PC Gaming vs. Console Gaming whats your pick?

[lithium726]

Consoles. Cheaper, more fun, bigger screens, sorround sound, couches.... and I can play with my friends by just adding a controller.

I have three controllers, two games (including wii sports) and the cosole itself for $400 launch day. Not too shabby. A midrange video card costs more than that and is not nearly as versitle. My GF, roomie and I have been having tons of fun with it, and I have a feeling my family is going to love it over thanksgiving too.

Our X360 is pretty nice as well. PC gaming is a waste of money. I honestly don't give a damn if it looks better, I really havent cared about since the gamecube. Everything looks good enough already, improvements are just icing on the cake. (note: there are exceptions... the jaggies and lack of AF in San Andreas rendered it not playable for me. However, there are quite a few titles on the PS2 and every title on the GC looks great IMO.) In the end, its all about the games. I finished beating ocarina of time again last week, and that game looks like ass.

 

[Spaceman_Spiff]

You know its funny- in the console wars arguments graphics are usually looked at negatively in the development of fun, innovative games, yet in pc vs console arguments they're considered a positive. Pcs look better but frankly, I haven't had an innovative, fun experience on the pc in years. I find myself going back to warcraft 3 and ut2004 for online play, but those are the only ones that I really have fun playing on the pc.

Yesterday, for instance, I was playing wii sports, and I distinctly thought to myself, "man, this game sucks really hard, but its so much fun."

 

[boomheadshot45]

I'm not a PC !!!!!!, 360 " ", Wii " ", or PS3 " " but i think that the PS3 is bridging the gap between PC and Console gaming. Why i think that, well being able to plug in all of these different keyboards and controllers and having a web browser, and a hd almost as big as my pc hd (I have an 80 gb hd_ .

 

[PopeKevinI]

You know its funny- in the console wars arguments graphics are usually looked at negatively in the development of fun, innovative games, yet in pc vs console arguments they're considered a positive. Pcs look better but frankly, I haven't had an innovative, fun experience on the pc in years. I find myself going back to warcraft 3 and ut2004 for online play, but those are the only ones that I really have fun playing on the pc.

Company of Heroes is a quick example of a well-made PC game. It's also impossible to play on a console

A few games that we'll see in the near future that should be fun, innovative, and pretty:

Supreme Commander
Portal
Team Fortress 2

 

[PopeKevinI]

I'm not a PC !!!!!!, 360 " ", Wii " ", or PS3 " " but i think that the PS3 is bridging the gap between PC and Console gaming. Why i think that, well being able to plug in all of these different keyboards and controllers and having a web browser, and a hd almost as big as my pc hd (I have an 80 gb hd_ .

Yeah, it's also more expensive than a cheap PC

What it doesn't do (that I know of):

Play HD-DVD. I know it does Blu-Ray, but let's face it: the only way either format will make it is for hybrid players to be made cheaply available.

Record TV: I'm surprised Sony didn't make a third model with this capability. A 300 GB drive and some decoder hardware shouldn't have been much more expesnive; a $749 price tag should have been

Centralize communication: Hey, Microsoft did it for a fee, PCs do it for free. Even without providing a game connectivity service, Sony could have built a much better system for connecting you to your friends. Steam does it without a subscription. Let me see my list of friends and what games they're playing online rather than (as has been reported) requiring each game to do it.

 

[0ptional]

Lately I've been playing only on my consoles and have been having a blast. More fun that I probably ever had on my PC and my consoles can even play the MMO that I played on PC for 2.5 years, gogo Final Fantasy XI!

Yeah umm, later this week I'm picking up a Wii and an Xbox 360 to complement my PS2, and then selling my GameCube and Nintendo DS towards games for the aforementioned consoles.

I'm really excited. Someday I'll probably pick up a PS3 as well, at least once they are in good supply and FFXIII is out haha.

I seem to be finding that console games have games with much more involving storyline and they're able to look as good on my TV as games do on my expensive very powerful gaming machine.

I find it cheaper to play console games and since the hardware doesn't change for 5-6 years at a time and during that time the developers get better at getting the most out of those consoles, it's a better investment to me to have a console than a nice PC.

