Console Gaming - nearly converted

[spyder003]

I've been a PC gamer for 15 years. I've played every genre and nearly every major title. I've always owned consoles, but to me certain games belonged on PC and others for the console. Sports, racing, and action/adventure games were about all I would play on the console. Shooters, RPGs, and strategy games belonged on the PC.

Thanks to the Playstation 3, I've almost given up on PC gaming. I now play and enjoy nearly every type of game on a console. There's nothing like kicking back in front of a giant HDTV with a nice surround sound system on the leather couch and enjoying a nice evening of fraggin'.

There will always be a few games/titles that I'll pick up for PC (can't wait for Starcraft II), but I think for now I am trading in my keyboard and mouse for a gamepad. I'm a little disappointed considering I just built a really nice system and all I do is surf/listen to music on it

Anyone else leaning the same direction? Opposite? Thoughts?

[Hi Ho]

I have an Xbox 360 and I love it. I only have one game on it (Halo 3) right now but I play with friends and it's a lot of fun. It is great playing on a big screen in my home theater.

I'm still a major PC gamer, however. I play the PC in my theater as well though it has been a bit of a hassle lately getting the sound the way I want (see "Creative" thread in Multimedia forum) but It is still a good experience and you really cannot beat a mouse when it comes to FPS games.

[liambl]

Also PC is the only way to go if you like RTS.

[juppy]

Most of my gaming is done on my good ol' PS2. Would like to have a PS3, just don't have the money for one yet. Only problem is that new games for the PS2 are getting fewer and fewer. I've been playing God of War 1 and 2 here lately. Excellent games. Thought I would ask for Tomb Raider: Underworld for Christmas, but for some reason the PS2 version is delayed until January 2009 (all the other versions are out now AFAIK). About the only thing I still play on my PC is the Half Life 2 series, but that's not as often as it used to be. Probably after they come out with HL2: Episode 3, I'll likely not do much gaming at all on my PC. I just like the console controls better for most games.

[Masaki 7-11]

I use my PC for playing single player games (as in either the game if for one player or the human players who are also playing are not in the same room as me). I play a lot of RTS, turn based strategy and city building games on my PC as playing them on a console is not really an option. I also play some FPS and Racing games on the PC, my current collection for PC games is about 20.

I currently have two consoles; the Xbox 360 and PS2 (my Xbox original broke, and I got rid of my gamecube as it wasn't being used). I use the Xbox for multiplayer games; mostly FPS like Halo 3 and Racing like PGR3 and Forza 2, I have about 16 Xbox games in my collection, however a very large portion of them are multiplayer. I still use my PS2 for Adventure/RPG games since I can easily find those type of games for the console and the prices are good, I currently have a collection of over 30 PS1/PS2 games.

[Force Flow]

For gaming online or single player, I prefer the PC. If I'm gathered with a bunch of friends (a LAN party is the exception), I prefer a console.

[David M]

I could never get used to a console controller even though I tried numerous times. For me, a mouse and a few critical keys are much more intuitive. A mouse also seems much more precise.

[Force Flow]

Originally Posted by David M For me, a mouse and a few critical keys are much more intuitive. A mouse also seems much more precise.

Yeah, same here. I just can't play FPSes on a console because the controls on a controller seem clunky to me. That, and you more or less sweep around at one speed, unlike with a mouse, you can whip around however fast or slow you want.

I usually play button masher games like tekken, soul calibur, super smash brothers, mario cart, etc. No precision shooting necessary.

[Hi Ho]

A mouse also seems much more precise.

A mouse is MUCH more presice. There is a reason that consoles don't allow mice to be used. People with mice would destroy anyone using a controller.

[juppy]

Originally Posted by Hi Ho There is a reason that consoles don't allow mice to be used. People with mice would destroy anyone using a controller.

Well, that, plus the fact that there's nowhere to "run" the mouse. Most people playing a console game don't do so at a table or desk, they're usually just sitting on a chair or a couch with the controller in their hands. One of the Playstation systems made an attempt at using a mouse. I think it was the PS1....not sure....anyway, that was the complaint....people were having to try and roll the mouse ball on their leg and it just didn't work good.

[Force Flow]

I wonder if we'll see a trackball in a controller at some point...

