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[sono]

I tried PC gaming a few years before I had a PS3. Bad experience.

Too expensive constantly out of date, random crashes, took away from actually playing the game, constant pressure to get this years top graphics card, mother board. I just want to jump in and play.

Did you see forbes recent thought on PC v PS4

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkai...t-console-is-truly-next-gen-and-your-pc-isnt/

 

[char0n]

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, I totally kneejerked and added an edit addendum reflecting such, It just seems there's so much hyperbole thrown out there, and sometimes especially with the "PC Master Race" bit that I could really see someone actually suggesting that the entire primary gamer market jump ship entirely to PC without considering that there's still lots of us that couldn't do it either due to lack of willing effort or ability, and we should keep our fingers in the console pie unless we want all the money and talent going into console gaming to go away too.

 

[Fantasmo]

Drivers, crashes, experimenting with settings, performance issues like microstutter, Dual GPU builds in-general etc... This is a level of troubleshooting completely foreign in the console gaming space, not everyone wants to fucking edit an .ini file or figure out how to force Triple buffering with D3Dovverider for a smooth experience. People just want to put a disc in the tray and have it work, it's a very understandable sentiment.

Edit:I guess sticking to steam alone helps, but I don't limit myself to any one service on PC. And as I've mentioned, the problems don't bother me much.

PC GAF likes to push AMD a bit (and I can appreciate that they may be a bit better since a bunch of years back), but as a 25 year PC builder I went nVidia/intel and knew to stick with single GPU (GTX 670 OC).

I buy games 1.5 months after launch minimum.

This combination offers highest compatibility, great driver support, no stuttering, no crashing,1080p 60 with AA for most games at max detail.

For the really graphic intensive stuff, I still get 720p 60 max detail with AA (ex: Far Cry 3, Tomb Raider with TressFX on).

Besides that month minimum I don't sacrifice anything, and gain a lot, sometimes the cost is dropped by then too.

 

[nbthedude]

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.

Wow. This is the first I saw of this bundle. That bundle is awesome. Proteus just came out!

 

[patapuf]

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.

You know, i can't play every game at ultra but my games still look better, have better framerate and a higher resolution than games on consoles. My card is also 4 years old and didn't cost 500$.

a 680 will stand it's ground just because you can do better doesn't mean you have to.

 

[Felix Lighter]

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.

This is definitely an issue but there are some small signs of improvement. I'm glad you posted examples of the games your enjoy instead of just saying "PC doesn't have any games that I like."

 

[Lasdrub]

I love my PC, but there's one thing it's lacking: local co-op. There are, of course some exceptions, but it is much harder to find games where I can play with someone on one screen. Local co-op is a huge aspect of gaming for me. PC is better at pretty much everything else, though.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

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.

This is me in a nutshell, 100% agree.

 

[Pegasos123]

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, that is just a pipe dream.

cant you control windows 8 with an xbox controller?

 

[digita1alchemy]

This is definitely an issue but there are some small signs of improvement. I'm glad you posted examples of the games your enjoy instead of just saying "PC doesn't have any games that I like."

Hearing that Metal Gear Rising is coming to PC made me very happy. Will double-dip on that one.

 

[REV 09]

Truly excellent op. it's just funny seeing the console only crowd bicker about specs and stuff when the power to choose all of this can be in each users hands.

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

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.

Do you get that "ULTRA" settings are a constantly moving scale?

For the sake of argument, lets pretend;
PS4 launch titles are PC ULTRA settings year 1
PS4 year 2 titles are HIGH settings year 2
PS4 year 3 settings are MEDIUM settings year 3
PS4 year 4 settings are LOW settings year 4

A PC that runs launch titles at ULTRA is going to run those same games at "LOW" (ie PS4 quality) for the next 4 years.

 

[benny_a]

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 personally have almost no issues any more with the PS3 after it just auto-updates stuff in the background over night. It patches my games without me having to boot it, everything happens automatically.

