So what is the advantage of a console?

[Soxafloppin]

Exclusives are a pretty big advantage. Some of my favourite games this gen have been Sony published. Infamous, Heavy Rain, God of War, Uncharted etc

Another thing is I like to play games with my friends who play games but aren't into gaming enough to worry about getting a gaming P.C so they get a console because its simpler.

If I'm honest I see P.C gamers complaining a lot on here too. which is off putting (shitty console port, P.C release date pushed back etc)

 

[Entitled]

(you can easily assemble a PC for the cost of a console that will outperform it)

You could assemble a $300 PC that would run Uncharted 2 or God of War 3 better than a PS3?

What is this black magic?

With emulators, it could run them significantly better than PS3 could run Total War: Shogun 2, or, for that matter, Minecraft.

 

[burningdragoon]

The main advantage has always been convenience. Even for things that PC can do. Lots of PC games can use controllers, you can hook up your PC to a TV and play on the couch. Still more convenient to do so with a console. The gap between consoles and PC is getting smaller though.

For devs, there's an advantage to having standard hardware configuration to work with, but that has different pros/cons.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

The real differences between PC and console boil down to:

Power and Flexibility Vs Convenience and Simplicity.

There are always trade offs, pick which suits you.

 

[tehroc]

What does it fucking matter anyways. Microsoft is hellbent on turning Windows and Xbox into the same garbage that runs their phone (Windows 8). Say goodbye to modding and everything else that made the PC sweet.

Also, quite honestly who has problems with PC games besides system requirements?!? I haven't seen a BSOD in over a decade. Perhaps you should format and be very careful about what you install if you're having problems like that.

 

[Hagi]

Meh,

way I see it consoles are PCs, they just have a different OS and standardized hardware.

There's nothing inherently unique about consoles. They literally are PCs.

 

[Kathinka]

Sooo, you claim it doesn't make people worse or better, yet you invoke that same Third Reich style rhetoric towards people over their choice of a TOY.

Same thing applies to you; show me a build that can run Sleeping Dogs, full settings, HD package, at least 50fps, 300 or less. Do that and I'll burn down every console I have on cam.

are you really incapable of realizing that it was meant as a joke? good grief.. (and btw the rhetoric figure is way older than the third reich and fascism in general, dates all the way back to the north american slavery, but that's just nitpicking)

as for sleeping dogs: no console can do that, or even close to that. if you want though, i can post you a system for 300 dollars that will completely curb stomp any current console in sleeping dogs. that would make way more context in that sense than can run maxed out sleeping dogs, since consoles are running it with settings fixed pretty close to minimum with about 30-40 fps..

 

[Entitled]

What does it fucking matter anyways. Microsoft is hellbent on turning Windows and Xbox into the same garbage that runs their phone (Windows 8). Say goodbye to modding and everything else that made the PC sweet.

More like say goodbye to Microsoft. The thing about the hacker and maker subcultures, is that they tend to hack things, and make things.

That's the main difference between PC gamers and console gamers. When the big budget industries act against the interests of console gamers, they whine about it, and call each other entitled for whining, then they suck it up.

When PC gamers, particularly their hardcore hacker/maker crowd, are dissatisfied with the system, they mod it, they hack it, or they make themselves a new one.

The only reason why PC gaming is still happening on Windows, is because it is more convenient than, say, Linux. But with PC gamers, convenience is the first thing to do.

 

[IntangibleMango]

Here's a little story for you.
Today I tried to run a browser game on my pc, not install it just run it. It crashed so bad google search doesn't work for me any more. Gotta do a complete reinstall of my os and firefox to fix it. So now I'm copying all my files off my pc so I can get round to fixing it sometime tomorrow.

I've never had that happen on a console. I want to play a game, I get to play a game right now no messing around.

As far as I'm concerned that's a flawless victory for the console side.

I'm guessing your PC has some other underlying issues if you feel you have to reinstall your entire OS for a browser failure.

You're wasting a lot of time if you reinstall the OS every time you get a small problem like that. 1 program crashes and you reinstall the entire system? Alot of trouble to go through buddy.

Have you tried using System Restore to set the browser settings to an earlier point in time? Virus scans?

Sorry i'm not adding anything to this debate, this post just worried me a bit - nothing against you Raptor, i'm just trying to save you some trouble.