[Doom]

My attraction to the consoles is that they can be cheaper in the long run... and the Wii simply has the interactive nature that nothing else does.

For adventure games (Resident Evil series) or titles like the Sly Cooper and Jak series... I prefer the console (i realize those games are only for the console... I use them as a genre example). But since I play FPS and RTS primary... I'm on the compuer 90% of the time.

[Force Flow]

I had a discussion about the price advantage of console vs PC recently. Overall, the cost difference in the end is marginal. The big difference was time spent on care and maintainence.

[Valdeam]

I just think it's convenient to have my friends come over.. drink some beers and play some crazy ps3 and xbox 360 games in the home theater.
I prefer to play online with the PC when I'm by myself. You just get into it more and the mouse and keyboard is a whole different level.

[Jester]

I was just talking about this with a co worker. I used to be HUGE into pc gaming. I refused to own anything except a pc and a ps2 so I could play some classics.

That has changed since I got the xbox 360 and the wii. I really cannot put my finger on it but it is a lot easier to just sit on the couch pop a game in teh console and go. I dont have hours of patching, configuring ect.

I still play TF2 and CSS and spore on the PC. i will play Starcraft II and Diablo III as well. I guess it really just goes to preference. PC gaming is not dead its just that the consoles have caught up.

[windsleeper]

I'd do more PC gaming if there were better (for me) single person titles out there. Unfortunately, the developers don't make a lot of RPGs or turn based strategy games any more. Everything is FPS, RTS, and MMO - none of which appeal to me as much.

Consoles are great for the 20 minute blip of fun.

[tomster2300]

PC gaming, I'm afraid, is on the decline. I have had this conversation many times in the past; most recently last evening with my father while we played the new Call of Duty. Graphically, consoles have finally caught up to the mid to high end pc gaming rig. Your average pc gaming enthusiast plays at a resolution of 1280x1024 to 1920x1080, more or less, depending on the aspect ratio of the monitor, graphics card, etc. An HDTV doing 1080p is simply doing the equivalent of a monitor at 1920x1080. But it's doing that with all the explosions, special effects and anti-aliasing you could ask for on a $300 console. Yes, your high end graphics card and computer can do higher resolutions, greater anti-aliasing and run it a little smoother...but there's only so much difference the human eye can tell. Once you get past that and you're only really fighting for computer bragging rights.

Well, the tv is expensive, right? Wrongish...I just bought a $300, 22" Vizio that does 1080p for Christmas. When was the last time you bought or built a $600 computer that could run the latest Call of Duty at 1920x1024 with absolutely no lag, artifacts or stuttering?

Yeah. I built a new computer last summer and it wouldn't come close. PC gaming has always been a sort of luxury, and with today's economy, I don't know many people who are continuing to put the necessary money into it to keep up.

Finally, go to your local retail store and look at the pc gaming section. It's next to nothing. The cost of creating games that run on a range of systems has become too much, and the rate of purchases is on the decline. Microsoft and company lose money on the consoles, but return millions on the games. Not so with their pc segment.

Believe me, I've dutifully logged my hours playing on my pc, but I've finally come to terms with its decline. The majority of my friends have xbox 360s, which has made the switch a little easier for me.

I'll always keep a semi-powerful computer on-hand as long as I'm able to, but it will never be exclusively for gaming. With all the audio / video editing I do, and as the home theater platform I now mainly use it for, I need a fairly decent rig, and I'll continue to upgrade it accordingly. But, I've found over the past year that I use my Macbook far more on a daily basis then my desktop, and I've spent more money in upgrades on the former, rather than the latter.

[Masaki 7-11]

Most console games don't actually run at a native resolution of 1080p, most are running at 720p or less and then scaled up or down according to the TV (the same way as you can run a game at 720p on your computer and have the monitor scale the image up). Tomb Raider Underworld for example runs at 720p on the PS3 and 576p on the Xbox360 and is then scaled according to the TV.

I recently finished building my backup rig which cost me $400, and I have no problems running COD4 and COD WAW with medium settings (which still looks better than the settings for the Xbox360) at 1920x1200 (higher than 1080p). If you put an Xbox360(or PS3) side by side with a high end computer (or even my $400 backup computer) and you'll find that the quality is noticeably better on the computer.

[fiery]

I have a 360 elite that i love.It has a great game selection.I use an iMac for my computer stuff.

