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[Opiate]

At the heart of this, I feel, is that most people are simply comfortable with what they're accustomed to and don't particularly want to change. Why should they? If you're perfectly satisfied with what you're doing, then keep doing it.

This property is not specific to console gamers, or to gamers generally. People, in general, get accustomed to things and then grow particularly fond of them. This can be seen with musical tastes (classical fans of the 1900s thinking of Jazz as just noise, etc), and with movie tastes (I can say that many of my friends have a particular fondness for dudebro Arnold/Stallone movies they grew up with) and a variety of other things.

And I want to point out that this is fine. It's also fine that today's kids are growing up with iPads and don't have the hatred for touch-based gaming that many members of NeoGAF do. Ultimately, I think many people start from this position -- the position of "this is what I am accustomed to" -- and then come up with arguments to defend that position, when it would really be fine to just say "I've been playing on consoles for years and it's just what I'm used to," or "I grew up playing on PC and the traditional console controller feels sort of weird to me."

I think a number of the more preposterous arguments against PC (and against handhelds and so forth) spring from this problem. People don't want to say "Well, I'm just used to consoles," so they start insisting that PC games have angular angles or that PC exclusives lack gravitas, when they really don't need to. If you grew up playing the SNES and then Playstation and then PS2 and then PS3, and now you're sort of invested in Sony's exclusives and have acquired a taste for the sorts of games on those platforms, more power to you.

 

[Ethelwulf]

So, is it ok then not to own a gaming PC? Because it seems that if I don't, many will say that I'm doing it wrong. In my case its because I like console simplicity. Boot it up, play videogames. Yes, I know you can do the same with a PC, but so with consoles. Whats so bad about not owning a PC for gaming I don't get it...

 

[Henrar]

a) PC community here in Poland. It's problably the worst case of them. Way too elitist and way too childish (if you think that PC Gamers are way more mature than on the console - play public game of LoL or check trade chat of most MMO servers).
b) too much hassle with DRM clients like Steam, Origin and so on
c) I'm not interested in PC exclusives like all MOBAs and MMOs
d) I don't like k&m input scheme and since Windows can't use controllers properly the idea of connecting PC to my TV is killed by that fact. Steam OS is still in beta and it won't support all games that are on Steam. Streaming also won't cut it.

But still, there's not better feeling for me than building my own desktop PC. I always like to play with PC hardware, check new parts, upgrade and all. I'm just not interested in PC gaming.

 

[StevieP]

I'm a mac user and I prefer the console upgrade model.

So what you're saying is that you prefer to pay more for less lol

 

[Midn1ght]

I'm surprise nobody pointed out that because of the country or location we live in, we might :

1. Not have easy access to PC parts

2. Being hit by high local prices or import taxes

3. Not have access to some online stores (GMG stopped offering their services recently where I live)

I'm a PC Gamer but living in a S-E Asian country where parts are not cheap at all, I can definitely understand why people would choose the console way. And of course Cyber Café are super popular here so owning your own is not always necessary, you even have Console Cafe (mostly for FIFA and PES).

 

[Zaku]

if you have the cash and varied taste I don't understand how you skip out on platforms

let alone PC goddamn

For most I imagine it's a matter of time.

If you own all the consoles and a PC, you don't have time to play all the games unless you're independently wealthy. I play games for 3-4 hours a night sometimes and I still can't get through everything I want to play.

 

[bobbytkc]

if you have the cash and varied taste I don't understand how you skip out on platforms

let alone PC goddamn

Most adults work most days of the week. I would imagine that is the primary reason. Not hard to understand actually. There is zero chance of me for example being able to play all these games on all the platforms.

 

[Gipsy Danger]

I'm surprise nobody pointed out that because of the country or location we live in, we might :

1. Not have easy access to PC parts

2. Being hit by high local prices or import taxes

3. Not have access to some online stores (GMG stopped offering their services recently where I live)

I'm a PC Gamer but living in a S-E Asian country where parts are not cheap at all, I can definitely understand why people would choose the console way. And of course Cyber Café are super popular here so owning your own is not always necessary, you even have Console Cafe (mostly for FIFA and PES).

They did, though. Someone from Saudi Arabia pointed out this exact thing.

