Will the PC ultimately win the console war?

Blisterman

I personally think that 10 years from now, dedicated games consoles will be in the minority.

For starters, most homes already have a PC, and I don't see this changing in the near future. And the general trend for the past 20 years has been for electronics to do more than just one thing. Mobile phones double as cameras and Mp3 players, Consoles double as DVD players, PCs double as Hi Fis, etc. I can see the idea of a dedicated movie player or games console becoming obsolete.

I can see wireless video transmission taking off, meaning that your PC in the bedroom can be accessed through your living room TV easily, when you want to play on a big screen with your friends around.
Also, computer manufacturers are really working hard on making PCs which boot up into what you want to do quickly. I can see PCs becoming as easy as consoles to boot up.

jaykhunter

Thanks for replying OK em, I'll change my Q into general terms. How much would a PC cost to be as powerful (run the games as smooth as) a console?

First, you'll have to tell us what resolution/frames per second/anti-aliasing/anistrophic filtering is used on the XBox 360 version of RE5, otherwise it's pure guesswork.

All of that went completely over my head. But does paying 900 bucks for a PC make as much sense as paying 250-300 for a console? Or is the keyboard-mouse interface/graphics-enhancement etc etc worth the money (in your eyes)?

Monotype

jaykhunter wrote: »

Can a cheap PC play Resi 5 (i'm choosing that game because it's relatively new and graphics intensive) by my 'flawless' criteria?

Yes

I do see that PC games look slightly better than console games (thanks to GT's console comparisons) but I imagine that these games are optimised for play on (eg) Xbox 360?

This is probably true to some extent. Consoles main function is games, and it's stripped down to provide that functions as best as possible.

How much was your PC worth 4 years ago? (and how much is it now )

I recall reviews equating consoles to a PC with a cheap dual core processor (early dual core, pentium D) and a 7900gt. You'd have been talking about less that €1K by 100 or 200. Of course, consoles are sold at a huge loss at launch, I don't think they'd be losing much even at current prices with modern technology.

And how much does a 720p range/30fps PC cost today?

I'd say you'd get one considerably better for €500 - I think someone linked something like that a few pages back.

oceanclub wrote: »

First, you'll have to tell us what resolution/frames per second/anti-aliasing/anistrophic filtering is used on the XBox 360 version of RE5, otherwise it's pure guesswork.

P.

From what I've seen, very few xbox 360 games use AA (or use a very low level). RE5 runs at 720p, 25-30 fps.

I've seen 5850s (graphics card) get 100+ frames at those settings, but a 5850 is still expensive at €300, but, just an idea of the difference in ranges.

jaykhunter

I thought consoles were only invented because PCs require you to "do lots of stuff" before you can play the game. With consoles, you stick in the cartridge (or disc, nowdays lol) and you're ready to rock. I find PCs very pernickety and less accessible than a console.

But I agree that the medium of gaming and TV/movies will become melded together (I can imagine buying internet TV packages for use on your TV - meaning you can subscribe to eg America's live ESPN channel while being in Ireland --alot of german channels are free on the net if you're in germany now) but PC's won't kick out consoles because consoles are easier to use. I agree that it's not hard to install/play games on PCs but with all the tweaks and patches etc etc most people will just say **** that and get a console.

Plus I can't stand using a keyboard and mouse for gaming (which is remedied by getting a controller LOL)

I also see phone/mp3/video integration but there's a trade-off for size of the item. Like no-one wants to make calls with a PSP-sized item but people don't want to watch TV on a small mobile TV... Maybe an upgraded iPhone is the answer; with something that slim but still quite big in length and bredth.

projectmayhem

Blisterman wrote: »

For starters, most homes already have a PC, and I don't see this changing in the near future. And the general trend for the past 20 years has been for electronics to do more than just one thing. Mobile phones double as cameras and Mp3 players, Consoles double as DVD players, PCs double as Hi Fis, etc. I can see the idea of a dedicated movie player or games console becoming obsolete.

