Why don't you play games on PC?

[Hisshiss]

Technical issues mostly, stuff is just alot more likely to have errors, crash, or just be generally unplayable and I lack the know how to fix them without excessive research and favors from friends.

A few months ago I would also say its the cost of maintaining a PC with a high enough power level (!) to run things effectively, but I feel like if I dropped out of the console market I could cover the cost, and the idea of only having one gaming console that also doubles as my everything else device is romantic.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

Common sense is why.

Not an argument.

That a very weak argument. To say a game console and gaming PC are used for the same purpose and therefore comparable is to say a Mustang GT and Ferrari 458 are used for same purposes and as a result, are comparable automobiles. Mustang has wheels and an engine right?

Even if it is a weak argument (and it isn't) it's still better than no argument.
Actually you can compare those two cars. You can compare everything about them. What one has and the other one doesn't is the reason for making a comparison.

You don't suggest we compare two things that are not comparable, do you? For real?

It's only your opinion that they aren't comparable. And you provided no argument for it whatsoever.

Also, what baseline for "gaming PC" are we going to use here? Low end, mid range or high end hardware?

It doesn't matter. But the most logical way would be to start from a PC that can play all the games a console can play at least on the same amount of graphical details. But you can compare a high end PC with a console if you're going to compare them from a hardware point of view.

For "gaming PC" and a game console to be comparable one must be able to recommend once system over the other. Can you honestly tell someone looking to purchase an Xbox 360 to get a gaming PC instead? What about someone looking into buying a high end gaming PC? Are you going to tell them to get a console?

Just because you think you can't recommend someone a PC or a console over the other system doesn't mean anyone else can't. I can. It depends on what that person wants from a system, what kind of games that person plays etc. You can definitely recommend one over the other.

A comparison between an Xbox 360 and PS3 would be valid. I believe you fail to understand the the purpose of comparing two things. You don't do it for shits and giggles or to stroke your ego.

Where did you come up with that conclusion? You seen to be drawing conclusions out of thin air. Do you have a valid argument or not?

You compare two similar items so as to come to the conclusion of which item is superior or is closest to your preferences. No one looking at dropping over $1000 on a gaming PC is going to be persuaded to purchase a Xbox 360 instead. No one looking at purchasing a PS3 is going to be persuaded to purchase a $1000+ high end gaming rig over the PS3.

And how do you know this? That no one is going to do that? Where is your data? Again, your assertions are baseless. That way you can argue that no one is going to be persuaded to purchase Xbox 360 over the PS3. Same logic, no data, no arguments.

Only an ill informed consumer unaware to the existence of gaming PCs until someone slapped them over the head with one, will turn away from purchasing a game console in favor of a gaming PC. "Oh those things exist? Wow, why was I looking at this PS3 then? This is exactly what I want!"

So because people are ignorant (according to you), two items can't be compared. Right. And yet again you're pulling stuff out of thin air. You can't simply say "only this and only that" without providing evidence for such claims, and then expect to be taken seriously.

You don't compare apples to oranges. Have you not heard this before? There is a reason why game consoles have not replaced the gaming PC or vice versa. They can't. The two platforms are not similar enough to do so. You don't compare two things that are not comparable. To do so would be asinine.

Well actually you can compare apples with oranges. They're both fruit for one. You just need to pick the right criteria to compare them. And yes, PC's and consoles are similar. Your argument is that consoles didn't replace gaming PC. Fine, PS3 didn't replace Xbox 360. According to our logic those two can't be compared.

All 3 systems have some exclusive titles and all 3 systems have a lot of the same titles. They do the same thing in a different way. Because they do things differently you can compare them and decide which way you prefer. I prefer to play on a PC for example because I prefer the way PC's handle some titles that exist on consoles as well. I don't have anything against consoles. I own a PS3 with a few exclusives.

 

[HAVERSHA]

I don't like WASD and mouse controls for the most part. Plus building or buying a decent gaming PC is ridiculously expensive.

Oh and PC gaming in general is far more hassle than its worth. I couldn't care less about graphics or frame-rate. The only reason I would take up PC gaming is for mods and larger multiplayer servers.

 

[OldDirtyCrusty]

My pc is to old and there`s no reason to get a new one.
I`ve heard that some games (big titles) need online to play them.
I don`t want to use crap like Origin.
Some games get censored in my country. If i need a permanent connection those titles aren`t going to work because of steam or anything else. Buying them was never a problem.
I like the simple plug and play of a console.
I like exclusive games. I`m a "console only" gamer since 2004. After this time i can say i would really miss those titles. Are there even pc exclusive big titles anymore? I haven`t seen any.
The better graphics on pc are neat but i`ve no problem playing the console versions. As a pc gamer i had to lower details and resolution all the time. Sometimes my pc couldn`t even run the games. Buy new hardware or f... yourself, no thanks i`m investing my money in a console and it`s enough for the next years. No driver troubles, no hardware troubles, no troubles with getting a game to run, it`s all good.

Sometimes i miss mouse and keyboard. Sometimes i miss the mods. All in all having a console made my life as a gamer less complicated.
I won`t say i will never get a new gaming pc If you don`t want to miss something, having all systems is always the best solution.

