Why buy consoles?

[Leeko]

Commence argument-crushing megapost.

Argument: PCs are expensive!

Rebuttal: My five-year-old PC, which today would cost you about $300 in parts (same price as a 360) can run Crysis with everything on high except AA and shadows. Additionally, with the exception of most multiplayer games, you could just pirate them on a PC.

Argument: I want to play video games on a TV!

Rebuttal: My monitor IS a TV. Hell, if you really wanted you could hook your PC up to your TV in the living room and play from your couch with wireless keyboard+mouse if need be.

Argument: Monitors are expensive!

Rebuttal: 20-23 inch monitors cost around $200. What about your 57" HDTV?

Argument: PCs need to be upgraded!

Rebuttal: See above about my five-year-old PC. They're making video games for six-year-old console hardware. Unless you want to play Crysis 1 with completely maxed out graphics then this is a complete fallacy.

Argument: PCs have limited hard drive space!

Rebuttal: Eh? So do consoles, even more so. How's that 2 terrabyte (2,000GB) HDD working out in your 360? Oh, wait...

Argument: PCs are complicated!

Rebuttal: And you're lazy, if not plain ignorant. Call me an elitist if you want, it doesn't change anything.

Argument: Consoles have exclusives!

Rebuttal: So do PCs (see the image below, I made it just for you <3). Moreover, you can emulate consoles to play console games on a PC if you really wanted to.

List of all the titles above, top left to bottom right:

Mechwarrior*, Starsiege, Half-Life*, Descent, Homeworld, Deus Ex, Age of Empires, Minecraft, Freespace, StarCraft*, Total Annihilation, Dawn of War, World of Warcraft, TES3: Morrowind, Amnesia the Dark Descent, Dwarf Fortress, Command & Conquer*, Black and White, Civilization, Alpha Centauri,Team Fortress 2*, Zoo Tycoon, Thief, Diablo, The Sims*, Spore, Crysis, Painkiller, EVE Online, Earth 2160, Quake, Doom*, Empire Total War, RollerCoaster Tycoon, SimCity, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Company of Heroes, X-Com

* These titles DO have console ports, but they're far inferior. It's like trying to play Sonic or Katamari on PC... just doesn't feel right.

Well, did I miss anything?

 

[Chibz]

Well, did I miss anything?

You missed the fact that most of the games on the list aren't from this DECADE. And most of them aren't really THAT good either. Doom, ok. Half-life? Great, a doom clone. Whatever. You've got several RTS'. This makes sense, controller not so good for RTS'. You've got cocaine on the list (Wow for the slow kids in the class). I'd consider it more a recreational drug than a video game.

[b/]I've listed all your errors, for your convenience. In no particular order.[/b]

Why is the sims on the list? It's not a game at all! It's a "software toy".

Now I KNOW sim city has been on console. The console version of doom is quite functional, too.

Spore isn't a console exclusive. Did you do ANY research?

Morrowind wasn't exclusive either. It sucked anyways. RESEARCH, DO IT.

Deus Ex had a PS2 release. ... Both Deus Ex games had a console release. The third one is going to, as well.

Age of Empires II had a console release.

Alpha Centauri isn't REALLY a civilization again. It's a spinoff series.

Thief: The first and second games are PC exclusive. Third isn't, and you bet your ass the fourth isn't going to either.

Crysis 1 may be exclusive, but Crysis 2 isn't. Crysis 1 only managed to showcase all of PC gamings many flaws. It was amusing.

Painkiller, it was also on xbox. A SIMPLE WIKIPEDIA SEARCH REVEALS THIS.

Painkiller (video game), a first-person shooter for the PC and Xbox

Quake: Such a non-PC exclusive that it actually caused physical pain. And pity. For you.

RollerCoaster Tycoon, also on xbox.

X-com: Not all of them are PC exclusive.

Also, Minecraft is an exclusive. For now. It's coming out on iOS and Android late 2011. Oops.

Also, just because you don't like a port doesn't mean the port doesn't exist. Over 50% of the games you listed weren't exclusives. AT ALL.

Hey look at Chibz! Chibz even updated your image for you! YAY!

Spoiler

Sonic has been on PC, btw. Ever hear of Sonic CD?

[sub]Reported as a troll. No sane person can be wrong that many times in a row.[/sub]

 

[Leeko]

You missed the fact that most of the games on the list aren't from this DECADE.

I don't see how this is relevant. A good game stays good.

Half-life? Great, a doom clone. Whatever.

...

No comment here. You've obviously never played it.

Spore isn't a console exclusive. Did you do ANY research?

Morrowind wasn't exclusive either. It sucked anyways. RESEARCH, DO IT.

etc...

See my note about the PC versions not being awful console ports. If you really wanted to (though it would be a huge hassle) you could install Linux on a PS3 or an iPhone and play PC games on it. You can also emulate consoles on a PC and play your console games that way. So being so literal and picking at semantics is really a moot point. Like I said, would you play sonic or katamari on a PC? Would you play an RTS on a console? For the sake of argument, if a game's best version is on the PC I don't see why it matters that it exists on a console.

