People like controllers, right? But they also like the precision of the mouse and the ability to mod games. On the other hand, the superior processing efficiency that the one-process-only console can provide can give all but the fastest PCs a run for their money.

Why doesn't someone make a console that you hook up directly to your computer? A controller could be designed that only requires one hand to use, leaving the other hand free to ma operate a computer mouse. That way, one could get the best of both worlds: the intuitive feel of the controller, the processing power of the console, the precision of the mouse and the superior typing capabilities of the keyboard, and finally the ability to mod games through the PC. I think we've reached a point where most people, even diehard console fans, have a computer, and this arrangement wouldn't even require a particularly fast one since most of the processing is still done on the dedicated console. It could work, right? You could call it the "Valhalla," or possibly "The Yuppy's Nightmare."

I don't understand. It costs more to buy a PC capable of running all the best games than to get an Xbox or PS3 bundle that plays the same. There isn't anything dieing just because people like playing games socially instead of online. I play PC and console gaming. Oh no shoot me!

orangebandguy:
Let the console players moan, let the Pc gamers carry on normally.

I'm sorry, I just had to quote this in light of the utter hilarity of the past month's worth of Modern Warfare 2 threads.

AWAR:
i live in a fucking 3rd world country i damn well know what having no money means and if 200 dollars mean 200 dollars to you , to me they mean 400..and i didnt got mommy to buy me a pc i earned the money to buy it myself just as all my other stuff (except food ofcourse)
If you want to have a hobby like gaming you must be ready to invest a sum of money thats all im sayin..if you are ready to spend 399 then there IS little difference in 499..

Greece isn't a third world country, and a few hundred dollars is a lot of money. For the cost of upgrading my PC, I could pay rent for a month, I could pay bills for three/four months, or I could eat for about the same length of time.

Don't talk about the value of money until you know what it is.

I think it's because the most noticeable PC gamers tend to be elitists. I'm not saying all, or even most PC gamers are, but they are the most notable ones. Console players don't have any illusions about PC gaming: we know PC gaming is no less viable than consoles, but for some reason many PC gamers look down on console gamers as if their way of playing games is inherently inferior. Which is stupid, prideful, and ignorant.

Nothing against the PC or those who play games on it: heck, I'm trying to catch up on the PC world, which I've largely missed. But I must admit, I'm tired of people thinking they're somehow a better gamer than me simply because they play on a PC.

Chipperz:

orangebandguy:
Let the console players moan, let the Pc gamers carry on normally.

I'm sorry, I just had to quote this in light of the utter hilarity of the past month's worth of Modern Warfare 2 threads.

Oh, Ok you caught me off guard. Bonus points to you my good man! So in spite of MW2 we can all live happily with each other then.

Personally I like playing on both a PC and console. I prefer the console more for games like Assassin's Creed 1 & 2 as well as Prototype.

But for games like Left 4 Dead 1 & 2, The Last Remnant, etc, as well as online gaming, I definitely prefer the PC over all other platforms.

AWAR:

i must also add something not totally relevant: i tried to play call of duty with a gamepad last night just for the lulz and i got a freaking headache wow how can you handle this kind of movement! Keyboard-mouse FTW!

You got a headache using a gamepad? Hmm, I guess you have to get used to it. I've been playing video games on a console since the NES days so I guess I just never noticed it.

I play PC as much as my consoles, I normally play RTS/rpg's on my PC when I do. for some reason I enjoy any other game on a console, please don't tell me FPS is great on the PC with the mouse and everything, I've heard it and I agree. but there's something about me sitting on my couch in front of a grossly huge TV, instead of a chair and a sensible screen that makes me like FPS on a console better.

I think it has to do with arrogance and elitism that causes the bashing. Granted, it ain't any better for console gamers either, because they're fraught with arrogant snobs too. Arrogance as a whole drags down the fun behind gaming. If people would just shut the fuck up and realize games are for fun, it wouldn't be as bad.

Hyper-space:

The_root_of_all_evil:
Had to

Even the console wars aren't new though. Speccy consolers were trying to attack the Glorious Commodore Master Race in the early 80s.

^*wonders how many people fail to spot satire*

i don't get that picture, are you saying that Monkey Island, warcraft, baldurs gate 2, starcraft, fallout and bioshock are bad games?

i am confus

Look at the quote marks. Just a hint, that tense to mean 'no, its not dying'.

