Why don't you play games on PC?

[Electric Alpaca]

Cost ineffectiveness. I appreciate that someone with mild expertise can build a robust system with relatively modest funding, but I don't have the expertise. I could purchase something garish like an Alienware, but I don't have the inclination to effectively waste money. The disparity between console cost and PC cost for someone with no interest in computers bar 'it turns on and does what I need it' is too large.

Ease. PC games seem to be plagued with issues, mostly surrounding DRM. I purchased Civilization V, linked it to a Steam account and that's as far as that copy goes.

Association. I spend a lot of my working life staring at a monitor wielding a mouse and keyboard, in the time I have spare to play computer games I require a separation from my working life.

 

[Dfskelleton]

There's always the fear that whatever game I purchase won't work. I'd hate to spend 60 bucks on something that doesn't work. Consoles don't have that problem. That's why most games on my PC are older, save for Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which works fine half of the time.

 

[SilentVirus]

Arguing PC vs Console says a lot about a person's maturity.

I know I am going to pick up a lot of heat for this but, When it comes down to it, if you break down everything, I'd honestly rather not have a gaming platform at all. I like the console because it's simple. It does specifically what it was made to do and nothing else. All you have to do for console is put the disc in and play it. This is great. I love consoles for that reason. You don't have to assemble it and you don't need to know how they work. Just plug it in and start playing. I don't care about having 120 fps because at a point you just stop seeing a difference. Personally I like console controls more but that's just me. However, as of lately companies are trying to incorporate touch screens and motion controls that need to just die already. And on top of that consoles are only limited to repair by their companies. So if something goes wrong and you think you can fix it, then you violated the warranty and they don't have to fix your console. And the wait time is bloody long. So either wait you couple months or buy a new console. I'd rather just not do either.

PC is more in depth, where you can mod, customize, revise any content you want. Some people like the controls more but I don't. It's all preference, so stop using controls as a bases for factual support in your argument. On top of gaming there is actual computer stuff, internet, work, etc, so there are more programs and applications to be used for PC. And with that there is also vulnerabilities, viruses, malware, etc. So security programs will cost extra. Sure you can simply not visit malicious websites, but nowadays there are other ways to send you viruses. Even by doing things like opening an email. Sure you can get a Mac, but...why would you want to game on a Mac? I guess you could but there aren't as many open titles for Macs. Next is hardware. PC's are cheap. PCs that can game are costly. PCs that can game enjoyably are fairly expensive. PC's that can game enjoyably and survive long enough for next years titles, are bloody expensive. Hardware degrades and becomes less efficient. Games are becoming more and more advanced. Graphics are becoming more demanding. And games require better hardware to play games. Time is PC's enemy. In a a year, or even as short as a couple months, the latest hardware you just bought is old news.

In the end, it's like comparing apples and oranges. You can like one, the other, or both. But in the end, should I get Nicki Minaj's album "Roman Reloaded"?

 

[Balobo]

I can see how people who just don't invest enough time gaming to justify the amount of time and money required to build a PC, or lack the knowledge to do so.

It's confusing though, that so many people say the prefer the controller. You can use any controller you want on a PC.

The thing is its really not the same.

It's exactly the same, at least on my computer.

 

[Jaeke]

In my experience, cheaper, simpler, more convenient, specialized.

I understand that PC pros may outweigh console when you look into it but why bother buying a 2000$ machine for a 200$ machine that does the same thing.

Edit: And as far as mods go, they ruin the game for me. They just ended up either turning the game into a cheap and hollow experience or giving me a virus (Which is why i dislike Minecraft as it has ruined 3 of my computers already). I've had 300+ hours on Skyrim 200+ hours on Fallout 3, and 600+ hours on Oblivion, all on the Xbox360.

Console is enough for me

 

[NoNameMcgee]

Have to say, 'becuase I want to use a controller' is not a good reason as you can use every controller known to man on the PC.

And it always works. The way it's meant to. All the time.

But, they kinda do. If you know what you're doing, there isn't a single game you couldn't get a controller working with. This is coming from a PC gamer who actually does prefer using a controller for the majority of games except games that emphasize precision of aim such as shooters. If a game doesn't natively support the controller you're trying to use there are other applications to help such as Pinnacle Game Profiler (which will work for basically everything and allow you to assign buttons to whatever you want).

