Consoles: The Lazy Man's Platform

Before there were any snazzy, all encompassing consoles for sale there was the PC Platform. Before Call of Duty was breaking movie, book and video gaming records, it had it’s humble beginnings on the PC platform. Many title’s and developers found their home on PC before branching out to the platform we all know as the console. Whether it’s the Xbox 360, PS3 or even a more mobile platform, consoles have dominated the gaming industry in recent years.

[kdogdaddy]

Here's hoping the PC platform users can hold out until we get the level of support and service we deserve.

[-Alpha]

It's too bad that console gaming has brought down PC gaming in some areas. Unfortunately that's how this gen is running in general.

The consoles in general are being blamed. Guys like Activision are removing mod features, charging extra for new games, charging PC users for maps, etc.

Then you have terrible ports of games that should be superior on the PC, but because most sales come from consoles, the PC crowd gets shafted.

Not to put all the blame on consoles, of course. PC gamers, despite protesting against MW2, still helped contribute to a large amount of sales. But I know how vocal PC gamers have been over getting "consolized"

I can completely understand the frustration of PC gamers.

[HDgamer]

Well the main reason why consoles are kinda better is actually the ability to lay down and be very lazy with your controller. You can't necessarily do that with a pc. Sure a laptop but not your full desktop. Besides the other obvious components of buying a new graphics card, motherboard, ram, blah blah blah for the not so hardcore or hardcore without the actual money to upgrade.

[Ducky]

The hacked scene managed to implement dedicated servers for MW2.

Even the crooks are doing a better job than Activsion! (or rather, IW/Trey... who needs specific details?)

[HolyOrangeCows]

Consoles: The Platform for people who like actually having exclusive games by devs other than indies.

[Persistantthug]

@HolyOrangeCows

I'm gonna agree with you.

PC gamers get all huffy and puffy blaming consoles about why all the blockbuster exclusives are so few on the PC, and as soon as they get one, they pirate the hell out of it ( http://www.techspot.com/new... ).

No wonder DIABLO 3 is going to be on consoles.

Don't blame consoles or console users....blame your own PC community.

--my take

[Perjoss]

a torrent download does not = a lost game sale. Also, there are many people that buy games and leave them sealed and just play a torrent version so they can sidestep the nasty DRM.

Also, I will sometimes buy a new game on 360 and then wonder how the PC version looks, I will torrent the PC version just to see the graphics, I have no intention to buy the same game twice as the devs / publishers already have my cash.

[DigitalAnalog]

Plus, there isn't a standard to what PC to buy. The ATI or Nvidia? How much RAM, what processor, etc etc. Then there's compatibility issues, there's no real indication where or WHEN to upgrade. This is why the consoles are striving. They all have a STANDARD, nobody gets left out. You know WHEN to upgrade when the next console arrives.

Take me for instance. I thought my Geforce 9600GT 2.8Ghz and 4GB RAM was at least a standard. I just ended paying my installments last year and I found out I was being 2 steps behind the norm.

You can't really blame the consoles, every generation they output at least 10 or more times than it's predecessors, and you would know. Not to mention it encourage developers to "optimize" tech giving the users more value for their money. As for my PC, my specs are above the consoles but ironically I'm only playing "last-gen" games on 1080p on Steam AT BEST!

-End statement

[Moonboots]

Great comment. And everytime I read one of yours it's always in the voice of the computer in Tron. And instead of "-End statement" I think "End of Line".

[DigitalAnalog]

"And everytime I read one of yours it's always in the voice of the computer in Tron. And instead of "-End statement" I think "End of Line".

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.. ......................

-End of Line

[Substance101]

@DigitalAnalog

I dont know what to tell you dude, but my 11 year old brother games on PC and finds it better then consoles. All he has to do is slide all settings to max when i buy him a new game over steam, rather its so convienient for me that i dont have to go over to his place get him to a mall and buy him a game(which would be the case if he played on console). Everything runs maxed out (his rigs running on 2-3year old parts which i gave him).

Now if a 11year old can handle it, i dont see why it would be too complex for any teen or anyone in their 20's.

[DigitalAnalog]

Maybe you'll get the idea.

