Ditch the consoles?

S

Sanitarium

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Feb 3, 2004
Messages
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Well the next batch of consoles is right around the corner and I think I'm done with them. I started playing games on consoles and have had pretty much everything since the first Atari. I didn't start playing PC games till about 2000 when I bought my first PC and got into computers. Since that time I haven't really played the consoles like I used to. Right now I have an Xbox, Gamecube and I had a PS2. Console gaming was always nice because there was no expensive hardware to upgrade and the games you bought would run regardless of specs.

Now with the Xbox 360 and PS3 being basically as expensive as a computer and the games for them running $60 a pop, suddenly it doesn't seem too cost effective anymore. For the cost of a next gen console and a few games you can easily upgrade your computer to run the latest games. Plus you can do so much more with the PC.

Maybe I'm just getting older and the consoles aren't appealing anymore but I can't see myself buying any of them for quite awhile, if ever. The only thing I'll miss I guess are the exclusives. That'll hurt to not be able to play them. Anyone else not bothering with the new consoles?
 
I havent bought a console gaming system since the PS1. I prefer gaming on a computer much more. There are always those people out there that will swear bya console gaming system but I am one of the others that will swear by a computer.
 
I've always enjoyed playing on a PC, and up until the next batch of consoles come out, I've owned them all. Don't know what it is, but you could say I've got a soft spot in my heart of the computer. Don't get me wrong, for me it's all about the games. The only type of game that I prefer to play on the PC is FPS's, no explaination needed. I would much rather play a game kicked back in my recliner, but given options/updates vs. plug'n'play that pc's vs. consoles offer now, i'm a computer guy. The 'idea' that consoles offer, i.e. 'buy game, insert game, play like it was meant to be played...', w/o having to worry that my rig is going to be able to run it on 'high' settings is tempting. It's just that the past has proven that PC's will reign suppreme in MY eyes. But I'm all about having a console that can provide for me what my PC(s) have for the past 14 or so years. So bring it on M/S/N, prove me wrong so I can save some friggin money and not have to buy/upgrade my PC's all the time.



:D
 
Games are still new to you if you haven't played them. It'll be harder to find multiplayer matches, and you can't join the new release chatter but if you wait to buy the games/consoles you'll save money and still play. It's your call if the savings are worth the wait.
 
eh, ill probably only buy the revolution. i love my nintendo exclusives too much.

MAYBE a ps3. but only when MGS4 comes out. not before that.

wont waste my money on a 360... just like i didnt waste my money on a xbox.
 
I havent bothered with consoles since the n64. Now with the 360 gonna be out in a month I am actually gonna get it on release date. The thing is dang cheap for 400 bucks and having it being more powerful than any computer out on the market right now is very appealing. The games only cost as much as would a PC game, so thats really not a truely valid argument.

Im basically at a completley opposite end, I feel the thing is cheap (about as much as a video card, in fact 50 bucks cheaper than my last video card purchase) and it has a ton to offer with xbox live. Plus its dang fun for when a couple friends come over.

I feel there is a ton of people that feel the same way as me, Microsoft has really sucked in the enthusiast market with the 360 with all its power and all its features and its incredible cost.
 
I play both, of course, but prefer playing FPS/RTS games on the PC thanks to the more precise control, and of almost course every other type of game plays better on the consoles... However, with the Revolution I may enjoy FPS/RTS/Adventure etc just as much on my big screen TV, if they pull off that controller right. If you're worried about price, Nintendo's looking for a price point between $150-250 (likely in between).

Of course I'll still keep my computer up to date, as I do now. I just find myself spending less and less doing so, because of the horrendous amount of money it costs. I will also be considering a second console purchase, but not until prices come down and good games are out.
 
I dunno console gaming seems pointless...the only interesting games on consoles are rpgs....fresh squaresoft stories with better graphics is always a good thing :D

whats next devil may cry 9 with GTA : solar system?
 
