Switchin' Over

I've always been a Playstation man. Even when I was not a man. When I was but an infant, I rejoiced in having days of fun, running through the jungle as the little orange Bandicoot known as Crash. Memories of shedding actual tears as the evil Sephiroth took away one of my beloved Final Fantasy party members, while the most heartbreaking music played in the background.

Then I witnessed the triumph that was the PS2, playing Tekken Tag Tournament with my older (and admittedly more skilled) brother, trying not to lose too bad. I hated it at the time, but looking back, that was time well-spent. I remember playing my first ever FPS, which was the original Red Faction, blowing the levels to pieces with my rocket launcher.

Currently, I'm enjoying an incredible selection of games on the PS3, which has not disappointed me in the slightest, with games the likes of the Uncharted series, batman and Demon's/Dark souls. Now, at this point you're probably looking at the title of this blog post again and wondering "just where is this going?". As I've said, I've always been content with the selection of games and memories that Sony have given me and have never considered myself anything but a "Playstation Gamer" in the past. I know nothing else, other than my brief forays into the SEGA megadrive and the NES as well as a few nintendo handheld games. Now, the switch that I am talking about is actually more of an expansion. The grass isn't getting any greener or duller on my side of the fence, I'm just "Pushing the fence further", so to speak because I want more grass. (If you understand what I mean)

In the next few weeks, I am going to buy a gaming PC and start to play games on it (who would've thought it?). Now, I'll still have my PS3 to play exclusives on, but I'm hoping that this PC will become my primary gaming system from now on. This will mean pretty much all multiplat games I get will be bought for the PC. Now, I have a few reasons for doing this.

1) I've noticed the selection of games on PC are much more RPG-orientated than on console which suits the type of gamer I am, as that is my favourite genre of game.

2) Also, I've noticed an increasing number of games that are "better" on PC, very recently (for example: Skyrim (because of the community made mods), Portal 2 (Because of the custom test chambers) and a few others which I cannot think of at the moment).

3) The other reason is that the games are cheaper thanks to steam, which does awesome deals on games all the time, to save us money in the long run. Sure, I may be spending almost £600 to get a good gaming rig, but for someone who plays a lot of games, that's a tiny investment considering you could be saving a few £100 per year because the games are cheaper on PC.

And the best part is that with most games I can plug in a gamepad and configure the controls to my liking, so it wouldn't even be that different from playing it with my PS3 controller. Hell, if I wanted to go to the extra effort, I could even plug that in and use it. Or if the game is more suited, I can use mouse and keyboard. Options, I guess would be another reason why. There are so many options.

Now, I'm not writing this to convince anyone of anything, and I've already made up my mind, so I'm not looking for anyone to reassure me that I'm making the right choice. I guess what I'm doing is explaining why I'm expanding my horizons and wondering if anyone else is in the same sort of position I am.

Another reason I am doing this is because I want to find out what you think about this and what games you guys would suggest I experience first as a PC gamer.

If anyone is wondering what kind of PC I'll be getting, it has an intel i5 processor with a GTX550 Ti in it.

So, I'll open it up to you guys. What do you think about the subject? Would you say now is a good time to get into PC gaming? Can you think of any other reasons why one might do so? Or are you happy with your console(s)? I want to hear what you think, let me know in the comments below, and thank you for reading my user blog!

[SeekDev]

I've had a PS3 for a long time, then one day I got a gaming PC. I play my games on my PC a little more, but it's because I have more games on my Steam account from winter and summer sales, etc, so I try to finish as many as I can. I get exclusives on my PS3 that my PC obviously can't run, so it's a nice balance. Sometimes I get two versions of the same game so I can play with buddies on both systems, watch out for that, that'll drain your wallet fast.

[TopDudeMan]

Yeah, I'm not gonna buy the same game twice, but I plan to do pretty much what you do. The PS3 has an excellent line-up of exclusives, so I have to keep it, not to mention the fact that my PS plus membership doesn't expire until December.

