Is PC gaming practical

[CptStern]

PC gaming does not cost thousands of dollars. If I go to best buy and spend $1000 on a new computer it's probably bundled with a x300 videocard ...insufficient for gaming (in anything except casual gaming). In order to play games as they're meant to be played I'd need to plunk down another $400 for a good vid card, which is about the price of an entry model xbox360. My point is that my pc does more for me than just gaming.





a few points:

it's just as easy to pirate games on a console as it is on a pc. Just have a glance in the classifieds. They're full of mods for sale for as little as $25 that allow you to rip to a harddrive (extra $50) any rented game ...instant game library courtsey of Blockbuster


console games are on average $10 per game more expensive than pc games ..$20 more for xbox360.

There's probably more triple A games on consoles ..perhaps not percentage wise but the sheer amount of crap more than makes up for it. Xbox for example probably has a dozen, two dozen max, stellar games the rest are mediocre at best ...almost all within the same genre and the majority either started as a port or was later ported to pcs


last point, probably the one I'll get most heat for. While console games are very diverse there's not as much that appeals to an adult sensibility (I dont mean excessive violence or nudity but rather adult complexity and adult themes) You'd be hard pressed to find a game as complex as say Civilization 4 on a console.




that said it all boils down to personal taste.

 

[VictimOfScience]

You'd be hard pressed to find a game as complex as say Civilization 4 on a console.

I agree, though the controls alone are enough to put off any RTS on a console.

The complex thinking that is involved with many PC games just isn't there on the consoles. Consoles are more about instant gratification and you just don't see a relatively slow-paced adventure game on them usually, likewise an RTS or any game where the areas of the brain responsible for long-term memory and higher-level processing are activated.

 

[CptStern]

I agree, though the controls alone are enough to put off any RTS on a console.

The complex thinking that is involved with many PC games just isn't there on the consoles. Consoles are more about instant gratification and you just don't see a relatively slow-paced adventure game on them usually, likewise an RTS or any game where the areas of the brain responsible for long-term memory and higher-level processing are activated.

I agree, twitch gaming is only exciting to a point.

 

[Warbie]

You guys are exagerating the complexity of pc games. Civ is far from the norm - and one of the few games of this type worth playing. It is not representative of pc gaming.

(i'm playing the same pc games as you guys, where are these complex and adult themed games??)

If anything, pc gaming over the last few years has been more disposable and less engaging what consoles have been offering. There's also distinct lack of aaa titles and the usual lack of variety (how many paint by numbers c&c clones and identikit fps are we going to put up with?)

'any game where the areas of the brain responsible for long-term memory and higher-level processing are activated.'

You're just making things up now, Victim

 

[Raz]

If anything, pc gaming over the last few years has been more disposable and less engaging what consoles have been offering.

Yeah, I'm already looking forward to racing game #2623 and sports game iteration #15

 

[Warbie]

Yeah, I'm already looking forward to racing game #2623 and sports game iteration #15

Of course there's more crap on consoles, there are far more games being developed for them. I'd say the ratio of quality to pap was around equal on consoles and the pc, though - which also means there is more quality.

Look forward to the rubbish if you want - i'll be playing all the wonderfully varied and creative console games.

 

[CptStern]

You guys are exagerating the complexity of pc games. Civ is far from the norm - and one of the few games of this type worth playing. It is not representative of pc gaming.

(i'm playing the same pc games as you guys, where are these complex and adult themed games??)

If anything, pc gaming over the last few years has been more disposable and less engaging what consoles have been offering. There's also distinct lack of aaa titles and the usual lack of variety (how many paint by numbers c&c clones and identikit fps are we going to put up with?)

'any game where the areas of the brain responsible for long-term memory and higher-level processing are activated.'

