-
Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!
Console only gamers, what keeps you from PC Gaming?
- Thread starter entremet
- Start date
- Status
ZeroCoin said:
Some of these responses just confuse me is why. I've honestly never had issues with PC gaming in terms of drivers and any of that nonsense people are spouting; hell, I've had more problems getting my consoles online than a PC. Doesn't mean I have some weird stance on console gaming from it (and, for the past year or so, gotten far more play out of my consoles).
That said, it's typically just a convenience factor. I've "converted" a few friends from console only to now having a proper gaming PC and they're basically all-in on the idea of PC gaming ... but the first roadblock to overcome really was convenience factor and it being foreign territory to them. There's also the whole "no titles I like" but that's honestly only limited to like two genres really.
Well, that and cost. Though, I don't think they're that bad. They're basically the cost of a console on top of an existing PC price (i.e., ~$400 for a PC, make it $700 to get what you would've gotten out of it + gaming specs). It's pretty hard to make a mid-range/above-mid-range build and not have it last for quite a few years, if not more than that. I think over the course of 15 years of PC gaming, I've only really had 3 rigs.
mxgt said:
unless you need a special sound or video card, or if you need computational power stronger than is possible on a laptop they're unnecessary and just take up space. For the average, non-specialised user, laptops are far more versatile pieces of equipment. So yeah, I will blow $1500 on a computer, but the smarter purchasing decision is the laptop that you can take to class/work/in-bed/car/where-ever - not the one that requires dedicated space and is sessile. It's a shame that PC game developers don't really take this into consideration.
Princess Skittles
Prince's's 'Skittle's
WiiWare, PSN and XBLA tackle this segment of games FAR better than I've seen on PC.TheExodu5 said:
manzo
Member
Houston3000 said:
I'll play the Witcher 2 if it would be playable on a controller, without having to use a mouse or a keyboard, with the game starting when I insert the DVD in the tray, while lying down on the sofa.
Bonus for not even seeing the desktop of the OS.
That made me think. Imagine if Valve would design an OS:
- Computer boots to "SteamOS" instead of Windows/Linux/OSX
- Checks automatically new drivers for your GFX card / peripherials and installs them in the background, without anything needed from the user
- Controller-designed UI
- All games on the platform must have 100% controller compatibility
Holy shit, I would put 1500 on my PC right here, right now and game only on this system.
The_Darkest_Red
Member
How is that irrelevant? If you have your gaming rig upstairs in your "PC room" and you have your large HDTV that you prefer to game on downstairs in your living room how is it "just as easy" to hook up the PC to the TV as a console?Zefah said:
Unknown One
Member
Best answer for me is that I'm lazy and I'm way too indecisive in buying parts.
Mostly lazy though.
Mostly lazy though.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
gcubed said:
You do know what arcane means, right?
ZombieSupaStar
Member
genjiZERO said:
i think blizzard does, and console gaming has hamstrung tech advancement has probably made it so the console ports to pc run decently on laptops. Gaming on laptops always seemed kindve weird, you just cant get the same tech, shrunk down, cooled properly, and as reliable, so concessions have to be made. People driving Neon dont bitch they cant move as fast as a Ferrari do they?
Automatisch
Member
In what sense? Wiiware and XBL Indies aren't exactly known for doing a good job of marketing the newest indy titles, but if you go on Steam they're right there on the front page with the big releases. In fact, Terraria is the first game you see when you load it up.Princess Skittles said:
Mac user here who doesn't have Windows. Also, forced system updates aside, I like the simple stability of consoles. Games I buy today will still work three or five years from now. Might not be the case on my Mac which may have moved from OS 10.5 to 10.6 to who-knows-what by then.
hardcastlemccormick
Banned
As I said before in the third post of this thread, I don't play PC as often as consoles because I already have a massive console backlog. But, I remembered this:
One of the last times I bought a PC game was Dawn of War II (found it on clearance for cheap). So I booted it up.