Sure, it's not always as easy as simply picking up the controller and playing, and I get that. But maybe you don't realize that the Xbox360 Controller for Windows does exactly that. Basically 99% of console ports will work perfectly with this right out of the box. I literally cannot remember the last time I decided to play with the 360 controller and had to do more than simply pick it up and press a button on it to switch the controls to gamepad. Sometimes it even gets in the way because I'll be playing an FPS with M&K and the pad keeps rumbling on my desk and there's no way to turn it off short of unplugging it because the support for the 360 pad is so in-built into the game itself. So basically, if you prefer the 360 gamepad over mouse and keyboard you're set.

Just sayin'.

 

[Sis]

Because, when I'm on my PC, I wanna be on the internet or writing something :lol:

 

[Galite]

On a console I can't die because my virus scanner opened and decided to minimise my game.

Sorry but... you DO know you can set the scanner to not automatically start right? and then if you want regular scans start it before you go to sleep or before you go out to do whatever you want. I haven't had a problem with pop-ups in ages since I discovered the wonders of manually updating everything (which is really damn easy I might add).


But on topic It all depends on what type of game I'm playing. Platformers, adventure games or driving games tend to handle better on a game pad because of the control stick but since I can use one on my PC assuming the game supports it I'll it on buy PC. Also I do all of my work on my PC as well but it doesn't bother me, I'd still be staring at a glowing screen playing my console and don't really feel the difference when I can relax in my comfy ass chair while playing my PC anyway.

While my PC cost me over a grand a few years back the only component I will have to replace anytime soon to keep up with gaming as it is going is my Video card which won't be as much as a new console which will be coming out in the next few years.

 

[NoNameMcgee]

There's always the fear that whatever game I purchase won't work. I'd hate to spend 60 bucks on something that doesn't work. Consoles don't have that problem. That's why most games on my PC are older, save for Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which works fine half of the time.

If your computer has the minimum requirements, the game will work. I don't know where this idea that games often don't work at all comes from. There can be hardware or software incompatibility problems that prevent a game from working but please understand how rare these actually are. I'm a lifelong PC gamer and its been years since I've had trouble simply getting a game to run in the first place. Some little problems you might encounter in the game itself, well alright I can accept that, but that's a different point entirely. Getting a game to start and work is pretty much just as simple as on a console.

What you're talking about happens most with really old games, not new games. If it happens a lot with new games you must be doing something wrong...

 

[Aprilgold]

Have to say, 'becuase I want to use a controller' is not a good reason as you can use every controller known to man on the PC.

Not as easily. Consoles are simple, and what's wrong with that? If I want to play a game on my couch with a controller it takes 1 min of setup on a console and well over an hour on my PC. I'll just hit the power button instead of messing with cables, drivers and updates.

It'll take one second on a PC as well. What are you driving at here? I can plop in a Xbox Controller into my PC to play Sonic Generations in a second and it will work.

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I always play PC so I don't have to deal with the used game bullshit.

 

[NoNameMcgee]

In the end, it's like comparing apples and oranges. You can like one, the other.

I agree to an extent. But that's not why these discussions happen so frequently. They happen because console users will say something as a reason they don't use PC which usually ranges from slight misinformation to absolute nonsense. It's not the preference that bothers us its the inaccuracy of what they are saying. We feel the need to correct people because its the same shit repeated all the time.

 

[TehCookie]

Have to say, 'becuase I want to use a controller' is not a good reason as you can use every controller known to man on the PC.

Not as easily. Consoles are simple, and what's wrong with that? If I want to play a game on my couch with a controller it takes 1 min of setup on a console and well over an hour on my PC. I'll just hit the power button instead of messing with cables, drivers and updates.

It'll take one second on a PC as well. What are you driving at here? I can plop in a Xbox Controller into my PC to play Sonic Generations in a second and it will work.

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I always play PC so I don't have to deal with the used game bullshit.

Try using one that isn't supported by mircosoft, I have to manually download the drivers and configure every button when I want to use it and it's a pain in the ass.

Dealing with used console games is easier, they work just like new games.

 

[Razoack]

1 - Download limits.

As a gamer living at home, we can't afford much in the way of expensive internet subscriptions. That means we have a download limit. I've got an expensive (ish) gaming PC, capable of running new releases. However, with the download limit, i could probably only download 1 or 2 games from Steam a month.

2 - Price depreciation.

Apart from Steam sales, PC game prices don't depreciate as quickly as console games, so the same game usually becomes cheaper to purchase on console after a period of time.