I havent bothered with consoles since the n64. Now with the 360 gonna be out in a month I am actually gonna get it on release date. The thing is dang cheap for 400 bucks and having it being more powerful than any computer out on the market right now is very appealing. The games only cost as much as would a PC game, so thats really not a truely valid argument.
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Heh.. Do you work for Microsoft? Personally I don't think $400 is cheap for any console, even with the power of the 360 and the PS3. I think at most they should be $300, but we probably won't see that until they have been out for a year.

For the sake of the development of better PC games I hope that they both kick ass. What I wish Microsoft would have (and could have) done was intergrate the PhysX processor in their console.. I feel that because of the lack of it in the 360, the PS3 is going to stomp it, the only reason I can see going for the 360 over the PS3 would be the release of Halo3(if).

How to make games 100% more realistic? Program to take advantage of the dedicated PhysX processor. I would buy a PS3 for $400 (after I my PC was satisfactory) for the purpose of being able to experience games like never before with real time Physics Rendering :eek: The more I read about Ageia's PhysX PPU and how it is going to completely revolutionize gaming and 3D worlds in general.. quite frankly Im left in a state of... :eek: wow.. this is going to ROCK!!!

However we all know that one way or another the PhysX PPU will find its way into PC's soon enough... which will cause and make EVERYONE WANT to upgrade to a rig that supports PhysX. Ageia has prototyped a PhysX PCI card that works with current systems, but Im a bit skepticle about how well that will work compared to being directing intergrated onto the Video Card, or Motherboard. Nevertheless have you all checked out the UT2007 clips at IGN? Or the Project Offset trailer? One word .. SWEETNESS!! :D

In my opinion without the PhysX PPU the XboX 360 is just another console.
No, I don't work for Ageia. ;)
 
For me, just putting the dvd into a console, not having to worry about system specs for 5 years straight, sitting comfy on my sofa with a big screen tv can't be beaten. No, FPS's can't be played as precise as on a pc. No, graphic quality won't compete with the pc after awhile.

But who cares? I'm sick of having to put money into my pc all the time to play the latest games. I'm sick of needing latest patches all the time. Just give me my console, a comfy sofa, big screen, and dolby surround, and I'm set. I could care less about not shooting pixel precise with a stick, I could care less about being a bit behind on the graphics part. I just enjoy myself better behind a console, because there aren't the bothersome things that pc gaming brings with it.

Someone stated that console gaming is not cost effective. Say you were to buy all 3 consoles, you'd spend an average of $1200 on your three machines, and you're set for the coming 5 years. Give me a pc for $1200 that'll play the latest games 5 years from now, and I might reconsider my statement.

That is, however, my humble opinion. There will allways be pc gamers and console gamers having this useless discussion. Pick what you like, and play whatever system you like. No need to debate. :)


vocab said:
I dunno console gaming seems pointless...the only interesting games on consoles are rpgs....fresh squaresoft stories with better graphics is always a good thing :D

whats next devil may cry 9 with GTA : solar system?
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What's next? Another ww2 FPS? Another FPS with some sort of monsters?
The only games that the pc has and console hasn't is RTS's, and I don't play those :)
 
I've switched between consoles and PC since I had a 2600 and 8088. Previously, I might have considered myself a "PC gamer". This was back when there were lots of flight simulators, good Lucasarts/Sierra adventure games, and stuff like that. I played a lot of SNES when it came out. That system had a good library. I went through the Voodoos and GeForces next with the wave of 3D accelerated games. I've played far more Xbox recently than I have games on the PC. I will be getting a 360.