LornMind:
I think it has to do with arrogance and elitism that causes the bashing. Granted, it ain't any better for console gamers either, because they're fraught with arrogant snobs too. Arrogance as a whole drags down the fun behind gaming. If people would just shut the fuck up and realize games are for fun, it wouldn't be as bad.

And yet, PS3 fanboys and XBox fanboys also consider their consoles better than each other and the PC, and yet we're the ones who get called elitist *Sighs and walks away sadly*

i used to be a console gamer and couldn't understand how someone could game on a computer but when i tried it it was so easy i cant go back to a controller for most games. the smoothness of mouse aiming is amazing. as for the cost thing the price of a really good computer plus upgrades to video+sound cards over the years is just a bit more than the several console generations that that computer should last you, pc games are about half the cost of console games, and online play is free on pc. so i reckon the costs of pc vs console are similar

AWAR:
i have noticed everyones bashing pc gaming these years...
i remember the good ol' days when everyone who played games on the playstation was joking around and not taking seriously any game hehe.. Now its like "CONSOLE GAMING - SERIUZ BIZZNISS"
and pc gaming is frowned by many console gamers..
being a hardcore gamer myself i feel shocked by this "rejection" 90% of new releases are reviewed on a console and most gaming websites - forums e.t.c- are leaning towards consoles.
Is it only because of the money or something else?
i must also add something not totally relevant: i tried to play call of duty with a gamepad last night just for the lulz and i got a freaking headache wow how can you handle this kind of movement! Keyboard-mouse FTW!

*whoops i accidentally checked the create poll box :D

Oh, please. Don't try to make yourself out to be some kind of victim. PC gamers give consoles just as much shit. And don't even start with the whiny gamepad vs. keyboard/mouse issue. Some people on PCs like to play with gamepad peripherals, while console gamers will sometimes like to use keyboard/mouse peripherals. Some people are just naturally good with certain control schemes, while others people need practice.

My opinion: PC gaming may be in a rut, but it's only temporary. And don't feel discouraged just because consoles are getting more sales. Consoles are meant to be easy-access for people who can't afford the time or money. There's no reason for you to be baffled; imo this was pretty obvious.

corroded:

The Bandit:
2. I'm pretty sure consoles have a longer life than 2-3 years (it was, what? six years between the original XBox and the 360?).

Actually, the 360 came out November 2005.

In the PAL territories, the original Xbox came out in March 2002.

Let's not ignore the fact the 360 is starting to show it's age now.

That's still a longer life for a smaller price. And that's for the console with the shortest life. The Wii and PS3 came out like a year after the 360.

No, actually, I didn't have a clue the 360 was showing its age. : /

Hyper-space:

The_root_of_all_evil:
Had to

Even the console wars aren't new though. Speccy consolers were trying to attack the Glorious Commodore Master Race in the early 80s.

^*wonders how many people fail to spot satire*

i don't get that picture, are you saying that Monkey Island, warcraft, baldurs gate 2, starcraft, fallout and bioshock are bad games?

i am confus

I am not confus.

Unless you count Crysis, Civilization, Command and Conquest, Ultima, Neverwinter Nights (DROOOL), The Sims, Guild Wars, Half-Life and at least 3/4 of the games on the picture as bad.

I remember people saying "gaming is dying!!" 5 or 6 years ago. And probably older people heard them even before that.

Doug:
And yet, PS3 fanboys and XBox fanboys also consider their consoles better than each other and the PC, and yet we're the ones who get called elitist *Sighs and walks away sadly*

No no thats just because their mommy and daddies wont buy them another console so they have to defend their choise in console to the last.

Also PC gaming isnt dieing, its more evolving, MMO's are likely to be the domain of PC's in future as it seems to be becoming now as every company and their dog is making one at least, and the only reason folks think PC gaming is dieing is because gaming is alot more mainstream now, so you have more console owners as they are the more mainstream of the platforms given that consoles are simlpy plug 'n' play whereas if you dont have a relatively up to date PC you may run into trouble if you choose PC as your platform, I play both console and PC and i find their both about as strong as the other, just in different ways PC's have RTS, MMO's & Management Sims, whereas consoles have the FPS, Third person shooters/slashers, JRPG's (mostly) and such, where they both share flight simulators and RPG's really there just good at different things, console controllers limit what its good at really and that would mean PC will never really die, until consoles get what makes PC better at types of games... or perhaps touchscreen that would be fun in RTS's... if it worked

Back in 1988, I recall arguing with one of my best friends about which was better to play games on, his (original) Nintendo or my Apple IIc.