Most homes also have a console. And I recall reading some stats indicating that most homes in northern Europe/America have more then one console in the home, but probably still only have one PC.

As for electronics doing more then one thing, the 360 and PS3 have been marketed as "all in one" media devices for your living room as much as they've been aimed at being dedicated games devices. I know people who browse the web through their PS3 as much as their laptops!

Blisterman wrote: »

I can see wireless video transmission taking off, meaning that your PC in the bedroom can be accessed through your living room TV easily, when you want to play on a big screen with your friends around.
Also, computer manufacturers are really working hard on making PCs which boot up into what you want to do quickly. I can see PCs becoming as easy as consoles to boot up.

Wireless video will be huge, but already the trend seems to be to have your console plugged into the TV via HDMI and use the PC in the corner as a media hub with a large hard drive.

As for PCs being as easy to boot up and use, they are. I use Macs for the most part and they're great for being easy and quick. Windows 7 has made a giant leap in that regard too.

Either way, the ultimate argument is that PC gaming is more difficult to get to grips with. New GPUs are out every few months and CPUs update with just as much haste. My PS3 cost me €600 at launch and hasn't needed one single upgrade. Now they cost half that, and for another few years won't ask for another penny from you, letting you pump money into buying games. Same goes for your 360 (bar buying wifi adapters and what not) and Wii.

Your PC asks far more of you then a console, is more difficult to use, noisier, far more expensive and is more susceptible to problems and virus issues. Also, the main input is keyboard and mouse... while being better for some games, you can't play car games on it, and using them on a sofa is a pain in the arse.

On top of that, console markets just keep growing. They've huge investment from developers and corporations like Sony, Microsoft & Nintendo. It's rare for a big PC title to gain credence on its own unless it's being released alongside console versions. Consoles also suffer from much less piracy (PS3 has virtually no illegal downloading associated with it) which is attractive to developers. PC markets obviously continuously grow, but not in high-end systems that play games. Walk into your local PC sales emporium, chances are out of the 200+ machines on the shelves, there's maybe 2 that are geared towards playing games - and their price is disproportionate to the price of other systems on display.

PC gaming won't ever "die" per se... but it's dwindling massively. I only bought games from Steam this year. This doesn't help the industry at all, just Valve - a company who barely bother with consoles but don't release enough content on PC themselves to actually "save" it.

What would actually kill off PC gaming is if MMO's like WoW or similar switched to a console. Most revenue for PC gaming seems to consistently come from subs to WoW and EVE. Stick 'em on a console plugged into your big flat screen tv and it's game over for PC game revenue, which would look significantly worse off when compared to console revenues.

Monotype

jaykhunter wrote: »

All of that went completely over my head. But does paying 900 bucks for a PC make as much sense as paying 250-300 for a console? Or is the keyboard-mouse interface/graphics-enhancement etc etc worth the money (in your eyes)?

Resolution = number of pixels

Frames per second = video is made up of series of pictures, which make them appear to be moving. ~26 fps is considered the minimum. More is better. Consoles tend to border at this, with some stutters in games.

Anti-aliasing/anistrophic filtering = Make your game look nicer.

Having more/higher of the above usually means less of another, since the platform can only provide so much power.

jaykhunter wrote: »

I thought consoles were only invented because PCs require you to "do lots of stuff" before you can play the game. With consoles, you stick in the cartridge (or disc, nowdays lol) and you're ready to rock. I find PCs very pernickety and less accessible than a console.

Very easy nowadays. Put in the disc, install window comes up, shows up with license agreement and where it's going to install, click, click. Icon on your desktop to start. Setting up your computer the first time is the only "lots of stuff" you have to do now. It's like moving into a new house that you have to set up, but once in a while, most people clean up the place. If you want to minimise the effort, you can usually set everything to automatic updates and you shouldn't have to do anything again.

