I play on a console. Developers apparently dumb down games for us. While I cannot deny that developers may dumb down games for consoles, I can say that I am not personally writing them a letter telling them to do this. I don't want games dumbed down for anything. No console gamer does. And yet I've seen alot of PC gamers on this forum blame the people who are playing on consoles, not the people actually responsible for making the damn game. I respect the PC gamers who don't do this, as they actually prove themselves to be more mature. Every platform has their strengths and weaknesses, so why this stupid fight happened in the first place I can only chalk up to dumb loyalty. In the end, though, loyalty to only one gaming platform only hurts those who do it in the end, because they are only limiting their own experiences.

 

[mindlesspuppet]

Like everyone else has said, PC gamers are tired of shitty ports.

Also, I think a lot of us are tired of people not having any understanding of PC hardware;
- Constantly people will say "a gaming PC costs THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!!!", which anyone slightly familiar with PCs knows is not remotely true.

- PC gamers are stereotyped as sitting in "their parents basement hunched over a keyboard staring at a monitor that is 2 inches away", which again is ridiculous. It amazes me how few console gamers realize Windows (since XP) has supported 360 controllers, and with wireless peripherals, and HDMI there's no reason you can't play on a PC in the same manner you would a console.

etc...

 

[CBanana]

There are pros and cons to both setups.

Console Gaming Pros:
- Very easy to use
- More attention from AAA studios (particularly Japanese ones)
- Default setup is a comfortable controller setup
- More ability to buy used or rent games
- A great deal more support for motion controls

PC Gaming Pros:
- Can have a very high level of technology
- More attention from indie developers
- Mouse/Controller setup usually allows for high accuracy and customization
- More support for buying downloadable video games
- Modding communities

 

[Giest4life]

Where does all this PC Vs. Console argument come from anyway?

Human ego.....and daddy issues.

Following along the lines that Yahtzee said, I'm rich enough to myself a console and a PC gaming machine, I really don't see what the big deal is.

 

[Reaper195]

PC gamers get bad ports of console games, and vice versa. That, and most people that complain and get involved in these wars are too immature to realise that no one really cares, and all they do is simply add more threads to a forum.

 

[GodofCider]

Well it happens mostly because many gamers whom only own pc's are very jealous of console owners. So they exaggerate and boast about how wonderful their superior pc's hardware and software is, compared to consoles.

On a more serious note.

Because: my country/team/smartphone/pants/necklace/hair is better than yours?

This kind of thing is hardly unique to the gaming community.

 

[Dizeazedkiller]

Like everyone else has said, PC gamers are tired of shitty ports.

Also, I think a lot of us are tired of people not having any understanding of PC hardware;
- Constantly people will say "a gaming PC costs THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!!!", which anyone slightly familiar with PCs knows is not remotely true.

- PC gamers are stereotyped as sitting in "their parents basement hunched over a keyboard staring at a monitor that is 2 inches away", which again is ridiculous. It amazes me how few console gamers realize Windows (since XP) has supported 360 controllers, and with wireless peripherals, and HDMI there's no reason you can't play on a PC in the same manner you would a console.

etc...

My laptop cost a thousand dollars or so, plus a few hundred for extra bits and pieces i don't really need (except the mouse. You can't game well with a touchpad). Which isn't to say you NEED that much money for a gaming computer, as mine is good enough to play most games that came out in 2009, 2010 at the best graphics setting (its not so much about the good graphics as feeling proud i bought something that can DO that).

Even though preferring a controller isn't an argument there are still things like being able to play the game as soon as you put in the cd, popularity and peer groups (friends all playing on the same system is a big motivator).

OT: I'd say that people aren't starting flamewars just because theirs is better or the other is worse, but because they want to feel like they made the right purchase. Imagine buying a second hand ten thousand dollar car which broke down within six months with no hopes of repairs or any sort of compensation in the form of insurance or warranty or whatever. You'd feel stupid. Its the same for consoles and PCs i think.

Personally i play games more on PC than on consoles (The only game on console i've played in the last year or so was Nazi Zombies 2. I'm sorry, black ops? Wtf is that? I only noticed the zombies because the rest was BLEH). But i wouldn't call myself a PC gamer. I play on my laptop, its different (portable and all the other stuff... i lost my train of something something.).

Just in case i'm wrong and we aren't all arguing because we are consumer whores and we don't like buying in the wrong, then another thing i'd say PC gamers would argue would be use and customisation. Serious PC gamers, i would think, would build their computers the way they like and see that kind of personalisation or customisation as a plus. Not to mention that on a PC gaming is a secondary function. A computer can do A LOT more.

Which is why i wonder why people argue about the financial side of things. Take into account that we are moving into a sort of world where eventually everyone is going to need a computer. If we already need a computer, and everyone already has one, why not use your console money to get a computer that can play games as well? The only argument against this i can see is the fighting if you have two other siblings who want to play and the thing gets broken while fighting over it. Or someone needs to do some work but the other guy is playing games (There not being a multiplayer is not an argument because if console and PC gaming were to converge then you'd be able to plug multiple keyboards or controllers in although i can see the mess this could cause, but i'm assuming everyone else lives in a shithole similar to mine).

 

[Durananrananrananran]

I have no problem with anyone saying one is better than the other. It's a valid opinion, and, you choose which one you want to play and which one you want to pay for (or for you spoilt kids out there, convince your parents to pay for).

What I do have a problem with, is blaming one for ruining the other. And do you want my honest opinion on where the whining comes from? It's hard to convince your parents that a console will help you with your homework

Edit here: that was too broad a shot. I realise many if not most of you will have paid for your PC with your own cash. It just seems that all the moaning mostly comes from over-entitled kids.