Installing it through Steam took a good half hour, and then it needed to download 3 GB of data. My connection is not very good, which I guess is my own fault, but I usually don't need much faster. So it took a few hours to download.
Then I started up the game, and then Steam installed like five things with took another fifteen minutes. (I had already cranked out the DS at this point and was busy playing Pokemon). Then I got into the game, enjoyed the opening cinematic, and Games for Windows told me I needed to upgrade Games for Windows if I wanted to save my single player game.
Well, I thought that was the dumbest thing I had ever read, but I said, fine, do it. Well, the game downloaded something and rebooted, and I had to watch the opening THQ, Relic, nVidia ads before I could skip to the menu. Another five minutes wasted.
I had to repeat this process three times. Three times. Just to save my game. By the time the whole process had ended, I just turned the computer off and played Pokemon on my couch. I'll probably never play that game. What a piece of shit.
I know not every game is this bad (I played Portal 2 as well and that one was a lot faster, go Valve) but it sure makes every PC game purchase a bit of a gamble. Am I going to have to suffer and tear my hair out? I sure hope not. And Steam is no magic bullet here considering DoW2 is Steamworks.
One of the last times I bought a PC game was Dawn of War II (found it on clearance for cheap). So I booted it up.
Installing it through Steam took a good half hour, and then it needed to download 3 GB of data. My connection is not very good, which I guess is my own fault, but I usually don't need much faster. So it took a few hours to download.
Then I started up the game, and then Steam installed like five things with took another fifteen minutes. (I had already cranked out the DS at this point and was busy playing Pokemon). Then I got into the game, enjoyed the opening cinematic, and Games for Windows told me I needed to upgrade Games for Windows if I wanted to save my single player game.
Well, I thought that was the dumbest thing I had ever read, but I said, fine, do it. Well, the game downloaded something and rebooted, and I had to watch the opening THQ, Relic, nVidia ads before I could skip to the menu. Another five minutes wasted.
I had to repeat this process three times. Three times. Just to save my game. By the time the whole process had ended, I just turned the computer off and played Pokemon on my couch. I'll probably never play that game. What a piece of shit.
I know not every game is this bad (I played Portal 2 as well and that one was a lot faster, go Valve) but it sure makes every PC game purchase a bit of a gamble. Am I going to have to suffer and tear my hair out? I sure hope not. And Steam is no magic bullet here considering DoW2 is Steamworks.
PooBone
Member
SalsaShark said:
Granted, sitting at my PC is nicer than my work PC.
Still not as nice as sitting on the couch in front of a TV. I can "get" that you'd rather sit in an office chair in front of the PC instead of on a couch. Why can't you "get" that some people prefer something else?
The_Darkest_Red said:
What's keeping you from just moving the gaming rig downstairs though? I've had my PC hooked up to my 52" for quite some time with no real problems with it. Well, I've had to sacrifice spending 30 hours a day playing Starcraft II due to not being super-comfortable for that kind of gaming but I think I'm better for it.
That said, honestly, I'm probably going to just move to a smaller screen (~30") and not be playing 20 ft away.
Many reasons.
1. My wife sits on the couch and watches TV. I want to sit next to her while I'm gaming.
2. My TV is much larger than my monitor.
3. I want to be playing a new game within minutes of putting it in the machine. Don't want to deal with lengthy installs, compatibility issues, big patches, etc.
4. Don't like mouse & keyboard gaming.
5. Don't want to have to worry about upgrading.
6. Want to be able to resell my games off easily without losing too much value on them.
7. Like to be able to surf the net intermittently without any hassle.
8. Don't care too much about inferior graphics.
1. My wife sits on the couch and watches TV. I want to sit next to her while I'm gaming.
2. My TV is much larger than my monitor.
3. I want to be playing a new game within minutes of putting it in the machine. Don't want to deal with lengthy installs, compatibility issues, big patches, etc.