Plus I can't stand using a keyboard and mouse for gaming (which is remedied by getting a controller LOL)

When I got my first PC, I thought it was weird, but there is a lot more control in using your hand to move a mouse than a finger. The controller is a much more 'relaxing' interface however, and easy to use on PCs now.

5uspect

oceanclub wrote: »

First, you'll have to tell us what resolution/frames per second/anti-aliasing/anistrophic filtering is used on the XBox 360 version of RE5, otherwise it's pure guesswork.
P.

It runs at 720p.
RE5's engine (Framework MT) dynamically changes the AA between 4x MSAA and off depending on the stress it's under. It runs at a reasonably steady 30fps.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/face-off-resident-evil-5-article?page=1

Now taking a budget PC like this for $600:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-2-overclock,2310.html
You'll run Crysis on high at 30fps without AA at >1080p without overclocking.

A quick google shows that the GTX 260 in that build will give you ~60fps with Re5 in DirectX9 and 10 with max details.

So you can get much better performance from a budget PC. However you'd be better off to spend a bit more and get a system that's expandable into the future.

oceanclub

jaykhunter wrote: »

All of that went completely over my head. But does paying 900 bucks for a PC make as much sense as paying 250-300 for a console? Or is the keyboard-mouse interface/graphics-enhancement etc etc worth the money (in your eyes)?

Well, I justify it by the fact I need a PC anyway for other reasons; so I'm not paying €900, I'm really paying 900 minus the price of a "normal" non-gaming PC - really, I'm paying for a graphics card.

Don't forget that with PCs, you pay more upfront but tend to save money in the long run as games are cheaper; in some cases, a lot cheaper. For example, I got Batman: Arkham Asylum _at release_ for €19 euro online. The console version was around €20 dearer. That all adds up. Look at the recent Steam sale with some insane prices.

Bear in mind I'm not a console hater - I have an XBox 360 and a Wii. But I still do 90% of my gaming on PC (originally got the Wii with the wife for doing the Wii Fit, don't get much use out of it these days... the XBox 360 I use more, but even that tends to get more use as a media player than as a gaming machine).

P.

jaykhunter

If you own an Xbox/Wii already, why buy a gaming PC? Are there many exclusive games you can only play on a PC or do you just prefer using a PC?

I have a crappy PC, an Xbox 360, Wii and PS3 (mostly, it's my gf's) To save money I usually either buy games late or swap with my friends. Although I'd like a new PC I can only see the (besides the graphical tweaks) the reason to get one is the mods (new batman constumes etc)

Monotype

I think there's probably huge perceived barriers to entry in the PC world realm of gaming.
A lot is down to
1) The dark days of gaming when there were a lot more problems with installing games.
2) People that bought a computer that dell* or someone said was great, but dell didn't have a graphics card in there.
3) Successful marketing by the consoles saying it's easy.
4) The idea that you need to keep your PC hardware at the latest. This ties in with point 2, in that they might have got a new PC and were let down.

Aside from the interface differences, style of games etc., PC games are easy to install if you have a reliable platform. New games that demand more power are nearly always scalable back to your system. They wouldn't sell if they couldn't!
Believe it or not, but a quick internet or wikipedia search will answer nearly any problems.


OK, not that relevant to where PCs are going, but unless there's a change in these perceptions, PC gamers won't be on the increase.
But I wonder which platform the game and console makers make the most profit on...?


*Not bashing on dell specifically, but a lot of PC makers will overcharge and charge different prices and tell people what they're getting is great.

oceanclub

jaykhunter wrote: »

If you own an Xbox/Wii already, why buy a gaming PC? Are there many exclusive games you can only play on a PC or do you just prefer using a PC?

Well, I had the gaming PC before the consoles. Got the Wii with the wife as she was interested in the fitness stuff, and then the XBox because I wanted a media centre to stream content from the PC to.

