ForumsGamesPC vs CONSOLE

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KayHai
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KayHai
13 posts
Peasant

which do you think is better? what are your thoughts about the next generation of consoles in regards to the PC?

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Minotaur55
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Minotaur55
1,373 posts
Blacksmith

Ok I change my vote, I like PC better. For several reasons, one reason is that I have a few PC games now (which explains my slight inactivity that had just recently been lifted) and my discovery of mods has made my life so much better now! Here are the Pros and Cons for PC vs Console Games.

PC Pros:

PC games are customizable, which means you can turn even a crappy game into something descent. And if that doesn't tickle ones fancy, PC games are portable. If you have games on your laptop you can go anywhere and play your game, which is great because half the time when I go out people make me shop in the most stupidest places, like Forever 21. O.o So if I could have a game with me anytime, life is just better.

PC Cons:

PC games is exactly what zonic98 said, PC is a rich mans console. Meaning you need to have a pretty powerful computer if you plan on playing a PC game. I have a 2.2GHz processor and around 1.5 GB of Video Card space and when I play PC games on Medium graphics I begin to suffer from lag, with consoles its all automatic, you hardly suffer lag. To run PC games you on full HD graphics you'll need a gaming computer, which is a $800 to a $1000 dollar venture, where as consoles are a third of that price. And upgrading a computer you have will be expensive too, you'll probably spend at lowest $600 on upgrades and you'd have to have a knowledge in computers, making it a bit complicated.

Consoles Pros:

Consoles are great for when you have friends and family around. With all the new consoles coming out too gaming becomes easier. I think you can buy games on the Xbox and it is downloaded to your account or something, which is kinda like PC games but you don't have to worry about lag because the graphics automatically adjust to the type of TV screen you have, making the whole game a smooth ride. And unlike PC games, patches are null and void on consoles.

Console Cons:

Consoles lack portability, and are rather bulky when you move it around the house; having to carry around all those wires can be annoying. And if you want to play console games in HD you need a HD TV screen, which costs around $1000 these days. So you have to stick with ok-ish graphics if you don't have that type of cheddar. And in my experience, consoles seem to need more maintenance then PC's do.

Over all, I still go with PC's. Woot!

Are PCs more expensive? People seem to think so, but they aren't thinking it through very well. Initially, yes, a PC costs more.


It really depends on when and where you buy this PC game. I managed to get Dragon Age II for $6 off of the EA Origin client, which means I downloaded the game. And I got Dragon Age Origins, Dragon Age Origins Awakening (the expansion pack) and all the DLC's in the Ultimate Edition pack for $30, which is a pretty cool deal. In a store like Gamestop prices will be different.

Do you guys know why Microsoft is making Windows 8 a piece of gaming-hating crap for PC people?


To be honest, Windows 8 does make PC gaming shameful. But you can still play PC games on Windows 8 64bit. I have a Windows 8 64bit operating system and I have broken 3 operating system requirements for PC games and have not run into any issues. Dragon Age Origins (and its expansion pack) worked fine on Windows 8 64bit and Dragon Age II worked on it too. And I believe Dark Souls works on Windows 8 because the PC requirements are "Windows XP , Windows Vista, Windows 7, or newer". Sounds like it'll work fine.
Mr_Sand
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Mr_Sand
672 posts
Peasant

Actually, another thing is your internet speed


I blame the user there, if your young and aren't paying for internet yourself then I don't think you really need a PC anyway. Consoles are kind of like a gateway to the gaming world and usually anyone that has a console, has had some sort of console since they were a kid. And even when internet does play a factor, like on steam, then you can either buy an actual disc and install the game or just wait for the game to install while your at school.
I do admit that for whatever reason steam always takes forever to install games and always has. I have gone through the 3 main internet companies around where I live and steam still takes a while on every single one. Ive used Xfinity and Century Link (qwest) and I think the shortest time Ive gotten Team Fortress 2 to install is about 2-3 hours and the longest time being roughly 18 hours.
Do you guys know why Microsoft is making Windows 8 a piece of gaming-hating crap for PC people?

Im not sure if your talking about the fact that its hard to browse your local files and Drives, the fact that they made it with touch screens in mind or just the fact it is so hard to use. But when it comes to playing any normal games I haven't really had any problems. Ive ran Diablo 2 TF2 and a few other games like Skyrim and I haven't had any problems. But I do think that in their attempt to make the PC easier to use, they ironically made it even hard and less accessible.
ihsahn
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ihsahn
428 posts
Nomad

Actually, another thing is your internet speed. Myself, I don't have the best internet speed at home. I usually get 75 KiB/s. When my brothers are on Netflix I average a petty 25 KiB/s. Not adequate speed to download a game off of steam. But on the other hand, at school, I average 280 KiB/s, which is good for downloading things. Its another factor why I prefer the console, because of my crappy internet I don't want to spend 3, 4+ hours downloading a game that wouldn't near take that long on a Console.


You can't wait a few measly hours to just do a one-time download of a game that may very well not even be available for the console? You realize driving out to GameStop or whatever also takes time right? There isn't a "right" speed to download games, Steam isn't gonna laugh at you or anything. There isn't even an average speed, games have different sizes.

And again, nothing is stopping you from just getting a physical copy of a PC game. It's a non-issue. Downloads aren't the only form of PC game distribution.

And the internet is still a factor for consoles because of multiplayer, DLC, updates and PSN-like services. A game like Journey, for instance, is impossible to purchase anywhere but the internet, and it's still a console game.
Crickster
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Crickster
1,795 posts
Blacksmith

I say pc for one good reson.