My MacBook has helped me realize what I really use my computers for and that I don't need a huge graphics card setup, but that I do want a good amount of CPU power and RAM to access. So both my desktop and notebook now have Intel Core type processors and 2GB of RAM.

Mostly I just watch movies, listen to music, and watch fansubbed anime. Sometimes I play half life 2, but I'm not entirely happy with that game because of all the required pieces to make it run well when I can just pick it up for Xbox and get the same game, on a different medium, using a (in my opinion) better input device for that game (and most others), and have the option to sell the game back as used and use the money towards a new game.

I finished both Kingdom Hearts games within the past month and I can't believe I spent time on my PC instead of playing these amazing games. The story is just incredible, the drama and the anticipation is amazing. Halo is the equivalent of these for me on the Xbox line, and Final Fantasy is an amazing series that can be found within Sony's console line. I'm in the middle of FFXII right now and it's nothing short of masterful. When I'm not in the mood for a huge game I can pick up Okami and slash around some crazy things using my paint brush magic demon master things, cool game.

Plus it's easier to pick up a console game with my friends in my dorm. Mario Kart and Mario Party are very often found on the screen of our TV between 4-5 people switching off in our room. Consoles are just easier to bring people together on too. I feel I have more fun playing with real people (LAN's are lots of fun too) than playing online with other random people I don't know.

I know I played FFXI which is an MMO for like 3 years but that was a great game to me because I needed something to fill my extra time until it started taking up more time than I had so I had to start sacrificing play time for what really mattered and then it dropped so much that it wasn't worth playing and paying for if I didn't have the time so I dropped that.

I never caught on to WoW, it feels too cartoony to me to be a serious MMO, I don't know why, it's just not for me.

So yeah, those are my recent gaming experiences and I can't wait to get my Xbox 360 and my Wii, and I can't wait to get further in FFXII or Okami.

Yup. I vote for consoles.

 

[rfwinters77]

For most of my gaming, I'm a PC guy.

But I also like to chill out on the couch and play a good console game.

They are two completely different beasts, imho, and both have their plusses and minuses.

 

[PopeKevinI]

Yeah umm, later this week I'm picking up a Wii and an Xbox 360 to complement my PS2...Someday I'll probably pick up a PS3 as well...I find it cheaper to play console games

So you want to buy all three consoles totalling around $1,000, plus extra peripherals, plus more-expensive games, and you say it's cheaper?

If it is, it's not by much. And when you factor in the fact that even if you bought the cheapest PC on the market (around $400) every few years just to get e-mail, surf the web, and use it for a word processor, you're looking at spending about as much as I spend in the same time span for a moderate gaming PC.

My MacBook has helped me realize what I really use my computers for and that I don't need a huge graphics card setup, but that I do want a good amount of CPU power and RAM to access. So both my desktop and notebook now have Intel Core type processors and 2GB of RAM.

So most of the hardware you'd buy for high-end gaming you buy anyway...you're really not convincing me that PC gaming is more expensive

using a (in my opinion) better input device for that game (and most others).

I've got to ask...why do you think it's better than the trusty keyboard/mouse combo? I just can't imagine a reason to choose any console controller over that for FPS.

the option to sell the game back as used and use the money towards a new game

Yeah, I miss being able to do that with PC games

I seem to be finding that console games have games with much more involving storyline and they're able to look as good on my TV as games do on my expensive very powerful gaming machine.

I haven't played enough console games through lately to say whether they have more involving stories, but in my experience PC games have more interactive story lines. Games like Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights allow you to actually impact the story line and flow of the game. I've yet to see a console game that had anything more than an unlockable addition to the ending, or a simple A B C choice (like in KOTOR) to trigger different endings.

I finished both Kingdom Hearts games within the past month and I can't believe I spent time on my PC instead of playing these amazing games. The story is just incredible, the drama and the anticipation is amazing.

I haven't played Kingdom Hearts. I don't know anyone who has the games and I don't have a working console at all any more. So I can't comment on them in general...but it's been my experience that console games are made almost like movies; they tell good stories, but you have no actual impact on the story. The Final Fantasy series, for example...you engage in all these battles, but in reality all you're doing is fighting from scene to scene, where the real action and story telling is done by scripted scenes over which you have no control.