 

[Kinthalis]

So, is it ok then not to own a gaming PC? Because it seems that if I don't, many will say that I'm doing it wrong. In my case its because I like console simplicity. Boot it up, play videogames. Yes, I know you can do the same with a PC, but so with consoles. Whats so bad about not owning a PC for gaming I don't get it...

Nice strawman. Who's saying it's bad not to own one? All people are saying is that it's good to own one.

 

[petran79]

Looks like some people around here still think that PC gaming is this:

clunky, uncomfortable and complicated


While PC gaming nowadays have improved a lot, and is more like this:

games in the first picture were better though

 

[StevieP]

So, is it ok then not to own a gaming PC? Because it seems that if I don't, many will say that I'm doing it wrong. In my case its because I like console simplicity. Boot it up, play videogames. Yes, I know you can do the same with a PC, but so with consoles. Whats so bad about not owning a PC for gaming I don't get it...

This simplicity and "boot and play" argument would work for consoles if it was 2 generations ago. Patching, crashing, constant updating, stability updates, waiting for downloads.... These are things that are now nearly identical on console and PC. The simplicity argument is outdated.

a) PC community here in Poland. It's problably the worst case of them. Way too elitist and way too childish (if you think that PC Gamers are way more mature than on the console - play public game of LoL or check trade chat of most MMO servers).
b) too much hassle with DRM clients like Steam, Origin and so on
c) I'm not interested in PC exclusives like all MOBAs and MMOs
d) I don't like k&m input scheme and since Windows can't use controllers properly the idea of connecting PC to my TV is killed by that fact. Steam OS is still in beta and it won't support all games that are on Steam. Streaming also won't cut it.

But still, there's not better feeling for me than building my own desktop PC. I always like to play with PC hardware, check new parts, upgrade and all. I'm just not interested in PC gaming.

There are plenty of solutions for controlling your PC in the living room.

 

[Occam]

At the heart of this, I feel, is that most people are simply comfortable with what they're accustomed to and don't particularly want to change. Why should they? If you're perfectly satisfied with what you're doing, then keep doing it.

This property is not specific to console gamers, or to gamers generally. People, in general, get accustomed to things and then grow particularly fond of them. This can be seen with musical tastes (classical fans of the 1900s thinking of Jazz as just noise, etc), and with movie tastes (I can say that many of my friends have a particular fondness for dudebro Arnold/Stallone movies they grew up with) and a variety of other things.

And I want to point out that this is fine. It's also fine that today's kids are growing up with iPads and don't have the hatred for touch-based gaming that many members of NeoGAF do. Ultimately, I think many people start from this position -- the position of "this is what I am accustomed to" -- and then come up with arguments to defend that position, when it would really be fine to just say "I've been playing on consoles for years and it's just what I'm used to," or "I grew up playing on PC and the traditional console controller feels sort of weird to me."

I think a number of the more preposterous arguments against PC (and against handhelds and so forth) spring from this problem. People don't want to say "Well, I'm just used to consoles," so they start insisting that PC games have angular angles or that PC exclusives lack gravitas, when they really don't need to. If you grew up playing the SNES and then Playstation and then PS2 and then PS3, and now you're sort of invested in Sony's exclusives and have acquired a taste for the sorts of games on those platforms, more power to you.

I may not speak for most people, but I think my reasons are sensible, aren't they?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=129131489#post129131489

 

[Sentenza]

I don't see what's so hard to understand. I played plenty of games on PC when I was younger. I no longer want to work with a PC / Mac / Linux when I get home.

I think you are missing the point: there is no FACTUAL difference between gaming on a PC or a console, if we exclude objective metrics like hardware capabilities.
I could understand something similar if it was about sports: "I'm tired to sit in front of a PC all day, so in the evening I hit the gym or go for a run every day". It would be a completely reasonable argument.
"I'm tired to sit in front a PC, so I prefer to sit in front of a gaming device that is in fact a branded PC in a small case, with limited features. That feels like an entirely different experience" is not.
It's a hilarious and completely delusional argument.

 

[test_account]

I used to primarily be a PC gamer from about 1994 to 2007-2008 or something. After that i went more over to consoles. I did have a NES, PS1 and PS2 though, but the NES was before 1994, and i didnt really play THAT much PS1 and PS2. I'm not sure why i changed the gaming behaviour, maybe i wanted to give consoles a try instead. Buying a new PC every ~3 years did also cost some money.