[tomster2300]

Originally Posted by Masaki 7-11 Most console games don't actually run at a native resolution of 1080p, most are running at 720p or less and then scaled up or down according to the TV (the same way as you can run a game at 720p on your computer and have the monitor scale the image up). Tomb Raider Underworld for example runs at 720p on the PS3 and 576p on the Xbox360 and is then scaled according to the TV. I recently finished building my backup rig which cost me $400, and I have no problems running COD4 and COD WAW with medium settings (which still looks better than the settings for the Xbox360) at 1920x1200 (higher than 1080p). If you put an Xbox360(or PS3) side by side with a high end computer (or even my $400 backup computer) and you'll find that the quality is noticeably better on the computer.

The graphics from a computer are going to be better overall compared to a console, but not often by too much. At least not enough to the average gamer to notice nor care. The niche DYI pc builder / gamer isn't a large enough market to keep pc gaming as dominant as it once was. Have you noticed the recent folding of numerous game developers over the past year? I was surprised that Ensemble Studios went out of business. The Age of Empires series is one of the longest, most successful franchises in history.

[Masaki 7-11]

Originally Posted by tomster2300 The graphics from a computer are going to be better overall compared to a console, but not often by too much. At least not enough to the average gamer to notice nor care. The niche DYI pc builder / gamer isn't a large enough market to keep pc gaming as dominant as it once was. Have you noticed the recent folding of numerous game developers over the past year? I was surprised that Ensemble Studios went out of business. The Age of Empires series is one of the longest, most successful franchises in history.

I don't remember PC gaming to ever have been dominant, usually console sales were higher and the whole PC gaming market was quite small, now with less expensive computer being available, I see the PC gaming market growing. One thing that you'll notice is that there isn't much of a selection for PC games at most stores, that's because unlike consoles, PCs have a better option in the form of downloading games. While consoles such as the PS3 and Xbox360 have download options, only a very small percentage of the games has that option, and then when you download a game, it is tied to the console. Many PC games are being distributed through Steam since it allows you to install all the games you buy through them on as many computers as you want and can cost less than buying at a store due to lower cost of distribution.

[Hi Ho]

When I look at services like Steam I certainly don't see them shrinking. I have been buying all of my PC games on Steam and I have been very happy. There is still a very large community of PC gamers online. Even Medal of Honor: Allied Assualt has quite a few players. I occasionally log onto that game still.

[tomster2300]

While that is correct, I still think pc gaming is going to become more of a niche market.

The downloadable content, for the xbox 360 at least, is tied to your gamertag and can be redownloaded to any console with your gamertag. That's what happens when you have to recover your gamertag when you buy a new console.

Console gaming isn't completely there yet, but it has made leaps and bounds in the past few years and only continues to get better. It makes me excited.

[Hi Ho]

Originally Posted by tomster2300 While that is correct, I still think pc gaming is going to become more of a niche market. The downloadable content, for the xbox 360 at least, is tied to your gamertag and can be redownloaded to any console with your gamertag. That's what happens when you have to recover your gamertag when you buy a new console. Console gaming isn't completely there yet, but it has made leaps and bounds in the past few years and only continues to get better. It makes me excited.

That's the way Steam works. Content can be downloaded on any PC by logging into ones Steam account.

[tomster2300]

Originally Posted by Hi Ho That's the way Steam works. Content can be downloaded on any PC by logging into ones Steam account.

Yeah, I thought Steam really did an extraordinary job with that, and I was excited when Microsoft finally caught on.

I didn't mean for this to turn into an argument. I just know that I personally find myself playing consoles much more than I do my computer. When I have friends over, picking up a controller and playing on the couch is much more feasible then bringing a computer over and hooking everything up. The majority of them don't even have computers that could run the latest games, nor are they very familiar with pc gaming thanks to the xbox.

Contrary to everything I've argued, I think I'm going to install COD 4 on my pc in the morning and give it another go around.

[MrDravenX]

I was more for console gaming as a kid and as I got older and bought my first PC I got more into PC gaming. Now I'm about half and half. I play mostly all the FPS on PC but I also play them on consoles like the 360 for the achievements and trophies if available on the PS3. Sports I play all on consoles except for one which is MVP 2005. Honestly I couldn't say which one I believe is better.