Maybe it's that I like old-fashioned, more traditional RPGs. The DND-based games seem a lot more open and flexible and leave me feeling like I actually was actually part of the story, whereas the games like Final Fantasy leave me feeling like I just collected a bunch of items and engaged in some interesting combat strategies so that I could watch a movie. The two parts of the game seem a lot more disconnected to me.

Plus it's easier to pick up a console game with my friends in my dorm. Mario Kart and Mario Party are very often found on the screen of our TV between 4-5 people switching off in our room. Consoles are just easier to bring people together on too. I feel I have more fun playing with real people (LAN's are lots of fun too) than playing online with other random people I don't know.

This has been and always will be the single greatest strength of a console. They're designed for multiple players at a single screen, where PCs are are designed for single users. For the games I play, split screening sucks; it makes stealth and surprise impossible. I discovered that with the first big FPS for consoles: GoldenEye. Having my opponents openly talking about where I was permanently biased me against split-screen competition.

 

[Domingo]

Right now I play 'em both equally. At the same time, a lot of that has to do with me recently upgrading my PC. I was on a P4 with a 6800GT for a long time and I got out of PC gaming for a while as a result. My LCD was locked at 1280X1024...so either I had to turn the details down to 'nil. Right now I'm on a Core 2 6700 and 8800GTX and I think it's greatest thing in the universe. Will that still be the case in a year? Who knows.
Still, for me I've enjoyed Neverwinter Nights 2, Titan quest, Prey, the FEAR expansion, etc. quite a bit.
For the consoles, I'd love to have a PS3 or Wii...but with all the talk that PC's having no good games, I don't think either of those consoles do yet either. Obviously they WILL, but right now I think they're fancy hardware with no software.
The 360's been my console of choice for a while. Gears, Dead Rising, Live Arcade, Burnout, etc. are all faves of mine.

 

[0ptional]

So you want to buy all three consoles totalling around $1,000, plus extra peripherals, plus more-expensive games, and you say it's cheaper?

Well, to me it'll be much more worth it for gaming than a PC would. I think the best games are made for consoles and I've only got my own opinion to back it up so yeah, it seems like a better deal to me than spending 2 grand to buy a custom SLI/Crossfire gaming PC which is basically required to put out the same immersive graphics gaming experience in my mind.

If it is, it's not by much. And when you factor in the fact that even if you bought the cheapest PC on the market (around $400) every few years just to get e-mail, surf the web, and use it for a word processor, you're looking at spending about as much as I spend in the same time span for a moderate gaming PC.

I'm the kind of person that upgrades at most times when something big comes along, so 250$ + 400$ + 600$ over the course of 5/6 years seems a lot cheaper than 800-1000$ every year... and it actually is. That's not including games for either the consoles or the PC or the peripherals that I might require for either.

So most of the hardware you'd buy for high-end gaming you buy anyway...you're really not convincing me that PC gaming is more expensive

2GB of RAM and a relatively nice CPU isn't that expensive. It's the 2x 600$ graphic cards that put it through the roof to me. And if I'm going to game on PC, for it to match up to the console for me personally it has to be the best PC stuff you can get.

I've got to ask...why do you think it's better than the trusty keyboard/mouse combo? I just can't imagine a reason to choose any console controller over that for FPS.

I've always liked the dual joystick way of things for FPS games a lot better than keyboard and mouse. I use a modified fat original xbox controller to play FPS games on my PC if I ever feel the want to even do it.

Yeah, I miss being able to do that with PC games

Yeah, it's something that piracy and drm has made almost impossible for PC games.

I haven't played enough console games through lately to say whether they have more involving stories, but in my experience PC games have more interactive story lines. Games like Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights allow you to actually impact the story line and flow of the game. I've yet to see a console game that had anything more than an unlockable addition to the ending, or a simple A B C choice (like in KOTOR) to trigger different endings.

I rather like the point to point story way better, but that's my opinion. I like games that have twists and turns and surprises; those kinds of moments are much harder to plan for when it's the user that makes the choices (like in PC games).