 

[Opiate]

I may not speak for most people, but I think my reasons are sensible, aren't they?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=129131489&postcount=79

I think so, which is probably why you got so few responses to your post. People usually only reply if they have a gripe with your position.

I'd just say this: we could ask why the games you prefer happen to be on consoles. It could just be random chance, but another (and I suggest more likely) explanation would be that you've played those games for a long time now and are invested in those franchises.

Which, again, is completely fine. I'm also surprised how few people care about the power draw. You're right, that's a big deal.

 

[loaf of bread]

I like to collect physical games and I like the whole feel/ecosystem of consoles.

 

[skLaFarebear]

It's too big. There's nowhere to fit it in my room, even if I do get rid of my consoles.

Plus, no platinum games (other than Revengeance) on PC = no buy.

 

[Haeralis The BRave]

Because I'm more of a laptop person, and my Macbook Pro does more than enough that I need gaming wise.

 

[derExperte]

I may not speak for most people, but I think my reasons are sensible, aren't they?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=129131489#post129131489

The energy consumption one is a tad weird as you can built a powerful PC that doesn't use much more energy than the nex-gen consoles even under load.

 

[flyinpiranha]

I consider PC gaming to be too anti-social. The last time I was alone in a room specifically for gaming I was 14, and I also wasn't interacting with the opposite sex very often.

Now I am almost 30 and the only time I have opportunities to game are on a console and even that still takes me away from the people in my life. At least I am still in my living room, and I don't have to have a headset on and I still can speak or be spoken too. Otherwise I would just be in a "gaming room" playing a PC, which translates to a dark cave, sitting inches from a flickering screen, complete removed from society.

I don't plan on ever getting back into PC gaming because of this.

Dude, it's OK. You were bad with the ladies and couldn't get any action. Don't blame this on a plastic box you chose to stick somewhere in a dark cave. Maybe the cave was the reason ladies wouldn't come over? Try a bedroom, with lights and stuff. Maybe a desk, ladies usually aren't afraid of desks.

 

[Tain]

For most I imagine it's a matter of time.

If you own all the consoles and a PC, you don't have time to play all the games unless you're independently wealthy. I play games for 3-4 hours a night sometimes and I still can't get through everything I want to play.

I haven't played every last game that I want to play, of course, but because the games I want to play largely dictate what platforms I use (instead of the other way around), my taste has led to me using most major platforms and I would certainly never make a conscious decision to rule myself out of one.

 

[Sendou]

The energy consumption one is a tad weird as you can built a powerful PC that doesn't use much more energy than the nex-gen consoles even under load.

Maybe that poster plays exclusively on Wii U? Because both PS4 and XBONE are energy hungry monsters in comparision.

 

[MrCunningham]

games in the first picture were better though

Also, the first picture has an awesome old school model M keyboard.

 

[silvermember]

I think you are missing the point: there is no FACTUAL difference between gaming on a PC or a console, if we exclude objective metrics like hardware capabilities.
I could understand something similar if it was about sports: "I'm tired to sit in front of a PC all day, so in the evening I hit the gym or go for a run every day". It would be a completely reasonable argument.
"I'm tired to sit in front a PC, so I prefer to sit in front of a gaming device that is in fact a branded PC in a small case, with limited features. That feels like an entirely different experience" is not.
It's a hilarious and completely delusional argument.

Except you can't exclude objective hardware capabilities. My shitty work PC cannot play a game even if it tried in a million years.

The argument isn't terrible if you actually took the time to think through it carefully. Sitting on a PC hunch up in front of the screen is not the same as gaming comfortably on a couch. The great thing about a couch, you can lie down and have more freedom of moment without the controllers getting in your way in any meaningful way, pretty much you can be lazy. Theoretically, you could do that with a PC but you will need to have not only a controller but a mouse and possibly a keyboard.

 

[njean777]

At the heart of this, I feel, is that most people are simply comfortable with what they're accustomed to and don't particularly want to change. Why should they? If you're perfectly satisfied with what you're doing, then keep doing it.

