PC Gaming vs. Console Gaming

I am a staunch supporter of PC gaming. PCs are simply more versatile. Everything you can do with a console you can do with a PC and you can do some things with PCs that you can´t do with consoles.

I´m a PC gamer, I only play consoles when other people are playing because to me consoles are a purely multiplayer system. I´ve tried doing singleplayer things on a console, but It´s almost as boring as the LOTR movies got to be, or any movie for that matter. Another thing is the versatility (as already stated) of the PC as a platform. You can get mods, you can get patches, while you´re playing the game you can be doing other things on that same computer. The clincher for the PC is the online compatability. I watched someone register for Xbox live (or try to at least) on my broadband connection. While they were doing that, I sat down and played a few games of desert combat online, no registration codes, no hassles, I had access to a keyboard, I could chat without a headset, and most of all it was FREE. The few exceptions to these are MMOs like Galaxies and EQ, which I don´t play because I´m cheap and stingy with the money. So, as a small-scale offline multiplayer platform, consoles are good. There´s just simply less hassle. But online, the PC rocks like a friggin´ concert series. One last thing, and no offense to anyone, I´ve found that people who play PCs are generally/somewhat more intelligent, because of all of the setup and compatability issues and configurations. I´ve known people who couldn´t work office but were beasty at Halo. People who didn´t know what RAM is, people who didn´s know what kind of product Intel made. People who bought computers from the APPLE STORE! Christmas, is that a BF1942 mod or something? <A href=´http://s4.invisionfree.com/Delayed_Gamers/´ Target=_Blank>Delayed Gamers:</a> The short bus of gaming.

for FPS and racing games i prefer a console, halo 2, NFSU etc. but for anything else i like PCs.

One thing that playing games will have over playing games on a console is screen resolution. Monitors are worlds ahead of TV´s. <img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>

I´m gonna have to agree with everyone here. I grew up a PC gamer, but now find myself playing console games a lot more. Like everyone said before, PC games are generally better looking and allows bugs/glitches to be patched. However, console games need no requirements besides the console itself. The main thing that classifies me as a console gamer is sports games. I love NCAA College football and basketball. Sports games on computers are never as good as console sports games - to my knowledge at least. The only sports game I have ever played on a computer was golf <img src=smilies/icon_smile_tongue.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>

i am noy biased but i like Console gaming a tad better for the lack of concern for &quot;system requirements&quot; but PC gaming has its advantages...mainly MODDING!!!! can´t mod a console game.... so iam 50-50 i love games regardless of their platform<img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> &quot;To live is to die....but living is to die slowly..why waste time on trivial things just play as hard as you can&quot;

Consoles *spits* <img src=smilies/icon_smile_big.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>. PCs are far superior as they have a large variety of uses, can be upgraded easily, have far superior resolutions, offer the ability to overclock with software, and possess far superior image quality; ie AA and AF. Consoles have some benefits, but a PC is much better in my opinion.

consoles... *shakes head* PCs are superior in every aspect, meanwhile even graphics (that was - yes it &quot;was&quot; the pro of consoles) its a different world. consoles are like watching TV - u turn it on - they work (usually). sure, with PCs you have a lot more stuff around - also need to know more about them, but its worth it. beside that, i never liked those weirdo console controls... was also never a fan of &quot;beat them up&quot; games and similars... gameplay for most console games ive seen is poor compared to PC games. i prefer more gamedepth - more complicated games. well, if i ponder about it, then i DO have a console - but it consists of my laptop + plasma screen <img src=smilies/icon_smile_big.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> would u change that for XBOX or whatever? naaaah <img src=smilies/icon_smile_tongue.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>

