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[silvermember]

When all else fails, call them pirates.

Who knew reading was hard. Never called anybody pirate, I said far likely because statistically that would be true. If I wanted to call him a pirate, I would do it directly. what am I afraid of?

I think he was referring to the Wii versions of those games, which are fairly trivial to rip and run on a PC. That's a hell of an assumption you've made about his post.

Not really since both wii u and wii have games that share the same name. Maybe he should have specified that he was referring to brawl. Subtitles are a thing.

 

[cleansock]

Brb guys gotta reboot for my third driver update of the morning. Geez, these bi-weekly hardware upgrades are really annoying.

As per the OP's question, I'd say convenience (a broad term) and exclusives would be the main reasons. Of course different people might have different reasons.

The cpu and ram updates are the worst.

 

[tuxfool]

You are right, If you go back, you see that I support the existence of consoles.

Still, As I said, I assume that the minimum level of people posting on this forum is high enough for going into a graphic option menu.

Maybe I am wrong on that too.

Yeah you're wrong. You should have seen the thread where people were adamant out not having options on console games.

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

We'll just have to agree to disagree. I still think it's a trivial process and the only thing stopping people is laziness. You even point that out yourself in the bolded. That's laziness, nothing to do with how difficult it is. I started building machines when I was 14, I would hardly consider myself exceptional.

There's no way you are equating building a computer with learning Linux or C++, which are far and away more complex.

There's nothing lazy about thinking you can't accomplish something because it's too difficult. Learning curves are alive, real, and it's not laziness that makes them so.

I'm not equating them, I'm comparing the mentality. I really wish these threads weren't so combative so we could have an actual discussion, instead of people just jumping on the attack for every supporting point they misunderstand.

 

[Leafhopper]

The cpu and ram updates are the worst.

Gotta update the firmware on my computer case.

 

[derExperte]

The cpu and ram updates are the worst.

Why, just download some.

I pretty sure both have local multiplayer, which few games have nowadays.

http://store.steampowered.com/tag/browse/#global_7368
http://store.steampowered.com/tag/browse/#global_3841

For example Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is the fourth highest ranked game on Steam, local mp only and a PC exclusive (for now).
Wait, Mount Your Friends isn't available for current gen consoles? Yeah, what's the point then.

 

[RealityCheque]

Not really since both wii u and wii have games that share the same name. Maybe he should have specified that he was referring to brawl. Subtitles are a thing.

No. Considering Wii u games are only at a very early stage of emulation and Smash doesn't even work yet, then its pretty obvious he's referring to the wii versions. You saw the games, made an assumption and labelled him a criminal without any evidence of any kind. The thing to do would be to withdraw what you said and say sorry.

 

[silvermember]

The PC performance threads are always full of people talking about finding the right drivers for new titles, and people dealing with random crashes that are often driver related. Gaming podcasts feature discussions about hours spent tweaking settings to get a game to run properly. I've owned PCs from major manufacturers where there was no combination of drivers that worked correctly. just tradeoffs from one set of problems to another.

I have limited free time and literally none of these headaches with a console.

I think it's fair to say I'm as technically inclined as someone is likely to get (career in software, working hands-on at senior levels for companies that are household names) but after a few decades of PC gaming I eventually settled comfortably onto consoles as my primary gaming platform. I'm not surprised that many from all walks of life make the same decision.

It funny, those same pc badass most of them will never install Linux even though there are guides everywhere online. It is almost like people hate unnecessary complex systems when there is a significantly easier and more user friendly system available.

No. Considering Wii u games are only at a very early stage of emulation and Smash doesn't even work yet, then its pretty obvious he's referring to the wii versions. You saw the games, made an assumption and labelled him a criminal without any evidence of any kind. The thing to do would be to withdraw what you said and say sorry.

No the thing to do is specify the game he was referring to. Subtitles exist to avoid such confusion, they were designed for this very reason. I did not label him a criminal. Why would not call him a pirate directly?. Why use multiple words when a single word would have worked. My statement was design to assume he wasn't.