It's mainly a preference for using the PC; I just can't stand playing shooters with a gamepad, and trying to play RPGs with it isn't as much fun either. The games which are good on consoles - driving and sports ones - I've no interest in anyway. It does really depend on what type of games you like and all what level of gaming you want to take it to. No point in someone buying a gaming PC if they are not in the least bit technical and just want to play the latest Tiger Woods game.

Mods are another great thing about PC gaming too - the different between Oblivion modded for the PC, and the vanilla version, is astounding. Plus you can get to play older games (such as Morrowind) with updated graphics.

P.

leninbenjamin

jaykhunter wrote: »

All of that went completely over my head. But does paying 900 bucks for a PC make as much sense as paying 250-300 for a console? Or is the keyboard-mouse interface/graphics-enhancement etc etc worth the money (in your eyes)?

Everyone from my generation who I know who owns a console also owns a laptop or a PC. A PC is becoming a necessity anyway, so why not invest €300 extra to get it up to gaming spec? It might be more hassle, but from a financial p.o.v. it works out fairly even.

projectmayhem wrote: »

Wireless video will be huge

This is off topic, but I think in a few years time people may be scaling back on the wifi devices they have. Already, the radio spectrum is saturated (however Ireland is very much an exception to the rule). If say everyone in an apartment block/housing estate has a wireless router and multiple devices streaming large volumes of data at the same time, there's no possibility to expand the bandwaves available to us and interference is already becoming a bit of a problem.

projectmayhem wrote: »

On top of that, console markets just keep growing.

This is debatable. Industry figures have been heavily skewed by the Wii, which Nintendo are now struggling to make money off. Essentially loads of people bought a wii sports or wii fit and never bought another thing, so now as wii sales slow Nintendo have nothing to replace this with...

Now I can't find any reputable sources to back me up, but this little quote I picked up from wikipedia is pretty much how I understand the financial position of the industry:

Wikipedia wrote:

The video game industry is currently facing financial strains as it attempts to fairly compensate its talent, while continuing to turn a profit. The result is that the game developer—the traditional source of new games—is essentially dying out or is being incorporated into large publishers. The game industry is currently experiencing a phase of consolidation and vertical integration as a reaction to spiraling costs. This climate has also given birth to vibrant indie game developers comprising tiny companies trying to use the internet rather than traditional retail channels to reach an audience.

Costs are up and profits are down, despite the 'apparent' growth. When it comes to the game market, you have to be careful not to read too much into the figures. It's very easy for companies to skew their figures in order to keep share prices or investment levels, and they still remain the main source for stats but rarely disclose the small print.

projectmayhem wrote: »

PC gaming won't ever "die" per se... but it's dwindling massively. I only bought games from Steam this year. This doesn't help the industry at all, just Valve - a company who barely bother with consoles but don't release enough content on PC themselves to actually "save" it.

You do realise Steam sells non valve games? I've bought a rake of EA titles in this sale... how is that any different from buying them through a bricks and mortar retailer?

projectmayhem wrote: »

What would actually kill off PC gaming is if MMO's like WoW or similar switched to a console. Most revenue for PC gaming seems to consistently come from subs to WoW and EVE. Stick 'em on a console plugged into your big flat screen tv and it's game over for PC game revenue, which would look significantly worse off when compared to console revenues.

Not necessarily, most PC gamers are buying games through online or digital distributors for which there is absolutely no consistent financial reporting at the moment. Unless someone can provide info to the contrary, i don't think you can make such a bold statement. I think there is a very healthy and vibrant PC games industry that is going entirely under the radar.

Monotype

jaykhunter wrote: »

If you own an Xbox/Wii already, why buy a gaming PC? Are there many exclusive games you can only play on a PC or do you just prefer using a PC?

Mods are a huge bonus in some games. You can practically make new games. Ever played any games based on the unreal engine/half-life/bethesda games (oblivion, fallout 3)? The cache of mods are stunning.