The fundamental difference between that conversation then, of two 12 year olds bickering about which has better graphics and better software available for it, all boiling down to, "No it's not!" "Yes it is!" "You're stupid!", and the conversations now about PC vs console gaming, is absolutely nil.

AWAR:

being a hardcore gamer myself....

I detest that term. Especially those you use it in a 'RAHHH i am SOOO HARDCORE AND THEREFORE AM BETTER AND MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN YOUUUUU' kind of way.

Now, back on topic, i think it's also largely cos of how much easier it is to work consoles. You never have to worry about system requirements and all that bollocks.

I personally will (usually) go for PC when it comes to FPS and RTS games because keyboard+mouse dominates gamepad for that... but most else ill stick to consoles.

Onyx Oblivion:
Gaming: It's about the game, not what you play it on.

Truer words have never been spoken. I've enjoyed everything from World of Goo and Mario Galaxy to Gears of War and Mass Effect to Uncharted 2 and Motorstorm to Diablo and Starcraft...

Every platform has it's advantages and perks and arguing over which is better is pretty useless. Your decision to get something to game on should ALWAYS come down to what games are on it...

AWAR:
Now its like "CONSOLE GAMING - SERIUZ BIZZNISS"
and pc gaming is frowned by many console gamers..

It is serious business, at least enough to make hundreds of people ridiculously rich, and I think Yahtzee put it really well, it's viewed as being for elitists and people who can no longer distinguish fun from distraction; and while dying is an exaggeration, PC gaming has been being hit hard ever since 1985, AKA the year the NES came out, AKA the system that lasted almost 10 years and started at least that many good franchises. I was thinking about this opposition or whatever you want to call it yesterday and I realized some of it is really very basic in that it's just the sensation that what you're using was made for gaming, primarily the controller, a good controller just feels right in your hands and your fingers just go right to the buttons without you even thinking and it just puts you in a gaming mood.

Yeah...i'm sticking with because it's about the game and not the console.

I've been dying for Starcraft 2, only reason why I actually want to get a new
PC....save for playing *all* my old games I haven't played in like three years.

Think about it with respect to when people start gaming.

I know when I started gaming in the early '90s I first started on my dads absurdly expensive PC. Then my parents broke down and bought me a Sega (along w/ sonic and streets of RAGE!) so I could be like the cool kids.

So instead of buying me a ridiculously expensive PC(which would be out-of-date in a 2 years), they were able to buy me a $150(?) system with some games, which lasted me for several years. Then all they had to do was ask me what game I'd like for x-mas.

Basically what I'm trying to get at, is it's easier for parents to buy their kiddie a console, and just update the game, rather than buy or teach their kid how to build and update a PC. Not to mention all the pr0n their kids might stumble upon if their kids get a PC. Also people who are on limited budgets, consoles make more sense too ($200-300 system vs. $600 in PC components-not to mention peripherals and learning how to troubleshoot)

Plus! Now with DLC developers can turn their $60 game into a $80+ experience (not to mention if you get the collectors edition!!!!). Couple that with people who are maturing with DLC being something they have to pay for, rather than something you get off the interw3bs it just makes so much business-sense to develop for the console.

shewolf51:

AWAR:

i must also add something not totally relevant: i tried to play call of duty with a gamepad last night just for the lulz and i got a freaking headache wow how can you handle this kind of movement! Keyboard-mouse FTW!

You got a headache using a gamepad? Hmm, I guess you have to get used to it. I've been playing video games on a console since the NES days so I guess I just never noticed it.

Don't worry, some of my friends get a headache when the play on my PC, because the sensitivity is so high, apparently. Try turning up the gamepad's sensitivity?

I can tell you what's happening if you like. It's very simple.

Console gameres like to feel like their the best. From back in the days where you picked a console, got your dedicated games, be they Sega or Nintendo (or SNK if you swung my way which noone did), and that was the end of it. The number of console exclusives these days are very small compared to what they were, but the mentality is there. If you only have one console and you've spend £200+ on it, you want it to be the best, so you insult the alternatives.

PC gamers like to feel different. They like to complain that noone makes games for them (when they do), they like to complain about how poor consoles are and how stupid console gamers are. It gets to the point where it's fucking irritating, which is why I don't identify myself as a PC gamer. I spend most my gaming hours on it, but if overnight PC games stopped, I'd play on my 360 and wouldn't really care.