 

[Joccaren]

Honestly, the whole argument is pointless. As far as I can tell, the majority of console users admit that the PC is a better platform for a number of games, I will admit that there are games that are just better on consoles, however, graphics ARE able to be better on PC than console, and PC controls ARE better than console controls for a number of game types (I remember a ton of people complaining about DA:O controls for consoles when the arguments about DA2 were still going strong, this is a prime example. Yes, on a console they would be clunky, on a PC, for me at least, they were fine)

The argument that I often here, other than 'elitist' (which by the way, whats wrong with wanting to use something better [again in some circumstances, can you all remember I mean this everytime I say better in this post, as I'm not sure how many more times I will and I don't want to have to type the same thing too many times], and tell other people, rightly so, that their platform is better. Now, if someone says the PC is better in all situations, I will go against them. Consoles are better for some types of games and for some ways of playing games, however I fell in general a PC is better) is the argument of 'PCs cost too much' and 'you have to be a technical genius to work out how to build one', which is utterly false, and I'm sick of hearing it.

Can we just accept that PCs are better for some game styles (Hard RPGs, Shooters, RTS ect.) whilst consoles are better for others (Driving Sims, Split-screen gaming, some Hack'n'Slash styled games)? Probably not.
Do I wish we could? Yes.


Edit: OK, I didn't want to start this (and technically I haven't) but there has been a post by a console player a couple of posts above me that, unless meant in a satirical way to pick on consoles and console players (which is also unacceptable, but for different reasons), I find completely unacceptable, and here's why:

'PC gamers are upset about becoming a niche market': We are not. We are not becoming a niche market. Believe it or not, PC gaming is still strong. Even in games that consoles can run. Why, because a lot of people have PCs, and a lot of those people with PCs want to play games. I believe Extra Credits stated that consoles will actually become the niche market, and I agree. As something better than a console comes out, or people start to realise that PCs aren't truly more expensive than consoles, are not significantly difficult to assemble from parts, can do more things, and are more powerful, then Consoles will start to be only for those who stubbornly refuse to let go of consoles. Extra Credits said that the thing that might defeat consoles is handheld gaming, due to its portability, and this is something I would agree with. As they become more powerful, they will eventually be able to run games of the same standard as consoles, and probably even PCs. 'But the controls will be less intuitive' you complain, console to PC comparison. Controls are generally more intuitive on the PC for many game styles, yet a number of people still play consoles. Why? a lot of the time due to misconceptions about PCs, the herp derp everyone uses consoles, and actual, genuine preference for the way a console handles.

 

[Ninjamedic]

It comes from lazy developers wanting to cut corners and blame the consoles. (3d realms, Bioware)

EDIT: One hell of a typo, sorry.

 

[EBsessed]

Frankly, I don't understand why people feel the need to compare fanboy penises in the first place.

On a personal level, I do not enjoy PC gaming because: 1) I can't stand to play my games with a mouse and keyboard. I like having a controller in my hand. I know they make controllers for PC games, but I've never found one I liked, so I don't bother continuing to look for one. 2) The PC doesn't have any exclusive games that I desperately want to play, and I choose my games based primarily on how hyped I am for certain releases. 3) I find PC gaming to be too demanding. You need to meet certain technological requirements to play many games (some of which can get expensive, such as nice video cards and extra RAM depending on what you need) and you need to run disc installs (sometimes spanning two discs or more). I could also be biased because I don't necessarily have the swankiest computer and I hate trying to play a new game only for it to lag and play at a snail's pace with the action skipping multiple frames at a time.

Regardless, that's simply my personal preference, and if people want to play their games on their PC, who gives a damn? Play what you want to play using whatever platform you prefer. What makes MY personal preference any better or more important than YOUR personal preference? Isn't that the point of options? People have different tastes, and differing platforms exist for people who are looking for something unlike the other stuff on the market. I'm as apathetic about Microsoft consoles as I am about PC gaming. I'm a Sony and Nintendo man myself. That doesn't mean I'm going to tear down the Xbox simply because I didn't choose to buy one.

There really shouldn't even be an argument over the issue if you ask me. Dig what you dig and let people who disagree eat their cake. Whether or not Stranger Joe prefers a different platform from your own holds absolutely no bearing on what kind of person he is, nor does it affect your life in any way. You might as well go to the grocery store's produce section and yell at people who buy vegetables you don't care for.

tl;dr - SQUASH?! HOW CAN YOU ENJOY SUCH TRASH?! CAULIFLOWER IS OBVIOUSLY A SUPERIOR CHOICE!

 

[Laser Priest]

Random gamers being stubborn fools who can't accept that different people don't like all of the same things they do. Also, idiotic developers such as Gearbox blaming their own demented design choices on consoles.

 

[Laser Priest]

tl;dr - SQUASH?! HOW CAN YOU ENJOY SUCH TRASH?! CAULIFLOWER IS OBVIOUSLY A SUPERIOR CHOICE!

That is a wonderful post to start on. You've pretty much captured all of the console/PC-war.

 

[Vault101]

because PC gamers are a little annoyed at being left in the shadows

It comes from lazy developers wanting to cut corners and blame the developers. (3d realms, Bioware)

I wouldnt call it lazy, Id call it going where the money is

at least Bioware games arnt bad ports (streamlined or otherwise)

 

[Stavros Dimou]

Gaming is good no matter the platform you play at.
Usually I think pc gamers blame developers for making their games more 'consolistic',but some console gamers attack pc gamers in return in order to protect their consoles,but hey shouldn't they say good things about the developers instead of blaming other gamers ?
I mean if console players like the way the game industry is going,shouldn't they just say "way to go" to developers instead of attacking other gamers ? but anyway fanboyism is too spread at both camps so whatever.