-End statement

[Substance101]

Any midrange PC user of today has no need to look at specs required to play 95% of the games out there. Most games out today are multiplat. Consoles are the lowest denominator those games must work on and since even entry level pc hardware of todays is much more advanced then that is in consoles, looking at specs has become a thing of the past.

[downwardspiral]

pcs are always gonna be more powerful, but consoles are more convenient for me. I like things to be simple and not worrying if i got the right graphcis card, etc.. to play a new game.

[DarkSorrow]

PC deserves better support than consoles. If it wasn't for the PC a console would never exist today.

[Gue1]

I wouldn't be so sure about that... The first console came in like 1971 and the first PC for public use came in 1972. And remember that older computers were used just to make calculations while consoles were made just to game.

So I don't think that consoles exist because of the PC.

[Corepred4]

if true... nice!

[Ducky]

I think he means that it was PCs who made gaming what it is today... i.e. being saturated with FPSes

I miss platformers. =(

What irks me about PC gaming is that the playing field isn't leveled. On a console, atleast the hardware is the same... whereas on PC, if you have good ping and good hardware, you'd be racking heads.
Then again, y'aren't a real PC gamer if y'don't have a fancy smancy rig.

For better or for worse, it's probably cheaper to be a PC gamers as you just need decent hardware (by today's standards) that is better than a console and you're more or less guaranteed to be able to play all ports until the next console is released.

[Ju]

Ha ha ha. PCs and gaming.

You guys never had an Atari, Amiga or C64.

Before PC ever was in gaming it was spanked left and right by those machines.

This was while there where consoles out(NES, Genesis and PS1)

[Substance101]

Still you cant deny its the longest lasting gaming platorm on the market. Current gen consoles will be long gone, PC will keep ticking.

BTW good luck playing any of your current bought games next gen. While PC gamers will be having a large library built up.

[Redgehammer]

live the Amiga....

[Kyster]

It's truely sad that the people that pay less get more... $300 for and Xbox 360. Upwards of $1500 for a good PC system? And we get nothing in return.

[MorganX]

Yea, I used to upgrade my video every 6 months when I gamed on PC. Since settling on consoles, After you load up with memory, PC upgrades are rarely necessary.

While I don't game much on PC anymore, I definitely helped fund NVIDIA and ATI, as well as 3Dfx, 3Dlabs, who made PowerVR? and everyone else for years.

[imvix]

Why would you upgrade every 6 months?

I have seen 4 year old rigs out perform todays consoles.

@Kyster

How is the Xbox 360 only 300usd? you forget stuff like:

Live charges 50usd per year going to 60usd.
10-20usd more cost per game that is a huge cost it self.
Super expensive accessories.

And yea 1500usd for a PC is insane. One to beat a console would be more like 450-700-usd depending on how powerful you want it.

Also the fact most people already have 2-3year old PCs. All whats required to beat a console is a 80usd GPU. PC gaming being expensive is a myth.

[nickjkl]

pc gaming being expensive is a myth if you settle for low mid range gpus and sli

people say an i7 is to much for cheap gaming and the i5 is the only thing needed right now but isnt that selling for 170+

or you could settle for the i3 selling at 120 idk why since thats stupid

drop the cheapest gpu you can find in their 9500 gt i believe is like 60

all you need is a
Case
Motherboard
350+watt power supply
500MB hard drive or (1TB 1.5 TB) recommended
wifi
bluetooth
blu ray
and ram

and i dont think the 9500 gt has an hdmi output so your gonna need a converter for hdmi

[Substance101]

@Kyster

You wanna list the PC parts you wanna get for 1500usd?

Heres a list of parts for you which are well below that figure and make a great gaming rig:

Processor AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition
(Deneb 45nm, 3.4GHz, 4x512KB L2, 6MB L3, 125W) $166
Motherboard ASUS M4A88T-V EVO/USB3 (AMD 880G AM3) $110
Video ASUS EAH6850 Radeon HD 6850 1GB $200
Memory A-DATA 2x2GB DDR3-1333 CL9
(AD3U1333B2G9-DRH) $62
Hard Drive Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB (WD6402AAEX) $70
Optical Drive Samsung 22X DVDRW (TS-H662SA) $15
Case Antec Three Hundred Illusion $70
Power Supply Antec BP550 Plus 550W
(-$30 Combo) $35
Total System Price $728

You might not even need all those parts if you already have a PC you would like to upgrade, like the DVD drive, power supply, casing, Hard drive. Bringing the overall cost much lower.