I haven't played Kingdom Hearts. I don't know anyone who has the games and I don't have a working console at all any more. So I can't comment on them in general...but it's been my experience that console games are made almost like movies; they tell good stories, but you have no actual impact on the story. The Final Fantasy series, for example...you engage in all these battles, but in reality all you're doing is fighting from scene to scene, where the real action and story telling is done by scripted scenes over which you have no control.

I like the movie feel of the consoles, again, my opinion.

Maybe it's that I like old-fashioned, more traditional RPGs. The DND-based games seem a lot more open and flexible and leave me feeling like I actually was actually part of the story, whereas the games like Final Fantasy leave me feeling like I just collected a bunch of items and engaged in some interesting combat strategies so that I could watch a movie. The two parts of the game seem a lot more disconnected to me.

If a console game is done right, no matter how the story is told you still feel like you're a part of it. I think I cried at the end of KH and KHII for that reason.

This has been and always will be the single greatest strength of a console. They're designed for multiple players at a single screen, where PCs are are designed for single users. For the games I play, split screening sucks; it makes stealth and surprise impossible. I discovered that with the first big FPS for consoles: GoldenEye. Having my opponents openly talking about where I was permanently biased me against split-screen competition.

Yeah, but when considering the cost of adding another player in the PC arena is the cost of another high end gaming PC + the game and peripherals, when compared to 30-40$ for just another controller on the console, and if the TV is big enough, the loss of space is negligible. Of course the same screen can be a split cost amongst all the consoles because for me they all reside in the same room on the same 27" TV (could be bigger/better, but those TV's are the ones the whole family uses, the 50"+ HDTV's that is...)

Yeah so basically we agree to disagree because we have different opinions on the subjects and what is required to have fun gaming on PC vs. on console. Truce?

 

[ThatsAgood1jay]

I try and play across the field. Im a hardcore pc gamer though and i only play consoles and stuff when my friends come over. Its alittle hard to play 2plyer pc with someone who doesent have a decent pc.

Plus it all depends on what game style you like. I mean if your a RTS gamer you will 100% want a pc because RTS without a keyboard is almost impossible to play. But for RPG i would go with a console because RPG`s on a computer treat graphics cards like a bi***. Sports and racing is deffinently better on the console.

I <3 my psp on the road, the graphics for a handheld are fricken amazing

 

[0ptional]

I try and play across the field. Im a hardcore pc gamer though and i only play consoles and stuff when my friends come over. Its alittle hard to play 2plyer pc with someone who doesent have a decent pc.

Plus it all depends on what game style you like. I mean if your a RTS gamer you will 100% want a pc because RTS without a keyboard is almost impossible to play. But for RPG i would go with a console because RPG`s on a computer treat graphics cards like a bi***. Sports and racing is deffinently better on the console.

I <3 my psp on the road, the graphics for a handheld are fricken amazing

I feel you there. I wouldn't want to play WC3 or the like on a console, but I wouldn't even want to go near a PC RPG, the experience just isn't the same (unless it's MMO, then PC is the only way to go.)

 

[k0n]

both.

 

[pcfan10110]

Even though I have all three Next-Gen consoles, I still pick my PC.

 

[Hulk]

You know its funny- in the console wars arguments graphics are usually looked at negatively in the development of fun, innovative games, yet in pc vs console arguments they're considered a positive.

That's what I noticed too and its confusing. I guess 50% of the people say graphics dont matter and the other 50% of the people say that graphics do matter.

 

[FiZ]

Almost exclusively PC gaming. I play first person shooters as a majority and as far as I am concerned a console will never get to where PC gaming is in this genre. I also do a lot of programming and the convenience factor is nice. I can just minimize what I am doing and throw up a game of my choice.

 

[NulloModo]

I prefer consoles hands down, keeping up with the graphics cards and etc for PC gaming, plus dealing with a smaller screen, and especially knowing the latest consoles can give a great picture on a HDTV, PC gaming isn't worth it.

I dislike the twitch-movement-required FPS games (meaning F.E.A.R, Quake, and Doom games are out) and prefer the type of BF2 and the like, so, the controller does just as well for them.

