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Why the PC Should Become The Home Base for Every HardCore Gamer
- Thread starter nbthedude
- Start date
I agree. "Enthusiasts" is probably a better term I could have used. I think the two are pretty much synonymous but I understand cringing a bit at the descriptor, though. For example, I would have no problem saying I was a gaming "enthusiasts" but I'm sure as hell not gonna go around going talking about how "hardcore" I am. So yeah... that was probably a mistake.
I sat down yesterday, slapped in Socom Special Forces and wanted to play the game.
48 minutes later I was playing. 48 fucking minutes. I certainly didn't sit down to play
And it'll get worse next-gen with mandatory installs for every game.
Couch gaming on PC has gotten better in recent years. The only knock to PC gaming over consoles though is controller support. More and more games are supporting it, but it's still not quite universal and I consider that a drawback. It's also not needed for every game, but it's nice to have for those who would rather not m/kb games.
The only other thing consoles have are exclusives, which there would be a few I would miss. The overall lack of JRPGs and a few other games (ND, Polyphony) would be missed.
The only other thing consoles have are exclusives, which there would be a few I would miss. The overall lack of JRPGs and a few other games (ND, Polyphony) would be missed.
ThoughtsOfSpeaking
Banned
My biggest problem with PC gaming has always been this :- to build a small HTPC that outclasses a console always costs at least and wont last more than a year or two without needing some form of upgrading.
I was surprised there was another person that didn't own a TV, not implying it was normal.
Barack Lesnar
Banned
I went almost 4 years without cleaning my PC. Yesterday I got a vacuum and sucked out all the dust because it would turn off during gameplay due to the CPU fan being caked in dust. Once in 4 years, not bad.
Get Nvidia's new (CLOUD POWERED!) Geforce Experience thing and let it set the settings for you?
Desktop computer sales have crashed, and gaming laptops are considerably more expensive (if anyone still wants a bulky ass laptop).
I love PC gaming, been doing it since the TRS-80 days and building/upgrading my own rigs since the biggest tech add-ons for gaming were sound cards, but no. If PC gaming becomes the "home of gaming" where building and keeping your rig up to date is an entry level requirement, gaming will be more of a niche market than cosplaying or LARPing, and the interest and resources going into making new games will pretty much be hobbiest demos (think Minecraft texture packs being the majority of what's shown off in the PC screenshot thread, and 3 man team indie games being the AAA blockbuster titles that come out once every 3 years).
Edit: misread and kneejerked a lot, but while I do agree and think that PC gaming has been the home of the most hardcore enthusiasts, we shouldn't also abandon console gaming, since as weird as it sound we want to keep a leg in with the more casual audience since in essence (and this is the weird part) we actually help set the long term trends, and there's far more of them so we do benefit as much (if not more) as we suffer to have their voices/dollars added to our own.
Edit: misread and kneejerked a lot, but while I do agree and think that PC gaming has been the home of the most hardcore enthusiasts, we shouldn't also abandon console gaming, since as weird as it sound we want to keep a leg in with the more casual audience since in essence (and this is the weird part) we actually help set the long term trends, and there's far more of them so we do benefit as much (if not more) as we suffer to have their voices/dollars added to our own.
Well this was mainly the god-awful patching. Sony still has massive routing issues in some countries.
I feel you but what has made it easier for me is that most modern games just have a "low," "medium," "high," "ultra" simple config. I stopped spending a lot of time tinkering with most games. I just throw it on high and enjoy my session. Next time I boot it up, I might pop a few things up or two depending on how smooth I noticed it playing last time. It's all about just learning to be comfortable not fussing over ever detail, you know?
Exploding8
Member
Have an AMd card :/
Tbh with current games I'm trying to avoid PC threads which invariable descend into config tweaks, and just playing. I'm slowly getting better at it
You are ignoring my qualifier. I didn't say PC should be the "home base" for everyone who plays videogames. I said it should be the base for the "hardcore," which I should have said "enthusiast" instead. I laid out the reasons why people who are real enthusiasts in the hobby should consider it their staple in the OP.
Yeah, that's one of the drawbacks to laptops though. You have to wait for the laptop manufacturer to come out with their version of the video card drivers. As far as "newer games", well it's Arkham City, Sleeping Dogs, Borderlands 2, and Planetside 2. So yeah, newish.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
Building an HTPC that outclasses consoles will last you at least until those self-same consoles are outclassed.