Danny Ocean:
Don't worry, some of my friends get a headache when the play on my PC, because the sensitivity is so high, apparently. Try turning up the gamepad's sensitivity?

You give me a headache when you play on your PC. Stand still facing the back of your sentry like a good engie please.

I vastly prefer consoles over PC gaming. The controls are much simpler and there is less hassle getting games to run; You buy a game, you put it in your console, you play it. No need to hassle with incompatible hardware, out of date drivers, conflicting settings, tweaking graphics options, DRM, or bribing of the almighty computer gods just to get the damn thing to run!. The multiplayer is much more suited for me, as I prefer to play against flesh and blood people in the same room as me, but still have the option of playing online.

I vastly prefer PC gaming over consoles. The mouse and keyboard controls are more precise, and I also have the option to use virtually any other game controller out there, even the wiimote. Unlike consoles, there are hardly any limitations to what you can do; Full backwards compatibility, emulation of older consoles, graphics control, game mods, and level editors. The single player is much more suited for me, as I prefer a more immersive experience which the PC excels at through sharper graphics, preferable controls, and customization.

I vastly prefer lamp.

Hmm, I can see where both console and PC "Gamers" have advantages with controls and methods of play but I don't necessarily lean to either side of the discussion.

I suppose, for me, it all comes down to what genre of game I play on which system. While the RTS and RPG genres tend to be better for me on the PC(I have a hard on for hotkeys, I swear), I find First Person Shooters to be more immersive and intuitive on consoles.

I spend far more time on my computer than I do my GC or Wii but I believe that's simply due to the length of games.

People need to cool down, really. We're all gamers, they are meant to be fun, let's have it.

The_root_of_all_evil:

Baby Tea:
A computer that'll really last you (Since that's what you want) shouldn't cost less then $800, and I, frankly, don't have that kind of money (Wish I did, though!).

Where ARE you going? My rig cost me £400...

Notice how I said 800 Dollars? Not UK Pounds?
You know how much $800 dollars is in UK pounds? About 450.

Just because we cook our own pizzas doesn't make us "elitist" snobs though.

Whoa whoa whoa! Where did I ever say that PC gamers were elitist snobs?
In fact, I repeatedly said how I would love a nice gaming rig, and how my gaming hobby started on the PC.
Geez.

Onyx Oblivion:
Gaming: It's about the game, not what you play it on.

That is my new quote of the year. Sir please be the Jesus of video games!

Baby Tea:

Notice how I said 800 Dollars? Not UK Pounds?
You know how much $800 dollars is in UK pounds? About 450.

Ok, for half the price of a Gaming PC, you can have an XBox 360. Which you then need to pay more for to get the vanilla games. Over the course of 5 years, I'm gonna be spending a LOT less.

Just because we cook our own pizzas doesn't make us "elitist" snobs though.

Whoa whoa whoa! Where did I ever say that PC gamers were elitist snobs?

Sorry, I get a little defensive when people lay into the PC. We've taken it from the Mac Brigade for a LONG time, and the bad console ports that keep coming our way just make me never want to get another game that's been built for the consoles first.

Batman: Arkham Asylum has a string of "We've not bothered to look at a PC in years" faults that are really infuriating. It's like forgetting to use the Raster on an Amiga.

Baby Tea:

AWAR:
i live in a fucking 3rd world country i damn well know what having no money means and if 200 dollars mean 200 dollars to you , to me they mean 400..and i didnt got mommy to buy me a pc i earned the money to buy it myself just as all my other stuff (except food ofcourse)
If you want to have a hobby like gaming you must be ready to invest a sum of money thats all im sayin..if you are ready to spend 399 then there IS little difference in 499..

Greece isn't a 3rd world country. Nice try.
I wouldn't buy a $499 computer, because I want a computer that will last, not last 1 year a a half. Cheap price usually means cheap parts. No thanks. And yes, that difference is still big. That's an extra $100. Plus taxes. That's more then my food budget for 2 weeks. That's a huge difference.
It's expensive.

i think i know better about my country than you..
you dont buy a console or a pc with food money or clothes money or whatever.Fragments of your payment go to specific stuff.All im saying is that you get pcs or consoles using a specific budget .This budget is created by saving money in a period of time. Is it so hard to save like 30% more money in an increased period of time?

The Bandit:

6. Your last sentence proves that you are, in fact, twelve years old. I don't want my gaming experience to be something "more." I want to have fun. Period.

given that gamers spend so many hours on "just having fun" i feel that games should be something more.They can be educating , posses a very interesting story which cultivates your inner being and a whole lot of things that makes you better as a person.If you want to just have fun why dont you go play with a bouncy ball.It is fun.