[SeekDev]

A great thing about PC gaming is that you get to play all the old-gen games. I missed a lot of those, so I bought a lot of those :P

[r21]

oh weird, thought you were changing consoles :O anyways, pc plus ps3 is a pretty good combination and even more so if you had an xbox360. in any case, enjoy your pc gaming time dude >:D

[Bladesfist]

Welcome, I would highly suggest you give the KB/M a good try. I switched from PS3 and just forced myself to use it for a week. It took a while to get used to it but now I can't go back unless the Genre is obviously better with a controller such as racing or platforming. Take a look at some of our upcoming releases. Planetside 2, CS:GO, Guild Wars 2, End of Nations, Firefall, Natural Selection 2 (The ones I am looking forward to, there are a hell of a lot more).

[TopDudeMan]

Thanks, I'll definitely follow your advice!

[LightofDarkness]

You've made an excellent choice, sir, in giving yourself more choices!

I've been a PC gamer for about 14 years, and it's definitely my favourite platform to play with. And if RPGs are your bag, you'll find no shortage here(unless you were hoping for more Japanese styled games).

I must recommend Baldurs Gate I&II and Planescape: Torment (dat story!) to begin with, especially to get to grips with the D&D rules that a lot of PC RPGs like to employ. But it's all up to you, of course. You have over 2 decades worth of backlog to dip into, after all.

I also must recommend Half-Life 2, Deus Ex, System Shock 2, Tribes: Ascend, Guild Wars 2, The Witcher 2, Skyrim (WHOLE different bag on PC), all the old-school FPS games (Doom, Quake, Unreal, Duke etc.). Plus, get into mods and source mods for old games. You'll be amazed at how well some games have been overhauled by their fans.

But most of all, welcome to the wild and wacky world of PC Gaming!

[TopDudeMan]

Wow, lotta suggestions. Gonna have to bookmark this page lol. Thanks.

[Christopher]

Try http://www.gog.com/

You can get a lot of the old RPGs you may have missed out on from there w/o DRM.

[Captain Tuttle]

"I must recommend Baldurs Gate I&II and Planescape: Torment (dat story!) to begin with, especially to get to grips with the D&D rules that a lot of PC RPGs like to employ. But it's all up to you, of course. You have over 2 decades worth of backlog to dip into, after all."

Excellent advice

[Jurat]

I'm planning on building a rig in the near future. What excites me most is being able to connect persistent world servers for Minecraft and DayZ. You can't get that kind of experience on a console.

[ZoyosJD]

I am going to get hit with diagrees from hell for this, but..

Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to tell you where to spend your money, but are you really going to spend 600 on a new gaming PC when you know that(most likely)there will be new consoles out in less than a year and a half at a lower price. And that a PC of that caliber will barely match (if it does) next gen console games. Then your going to wind up buying a console for exclusives anyways, and your PC games are going to be ports of console games for the next 4 years after that with uprades needed if you want better results.

We are truely pushing into dimishing returns where PCs are "OMG 24x more POWERFUL" and yet still only look slightly better. I personally think its better to invest in consoles, where all the developer effort is heading anyways.

1- there are more games than you could ever cover on any one console alone. I garentee you missed some great gems.

2- I haven't seen any noteworthy mods in years, most are just textures really, its sad. And trusting a random download to fix your buggy *** bethesda game is even sadder.

3- Not really. Look at the bargins you are getting with PS+(like 20+ games for $50), you can trade your physical copies of games with friends, and there is an entire used game market that is just as good as steam.

There are really good K&M converters out there and some games directly compatible. You don't need to buy a new rig to change controls.

I understand if you have some PC gamer friends you want to join, but if your going to make the switch, I suggest going all out: get a system that everyone would salivate over, become part of the mod community, learn to code, make your hobby into a dream job.

Unless your diving into the deep end, now is a bad time, and it will only be a waste of money, evenmoreso futher on.

Beyond your little patch of grass with a pool already bulit in there is a little more, but your going to get dirt and more of the same, too.

[TopDudeMan]

A lot of what you're saying is in your opinion and speculation. I'm not gonna buy the hypothetical PS4 until a few years after it hits, simply because they'll have a slim version and the first version might be buggy, so that isn't an issue.

