It’s Time For Me To Be A PC Gamer Again

Kotaku - People become gamers by accident, usually when they're young. A school-friend's console turns them into one. Or a parent hands them their first controller. It happens naturally.

But being a PC gamer...as far as I've been able to tell, that happens on purpose. That's something you declare. It's no accident. It's an effort, a conscious act.

I once was a PC gamer. Then I stopped, for years. Soon, I'll start again. I'm ready.

[Qrphe]

PC master elites and dirty console peasants, it never gets old lol

Regardless of whatever console I may be playing, I'll probably always have a PC to game on.

[decrypt]

Console gaming is just too expensive imo, which is why many people are turning to PC.

Hence i dont think its about console gamers being dirty peasants. I think its more of a case of knowledge. Console gamers dont want to know what the inside of their machine is like, they just want to be able to play.

You could easily build a PC at 500usd that outperforms any console this has been valid for past many years. At that price its just the cost of a new console. So no i dont think console gamers are peasants or poor. Its just that they are unaware or just prefer a system where they dont have to know what goes on in the system.

In the long run PC gaming is always cheaper than console gaming, this is due to much cheaper prices on games, Backward compatibility (you dont have to lose all your games once a new gen starts), the ability to fix or upgrade stuff that goes bad (with console anything goes bad need to replace the whole box which can be costly).

Hence no i dont agree with the console gamers being peasants thing. Sure there are PC rigs that can cost a ton however those are like ferrari's just because a person cant afford a ferrari doesnt make them a peasant.

[WrAiTh Sp3cTr3]

Lol, console gamers enjoy pop in and play without worrying about if they have the latest drivers for better performance. Oh and let's not forget quality control. Well at least that's what some console gamers enjoy.

[andibandit]

Maybe when you're a teenager it's cool to game on PC, but once you get a full time job you really dont wanna spend time on

Anti Virus Scans
Driver updates
Finding Patches for games
Formatting/Reinstalling
Downloading Prerequisites
Defragmenting
Installing Games
Having to setup gamepads/Mouse/Keyboard
Having to setup ingame controls
Surfing forums why a game crashed during install
Surfing forums why a game crashed to Desktop
Figuring GFX settings that your PC can run
Having to deal with Aimbots/Hacks
Figuring out which process is hogging CPU time
Mandatory daily Flash update

and the list goes on. On console I come home with a new game, and im playing within 15 seconds, NONE of that shit above.

[reynod]

lol not really. console gamers used to enjoy pop in and play with the current gen many games need patches and if the dev fails then the console gamer has no hope of being able to play. lets not even get into firm ware updates.

at least on pc when a problem does happen there are several ways to get a solution. on console u r stuck.

[T900]

@andbandit

I am about 32 years old now and PC is my only gaming platform.

I think you probably dont use a PC to create such a large list or are just trolling.

Anti Virus scans- only if you surf for porn
Driver updates - only the GPU needs an update, its like a firmware update for consoles

Finding patches- Steam says hi
Formatting- Please, i havent reinstalled my windows in about 2 years.
Installing games- Steam just click install
Having to setup Gamepads, mouse, keyboard- lol just plug in usb its not hard.

having to setup ingame controls- most have a default scheme unless u want to customize

Surfing why a game crashed- Atleast you have that option, on console u are stuck just like with Skyrim and the PS3 users.

Having to deal with hackers- Dedicated servers say hi, its more of a problem on consoles.

Figuring out which process is hogging the cpu time- lol

Mandatory daily flash updates- what?? there are no mandatory updates on the PC, its only on consoles rofl.

[Somebody]

@decrypt

Thanks for bringing back some memory with the "peasants" talk. Several years back there was a games magazine in my place that features all the gaming platforms. It was at the height of the "The PC is dead" era and the two major consoles were in full force storming the gaming world.

The console section of the magazine was called "Console Keep" while the PC section, the last gaming section, is called "PC Tavern." Initially it didn't register in my mind to any possibly hidden meaning to the names but after I read up on the PC VS Console wars online...it hit me like a brick. The magazine had excellent PC hardware reviews and nicely written articles but seeing it categorizing gamers that way it made me want to buy it less and less with each passing month. Of course, the ever decreasing number of PC games reviews by then was already enough reason for me to ignore the magazine altogether.

I know it's silly to get angry over some titles on a magazine sections but it was really a bad time for PC gamers with Steam had just started its baby steps while Microsoft is killing off PC studios under it's care one by one.

[Nerdmaster]

@reynod

And let's not forget mods, fixes made by the community and whatnot. Sometimes a game has problems and the gamers themselves create solutions before the developers. On consoles you don't have other options than waiting for the good will of the developers.