What I really enjoy are RPGs on consoles, and there are always more out and more initally released for consoles. I also am really into football games, and Madden (while Sega 2K series got really close with the last release) is a lot better on the console than the PC.

I do play the occasional PC game, I was addicted to Superpower, Heroes of Might and Magic (it was 2 or 3, too long ago to remember) and some other 2D PC games back in the day, but most PC games are pushing graphics over gameplay too much, and with an apartment to pay rent for, bills to pay, and a girlfriend to keep happy, I don't have the money for graphics cards every 6 months, or even every year for that matter. Add to that the demanding PC games aren't the type that I care for, the decision I have is easy.

 

[f1tifosi]

I do not mean to sound like a fence sitter, but I have to say I like both equally, but for different reasons. I have a 360 and a decent system (see below). My gaming interests are a little bit unusual, but here's my two-cents worth:

XBox 360

I play mostly sports games on my 360 such as NCAA Football 2007 and well...more NCAA Football 2007. Watching it on a 50" Samsung DLP system with 5.1 surround is truly something special. Sports games on PCs just do not compare. As for shooters, my best friend (who baby sits my 360 when I'm away) swears by console shooters - Gears of War, Ghost Recon, etc. I just can't get use to console controls; I'm a keyboard and mouse guy. As for role-playing games, I just prefer PCs. I am more comfortable with a keyboard and mouse, although I have beaten Oblivion on the 360. So, for sports games, consoles win hands down. I prefer shooters on PC, but I can see the appeal of console controllers. As for role-playing games, I prefer computers. Plus, I enjoy playing co-op games on my 360. Gears of War on co-op is killer.

PC

I am an old fashion war game and role playing fan. All the way back to the original War in the Pacific and the gold-box Dungeons and Dragons games, I have loved my PC. Current war games and RTS games are better on PC. I think the mouse and keyboard lend themselves more to these types of games because of the large number of options and required inputs. I don't think consoles lend themselves to the required options. As for shooters, I grew up on Doom and Wolfenstein, so I just more comfortable with PCs.

As for my two cents worth, I'm still a PC man. I understand it can be more expensive, but that's life.

 

[PopeKevinI]

2GB of RAM and a relatively nice CPU isn't that expensive. It's the 2x 600$ graphic cards that put it through the roof to me. And if I'm going to game on PC, for it to match up to the console for me personally it has to be the best PC stuff you can get.

Ahh. Sounds like a personal problem Personally, I'm satisfied with mid-range stuff because that fits my budget. After 15 years of gaming, graphics aren't particularly important to me.

I look at it this way: My PC is my Tivo, game machine, word processor, photo lab, internet terminal, and money-maker all rolled into one. The only thing I buy specifically for games is a $200-300 video card every two years or so; the rest applies to all the other things I do.

Yeah, it's something that piracy and drm has made almost impossible for PC games.

Actually, it's more the fact that Half-Life 2 ties itself to a Steam account and you'd have to transfer the entire account. That and the fact that not a lot stores buy back PC games. I do see PC games sell in FSFT frequently.

I rather like the point to point story way better, but that's my opinion. I like games that have twists and turns and surprises; those kinds of moments are much harder to plan for when it's the user that makes the choices (like in PC games).

I agree, but when the twists and turns are actually dictated by decisions you make earlier in the game...now THAT is cool. Consoles will do it, and I think we'll see more of that in the new generation. I just think consoles miss out on a big part of what is essentially interactive storytelling...there's a whole level of interaction they aren't using right now.

I like the movie feel of the consoles, again, my opinion.

Yeah, I'm just not much for passive story telling. I play a game to participate in the story, and I just feel like I'm on rails in most console games. KOTOR was an exception to that, and I'd like to see more console games go in that direction.

I think I cried at the end of KH and KHII for that reason.

I thought of all kinds of funny things to say to this, but I'll be nice since we're both staying civil

Yeah, but when considering the cost of adding another player in the PC arena is the cost of another high end gaming PC + the game and peripherals,

Internet gaming and LAN parties ftw.

Yeah so basically we agree to disagree because we have different opinions on the subjects and what is required to have fun gaming on PC vs. on console. Truce?