 

[pandorum]

The control set up mouse and keyboard there is a reason they scrapped it with the commodore 64 when it comes to gaming, all other devices have controllers, and saying that I can plug a controller in my PC says nothing it means you have compromised for a console configuration.

 

[Mikeyfell]

2 reasons.

1) My PC is old so I can't run any games worth playing
2) FUCKING DRM!

Console for life!

 

[drednoahl]

2 reasons.

1) My PC is old so I can't run any games worth playing
2) FUCKING DRM!

Console for life!

From what I've heard it's quite likely that the next gen of consoles will have systems in place at least as bad as on PC currently (using a built in mobile broadband thing to a security server - if you haven't registered the game as proof of purchase, or aren't old enough to play it you'll be blocked from playing the game.)

 

[museofdoom]

I only play a handful of PC games. Like The Sims, Civilization, Roller Coaster Tycoon, or point and click puzzle games like Myst or Uru. I never play shooters on the computer because I find the controls to be really awkward and I always hit wrong buttons. Console controls just make a lot more sense to me.

 

[Balobo]

I only play a handful of PC games. Like The Sims, Civilization, Roller Coaster Tycoon, or point and click puzzle games like Myst or Uru. I never play shooters on the computer because I find the controls to be really awkward and I always hit wrong buttons. Console controls just make a lot more sense to me.

Yeah I love waiting five minutes to turn around, too.

 

[Mikeyfell]

2 reasons.

1) My PC is old so I can't run any games worth playing
2) FUCKING DRM!

Console for life!

From what I've heard it's quite likely that the next gen of consoles will have systems in place at least as bad as on PC currently (using a built in mobile broadband thing to a security server - if you haven't registered the game as proof of purchase, or aren't old enough to play it you'll be blocked from playing the game.)

Okay, correction.

Xbox 360 and PS2 for Life!

Seriously, what are the chances that they're going to come out with better games next generation?

 

[Crimson King]

I'm sure this is going to pop up a lot; mine just isn't cut out for running a lot of newer games and it would be way too expensive to fully upgrade it at this point.

 

[k3v1n]

because my pc's graphics card decided not to work after half an hour of gaming. As far as I'm concerned, my Xbox has never done that(well, it has RRoded twice, but the point is at least I can play for an extended period of time)

 

[TheMariner]

I do play on PC. However, I only play games that are only on PC, i.e. Civilization, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Starcraft, Total War, etc... I play on consoles mostly because my friends do as well. It's the same reason I chose 360 over PS3: all my friends play 360 with few exceptions.

There is, of course, the fact that my laptop was only mid-range when I bought it 3 years ago and can only barely keep up with current games. However, the only reason I have to upgrade is to be able to play current games on settings higher than lowest and that's not much incentive in my opinion. Unlike most people, I'm not really bothered by low res textures or jaggies. Heck, I turn off AA in most cases because I feel it makes things too blurry... My laptop has more than enough power for AutoCAD and Adobe CS5 and that's all I really need it to do.

But if you want to ignore technical reasons and get down to the meat and potatoes, I'm a JRPG guy (as evidenced by my avatar) and there aren't too many of those on PC to begin with. And when they do show up, their controls are usually crap and pretty much require me to plug in a 360 controller anyway. I'm looking at you, The Last Remnant...

 

[Alxast45]

Mainly because I have played on the console my entire life so its quite difficult to get used to . Also since most of my friends are console only gamers in most cases which means online on the pc is less enjoyable then on the console. However I still enjoy Real time stratagy games/ minecraft on the pc.

 

[Rock-nerd]

1. I can't afford powerful PCs and the upgrades
2. I feel like it's better to lounge on a chair/sofa and play with a controller rather than hunch over a keyboard

saying that, there are i few PC games i'd like to play, like GW2. someday...

 

[TorqueConverter]

Well actually you can compare apples with oranges. They're both fruit for one.

*facepalm* No, just no.

All 3 systems have some exclusive titles and all 3 systems have a lot of the same titles. They do the same thing in a different way. Because they do things differently you can compare them and decide which way you prefer. I prefer to play on a PC for example because I prefer the way PC's handle some titles that exist on consoles as well. I don't have anything against consoles. I own a PS3 with a few exclusives.

Identifying the merits inherent to each system is not a comparison of the systems. It's as much of a comparison as stating that apples are red and oranges are orange.

Even if it is a weak argument (and it isn't) it's still better than no argument.
Actually you can compare those two cars. You can compare everything about them. What one has and the other one doesn't is the reason for making a comparison.

You know nothing about cars. People would laugh in your face if you told them look at purchasing a Ferrari 458 Italia over a Mustang GT. I believe they would say such things as "Do you know how much those things cost?" and "Why do you even think that is viable alternative to a Mustang? between their cries of laughter.

It doesn't matter. But the most logical way would be to start from a PC that can play all the games a console can play at least on the same amount of graphical details. But you can compare a high end PC with a console if you're going to compare them from a hardware point of view.