You're just making things up now, Victim

while I agree that pc gaming today is a far cry from the 90's where twitch games were the exception not the norm, it's still head and shoulders above mainstream console games ...almost every fps to come out for xbox has been a Halo clone (again I'm strictly referring to xbox as my exposure to the other consoles are limited) ...as for adult themed gaming, civ4 may be an exception but there are tons of choices if you look a little deeper than the AAA titles ..games like X3: the threat, Indigo Prophecy or Silent Hunter, or world of warcraft (MMO's in general) that really push the envelope in terms of gaming beyond the twitch factor

I agree though that pc gaming has become somewhat stagnant ..I blame consoles, short attention spans, and huge budgets for all that's wrong with pc gaming ..but we're all to blame ..I wonder how many copies of UT2007 will sell in comparison to say ...stalker (if it's ever released). Absolutely no new gameplay (ok they may add new game modes) pretty much a graphics overhaul ...I've been waiting for the gaming industry to mature beyond the "hey I'm 15 and I like to watch things blow up real good" mentality (no disrespect to 15 yr olds) for years now, consoles imho are a step backward not forward (there's always exceptions ..revolution, some games on ps etc)

 

[Raz]

Another thing, isn't the point of console games to be more disposable and less engaging? Aren't they supposed to be the pick up and play type of games? I can't really think of any typical console genres that are particularly engaging.

 

[Warbie]

No offense meant, but it sounds like you could do with experiencing a little more of what consoles have to offer, Sterny (you don't mind me calling you Sterny? )

Come round to my flat, drink a few beers, and we'll play 4-swords. If it's not the most fun you've had in gaming in years i'll eat my Mario hat.

And don't start me on Stalker - the hype surrounding that game is more a indication of the current state of pc gaming than anything I could say (that's not meant to sound as harsh as it does btw. I'm not a console fanboy, more a disgruntled pc gamer)

 

[CptStern]

No offense meant, but it sounds like you could do with experiencing a little more of what consoles have to offer, Sterny (you don't mind me calling you Sterny? )

Come round to my flat, drink a few beers, and we'll play 4-swords. If it's not the most fun you've had in gaming in years i'll eat my Mario hat.

I might take you up on that ...just for the free beer :E ..but I'd like to put a qualifier to what I've posted ...I dont have many gaming friends ...I have one friend who'll occasionally play co-op games with so most of my gaming is either sp or online mp. Yes I'm missing out on what makes console gaming fun but I really dont have a lot of time to meet new people just to play games

in a way, console games are mimicing pc games ...just look at xbox/xbox360 ..the line between xbox360 and pc gaming has literally blurred to the point where they're indistinguishable. Game A on pc plays relatively the same as game B on xbox/xbox360. You may think that there's a lot of diversity but this coming generation promises to water down that diversity somewhat as game budgets are huge and publishers are more reluctant to invest in something that doesnt guarentee returns . And it's getting worse as revealed by an unveiling of the xbox360 marketplace:

"Game-specific individual elements include Gamer Pictures and Themes for a number of the games, including Amped 3, Quake 4, and Tony Hawk's American Wasteland, for as little as 20 points (25c), plus an unspecified 'Winter Warrior Pack' for Kameo for 200 points ($2.50)."

charging for content that was traditionally free for pc games

And don't start me on Stalker - the hype surrounding that game is more a indication of the current state of pc gaming than anything I could say (that's not meant to sound as harsh as it does btw. I'm not a console fanboy, more a disgruntled pc gamer)

I agree, the hype surrounding the game is idiotic because most of it is centred around how pretty it looks rather than what they should be focusing on: the life system and open endedness ...frankly I dont care what it looks like (to a point) as long as it plays well




oh and btw you'd better have a smile on your face when you call me "Sterny"

/me wipes mouse and prepares to have a showdown with Warbies console controller

 

[Warbie]

/lubes up Dreamcast Fishing rod and grabs shoe horn.

Don't make me do it, Sterny

 

[CptStern]

/me straps headphones around neck as a makeshit bandolier and prepares to have at Warbie!

 

[VictimOfScience]

'any game where the areas of the brain responsible for long-term memory and higher-level processing are activated.'

You're just making things up now, Victim

I just think that everyone is forgetting about the potential for PCs to push traditional gaming into new realms of thought. How many games like Black and White, Sim-City, Darwinia, and Spore have you seen on consoles? And sure, while there is a Chessmaster game for PS2 and GBA and XBox, it started on the PC and the Sargon series goes back even further to microcomputers. Most console games simply don't require a ton of brain activity, that's all.

Thanks goodness that there are a select few developers that are not bound by traditional console gaming constraints and go far beyond the norm to stimulate totally different areas of a person. Shadow of the Colossus is one game that redefines the traditional view of what a videogaming experience is. I am not saying it requires the same mental ability as becoming a grandmaster chess player, but it defies most of the usual trappings that developers get caught up in when designing a videogame, especially for consoles. Okami too looks to accomplish a similar feat, though in a very different way.