No worries, I understood that you like different things. I just try to give a good intelligent rebuttal to posts from time to time so that the fanb*ys don't feel the need to spout off so much.

One more little stab at consoles, though: why do mine keep breaking? My PC is in great shape, but my XBOX is slowly dying and I hardly use it

 

[johnnq]

should've spent 600 on a ps3 vs 1200 on a comptuer last december. such a bad fucking decision...i wish i could make 1000 of it back and say 200 was spent as a learning experience. computers depreciate like crap.

 

[Lancaster]

Consoles by far. I'm done gaming on PC's. So many bugs and system crashes. Running games on Windows is and has been so disappointing. Graphics, I've found, certainly aren't everything when it comes to games. I can't even stand playing a game like Splinter Cell on my PC. Dealing with all the different keys for each different thing just bugs me. I like simple and fun, not over complication in almost every control set up there is for almost every type of game besides fps. And I even prefer a controller with fps games.

I guess I've just always been a console gamer and will definitely be staying that way from this point forward. Not going back to PC's again. Too much money and too much confusion for me when it comes to simple games. If I can't get into a game like Splinter Cell right away, than there's something wrong. I'm supposed to be having fun here, not trying to remember all of these different key commands that just feel awkward to push anyways. *Sigh* I would so much rather have a controller in my hand than pressing each individual key on my keyboard even for movements.

I'm so excited to be getting a 360 tomorrow and to be able to say goodbye to my PC. No reason to sell my video card, though, but it ain't ever getting an upgrade... See you, PC--for games, at least.

 

[joemama]

I pick both...the SLI rig you see in my sig is for FPS and strategy games which are best with the keyboard/mouse and then I have a Xbox 360 hooked to the same monitor for racing/sports and action games. I feel that I have everything covered and now that I have the 360 I will only spend enough upgrade money on my pc to run the latest RTS......I rarely play FPS and they really aren't that bad on the 360. I feel that the 360 will save me money in the long run by extending out the time between pc upgrades.

 

[Charlie Hustle]

Console fo sho. I have always wanted to be a pc gamer, but its too much to upgrade a pc to get the most out of a game. Also most of the latest video cards cost more than a console. The main sticking point is that i will never have to worry about system requirements when purchasing a game. Nothing can beat that.

 

[-(Xyphox)-]

Eh, I like them both
PC and Xbox 360

 

[brom42]

I've always liked the dual joystick way of things for FPS games a lot better than keyboard and mouse. I use a modified fat original xbox controller to play FPS games on my PC if I ever feel the want to even do it.

I also prefer playing FPS games on a game pad. The reason is simple. I like having 2 analog controls. While aiming with a mouse is nice, the whole walk/run control the keyboard gives you sucks. I like having complete control of how fast my character moves. Until they make the wasd analog keys, I'll keep my game pad.

In the end I play both on the PC and on consoles. I have found the main problem with people is that they try to play both systems the same. The way I play FPS on a PC is completely different than a console. Just the other day I had was playing gears of war with a friend that is a PC only person. (It took some convincing) He was getting just destroyed by everyone even though he was excellent on the PC. I had to sit him down and basically walk him through how to properly use a game pad in a FPS. Within an hour he had gone from consoles sucks to thinking about picking up a 360 for Christmas.

 

[GT98]

Both, though I tend to get more for the Xbox 360 then the PC lately, but there are a couple types of games that are next to impossible or just plain suck on a Console that are great on PC's

 

[Domingo]

I also prefer playing FPS games on a game pad. The reason is simple. I like having 2 analog controls. While aiming with a mouse is nice, the whole walk/run control the keyboard gives you sucks. I like having complete control of how fast my character moves. Until they make the wasd analog keys, I'll keep my game pad.

One thing you can do if you like analog movement (I do, too) is to use the pad in your left hand to move and the mouse in your right to aim. For me it's a good combo, especially if your gamepad has 2 triggers on the top and some easy to reach face buttons.

 

[Marvelous]

I like both... but mostly a PC gamer...

I also like consoles because I can lay in my bed and play couple games...

