What's the big deal about PC games?

[joshthor]

My reasons:

1. Portability. i game on my laptop mostly, i can bring it too school, play some counter strike or dawn of war 2 in between classes, or bring it to my friends house and play amnesia or world of goo with her

2. Mouse and keyboard. honestly, i was a very active console gamer before i got my laptop. while i could live without the keyboard (i think there should be a small half controller for movement) the mouse is THE aiming device. i cant stand using controllers because they are so innacurate compared to a mouse

3. Indie games: the indie scene is vibrant on the pc, and while it is growing on the consoles, it is no where near as strong as on the pc because pc is easier to develop for and cheaper. about 1/4 of the games on my steam account are indie games (good solid titles i might add) where i have exactly 1 out of my about 20 games on my 360.

4. Sales: Steam is the best thing to happen to pc gaming since laptops. it gets alot of flac because of thier licences and such, but it is a great service, which more importantly has FANTASTIC sales every week. i bought batman: AA for 7.50 last week, i bought the dawn of war 2 series for 10 bucks, i pre-ordered home front for 40 bucks AND i got metro 2033 free. there is nothing that comes close to matching these deals for consoles unless you are really into bargain hunting

5. MMO's: PC's have alot of good mmos, i can see ps3 taking some of the mmo crowd, but not a huge amount. im rooting for it though.

6. Mods: The only way i could survive playing oblivion for more than 20 minutes (i sold that retched game... i think... DAMNIT I DIDNT YET)

EDIT:

7. Price: its just cheaper to be a pc gamer. while many people say "oh you need a thousand dollar rig to be a pc gamer" its a lie. i have a 500 dollar laptop. now, that may sound expensive compared to a console, but consoles have no use other than gaming and media. EVERYONE needs a computer these days. you can spring an extra 100 bucks on a laptop to get one with a decent gpu to game, or you can just upgrade a desktop for 50 bucks and it can game (if your not a graphics nut) + most games are cheaper, and as i said before...steam sales.

Im only adding this cause it is a pro of pc versions, though i dont take advantage of it:

8. Graphics power: The PC version of games almost always has better graphics than the console because pc's have more to work with. however, i dont take advantage of it cause my laptop is not powerful enough

 

[OtherSideofSky]

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.

Fps/sports/fighting/racing games (ps2, xbox, psone): 1644
Rpg games (ps2, xbox, psone): 239.
Strategy (of any kind): 115.

See the problem here? If you were to walk into a store all you would see is the stuff i just listed. Proven by the database of metacritic. This means all I would find is shooters in the store due to the saturation. Let's see this generation:

RPG games (ps3, Xbox 360): 136.
Shooter/sports/fighting/racing: 799.
Strategy (of any kind on a console): 69.

Not much better by Metacritic's tally. Granted the number of games have leveled, but the number of RPG games has lowered. The strategy games (of any kind) have lowered even further. My point may be harsh, but far from "untrue". The market is saturated with only a hand full of genres, and variety is stifled by many factors. This is a perfectly valid point, if presented in a harsh way.

I'm simply arguing that shooters are hardly less dominant on the PC, and, once again, I bought a lot of games for both the PS2/GCN and PS1/N64 generations without ever having touched a WWII shooter in my life. RPGs may be fewer in number, but they also tend to be far more robust titles, such that they take far longer both to play through and to produce than the average shooter (the latter going a long way towards explaining why there aren't as many of them). Honestly, as someone who has gamed on both PCs and consoles for a long time, I think that they possess interesting, high quality titles in roughly equal numbers and have for the past decade at least. Although, since we both mentioned strategy games and RPGs, I suppose I should mention that on the console side of things those are now mostly on handhelds (I haven't played anything other than handheld SRPGs and strategy games on my PSP and DS for at least a year, and I still have a huge backlog). Of course, if you're talking about RTSs, then the PC is obviously far superior in that regard thanks to its controls.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

Spoiler

Warez.

And shiny graphics. Also, better control. Yes, I do believe that fighting games are better suited for a keyboard than an Xbox or PS controller. The exception being the moves that require you to spin the analog stick around. Translating that to a keyboard simply doesn't work. (ala Zangief's moves in SFIV) And, of course, better precision with a mouse.

Edit: let's not forget the mods, as people must have pointed out by now (lol haven't read the responses). They are good for you.

 

[Fetzenfisch]

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.

Thats it exactly. The few games that are better on consoles i still (mostly) can get for PC and play them with friends over controllers anyway. But when it comes to things like adventures, rpgs , strategy(!), simulation PC is way ahead of consoles. Not only mention the AAA titles but billions of little free, abandoned or selfmade games.

 

[ThePirateMan]

Longer history of games.
Being able to type quickly and having more buttoms.
Mouse precision.
Strategy games. RTS games, TBS games, Grand Strategy games, we've got everything!
Classic RPGs. I love me some Fallout.
MMOs.
Good for a lot of other things. (Internets, schoolwork, etc)
Blizzard <3
Indie developers
MODS
It's a shit load more immersive for me.
Less loudmouths. (Most of the time)
Amazingly cheap games at times. Several days long epic experiences for less then 10 euro? Count me in!
Graphics. They sure arn't everything and I can be without them, but they're a nice bonus.
I find it to be easier to navigate then the Xbox 360.
In my experience, better community.

 

[EradiusLore]

because PC is pro, nothing can touch the rate of development on a pc. a new console comes out and within 18 months PC has surpassed is spec wise. not to mention you have RTS on pc and that just dosent work on console. i think PC plays everything better then console, appart from racing and sports games. but why would i play them anyway?

OH AND MODS!!! dont know where i would be without my 25gb of mods running on oblivion

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

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.

