PC vs. Console

[[AK]Vaxschulah]

I love my PC but have been seeing this for some time now...especially since playing on the Xbox 360. That thing is incredible. I am so tired of not getting to play stuff because I can't afford the PC upgrade to.

[[AK]StitchJones]

Vax, thanks for posting something in here. I was overly worried that I nuked this thread

[[AK]The Beast]

PC games aren't dead, but they are being relegated to a niche market. Can you imagine playing WoW on a console? Same goes for strategy games. Civ 4 or Company of Heroes just doesn't work with an XBox 360 controller. And just ask Hylander what he thinks of sim racing games for the console. That opinion is shared by flight sim enthusiasts, too.

Of course, I can't really imagine playing a shooter on a console, but more and more that's where they're coming out (at least first, if not exclusively). Sports games rule on consoles, though.

[[AK]Hylander]

PC games aren't dead, but they are being relegated to a niche market. Can you imagine playing WoW on a console? Same goes for strategy games. Civ 4 or Company of Heroes just doesn't work with an XBox 360 controller. And just ask Hylander what he thinks of sim racing games for the console. That opinion is shared by flight sim enthusiasts, too.

Of course, I can't really imagine playing a shooter on a console, but more and more that's where they're coming out (at least first, if not exclusively). Sports games rule on consoles, though.

Exactly right. How often are consoles released with updated hardware? Once every 3 to 5 years? How advanced do you think Graphics would be if the PC platform had no games on it? Do you think AMD/ATI or NVIDIA would be pushing forward with more powerful and better equipment regularly when there is no platform to sell their hardware on?

In terms of Sims (racing, flight, etc.) the biggest draw back is there is no modding community possible for the console. Just go take a look at rfactor central and look at the hundreds of mods available for rfactor, or look at the hundreds upon hundreds of community created tracks and vehicle add-ons. The same holds true for air and rail sims. It's just not possible on a console. Until the console stores it's games on a HD, and there is a traditional OS that allows modders to tinker with it... the consoles will be limited to FPS and sports games for the most part. Modding is a huge part of gaming these days. I won't even get into the controller aspect and communication limitations. I wouldn't even want to think about trying to play Civ IV or something like WoW without a keyboard and mouse.

[[AK]Clay]

Stitch is right of course, but so is Beast. If consoles really want to put the nail in the PC coffin, they're going to need to better integrate keyboards and mice. I believe such can be plugged in, but it's an anomily. Games like WoW, Civ IV, etc, just can't be played on a stock conventional console. WoW in particular is as much a social game as a video game - keyboard/text communications are crucial for that model to work.

Not to mention the modding and constant need for patches that some game models require.

[Neurotic]

I'd rather play a game where there really is no end in site just yet and have to constantly lvl, get gear, progress, download new content, then play a game where you can beat it in 1-2 days and then a few weeks later have an "upgrade" available and you go get it using "xbox live" for example and beat that lvl in 2 hours. lol

Kinda why I stopped my xbox360 and bought a new comp. Plus like clay said pc games are more of a social game and video game then a console


DANCE or DIE!!

[[AK]Nuts]

What attracts gamers to PC games is the ability for additional and new content to be added. By means of internet downloads and online worlds, additional material can be added to the game at any time. The downfall is that most gaming companies don't want to invest in a 3 - 5 year lifecycle for a game. From development to production games are dated the minute they are released. In order to attract new sales and stay fresh in the market by the time most companies release their product they are already halfway through the development cycle for the next game.

Game companies must be willing to make a long term investment in a game. The shouldn't outsource patches and addons to a third party. They shouldn't let products die but instead continue to add to the gamer's experience through not just new content but engine modifications and core game changes... make an investment in the game and gamers will stay with you.

Like any drug dealer knows, the real profit is in the come-back. Cellular providers know this too that's why phones are free because the real money is in the airtime. So game companies should do the same thing. Sell the game and then sell addons, new content, develop richer online environments, build your community.

Personally I like PC Gaming because I feel that there are fewer kids playing PC games when compared to console games. I just wish the gaming companies would develop gaming models that attracted a wider bredth of players.

[[AK]Hylander]

I just received this months MaximumPC Mag and on page 8 there is an article titled "PC Gaming Alive and Kicking". Talks about a new group formed called the "PC Gaming Alliance" (PCGA). They claim PC gaming sales in the US Last year was $2.76Billion, up 12%.

Just an FYI