 

[Wintermoot]

We have motion controls! Yeah, how can you beat that?! [small]nope[/small]

I also heard it's physically impossible to sit back and relax on a sofa whilst gaming on a PC.

the PC got a motion controllor and most PC's support USB controllers and can be hooked up to TV's so there go those arguments.
OT
console exclusives and that's pretty much it.

 

[Entitled]

We have motion controls! Yeah, how can you beat that?! [small]nope[/small]

I also heard it's physically impossible to sit back and relax on a sofa whilst gaming on a PC.

the PC got a motion controllor and most PC's support USB controllers and can be hooked up to TV's so there go those arguments.
OT
console exclusives and that's pretty much it.

On the other hand, there are also PC exclusives, so I wouldn't call that an "advantage" either.

Besides, if you want to play ALL console exclusives, you will need to buy a shitload of different consoles, because "console" is not a single platform. On the other hand, if you have a current generational PC, you can play any PC game that has ever been. (and most older console exclusive games too, with an emulator).

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Nothing wrong with either really, although there are more games on consoles than pc's. BUT most pc people chose graphics over gameplay to justify there £2000 pc. Look at Crysis 2 - was on 360, old tech, and that game wasnt that impressive. Was boring and uninteresting overal. But all pc people go on about it getting those high level graphics even though the game is still shit.

To behonest i dont know why people bother comparing them, they are two separate things, me, i use my pc for going online and work. My console i use for gaming. Yes the PC has better graphics etc etc if you spend the money on it....and thats the thing. Its more about money spent than games. Maybe its a small penis thing and an elite pc is cheaper than a Ferrari? lol

 

[Sniper Team 4]

This is just me personally, and I'm sure that pretty much everyone who reads this will say that I'm just being stupid, but...

The winning thing for me on consoles is that I don't have to install anything. I don't have to upgrade, I don't have to figure out where the game goes, how to make a short cut, worry about whether my computer can handle it, trying to figure out what's wrong if it doesn't work. I put the game in, maybe download an update, and I'm good to go.

Recently, I attempted to install Diablo III on three computers. One is too old. The second, after reading the fine print in the game, doesn't have the right processor for the game. The third, a 2010 MAC, gets all the way to the loading screen, then sits at zero percent while Cain runs through his story--which plays the music, but no dialogue. A computer that is only two years old should be able to run Diablo III no problem. However, I have no idea where to even begin on how to fix any of that stuff. So, I have a useless game now. That is the main reason why consoles will always beat computers for me.

There's also that fact that my hands can't handle being that far apart for a game (mouse and keyboard). I'm used to holding a controller and having my hands close together.

 

[Joccaren]

Thanks for being civil with me!

But still, a computer that could run Crysis (it had decent min requirements) couldn't run Assassins Creed 3, or the last Batman game. That's my point.

A few things:
1. As said it ran Crysis on the second highest settings, quite different from minimum, at 60+ FPS stable. It ran it on max settings and 60 FPS for about half an hour, then dropped to 24-30FPS stable.
2. Crysis delivered an alround better experience for its requirements that either of those games is likely to offer, and required only slightly lower hardware on minimum comparisons.
3. That computer ran Arkham City just fine, and Assassin's Creed 3, whilst not released, has its system requirements up, which my old PC surpassed, so it would run both just fine.

Except that this great graphics capacity is a reason I should be wanting one, supposedly.

By default a PC will have better visuals and graphics than a console, even on minimum settings. Higher resolutions, AA, AF, higher FPS and various inbuilt GPU adjustments, as well as the ability to inject FXAA shaders into most programs with minimal system impact, will all give you a better visual experience than a console, and without looking for high level tech.
Other main draws to PC gaming are also listed quite often, with graphics as the minimum of them, including mods, cheaper games, faster loading times, greater customizability [Which autocorrect is telling me is combustibility, which I guess is also true, but not what I'm looking for]. That and entire genres of games that are either extremely rare or non existent on consoles. Generally when this is bought up I get the feeling its more the person themselves fixated on the graphics argument, or they don't go into many of these threads.

Intel Celeron 3.2GHz, ATI Radeon XPRESS 200.

And keep in mind, I can't build a computer or monkey with it. These days, I look at the thing hard and it'll give me grief.