I have hope that the Revolution's radical new take on interactive experience will spur more developers to think "outside of the box" and create experiences for the player that actually require much more serious thought and feeling than past gaming experiences.

I agree, the hype surrounding the game is idiotic because most of it is centred around how pretty it looks rather than what they should be focusing on: the life system and open endedness ...frankly I dont care what it looks like (to a point) as long as it plays well

This is actually what the delay now is about. Its such an open-ended system that it is taking lots and lots of playtesting and re-coding to get the AI right for not only stalking and fighting you, but stalking and fighting other people/beasts in the game. That's what I am so excited about--to see other stalkers/beasts going at it or just going about their own business/missions through very advanced AI. I have the same high hopes for Oblivion's AI .

 

[CptStern]

This is actually what the delay now is about. Its such an open-ended system that it is taking lots and lots of playtesting and re-coding to get the AI right for not only stalking and fighting you, but stalking and fighting other people/beasts in the game. That's what I am so excited about--to see other stalkers/beasts going at it or just going about their own business/missions through very advanced AI. I have the same high hopes for Oblivion's AI .

yes but I fear that by the time it's released most pc gamers will dismiss it as "oh the graphics were so 2005" or "pfft it doesnt even use directx10 with super-duper shaders, PASS!!!111"

 

[Synthos]

i can pirate pc games without modding.

 

[CptStern]

i can pirate pc games without modding.

yes but you have to either purchase them or dl them ..once I have a mod installed it's a simple matter to copy a game file to the console hardrive. So for the price of a rental I can copy a game in far less time then it would be to download it

 

[Synthos]

however, can you gaurentee that you can mod the PS3/XBox 360/ Rev?

 

[VictimOfScience]

yes but I fear that by the time it's released most pc gamers will dismiss it as "oh the graphics were so 2005" or "pfft it doesnt even use directx10 with super-duper shaders, PASS!!!111"

As long as I enjoy the hell out of it, all of these other gamers can go pound sand for all I care.

Of course, no other human players might put a damper on the multiplayer, so hopefully the AI is very very good .

 

[CptStern]

however, can you gaurentee that you can mod the PS3/XBox 360/ Rev?

yes ...


"J Allard, Xbox Chief Executive, in a recent interview posted at Gamespot, acknowledged the Xbox 360’s vulnerability to hacking.

“We do know that they’re already being very ambitious with it and it’s flattering in a way. […] There will be the hobbyists that want to rip it apart. There’ll still be the pirates that want to rip it off. We can’t avoid that. The philosophy that we applied on 360 is, “It’s going to happen."



http://www.gamespot.com/news/6135302.html

 

[CptStern]

As long as I enjoy the hell out of it, all of these other gamers can go pound sand for all I care.

Of course, no other human players might put a damper on the multiplayer, so hopefully the AI is very very good .

yes but no sales = no support, no expansion, no community = death of game ...just look at Tribes Vengeance

 

[ailevation]

I always saw things this way... console adapted more PC-like things rather than PC adapting console-like things.

 

[Krynn72]

Am I the only one that thinks that consoles will actually BECOME computers in the next generation or two?

 

[ailevation]

Am I the only one that thinks that consoles will actually BECOME computers in the next generation or two?

You're the 2nd.:thumbs:

 

[destrukt]

weren't all of you [gamers, geeks, whoever] calling the xbox a computer years ago when it was first released, so many of you can blame yourselves for the misconception that consoles are trying to become the home pc; quick, stab yourselves in the eye.

also, ps2 is labelled as 'computer' entertainment system, so leave the xbox alone unless you bash both of them.

 

[MuToiD_MaN]

One of my fears is that PCs and consoles will meet to create a standardised 'everything box'. /shiver

* MuToiD_MaN throws up hands, screams, and runs to find the big red button, waiting to annihilate the world if that ever happens, because it sounds like a Microsoft product *

 

[Cole]

I think we will see more AA titles with the coming of the Next Generation.
Some may be thining ?What!!?

Alot of Innovative titles come from new Developers. New Developers will find funding hard with the new generation of consoles. So whats there to turn to? Pc Gaming /w Online Distrubution.

Am I the only one that thinks that consoles will actually BECOME computers in the next generation or two?

Ohh, I've thought that before we even heard of the Xbox360.