Remind me why would you buy a 1500usd system if you were on a budget? and most game can easily be played maxed out with systems even cheaper then the above one.

[Cevapi88]

PC sales are in the hundreds of millions every year...consoles are specific in what they do...consumers buy pc's for different purposes and one of those is gaming

i understand what he's saying, but i doubt the gaming industry will go back to pc's, like it was in the past, since consoles are becoming much more streamlined in the market, plus they will start offering features that have been only done on pc's exclusively before

[MorganX]

+1

[MegaMohsi]

yeah so at what point do the console/pc lines blur and you can't tell the difference anymore? I think consoles are becoming more mainstream because they are able to do more things than just play a game aka like the PC...PS3 even had an option to install other OS's, watch the next version of the Xbox have some variant of Windows in there. I think consoles are slowly turning into PC's.

[CREESH]

pROPER dEAD

[SuperKing]

PC gaming is a shell of it's former self. It'll never be more popular than consoles, handhelds or even social gaming (iphone, facebook etc).

The only thing it relies on now to survive are indie titles and console ports with a few features here and there. That's pretty much the future of PC gaming in a nutshell.

[despair]

???

Its funny how people talk about the death of PC and then spout a bunch of nonsense that shows they never play pc games. Pc games are more than "indie titles and console ports" sure you hear about the few multiplatform games that get shafted on the PC, but what about the majority that come with much better coding, higher res and graphics support and proper control schemes. We don't see those make the list, neither the exclusive games out and great services like Steam which offer Game deals that would make console gamers drool.

I play a lot of PC games and a lot of console games and while its unfortunate that the PC exclusive library has indeed shrunk in recent times, PC gaming has in no way gotten to "a shell of it's former self" as you put it.

[thebudgetgamer]

but there is something about the pc elitist that just gets under my skin like nothing else.

http://media.gamespy.com/co...

[Triggs]

Consoles in the 80's were limited - almost all of the games were arcade, so developers moved to computers to take advantage of the extra power and memory to create RPG's, simulators, etc. Most developed for the Windows platform (a.k.a., PC) despite the potential of the Commodore 64 and Amiga.

When technology caught up for the consoles to become mainstream, it brought the gradual decline of the PC as the platform of choice for most of today's developers. Consoles offer standardization (you would know "NoobFgter" uses the same XBox360 or PS3 across the country).

I miss the days when the power of the PC was pushed to the limit by a new killer game - those were the catalyst for companies to develop better hardware and for consumers to keep upgrading. If it weren't for PC games, I bet there was no incentive to keep pushing Moore's Law. Nvidia/Intel/AMD badly needs that killer game every now and then to justify research and development for their next products. Logitech, Saitek, Steel Series, Razer, and some other little known companies still make good business in PC Gaming peripherals, as well as enthusiast hardware companies.

I do not deny I'm a PC gamer to the core even though my roots are from the Atari and Nintendo. PC gaming still looks good for the foreseeable future. Hopefully it bounces back - not necessarily to the level it once was, but healthy enough for people to have a choice other than consoles.

[MegaMohsi]

it wasn't that long ago that PC tech was being pushed to the limits, Crysis and Warhead were 2 and 3 years ago respectively, some developers are still willing to go all in and push the PC's limits, I just wish more were willing to do the same.

[BillOreilly]

i like consoles because i buy one and know all games work on it, and its future proof for a good 6+ years. Pc gaming isnt dead though, mmos and rpgs are great on pcs. Always new good rpgs, mods for games, upgrades for old games to look and play better. You can play a last gen game on pc and have it look better than a ps3/360 game.

[OpenGL]

What about the 4GB Xbox 360 Slims that cannot play Halo: Reach in co-op mode?

But yeah, you're sort of right for the most part. Also it's amazing how good Doom 3 still looks considering it first came out over 6 years ago, especially when running at 1920x1080 with 4xAA 16xAF on Ultra.

[imvix]

And you really think the xbox or the ps3 will last for 6 years. specially given the xbox 360s track record id say you would need to replace it atleast 3 times in 6 years. 2 times for the ps3.