Don't get me wrong: The PS3 is a ridiculous back asswards piece of device that has done so many things wrong, but this bandaid fix of downloading and syncing and downloading after I queue things on my webbrowser from work on its own goes a long way.

It's not a scenario I find myself in as I play games when they come out, but as Sethos describes and you want to play a relatively old game that got lots of patches and you haven't played it for a long time you will see all that shit again.

 

[gryz]

in the mid 90s PC gaming actually offered a different and superior experience to consoles, these days other than graphics and a handful of titles there's not much reason to play on a 50 pound giant eyesore desktop PC over a console.

it's funny people always present it as some "once you go pc you'll never go back" argument but I started on PC 20 years ago and rarely play my gaming pc much now.

 

[Sethos]

There is a weird approach to the PC upgrading mentality:

Console: 30FPS ( Sometimes less ) at an average of 720p and usually Low-med settings - Oh that's fine.

PC: 4-8x higher settings, 60FPS and a resolution that is TWICE the amount of pixels, when you have to drop settings there it's suddenly time to upgrade, oh that can't be right, expensive hobby etc.

 

[something fishy]

No thank you. Been there. Best exclusives are on consoles now anyway.

if best means "expensive" or "most likely to be derivative and spawn constant sequels" then definitely.

 

[Dec]

I tried PC gaming a few years before I had a PS3. Bad experience.

Too expensive constantly out of date, random crashes, took away from actually playing the game, constant pressure to get this years top graphics card, mother board. I just want to jump in and play.

Did you see forbes recent thought on PC v PS4

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkai...t-console-is-truly-next-gen-and-your-pc-isnt/

When did you buy a PS3 because none of that stuff ever happens to me. And no, I wouldn't read that Forbes article, because it's terrible.

I love my PC, but there's one thing it's lacking: local co-op. There are, of course some exceptions, but it is much harder to find games where I can play with someone on one screen. Local co-op is a huge aspect of gaming for me. PC is better at pretty much everything else, though.

My wife's PC is right next to mine, I just play LAN with her.

 

[denshuu]

No thank you. Been there. Best exclusives are on consoles now anyway.

Pretty much this. I've probably spent more time running random VF5 Final Showdown matches this year than I have playing Dota clones in my life.

 

[fluffydelusions]

cant you control windows 8 with an xbox controller?

Nope. Too bad too...metro would be pretty good for Netflix,Hulu+ and such.

 

[coldfoot]

cant you control windows 8 with an xbox controller?

No, but even if you could, every game would have to be made workable by just using the standard buttons/sticks the controller has and nothing else. Good luck with that.
There is also a much less hackable achievement system in a console as opposed to a PC.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

Even with the PC's worst case scenario I can't see myself going console only or console main at all anymore. I can see myself going PC only though. I have all 3 consoles and the last time I played any of them was a fight request from one of my friends on aim (Playstation All Stars). That game was the main reason I played my PS3 for the past 6 months actually. I rarely played anything else if at all. I don't touch Wii and Xbox 360.

 

[fluffydelusions]

in the mid 90s PC gaming actually offered a different and superior experience to consoles, these days other than graphics and a handful of titles there's not much reason to play on a 50 pound giant eyesore desktop PC over a console.

it's funny people always present it as some "once you go pc you'll never go back" argument but I started on PC 20 years ago and rarely play my gaming pc much now.

Only a handful? Cmon...the indie scene on PC trumps anything on the consoles by a huge margin + mobos, MMO's, strategy. etc etc.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

if best means "expensive" or "most likely to be derivative and spawn constant sequels" then definitely.

He has a Pikmin avatar, I'm thinking "best" means "the next Tokyo EAD game", then I believe he might be right.

 

[baxter2231]

There are to many issues with PC's for me to get really into it. Hopefully the steam box is a real thing and it address the major issues with pc gaming so its not so confusing.

Just got an xbox controller so i will look into playing more games on pc that work with it. Alot of games dont support it and you have to find a program to may work, i hear xpadder is good but then you have to hope it doesnt give you a virus or what ever. After years of hearing about the ps3 controller with motionjoy someone made a thread about what a terrible program it was and how it caused major problems.