 

[VirusType2]

Pretty much Box and Nintendo are the ultimate video game machines. Thats all they do. So how you can sit there and say its trying to be a computer is like HUH? I mean, do you think that MS wants you to abandon Windows PC? No. The opposite.

I've heard that Sony is unhappy that MS has consumers with the PC, with its Windows, and wants a piece of the action. Trying to take over your media center with its PS3. Basically trying to re-create the PC.

But to me the PS3 is basically a game computer without any of the advantages of being a computer. But I have a computer that can do all that linking with my video camera and digital camera, keyboard, mouse, webcam. So what will i do with all those USB ports and memory stick slots? I'm not terribly excited about uploading my pics onto a device that cannot even link with my PC. What do you do with them? It doesn't even have a Recorder, so any pictures would be contained on the PS3

I think it's just a ****ing idiot box. Wait till you see where they go with this thing and you'll be like WTF.

 

[TheSomeone]

PC gaming isn't more expensive. I'm going to have a great PC for digital media anyways, so buying an extra console, that would be expensive.

 

[Krynn72]

Pretty much Box and Nintendo are the ultimate video game machines. Thats all they do. So how you can sit there and say its trying to be a computer is like HUH? I mean, do you think that MS wants you to abandon Windows PC? No. The opposite.

I've heard that Sony is unhappy that MS has consumers with the PC, with its Windows, and wants a piece of the action. Trying to take over your media center with its PS3. Basically trying to re-create the PC.

But to me the PS3 is basically a game computer without any of the advantages of being a computer. But I have a computer that can do all that linking with my video camera and digital camera, keyboard, mouse, webcam. So what will i do with all those USB ports and memory stick slots? I'm not terribly excited about uploading my pics onto a device that cannot even link with my PC. What do you do with them? It doesn't even have a Recorder, so any pictures would be contained on the PS3

I think it's just a ****ing idiot box. Wait till you see where they go with this thing and you'll be like WTF.

I fail to see whats wrong with that. If someone doesnt have a good computer, then why not get a ps3, then you have both. I think that they could even incorporate a lot of that technology into a game. And I dont get how ps3 will be any less of an "ultimate video game machine" simply because its adding more stuff. Is my computer less a gaming machine because I can use word?

weren't all of you [gamers, geeks, whoever] calling the xbox a computer years ago when it was first released, so many of you can blame yourselves for the misconception that consoles are trying to become the home pc; quick, stab yourselves in the eye.

also, ps2 is labelled as 'computer' entertainment system, so leave the xbox alone unless you bash both of them.

Yes I was saying XB is like a computer, and guess what. It is. Its not a misconception. Now its a really outdated computer... like I was saying. Same with ps2 and every damn console. Next generation of consoles will probably have the ability to upgrade hardware also.

And no, I dont think I will stab myself in the eye.

 

[TheSomeone]

Am I the only one that thinks that consoles will actually BECOME computers in the next generation or two?

Lol, wouldn't really be a console then would it.

 

[Krynn72]

Lol, wouldn't really be a console then would it.

Thats what I am saying. In the future there is only PC.

*That was a play on the warhammer 40k slogan *

 

[VirusType2]

I fail to see whats wrong with that. If someone doesnt have a good computer, then why not get a ps3, then you have both.

No, you don't. PS3 Wants to be a computer, but lacks 99% of the ability of one

I think that they could even incorporate a lot of that technology into a game.

like what? pasting a picture of your face on your character?

And I dont get how ps3 will be any less of an "ultimate video game machine" simply because its adding more stuff. Is my computer less a gaming machine because I can use word?

The question is can you use word with a PS3? no. (microsoft product on top of that ) It's NOT a computer. Not even close. It's a game machine with compuer features that are incomplete. basically a HD movie player. What im saying is its becoming more like a computer. Much more than the other systems. And you have to pay for all that stuff. It's not free.

Everyone is saying that the xbox is trying to be a computer becuase why? they included a hard drive? instead of charging $40 orig ret. price for each memory card for Sony? in which i had to buy 7 of them (comes to about $280 for memory cards)to record songs i created on MTV music generator 2 becuase I didnt have a computer to create music on, when i could have spent that memory card money to buy a computer but didn't know any better.

Yes I was saying XB is like a computer, and guess what. It is. Its not a misconception. Now its a really outdated computer... like I was saying. Same with ps2 and every damn console.

really outdated computer? The are still graphically powerful (some more than others), but can only play games!