In any case, don't get flustered what some guy online is saying to someone who isn't you. He quickly cleared up the misunderstanding and life goes on. This wasn't your "battle" you have no role in this play. You are not a guest.

 

[kamandi]

Do we really need a pc versus console thread every week? I really dont see the point.

 

[tuxfool]

No. Considering Wii u games are only at a very early stage of emulation and Smash doesn't even work yet, then its pretty obvious he's referring to the wii versions. You saw the games, made an assumption and labelled him a criminal without any evidence of any kind. The thing to do would be to withdraw what you said and say sorry.

Nobody says sorry to a pirate. That is just asking them to chop off your head.

 

[SmokedMeat]

This thread has gone way off the rails.

As if this one was going to be any different then past PC superiority/consoles suck threads.

 

[zeemumu]

Less fuss over use and whether or not my console can run a game, exclusive titles, and I still get to buy physical copies of games.

 

[StevieP]

It funny, those same pc badass most of them will never install Linux even though there are guides everywhere online. It is almost like people hate unnecessary complex systems when there is a significantly easier and more user friendly system available.

No. Most games are released for (primarily) windows and so too are the driver development teams focused. The state of Linux gpu drivers is poor in comparison. Installing Linux with gnome or kde is piss easy nowadays as well, btw.

 

[Gipsy Danger]

It funny, those same pc badass most of them will never install Linux even though there are guides everywhere online. It is almost like people hate unnecessary complex systems when there is a significantly easier and more user friendly system available.

Linus is a better OS than Windows without a doubt but until it has the software support that Windows has then it isn't worth transitioning over. There's also a BIG difference between switching from Windows -> Linux and switching from Consoles -> Windows. Besides, Linux is more complex than Windows but it's not THAT complex.

 

[derExperte]

It funny, those same pc badass most of them will never install Linux even though there are guides everywhere online. It is almost like people hate unnecessary complex systems when there is a significantly easier and more user friendly system available.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/...gnificant-performance-hit-for-steamos-gaming/

I'm capable and willing to try out other operating systems and I've done that in the past but at the end of the day Windows is better suited for what I do. Linux has its place, I'm glad it exists and I wish SteamOS would be better but there just aren't enough reasons for the average user to switch even if user friendliness isn't a concern.

 

[kavanf1]

So today it basically boils down to consoles creating an illusion of being easier to handle.

PC just doesn't present itself as something that's easy to use.

I think so, yes. After all, consoles are just PCs specced for specific functionality running unique operating systems. The most significant difference between them is how they present their front end and how the user experience is. And that in turn leads on to...

Some of the predictions is that the console generation after Xbox One and Playstation 4 will take PC like approaches, with the ability to refresh them with forward compatibility at some point, just like PC`s are today.

Besides the exclusive games, what`s the point in buying such systems over a PC? Digital games on PC are already a lot cheaper than consoles.

If console hardware upgrades became a thing, they could be successful as long as they maintained a plug and play functionality. Games would need to be built to be functional at the lowest spec, with higher specs being catered for. As long as the settings were automated as much as possible to maintain the main benefits of consoles, they could definitely be successful.

Purist PC gamers would hate it, and it would still need to be a closed system with limited authorised upgrades etc, but it's feasible.

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

No. Most games are released for (primarily) windows and so too are the driver development teams focused. The state of Linux gpu drivers is poor in comparison.

No for gaming, obviously, but it's a very fair comparison.

You want a really cool, clean and performing desktop for daily use? Linux is the place to get it. It's not easy though. Roughly as hard as learning how to be good at Windows.

Most people won't touch Linux though, for a variety of reasons, game support being the obvious one, but the difficulty of learning how to use a whole new OS be a secondary factor. It's the same thing for getting proficient in Windows, which is what a gaming PC entails.

Linus is a better OS than Windows without a doubt but until it has the software support that Windows has then it isn't worth transitioning over. There's also a BIG difference between switching from Windows -> Linux and switching from Consoles -> Windows. Besides, Linux is more complex than Windows but it's not THAT complex.