If you can't build one [Which I'll be honest isn't too hard, though inexperience can be a bit of a blockade and/or dangerous for the parts. You can get a local store to build/upgrade it for you, but that will cost more], then you're not likely to get a good priced PC. Its like buying a Mac or Alienware - you'll get what you want, but its overpriced by about 300%.

I'll still do the example though. Now, I'll assume you have a chasis, CD drive, M+KB, Harddrive, and all the other general necessities, and I'll assume you have less than 4Gb of RAM. As you have provided the series for the CPU, but not the model, I'm unsure as to whether you would need a new motherboard or not, but I'll try to add one in anyway. I'll also assume that you're Power Supply can handle the load of the GPU, as generally you don't need a massive powersupply to run a rig.

Now, as I don't have the game I'll be working off the Recommended system Requirements, which generally state the requirements for the game on maximum settings [At least in my experience].

As such:
Motherboard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157323
Should be compatible with the Processor, though I only did a quick check on that. $55
Processor:
http://www.microcenter.com/product/371961/PHENOM_II_X4_840_Boxed_Processor
Quad core at 3.2Ghz. I can only guess as to why its price is this low, but its only $66.50
RAM:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139046
4Gb, single chip, DDR3 1333Mhz. Only $20. Could get double the amount for $40 for some decent future proofing, but not necessary.
GPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150548
As always the money guzzler of a build. Comes to $200 by default, although a $30 rebate is apparently possible.

Total price with rebate: 55+66.5+20+200= $341.50
Total price with rebate: $341-30 = $311.50

Slightly over $300, but that's from a 20 minutes search online, and I could likely cut some stuff down to save money. It should work for Sleeping Dogs with the HD patch, though without having tried the build myself I can't say for certain. I'm also unable to comment on the reliability of the build, as as said I haven't tried it myself.
If I took some time to search online for a bit I could probably get a better idea from forums around the place, or if I had an extra day or two I'd go to overclock.net, and they're bound to have someone who's done something similar and could give a review.

 

[Joccaren]

Nothing wrong with either really, although there are more games on consoles than pc's.

Even ignoring emulators, this is entirely wrong.
Ignoring the history of PC gaming with DoS games and such, it is still wrong.
RTS, MMO, 4X, many F2P games, many indie titles and a whole lot else are on the PC and not on consoles. In terms of AAA games you may be right, but including all games PC is in the lead.

BUT most pc people chose graphics over gameplay to justify there £2000 pc.

A few things:
1. 'Most people' is a gross overstatement. Most people I know either do it to OC for fun, or because its their hobby [This is spending $2000 on a PC]. Most PC gamers will spend about $300-500 [Unless they've got a lot of spare cash lying around], and use it to run games with mods, faster loading times, emulations, fan patches and all the other advantages of PC gaming.
2. $2000 on a PC is a rare case. It only ever happens with people with way too much money, or who do PC modding/building as a hobby. Hell, I've got a reasonably high end computer now, after 3 sets of modding this year, and its cost me less than $1000 for two good GPUs, a good Quad Core, Good Mobo, 16Gb RAM, liquid cooling, A decent case, 6 fans and an SSD. The $2000 PC is a myth that is overused by people trying to exaggerate PC prices.

Look at Crysis 2 - was on 360, old tech, and that game wasnt that impressive. Was boring and uninteresting overal. But all pc people go on about it getting those high level graphics even though the game is still shit.

Most PC people I've met bash the shit out of Crysis 2 as it wasn't as graphically impressive as the first [In many people's opinions, I'm not going to start that kind of argument here], and had had its gameplay 'dumbed down', which pissed them off more. Crysis is just a convenient figurehead for PC graphics, despite many people playing it for its gameplay [At least the first].

To behonest i dont know why people bother comparing them, they are two separate things, me, i use my pc for going online and work. My console i use for gaming. Yes the PC has better graphics etc etc if you spend the money on it....and thats the thing. Its more about money spent than games. Maybe its a small penis thing and an elite pc is cheaper than a Ferrari? lol

This I'll somewhat agree with you on, though its becoming less and less true. A console like the Wii is an entirely different kettle of fish to the PC, however the Xbox and PS3 are that similar now the distinction is getting somewhat pointless. The main differences are in size and skills required. One is small and requires knowledge of what plugs go where on a TV, and the other is larger and requires knowledge of what plugs go where on a Motherboard. Oh, and obviously power. PC is far more powerful than a Console.