This property is not specific to console gamers, or to gamers generally. People, in general, get accustomed to things and then grow particularly fond of them. This can be seen with musical tastes (classical fans of the 1900s thinking of Jazz as just noise, etc), and with movie tastes (I can say that many of my friends have a particular fondness for dudebro Arnold/Stallone movies they grew up with) and a variety of other things.

And I want to point out that this is fine. It's also fine that today's kids are growing up with iPads and don't have the hatred for touch-based gaming that many members of NeoGAF do. Ultimately, I think many people start from this position -- the position of "this is what I am accustomed to" -- and then come up with arguments to defend that position, when it would really be fine to just say "I've been playing on consoles for years and it's just what I'm used to," or "I grew up playing on PC and the traditional console controller feels sort of weird to me."

I think a number of the more preposterous arguments against PC (and against handhelds and so forth) spring from this problem. People don't want to say "Well, I'm just used to consoles," so they start insisting that PC games have angular angles or that PC exclusives lack gravitas, when they really don't need to. If you grew up playing the SNES and then Playstation and then PS2 and then PS3, and now you're sort of invested in Sony's exclusives and have acquired a taste for the sorts of games on those platforms, more power to you.

That's why I just said "I don't want one" that is really the reason. No reason for anybody to have to come up with reasons, just say you either prefer consoles or don't want a PC at this time.

 

[Opiate]

The energy consumption one is a tad weird as you can built a powerful PC that doesn't use much more energy than the nex-gen consoles even under load.

The Wii U has excellent power draw (that is, it's very low). The Xbox One is mediocre, but not terrible. Really only the PS4 is a gaming-PC-esque power hog. I don't know his gaming habits, but it's perfectly possible to console game with conservative power draw. If he's a PS4 gamer specifically, then yes, that reason does not hold up.

 

[Seanspeed]

I'm surprise nobody pointed out that because of the country or location we live in, we might :

1. Not have easy access to PC parts

2. Being hit by high local prices or import taxes

3. Not have access to some online stores (GMG stopped offering their services recently where I live)

I'm a PC Gamer but living in a S-E Asian country where parts are not cheap at all, I can definitely understand why people would choose the console way. And of course Cyber Café are super popular here so owning your own is not always necessary, you even have Console Cafe (mostly for FIFA and PES).

You should ideally live in a place with half-decent internet speeds and no(or reasonable) bandwidth caps, too. If you don't have that, PC gaming can be a little troublesome. Not impossible to deal with by any means, but it ruins some of the 'ease of use' factor.

 

[Gipsy Danger]

Except you can't exclude objective hardware capabilities. My shitty work PC cannot play a game even if it tried in a million years.

The argument isn't terrible if you actually took the time to think through it carefully. Sitting on a PC hunch up in front of the screen is not the same as gaming comfortably on a couch. The great thing about a couch, you can lie down and have more freedom of moment without the controllers getting in your way in any meaningful way, pretty much you can be lazy. Theoretically, you could do that with a PC but you will need to have not only a controller but a mouse and possibly a keyboard.

Then put your PC in the living room and sit on the couch. It's a terrible argument.

 

[EGOMON]

Playing on desk with KB/M is a big no for me it is just not comfortable YES i know you can setup PC with couch and controller but still consoles do it better when it comes to ease of use and quickness not to mention console exclusives (Playstation) are my main reason i only game on consoles.
Edit: Forget to point out my region is not to big on PC gaming and internet speeds so thats another reason for me not to consider PC gaming

 

[Sentenza]

Except you can't exclude objective hardware capabilities. My shitty work PC cannot play a game even if it tried in a million years.

Who cares? That's completely anecdotal, it's the other way around for my PC: a console couldn't match it even sweating blood in the attempt.
And that wasn't even the point.

Hardware capabilities are one case-to-case matter, arguing of "being tired to sit in front of a PC" and then pretend that sitting in front of a console is any different is not, it's self-delusion.

 

[Carlius]

I'd much rather play Sony and Nintendo exclusives.

I'd much rather use OS X than god-awful Windows.

I'd hate to play online with "PC Master Race" kids. This is probably the biggest, as I find most vocal proponents for PC gaming to be insufferable.