Comparing a high end gaming PC to a console would be pointless. Pointless comparisons are useless. Useless comparisons are invalid, as in of no logical consequence. I'll meet you're halfway on this. A gaming PC of similar price and power to that of a game console would be a valid, useful, or fair comparison because the two would be comparable. Such a PC would still be considered fairly expensive by most console gamer standards but there is enough merit in fact that the two systems would be comparable to warrant a comparison.

Just because you think you can't recommend someone a PC or a console over the other system doesn't mean anyone else can't. I can. It depends on what that person wants from a system, what kind of games that person plays etc. You can definitely recommend one over the other.

Good luck telling a PC gamer with a high end gaming rig to ditch it and buy an Xbox 360. The two are so similar after all, right? The identification of the merits of each system =/= a comparison of the systems. Recommendation =/= comparison. I can recommend a gaming PC or a game console to someone without having to draw any comparisons between the two.

And how do you know this? That no one is going to do that? Where is your data? Again, your assertions are baseless. That way you can argue that no one is going to be persuaded to purchase Xbox 360 over the PS3. Same logic, no data, no arguments.

Experience. Do you not have gamer friends without gaming PCs? Ever tried to recommend a gaming PC them? Have you not read any of this thread? Gaming PC = too expensive for a lot of people. If they are looking to buy an Xbox then they don't want to hear about building/buying a high end gaming PC. A gaming PC is not even in the realm of possibility to them therefore a comparison between a high end gaming PC and Xbox is pointless. Remember what I said earlier about pointless comparisons.

You just need to pick the right criteria to compare them. And yes, PC's and consoles are similar. Your argument is that consoles didn't replace gaming PC. Fine, PS3 didn't replace Xbox 360. According to our logic those two can't be compared.

Xbox 360 and PS3 are similar but different enough to warrant a comparison. On an individual by individual basis, one system very much replaces the other. The consumer either chooses the Xbox or the PS3 or vice versa based on the conclusions of his or her comparison of the two systems. Who in the hell holds an Xbox 360 in one hand and a $1400 gaming rig in the other and goes "Hmmmm, which one?".

All 3 systems have some exclusive titles and all 3 systems have a lot of the same titles. They do the same thing in a different way. Because they do things differently you can compare them and decide which way you prefer. I prefer to play on a PC for example because I prefer the way PC's handle some titles that exist on consoles as well. I don't have anything against consoles. I own a PS3 with a few exclusives.

Define "do the same things differently". What useful information can we attain with a comparison of game consoles to a highend gaming PC?

Lets see... a high end gaming PC can do everything the consoles can do except better with the exception of local co-op and are significantly more expensive. How is this knowledge derived from the comparison any different from information readily available on the two systems? It's not. The comparison was useless. Useless comparisons are are pointless. Pointless comparisons are irrelevant.

The PC vs console debate and all it's ensuing flame wars have been based around a comparison that shouldn't have even been made in the first place. It's akin to trolling. Why add fuel to a fire that had no right to be started in the first place?

 

[OneOfTheMichael's]

Well I want to play some of my favourite non-pc games on a big screen with a comfortable remote. But I do admire that Pc has mods you can add with some games, and you can do multiple thing at once while playing.

 

[Beautiful End]

1. My computer would explode. It's not made for gaming and it crammed enough as it is.
2. Keyboard. I can't substitute a controller with a keyboard for the life of me. I'm weird like that.
3. PC gaming doesn't offer anything special that console games can't provide me. TO ME. Again, to me. I don't care much about beautiful graphics that look 1/12th better than console ones and lightning fast stuff or whatever. TO ME.
4. Most PC games I'd like to play are released for other consoles for the most part.
5. My desktop is not entirely mine.
6. My laptop is completely mine, but it's a laptop- a netbook to be more specific. Too small for my gaming tastes.
7. My lack of computer information (?) would surely cause my computer to implode or something.
8. I'm lazy. So I like to just lie back on the couch and play.

I know there's a way around all those things I listed...and yet, I still don't care much for PC gaming.

 

[LilithSlave]

Because keyboard and mouse > controller.

Hahaha, no.

Console RPGs are dumbed down and stupid.

It's time you had a trip down memory lane.

Console shooters are slow and skilless (aim assist, much?).

 

[Elamdri]

Now, I know is can be a tricky topic, and I'm hoping that both sides here can try to keep the insults and snobbery to a minimum. I'm not making this thread to start arguments, I'm just wondering.

If you don't play PC games, why? There are so many reasons out there, I just wanna hear some peoples.

In my case it's because I spend enough time on my computer as it is. I do almost all of my work on the computer, being a cartoonist, and I also do the vast majority of my homework on the computer. That, coupled with the time I spend just being on the web, it adds up to quite a bit of computer time. The last thing I personally wanna do is add "the time I spend playing video games" to that list.

There is one PC game I own that I really would like to play again (Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines) but ever since I got my new PC, I haven't been able to run it. So my PC gaming has pretty much come to a complete halt.

I love PC gaming, but I'm just not at a point in my life where it is affordable. Consoles are cheap, convenient and almost always work. That and I have a lot of friends on PSN and Xbox LIVE.