Then if you want to build a pc the best way would be to build it yourself but how would i know if i have a gpu that is useless because the cpu it too weak etc. Then there is actually putting it together. Would need a very detailed guide, not going to spend tons of money for a puzzle i dont know i can complete. Although people say its very easy to connect together, how do i know im not buying stuff thats incompatible with the others? Then there are games your not sure if they can even run on your rig. I just want to play the game and not deal with dumb stuff like that.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Why are PC gamers always so starved for attention? If it's not asking about a console game coming to their platform, it's some thread about trying to convert console owners over.

Besides, the tablet is taking over you platform. Consumers don't need big hulking desktops anymore. Time to switch over to consoles and join the winning side.

 

[coldfoot]

There is a weird approach to the PC upgrading mentality:

Console: 30FPS ( Sometimes less ) at an average of 720p and usually Low-med settings - Oh that's fine.

PC: 4-8x higher settings, 60FPS and a resolution that is TWICE the amount of pixels, when you have to drop settings there it's suddenly time to upgrade, oh that can't be right, expensive hobby etc.

Well PC gaming requires more money on the hardware side and is less convenient than a console, so it's held up to a higher standard.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Meh.

All of these platforms have games that are exclusive to them that make them worth owning. PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo...all 4 have games no real gamer would want to miss, and such gamers are only limited by their pocketbooks, rather than their heart.

As such, there is no single base of operations for enthusiast gaming. Though if a multiplat appears on PC, that's usually the one to have if your PC doesn't suck.

 

[NullPointer]

PC still has PC problems but its gotten much better over the years. I was a big PC player until just before the first Xbox hit. Then I jumped in and abandoned PC gaming, only to return to the fold recently.

Almost all of my Steam collection is comfy couch controller based games, and all at 60fps (I don't do mouse/keyboard, nor will I ever). I had to install a utility program to manage video card settings, and while I don't have a firm understanding of half the options in the thing, I'm able to see my framerate and make simple adjustments.

But not every game plays nice (or even decently) with my dual Radeon 6950s, and my hard drives are too slow for games that involve a lot of streaming so I'll need to upgrade.

But on balance, 60fps, mod support and real choice in terms of where to buy a game and how makes a world of difference.

 

[nbthedude]

Hearing that Metal Gear Rising is coming to PC made me very happy. Will double-dip on that one.

And Dark Souls!

Actually Capcom, Sega and Konami seem to be getting it and are generally heading in the direction of offering more and more support. It's really only Square, Namco and a few other major Japanese publishers that still need to start offering PC versions. But there are positive signs.

As a console only gamer for nearly twenty years, I definitely have an affinity for a lot of Japanese developers and IP. But if we are honest Japan really is kind of flagging in the last decade and it isn't the vital source of the industry that it once was. Here is hoping that some of those major developers are able to start turning that round in the next console generation and start leading again rather than relying on generic tropes. And here is also hoping that they spread their releases to all platforms, including PC.

I think the later is likely to happen anyway. As development costs continue to skyrocket and as the architecture of the consoles becomes more and more PC centric, it only makes business sense to put it on the PC to expand the potential audience. In fact, I think that is exactly why we see companies like Capcom, Sega, and Konami releasing games on PC. It simply makes business sense. And as the price of development continues to go up, exclusivity makes less and less sense.

 

[MrNyarlathotep]

There is also a much less hackable achievement system in a console as opposed to a PC.

lol, the most pointless thing to worry about ever.

 

[chickdigger802]

There is a weird approach to the PC upgrading mentality:

Console: 30FPS ( Sometimes less ) at an average of 720p and usually Low-med settings - Oh that's fine.

PC: 4-8x higher settings, 60FPS and a resolution that is TWICE the amount of pixels, when you have to drop settings there it's suddenly time to upgrade, oh that can't be right, expensive hobby etc.

Those are just weird outliers. I guess my eyes are shit because I can't really tell the difference between High and Ultra settings for games unless its side by side.