You must be quite the IT person if you think basically everything OS related is super easy and no trouble for anyone.

 

[CaviarMeths]

The end goal and appeal to consumers is still the same - you buy a relatively cheap box to put under your TV, plug it in, and relax on your couch with a video game. Today's gaming landscape has just given casual players much less incentive to do that. The console market is adapting to this. It's taking cues from PC and mobile because frankly, both of those markets are growing at a much faster rate than dedicated console gaming.

The PS4 and XB1 are already "PC-lite" experiences. I think the NX will be too, but also take very heavily influence from smart devices. What we define as a console could be very different in 10 years time. The future for a box with standardized specs and architecture is here to stay though, for both developers and consumers. PCs will never have a monopoly on core gaming.

And despite the out-of-the-gates insane success of the PS4, I really think $300 is that sweet spot for the market. Launching at $400 and staying $400 for 2 years will probably never happen again.

 

[kavanf1]

I really wish these threads weren't so combative so we could have an actual discussion, instead of people just jumping on the attack for every supporting point they misunderstand.

Well said, it's pretty disappointing that the most controversial opinions get all the attention when there's good discussion to be had around the topic. Speaking about a subject with a moderate view always seems to be viewed as a weakness, which is a shame.

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

Well said, it's pretty disappointing that the most controversial opinions get all the attention when there's good discussion to be had around the topic. Speaking about a subject with a moderate view always seems to be viewed as a weakness, which is a shame.

Why debate your intellectual equal when you can pick on the village idiot?

Because it's easier. Like consoles.

 

[Gipsy Danger]

No for gaming, obviously, but it's a very fair comparison.

You want a really cool, clean and performing desktop for daily use? Linux is the place to get it. It's not easy though. Roughly as hard as learning how to be good at Windows.

Most people won't touch Linux though, for a variety of reasons, game support being the obvious one, but the difficulty of learning how to use a whole new OS be a secondary factor. It's the same thing for getting proficient in Windows, which is what a gaming PC entails.

This is not a fair comparison at all because this is ALL about gaming. Why would a Windows user switch to an OS and lose hundreds of games that were available to them? If you switch from console to PC you will lose out on maybe 25-50 games, quality aside it's nowhere near the same.

You must be quite the IT person if you think basically everything OS related is super easy and no trouble for anyone.

I made it pretty clear that I think Linux is a complex OS but not as bad as people would believe. Most of the hard work is done for you with specific distros. If you can handle most things on a Windows PC then you can probably make the change with a little effort.

 

[StevieP]

No for gaming, obviously, but it's a very fair comparison.

You want a really cool, clean and performing desktop for daily use? Linux is the place to get it. It's not easy though. Roughly as hard as learning how to be good at Windows.

Most people won't touch Linux though, for a variety of reasons, game support being the obvious one, but the difficulty of learning how to use a whole new OS be a secondary factor. It's the same thing for getting proficient in Windows, which is what a gaming PC entails.



You must be quite the IT person if you think basically everything OS related is super easy and no trouble for anyone.

Getting good at anything requires work. Normal use requires very little. Modern windows protects and caretakes itself, and installs with very little user intervention. Modern drivers prompt for updates, same as on consoles. Installing and getting an account for origin, steam, etc takes less work/time than opening a Facebook account.

But I guess that's why PC is far and away the most popular gaming platform worldwide outside of mobile, and why steam easily has more market share than any of the current consoles and will continue to.

 

[hardcastlemccormick]

This is not a fair comparison at all because this is ALL about gaming. Why would a Windows user switch to an OS and lose hundreds of games that were available to them? If you switch from console to PC you will lose out on maybe 25-50 games, quality aside it's nowhere near the same.



I made it pretty clear that I think Linux is a complex OS but not as bad as people would believe. Most of the hard work is done for you with specific distros. If you can handle most things on a Windows PC then you can probably make the change with a little effort.