 

[LiquidSolstice]

So 'I cannot game on PC becuase I cannot use a controller' has changed to, I cannot game on the PC becuase controllers are not the main controller and not everyone is forced to use them, so I am at a disadvantage when gaming on-line. Good job on moving the goal posts.

Point to me where I said said "you can't game on a PC because you can't use a controller".
The point to me where I said "you can't game on a PC because controllers are not the main controller."

And when you can find those statements in my posts (which you won't be able to be, because you just made those up), feel free to remove that massive stick that seems to be lodged so far up your ass that it's causing you to speak words that were never said.

If you don't have the cognitive ability to process the above, here's a nice tl:dr for you; saying "I prefer controllers" is a perfectly legitimate reason to prefer console gaming over PC gaming. Being able to connect a controller to a PC does not negate this.

 

[Balobo]

Try using one that isn't supported by mircosoft, I have to manually download the drivers and configure every button when I want to use it and it's a pain in the ass.

Dealing with used console games is easier, they work just like new games.

It took me a couple minutes to get my PS3 controller working for the first time and now takes less than one second whenever I want to use it. What's the problem again?

 

[LiquidSolstice]

Have to say, 'becuase I want to use a controller' is not a good reason as you can use every controller known to man on the PC.

Not as easily. Consoles are simple, and what's wrong with that? If I want to play a game on my couch with a controller it takes 1 min of setup on a console and well over an hour on my PC. I'll just hit the power button instead of messing with cables, drivers and updates.

It'll take one second on a PC as well. What are you driving at here? I can plop in a Xbox Controller into my PC to play Sonic Generations in a second and it will work.

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I always play PC so I don't have to deal with the used game bullshit.

It will not take one second. Here's a deal. Let's both go and buy AC Revelations from a game store. You buy it for the PC, I'll buy it for the Xbox.

Would you be willing to bet money that you could go from computer off to playing the game before I go from Xbox off to playing the game?

The point he is making remains; he brings a game home, presses a button on his controller, his Xbox is on in less than 30 seconds, and with 10 seconds after that (after putting the disk in), he's playing it. You cannot beat that with a computer, no matter how fast your processor is or how high your SSD's write rate is.

Also, protip, concerning your retarded used game statement:

1. The reason you don't have to deal with "used game bullshit" is because the used game market for PCs is almost non-existant.
2. There are no problems with used games on consoles. Regardless of what Pro-PC Gamer sites want you to believe, there is never anything stopping you from enjoying the offline portion of a used game, and furthermore, the number of high profile games that use an online pass isn't as high as you'd like to think (last I checked, CoD doesn't even have one). Granted, the problem exists, but it's not as insane of an issue as you seem to think.

 

[LiquidSolstice]

Try using one that isn't supported by mircosoft, I have to manually download the drivers and configure every button when I want to use it and it's a pain in the ass.

Dealing with used console games is easier, they work just like new games.

It took me a couple minutes to get my PS3 controller working for the first time and now takes less than one second whenever I want to use it. What's the problem again?

Your experience was better than his so now his stance is irrelevant?

 

[Gorilla Gunk]

Can't afford it. Got a couple hundred dollars in the bank until I get a better job and got more important things to spend that on like food, gas, and medical bills than a game system. Maybe after I get another, better job and save up enough I'll build one but right now I just can't justify spending $500-800 for better graphics.

 

[Doctor Glocktor]

Friends, ease of use, friends, being able to run current games, friends, controllers simply feel better for gaming, console exclusives and friends.

 

[Dfskelleton]

There's always the fear that whatever game I purchase won't work. I'd hate to spend 60 bucks on something that doesn't work. Consoles don't have that problem. That's why most games on my PC are older, save for Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which works fine half of the time.

If your computer has the minimum requirements, the game will work. I don't know where this idea that games often don't work at all comes from. There can be hardware or software incompatibility problems that prevent a game from working but please understand how rare these actually are. I'm a lifelong PC gamer and its been years since I've had trouble simply getting a game to run in the first place. Some little problems you might encounter in the game itself, well alright I can accept that, but that's a different point entirely. Getting a game to start and work is pretty much just as simple as on a console.

What you're talking about happens most with really old games, not new games. If it happens a lot with new games you must be doing something wrong...

I don't mean not running at all, I mean running like a blender full of hardened concrete. Let me rephrase what I said before:
"I'd hate to spend 60 bucks on something that doesn't work right."
I'm sure I could get Skyrim to run on my PC, but getting it to run faster than molasses on a 176 degree incline would be different.
And I don't really want Skyrim in the first place.