Consoles are usually BETTER for getting people into gaming.

[Woodsey]

Of course consoles are better to introduce people into gaming. It's way, WAY, WAY more simpler to plug in a console, hit the open tray button, insert disc and close tray and connect the controller, rather than...I don't want to go through a PC process. And there's also no guarantee the game may run on your computer in the first place.

Yes, the troublesome PC process of clicking buy, downloading the game, clicking install and then playing the game.

Just a theory, but I would have though a PC would be more likely to bring people to gaming as they would be more accustomed to the keyboard and mouse set up over a controller.

They're not really using it in the same way as they would normally though, so not necessarily true.

OT: Well, I managed to play on a PC (Thief, some Deus Ex, etc.) when I was 4, and the controls were never an issue. I think the PC still carries the solitary image with it though (ironically), so at least for that I get where you're coming from.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Depends if the person already uses computers, the point and click action can quickly translate into a simple puzzle game.

Otherwise starting out on consoles really is preferable, but again easy games are key, don't start off with some twin stick cluster-fuck shooter that you find easy, start with Tetris, Pacman, Snake,... this quickly builds controls scheme familiarity.

 

[teebeeohh]

you also introduce babies food by the way of just mixing stuff in blender.

 

[MrStab]

I disagree I think basic RTS games on PC are some of the best to get people involved in gaming, when I say basic I mean things like Warcraft 3 not Starcraft as they only involve the mouse unless they decide to use hotkeys when they learn more, so they are only utilising something they already know how to use and all they are doing is learning the game. Have you seen someone that hasn't played a console before pick up a controller and attempt to start playing? This is made worse by the majority games today using most if not all buttons on the controller including both thumbsticks, telling someone "you use that one to move and that one to look" is not as simple as it is for the rest of us.

 

[Zhukov]

Aw Gawd. Here we go.

Despite playing on a PC and not owning any consoles (yet), I actually agree with the OP.

However, I really don't see why you needed to go and put your boot through this particular wasp's nest.

 

[docSpitfire]

Just a theory, but I would have though a PC would be more likely to bring people to gaming as they would be more accustomed to the keyboard and mouse set up over a controller.

You might think this, but if you're talking someone who's never played a game beyond farmville/solitaire then from my limited experience this doesn't seem to be the case.

Fresh players tend to spend a lot of time looking at their hands when they play. To make sure they're hitting the right buttons I guess, it's been so long since I've been a novice player that I don't remember this phase beyond learning the new buttons on each new system I play.

To the point where they will watch themselves hit the forward button/forward on the joystick when they walk forward the first few times.

Shooters and MMO's that I have played have almost all used WASD for movement... now, imagine you hadn't been gaming for however long you have...
you think, "I want to go forward" and you look down for... "w"?
and ok so then you make that connection and now! It's time to move backward! "oh god!"

For a new player, there is a LOT of panic for some reason when they first pick up a controller... and arrows/joysticks are something even non-gamers understand though.

(Computer games that use the arrow keys and spacebar as like a plat former type game are probably the exception to this... being easier than console games to learn)

 

[Continuity]

Well yeah, it's fairly obvious after all. A console is made for one thing: entertainment, and it's designed 100% around that and as such Is far less intimidating than a PC, which the average person associates with complexity and frustration.

Plus a joypad is fundamentally more user friendly than m&k...

Add to that that console games are played sitting on the couch looking at the tv, which is already associated with relaxation and entertainment, where as the PC has to overcome the work association. It's easy to see why a console is more likely to appeal to a first time or neophyte gamer.

 

[mcattack92]

Consoles are generally easier to get people into gaming as it is assured that your game will load every time unlike PCs that have sometimes very confusig System Specifications to meet before you can even play. Plus, you dont get random file errors or viruses that can affect your game.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

I actually agree with you, consoles are generally an easier way to get into gaming. But...

And the 2% that are PC-centric? they've been that way long before i was born (they're pretty old).

Ou... Ouch. That hurts! I not that old, jeez. I'm not even old, mid 20's doesn't count as old, does it?

I think late teens to mid 20's is the new 40's to these kids.

OT: Em I thought this was pretty obvious to everyone. In fact is this not one of the consoles biggest advantages over PC. Consoles are supposed to be much easier to use and much easier to set and get into as they try to have as low an entry requirement as possible. While PC gaming has a relatively high entry requirements(small expertise in building your PC[by expertise monkeys can do it there is a video of it] and depending on what you want higher start up costs and troubleshooting).

Although if you set out to meet these requirements people will help or have already helped with the same problem usually.