I think comparing the learning curve of Windows is fair game to the learning curve of Linux. The end goal may not be the same, but what it asks if the user - to become proficient in an operating system - is a very valid point. Similar to learning anything at all.

Linux is hard. It requires a lot of effort. It was hard for me when I started and still is, and I did Linux work for a living for two years. I don't know how you can justify saying it isn't with a straight face.

Getting good at anything requires work. Normal use requires very little. Modern windows protects and caretakes itself, and installs with very little user intervention. Modern drivers prompt for updates, same as on consoles. Installing and getting an account for origin, steam, etc takes less work/time than opening a Facebook account.

But I guess that's why PC is far and away the most popular gaming platform worldwide outside of mobile, and why easily steam has more market share than any of the current consoles.

Normal use of a computer requires very little effort, that's true. The first few days though, those are tough. Preconfigured machines help, but then you're dealing with adware and a high price. It's all a trade off, it all takes a lot of effort and research. Pretending this isn't hard is just going to drive people away. It is hard, but it isn't impossible.

But then you said it, getting good at anything takes work. Hence why people use consoles. Hence why PC is kind of annoying sometimes. You have found the point I've been trying to make.

 

[purdobol]

It funny, those same pc badass most of them will never install Linux even though there are guides everywhere online. It is almost like people hate unnecessary complex systems when there is a significantly easier and more user friendly system available.

Linux is not unnecessary complex. It's configurable and has different folder structure. Which is hard to get used to for long term Windows users. What Linux lacks is proper GPU support from vendors. AMD drivers at least are awful (don't know about Nvidia). PulseAudio and X11 also should be rewritten from scratch but that's going off topic.

You can play games on Linux but it's not gaming platform.

 

[silvermember]

Linus is a better OS than Windows without a doubt but until it has the software support that Windows has then it isn't worth transitioning over. There's also a BIG difference between switching from Windows -> Linux and switching from Consoles -> Windows. Besides, Linux is more complex than Windows but it's not THAT complex.

So you are saying that software is the key. Is it possible that people buy consoles because of the software aka games and ease of use? Just like you/people prefer windows over Linux also due to software and ease of use.

Objectively if a platform lacks many of the software you need, then it is worthless.

The problem with op and many "pc is gr8" topics they assume people are buying the hardware when in reality they are buying the platform which is a combo of software and hardware, but mainly software.

 

[jormungand]

Consoles are pretty useful to play games like Batman Arkham Knight.
heh

 

[Gipsy Danger]

So you are saying that software is the key. Is it possible that people buy consoles because of the software aka games and ease of use? Just like you/people prefer windows over Linux also due to software and ease of use.

Objectively if a platform lacks many of the software you need, then it is worthless.

The problem with op and many "pc is gr8" topics they assume people are buying the hardware when in reality they are buying the platform which is a combo of software and hardware, but mainly software.

I knew you were going to say this. At no point did I say people shouldn't pick consoles over PC. If they prefer the games on PS4 then they should buy a PS4, it's pretty simple. I have only been arguing against the fact that people think PC is this complicated thing that "normal" people can't grasp when it's just not true. If people want to play on consoles then do it, I don't care. Just don't talk about how difficult and user-unfriendly PCs are when this hasn't been the case for years.

Consoles are pretty useful to play games like Batman Arkham Knight.
heh

One worse port in years and it will never be forgotten.

 

[Chezzymann]

My main reason is that I know exactly how a console game will run. On PC, all you can do is look at recommended and minimum settings. And if the game only runs at 20 fps on low you're fucked.

Also, ease of use. I ran into a bunch of headache inducing bugs or crashing in my days as a PC gamer and had to troubleshoot a lot. My most recent experience was Rocket league, it would only load a black screen on start up which was really frustrating. Ive had other odd issues, like really strange graphical problems in far cry 3 that made the game unplayable. (the game world wouldn't render past a certain distance, if I went far enough it was just black)

 

[StevieP]

I think comparing the learning curve of Windows is fair game to the learning curve of Linux. The end goal may not be the same, but what it asks if the user - to become proficient in an operating system - is a very valid point. Similar to learning anything at all.