[Somebody]

@andibandit...T900 beat me to it with the appropriate reply about your list.

Anyway thanks to your list I've just realized that I haven't done any proper maintenance on my PC in months. The nvidia panel have been flashing last week telling about the latest driver that's available now but I'm in no hurry to do so. I've been using the CCCleaner less frequently than a couple of years back and ....damn, when was the last time I've defragmented my drives?

I really should be doing those things after the almost non-stop downloading of games that I bought online (especially after Steam's Summer Sale). My drives must be defragmented to hell right now and yet I'm playing games smoothly as if nothing happened.

[Hicken]

I'm inclined to say "Who cares?" but I know someone does.

Really, though, this article just seems to be making a big production out of nothing.

Going back to PC gaming? Good for you. But whether you do or don't, the world- gaming and otherwise- will still turn.

[BrutallyBlunt]

"I'm inclined to say "Who cares?" but I know someone does."

Then why bother clicking on the article? What is this need and fascination of yours to comment on EVERYTHING?

"Really, though, this article just seems to be making a big production out of nothing."

It's one article. What's the difference between an article talking about how they are going to buy a Wii U or not buy a Wii U, or Vita?

"Going back to PC gaming? Good for you. But whether you do or don't, the world- gaming and otherwise- will still turn."

You come across as actually being bothered by an article you can easily ignore. Just because you don't have much interest for PC gaming doesn't mean nobody else does. I see a resurgence in PC gaming and the long shelf life of both the XBOX360 and PS3 also give reason to invest in PC gaming as the technology has long surpassed those consoles years ago.

You go on and on about the media and how it treats Sony yet you're far more pessimistic than they are. Go into articles that actually interest you instead of trolling them. Then you have the audacity to keep trying to filter out all the trolls in Sony related topics. I suggest you watch this video:

http://www.escapistmagazine...

Perhaps you can then see how closely it hits home.

[Faelan]

Article Quote "I'd often hear that PC gaming was better, but when I'd do the math, I'd realize it was also ridiculously more expensive."

Well, if he keeps buying gaming laptops whenever he feels the need to be a PC gamer, it's no wonder why he thinks it ridiculously more expensive and becomes obsolete in no time flat. That just reinforces the whole idea. Heck, the money I put into a complete rebuild (everything but PSU) of my PC this year would get me a gaming laptop roughly equivalent in performance to the 2.5 year old system that my new system replaced. Bummer eh?

[Qrphe]

My PC isn't expensive considering that it isn't only used for gaming. I also built it to do some CAD work on it (it pales in comparison to the industrial systems we have at work but it's still decent).

PCs were one of the reasons the home console market crashed in the early 80s. Not only could they be used for videogaming, but they also could do a wide variety of productive things.

But I'm sure you knew this already, Mr. Faelan C64!

[Faelan]

Ah, the C64. My first true love... where computers are concerned, that is :)

Funny thing is, a lot of my friends back then approached the C64 as a console. Fixed system. Hook it up to the TV. Insert disk (or tape). Wait for it to load and then play. I was one of the few who took it a bit further and actually learned how to program the darn thing, first using BASIC and then assembly language through a Final Cartridge 3. Never produced anything noteworthy on it though, but was lots of fun anyway.

[Dazel]

Just recently left console for pc, found Dayz and haven't looked back...

[TopDudeMan]

I bought a PC over the summer and now I can't afford any more games because I'm starting uni soon... :(

[reynod]

plenty of free to play games on the pc. try team fortress 2 its free and its really fun.

[TopDudeMan]

Yeah, I've been okay on the games I already own.

[Getowned]

Steam can't beat it! soo many games at affordable prices :P

I'm waiting for civ to go back on sale, also want dayZ and Red orchestra 2

[jetpacksheep]

I just built my first PC for gaming this summer, a few months in and its fantastic, games are so cheap, mods extend the life of games and having a mostly digital collection is really handy. I still use my PS3 and Vita but most multi platform releases will be PC for me now.

[Lou Ferrigno]

I have been upgrading my PC ever since i first bought it almost 5 years ago .. getting it all suped up for gaming,bought Borderlands 2 and MANY others and have been stuck at my computer desk for daaayyssss haha.. but even with my high end PC and Steam n those awesome 70+FPS .. my heart and loyalty still ly's with Consoles since my induction with the Atari 2600 .. consoles aren't dying niether will they for a long time to come i believe.. but nither will PC..
...
i root for BOTH!.. but i really hate it when PC douche bags come in and trash the consoles to try and justify their more expensive system purchase or whatever it is they are trying to defend..

..anywho,can't wait to play Borderlands 2 when im off work lol ,PEACE! :)-