 

[Nasty_Savage]

I liked consoles prior to PC's for the sports games, especially while in the college dorms in my youth when the Genesis was new. But also I got to experience something that blew me away in my junior year. My friend had a PC and had a few things I never could imagine on a console. Castle Wolfenstein and I believe the demo for Tie Fighter (on floppy disks )

From that point on I was hooked. I bought a PS2 and tried to maintain and I found that I didn't much dig it any more. There were no Starcraft games for a console that had me looking out my window and finding birds were tweeting and the sun came up and looking at the alarm closck and discovering I had been playing for 18 straight hours Combine that with the fact my first PS2 had the laser problem and that the re-releases of the sports games I didn't dig as well since it was more about big pyro and close ups as opposed to seeing the field and playing the game and I converted over. The figthing games were kinda fun, but the button mashing and ridiculous combo memorizations turned me off.

My nephew is really into xbox, but I tried playing Counter Strike on it with the game pad and I thought it was pretty aweful. Even tried to get into Halo when all the hype surrounding it exploded. I though it was pure cheese compared to Unreal Tournement, and again the game pad was the suck. There's a small impish part of me that wants to go for an x360 or a Wii, but I just don't see a compelling reason to do so. The games aren't really grabbing me

 

[TheCowOfNow]

PC. Consoles are incapable of feeling.....

 

[Sunkist]

I kind of do both but consoles are where I have the most fun. I have just rebuilt my computer 3 times over the past year and it still keeps crashing when I try to play certain games like HL2 so I am almost totally over it. With a console I can just sit on the couch, pop in the game and go and my friends can also sit there with me and join right in. I have all the latest consoles except the PS3 and even though that is a lot of money invested there I think ti was worth it.

 

[FlatLine84]

PC, I definately prefer games on it. I'm hardcore FPS, and I just can't enjoy FPS with a controller. I have an Xbox, and I have played a lot of Halo and Halo 2, still not even close to as much fun as a good CS bout. I do like racing games on consoles.... Plus, you still only get 1080 out of a console in HD.... Not good enough IMO on that large of a screen.

Edit: don't flame me on this, I'm sure you can get better than 1080, still doesn't compare to resolutions acheived on a comp.

 

[cLaWz]

Heres an interesting twist that I haven't seen mentioned in the thread yet....

Ever since I got my first PC way back when I have been a PC gamer, a hardcore PC gamer at that. I've kept up with the latest hardware, and spent a small fortune on the seemingly endless upgrade path you need to follow to be able to play with the options set reasonably high, etc. I never really thought much about it, because I gamed, and I had fun with it.

Fast forward to 2 years ago when I met my girlfriend. For awhile, I kept my hardcore gamer attitude and kept playing and sinking money into my PC. Since then however, things have slowly but surely changed. One day I realized that all the time I spend on the PC, alone, could be spent downstairs with the family playing games together, etc. A PC has essentially always been a single player gaming platform, with a very few exceptions. Consoles on the other hand, you buy another controller and voila. Another person is in on the fun. To do that with PC, I would have to drop another 1,000+ on a whole new rig w/ monitor, etc for my girlfriend, then a 3rd machine for my kid sister who I care for. Building 2 new machines, plus keeping the 3 of them upgraded half way decently would be outrageously expensive when I can go out to Walmart or somewhere, pay $250 to $400 bucks for a console (have no interest in the PS3) then pickup a couple controllers and some games.

Honestly, I think one of the biggest attractions for the consoles is the accesibility of them for the whole family. Just look at the Wii, I've seen so many topics since Sunday with people going nuts over their Mom/Dad/Friend/Sibling/Etc has suddenly become a gamer out of the blue and is having a blast playing (insert Wii game here, usually WiiSports). To me, that is a HUGE deal. I enjoy spending time with my family, but I am, and always will be, a gamer. If I can combine the two, all the better.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[FlatLine84]

Heres an interesting twist that I haven't seen mentioned in the thread yet....

Ever since I got my first PC way back when I have been a PC gamer, a hardcore PC gamer at that. I've kept up with the latest hardware, and spent a small fortune on the seemingly endless upgrade path you need to follow to be able to play with the options set reasonably high, etc. I never really thought much about it, because I gamed, and I had fun with it.