Linux is hard. It requires a lot of effort. It was hard for me when I started and still is, and I did Linux work for a living for two years. I don't know how you can justify saying it isn't with a straight face.



Normal use of a computer requires very little effort, that's true. The first few days though, those are tough. Preconfigured machines help, but then you're dealing with adware and a high price. It's all a trade off, it all takes a lot of effort and research. Pretending this isn't hard is just going to drive people away. It is hard, but it isn't impossible.

But then you said it, getting good at anything takes work. Hence why people use consoles. Hence why PC is kind of annoying sometimes. You have found the point I've been trying to make.

But you don't need to "git gud" at using Windows in order to game on it. You install it once, it updates stuf on its own, then you load steam and click on a game. Like browsing through your library on consoles.

General users don't need to know how to create a raid array in disk management or anything remotely complicated or even use dosbox anymore to play old software (because the storefronts do this for you)

So you are saying that software is the key. Is it possible that people buy consoles because of the software aka games and ease of use? Just like you/people prefer windows over Linux also due to software and ease of use.

Objectively if a platform lacks many of the software you need, then it is worthless.

The problem with op and many "pc is gr8" topics they assume people are buying the hardware when in reality they are buying the platform which is a combo of software and hardware, but mainly software.

There is a much larger breadth of software on PC

Consoles are pretty useful to play games like Batman Arkham Knight.
heh

I too can cap at 30fps and drop settings to play a shitty game. But that one now performs and looks better if you have the hardware.

My main reason is that I know exactly how a console game will run. On PC, all you can do is look at recommended and minimum settings. And if the game only runs at 20 fps on low you're fucked.

Also, ease of use. I ran into a bunch of headache inducing bugs or crashing in my days as a PC gamer and had to troubleshoot a lot.

On PC, if your game is running 20fps you have the option to fix it. On consoles, you're fucked.

 

[Aiustis]

Exclusives
Where your friends play
Slightly easier to use.
Brand loyalty

 

[kavanf1]

So you are saying that software is the key. Is it possible that people buy consoles because of the software aka games and ease of use?

Almost exactly what I was saying above, except I'd make the distinction that the key software is not games. Software includes the console OS and it's primarily this (as opposed to any individual games) that make playing on console a more straightforward experience than playing on PC.

 

[Chezzymann]

On PC, if your game is running 20fps you have the option to fix it. On consoles, you're fucked.

I can research it on consoles and know exactly how it is going to run down to the very last frame rate and pixel resolution before purchasing. On PC, I can't and would have to spend more money on better parts to fix the problem. To me, the console way of things is much better since I don't have the anxiety of worrying about how it will run.

 

[Gipsy Danger]

I can research it on consoles and know exactly how it is going to run before purchasing. On PC, I can't and would have to spend more money on better parts to fix the problem. To me, the console way of things is much better since I don't have the anxiety of worrying about how it will run.

But then you just don't get to play the game. How is that better?

 

[StevieP]

I can research it on consoles and know exactly how it is going to run down to the very last frame rate before purchasing. On PC, I can't and would have to spend more money on better parts to fix the problem. To me, the console way of things is much better since I don't have the anxiety of worrying about how it will run.

Or, you can, you know, drop settings. Aa, shadows, draw distance. In fact that's what game developers do to get these games running on consoles. Drop things (more aggressive LOD, lower res textures, less aa or post aa, little af, etc). You don't have this option for the console game that's dropping frames. See: so many digital foundry threads. If you don't like anxiety use raptr or GeForce experience and pretend you have a console. It generally configures games to your hardware.

 

[mcarlie]

uwotm8. Do you mean like electricity or did you mean to say price/performance? Because you would be wrong.

I meant to say price to performance of course.