And just to take a stab at your logic, just because YOU don't think the sims is a "real video game" doesn't mean it's not. Just because YOU don't like Morrowind doesn't mean it sucks, etc...

Still, nice try, though you could have picked more than one of my arguments to try to deconstruct. Even if you were right my other points stand.

 

[Chibz]

And just to take a stab at your logic, just because YOU don't think the sims is a "real video game" doesn't mean it's not. Just because YOU don't like Morrowind doesn't mean it sucks, etc...

Actually, those aren't my words. "The Sims" is an interactive toy according to its creator.

And I assure you, Morrowind is 100% trash. It is irredeemably bad for a 2002 game. I wouldn't wipe my ass with that game, because my shit deserves better. Why is my walking speed so slow?!

Also, I don't buy your "If I don't like the ports it doesn't exist/count" excuse. Take it elsewhere, kid.

 

[Leeko]

Also, I don't buy your "If I don't like the ports it doesn't exist/count" excuse. Take it elsewhere, kid.

Okay then, your opinion on Morrowind is an irrefutable fact when my opinion on console ports of PC games is an excuse. I guess it's cool to be hypocritical. You're really bending my words, though I could care less what you think. And I continue to be amused that you completely disregard everything I have to say other than what you think you're right about.

 

[Strife17O7]

There are good reasons for that:

1. First of all its easier not having to think about the requirements, I don't want to have to keep checking my specs to see if my rig can handle 'teh powerz'! And then you have the likes of Crysis popping out and making my rig cry. Yeah, the sequel may have suffered from severe graphics satuaration to work on the PS3 and 360, but its more accessible and you'll find more people playing online than the PC verison.

2. Controllers, while you may be able to play with controllers on the PC versions, the console versions just feel more natural, vibration, keyed in controls so you rarely have to change or tweek anything.

3. I'd rather use my PC space for more relevant things to be frank, gaming takes up too much ram and too much harddrive space and the constant need to upgrade or get more space to play sims 3 3/9 gbs, Crysis another 3/9 gb and god knows what else, just becomes tedious. My systems play games, my PC is used for everything else.

4. Network, playing multiplayer is fun on the PSN and XBL, maybe not in the same league as some PC games, but nevertheless, fun regardless.

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.

6. Games may be cheaper on the PC, but that's easier to handle than spending on a decent gaming rig to play less games. I personally only buy AAA games and specific ones I'd like, so the costs aren't that much, and even still, many of the games I want and buy are often exclusive to that console, so whether they are more expensive makes little or no difference as they can't be obtained anywhere else cheaper.


Conclusion, PC gaming is awesome, and if you can't find a good reason to own a console, stick with the PC for mod options, cheaper pricing and easier controls in certain games. But if you prefer to use your PC for graphics, music, movies, programming, writing etc and more serious things and care about harddrive space and all those other nitty gritty things, a console just makes life easier.

What he said. All of it. That is why I primarily Console.

 

[Chibz]

And I continue to be amused that you completely disregard everything I have to say other than what you think you're right about.

I continue to ignore your few points on the "PC exclusives" matter because you're wrong. You mentioned them as PC exclusives, despite the fact they have a native console port. It's undeniable.

Stuff I missed.

It's relevant that most the games are older than ten years because that's when PC gaming was still relevant.

Also Half-life is a doom clone. It's not really an insult. It's just what it is.

 

[Leeko]

points on the "PC exclusives" matter because you're wrong. You mentioned them as PC exclusives, despite the fact they have a native console port. It's undeniable.

I was referring to the rest of the post. You know, the stuff about cost and convenience and whatnot. All the other stuff aside from exclusivity. And I never denied that the console ports exist, only insisted that PC to console ports play better on PC, just like console to PC ports play better on consoles. I consider Halo and Gears exclusives to the xbox because their PC iterations play like ass.

It's relevant that most the games are older than ten years because that's when PC gaming was still relevant.

...what?

Also Hal-life is a doom clone. It's not really an insult. It's just what it is.

Maybe it's not an insult, but it's not true.

 

[Chibz]

I was referring to the rest of the post. You know, the stuff about cost and convenience and whatnot. All the other stuff. And I never denied that the console ports exist, only insisted that PC to console ports play better on PC, just like console to PC ports play better on consoles. I consider Halo and Gears exclusives to the xbox because their PC iterations play like ass.

Good, you admit they exist. Now they can't count as PC exclusives. Because they aren't exclusives.

The other points are wrong to the degree that I'm not even going to acknowledge them. Besides, I just focused everything (all canons as it were) on one point and eviscerated it.

Half-life is a doom clone, dood. It's just a doom clone with a very uppity fan base. Most early FPS' directly copied Doom's gameplay.

 

[Leeko]

Half-life is a doom clone, dood. It's just a doom clone with a very uppity fan base. Most early FPS' directly copied Doom's gameplay.

Maybe you'd like to explain this one to me? I've played both pretty thoroughly and I fail to see how Half-Life is a Doom clone. And Half-Life came out six years after Doom... I'd hardly call it an "early" shooter. Sure they have similarities. Both have... um... guns and aliens. Right. So I guess Halo is a Doom clone too? That came out only two years after Half-Life so I guess that's an early shooter too. Because shooters weren't worth anything before CoD4. Right?