ALL MY FAVEOUT GAMES ARE ON PC (i forgot to turn caps off)

but xbox 360 does have halo
ps3 has free internet
wii u ..... don't need it

IAgreeWithYou
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IAgreeWithYou
509 posts
Nomad

PC is better. It's not really a question.

However, everything is more convenient on console. You buy the game and every single time that thing is going to run. On PC (although it isn't difficult to work out) you have to do at least a small amount of research before you buy the game. Not to mention that it takes a while to get your head around actually getting a good PC and building it for yourself. (Or else you're going to lose a lot of money)

Then there's DRM. Sure, it might not exist for all games but if it does, it is the most frustrating thing to deal with.

You know what gaming with windows live. I just want to play GTA and you're really starting to annoy me.

And yes, like Mr_Sand said, the internet is still very much a factor if you're getting console games due to updates and DLC and PSN and whatnot.


If you're not connected to the internet you can still play the game (Updates and DLC can be completely optional). If you're on PC and you buy a game in a box and put it into your PC it will need steam or some other program to be connected for a few seconds before you can install the game. What if you're out of internet and you just bought the new Tomb raider to play at your grandma's house? Well, you're out of luck because it's not possible.
ihsahn
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ihsahn
428 posts
Nomad

PC is better. It's not really a question.

In terms of performance and library, no, it really isn't, but you can't say that as 100% fact because there's always console exclusives, and some people are quite attached to those.

If you're not connected to the internet you can still play the game

If you're not connected to the internet you live in the freaking Dark Ages and have no business playing videogames, because you're too busy running away from the Spanish Inquisition.

If you're on PC and you buy a game in a box and put it into your PC it will need steam or some other program to be connected for a few seconds before you can install the game.
That's not the case for every game.
And again, who the hell doesn't have any internet at all, however slow it may be? If all you need is a few seconds, it doesn't even really matter the speed.
That's just such a tiny little niche of gamers you might as well be arguing the benefits of PCs over consoles for armless people.
IAgreeWithYou
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IAgreeWithYou
509 posts
Nomad

who the hell doesn't have any internet at all


You're saying you've never had your internet provider stop working? You've never had a company be offline? It's not the idea we don't trust it's that we don't trust you as the company.
ihsahn
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ihsahn
428 posts
Nomad

You're saying you've never had your internet provider stop working? You've never had a company be offline?

That hardly means "no internet at all". A few hiccups and delays happen, you get around them. That's a really minor complaint. Consoles sometimes break too, sometimes disks get scratched.

And not every PC game is Diablo 3 in that it simply stops working if you don't have internet - in fact very few of them are.
Mr_Sand
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Mr_Sand
672 posts
Peasant

I don't know how Internet can ever be a valid arguing point because both a console and a PC can have internet. Yes i do understand that there are certain advantages to having a few games that don't need the internet. Like if your internet crashes or you have to go spend the night your Grandmas. (not sure why you wouldn't want to just spend time with your elders but your choice) But there are still a lot of games that you initially need to download once or keep up to date. I know how that is because I played a few games on my Xbox before I got Live and wow, the experience is different when you have games that are less buggy and have patches that fix errors.

Call of Duty is just one of those games that are pointless without internet. And games like Defiance absolutely have to have an internet connection at all time

Terry_Logic
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Terry_Logic
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Jester

I grew up using a mouse and a keyboard for most of my gaming, though I did also become accustomed to PS2 and GameCube control during certain points in my life. However, the mouse is so easy to use, I can't imagine myself playing the games I play with any other device (the non-flash games I play aren't really action-based).

Of course, I haven't done much gaming in the past few years because most of my games, which are fairly old, do not play on my PC, so I spend most of my time on this thing you call the internet. Now I'm sure most consoles support the internet just fine, but I can't imagine myself browsing with any device other than a mouse. That includes those horrible touchpads. Ewwww.

Since one of the fields I want to go into after high school is music production, obviously in this day and age it's almost all done electronically. Even if there are music programs in existence for some consoles, I would never use one, because I'd only be able to operate it with a mouse. It's just the way my brain has been wired.

I'm not much of a gamer, so obviously I'm choosing the PC because it has a much wider variety of uses. Yes, console gaming can be fun, but they're much less useful devices than the PC.

IAgreeWithYou
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IAgreeWithYou
509 posts
Nomad

The other problem I have is that with steam (Also happens on other stores, don't get me wrong) is that we indefinitely own the game. If steam shuts down or my credit card is invalid the hundreds of dollars I spent on digital games are now useless.

This isn't only steam (and you can always get a hardcopy too) but I just feel like it's going to be a huge disappointment when it finally happens.

Moe
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Moe
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Blacksmith

If steam shuts down or my credit card is invalid the hundreds of dollars I spent on digital games are now useless.


Steam has repeatedly said they will make every game playable without steam if they ever go out of business. And if they don't it wouldn't take long for people to figure it out. Also your credit card has no bearing on whether you can or can't play steam games.
IAgreeWithYou
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IAgreeWithYou
509 posts
Nomad

Really? Do you mind giving me a source? I don't remember seeing something like that.

ihsahn
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ihsahn
428 posts
Nomad

Really? Do you mind giving me a source? I don't remember seeing something like that.
It's pretty much what they always say when asked that question. You could ask their tech support yourself if you like. Example:
http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/18mzcn/i_asked_steam_support_what_happens_to_my_games_if/

And yes, like Moe said, it has nothing to do with your credit card. Steam is not a subscription service, there is no periodic fee.
ihsahn
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ihsahn
428 posts
Nomad

Besides, Steam is really not going anywhere anytime soon. It's as safe a bet as any. In fact, Steam is in some ways the future of videogame distribution. Just look at Steam Greenlight and the explosion of great indie titles available on it.

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