[IMG ]http://media.steampowered.com/steam/news/9495/news.jpg[/IMG ]

SteamOS is a valid alternative to the operating systems on consoles, but big picture on a PC running windows would still mean that I have to deal with keyboard and mouse. I've tried having a PC hooked up to a TV before but I don't like it. You could probably have some script that automatically runs steam in big picture when windows starts, but then you've still got the whole windows OS overhead.

 

[Gipsy Danger]

I meant to say price to performance of course.

Certainly makes more sense but I don't agree. I think they are very comparable and PC will have the advantage soon because prices are constantly dropping for PC parts.

 

[Chezzymann]

But then you just don't get to play the game. How is that better?

Not purchasing it because it doesn't run well is better to me than being in a situation where I purchased the game and didn't know I couldn't run it as well as I wanted and am forced to upgrade my machine if I want to play it like that. Also usually with these things there's patches and updates on consoles that fix those performance problems eventually, while on PC if its just too graphically demanding for your machine there's usually nothing you can do outside putting the settings down to low and trying some optimization software to boost your frame rate a little, but that's more PC headache inducing stuff that I don't want to fool with.

Or, you can, you know, drop settings. Aa, shadows, draw distance. In fact that's what game developers do to get these games running on consoles. Drop things (more aggressive LOD, lower res textures, less aa or post aa, little af, etc). You don't have this option for the console game that's dropping frames. See: so many digital foundry threads. If you don't like anxiety use raptr or GeForce experience and pretend you have a console. It generally configures games to your hardware.

I'm generally not a fan of dropping settings down to the point where the game looks ugly compared to the screenshots or game play videos I saw before purchasing. Its just frustrating seeing how good the game looks at just a few ticks higher compared to what I have to run it at when my hardware starts to get outdated. I'd rather just play consoles and forget about all that performance tweaking stuff. I'm just not a fan of the entire cycle of 'games run fine at first, few years later they don't run as well but its still okay at like medium settings, couple years later you have to buy new parts if you want to run the latest games past lowest settings" and would rather skip it entirely even if that means me not playing some games due to performance issues (or at least waiting for a patch)

 

[RichiRamjag]

But you don't need to "git gud" at using Windows in order to game on it. You install it once, it updates stuf on its own, then you load steam and click on a game. Like browsing through your library on consoles.

General users don't need to know how to create a raid array in disk management or anything remotely complicated or even use dosbox anymore to play old software (because the storefronts do this for you)



There is a much larger breadth of software on PC



I too can cap at 30fps and drop settings to play a shitty game. But that one now performs and looks better if you have the hardware.



On PC, if your game is running 20fps you have the option to fix it. On consoles, you're fucked.

There are lots of other minor details missing from this description as well as issues that may or may not arise.

Certainly makes more sense but I don't agree. I think they are very comparable and PC will have the advantage soon because prices are constantly dropping for PC parts.

I don't think pricing has been a major issue for years.

 

[silvermember]

I knew you were going to say this. At no point did I say people shouldn't pick consoles over PC. If they prefer the games on PS4 then they should buy a PS4, it's pretty simple. I have only been arguing against the fact that people think PC is this complicated thing that "normal" people can't grasp when it's just not true. If people want to play on consoles then do it, I don't care. Just don't talk about how difficult and user-unfriendly PCs are when this hasn't been the case for years.



One worse port in years and it will never be forgotten.

I wasn't implying you said that or at least I wasn't trying to. All i was simply doing is simply summarizing it, admittedly it might have been unneeded.

Almost exactly what I was saying above, except I'd make the distinction that the key software is not games. Software includes the console OS and it's primarily this (as opposed to any individual games) that make playing on console a more straightforward experience than playing on PC.

Well I wouldn't say OS mostly because people buy consoles to play the games. It does not define the console more than the games. I mean if you wanted to you could barely interact with the OS and still play games. the OS is more of a background kind of deal, when it works nobody cares when it is really bad they do care. At least that is what I believe anyways. I mean few buy a console because its OS is super awesome.