Fast forward to 2 years ago when I met my girlfriend. For awhile, I kept my hardcore gamer attitude and kept playing and sinking money into my PC. Since then however, things have slowly but surely changed. One day I realized that all the time I spend on the PC, alone, could be spent downstairs with the family playing games together, etc. A PC has essentially always been a single player gaming platform, with a very few exceptions. Consoles on the other hand, you buy another controller and voila. Another person is in on the fun. To do that with PC, I would have to drop another 1,000+ on a whole new rig w/ monitor, etc for my girlfriend, then a 3rd machine for my kid sister who I care for. Building 2 new machines, plus keeping the 3 of them upgraded half way decently would be outrageously expensive when I can go out to Walmart or somewhere, pay $250 to $400 bucks for a console (have no interest in the PS3) then pickup a couple controllers and some games.

Honestly, I think one of the biggest attractions for the consoles is the accesibility of them for the whole family. Just look at the Wii, I've seen so many topics since Sunday with people going nuts over their Mom/Dad/Friend/Sibling/Etc has suddenly become a gamer out of the blue and is having a blast playing (insert Wii game here, usually WiiSports). To me, that is a HUGE deal. I enjoy spending time with my family, but I am, and always will be, a gamer. If I can combine the two, all the better.

Just my 2 cents.

Good post.

 

[Motley]

Gears of War is an an exception to my rule, which is:

Console gaming: with friends on big tv, sports games.

PC gaming: WoW, FPS, all online.

 

[iHatePants]

All these console gamers telling me they don't play pc becuase it's to expensive.

Than I see console gamers on this forum posting crap like " I have an xbox360 and a wii and i'll be getting a PS3 when it becomes available."

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, care to add all that up????? Plus controllers, games, perhaps an HD TV, xbox live, plus your cable internet.

OH! and the xbox's new HD DVD player! Im sure sony and nintendo will throw more crap at ya'h.

*YAWN* I play all my PC games on top settings and only spent 1300 dollars total and it'll last me for years!

 

[cLaWz]

I will agree.. some complaining in such a manner is rediculous. However, there are people in situation like my own (read above) where even if I bought all 3 consoles, plus accessories and games for them, it would still be cheaper then going PC.

Now don't get me wrong, I do still PC game from time to time, but most of my time is now spent on my Xbox playing multiplayer games with the family. Once January hits, I'll be picking up a Wii and possibly an Xbox 360.

So I'm looking at

$400 - Xbox 360 Premium Package
$50-60 - Extra Controllers
$250 - Wii
$$$ - Extra Controllers (haven't checked on prices)
$$$ - Games for both

Then, on top of that, add about 600 bucks for the HD projector I'm designing and going to build. Does it add to the cost? Of course... but our 27 inch SDTV with composite as the only available input that games use isn't cutting it anymore. On the other hand, why pay $1,000+ on an HDTV set when I can have a PJ with a 120" or so diagonal screen size for half the price? Whole family will be using it for a TV, games, etc. So in a sense, it doesn't count due to the fact that it is not STRICTLY for the consoles.

Basically comes down to your lifestyle, your family, etc. Case by case scenario.

 

[boomheadshot45]

computers depreciate like crap.

Um no. I have a 4 year old PC with a GeForce 5600 XT 128 mb, 2 gb ram, 80 gb hdd, amd 3000 + @ 2.0 ghz, and I just got a philips dvd drive. I can play most games. I play at 1152 x 864. I'm playing bf2142, hl2, quake 4, and alot of other games. Yes I cannot play Oblivion but you can. In your sig you have a 7800 GT, why are you complaining? You can play every game out there. Yes I do agree that computers CAN age old fast, but with a 7800 GT, your playing everygame at like 40 + fps (except ovlivion). I apologize if I interrupted your post wrong.

 

[boomheadshot45]

Good post.

I 2nd that.

 

[FlatLine84]

I have a 4 year old comp, in my sig for further info.... I can play anything out there still, the least amount of FPS I get is 20 in FEAR, so I don't play that. But I play CS:S all the time, and Oblivion at 800x600 with AA up, looks playable to me.