What's the big deal about PC games?

[The Youth Counselor]

Video games are made and modified on a PC. PC Gamers can make and modify games yourself on a PC.

When playing you have freedom over countless keys to use as functions, and the precise point of a mouse.

 

[ntw3001]

Mouse and keyboard. Controllers just aren't very good for either shooters or menus. They're not as useful for the type of games I want to play.

Plus, mods, indie games, it's nice to play on an independent platform.

That said, it's a pain being shackled to a desk. I could use a laptop, but the advantages of using a mouse always come with the inconvenience of having to find somewhere to put a mouse.

Oh, also, it's cheaper. I spent £500 on a PC two years ago and it still runs everything. That's either more or less than a console depending on the point in the console's life cycle, but since PC games appear unique in their capacity to both be good and cost less than £40 on release I'm happy to say I spend less. Or realistically, I spend as much as I would on a console, but I get more games from it. And it's my opinion that those games are better. Consoles are opening up to less restrictive distribution methods, but PC is the platform with the easiest route to releasing something fresh.

Oh yeah, and I realise that given the topics of things that have been written and talked about in the magazine in the last week I sound like a bandwagon-jumper, but I'm often put off by the marketing. These people do not want me as a target audience.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

No one is willing to pay £1600 for a gaming rig when they could spend £300 and get something similar.

I don't get this "gaming rig" thing. I run my games on my Dell laptop which cost me around £500-£550. It works fine with all the games I have ever tried to play on it.

EDIT: Apart from shattered horizon. That game ran like Lonely George because it was built on a graphics benchmarking engine.

Do you play them on the highest settings? Do you expect that it'll last a couple years before you have to upgrade it?

Occasionally you get a couple diamonds but I've seen laptops with setups like the one I had decided on for a good couple thousand.

 

[hermes]

I prefer console gaming, but I can see the appeal of playing on a proper gaming PC, if you can afford one.

- Mods and customization.
- Better graphics.
- Mouse and keyboard are more flexible and make some genres only viable on PC.
- Steam.

 

[Buizel91]

What it really comes down to is...

Wait for it...

...

Personal preference.

Yeah, I know. Shocking. There are a lot of good games on consoles and on PC. There are benefits and drawbacks to both, despite what fanboys of either say. The PC can be a great system for games, just as a PS3, 360 or Wii can. Heck, if you're really just into it for the games themselves there's really no reason to even limit yourself to one of the current gen systems. A good chunk of my gaming in the last few months has been spent on SNES games. *shrug*

Best answer i have seen ^_^

I'm mainly a 360 gamer (although i do have a Wii that i really need to start using) but i have games for the PC, i mainly use my laptop for Games like Kotor and RTS games, and my 360 is for shooters and the rest of the games out their.

Oooh and to add to this i also have a Gamecube ^_^ gotta love the Sonic/Pokemon games on there ^_^

 

[SIXVI06-M]

Just a little thing I want to ask any PC gamers about. What's the appeal in playing on a PC over a console?

1. I have a laptop - I take it everywhere. I can also do more stuff on my laptop than a console.
2. My keyboard has more buttons.
3. Hey look! I can aim!
4. Hey look I can maneuver!
5. There's more stuff I can do TO the game.
6. There's way more stuff I can play on a PC.
7. If it was a choice between a console + TV or a laptop, I'd choose a laptop, for very obvious reasons.
8. Online Multiplayer on PC is usually just a bit more mature than online multiplayer on consoles - we deal with similar shit... just less of it.
9. I'd say more people own a computer than consoles these days - laptops are on the rise. Who says your all your mates can't come over for a massive PC-LAN session? looots of people are already doing it.
10. PC games are usually cheaper too.

 

[e2density]

A lot of one of the largest things I see is load times. Y'know that wheel in Fallout 3 and New Vegas that spins around on the load screen? On my friend's Xbox it spins around for a good minute or so, usually. On my PC it barely gets to a 1/4 turn.

 

[Flames66]

No one is willing to pay £1600 for a gaming rig when they could spend £300 and get something similar.

I don't get this "gaming rig" thing. I run my games on my Dell laptop which cost me around £500-£550. It works fine with all the games I have ever tried to play on it.

EDIT: Apart from shattered horizon. That game ran like Lonely George because it was built on a graphics benchmarking engine.

Do you play them on the highest settings? Do you expect that it'll last a couple years before you have to upgrade it?

Occasionally you get a couple diamonds but I've seen laptops with setups like the one I had decided on for a good couple thousand.

That's one of the other advantages of PC gaming, graphics can be adjusted for lower end machines. No I usually don't play games on the highest settings and a hope this laptop will last me for at least three years. It probably will last longer if I don't get any major technical faults as I don't buy many new games. It is quite rare now that a game will enthuse me enough to spend money on it.

 

[NicoDK]

Mouse and keyboard, 'nuf said. No console pro will ever beat a pc pro in fps gaming, which has been proven time after time.

 

[Buizel91]

Just a little thing I want to ask any PC gamers about. What's the appeal in playing on a PC over a console?

Want to know my reason?

Console:
Kiddie game
Shooter
Shooter
Shooter
Shooter
Shooter
Shooter
Shooter
Kiddie game
Shooter
Shooter
Shooter
Racing game

You get the picture. I left console gaming because its the same game every fucking time. I now get much more selection in games than before, and I wouldn't go back even if you paid me.