I just want to point out the any problems caused by the KB+Mouse on PC can easily be mitigated by you know using a controller I have one just for the PC beside me as I type. Anything a console can do in terms of hardware and software like this a PC can do.

 

[Dr. Feelgood]

Consoles are more simple than computers. When you buy a console, everything you need to run a game is already inside the console. However, more modern PC's already come with the hardware to run most games.

I think the main reason consoles are better for introducing people to games are the fact that they are less "risky". There are a lot more variables that go into buying a computer.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

I actually agree with you, consoles are generally an easier way to get into gaming. But...

And the 2% that are PC-centric? they've been that way long before i was born (they're pretty old).

Ou... Ouch. That hurts! I not that old, jeez. I'm not even old, mid 20's doesn't count as old, does it?

like i said, i was only talking about who i knew, that wasn't a swipe at PC gamers.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

Its easier to use a console because its generally a more relaxed atmosphere. You have a larger screen compared to a PC moniter, you're more likely to be sitting on something comfortable compared to the usual office chair and sitting on the sofa staring at a TV is something everyone knows how to do already and the only thing thats really different is they have a controller in their hand.

True, but:

1) Today, where the majority of PCs are laptops, it's easier to take the laptop to bed or outside, somewhere where the console usually doesn't go. Yes, laptops aren't usually gaming machines, but still.

2) The fact that people are used to working with computers means that computers are familiar territory. Everyone knows how to use a keyboard and mouse. Console controller? Controlling a character on a big screen? Not so much.

Really, the best games to introduce people to gaming are first person shooters. Namely (and you won't believe this) Counter-Strike and Doom 3. Really, THESE TWO GAMES keep doing the biggest splash when it comes to introducing someone to gaming. Why? Not sure, probably because they're simple and likeable (Doom is also nicely atmospheric). Just likes games originally used to be - uncomplicated fun. You already know how to control a mouse, it's easy to accommodate to first person perspective. On the other hand, give someone a controller, expect them to control something like Prince of Persia and they'll crash and burn.

on the contrary, from what i've seen, putting a PC game into their hands causes them to get headaches or just give up after a few seconds because those games are REALLY meant for people with perfect timing and great reflexes.

i've actually gotten people to play Prototype and get into gaming because of that simply because it's a relatively easy game, the mechanics flow beautifully, and the combat almost always favors the player because of their superpowers, so no matter what, they would end up playing that for hours on end (to a point where i have to force them to stop, and even then they're begging to keep playing) while the free indie game i downloaded on my PC just sits there and makes my screensaver pop up.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

Somehow there's a lot more people out there playing things like Windows Solitaire, MineSweeper or in the more modern times Flash games on their work PC (you know, the one you will probably have to use at some point in your life anyway and get fired if you still think it's too "complicated") than things like Left4Dead, Crackdown or Prototype...

This might be hard for you to understand but there are people out there in whose opinion constantly shooting things in the head ISN'T the end-all experience of ultimate fun, quite the contrary they get bored by it.

Things like MineCraft, Civilization or L.A. Noire featuring a diversely different kind of gameplay (and generally Adventures, Puzzle Games, Jump&Runs and RPGs) are a lot better games to get them "interested". Myself I actually started out playing Adventure games...

And a graph to close it all up...

For more countries: http://www.newzoo.com/ENG/1587-National_Graphs_2011.html

well jeez, i wasn't taking a stab at PC gaming, why are you attacking me? i was only just saying that from personal experience it's easier to get someone into "hardcore" gaming by showing them a console game. i don't think anyone really considers Minesweeper and Solitaire "hardcore" games, and when you tell them they're playing a video game they instantly refute it. they only accept the moniker of "gamer" once they're playing things like Rock Band, Crackdown, EDF, Jak and Daxter, and things like that.

I'm just saying that the general attitude amongst my community is that playing games on a computer is just something you do when you got a spare minute or you're just bored at work, whilst playing a game on a console makes you a gamer. I'm not saying i agree with it, i'm just saying that of the hundreds of people i know, that's the attitude. and accusing me of "getting fired because i still think [PCs] are too complicated" is a directly offensive and inflammatory remark.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

Somehow there's a lot more people out there playing things like Windows Solitaire, MineSweeper or in the more modern times Flash games on their work PC (you know, the one you will probably have to use at some point in your life anyway and get fired if you still think it's too "complicated") than things like Left4Dead, Crackdown or Prototype...

This might be hard for you to understand but there are people out there in whose opinion constantly shooting things in the head ISN'T the end-all experience of ultimate fun, quite the contrary they get bored by it.