As for PS+, I already have it and am not going to renew when it runs out in december.It is excellent but it gets to the point where, for every on game I get that I haven't played, I'll get about 5 I already have and my system only has so much memory on it, so trading the hard copies in isn't really an option.

"And that a PC of that caliber will barely match (if it does) next gen console games"
I doubt there is gonna be much of a jump in the next generation, in terms of hardware. The hardware on this PC I'm getting is pretty powerful(It will run pretty much all games on max settings at a high FPS). It will last a good few years worth of new games, and even when games do get more demanding, it'll be upgradable with the odd part, here or there.

As for where you think developer effort is going, I can neither agree nor disagree with that. It sort of varies, I guess. There are companies who spend more time on PC games, but if it wasn't a game that used PC as the lead platform for development, they always use the 360, so I was getting the short straw by being a PS3 only owner, there, anyway.

As for games I've already played on PS3, I've played pretty much every game I could even possibly be interested in in the slightest. No, really, I have.

Now just seems like the right time, for me, at least.
And I have no desire to be a game developer, that's just way too much of a high pressure job.

But thanks for your insight, I appreciate the second opinion, but I really have spent quite a bit of time thinking about this. I am sure of what I want to do.

[ZoyosJD]

"I'm not gonna buy the hypothetical PS4 until a few years after it hits, simply because they'll have a slim version and the first version might be buggy, so that isn't an issue."

If you really cared about the "slim version" and space you probably shoouldn't be getting into a PC. Also, with a PC you are very much your own beta tester, I'm sure you know some of the troubles we go through.

"It is excellent but it gets to the point where, for every on game I get that I haven't played, I'll get about 5 I already have and my system only has so much memory on it, so trading the hard copies in isn't really an option."

Upgrade you HDD. Trade in your old games. And If you really spend *that* much time gaming you should be looking into the industry.

"I doubt there is gonna be much of a jump in the next generation"

The tech demos for the next gen engines alone would tear the rig your getting to shreds.

"As for where you think developer effort is going, I can neither agree nor disagree"

It's obvious where the most support is going, a 6-7 year old PC would catch fire just trying to play todays games at console FPS and resolution, unless someone poored in the "kind of money that made it run crysis" at the time, yet here we are with 6 year old consoles pulling this off through developers taking the time to optimize things in a way that can't be done on PC.

"There are companies who spend more time on PC games, but if it wasn't a game that used PC as the lead platform for development, they always use the 360, so I was getting the short straw by being a PS3 only owner, there, anyway."

Other than exclusives, there are many counter points to this argument.

"As for games I've already played on PS3, I've played pretty much every game I could even possibly be interested in in the slightest. No, really, I have."

Becasue, there aren't games coming out every week or your a one genera guy with too much spare time. Also a PC will be more of the same (PC players have been seeing ports for the last 4 years before this) and an extra expense.

"And I have no desire to be a game developer, that's just way too much of a high pressure job."

What ever happend to chasing your dreams, and having some backbone at that. Who doesn't want to make money doing what they love. Also, what about the mod community, no pressure there, and clearly you have the free time, Mr.playedeverything.

I think people are too content with life and wasteful with money, but if you have friends on PC that is reason enough for me.

[TopDudeMan]

"chasing your dreams"

At what point did I ever say that was my dream?
Just because it's obviously yours, doesn't mean it is everybody else's. If I made games, I'd stop enjoying playing them.

The reason I'll be waiting for the slim version is because it'll be cheaper and they usually do good bundles with them, screwing over the people who got it at launch. Not because of space.

Plus, this is the PC I want now. Regardless of what happens, components for PCs are only gonna get cheaper. I'm gonna go with buying the computer that I want now, enjoying it for as long as I can, and then worrying about what I'm going to do later.

But what you're talking about isn't for everybody. I'm studying electrical engineering, right now, because that's what I enjoy. Just because I game a lot as a hobby, doesn't mean I should make games for a living.