I think the online community is generally better for PC, but consoles are getting there, even if charging. Again, this ties back to mods, where different servers offer different kinds of games.

Visual quality. PC games, especially now, have much higher visual quality.

Games are cheaper. Much cheaper. I regularly see games for xbox360 at €60-70 which PC versions are €30-40. Doesn't make a huge difference to me, since I only buy a few games now and again, but I don't know what people who buy a lot of games do - and I couldn't justify spending that much money on most games.

Powerful PCs have other uses.

Types of games. Strategy and shooters can be hard to control on console.

Herbal Deity

I haven't played games in years, but I clicked into this thread from the main page and found it an interesting discusssion.

Blisterman wrote: »

I can see wireless video transmission taking off, meaning that your PC in the bedroom can be accessed through your living room TV easily, when you want to play on a big screen with your friends around.

I agree. I can see TVs soon coming with built in wireless HDMI or whatever becomes the wireless AV transmission standard.

I can also see centralised machines accessible from anywhere in the house possibly with shared storage, and wireless controllers that could control all the machines in your house. So, for example, under your stairs, you'd have a stack of machines including one optimized for video and audio playback, your Xbox720, your PS4, maybe a general purpose PC, all accessible from any monitor or TV in your house with any standard controller.

And all these machines would be "PC-like", perhaps even all running the same OS, but each would have optimized hardware for their specific purpose. In terms of gaming, I think the "consoles" will be the most widely used, but that there will still exist a niche market for techies who wish to build their own machines, and there will always exist games for such machines.

oceanclub

Monotype wrote: »

Mods are a huge bonus in some games. You can practically make new games. Ever played any games based on the unreal engine/half-life/bethesda games (oblivion, fallout 3)? The cache of mods are stunning.

A serious contender for my game of the year (for many other people's) is actually a free single-player mod for Half-Life 2 called Research and Development":

http://www.moddb.com/mods/research-and-development

Another mod I play regularly is Hidden: Source:

http://www.hidden-source.com/downloads.htm

P.

Mataguri

jaykhunter wrote: »

If you own an Xbox/Wii already, why buy a gaming PC? Are there many exclusive games you can only play on a PC or do you just prefer using a PC?

I own a 360 but I do try to buy whatever games I can for the PC, even if I already own them on the Xbox like SFIV and Mass Effect which I picked up from the Steam sale. For me PC games perform smoother, look better, have access to all types of interfaces (I use my keyboard and mouse mostly, a wired 360 controller for platformers and a Logitech G25 steering wheel for driving games) have great online communities (both for modding and playing), and when using something like Steam dont even need discs. Also PC games are cheaper

leninbenjamin

oceanclub wrote: »

Another mod I play regularly is Hidden: Source:

Christ I remember playing Hidden: Source back when it was in beta, never knew it was still going. Must give it a look again, great fun.

Mataguri

oceanclub wrote: »

A serious contender for my game of the year (for many other people's) is actually a free single-player mod for Half-Life 2 called Research and Development":

http://www.moddb.com/mods/research-and-development

Hadnt heard of that but it looks great! Downloading now

Kinetic^

Long time console player of about 20 years (have all 3 current generation consoles as well as a Nintendo DS) and been on the PC for about 2-2.5 years now. I .

As Pog said, consoles are too closed source. Any attempt at a browser on the current generation is awful and the 360 doesn't even have 1 when it's creators have the biggest grasp on browsers in the world, the mind boggles! I like how the PS3/Xbox 360 have made an attempt at becoming media centres but the codec support just isn't there.

