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[aktham]

Chorazin don't fall for the trap. It's 50 guys who are sitting on their computer all day that make up these ideas.

 

[Opiate]

Here is an off the cuff list of advantages to PC gaming over console gaming.

1) Free online. This obviously depends on your console of choice, but not paying monthly fees for gaming on top of my monthly fees for internet service is welcome.

2) More controller variety. While not every single game ever made on PC has significant flexibility in controller input, that still leaves way more flexibility than consoles afford. KB/M offer extreme precision in shooters, but if you get lazy and want to lay back, use a 360 controller for 95% of the games put on Steam in the last 3-4 years (and presumably going forward).

3) Better visuals and image quality. Higher resolution, higher frame rate, less tearing.

4) Better sound. Uncompressed audio.

5) Better multimedia functionality. If you enjoy your Blu Ray, Netflix, Hulu Plus, or ESPN360, imagine taking all those things and putting them on one platform simultaneously (instead of requiring both PS3/360) and also add, on top of this, access to an enormous library of music, a variety of internet browsers, other TV sites like ABC.com, and full Flash/plugin support. In addition, your PC can also be your TIVO: just last night I recorded a movie off my TV directly on to my hard drive. And I didn't need to be there to do it.

6) Larger storage. It's very nice to have literally hundreds of games at your fingertips already installed on your HDD: did the recent release of ME2 on PS3 spark your interest in playing the game again? No problem, it's already right at my fingertips ready to play fully installed for maximum efficiency. This is also true for tv, movies and music: you can have an entire library of films at your fingertips stored directly on your PC.

7) Better online infrastructure. Not only are there multiple online stores -- instead of just one offered on PS3/360 -- but some (well, one) of those stores have superior overall functionality to either PSN or XBL. Again, for free. Don't like Impulse's design, functionality, or library? No problem, try Good old Games. Don't like them? Try the behemoth that is Steam.

8) Mods. These can extend the length of a game's life for you or make a fun game even more fun.

That's it, off the top of my head. You'll notice a common theme amongst these points: power and flexibility. More choices and better performance. What's more, in most cases, you can choose to treat your PC just like a console: play your games with a standard 360 controller and ignore the multimedia features, if you so desire. In other words, it does everything a 360/PS3 does, and more.

This does not mean that everyone should immediately jump up and denounce consoles for all time. Not only does this require a new investment -- or perhaps, a reinvestment, after having already invested in consoles -- but it also requries time and effort. Connecting PCs to home theatre systems is certainly possible now, but not quite as easy and obvious as a console is. Consoles tend to be better streamlined and easier to use. Those qualities are chided on GAF, but are perfectly valid things to like. Not everyone has time to mod, not everyone wants to run HDMI cable through the wall (which is what I did, so that I could have my Desk setup AND connect my PC to the TV simultaneously), not everyone is comfortable tinkering even with seemingly easy settings like resolution/MSAA options.

And that's fine. I'm not telling you your values are dumb if you prefer simplicity and ease of use. People asked what the strengths of the PC are: here you go.

 

[Rolf NB]

I don't think consoles have a natural default position in a household. People still make individual choices about where to put their kit. For a lot of people I know, looking shit up on the internet is such an important activity now that they make some space for a PC in the living room. I also know a bunch of people who have consoles in their personal space. This can go both ways.

Speaking of households, a lot of gaming (and consumerism in general) goes on outside of the cardboard cut-out mom-and-pop-and-1.5-children homes. University students are a big group there.

 

[MoFuzz]

I think this thread helped me to understand that I'm just not a PC guy, so I'll just bow out from here.

And that's fine. I'm not telling you your values are dumb if you prefer simplicity and ease of use. People asked what the strengths of the PC are: here you go.

.

 

[Stumpokapow]

Chorazin don't fall for the trap. It's 50 guys who are sitting on their computer all day that make up these ideas.

That's a pretty rude thing to say, don't you think?

 

[Boombloxer]

Better sound. Uncompressed audio.

This depends on the title, at least for the PS3. Having played both RE5 on both via the same set-up, there's not really a difference. For the games that actually code for the higher quality sound, like MGS4 and Resistance, it's equal. At that point it comes down to your set-up.

Mods. These can extend the length of a game's life for you or make a fun game even more fun.

Yes, this is something I hoped would become more widespread on consoles--the RE5 color mod in particular makes the game a lot better visually for me, and I would've enjoyed seeing some additional costumes and gun mods for Uncharted 2.

But I suppose that's what the PC is for.

 

[iam220]

Here is an off the cuff list of advantages to PC gaming over console gaming.

9) Dedicated Servers run by the community, makes a HUGE difference in especially in fps games, played black ops on a ps3 over at my buddies recently. The lag was god awful and we joined like 5 different games.

10) Simulation, certain genres of strategy and other genres that are not possible/feasible on consoles.

11) Free to play games, like quake live or LOTR online.

12) Massive library, almost 0 worry about backwards-compatibility.

13) Emulators both arcade and console, w/o the having to 'jailbreak' anything and with freaking netcode!

14) Enthusiasts accessories, like track ir, triple monitor setups etc.

15) A more mature demographic makes playing online games that much more bearable.

and a lot more ...

 

[brain_stew]

One thing I hate about PC gaming is constantly fiddling with my video settings to maximize both visuals and frame rate, and that is partly why I love console gaming. No fiddling with settings, no dealing with incompatibility.

Because getting stuck with God awful image quality, super dodgy performance and intolerable tearing, no matter what you do, is a much better solution, right?

 

[brain_stew]

Sooooo today's games would somehow be better or more enjoyable, or even play differently on more powerful hardware?
.

Of course. My enjoyment of multiple games this generation has increased simply because a competent version is available on PC. Being able to play games without my screen having a seizure and tearing in half all over the place is a substantial and tangible improvement, you know.

 

[Circle of Willis]

And the reason why people, like myself, are ignorant about the platform is because when they post in threads like this with an honest desire to know why they should spend money on a PC, is they get treated like crap by at least one person that's probably actually enthusiastic about spreading the word of PC and does it in a bad way, and we get defensive in return.

I think this thread helped me to understand that I'm just not a PC guy, so I'll just bow out from here.

Well your post didn't exactly come across as being an honest question (sounded like you were set in your ways and just wanted to rile up PC GAF) in the first place. And the PC community at large and especially PC GAF generally are the most helpful. I mean there's a thread on GAF that answers your exact question. Not to mention the big threads dedicated towards helping you choose/build a capable gaming PC.

Honestly, people were whining earlier about why we have to have this kind of discussion regularly on here and why it is that the PC crowd gets so riled up and comes across as condescending; It's really pure fucking ignorance from people who haven't the first clue as to the strengths of the platform that gets it going. If a small fraction of people fact checked their own bullshit, maybe this wouldn't have to be rehashed so constantly.

Nailed it. And the master race bullshit is the same as the KZ2 El Pressador crap...If you don't find the latter one offensive, you certainly shouldn't find the former one insulting either...

 

[Boombloxer]

One thing I hate about PC gaming is constantly fiddling with my video settings to maximize both visuals and frame rate, and that is partly why I love console gaming. No fiddling with settings, no dealing with incompatibility.

Fiddling with settings...you know, I do the same thing with some games on the PS3. Brightness in particular. PC might take a bit longer (not really).

I'm not getting the incompatibility argument. I've been able to play every game I'm interested in without problems, so what do you mean?