I'm going to dismiss the other point because I discount graphics as a genuine argument for or against PC and console.

How many people have the know-how, the time or the money to upgrade on what they think is a constant basis?

The majority of my friends are console gamers, one of them cited a 'rule' that by the time you buy a product, there is already one twice as good. This is the attitude that leads to a mass in the console market.

 

[Someone Depressing]

I just find a keyboard and mouse more appealing (Maybe that's because I put googley eye sticker's all over my key's and have a Hello Kitty mouse ... God please help me!) I just find a mouse 'n' Keyboard Simpler than annoying button hold's.

EDIT : Oh, and I guesse an RTS/God Game would control like arse on a controller, and I'm into that kinda stuff, also an RPG where battle is really complex and irratating (*Cough* FFXIII *Cough*) Just doesn't work on a controller, that's another reason why I don't like FF.

Oh, and It's WAAAY Easier to chat on MMO's, my Mic's busted.

Oh, now let's look at an average XBOX Library

FPS FPS FPS FPS TPS TPS TPS TPS FPS FPS-- Ect Ect

Let's look at Ps3's library

FPS FPS FPS PLATFORMER FPS FPS--

And so forth.

PC Has bigger varieties, with new developer's like Muse game's that make brilliant indie platformer's PC Gaming has way more variety and colour.

And I think steam is more flexible, sure enough it's bugged up the F*cking arse but I have heap's of trouble logging into fucking XBL, that's why I threw my XBOX in the closet and only take it out during parties, even then We just play multiplayer games.

I can think of a million times I've enjoyed playing 7-10 hour's of Fallout 2 in one sitting and eventually drink myself into unconciousness.

My room has a : Old TV, messy pillow, Laptop, Mac.

Since my room only has 2 small laptop's in it, I usually open up steam and start mashing the button's before breakfast.

That's just my view on things, better control's, more button's, easier FPS' (Where you can actually quickly FUCKING turn around), and I just think that XBL having a Fee is utter bullshit, Wii Comm doesn't have that, neither does STEAM or PSN, WTF Microsoft?

 

[moretimethansense]

better controls
Backwards compatibility with older titles is guaranteed

The former is opinion and the latter is an utter crock.
Other than that fair enough.

 

[WOPR]

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

Decent Shooters, Decent RTS games, Decent RPG, seemingly limitless amounts of free games (flash games) many great indie games (I Wanna Be The Guy, Cave Story)

Not to mention it's probably one of the best platforms because they don't really have to get "Nintendo Approval" or anything like that

I mean just look at how referency Magicka is!

A better question would be "What's the Appeal of Console Gaming?" because I've noticed that no matter what console I get I always come back to playing my computer

 

[moretimethansense]

The former is opinion

....So I suppose you think analog sticks are better for aiming in shooters? I've used both and can honestly tell you they suck for it. Mouse > analog stick for aiming. It's that bloody simple.

Depends on the shooter and again, that is opinion, just because it's your opinion that does not make it fact.
Besides which I never mentiond shooters specificly and neither did you, stop changing the paramaters, it's bad form.

and the latter is an utter crock.

I haven't run across a game from my nostalgia days that I can't run on my modern Vista rig. Even Scorched Earth, which predates windows itself, runs fine.

Without using a DOSbox or some other third party software?
Well then you've been bloody lucky, a huge number of old games I love either need some persuasion to work, work with minor to severe flaws that weren't there before or simply don't work at all.
EG Medieval Total War (origional) is completly impossible to play on Vista, Shogan is a sod to get working, and Medieval 2 won't work unpatched.
I know what your thinking "just patch it!" and I did, but not everyone has the net (shocking I know) and even some that do would simply assume the code was fucked when faced by the garbage screen the unpatche version shows you.

 

[Kalabrikan]

Several reasons:

-Mods which fix pre-existing game bugs, add new content to the game, or create an entirely new experience
-The mouse and keyboard. FPS games on a PC in general are superior to FPS games on a console, and a keyboard and mouse are pretty much requirements for any strategy game or RPG.
-Emulators. A computer with the latest hardware can play a game from most consoles made before 2005.
-Larger and more active indie dev scene.
-Often times, games are more complex on the PC than on consoles given console hardware limitations.

 

[DanielDeFig]

Depends. I prefer using a mouse for tactical games, while a controller for action/adventure. Some people would argue that PC games are more graphically and technically advanced, because PCs improve significantly over the years a console might last. But since i (and many others) can't afford "the best of the best" (only to see it be useless in the PC gaming world in less than 10 years), but have to settle for medium-high end, that only last a maximum of 5 years before the standards are beyond it (so the "best of the best" isn't that much better).

But those kind of problems (along with frustrating install processes), will hopefully go away with the mainstreaming of cloud gaming.

 

[gardyna]

Well, a PC is very good at all sorts of things other than gaming. If you're not that hard core a gamer, I don't see why you need to invest in a console, really.

<.< for a casual gamer who wants to play moern games (like call of duty: black ops) it's WAY cheaper to buy a PS3 or XBOX and the game than buying a computer that can run it

but I REALY love the customisation the PC offers and i prefer my FPS's to be on the PC but for almost any other genre i prefer the PS3

the PC also has (on average) more mature comunity who are much more willing to help you if you have any problems

Consoles do have some factors that make them better than PC like that they're generaly much simpler to get running, you don't have to worry about you'r hardware being up to par(developers know how powerful the console is an adjust the game acoringly)

so each option has pro's an cons i play a bit of both

 

[Popido]

It belongs to me, unlike consoles.

 

[Abengoshis]

Its like a console but you can do anything else on it too.
Mouse and keyboard controls.
Easy access to mods.
Not every game is a bloody first person shooter.