Things like MineCraft, Civilization or L.A. Noire featuring a diversely different kind of gameplay (and generally Adventures, Puzzle Games, Jump&Runs and RPGs) are a lot better games to get them "interested". Myself I actually started out playing Adventure games...

And a graph to close it all up...

Spoiler

For more countries: http://www.newzoo.com/ENG/1587-National_Graphs_2011.html

Your statistics seem misleading. I seriously doubt 47% of Americans are gamers. "Spend money on games" is totally ambiguous and likely means "have purchased a game type device, for anyone, ever." Just because my grandpa gave me 50 bucks to buy Pokemon back in the day, doesn't mean he's a gamer.

 

[veloper]

Somehow there's a lot more people out there playing things like Windows Solitaire, MineSweeper or in the more modern times Flash games on their work PC (you know, the one you will probably have to use at some point in your life anyway and get fired if you still think it's too "complicated") than things like Left4Dead, Crackdown or Prototype...

This might be hard for you to understand but there are people out there in whose opinion constantly shooting things in the head ISN'T the end-all experience of ultimate fun, quite the contrary they get bored by it.

Things like MineCraft, Civilization or L.A. Noire featuring a diversely different kind of gameplay (and generally Adventures, Puzzle Games, Jump&Runs and RPGs) are a lot better games to get them "interested". Myself I actually started out playing Adventure games...

And a graph to close it all up...

Spoiler

For more countries: http://www.newzoo.com/ENG/1587-National_Graphs_2011.html

Your statistics seem misleading. I seriously doubt 47% of Americans are gamers. "Spend money on games" is totally ambiguous and likely means "have purchased a game type device, for anyone, ever." Just because my grandpa gave me 50 bucks to buy Pokemon back in the day, doesn't mean he's a gamer.

First time someone on the staff seperates casual gamers from gamers. We're getting somewhere.

And yeah, those charts prolly include everyone's who only played minesweeper or patience for a bit on their work computer, under the casual gaming label.

PC still looking good on the core gaming though. It's like I always said: count the digital downloads like Steam too. Doubles the sales figures.
That's more than half of all the console sales combined. And then on topp of that you have MMOs, webbrowser games and facebook games.

 

[johnstamos]

it's more cost effective to be a console gamer.
"gamer" is subjective. PC is still hands down better FOR gaming

 

[Azaraxzealot]

First time someone on the staff seperates casual gamers from gamers. We're getting somewhere.

And yeah, those charts prolly include everyone's who only played minesweeper or patience for a bit on their work computer, under the casual gaming label.

PC still looking good on the core gaming though. It's like I always said: count the digital downloads like Steam too. Doubles the sales figures.
That's more than half of all the console sales combined. And then on topp of that you have MMOs, webbrowser games and facebook games.

I'm not really trying to weigh in on casual versus hardcore... I just think it's not useful to have a chart listing people that have spent money on games. That's like me buying a ticket to the Super Bowl and claiming to be a football player as a result. I just hate misleading statistics. Pet peeve

 

[StriderShinryu]

I totally agree with the OP that consoles provide not only the type of experiences that appeal to unexperienced gamers but that they also do it in a way that's less complex (and less threatening) than PCs do.

I also don't really agree with those saying PCs are easy to control games with. You may be familiar with using a mouse and keyboard for using MS Word or surfing the internet, but that's a world apart from dual wielding them in a game environment. The keyboard is also a fair bit more complex than a console controller. It has a lot more buttons and, unlike a controller, they aren't arranged in a logical (to gameplay) and easily identifiable fashion. Certainly you could simply plug a controller into your PC, and that would help, but A.) that's just another step to scare non-gamers away and B.) it's really more of a concession that the console option is the better one in this regard.

Of course consoles are better to introduce people into gaming. It's way, WAY, WAY more simpler to plug in a console, hit the open tray button, insert disc and close tray and connect the controller, rather than...I don't want to go through a PC process. And there's also no guarantee the game may run on your computer in the first place.

Yes, the troublesome PC process of clicking buy, downloading the game, clicking install and then playing the game.

Eh.. if you buy a console game, you know it's going to work out of the box on your machine and that you won't have to do anything special to get it to work. And unless we're talking PS3, you don't even have to install anything, just pop in the disc and go.

Also, a lot of people who aren't into gaming yet may not feel comfortable working with something like Steam. No, it's not complicated in the least, but it's another step you have to go through. Not to mention the fact that many non gamers may not like the idea of making online purchases, especially when what you're buying is something that doesn't exist in a physical sense.