 

[fluffydelusions]

Why are PC gamers always so starved for attention? If it's not asking about a console game coming to their platform, it's some thread about trying to convert console owners over.

Besides, the tablet is taking over you platform. Consumers don't need big hulking desktops anymore. Time to switch over to consoles and join the winning side.

If anything tablets will take over consoles. Not sure why anyone would wish something like this anyway unless they enjoy toilet games

 

[red731]

Built my gamig rig two months ago. One hell of a rig, too, to acompany my three years old PS3 and now waiting for PS4.

I couldn't be more happy. Multiplatforms cheaper on PC and exclusives on Sony consoles + free games saving PC money via PS+. Yay!

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

Why are PC gamers always so starved for attention? If it's not asking about a console game coming to their platform, it's some thread about trying to convert console owners over.

Besides, the tablet is taking over you platform. Consumers don't need big hulking desktops anymore. Time to switch over to consoles and join the winning side.

The religious-like experience of PC gaming has made of us a zealous bunch.

 

[Fragamemnon]

it's funny people always present it as some "once you go pc you'll never go back" argument but I started on PC 20 years ago and rarely play my gaming pc much now.

It really depends on the games you play. I play 80% strategy/simulation games and the rest online multiplayer games (F2P MMOs,RTS, MOBAs, etc.) and the usual escape from AAA dangerous places console ports.

The PC is completely indispensable for certain genres and fans of those kind of games are the ones that are some of its most vocal advocates. The opposite can really only be said of consoles if you are a fighting game enthusiast, and even that wall has started to come tumbling down over the past year.

The religious-like experience of PC gaming has made of us a zealous bunch.

PC exceptionalism is a real thing on these kind of discussions, but it is there because gaming on the PC is pretty damn exceptional.

 

[benny_a]

Time to switch over to consoles and join the winning side.

 

[Punchpudding]

No loyalties to any console exclusives for me so PC is the obvious choice.

 

[Lunar15]

More appropriate title is: "Why the PC is becoming the home base for every hardcore gamer"

People move to where the good stuff is and where they're treated better.

 

[Dec]

Meh.

All of these platforms have games that are exclusive to them that make them worth owning. PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo...all 4 have games no real gamer would want to miss, and such gamers are only limited by their pocketbooks, rather than their heart.

As such, there is no single base of operations for enthusiast gaming. Though if a multiplat appears on PC, that's usually the one to have if your PC doesn't suck.

I am curious how you know all 4 platforms have games no "real gamer" would miss.

 

[chickdigger802]

Out of curiosity, how many of yall are still on your launch 360/ps3?

Based off my friends it seems like they average about 2-3 so far.

 

[Felix Lighter]

Why are PC gamers always so starved for attention? If it's not asking about a console game coming to their platform, it's some thread about trying to convert console owners over.

Besides, the tablet is taking over you platform. Consumers don't need big hulking desktops anymore. Time to switch over to consoles and join the winning side.

The OP seemed like a reasonable starting point for a good discussion. As diplomatic as could be. It doesn't argue that anyone should give up consoles.

 

[xJavonta]

I can't play most Japanese games on PC.

This is why I have handhelds. The best Japanese games are on them (aside from Ni No Kuni and P4A) I could give a shit about all the other mediocre Japanese games.

And I wouldn't be surprised if MGS5 made it's way to PC

I have all the consoles and handhelds anyway, so I'm not affected by this but if I couldn't have them all I'd go PC/Handheld since it's the best combo by a long shot IMO

 

[benny_a]

Out of curiosity, how many of yall are still on your launch 360/ps3?

I didn't buy them at launch, but I'm still "on" my 360 and PS3 from 2008. (I also bought a second PS3 Slim for local multi which I now use as the main console, as it's the quietest.)

 

[nbthedude]

There are to many issues with PC's for me to get really into it. Hopefully the steam box is a real thing and it address the major issues with pc gaming so its not so confusing.