Now consider when you do replace them, you are still limited to the tech you originally bought. With PC when upgrade every 3-4years you are actuallly seeing new tech and better performance in games.

Also its not necessary just because its a console games will be working perfectly recent list of games that were terrible on consoles:

Mafia 2 on ps3 was terrible
Black ops on PS3 people are complaining about bad frame rate and 540p.

so its just not PC that gets badly optimised. In fact more games are better optimised on PC.

[OpenGL]

Actually, I don't think it is that they're always optimized on the PC, but that PC GPUs are so much more powerful that they usually can push through badly optimized console ports regardless.

Even a mid range video card like the Radeon 5770 has over 3x the pixel fill rate of the PS3 and 360 GPUs, and can render multiple times the number of polygons per second.

[turgore]

i play older games on my laptop.

[soundslike]

If pc games want to be on top again the hardware cost has to come down.

if someone buys a cpu and gpu (and not the full PC) that are similar in power to an xbox360, and it comes out to the same price as a new xbox360 or ps3, something is terribly wrong.

then factor in that lots of people use laptops for their computers now...

[imvix]

You can easilty build a Pc for 450-500usd which will easily outperform the PS3 or the xbox 360 and do a lot more.

[Moonboots]

I am a PC gamer at heart but I have to admit I lean twords consoles now because they get the support and seem to be the priority.

I'm not a subscriber to the "PC gaming is dying" theories floated around.. It just feels to me that casuals rule the PC and the hardcore are split between those that support it and those that pirate. Making it less profitable for developers and publishers so it doesn't get the priority it deserves(Unless your name is Blizzard or Valve).

I will always support the PC market when I can but my money is going to consoles mostly. Good read.

[ElementX]

I'm working a bunch of OT during the holidays. I'm hoping to build a new PC soon! :)

[Trroy]

Honestly consoles are a lot closer to gaming PCs nowadays than they were in the past. In 2004, no console could touch a gaming PC -- not even close. In the late 90s, there was even more disparity, 4 years after the various console releases, like our current situation.

You still get the resolution boost, better features, etc. in PC games... but its not quite the difference that it was in the past. Eventually, I think the hassle, and expense, of putting together a good gaming rig every couple years just won't be worth it for enough people anymore, and all but casual PC gaming will just plain die. Sad but... its on its last legs now.

[DeathMetal]

1080P COD to 1000 x 638 at 30 FPS with screen tearing is a huge difference. Look at Mafia 2, bioshock, BFBC2, GTA4, any COD, resident evil all much better on PC. Hell BF on the consoles does not even look like the same game. Not to mention you guys have no RTS or MMO's, Oh and Diablo 3 is not coming to consoles to the people above LOL. with the exception of UC2 alomst every game of the year is a multiplat that is on PC also in HD. Console gamers need auto aim to play shooters that is a joke.

[Trroy]

"1080P COD to 1000 x 638 at 30 FPS with screen tearing is a huge difference"

Pretty sure CoD runs at 60 FPS on the 360, with no tearing.

"Not to mention you guys have no RTS or MMO's"

Have you played Ruse with the Move on the PS3? I'd say its just as good as the PC version, actually. Did you know that there are several MMOs on the way to the PS3 as well, and that with modern-day bandwidth, text chat is hardly a necessity?

In any case, the real problem with PC gaming is that, in order to sell enough copies, games are often toned down to match a low-end PC. Sure they have sliders for assorted details, but things like map design, etc. eventually have no choice but to obey the limits on lower speed HDDs for streaming, lesser processors and memory, etc. Those things are too complicated to put a detail slider on, in some options panel.

People argue that games suffer because of their console versions, but that's just not the case. Games always have suffered thanks to low-end PCs, and always will. As time marches on, the difference between a low-end PC and a console changes -- these days the consoles are, IMO, better than some of the low-end PCs some games target. The majority of PC gamers don't upgrade their computer more than once every 5+ years or so, and don't build a custom gaming rig in any case.

Down the road, the distance will only lessen between the consoles and the high-end PCs, which will make console gaming all the more popular, and sensible. I don't like this -- I love building custom gaming hardware for myself. But I'm not blind enough to pretend its not happening, either.