If my computer could only play games it wouldn't be a computer it would be a video game machine. A shitty one at that. Consoles can't do email, word processing, cd burning, spreadsheets, internet browsing (besides dreamcast) or any of the billions of other tasks suited to a computer.

Is a video game console a computer? only in the essence of the word in that it "computes" other than that it should only play games.
anyway what were we talking about?

 

[destrukt]

Yes I was saying XB is like a computer, and guess what. It is. Its not a misconception. Now its a really outdated computer... like I was saying. Same with ps2 and every damn console. Next generation of consoles will probably have the ability to upgrade hardware also.

but it's not a personal computer, sure, it is like a computer as in it has a motherboard, cpu, and so on, but that in no way makes it a pc.

computer: "A device that computes, especially a programmable electronic machine that performs high-speed mathematical or logical operations or that assembles, stores, correlates, or otherwise processes information."

as they are labelled, computer entertainment system, they are not pc's or trying to be; so stop with comparing the 2.

i highly doubt what you said about next-gen being able to upgrade, maybe space (like memory cards/hard drives which we can already do), but i can see companies like sony/microsoft offering cpu/gpu updates for the regular consumer/average joe to walk into the local electronic store and buy them, than somehow implement the upgrade.

 

[Last One In]

The advantage of consoles is that they squeeze every drop of graphical power out of their hardware while computers expect you to upgrade in order to get all the bells and wistles. PC games look a tremendous amount better, but consoles aren't as expensive.

 

[ricera10]

The PS3 discussion reminds me of when Sony released the PSX (not the playstation 1, a product with a built-in DVD recorder, ps2 and other crap) in Japan that was intended to replace home theaters.

Needless to say, it never made the trip to North America.

 

[DrDevin]

The original Xbox was built using off the shelf PC parts. It was a computer, the only thing lacking was the OS for support of applications like word.

Also the 360 is a full media center extender and can interface with many devices. Put linux on it and you have a full PC with word and everything (I know it is no PC but you could call it one). Yes PC's and consoles are close but I believe there will always be the 2 or else they would both become worse at what they do best (be cheap/crash free and flexible/more expensive).

Parasitic Loss FTL.

 

[Last One In]

Pcs just need to be on the cutting edge to stay on top; consoles will usually follow in step. I was reading that ut2007 interview and they said that they will usually pick up people who make great user created maps; its that kind of ingenunity that gives life and talent to the gaming industry.

 

[Warbie]

Next generation of consoles will probably have the ability to upgrade hardware also.

Not a chance. It would be bloody awful if that ever happened.

Also, to the guilty parties, the Xbox, or any other console, is not a 'pc in a box'. Describing one in that way is one of my pet hates - the term created for the simple purpose of belittling consoles and making pc fanboys feel more justified in their purchases ('oooh it's just a crap pc you can't upgrade ... blah ... blah .. blah' - then their head explodes as the pressure of all the shit they're spewing gets too much)

 

[destrukt]

The original Xbox was built using off the shelf PC parts. It was a computer, the only thing lacking was the OS for support of applications like word.

Also the 360 is a full media center extender and can interface with many devices. Put linux on it and you have a full PC with word and everything (I know it is no PC but you could call it one). Yes PC's and consoles are close but I believe there will always be the 2 or else they would both become worse at what they do best (be cheap/crash free and flexible/more expensive).

i didn't know you could pick up custom made/modified cpu/gpu/mobo's from the average hardware store ?

the only thing lacking, is that it's not a personal computer, like i said, they are both 'computers' in a sense but are very different, you could say 'it was only lacking x' on a few things, it doesn't make them that though.

if i put linux on my vacuum cleaner does that make it a pc - and yes, this has been done before; it's also been done on the ipod and other various random things, but it doesn't make them pc's. so 'calling it a pc' is just useless.

 

[VirusType2]

i didn't know you could pick up custom made/modified cpu/gpu/mobo's from the average hardware store ?

the only thing lacking, is that it's not a personal computer, like i said, they are both 'computers' in a sense but are very different, you could say 'it was only lacking x' on a few things, it doesn't make them that though.

if i put linux on my vacuum cleaner does that make it a pc - and yes, this has been done before; it's also been done on the ipod and other various random things, but it doesn't make them pc's. so 'calling it a pc' is just useless.

exactly, and the only difference that decides what sex a human will be is an X or Y chromazone.

If you don't understand my point just read destrukt's post and move on.