I'd hate to sit at a computer desk/chair and use a kb/m to game. I'd similarly hate to have to lug my PC to my TV to cast the image there.

I used to play games on PC back in the Monkey Island days and again in the Half Life, Grim Fandango days but at this point there's no reason to. All those types of games will come to consoles, and I can still go buy Civ Alpha Centurai edition for my Mac when that comes out.

except our community is a lot better than xbox one with 15 year olds screming into the mic telling you theyre going to rape ur mom or something like that. in my time with cod or bf on pc, i have had maybe oe or two matches where people actually talked on the mic.

the only toxic community is the MOBA community.

 

[derExperte]

And we're back to people never having owned a comfortable office chair in which they can sit hours on end without any problem. Which I really can't and don't want to do on most couches.

 

[flyinpiranha]

I may not speak for most people, but I think my reasons are sensible, aren't they?
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=129131489#post129131489

They are. But it's all personal taste. The energy consumption one is a bit ... reaching. Unless you never use AC or Heat and don't watch TV and charge your phone, the amount used with a PC is minimal. But again, this is in comparison to a console which also uses possibly a receiver, speakers, TV, etc ...

But everything else is completely reasonable. Convenience? Understandable. I work with software every day as a job and I have issues with my setup sometimes. Ownership? Definitely, it's what keeps me from buying Day 1 on PC ... but at the same time almost all of my PC games never cost over $10 unless it's something I 'know' I'll play ... and of course the most important one you mention ... the most important thing when this all comes down to it ... exclusives, if you want to play the games that only come out on the consoles, that is definitely the #1 reason.

The biggest problem this community has (and most forums in general) is the lack of understanding. We don't get why you don't play the way we do. Much like what Opiate touched upon. A lot of people are "set in their ways" and that's fine. But, at the same time with a discussion thread such as this one it's meant to open up your options and consider other avenues of enjoying the hobby we all share. I think that gets overlooked for the more controversial viewpoints. Something that age is allowing me to ignore more and more often.

 

[Opiate]

Playing on desk with KB/M is a big no for me it is just not comfortable YES i know you can setup PC with couch and controller but still consoles do it better when it comes to ease of use and quickness not to mention console exclusives (Playstation) are my main reason i only game on consoles.
Edit: Forget to point out my region is not to big on PC gaming and internet speeds so thats another reason for me not to consider PC gaming

Can I ask what region you're in? Your reasoning is totally fine, by the way, just curious what region it is.

 

[dano1]

I have two and a ipad. But I don't play games on them. Well sometimes the ipad.

PS3/WiiU/ / PS4. On a 52"

 

[Phoenician_Viking]

I think you are missing the point: there is no FACTUAL difference between gaming on a PC or a console, if we exclude objective metrics like hardware capabilities.
I could understand something similar if it was about sports: "I'm tired to sit in front of a PC all day, so in the evening I hit the gym or go for a run every day". It would be a completely reasonable argument.
"I'm tired to sit in front a PC, so I prefer to sit in front of a gaming device that is in fact a branded PC in a small case, with limited features. That feels like an entirely different experience" is not.
It's a hilarious and completely delusional argument.

No? Can you resell your PC games? Can you barrow games from a friend?

 

[bwakh]

This simplicity and "boot and play" argument would work for consoles if it was 2 generations ago. Patching, crashing, constant updating, stability updates, waiting for downloads.... These are things that are now nearly identical on console and PC. The simplicity argument is outdated.

Don't all of these points mean the same thing?

Also, the biggest reason for me to own a console rather than a PC is that I can go buy Watch Dogs and return in 15 minutes, put Watch Dogs in the PS4 and it will boot up in seconds.

Whereas, if I wanted to game on PC through Steam and it's sales, I would have to download the entire game which, in case of Watch Dogs is 20 gigs, taking a lot of my bandwidth and time.

 

[AmyS]

Maxwell

 

[fantomena]

I boguht a gaming PC years ago. The greatest gaming purchase Ive ever made. I still have a PS3, X360, PS4, Wii U and maybe an Xbone soon, but my PC is getting most use.

 

[Dictator93]

No? Can you resell your PC games? Can you barrow games from a friend?

I borrow games on steam from friends. Yep I do.

 

[Grief.exe]

No? Can you resell your PC games? Can you barrow games from a friend?