You don't need to upgrade every year or two.
EDIT:
well, unless you MUST play EVERY GAME at ULTRA, but then why would you be comparing to a console anyway?
I don't even.... What?!
BrickArmour
Member
Little background:
Long term gamer here. I started on the Atari 2600 and an original x86 PC. Subsequently, all my gaming was on PC until I finally started buying consoles and PCs around the time of the N64. Finally, consoles seemed to bring me the kinds of content I wanted and stem the constant upgraditis I experienced on PCs. So, I dropped the PC paltform and went straight consoles with the Xbox/PS2/GameCube. I owned all 3 last gen as well.
Things change:
I am planning to get something at the end of this year. This console cycle lasted too long and I am itching to see some next gen graphics. But it turns out that xbox did something to my gaming expectations that I didn't expect. I demand clean, common multiplayer setup on my system of choice. I game every week with a group of friends (between 4 and 12 or so people show up). I want to see their online status. I want to add them into party chat. I want to send texts or voicemails. I want to send game invites, etc. I want this all to work seamlessly across any game that we might play. This is what XBL has given to me and now I need it.
Question:
So, can I get this on a PC? I have a couple friends that have PCs and they seemed pretty excited about Steam. But I got the impression that there is not one common system across Steam for MP gaming. It is essentially just a sales hub and patch hub for many different game implemented many different ways. Chat in Game 1 may be different from chat in Game 2. It takes me back to the days of setting up Roger Wilco servers and game servers and then joining the server and having the host complaint hat he was running the server and playing the game on his PC so he was at a disadvantage... and on and on.
Have things gotten better? Is it seamless on PC? Can I have a console-like MP experience with a PC?
Long term gamer here. I started on the Atari 2600 and an original x86 PC. Subsequently, all my gaming was on PC until I finally started buying consoles and PCs around the time of the N64. Finally, consoles seemed to bring me the kinds of content I wanted and stem the constant upgraditis I experienced on PCs. So, I dropped the PC paltform and went straight consoles with the Xbox/PS2/GameCube. I owned all 3 last gen as well.
Things change:
I am planning to get something at the end of this year. This console cycle lasted too long and I am itching to see some next gen graphics. But it turns out that xbox did something to my gaming expectations that I didn't expect. I demand clean, common multiplayer setup on my system of choice. I game every week with a group of friends (between 4 and 12 or so people show up). I want to see their online status. I want to add them into party chat. I want to send texts or voicemails. I want to send game invites, etc. I want this all to work seamlessly across any game that we might play. This is what XBL has given to me and now I need it.
Question:
So, can I get this on a PC? I have a couple friends that have PCs and they seemed pretty excited about Steam. But I got the impression that there is not one common system across Steam for MP gaming. It is essentially just a sales hub and patch hub for many different game implemented many different ways. Chat in Game 1 may be different from chat in Game 2. It takes me back to the days of setting up Roger Wilco servers and game servers and then joining the server and having the host complaint hat he was running the server and playing the game on his PC so he was at a disadvantage... and on and on.
Have things gotten better? Is it seamless on PC? Can I have a console-like MP experience with a PC?
PC also has the best games, consistently. I'm actually going to do a Sins of a Solar Empire Marathon this afternoon, unless Age of Empires II HD steals me away.
Of course you can get it on the PC. Steam does almost all of that--chat, multiplayer support (it depends on the game, but everything with Steamworks seems to use Steamworks), and a host of party chat options. From Steam's native voice chat to a Mumble or Ventrilo server to plain Skype party chat, PC gaming has you covered.
Sup. Dat Humble Bundle 8's kinda amazing.
Of course you can get it on the PC. Steam does almost all of that--chat, multiplayer support (it depends on the game, but everything with Steamworks seems to use Steamworks), and a host of party chat options. From Steam's native voice chat to a Mumble or Ventrilo server to plain Skype party chat, PC gaming has you covered.
Sup. Dat Humble Bundle 8's kinda amazing.
BoosterDuck
Banned
If anything, handhelds should be the home base for every hardcore gamer.
So amazing
So amazing
truth but this gen I went PC + Wii + psp and I had a blast, the only games I really missed where valkyria chronicles 1, the tales of and I migth add the last of us to the list.
I plan to go PC + Wii U + 3DS this gen
chickdigger802
Banned
In a sense you are still restricted. For example you can't just make a backup of your PS3 game disc and play it on your PS3 in contrast to for example gog where you can make as many backups as you want.
