PC vs. Console: Which Type Of Gamer Are You?

[Kent Pribbernow]

A heated debate has spurred recently amongst some friends of mine regarding the gaming scene, with particular regard to the PC's relevance as a gaming platform. Game development is clearly focusing on console platforms. But many of those same game titles are also available on PC as well, or get ported later on. In fact many great console games like Medal Of Honor, started out on PC.

I myself do not own a PS2 or XBOX, nor do I plan to purchase one in the immediate future. Call me crazy, but I still find more than plenty compelling game titles available to keep me glued to my PC. Half-Life 2 and Doom 3 being good examples. :rock on dude!:

So this begs the question...is PC gaming dying off? Have the glory days of mouse-keyboad control and video card upgrades gone the way of the dinosaur? What do you Think?

[Kent Pribbernow]

A heated debate has spurred recently amongst some friends of mine regarding the gaming scene, with particular regard to the PC's relevance as a gaming platform. Game development is clearly focusing on console platforms. But many of those same game titles are also available on PC as well, or get ported later on. In fact many great console games like Medal Of Honor, started out on PC.

I myself do not own a PS2 or XBOX, nor do I plan to purchase one in the immediate future. Call me crazy, but I still find more than plenty compelling game titles available to keep me glued to my PC. Half-Life 2 and Doom 3 being good examples. :rock on dude!:

So this begs the question...is PC gaming dying off? Have the glory days of mouse-keyboad control and video card upgrades gone the way of the dinosaur? What do you Think?

[Jason Dunn]

To me, it sort of comes down to this: my Xbox is great for when I have friends over and we want to play games on the big screen TV. So it's good for live multiplayer. Good for action games with simple controls.

My PC is great for Internet-based multiplayer, more complex, RTS-style games.

So I want both, but I play my PC games way more than I play my Xbox games. ;-)

[JTWise]

Based on my Avatar, I guess you can figure out what camp I am in. I have been a gamer in both camps for years. My first console was an Atari 2600, my first gaming rig was a Commodore 64.

I guess that over the years, I slowly moved to the console camp because I got sick of having to upgrade memory, hard drives, video cards, and drivers to be able to play the latest and greatest game.

With a console game, no need to worry about specs, the games just work. It also evens the playing field for online gaming, as everyone's system has the same specs. The games are more expensive, but the consoles are much cheaper than a computer rig. And I really don't mind the so-called "loss" of accuracy using a controller vs a Keyboard and Mouse.

For a console gamer, the ironic thing is that i am contemplating buying a 2nd X-Box to mod it into a Linux computer. These days, the guts aren't much different.

Still, the thing I miss the most about PC gaming is the bargain basement game prices 6 months after the game is released :cry:

My Current Gaming Rigs (in order of play-time, most to least):
1. Xbox
2. Gamecube
3. PC (UT2004 demo ROCKS!!)
4. PS2

Let the FLAME nfire: WAR begin!!!

[Kent Pribbernow]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

...but I play my PC games way more than I play my Xbox games. ;-)

Nice to see I'm not the only crazy one around here.

[Gary Sheynkman]

my big beef with PCs is that they constantly need upgrades. One...after another...after another :evil:

Eventually you are trying to keep up with technology that leaps instead of moves along. An xbox will keep you satisfied for quite a long time. Buying a console at the beggining of its life cycle is the smartest move for a gamer who want to keep the same hardware over a period of time

[sundown]

Yea, what they said. I've tried PC games and usually they end up crashing my computer because some driver is conflicting with another driver. So I could spend hours trying to find a more compatible driver, etc., or just pop a cartidge or disc into my N64/Gamecube and be pretty sure it will never crash one me. One exception was Spy Hunter for Gamecube. It always crashes my Gamecube at Level 5 but oh well.

Along with that reason - I don't want the kids messing with my PC - AT ALL. You can't screw up a console. Pop the disc in and power on.

[ctmagnus]

Originally Posted by sundown

You can't screw up a console. Pop the disc in and power on.

Until the kids install linux on your XBox, that is. :mrgreen:

[stevehiner]

I was a die-hard PC gamer for around 15 years. Maintained a subscription to PC Gamer Magazine for 7 or 8 years.

Then a year and a half ago I bought an Xbox.

Now I only occasionally play games on my PC and it's typically just games I can't get on my Xbox like Ricochet or Revolt (which they should have released for Xbox but didn't).

The PC isn't dead as a gaming platform but now I understand better why all the console fans think it is.

[dean_shan]

I'm mostly a console gamer. It's just nice to be able to sit on the couch and have friends over for a quick game or marithon session. And a lot of games just works better on a console. You don't have to get a new graphics card for each new game that comes out. But computers do have their advantages. RTS games on computer cannot be beat by consoles.

[Tom W.M.]

Well, I'm not a big gamer, but based on my experience, each has its place. The console is good for RPGs, racing games, and other titles that don't require sophisticated input. Things just work, and you don't have to worry about crashes (most of the time—just don't scratch the disc!). I would never be able to stand sitting in front of a computer for extended periods of time playing FinalFantasy IX (yes, IX—I told you I wasn't a big gamer), but the couch is great for it. The PC, on the other hand, is good for games like Civilization III and Age of Empires (I still play the first version--again, I told you so ), which require the quick, precice control that a mouse provides.

By the games that I play, you can probably tell that I haven't exactly been sucked into an endless upgrade cycle, huh? :fadein: Just take it slow....