As for the reason why I need more games, it's because I'm kinda picky about what I play. I used to be more tolerant of bad games, but now I just don't have the patience for them, unless it's a genre I am really into.

But yeah, I do have a few friends I hope to play with. That is another one of the reasons.

[ZoyosJD]

"Just because I game a lot as a hobby, doesn't mean I should make games for a living."

The fact that your blogging about games metaphorically shouts, "I want to have an impact on the industry". Developing games is the ultimate end to that goal. If your content with the way things are, then you have no reason to blog.

"If I made games, I'd stop enjoying playing them."

Modding only gave me more respect for each and every game, maybe it will help you with your "kinda picky" side.

Fact: >80% of people never have enough guts to interview for their dream job

"slim version is because it'll be cheaper"

Get a used console, won't be any different than the used PC parts you'll be getting anyways.

"I'm studying electrical engineering, right now"

...coinsidence? Probably not.

Friends is reason enough, so enjoy, but If you don't want to have an impact, just stop blogging.

@Sega "PC gaming over a month ago"

LOL

"I don't see anything wrong with PC gaming."

Yeah, no DRM, no compatibility issues, no driver issues, no need to upgrade to get better performance or even keep up FPS, no extra money for another system, no extra time. :S

[deletingthis34675334]

Haha, a waste of money? Really? I went back to PC gaming over a month ago and never regret it. The advantages are just too much to miss out. There are many PC exclusive games that you can't play on console that I actually enjoy. These games are built in independent studios by developers that actually put their heart into the game instead of their end profit unlike the games you see on console. These are the games I WANT to play. I don't see anything wrong with PC gaming.

Meanwhile, consoles are saturated with crappy run of the mill first person shooters, third person shooters and motion control shovelware pandered to drunken fratboys and horny housewives from the American Midwest.

[jimbobwahey]

PC & PS3 is a great combo and pretty much gives you the best of well, everything! I do have a few things that I think you should consider however:

1) You mentioned hooking up a controller to your PC to play games which I can see would make sense for racing games and such, but when it comes to shooters, keyboard and mouse really is incredibly satisfying to use. Give it a whirl!

2) Dolphin emulator. Download Wii and GameCube games and enjoy seeing them in glorious HD with all sorts of graphical bells and whistles. Since you'll be getting a brand new gaming PC it should run the emulator fine, and you can try out some cool games you might otherwise have not had a chance to. You'll be able to run a PS2 emulator as well more than likely, so enjoy!

3) On that note, the PC isn't all about the latest and greatest AAA games either. Dig in to the indie gaming community, you'd be surprised how many great free games there are, that are being released constantly, it's an absolute goldmine. While you're at it, can't hurt to indulge in some classic retro games either right? There's all sorts of emulators out there for if you want to play Super Metroid or a classic Zelda game. You'd be surprised how fun it is sometimes to just relax with an old classic from yesteryear.

4) Team Fortress 2 is now free to play, and should absolutely be the first game you get running on Steam. There is so much content packed in there, with more being released regularly (for free!) and well, the first time you load up a dedicated server with 32 people and no lag, you will be in gaming heaven.

[SilentNegotiator]

"Also, I've noticed an increasing number of games that are "better" on PC"
-
Your awareness increased, not the number of games.

Joined PC recently myself. While I've enjoyed it and thought it would become my primary system, it just really didn't. I won't play EA games on PC (no spyware for me, thank you), lots of big multiplat games don't come out for it, I won't play Rockstar Games on PC because of the mess it is to set them up, etc.

I've found, though, that I love a lot of PC classics (especially 90s) the same way I love so many 5th gen classic games. Like the original Deus Ex.....man, they just don't make them like that anymore.

[pr0digyZA]

You should try Max Payne 3 though, because that's the first Rockstar game that wasn't ported by someone else. And it runs flawlessly and looks amazing it definitely is the definitive version. If that's the sign of things to come by Rockstar then GTA5 will be amazing on PC (not even including the mods that will hit).

[Moncole]

Welcome to the great games not available anywhere else, the PC has the most exclusives.

Saints Row 3 is better on PC.