Prices are becoming more and more the same, each has its own software and OS that it has to run, each has bugs, issues and hardware failures, and each tries for the same style of AAA releases.
Of course, it all depends on your general use of each. A lot of people I know are used to just using a PC for Facebook and work, and their consoles for gaming, whilst I'm used to building and playing with PCs for fun, and PC gaming, and using consoles for Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

 

[Magicman10893]

1) Ease of use. Buy console. Plug power cord into outlet and HMDI/Composite cable into TV. Put disc in tray. Done. No upgrades. No worrying about specs. No downloading new drivers. No installing (at least on Xbox). The only hassle is disc-swapping (LA Noir, Mass Effect, Witcher 2, Final Fantasy, etc.)

2) Used games. PC is mostly going digital with services like Steam and Origin. Console gaming is still mostly physical. Even if I got into PC gaming I would still go K-Mart, Walmart and Gamestop to buy the physical copy of game rather than buying through Steam or Origin.

3) Split screen. This is probably one of the biggest. I don't know of any PC game that lets you play some kind of split screen. I know a lot of console games or skipping over split screen support lately, but it is still really nice to be able to sit down with friends and play together on the couch.

4) Combine 1 and 3. If I buy a cool new game and want to show my friends, it's literally as simple as taking my game and hard drive/memory card over and pop the disc in their Xbox. You can't do with with PC. Sure, you could just invite them over to watch, but if you want to have a whole party like this, someone is going to have to haul their whole rig over just to show off some new games. Right now I can take a game or two, my friend can take a game or two and we both can go to my cousin's house for a night of gaming.

5) The ability to know that the game I picked up from the store will work with my console. With PC you might have something, somewhere that won't work properly. Maybe it is a driver, or a piece of hard ware. Sometimes it might just be as easy as lowering the graphical quality a bit or installing an update. But with a console that literally won't come up at all. If the game doesn't work, I can return the disc for a new copy.

6) Less cheaters online. I know there are still people that exploit glitches, but as far as wall hacking, aimbots and other cheating crap goes, there are remarkably few cheaters.

7) Redundancy. This is the same point I bring up when people say that MP3 players and iPods are dead now that smart phones are on the rise. If your smartphone is your Phone/App/Movie/Music device, your battery is going to die before the afternoon is over and you'll be stuck with nothing. If your phone's battery is dead you can still play Angry Birds and listen to music while you wait in the dentist's office if you have an iPod. If you killed the battery on your iPod playing with apps and listening to music, you still send text messages and make emergency calls. Having both an MP3 player/iPod and a cell phone gives that kind of redundancy that lets you play as much as want while still knowing you have a phone in case of emergency. Throw a Gameboy or PSP into the mix and you won't have to worry about battery life again.

Apply that to consoles and PCs. If your computer breaks (motherboard or hard drive melts or some catastrophic failure), you can still play games. If your console breaks you still have a computer. When my 36o had the Red Ring of Death, I was still able to get on the internet, play computer games, and even play my PS2. When my computer broke (hard drive completely crapped out on me), I couldn't do anything that I would normally use a computer for until I got a new one, but at least I could still play Xbox.

 

[Legendairy314]

The way I see it, there's a few things.

1. It's easy to transport. If I want to show my friend a new game I just bring the damn thing over to his house. 30 seconds of plugging it back in and I get to watch him react to a zombie horde for my own enjoyment.
2. Not install based means easy sharing. "Hey can I borrow Dark Souls?" "Sure, I'll trade you for Skyrim for a bit." Also, rentals. Because paying 40 dollars for Spec Ops vs 15 Dollars for a month of unlimited rentals is a no-brainer.
3. Less fuss, hassles, and crashes. Sure most consoles are basically lower end PCs but at the very least they're not going to mess up as often. My PC tends to get mad at me when I experiment with the graphical settings. And if it crashes you'll be spending the next few hours trying to figure out what happened and if everything is running fine.

Too tired to give other reasons but there's also the console exclusive titles that you have to worry about so while PCs may be better overall you still won't be able to play The Last of Us on one.

 

[A.A.K]

1. I can sit on a couch or bed when gaming.
2. I can play with others - In the room. I HATE playing 'online'.
3. No steam. No online required to play.
4. No need to worry about installs and all that.