The_root_of_all_evil:
Ok, for half the price of a Gaming PC, you can have an XBox 360. Which you then need to pay more for to get the vanilla games. Over the course of 5 years, I'm gonna be spending a LOT less.

I doubt that. I don't buy a lot of games (Money issue, remember?), which means I spend very little on this hobby of mine, all things considered. The amount I spent on games in 2009 wouldn't be enough to buy an arcade Xbox 360.

Whoa whoa whoa! Where did I ever say that PC gamers were elitist snobs?

Sorry, I get a little defensive when people lay into the PC.

Well I understand, but know that I'm not really 'laying into the PC'. I'm not saying it's bad at all! I'm just saying that it isn't such a big mystery why people would rather have a console. It's all personal preference, and I have very very fond memories of PC gaming, but I've switched to consoles and I'm enjoying it immensely.

AWAR:
i think i know better about my country than you..

Evidently not well enough.
A quick Google search will give you plenty of links and resources outlining how Greece is a 'developed' nation.
Certainly not 3rd world.

Is it so hard to save like 30% more money in an increased period of time?

Ahh, spoken like someone with real disposable income who lives with mom and dad.
Yeah, yeah it is so hard. That's the way the ball bounces. Bills, costs, rent...everything adds up.
Welcome to the real world.

to further justify my arguments:
search on youtube cry engine versus cry engine 2
check MLG halo matches and then search for quake 3 or hl2dm matches.
If you already have a pc which is 5 years old and gets a little bit sloppy on games, the amount of money you are going to spend on a new one can actually be less than 300 dollars (i use dollars as a currency to be less confusing) because you can keep certain parts from the old one without really affecting the performance of the new one; you actually only have to buy a new processor , motherboard ram and a graphics card its simple and its cheap.I upgraded my old pc 2 years ago spending about 200 euros and it only now its beginning to get sloppy on high quality in newer games, but i dont care i dont really mind playing on medium quality...If i decide its time for an upgrade ill only change the cpu and the graphics card which could also be very cheap.
However this money issue is very very overdone give me more reasons, we all know about the money thing!

Baby Tea:

The_root_of_all_evil:
Ok, for half the price of a Gaming PC, you can have an XBox 360. Which you then need to pay more for to get the vanilla games. Over the course of 5 years, I'm gonna be spending a LOT less.

I doubt that. I don't buy a lot of games (Money issue, remember?), which means I spend very little on this hobby of mine, all things considered. The amount I spent on games in 2009 wouldn't be enough to buy an arcade Xbox 360.

Whoa whoa whoa! Where did I ever say that PC gamers were elitist snobs?

Sorry, I get a little defensive when people lay into the PC.

Well I understand, but know that I'm not really 'laying into the PC'. I'm not saying it's bad at all! I'm just saying that it isn't such a big mystery why people would rather have a console. It's all personal preference, and I have very very fond memories of PC gaming, but I've switched to consoles and I'm enjoying it immensely.

AWAR:
i think i know better about my country than you..

Evidently not well enough.
A quick Google search will give you plenty of links and resources outlining how Greece is a 'developed' nation.
Certainly not 3rd world.

Is it so hard to save like 30% more money in an increased period of time?

Ahh, spoken like someone with real disposable income who lives with mom and dad.
Yeah, yeah it is so hard. That's the way the ball bounces. Bills, costs, rent...everything adds up.
Welcome to the real world.

3rd world country was a bit metaphorical however when our economy is rated lower than of a country named "Botswana" then its evident we are not so well off..

if your income is so constricting then you shouldnt even spend money on consoles dude. Think about all the money you spend on -what?- having fun?
woah you really must settle down your house expenses...

the thing is pc gaming can be as much as expensive as console gaming and even less.If you have money for a console why not a buy a pc.

AWAR:
if your income is so constricting then you shouldnt even spend money on consoles dude. Think about all the money you spend on -what?- having fun?
woah you really must settle down your house expenses...

the thing is pc gaming can be as much as expensive as console gaming and even less.If you have money for a console why not a buy a pc.

Not that I have to justify or explain myself to you, but I got my 360 before I got married, finished school, or moved out. So I got it when, like you, I had money to spend. Now, however, I do not. I have my 360 and I'm not going to bother trying to save up for a gaming rig.
And no, PC gaming isn't cheaper.