Really, dude?
You couldn't just give a reasonable answer, like not wanting to pay for a console after investing in a high end PC or not being interested in any console exclusives (you're missing out, by the way, not that the PC doesn't have some great exclusives too)? I've played a lot of console games over the last twelve years and only two of them have been shooters (I haven't bought or played a shooter in at least five years). If anything, the PC can be even more shooter heavy than consoles because it has better controls for them. I also don't play racing games except occasionally when I'm visiting a friend. It's kind of pathetic to just gloss over things like Demon's Souls and the huge number of other great console exclusive RPGs and SRPGs, not to mention great action games like Bayonetta, God Hand and Zone of the Enders 2 (I don't think Viewtiful Joe ever got a proper PC release, either).

If you want to defend your choice (and it's certainly a legitimate one), that's fine, but you can do it without making blatantly untrue statements and bashing your perceived opposition instead of civilly stating the advantages of your chosen platform.

You are talking about current gen, the time where it somewhat got passed the WWII shooter hell. This was the time that WWII shooters were considered "cool and edgy" right before everyone got sick of them.

Glossing over the unique games? That is the point. Shooters saturated markets to the point all you ever saw was a shooter. Best seller? Shooter. Most advertised? Shooter. If it doesn't blow up, shoot, or show mutilation it gets sent to the back of the pile to never be seen again. This was another flaw, retailer bias. They arrange their stock based on what sells, not by what's unique.

Tell that to Pokemon, Sonic, Viva Pinata, etc

 

[Zukhramm]

Do you play them on the highest settings?

Maybe not, but a console will never play "on the highest settings" either as it's limited to the hardware chosen by the developers.

Do you expect that it'll last a couple years before you have to upgrade it?

No, but you can probably upgrade a PC as often, and for the same price as you buy new consoles, and get better hardware than the consoles you're competing against.

 

[Okysho]

because all the big fancy shooters that come out on consoles work better on PCs. Screw stick aim, I'll take a cursor any day.

This is mainly the only reason I pick PC games over console games. Other games like platformers, fighters and adventure, I take a console for. (yes Fallout counts as an FPS)

 

[Mighty Lighty]

I'd love to get a decent gaming pc but I'm struggling with the starting investment of more than £500 as I bloody love steam for sales and whatnot but I can't play any games on the unreal engine or more complicated systems. It's why I currently prefer the ps3 as I'm certain it plays all ps3 games while I'm not with my pc

 

[Vibhor]

-snippy b-

We are talking about making games here not about porting them.
Take minecraft for example
Notch is a coding genius in java but then some I-dunno-lol-guy comes and ask for Xbox port.
Now considering notch has no experience in making xbawks games the port will surely suck.
Will you say then that coding for xbox is hard?
If yes then you would be called an idiot and thrown rocks at.

 

[Madman123456]

Ah, another "Consoles vs PC" thread. I have never seen one of those before.

Well, it comes down to what you want. I like to fuck around with the Settings. The Convenience Argument for consoles doesn't really hold water for me. Sure, i have to install the game and then get annoyed with the DRM, then i have to search and download tools and nodvd patches. Once i have done that however, the game starts with a click and i don't even have to lift my fat posterior up to the shelf where i keep my games.

I do like the general stability of the consoles. Well, i did like that; nowadays the consoles crash more often then my PC.

I love being able to customize stuff in PC Games. You don't like how energy weapons are so much weaker then conventional Guns in New Vegas?
On the console Version, bad luck. On the PC Version, i have made a mod for that. I have also made mods to enable fast travel from anywhere, a gun that shoots dogs that explode in a nuclear fireball on impact and armor that makes me invisible and 500% faster.

I get almost double playtime out of any game. First, play the game like you normally would. Then, play it again just to fuck around with stuff.

 

[unacomn]

It's cheaper, unless you're a graphics nut.
And it's an open platform.
And it can do more things than games.

 

[DemonicVixen]

In my cade its because I own a PC capable of playing modern games im not sure I could switch to a console, because its a laptop and the portability is a big thing with me

most people get into the controller vs mouse/keyboard when it comes to FPS, I think gamepad is fine if your used to it but its completley retarded for anyone not used to it or who prefers keyboard/mouse its waaayy more acurate

This.

I love playing on my laptop. Yes, I dont have the best one going, so some games probably wont work, but the games I do like, do work...
I've tried all the consoles, and I have a DS Lite (my partner has the PS2 which I play on also). I dont mind the other consoles, but I find trying to play with a controller, is often trickier, and hurts my wrists sometimes for the way I have to hold them or throw them around (Wii). Playing Guitar Hero on DS is painful and awkward, so I really want to get hold of a PS3 and play with the proper tools which look a lot more comfortable (and my partner claims its easier to play on X-Box or PS3).
You get more controls on a PC because there is more choice of buttons unlike the others which have what? about 10 or less buttons? meaning you have to press two of them or three of them etc to get different moves etc. Too complex for my liking.

 

[Feylynn]

-Greatly prefer the keyboard and mouse with the improved keymapping and control they offer.
-A controller is still an option when appropriate.
-Several PC exclusive games are good enough it's nicer to focus money on one machine whenever possible so the computer is incidentally capable enough to handle most new things(League of Legends, World of Warcraft)
-I need to compound this point because it does bear mentioning how much I just don't like controllers for much games, especially shooters.
-Computer is the stronger machine, it takes money and a bit of work (sometimes more then others) but it's definitely worth it in my opinion.
-Modding Communities for games like Oblivion and Fallout that would be sub-par and perhaps bad without user generated content.
-Just the convenience of socializing on the PC where Vent and MSN are always accessible no matter what my friends are up to.
-I actually find computer use isn't that uncomfortable, it's all in your setup really.
-I do some artwork, so computer is already nice to have just for my tablet.
-Superior browsing to a console, I can alt+tab out of games if I need quick information for something.
-The simple fact that it does everything and anything it can't do it has a modding community to do.

As many points as I could think up off the top of my head.