One problem I've had with PC gaming recently is with my hardware ROI. For instance, I purchased a 6800 GT when it came out. Historically, I'd get a decent period of time where my video card would work well for most games. With my 6800 GT I think I played perhaps a half-dozen games for which it was adequate. Part of that is due the shriveling PC gaming market; there's just less out there worth playing. Now, I find that only a year and a half later I need to drop another $500 on a video card just so I can play games above 800 X 600. In reality, it's not as easy as a video card swap in that I need to dump my AGP MoBo for a PCI-X one. That more than likely means a new processor as well. That means it's close to $1,000 to play the PC latest games. And what will that get me? Perhaps a year of longevity? I'm done with that game. Either it plays well on my system or it doesn't. With a console I don't need to worry about shelling out loads of cash just so I can get marginally better graphics every year.
 
I am thinking the same as ole iZero above. I have dropped some serious coin into pc gaming the past few years and as was mentioned above (can't believe i will use this term) it doesn't give you the bang for your buck (not gonna say ROI...doh) that it used to.

I also realise that you dont have to sit on the bleeding edge, but its just, if you are going to do something, why not do it right? I mean, sure I could still use my old athlon xp 2500 barton and 9800pro and play fear....but i imagine at some point sierra will go

hmmmm, 2 million xbox 360s sold (hypothetical) and they love this action game malarky...its more than powerful enough to run at 1280x720 with all the bells and whistles....hmmmm

and that xbox 360 will cost less than my latest gfx card here.

I want to see them use the power we have now. I want there to be a moratorium on new gfx cards. Why I remember back when I had my 486 and playing the original comanche...wow.
 
For the price of a console you might as well go buy a 7800gtx and play them emulated on your computer. The only games I would play for a console are RPGs anyways...since the PC doesn't have enough IMO.
 
I wont be buying a new console because I love my computer. I have bought every console before also. Right now I got an Xbox, PS2, and Gamecube hooked up and they never get played. Computer > Consoles
 
It all comes down to games. And for now, there is nothing special coming out for the new consoles or PC. Graphics is looking amazing but gameplay looks like "nothing new." Pretty much with the exception of very few games these days, the fun factor in games isn't as good as before. Most of my time spent gaming is playing old PC/console games. And when I look to buy a game, it's usually an older one.
 
You sit back and nonchalantly wait and see if there are reasons TO buy something. You don't preformulate why you don't want it. Like for me Saint's Row will probably be screaming at me.... buy me damnit! ......and I will succumb.

What are you going to do if you now decide you don't want it and 10 games come out that look fantastic and suit your fancy? All this stuff here will fly out the window.

^ All this coming from a PC>console guy.
 
Problem with the arguments is people always assume you have to upgrade your computer every 6 months to play the latest. That is B.S. My computer, which I've had for about 2 and a half years has been doing fine. I can play BF2 at 1024x768 at medium settings. I haven't tried to up it. I can play all the latest games just fine.

Its only people who need the latest and greatest who update every 6 months.
 
PS3 doesn't have a PPU... Like the X360, it has Physics software, run by the CPU... but no hardware solution. Volkrum, a 7800GTX won't emulate any of the systems. Heck, with today's current CPUs, a 7800GTX would have trouble emulating THIS generation. The Revolution camp has some interesting rumours that it will have the Aegia PPU in it, but at the $200-ish price point, I don't see how.

I'm in the same boat as iZero, pretty much. Except that I am more active on both sides of the spectrum. Like him, though, I find myself playing less PC games because less games on PC interest me. That, and the fact that gaming companies and hardware companies are trying to hard to push hardware on us every 9 months. Like him, I played all the old adventure games and "birth of 3D" games on the PC... today, there are too many cookie cutter FPS games and RTS games, and few of them interest me. I will continue to play both, but I'll be honest - consoles are making it easier for me to play one more than the other. I see this thread being locked shortly... the PC vs console threads usually do :)

PS - and let me add this... I will absolutely NOT pay for a game more than once. When I purchase a game, and would like to play it online, I expect it to be included in my purchase price. MMORPG's make me sick. We should all stop pouring money into that idiotic concept, despite the fact that games like WoW and EQ are decent games.
 
