(What I'm about to say has probably already been said, but I'm going to say it anyway, since I don't have time to read over every post in this thread)
You could claim that PC users are elitists. You would be wrong, but you could still claim it.
A PC, or a gaming quality one at least, is going to cost you at bare minimum twice what a console costs. That, in itself, should come with some bonuses. That isn't where the problem comes in though.
PCs are, from a hardware standpoint, miles ahead of consoles. There is no debating that the hardware in a good gaming PC could tear a 360 or PS3 to shreds. As a result, PC users expect a higher quality product on the software end to get the most out of their initial hardware investment. (Console comparison- If you got a new 360/PS3 game with graphics comparable to Super Mario 64, you wouldn't exactly be impressed, would you? Same concept.) That is probably where most of it comes from- A developer compresses a game to fit within the limits of the consoles. This is good for the consoles, but PC users are left with a lot of empty space. They then complain about the empty space, and console users see it as needless complaining.
Then you have the bonus features. Modding, dedicated servers, huge game sizes, etc... Console users see PC users complaining about these things and usually think "So what? We get by without those things. Stop complaining." After all, modding on a console usually results in a ban from the service, dedicated servers aren't really noticed even when they are there, and the hardware can't support huge games.
The PC, on the other hand, has had these features for years. Most games have used all of these features for a long time. Long enough for them to become a staple of PC gaming.
Imagine, if you will, the backlash that would occur if Microsoft disabled party/private chat on the Xbox 360. That is a feature that was only recently (relatively speaking) implemented, and only effects the small portion of Xbox users with Xbox Live Gold. Needless to say, a lot of people would be pissed. It is a feature that most people use, and generally improves the quality of the service. Furthermore, it is well within the hardware limitations of the console. Microsoft has no good reason to remove this feature, and the people would see that.
Now imagine that Party chat had been around for 10+ years. It would be at the point where it was ingrained into the whole concept of the Xbox. Taking it away would be catastrophic, and a massive portion of Xbox users would be pissed off beyond belief if it was ended. That is what PC users feel when vital features are removed.
Not only do the PC users blame the developers, they blame the consoles. They see their features being taken away in order to make the game more "console-friendly". They see all the staples of their gaming community being taken away because of the hardware limitations of the consoles. The see this happening, and don't like it. Does that make them elitists? I wouldn't say so.
You could claim that PC users are elitists. You would be wrong, but you could still claim it.
A PC, or a gaming quality one at least, is going to cost you at bare minimum twice what a console costs. That, in itself, should come with some bonuses. That isn't where the problem comes in though.
PCs are, from a hardware standpoint, miles ahead of consoles. There is no debating that the hardware in a good gaming PC could tear a 360 or PS3 to shreds. As a result, PC users expect a higher quality product on the software end to get the most out of their initial hardware investment. (Console comparison- If you got a new 360/PS3 game with graphics comparable to Super Mario 64, you wouldn't exactly be impressed, would you? Same concept.) That is probably where most of it comes from- A developer compresses a game to fit within the limits of the consoles. This is good for the consoles, but PC users are left with a lot of empty space. They then complain about the empty space, and console users see it as needless complaining.
Then you have the bonus features. Modding, dedicated servers, huge game sizes, etc... Console users see PC users complaining about these things and usually think "So what? We get by without those things. Stop complaining." After all, modding on a console usually results in a ban from the service, dedicated servers aren't really noticed even when they are there, and the hardware can't support huge games.
The PC, on the other hand, has had these features for years. Most games have used all of these features for a long time. Long enough for them to become a staple of PC gaming.
Imagine, if you will, the backlash that would occur if Microsoft disabled party/private chat on the Xbox 360. That is a feature that was only recently (relatively speaking) implemented, and only effects the small portion of Xbox users with Xbox Live Gold. Needless to say, a lot of people would be pissed. It is a feature that most people use, and generally improves the quality of the service. Furthermore, it is well within the hardware limitations of the console. Microsoft has no good reason to remove this feature, and the people would see that.
Now imagine that Party chat had been around for 10+ years. It would be at the point where it was ingrained into the whole concept of the Xbox. Taking it away would be catastrophic, and a massive portion of Xbox users would be pissed off beyond belief if it was ended. That is what PC users feel when vital features are removed.
Not only do the PC users blame the developers, they blame the consoles. They see their features being taken away in order to make the game more "console-friendly". They see all the staples of their gaming community being taken away because of the hardware limitations of the consoles. The see this happening, and don't like it. Does that make them elitists? I wouldn't say so.
