12 Reasons Why PC Gaming is King

[lockwoodx]

Tired of sending in your Xbox for the 5th time or unable to find any good games on the PS3? Maybe you just want to slap the taste out of your little brothers mouth for bouncing up and down like a jack russell terrier when he plays Wii Fit. This fun article over on Techradar (http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/12-reasons-pc-gaming-is-better-than-consoles-485178) gives 12 reasons why PC is still the King for gaming.

3. Free mods

Were you a raw naif, you might be forgiven for thinking that LittleBigPlanet et al single-handedly invented the idea of (nnnggh) 'user generated content'. But guess what? PC gamers have been coding mods (modifications) such as add-ons, total conversions, unofficial levels and all manner of other gubbins for… well, pretty much forever. And then distributing it for free, for the sheer love of it.

4. Upgradeable hardware

With the aforementioned higher resolutions and textures, chances are a new PC game already looks better than its console counterpart right now. But even if you can't run it with all the visuals tweaked to the max, processor and graphic cards prices drop so quickly that it's hardly bank-breaking to refit your rig in a year or so, for better graphics and more speed.

5. Cheaper games

Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo's licensing and publishing costs inevitably drive up the cost of every single game released, and even pre-owned games tend to be far pricier than the PC equivalent.

I've been a PC gamer since my PC junior and Kings Quest 1.

[FreezaSama]

PC or console is just a personal preference. This just seems like a lame attempt to rationalize.

[Wyrm]

I agree with most of their points, but there is one x-factor that is ignored which is the opposite of all this: the difficulty of maintaining a working PC. Hardware tinkering is not easy for the average user, and isn't even easy for people who've been doing it for years. I've been building my own machines for years, and I still have loads of problems.

This is the only thing that holds PC gaming back as a platform. It's just too goddamn difficult for 95% of the population, so they go buy an Xbox instead.

If only they knew what they were missing.

When I make my console-centric friends play games like Starcraft, they are blown away. They cannot fathom how they missed these great games. And that's a Blizzard game, made to run on everything, from a toaster to a super computer, not Crysis, which only runs on the higher end stuff.

In short, how do you convince people like them to hop the boundary and become PC gamers? You don't. They don't want to spend the time tinkering, thinking about it, or the money it requires (even if it CAN be done for less than the cost of a console in some cases).

[Mr.Green]

This is gonna end well.

[FreezaSama]

In short, how do you convince people like them to hop the boundary and become PC gamers? You don't. They don't want to spend the time tinkering, thinking about it, or the money it requires (even if it CAN be done for less than the cost of a console in some cases).

This is the big one. Consoles are much simpler for the common gamer, not to mention the vast majority of game advertisements you see on television are for console games. So of course that's what people are going to gravitate toward.

Many people don't want to deal with the potential for software incompatibilities and whatnot on the PC platform. Of course, consoles have issues too, but in the long-run, you just pop the game disc in the machine, and play. Whereas on the PC, you have to install first and make sure everything is running smoothly. The big difference is that with the PC, not everyone is running with the same hardware as they are with consoles. You need so much HD space, RAM, and certain types of graphics cards. With a console, you just need a specific machine and you're set. Consoles are much easier for the mainstream consumer in this regard.

[Wyrm]

For the record, I agree with the article. PC gaming is the best, for most of the reasons he listed. But it's really difficult to convince other people of that, because of the reasons I listed.

[no wii]

Were you a raw naif


this is all i had to read before I knew I was wasting my time, I think any book about wizards has to use naif in it at least 3 times.

you can mod pc games ? wow:rolleyes:

[ResistanceAddict]

4. Upgradeable hardware

With the aforementioned higher resolutions and textures, chances are a new PC game already looks better than its console counterpart right now. But even if you can't run it with all the visuals tweaked to the max, processor and graphic cards prices drop so quickly that it's hardly bank-breaking to refit your rig in a year or so, for better graphics and more speed.

While I agree with most of the reasons, this one has me baffled. Unless I'm not reading this correctly, the article is saying having to spend MORE money... is a GOOD thing? And in contrast to consoles? Once you buy the console/controllers, etc. you don't need to "upgrade anything" unless you need a better res TV. How is having to upgrade your hardware a good thing? Whether it's "cheap" (please define "cheap," lol) or not makes no difference, it's still extra money.

And yeah, I think the money is what it all comes down to. I have a full 1080p HDTV so I have no intention of spending a fortune (which I don't have) just for some of these things. YES, I care about better servers and whatnot, but I'm perfectly content playing what I have without constant tinkering and expensive upgrades. I believe that is what this "PC vs. Console" thing is really all about.

[lost]

This is gonna end well.

It should be mostly fine if we all just take it as a bit of fun...mostly.

[FreezaSama]

For the record, I agree with the article. PC gaming is the best, for most of the reasons he listed. But it's really difficult to convince other people of that, because of the reasons I listed.

Again, personal preference. I'll always be a console guy because of the simplicity, and the fact that the vast majority of the games I want to play are console titles. I've done the PC gaming thing, and (Unreal Tournament aside) it ended up giving me more aggravation than enjoyment in the long run.