I haven't played a console in maybe 3 years though I owned all the last gen consoles at some time. For me the opposite is true, pc gaming is like some old limping dog about to keel over and die while consoles are becoming huge. I'm looking forward to not being stuck with buggy poorly optimized fps games (harsh maybe but true...)
 
I haven't been a console gamer since 97. I tried the new ones at different times (like Xbox when it had superior effects to computers) and PS2, but computers own consoles in every way possible. Xbox 360 is no exception. Why do I need Xbox 360 to play Q4 and COD2 when I can play them right here at high res with a mouse/kb and better res? Consoles are good for kids and teens with no money for decent comps, but not for me. :)

ShuttleLuv - cancelled his Xbox 360 preorder not long ago. That's not to say I'll never pi[try[/i] an Xbox 360 or pick one up, but not on launch day. No stand out title imho, except possibly DOA4.
 
steviep said:
PS - and let me add this... I will absolutely NOT pay for a game more than once. When I purchase a game, and would like to play it online, I expect it to be included in my purchase price. MMORPG's make me sick. We should all stop pouring money into that idiotic concept, despite the fact that games like WoW and EQ are decent games.
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QFT!

i refuse to buy those games to even give them a shot, a monthly fee is absoulte bullshit.
 
I have an Xbox and a PC. I find console games generally less entertaining for shorter periods of time.

I believe console games are "generally" enjoyed more by younger people.

Consols are useless for PFS and RTS games due to there controllers, the two classes I enjoy most. Consols are definitely better for Car racing sport and some platform style games.

The whole PC vs Consol arguement is kinda lame, as its an individual preference based on game class preference and maybe even the persons age to a degree.
 
lot of younger types prefer consoles just because its cheaper. Look now... to play fear , Q4, BF2, etc you need a very good computer. very few have that money or the parents willing to upgrade thier computer for them every 6 months.
 
You dont have to upgrade your comp every 6months to play the newest games. There is nothing wrong with medium to low settings. The games still look great. And even so, the gameplay is what matters and not every pixel or texture.
 
TheCommander - the problem with that statement is that a lot of PC fan-boys say that they play games on PCs because they look so much better - especially a few years down the line of a console's life.

If you want to stay on an even moderate level of PC power, you have to upgrade a minimum of every 9 months to 1 year... otherwise, you're stuck with 800x600 or 1024 and no effects on many of the new technology-pushing games like Q4.
 
If the price isn't retarded for the PS3, and it has decent games at launch, then my PC will probably be neglected for the next two years. After that, PC games will be back in the lead and I'll have to upgrade Ram+Videocard+CPU and I'll probably neglect my PS3 for the next 2 years.
 
steviep said:
If you want to stay on an even moderate level of PC power, you have to upgrade a minimum of every 9 months to 1 year... otherwise, you're stuck with 800x600 or 1024 and no effects on many of the new technology-pushing games like Q4.
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not quite. my GT, having been bought in june of 04, still runs FEAR great at 1280x1024, which is exactly what i want. so thats one year, 4 months so far that im on a certain card, and im still completly happy with its performance. this is with 2x aa and soft shadows on, btw. theonly upgrade has been the X2, but that was for different reasons than gaming.
 
You don't have to upgrade every month. You just don't play on the highest settings. Consoles are the same way, just you are forced to not upgrade.
 
TheCommander said:
You dont have to upgrade your comp every 6months to play the newest games. There is nothing wrong with medium to low settings. The games still look great. And even so, the gameplay is what matters and not every pixel or texture.
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If you are one of the few that eat Filet mignon for dinner all the time, it would get really difficult to start eating White Castle "death" burgers all of a sudden. Many of us PC gamers have gotten a taste for the latest and greatest in visuals and would have a hard time dealing with anything less than that. That's the advantage of a console where you don't have to worry about things like that. I will maintain a PC gamer as it's expensive to keep up, but boy is it rewarding!
 
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