But I find it strange as well, that DRM is now often used as a term for almost everything. As far as I remember the term was first widely used when publishers added online activations to their games. For me DRM always meant the added dependency of some kind of server system instead of just me, the game disc and the local hardware to run it that was sufficient whether or not I can play a game.
I am a graphics whore, but that doesn't mean I am a frame rate, resolution or texture size whore. I choose an Uncharted with bad shadow resolution over a super crisp but generic shooter any day.
It is of course not always that simple, but anyway, 1080p resolution and what I see a first gen game like the new Killzone can do is easily enough for me. I can't see how a higher res, better aliasing or even more insane textures can make enough difference to spend the amount I pay once a generation every year again - plus all the trouble and work replacing components all the time.
I never regretted abandoning PC gaming.
Red Liquorice
Member
There was a thread yesterday where someone was having problems with their system overheating, I've had the same problem in the past, but no more.Constant cleaning and paranoia? I think you´re doing it wrong.
The solutions offered were cleaning the PC, replacing the paste on the CPU etc, etc - all extra work not needed for console gaming, plus the replacement parts, upgrades etc etc. Regular cleaning inside electrical equipment is a total chore.
Like I said - PC gaming, top of the line best experience, but it comes with a price - monetary and time and effort-wise.
Steam has an in-game overlay that will work with pretty much all your games, Steam games or no, and that overlay allows for group text chat and voice chat. Occasionally the voice chat through Steam can be flaky and most people I know do voice chat through something like Mumble.
As for invites, they're seamless for Steamworks games. You're on your own for other stuff, but most games have their own convenient matchmaking these days.
well most console games went the online only not split screen multiplayer so I'd say yeah, and you can find way more multiplayer games for pc anyways.
oh and you can hate hate nintendo all you want but I am still happy about the fact that they still care about local multiplayer
Felix Lighter
Member
The OP was great by the way. I agree completely. I also play on consoles but I am much more invested in my PC for the very reasons you laid out.
Pegasos123
Member
background downloading and playing while installing will make this much better then it is today
There aren't a lot of hardcore gamers based on this definition then. There's absolutely no way you're playing all console exclusives while also playing all multiplatform games unless you sleep 2 hours a day, have no job, and you just game.
PC gets plenty of the best games ported to it, and not too many people have enough time in their day to feel like they missed out by avoiding those console exclusives.
There's also a lot of PC exclusives, as well as total conversion mods that are so quality that they could have been their own game. Nehrim, the Game of Thrones mod for Crusader Kings 2, then there's heavy tweaks and mods added to games like Oblivion, Skyrim, The Witcher 2 which are all PC exclusive. There's also cross-platform multiplayer on many titles via STEAM between MAC and PC.
What trouble shooting have you done? Could be drivers, GPU, PSU
As for ease of play, Nvidia's new Geforce Experience is amazing. It configures your game's settings for you based off of your hardware and hasn't let me down yet.
I don't want to be rude, but in the end all this discussions are a waste of time.
There is a lot of better things to do and I'm pretty sure most of you have a backlog of games to complete.
I mean, it's fine to spent time talking and talking about this or that, with constructive criticism or constructive point of view, but face what really happy, most of the time is a waste of bit, because no one really care about you and your opinion ... unless that opinion don't start to kick the flowers into your lawn.
Ps Yes, this post is a waste of bit too.
End.
There is a lot of better things to do and I'm pretty sure most of you have a backlog of games to complete.
I mean, it's fine to spent time talking and talking about this or that, with constructive criticism or constructive point of view, but face what really happy, most of the time is a waste of bit, because no one really care about you and your opinion ... unless that opinion don't start to kick the flowers into your lawn.
Ps Yes, this post is a waste of bit too.
End.
MrNyarlathotep
Banned
Steam has an integrated IM app with voice chat that can have multiple people in the same 'room' at the same time, and is indepednent of any individual game, but you might as well just use SKype if you want a group call.
Steam will tell you what a player is playing when they start a game, but only Steamworks games will let you rightclick join from that prompt.
It's not that hard to find the same server as someone else in non-steamworks games.
EDIT:
Welp, GAF had a good run, Time to shut it down I guess.
You won't get the same unified system as on the 360.
Ubisoft and EA doing their own store and multiplayer/leaderboards system instead of using Steamworks means that you need several friend lists across the services including sometimes the individual games having an unique friends-list.