Enough of the software restrictions, hardware confinements are a big problem too. Peripheral support is awful and you're limited either official controllers or gash re-hashes from 3rd party manufacturers. Logitech (G25) and Madcatz (SF4 sticks) are probably the only 2 exceptions to that rule. I like how the wii/ps3 came with built in wifi (no ethernet card on wii though, wtf is that about?) and this addon **** of the wifi connection on xbox 360 is bollocks. With N wireless becomnig the norm you can see the advantage of the 360's approach but again, the codec support is awful so you most likely won't be able to stream what you want in HD. There's no upgrade capabilties to the hardware either which means you're stuck with it till they upgrade the machine in 5-10 years time. While it may save you money in the long run, I want a console to be able to game at the highest level and towards the end of their life cycle the tend to get left behind.

Xbox 360 - pay to go online! Seriously, wtf are you at...it's not even dedicated servers yet you have the cheek to charge me for this "service". Really like the controller and use a wired one for my PC. Too many hardware addons.

PS3 - controller is god awful and yoru online update servers are probably running of a dial up connection. The best media support out of the 3. Played some games but the controller is too much of a no-go for me to even invest time in it.

Nintendo Wii - awful and nothing more then Gamecube plus silly little controllers. I actually played Mario Galaxy for the first time last week with a few of the lads I organise events with and it was nothing more then Mario 64 with it's levels wrapped around a cube/sphere. I remember the ad campaigns of Mario flying through the air etc...you don't even control him doing it. A joke.


As for the PC, the one thing I will say is that sitting at a desk compared to the couch is a pain. Apart from that, I can do anything I want on it. Browse, watch any sort of media, use various voip clients, download films/music/files, virtualisation and the list goes on. I think the pricing on the PC is great and geared to somewhat combat piracy (except MW2 which was a sham of a launch price). Price can sky rocket if you lose control of yourself when building so a little knowledge and discipline is required.

Leprekaun

I don't think it was ever a case of the PC beating consoles. PCs have always been more powerful than consoles and thus can run high graphics games like Crysis while consoles isn't a sure thing. Consoles wipe the floor with PCs in that there isn't such thing as a game that doesn't work on a console because all games are designed to work under a certain processor and graphics card specification so most of the time, the games can perform flawlessly while PCs, you have to upgrade at least every two years to be able to run the latest games at a good framerate.

Something that I'd like consoles to get into though is developing a more serious approach to games. There are only 2 exceptions I can think of where the main idea behind developing the game was to make it as realistic as possible and they're Forza Motorsport 3 and Gran Turismo 5. On PC, there are a number of proper racing simulators like iRacing, Live For Speed, GTR Evolution, rFactor and RaceON (although there is RacePRO on the X360). They're all solid simulations in their own right but console games are often developed with the aim towards 8 year olds which isn't necessarily a bad thing since its important to have games that are fun but it still leaves a little where as adults, we expect more seriousness.

Overheal

As for the PC, the one thing I will say is that sitting at a desk compared to the couch is a pain. Apart from that, I can do anything I want on it. Browse, watch any sort of media, use various voip clients, download films/music/files, virtualisation and the list goes on. I think the pricing on the PC is great and geared to somewhat combat piracy (except MW2 which was a sham of a launch price). Price can sky rocket if you lose control of yourself when building so a little knowledge and discipline is required.

I overcome this problem with a laptop and a TV dinner stand. Weather Channel Warcraft and Beer.

Genghiz Cohen

Overheal wrote: »

I overcome this problem with a laptop and a TV dinner stand. Weather Channel Warcraft and Beer.

Wireless KB&M, or a 360 controller. Have a friend who wrote a program so he could type with the controller.

Venom

Leprekaun wrote: »

I don't think it was ever a case of the PC beating consoles. PCs have always been more powerful than consoles and thus can run high graphics games like Crysis while consoles isn't a sure thing. Consoles wipe the floor with PCs in that there isn't such thing as a game that doesn't work on a console because all games are designed to work under a certain processor and graphics card specification so most of the time, the games can perform flawlessly while PCs, you have to upgrade at least every two years to be able to run the latest games at a good framerate.

Just wanted to comment on two things you said here.....