Just got an xbox controller so i will look into playing more games on pc that work with it. Alot of games dont support it and you have to find a program to may work, i hear xpadder is good but then you have to hope it doesnt give you a virus or what ever. After years of hearing about the ps3 controller with motionjoy someone made a thread about what a terrible program it was and how it caused major problems.

Then if you want to build a pc the best way would be to build it yourself but how would i know if i have a gpu that is useless because the cpu it too weak etc. Then there is actually putting it together. Would need a very detailed guide, not going to spend tons of money for a puzzle i dont know i can complete. Although people say its very easy to connect together, how do i know im not buying stuff thats incompatible with the others? Then there are games your not sure if they can even run on your rig. I just want to play the game and not deal with dumb stuff like that.

Check the OP for useful links on complete buying guide by our very own Neogaf Hazaro and great step by step walkthroughs on building a PC.

If you are someone who is a gaming enthusiast it really isn't that hard and the process is interesting in and of itself. You get to learn more about what makes games tick. And it's just straight up rewarding to build your own system in the exact what it is rewarding to master a complex game with demanding mechanics. Saying "PC gaming is too complicated or too hard" is pretty similar to me to saying "I don't like games that are complicated or too hard." If you are an enthusiasts, this stuff is the cool stuff.

Obviously it's not for everybody. People who just want to sit down during the weekend and play a FPS game or whatever are not the kind of people who are gonna be building their own PCs. But I would argue that if you are the kind of person that spends time on a gaming forum discussing games, then yeah, you are a prime candidate to get into the details of buying parts and building your own PC and having a great time discussing it with others as you go through the process.

 

[Herne]

For all of PC hardware's 'strength' you're still unable to get a powerful graphics card with 8GB GDDR5 RAM for ~$400 therefore console wins.

 

[tarheel91]

And then you have the opposite people that don't own a PC because a tablet or laptop and TV is all they need.

Maybe they even use a Macbook or *gasp* a Thinkpad running Linux as their primacy platform with a Smartphone for mobile.

There are all kinds of permutations where owning a desktop PC running the latest Windows is not the default.
And based on market share shifts these things just become more and more common, not less.

Sure, those are all valid alternatives, but I don't think you should restrict yourself to one setup and say, "I've got to own X." Rather, consider a variety of scenarios and see what makes sense to you given your priorities. Even spending an extra $500 on a gaming laptop (HD8970M + Richland APU) will give you something that will handily outperform next gen consoles, and we're at the point (start of a generation) where they'll be as competitive as they'll ever be. If you've got a Macbook, the shift to a gaming PC should be relatively cost free.

Note: I'm not saying go sell your current hardware. However, when the time comes to upgrade, look and see what the true price of a gaming PC/laptop is vs. buying a console.

 

[SmokedMeat]

If anything tablets will take over consoles. Not sure why anyone would wish something like this anyway unless they enjoy toilet games

Sorry, but it's the truth. The functions people used to buy big hulking desktops for can easily be done on a tiny tablet. I know the desktop in our home is the last one we'll ever buy. The average consumer no longer has a need for one.

 

[Lingitiz]

And then you have the opposite people that don't own a PC because a tablet or laptop and TV is all they need.

Maybe they even use a Macbook or *gasp* a Thinkpad running Linux as their primacy platform with a Smartphone for mobile.

There are all kinds of permutations where owning a desktop PC running the latest Windows is not the default.
And based on market share shifts these things just become more and more common, not less.

I use my laptop as a complementary device to my desktop. I don't have access to my rig all the time, so its nice to be able to boot up Steam on my laptop and play indie and older games with saves transferred over.

 

[Dec]

Sorry, but it's the truth. The functions people used to buy big hulking desktops for can easily be done on a tiny tablet. I know the desktop in our home is the last one we'll ever buy. The average consumer no longer has a need for one.

Thankfully almost no companies releasing PC games are targetting the "average consumer".

 

[Sethos]

Thankfully almost no companies releasing PC games are targetting the "average consumer".

And I'm also sure game hardware sales won't dwindle because a bunch of people with OEM machines decide to get a tablet.