DaJoW said:
pulse2 said:
5. PC games are moving over to PS3 and 360, some exclusivly and others multiplat, no matter how you look at it, other than graphics, there isn't really a compelling reason to pick PC gaming over console gaming, not to mention the console exclusive games as well.
None of my favourite games (Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron) have been released on a console, my favourite genres (RTS and Grand Strategy) would be nigh-unplayable without a mouse and keyboard setup, and my favourite developer (Paradox Interactive) makes games exclusively for the PC. Since I "look at it" this way, I'd say there's a very compelling reason.
I've had an Xbox with a decent number of games for about 8 years now, and I'd say I've spent less time playing on it in all that time than I've spent on EU 3 in 2011.
Well that's great news for you, being a PC gamer and all, but for example myself and possibly others, amny of the games I've come to love and developers I've always adored are now making games for the consoles. The games I always thought made PC the shit, like Half Life, Diablo 2, Command and Conquerer, Sims, Fallout and others are all now available in some way or form on the consoles, Diablo being the exception....for the time being, Blizzard is already considering it for Diablo 3, a feat that will make my life much easier and save me the trouble of having to check to ensure my PC is capable of running it.
Ideally I'd like the PC to have more games as I especially prefer the controls for the likes of RPGs and such, but when playing Dragon Age on the PS3 after the PC, it didn't feel half bad, something I could definitely get used to and if it really bothered me that much, bluetooth keyboards and mouse are cheap for PS3 these days.
Vigormortis said:
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1. Maybe so, but it still leaves me with the dilemma of having to buy or update my rig to handle the new games. This isn't always easy when developers insist on pushing boundaries in terms of graphics and innovative ways of gaming. For example, capable or not, my PC would not be able to give me the experience Wii games for example provide, simply because games on PC don't include that function, petty though it may be. As for the question of whether I have the rig to handle top end games or not, I don't, and other then gaming enthusiasts, you'll find too that most people don't. Now if you do, that's superb, game ahoy, but if you don't, you are left with the option of buying a new rig, upgrading the one you have or buying a far cheaper in comparison console. Yeah it may have a shorter lifespan, but it's not as if that matters once you get a few great gaming years out of it.
2. Check further down, I did point this out, my brother uses a PS3 controller on his PC, but even then, you still need to change the settings for each game so that the controls are fluent, this may be pretty trivial, but it can get quite annoying if you keep changing games, some software makes it a little easier by preseting by default for certain games, but when you think about it, I'd rather not have to worry about all that and just play games with my controller instantly on my console, rumble, motion and whatever else the controller is originally capable of.
3. I don't expect consoles to multitask, I just want it to play games, without installations, without activation codes and having to sign up with each game's developer to play online. I'll admit that pesky little installations to rear their ugly little head from time to time on console, but this isn't too often, I'll also admit that loading times are often shortest on PC, but again, this isn't too much of a concern once I'm playing the games I want to play and the loading isn't ridiculous.
4. Well, I can't speak for Live, I sold my 360, but in PS3 and Wiis case, I'm okay, I'm gaming for free.
5. Mentioned this point, modders is one of the prime reasons beyond graphics I would bother picking PC gaming over consoles, but for the typical gamer, casual or hardcore, I wouldn't say it was a major playing factor unless you honestly care that much for the extension of games. Its rare that you even get to use these bonus additions to the game online anyway, so it only extends your single player experience. I suppose it would have kept me playing Fallout 3 longer, but then would I want to play Fallout 3 longer than I did? I moved from that to play Just Cause 2 and GT5, and I must say, Just Cause and GT5 were as fun (if not more) as anything I've seen modded for Fallout 3 plus added something new. Honestly though, I would like to see modding on the consoles, but it would clash with trophies and achievements, and I know that wouldn't be pleasing to trophy and achievement whores.
6. You are speaking purely from a personal perspective though, if $400 got you the basic elements without the other bits, how much extra would it cost if you bought the rest to go with it? Secondly, I'm assuming you KNOW how to build a PC from scratch, what about people who don't or really can't be bothered. You can pick up a Wii for cheap for less than $400, WITH several games, controllers, nunchucks, classic controllers and still have spare cash left over. A PS3 and 360 may cost you a little more, but you can still find cheap ones and pick up several AAA titles to go with it. You don't NEED to have more than one controller and the consoles always sell with a controller included, the only time you need an extra controller is if you want more players, even then PC gaming is the same, how else are you to play your friends on one PC other than awkwardly use the same keyboard? (Which won't work for most games outside of minigames).
Like I said, other than PC gaming enthusiasts with tech knowledge, very few people will bother using a PC for high end games, especially casuals, when a console is far easier to buy and play right off the bat. Downgraded in graphics though games may be compared to PC, how often does that bother anyone, if that were really an issue, they wouldn't be selling so well.