Linux is not unnecessary complex. It's configurable and has different folder structure. Which is hard to get used to for long term Windows users. What Linux lacks is proper GPU support from vendors. AMD drivers at least are awful (don't know about Nvidia). PulseAudio and X11 also should be rewritten from scratch but that's going off topic.

You can play games on Linux but it's not gaming platform.

So you are saying it is difficult because that is what the bold statement implies. If someone isn't easily doable by default it means it is hard. That's like saying learning french isn't hard, all you have to do is grow up speaking it. It is a meaningless statement because it doesn't change the fact I did not grow up using Linux and neither did most people. Also relying on guides makes it even more difficult since it is not inuitive as windows. Even a child can easily learn it.

Or for that matter a great platform for software. Since it lacks a lot of important software needed for real productivity.

 

[Gully State]

They're much easier to use. Just hook them up to your TV and play. Don't bother with anything else.

Maybe prior to last gen...But consoles have hardly been purely hook up and play for awhile now.

 

[mcarlie]

Certainly makes more sense but I don't agree. I think they are very comparable and PC will have the advantage soon because prices are constantly dropping for PC parts.

I think that towards the end of the generation the ratio becomes better for PC, but as of right now it seems that you'll get more out of a PS4 or Xbox One than a PC for the same price.

 

[LegendofLex]

Besides the exclusive games, what`s the point in buying such systems over a PC? Digital games on PC are already a lot cheaper than consoles.

Plug in and play.

 

[kavanf1]

Well I wouldn't say OS mostly because people buy consoles to play the games. It does not define the console more than the games. I mean if you wanted to you could barely interact with the OS and still play games. the OS is more of a background kind of deal, when it works nobody cares when it is really bad they do care. At least that is what I believe anyways. I mean few buy a console because its OS is super awesome.

I'm not saying the reason people buy consoles is because of the OS, I'm saying that people buy consoles for convenience and ease of use, and the main difference between console and PC in facilitating that ease of use is the OS.

Games are a huge draw as well, of course, but each platform can hold its own there.

 

[BokehKing]

ease of use and playing with your friends

This, people seem to forget that it's alot easier to get your friends to buy a console than some $1000 gaming rig

Plus PC gaming has that.......you know
It's perceived as more nerdy by the outside world

 

[Sheriff_Battlesnake]

I can plug my PC into my TV and play too.

You're kind of ignoring the ease of use part. I don't have the $$$ to keep up with what games demand.

 

[Ziffles]

SteamOS is a valid alternative to the operating systems on consoles, but big picture on a PC running windows would still mean that I have to deal with keyboard and mouse. I've tried having a PC hooked up to a TV before but I don't like it. You could probably have some script that automatically runs steam in big picture when windows starts, but then you've still got the whole windows OS overhead.

Also, what overhead? Like RAM usage?

 

[Enigmatic Rainbow]

This, people seem to forget that it's alot easier to get your friends to buy a console than some $1000 gaming rig

Plus PC gaming has that.......you know
It's perceived as more nerdy by the outside world

This is why I only play mobile games, only the cool kids do it. I'm just passing the time.

 

[Draft]

My favorite posts in these threads are about how someone codes all day, a regular crash override all day with the computing and the debugging, and when that person comes home all they want to do is crash into the fluffy embrace of the big comfy couch and just play some games man, real simple you know?, buttons not keys, analog sticks, everything just works, no drivers, no benchmarks, no patches, just put in the Blu Ray and play, man.

 

[old manatee]

This, people seem to forget that it's alot easier to get your friends to buy a console than some $1000 gaming rig

Plus PC gaming has that.......you know
It's perceived as more nerdy by the outside world

Nobody ever got ahead in this world being nerdy.

 

[Curufinwe]

Maybe prior to last gen...But consoles have hardly been purely hook up and play for awhile now.

There's a big difference between having to download updates & patches and install games on consoles and the kind of issues you can still run into on PC.

Skyrim randomly quit to desktop on my wife hundreds of times while she played it, and no amount of tweaking or googling what might be causing the problem could fix it.