[Librum]

PC gaming, especially in this day and time, has simple ubiquity going for it, if nothing else. You might not be able to play today's top titles with your cheap general purpose rig, but you've got an ever growing library of past games to try out.

Certainly, PC gaming enthusiasts spend more money on hardware than console gamers, there's no way around that. But just about everyone _has_ to have a PC these days, so it's not as if people wouldn't have a PC unless they were into PC gaming.

[bobmitch]

It's not King - but it's certainly far from dead. And it's certainly a million miles away from where it was 10 years ago.
I think the one thing that may hurt PC gaming more than anything else is the spate of piss-poor ports from the consoles.
What will not die anytime soon is the market for cheap puzzle games which seem so popular with the 20-60 female demographic. Big money being made there. :)

[lockwoodx]

If you have steam, you know why it's King.

[Mr.Green]

If you have steam, you know why it's King.

Because now you really don't ever have to get out of the basement? ;)

[FreezaSama]

If you have steam, you know why it's King.

I may be in the minority here, but from my brief experience with Steam shortly after HL2 came out, I hated it.

[net7runner]

I may be in the minority here, but from my brief experience with Steam shortly after HL2 came out, I hated it.

Steam was pretty rocky back then. It's much more stable now, and they've ironed out the things that drove people mad (not working without an internet connection, resource hog, instability, etc.). Also, their new social systems are kinda cool, if a little shallow.

The PC game deal really just boils down to whether you buy a new computer every 3-4 years. If so, you'll be able to play most PC games. I'm serious. Even if it's a laptop. Even if it's a Mac. You don't need to "upgrade your hardware" or "resolve glitches" or whatever. Sure you won't be able to play Crysis, but that's one of the major reasons that game wasn't really that successful.

That said, if you don't see a need to buy a new comp every 3-4 years, then I suppose it's more cost effective to buy a new $400 gaming system every 4 years. Uh, plus those really expensive games. Phew.

[DeathtollWRX]

I'm going to tell you why PC gaming is the best... this is coming from a guy with 33000 Gamerpoints as well as just about every system that's ever been made.

Starcraft 2
Diablo 3

PC Exclusives! Best games ever (and they aint even out yet)

Of course you need the money to keep your machine relevant.

I like to think of PCs as the luxury car of gaming. When you stack L4D on any console and put it next to the pc version it just get pummeled... same with just about every other multi platform title. You gotta pay to play and the best experience is still on the PC if you have the money to back it up.

[lockwoodx]

Because now you really don't ever have to get out of the basement? ;)

That is called WoW.

[Johan]

I enjoy PC gaming, console gaming, and handheld gaming. Each has strengths and weaknesses. For the PC, there are particular games/genres that I just feel are a richer experience there than anywhere else. I wouldn't consider playing an RPG on a console if it was available on PC, because of the potential for mods, using the mouse for the user-interface, and the ability to easily utilize cheats and the like. Also, RTS games work better on PC because of the UI and mouse/keyboard.

I'm playing Oblivion, and I'm so glad I bought it for PC. It's the game I want to play because of the mods I was able to choose from to alter the game the way I wanted to enjoy it. That's the beauty of PC gaming.

[jspeak32]

Back in my late teens/early 20's I loved upgrading my pc, playing games on it etc. Now I'm in my late 20's, work on pc's all day in our IT department, I really have no desire to do it even more than I have to -- aka my free time.
I have recently gotten back into WoW, and thats been really the only pc game ive touched in years. I'm 99% console gamer these days.

[AversionFX]

I agree with most of their points, but there is one x-factor that is ignored which is the opposite of all this: the difficulty of maintaining a working PC.

Well of course maintaining a working PC is a hell of a lot more work than not having a single option to maintain your console without voiding your warranty. ;)

Article is just more of the "my dick's bigger than yours," and is not really deserving of my opinion on my gaming platform of choice. Gaming is gaming to me, unless it's an FPS.

[NeoNecro]

i agree with the article, pc king of graphics and power. consoles ease of use and in my opinion best for online multiplayer. i play everything besides mmo's on my 360. though i did play FFIX of w/e number that was and it was a blast too bad for the extra subscription with lotro was on my 360 i would play it on my console all the time.

[Venkman]

I use my computer for Maya. That program is so finicky about the system it runs on that I only install Maya and the adobe suite.

No games. :(

[Jadbalja]

While I agree with most of the reasons, this one has me baffled. Unless I'm not reading this correctly, the article is saying having to spend MORE money... is a GOOD thing? And in contrast to consoles? Once you buy the console/controllers, etc. you don't need to "upgrade anything" unless you need a better res TV. How is having to upgrade your hardware a good thing? Whether it's "cheap" (please define "cheap," lol) or not makes no difference, it's still extra money.


I think the point was that you have the choice to spend more money and get a better picture. If you don't like how the graphics on your console look with a certain game, well, too bad.

[Primus]

360 is king in my house.