Well, in general I´m a PC gamer. I agree that in most cases (is not always the case though) PC games just look better and sometimes have more features. I´m also an avid player of Mods and naturally you can only Mod your games on a PC, which is definitely a great advantage. And I´ve also played games on the PC that never made it to a console. However, it seems that because consoles are getting much better these days, more and more games are developed multi-platform and there are just few games for the PC that will stay PC only. I mean, even games such as Half-Life 2 are being developed for the Xbox. And, nowadays you see a trend of certain games coming out that are console only or at least appear to be (such as Halo 2 for the Xbox, although I´m pretty sure it will be confirmed for the PC eventually as well) and also that games are released earlier on consoles then on the PC, such as GTA San Andreas (PS2) and KOTOR 2 (Xbox). Both games are developed for the PC as well, but PC gamers have to wait on that. Also online gaming was an advantage of the PC over consoles, but nowadays that advantage obviously became invalid as well. So, you definitely see a shift and eventually the PC will slowly vanish as a gaming tool, mark my words. Entire entertainment systems are build now that work with Windows XP Media Center Edition for example, which you can hook up to your TV and manage your radio, TV, play PC games on your TV, surf the web, see DVD´s and what not. Even the console developers are trying to do anything in their power to get PC gamers away from their regular PC´s. For instance Microsoft, who are busy working on the Xbox Next, which will be launched in 3 editions. A regular Xbox Next console, a Xbox Next HD (Hard Disk), which will both be launched somewhere in the fall of 2005 and then later on a Xbox Next PC (which will let you play Xbox games and also PC games!) somewhere in 2006. Sony is also going for the All-In solution more and more with the upcoming Playstation 3, which will also be a multi media entertainment system. The downside I have about the PC is system requirements and right now I´m in a position I just can´t play any of the upcoming or recently released games anymore and I´m forced to upgrade my system. Problem is that its going to cost me between $ 1000 and $ 2000 bucks (I might need an entire new system). I just can´t afford that kind of cash right now, I´m in the middle of rebuilding my entire back and front garden, I just booked a holiday for me, my wife and my little girl and so on. So, because of that and the fact that console are getting better and you can do more with them, I decided to go buy a Xbox within the month. That is obviously going to cost me a lot less and I can play the games I want, such as Kotor 2 for example. I´m really sorry, but I guess there´s another soul lost to the consoles.... <img src=smilies/icon_smile_tongue.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> ______________________________ Eraser Webmaster of <A href=´http://www.lancersreactor.org´ Target=_Blank>The Lancers Reactor</a> E-Mail: eraser@lancersreactor.org MSN: eraser@lancersreactor.org <img src=´http://www.lancersreactor.org/t/i/lan_butt.gif ´>

Meh I play both, they all have their advantages. Im mostly for the PC cause im a huge player of MMORPGs (self-confessed World Of Warcraft addict) though I do have a PS2. I usually use it when I like playing games that dont have a huge depth factor to em. Like ill play Prince Of Persia just to progress and see the story and so forth, while pc games are more &quot;stop and smell the roses&quot; and stuff like that. A good example would be say.... an RPG, where it goes from quest to quest but the central focus is a static progression like your characters level. While most games on consoles are more fluid progression type things. Hands down PC best multiplayer platform tho &quot;Dain bramaged&quot;

PC 98%, Playstation 2% and that because of chronotrigger, and Final fantasy 8, yes * can be played on the PC, but the controls were better on playstation. <img src=smilies/icon_smile_tongue.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>

Im falling into a similar category as E at the moment, I definately prefer the power that the PC provides. Overall it is without a doubt a superior gaming platform but it´s just so bloody expensive to keep your system up to date. I´m trying to sling together a deposit for a house and upgrading my pc is just so financially unviable at the moment that it´s just not funny. So where do the cash strapped individuals turn to for their gaming pleasure? Hrm $2000 upgrade or a $250 console? I know what Im buying next when my pc doesn´t cut the mustard anymore.

I typically prefer PC over consoles, mainly because of the things that are posted above - versatility, better graphics, etc. etc. However, I tend to believe (as in just thought right now) that consoles are a bigger market, because not everyone can get a super-high-end system that games today require, as opposed to just plopping down a few hundred bucks for a system that you dont have to worry about requirements and will last for a few years. Hence, console gamers get the bigger end of the metaphorical stick.