1)As a very long time PC gamer (486 DX2 66) Iv never and I mean never come across a PC game I could not play on my system. And for anyone who can setup a Xbox 360, create a profile and install a game on the 360's hard drive they will have zero problems gaming on a PC but also get a hell of alot more benefits for their money.

2)Having to upgrade your PC every 2 years to play the current batch of PC games is JUST NOT TRUE. You will get 4 years easily with a good system build and 4 years worth of games that cost half the price of the console version + free online play is one huge amount of cash to be saving.

PC graphic cards are so far ahead of the graphic capabilities of consoles along with the fact most games are developed for the consoles and ported to the PC its only going to be when the Xbox 3 and PS4 arrive in 4-5 years time the next real jump in game graphics will come about.

AlmightyCushion

Maximilian wrote: »

I have a PS3 and though I don't play it for games at all, I think as a blu-ray & media player it's great.

While it is good, it's still pretty flawed. It kept crapping out on some of the files I kept trying to play on it. Audio, video or both would get very distorted until the file would just stop playing. This didn't happen on all files but it happened on a lot. Also I don't like the fact that it doesn't support mkv files. Luckily I managed to pick up a dell studio hybrid which makes an excellent HTPC for only 200 euro. Probably one of the best buys I've ever had.

jaykhunter wrote: »

I can't wrap my head around constantly upgrading PC hardware to keep up with modern gaming. If someone can direct me to a cheap (under 500 euros) PC that can play Resident Evil 5 flawlessly I'll concede PCs are worth it and probably go get one :pac::pac::pac:

http://ireland.dell.com/ie/en/home/Desktops/desktop-inspiron-545_headless/pd.aspx?refid=desktop-inspiron-545_headless&s=dhs&cs=iedhs1&ref=dthp

Buy the first or third one on this page and add a 9600gt or 4770 which would cost less than €100 and it would be a pretty good gaming pc. That doesn't include the monitor though. If you want if for cheaper, you could check out the dell outlet or look for older but still decently specced desktop models in retail stores that are reduced to clear. You may have to wait for a very good deal though.

It may not do it flawlessly but it would probably handle it better than a console. If you already have a decent pc (half decent dual core, 2GBs ram) which a lot of people do then don't bother with a new pc and just buy one of the graphics cards above. Any half decent pc can be turned into a respectable gaming pc for less than €100.

Cunny-Funt

wayne040576 wrote: »

That it true but, with PC gamers you are dealing with many levels of nerdom, some who will even look down on other pc gamers because they can't build their own machines....... All you have to do is look one page up on this thread to see one PC gamer putting down ANOTHER pc gamer for saying a Dell machine was good enough to play games on for a lot of people. This is the type of attitude that drives people away from pc gaming.

Ah here now this crap is everywhere in all corners of gaming, just look at a 360 v ps3 thread.

Greyfox wrote: »

Really, how about accepting that not everyone has the same opinion as you?

I do accept that there may be people who view the police academy movies as the best movies ever made. That is their opinion alright but at the same time I'm well aware their opinion is wrong:P :pac:

Greyfox wrote: »

For me PC gaming is for people who feel at home with error messages, downloading patches, upgrading etc, I just want to have fun and for me theirs a little bit of hassle with PC gaming.

Really? I have to deal with all that on my PS3. I have to do all that port forwarding stuff too, and still get errors. I have SF4 for the PS3 AND the PC, guess which version I have the most issues connecting to people with?

Also on the PC , if I do get an error, normally I can edit files or do something to fix the thing, on a consoles you just live with it.

All this talk of consoles just sliding in the disk and it working with no messing is not true anymore. They crash, they give errors, you have to patch them, you have to install stuff, you gotta set up port forwarding and trying to communicate with your mates is a pain in the balls.