Maybe DOTA 2 becomes so popular that everything goes towards Steamworks which would allow a 360-like experience but for now the trend is that huge publisher do their own store, because they can make more money that way.
The resulting discussion is perhaps not that useful, but the OP makes a great case for why the PC is the best platform for a certain kind of enthusiast. These threads are useful for lots of people, even if they don't actively participate in the discussion.
My point is that: you buy a 500+ euro video card. while a console might cost 500+. therefor gamers are right when they say they go for console instead of pc.
I was naive, thinking that my gtx680 would go easily with next-gen games. If I had known this I would have spent my money on a ps4 instead.
500+ for a video card, next is the cpu, motherboard etc. makes it very expensive. again it does looks nice, but for me it's not worth it.
Saying it's ULTRA. is saying, buy a new GPU every year if you want ULTRA and for that price I expect a GPU to stand its ground. Like i said....i have learned, won't make that mistake again.
i can understand that hardcore gamers might do this, because they want everything to run at 60fps and on ultra and they are willing to spend the money...they should do it. I have nothing against it.
Crash Station
Member
PC is nice, but it's going to need A LOT more Japanese games before I consider it a "home base".
I'm pretty sure you'd get universal agreement that this is no longer true from practically everyone who is a regular PC gamer. Now there was a time when you did have to really stay ahead of the tech curve. But the fact that console generations are going on longer and that console manufacturers are no longer willing to take huge loss leaders for their tech like they did before indicates that this is not likely to be the case again anytime soon.
Sure, if you want to continually run every game at the highest possible settings then you probably are damning yourself to upgrading every year or two. But as long as you are willing to dial things down gradually, it's not the case anymore.
Most of my Steam buddies that I play with regularly have pretty old systems at this point, four or five years since they've upgraded anything and they still run most games on "high settings." They are planning on upgrading soon due to the new generation creating more demanding games, but this is no different than their console counterparts. It really is a huge myth that you have to spend money upgrading your PC every year to play games. The people who do that are just doing it because they enjoy the process.
chickdigger802
Banned
funny enough, I think that if you do properly clean your 360 it would never red ring
overheating can happen to pc, yes, but that's usually due to poor paste job or a fan breaking or something, something that can happen to your consoles.
It's just fixing it on pc is a lot easier and cheaper.
Consoles aren't oblivious to issues, even nintendo stuff break now!
How do you play Mass Effect 3 with that setup? How do you turn it on? How do you launch a game?
Unless there is a PC OS that's designed for complete kb/mouse free operation, it will never match console convenience.
What
I sat down yesterday, slapped in Socom Special Forces and wanted to play the game.
48 minutes later I was playing. 48 fucking minutes. I certainly didn't sit down to play
The PS3 is the slowest, most cumbersome and obnoxious piece of technology hardware I own, in terms of putting up barriers between myself and the game. I remember when I bought Max Payne 3 (LTTP) and it took the best part of an hour for the console and game updates to finish their thing. It wiped out my entire slot of free time to play the game in.
Thankfully it looks like Sony are making significant gains in this regard with the PS4, so I'm sure this is a thing of the past, but I really hate how the PS3 handles that stuff. In my opinion, this oft-talked about "console convenience" died with the last generation.
I like and appreciate a lot of things about consoles, but convenience hasn't been one of them this generation. My PC is legitimately a smoother and quicker experience.
chickdigger802
Banned
its sooo weird having handhelds as home base though!
digita1alchemy
Member
I'd love to play games primarily on PC, but there are hardly any games that interest me there. Some of my favorite, non-first-party games this gen, for reference:
-Vanquish
-Valkyria Chronicles
-Bayonetta
-Espagaluda 2
-Hard Corps Uprising
-Afterburner Climax
-Child of Eden
-Way of the Samurai 4
-Ridge Racer 7
-Yakuza 4
Japanese games are not well represented on PC, unfortunately.
-Vanquish
-Valkyria Chronicles
-Bayonetta
-Espagaluda 2
-Hard Corps Uprising
-Afterburner Climax
-Child of Eden
-Way of the Samurai 4
-Ridge Racer 7
-Yakuza 4
Japanese games are not well represented on PC, unfortunately.
Vulcano's assistant
Banned
This is true people, WiiU+PC is the way of the light!
Um, what? Why do you think next gen is suddenly beyond your GTX 680? Is that confirmed or benchmarked anywhere?