Damn it, now Mustang has fallen to the dark side! *Shakes head sadly* I have already mourned Eraser´s fall in <A href=´http://www.lancersreactor.org/t/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=36294&amp;FORUM_ID=12&amp;CAT_ID=7&amp;Topic_Title=KOTOR+II+Goes+Gold&amp;Forum_Title=Off+Topic&amp;M=False&amp;S=True´ Target=_Blank>this</a> recent thread, but Mustang too? It´s those mind-controlling satellites I tells ya! *Straightens aluminium-foil hat* Edited by - esquilax on 11/30/2004 5:17:25 PM

Esquilax said: <font size=1 face="trebuchet ms"><BLOCKQUOTE><hr size=1 noshade>PCs are far superior as they have a large variety of uses, can be upgraded easily, have far superior resolutions, offer the ability to overclock with software, and possess far superior image quality; ie AA and AF. Consoles have some benefits, but a PC is much better in my opinion. <hr size=1 noshade></BLOCKQUOTE></font><font face=´trebuchet ms, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica´ size=2> Ok, time for some debate... <img src=smilies/icon_smile.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle> I admit it, PCs have more uses, such as internet, word processing, etc., but think about how much it costs for that extra stuff, especially if you want a lot of it on a higher-end computer that can ALSO do a lot of gaming. We are talking thousands of dollars. While a good PC is good to have, I prefer to have a pretty cheap PC, and then have a console for gaming so I don´t have to spend extra money on a &quot;gaming PC&quot;. Upgraded easily? Well, they have more updates than consoles, but at high, high costs. A good graphics card ALONE can cost as much as an XBOX. And, if you want to keep up with the rapidly-growing gaming industry, then you have to update often, piling onto the high costs of buying a gaming computer. Are the endless updates worth it? Heck no, in my opinion. Why update when you can get a console that will work fine and play high-end games on for several years? Superior resolutions and images are well and good, but good graphics come at a price as well. I don´t feel I need to argue on that much more. And they are not &quot;far superior&quot; by a long shot. No way. There may be differences with higher-end PCs, but not enough to make them worthwhile. Overclock with software? That is one of the beauties of console gaming! You don´t have to screw with the softeware, hard drive space, and all the other annoying things that you find on PC. While you can´t get mods and such from the internet, you CAN get patches, new levels, items, etc. off of XBOX Live on many games. Best of all, those things come directly from the game makers, so it is all high-quality. Not a big enough difference to make up for much. So, in conclusion, I would buy a gaming PC... If money grew on trees, and I had a forest in my backyard. But, since that is not true, (at least for me, I can´t speak for you) I will not buy a gaming PC, but I will happily be playing Halo 2 and KOTOR 2 while you PC fools are sitting and waiting for months for a PC release. <img src=smilies/icon_smile_tongue.gif width=15 height=15 border=0 align=middle>

True, cost *is* a decisive factor, however if you select a decent computer with quality components it will last you for years, and you will still be able to play the latest games at decent detail levels.

Maybe, but is still is much more expensive. A &quot;good&quot; computer that could do that would cost over a thousand dollars. A good console that would last just as long would be a small fraction of the cost. I´m afraid it´s all about money...

It´s not really all about the money. As I believe I stated earlier consoles are ideal for what I call close-range multiplayer games. Games where you and three buddies are battling it out on one console. Computers have a much more effective &quot;long range&quot; multiplayer, if you will. Basically, unless you have friends over, consoles are stupid and worthless wastes of money. Now, if you have a decent computer you´re using all of that money, but if there´s a PS2 or a Gamecube that the xbox takes over for, that´s a waste of 200-400 US dollars. Besides, I don´t want to have to get up to change games, I like to reach down to the drive bay, pop in a different disk and get playin´.