Hell in the case of the 360 you gotta upgrade the thing also. (HD, wireless modem etc etc)

Overheal

Between consoles being heralded as media centers and PCs becoming media centers its just not long now before they become the same thing. Especilly considering cable TV will be dead in another 10 years unless it makes a colossal breakthrough, or everyone will just switch to online streaming. Leaving a glorified TVPC Gaming machine as the last thing in your living room.

dreamers75

Kinetic^ wrote: »

Nintendo Wii - awful and nothing more then Gamecube plus silly little controllers. I actually played Mario Galaxy for the first time last week with a few of the lads I organise events with and it was nothing more then Mario 64 with it's levels wrapped around a cube/sphere. I remember the ad campaigns of Mario flying through the air etc...you don't even control him doing it. A joke.

Agreed with everything up until that, Galaxy is a good game a kind of game which is in the past but its a good game nonetheless and well worth playing till you cleared it.


Wii is a toy but its nintendos toy and they make good ****ing games.

dRNk SAnTA

I've been a pc gamer for 10 years and in my opinion PCs have zero chance of "winning the console war", in fact they are already so close to losing it that the question is almost funny.

Let me just state that in my opinion PCs are the best medium for gaming, nothing beats a mouse and keyboard, there are great games that can't be reproduced on consoles and there are a million other benefits.

BUT.


5-10 years ago, pretty much everyone who had a computer had a desktop PC. A family PC is bought and one of the kids learns all about it, gets interested in playing games and upgrading it's parts etc.

Nobody buys desktop PCs anymore, it's all laptops and wifi these days. There's no incentive for a family who have pretty much everything they want on a laptop to then purchase an additional desktop purely for gameplay. That is exactly why there has been a huge resurgence in consoles in the past 3-5 years.

Whatever about piracy, from what I can see there has been a serious drop in PC gamers, not because anything was wrong with the gameplay but because of the disappearance of desktops from homes.

And the future is bleak. There's always going to be the hardcore gamers and computer nerds such as myself, and the PC remains the best way to play games, but there is seriously not going to be any increase in desktop pc purchases. And the (sad) fact is that there are young children around now who'll enter their 'gaming' years with fairly little experience of desktops.

Ultimately, the commercial incentives of developing for consoles will continue to grow, and I'm not saying PC gaming will disappear but it's on the decline and I don't see any reason why it will stop.

It kills me to think about it.

hooradiation

Cunny-Funt wrote: »

You have to understand that its hard not to sound elitist when some console players come out with stuff like "wwwaaaah I don't wanna play on PC , its too hard , I don't know how to use windows, waaaaah" or "online is better on a console" or "pads are better for FPS than m&kb's" or "Halo 3 is the best game ever made"

Its like being into film and talking to someone who claims to be into film also who keeps insisting the police academy movies are the most sophisticated and ground breaking movies ever made. He's gonna call you an elitist if you correct him of course. :rolleyes:

:pac:

So your response to "stop being an elitist cock" is to be an elitist cock and imply people who aren't just like you are mouth breathing simpletons.

*slow clap*
Bra-fucking-vo, well done.


At least i am now justified in the level of contempt i have for you and every opinion you hold.

Cunny-Funt

hooradiation wrote: »

So your response to "stop being an elitist cock" is to be an elitist cock and imply people who aren't just like you are mouth breathing simpletons.

*slow clap*
Bra-fucking-vo, well done.


At least i am now justified in the level of contempt i have for you and every opinion you hold.

hehe sigh, its a hard world being right.




Nah just messin, take it easy man. I mean your issue was with my use of the term 'console noobs' I wasn't referring to all console users, just those with ignorant notions on PC gaming. These people exist.

Mentioning them or acknowledging that they exist doesn't make someone elitist. I never said you or all console gamers are one of these types of people. I have a console myself sure.
Its nothing to do with "being just like me".

You implying that people who view the police academy movies as the best movies ever are "mouth breathing simpletons" makes you far more elisits than me, by your own logic.

Its amusing how personal you take my post, so much so that you resort to insults lol.