The other points are wrong to the degree that I'm not even going to acknowledge them.

...right. Let's go with that.

 

[Chibz]

Maybe you'd like to explain this one to me? I've played both pretty thoroughly and I fail to see how Half-Life is a Doom clone. And Half-Life came out six years after Doom... I'd hardly call it an "early" shooter. Sure they have similarities. Both have... um... guns and aliens. Right. So I guess Halo is a Doom clone too? That came out only two years after Half-Life so I guess that's an early shooter too. Because shooters weren't worth anything before CoD4. Right?

Actually, I hate CoD. It's shovelware. Don't ever imply I like it.

They have many, MANY gameplay elements in common. The only real difference is that half-life has a much more pretentious, I mean existent plot.

Also, Doom is about DEMONS. I can only tell you what my RL friends are calling you, if you promise not to report me.

 

[Leeko]

I'm aware that Doom is about demons. I was being facetious. Now, would you mind giving me that explanation? What gameplay elements do they have in common besides being about shooting stuff? You weren't very specific there. I must just be missing the entire point of both games or something.

 

[Chibz]

I'm aware that Doom is about demons. I was being facetious. Now, would you mind giving me that explanation? What gameplay elements do they have in common besides being about shooting stuff?

You play as an avatar (Your "character") one or more ranged weapons, in a 3d environment. It's focused on action gameplay. There's the same general type of power-ups (like healing), etc etc.

If you don't see what I'm getting at, sorry

 

[Leeko]

You play as an avatar (Your "character") one or more ranged weapons, in a 3d environment. It's focused on action gameplay. There's the same general type of power-ups (like healing), etc etc.

Thank you for defining what shooters are. You've given a very general description of pretty much every shooter that isn't trying way too hard to be "realistic" a la Battlefield, CoD, etc. And Doom wasn't 3D at all, it's psuedo-3D on a 2D plane. The Z axis is an illusion in id tech 1 games. And in fact, Halo - an example I cited earlier as being a Doom clone by your logic - fits your description of what constitutes a Doom clone perfectly. You don't actually think Halo was a Doom clone too, do you? Hell, even Ratchet & Clank fits that description.

 

[Chibz]

Thank you for defining what shooters are. You've given a very general description of pretty much every shooter that isn't trying way too hard to be "realistic" a la Battlefield, CoD, etc. And Doom wasn't 3D at all, it's psuedo-3D on a 2D plane. The Z axis is an illusion in id tech 1 games. And in fact, Halo - an example I cited earlier as being a Doom clone by your logic - fits your description of what constitutes a Doom clone perfectly.

OK, I've given you the run around long enough.

Spoiler

"Doom Clone" is an archaic term. It refers to FPS games in general. You were saying "Half-life isn't an FPS. It's just an FPS". You amused me for a few hours. Thanks.

 

[Leeko]

"Doom Clone" is an archaic term. It refers to FPS games in general. You were saying "Half-life isn't an FPS. It's just an FPS". You amused me for a few hours. Thanks.

Dohoho, and you reported me for trolling eh? I've honestly never heard it used that way. I've always used and heard it used to describe shooters before they were able to differentiate themselves from Doom, i.e. Quake, Wolfenstein, Marathon, etc. But bravo to you. You got me there. And thanks to you as well, your willful ignorance gave me quite a chuckle.

 

[ZombieGenesis]

Because the only real reason to buy a PC or a Console exclusively would be the kind of games you intend to play. High graphics demand, large rendered spaces or wide ranged control scheme? You need a PC. FPS, moderate graphics, few hours on the couch with some pertzels and a beer? Just get a console, because a PC isn't going to make it any more enjoyable if you're not demanding the world from gaming.

 

[TrevHead]

Half-life is a doom clone, dood. It's just a doom clone with a very uppity fan base. Most early FPS' directly copied Doom's gameplay.

And every videogame in existence is a clone of spacewar.

Honestly though anyone who knows anything about classic FPS games wouldnt call Half Life a Doom clone as HL changed the FPS genre forever by making them less action based and more story / plot driven. To use another genre HL did the same as Street Fighter 2 did for the Vs fighter, radically changing them while making them more mainstream.

Personally I think you know all this and are trolling, infact this whole thread is boardering on a trollfest as this most ppl here know that PC gaming is dirt cheap atm and is a viable way to play games. Still it doesnt take much to troll PC (or any) gamers, just come up with the same old arguements and watch the sparks fly

 

[Chibz]

Honestly though anyone who knows anything about classic FPS games wouldnt call Half Life a Doom clone as HL changed the FPS genre forever by making them less action based and more story / plot driven.

I would however seriously question if this is a good thing. Instead of having mindless action with an excuse plot, now we have mindless action with a poorly written plot that people are supposed to take seriously.

 

[Sadaigo]

...Why can't people consider the notion of having both a PC and a console, and enjoying games on both of them? The two aren't mutually exclusive, are they?