[Atlas-1983]

my ps3 comes from big bang

[Xusuyzus]

Or we just like great exclusives,.. You will not see MGS4, Ratchet and Clancks, Resistances, Uncharteds, Wipeout, Valkyria Chronicles, Infamous, God of war 3, Demon's Souls, LBP or GT5 any time soon,..And if you love JRPG's you are seriously fucked,.. hell Ys:Oath of Felanga,.. but that is japanese(there is fan made patch),.. And that plays way better on psp,.. Hell even a lot of multi-plats, don't get released on pc,.

I am also a pc gamer,.. but the premise is just stupid,..

[evrfighter]

im 100% sure pc gamers don't care about those games.

I'm a pc gamer, I own a ps3. I used to be a Gran Turismo fanatic when I was younger. But I'm not feeling it. everything else is meh.

[DeathMetal]

games on that list are even worth buying. You act like all the PS3 exclusives are all good, when in reality only a few are. infamous, LBP, wipeout lol who cares about those games. Most multipltas are on Pc and much much better. Resistence, killzone are garbage way better shooters than those. And Pc games don't like little kiddie cartoon platformers.The PS3 had nothing for like 2 years, Pc always has good games. No WOW, old republic , first 2 crysis, the witcher, diablo 3, starcraft 2, doom 4, or real BF 3 ( you get the old crappy engine ) any of the stalker games on consoles. None of you games are realHd or at a decent framerate.

[Kakihara]

Boats: The lazy man's way of crossing water

[CombineElite]

Another dumb "PC gaming is dying article"

FACT, AMD sold 25 million DX11 graphics cards in 12 months with an average sale price of $300. what console has sold that many units in 12 months? ZERO.

PC gaming is in a period of changing Technology as Developers learn to correctly use DX11 and make proper DX11 game engines from the ground up.

Also this is a trend that always happens, consoles reach their peak and are very hot and profitable then the PC tech changes the entire game (See Call of Duty, HL2 Doom3 Diablo, Starcraft, WoW, Battlefield 1942 plus many others).

PC gaming is doing very well right now as over 200 million online gamers are playing RTS, MMO's, MMORPG's, and Mods versus casual and core console games. People need to realize that PC and console gaming are two different markets and developers usually fail when they try to lump the PC in with consoles.

No console can properly run Crysis Arma 2 Metro 2033 X3 Terran Conflict Starcraft 2 Civilization V STALKER EvE Online and many many more.Are KZ2 and GT5 great games? hell yeah and as a PC gamer I would love to have them on PC but they are meant for console just like IRacing League and Railroad Tycoon are meant for Hardcore PC gamers.

Railroad Tycoon (a game about building and running a train) might sound dumb to a console gamer but this is a huge game on the PC as well as other similar titles. PC vs console = two different platforms and gamer types.

[tigertron]

A lazy man's platform? or a platform for a man that cannot afford to keep upgrading their PCs.

A console is good for a number of years and theres no such thing as minimum or maximum settings either.

I'm not saying PCs are not a good platform to game on, of course they are, but not everyone has the luxury of upgrading their graphics cards etc, and that is one of the big reasons why consoles have become as popular as they have.

[Redgehammer]

all I did was play with, build, and fix computers. After a series of unfortunate events left me incapable of doing most of those things, holding a controller and parking me in front of a game console was the least physically demanding way for me to escape into the wonderful world of games. The first one was a PS2, which I hated the controller, but Max Payne 2 had to be played, then I bought a used original xbox for my son's and found through playing with them, that I loved that big goofy Original Xbox controller(Yeah for SWBF2). PC gaming is IMO the superior way to experience a game; however, Console games have made tremendous strides into narrowing the huge divide that exists between PC's and consoles. Moreover, I am happy with my 360, it has served me well, my family well, and has brought me hours upon hours of fun and escapism. I am glad that consoles have stepped up into the world of HD, for it brought gaming back to me in a meaningful way, and assuaged some of my pain at my PC "loss" and helped me get through some dark times.

[Shnazzyone]

PC's: The elitist platform.

[DeathMetal]

the auto aim noob call of duty no HD platform

[Shnazzyone]

I dunno, my computer is a tool not a toy. Why waste time and hd space on gaming on pc. There's productive things you can do with the damn thing.

Consoles are made to be played with.