To answer your questions. No and yes respectively.

Of course, the statement was there is no difference between gaming on console and PC. What you are referring to does not lie in the actual situation specified.

 

[The Dear Leader]

No? Can you resell your PC games? Can you barrow games from a friend?

Yes and no, you can't sell them but Steam family share allows you to share your entire Steam library with up to 10 friends of family and vice versa, you can share up to 10 friends game collections at once.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Then you must REALLY hate the new consoles! They were outdated 2 years ago!

Good thing the games don't show it.

 

[Sendou]

Good thing the games don't show it.

That depends on what you expect I guess. Worth noting at this stage is that someone might be completely satisfied with how last-gen games look too. Nothing wrong with that either.

 

[StevieP]

No? Can you resell your PC games? Can you barrow games from a friend?

No, you can't resell digital games. But they are much cheaper. Steam has a solution for barrowing.

Don't all of these points mean the same thing?

Also, the biggest reason for me to own a console rather than a PC is that I can go buy Watch Dogs and return in 15 minutes, put Watch Dogs in the PS4 and it will boot up in seconds.

Whereas, if I wanted to game on PC through Steam and it's sales, I would have to download the entire game which, in case of Watch Dogs is 20 gigs, taking a lot of my bandwidth and time.

Watch dogs will not boot up in 15 seconds on your ps4, unless you have some super prepatched ps5 that no one else has. It will require multiple patches. If it's your first boot you will need an install. And If you really want to save your bandwidth many AAA PC releases still have a physical disc you can buy.

 

[Nabs]

No? Can you resell your PC games? Can you barrow games from a friend?

You can certainly borrow games from friends on PC. It's called Steam Family Sharing. I'm currently playing a friends copy of Dead Rising 3 with another friend. I get achievements and cloud saves like everyone else.

 

[Sentenza]

No? Can you resell your PC games? Can you barrow games from a friend?

No (and I wouldn't, anyway) and yes (and I do it quite regularly).
But the most baffling part is that your objection is COMPLETELY UNRELATED to what we were arguing about, so i'm not sure why you felt the urge to throw your "rebuttals" in.

 

[Sendou]

You can certainly borrow games from friends on PC. It's called Steam Family Sharing. I'm currently playing a friends copy of Dead Rising 3 with another friend. I get achievements and cloud saves like everyone else.

More so family sharing makes borrowing games a lot easier than physically sharing copies on consoles is. There are limitations but even considering them I feel that is the case. Of course digitally sharing your games on consoles is not a thing and quite frankly I doubt it will be in near future.

 

[Devilgunman]

Everything is a hassle on a gaming PC. I vastly prefer console gaming. Also, I like the games that the console platform holders put out.

I do have a gaming PC, but i feel that I don't like the gaming experience on it so I.don't think I will upgrade it any time in the near future.

This is pretty much my opinion as well. I do game on PC but majority of time I prefer console. There is always headache here and there when playing PC games. Like this past week when I played FFXIV, my PC just rebooted itself and gave me a brief blue screen or a few years ago when my ram just died and I couldnt get my PC to boot. Some games just don't work properly and I need to google solutions. Like when I installed Hot Line Miami, the game messed up the start screen so I couldn't get in the game. Or when I played The Walking Dead and lost my progress because the game decided to put save files in the wrong place. Random shits like this happen on PC but rarely happen to me when I play console. The worst that ever happen to me when I game on console is the game freezes, and all I have to do is reboot the console and its fixed. No hassle. No google search. And that only happened a few times in the entire PS3 gen and into this gen.

Another reason I game on console is because all my friends are there. Nobody I know game on Steam. Many of them don't even know what it is.

 

[Dictator93]

Everything is a hassle on a gaming PC.

How starting my PC works.

1. Turn it on
2. Man it doesnt work, replug it back in
3. It works, get into windows.
4. Windows blue screens and I spend 30 minutes trouble shooting it.
5. Windows is fixed but now when I load up Dark Souls 2 it says "missing darksouls2.exe"
6. Download printer drivers to fix darksouls 2 problem
7. Finally get in game and am killed by an invader who is dropping tactical nukes with each swordstrike.
8. Relish that it took half as long as it usually did.