4. Don't like mouse & keyboard gaming.
5. Don't want to have to worry about upgrading.
6. Want to be able to resell my games off easily without losing too much value on them.
7. Like to be able to surf the net intermittently without any hassle.
8. Don't care too much about inferior graphics.
I remember when one of my PC-only friends wanted to upgrade his PC and asked me for an advice. I told him how much would it cost to build a new PC and suggested that he could buy a console instead. He's not much of a tech guy, so I thought it would be better for him.
But guess what, he didn't wat to leave his PC. He played to Saints Row 2 and loved it even if it ran like utter shit on his rig (the game stopped for 20 seconds every time it had to load a new block). And he played every single version of Football Manager / Scudetto the early 90s and didn't want to stop. And he didn't want to use a joypad, keyboard and mouse are better.
So you see, there's always a good reason. Even for the opposite transition.
But guess what, he didn't wat to leave his PC. He played to Saints Row 2 and loved it even if it ran like utter shit on his rig (the game stopped for 20 seconds every time it had to load a new block). And he played every single version of Football Manager / Scudetto the early 90s and didn't want to stop. And he didn't want to use a joypad, keyboard and mouse are better.
So you see, there's always a good reason. Even for the opposite transition.
CountAntonius
Member
Is there any viable reason in your opinion then? What if the person was simply content? You know gaming is gaming and from the beginning there have been games on consoles and PC some people play on one or the other or both. When did it become wrong to simply enjoy console gaming? Was this argument around back in the 8-16 bit console days? I don't see what's so bad about a person who simply prefers playing on console and has no reason to start playing on PC or vise versa.SneakyStephan said:
I NEED SCISSORS
Banned
ITT: failure to understand sarcasm
Stallion Free
Cock Encumbered
I couldn't disagree more. I believes devs would disagree as well.Princess Skittles said:
gutter_trash
Banned
-comfort
-convenience
-set up
PC is strong for resolution and spec; but getting down to comfort and setting up is a pain;
even if you play on your HDTV; you must get a wireless Keyboard and mouse or get the config on your controller right and it is not roses
-convenience
-set up
PC is strong for resolution and spec; but getting down to comfort and setting up is a pain;
even if you play on your HDTV; you must get a wireless Keyboard and mouse or get the config on your controller right and it is not roses
Princess Skittles
Prince's's 'Skittle's
XBLA, not XBLIG.Automatisch said:
I'm referring to selection and availability, not how they are marketed.
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
The_Darkest_Red said:
Because that is your personal situation and has nothing to do with the platform.
It's just like the kid who plays his Xbox 360 in his room on a small 17" 4:3 CRT with some throwaway PC speakers because he's not allowed to take up the family HDTV in the living room.
Personal circumstances should not come into play in an "ease of use" argument. Maybe it isn't easy for you, personally, due to circumstances that are in or out of your control, but that has nothing to do with the platform itself.
The_Darkest_Red said:
That's why you own all platforms that have games that interest you. And come on with the "no time" argument. Seriously? You play video games on at least five different platforms and have time to post on NeoGAF, but you can't dedicate a few hours or a day to putting together a gaming PC that will allow you to play a lot of games in much higher fidelity and for much lower prices? I don't buy it.
The_Darkest_Red
Member
Logistics of set-up aside, consoles just have more games that I enjoy. There are tons of great exclusives for the PS3, 360, Wii, PSP, and DS that I enjoy playing, and I don't have enough free time after that to dedicate to another more expensive gaming system. I'll continue using my lap-top to play games like TF2, Super Meat Boy, and Mass Effect but I don't see myself buying a legitimate gaming rig anytime soon.
BobsRevenge
I do not avoid women, GAF, but I do deny them my essence.
Keep your COTDAMN controllers away from my system! You folks have already done enough! When will you be happy!?manzo said:
Takamura-San
Member
Taken out...
Already asked and didn't kno.
Already asked and didn't kno.
Automatisch
Member
Princess Skittles said:
Sorry, thought you meant indy titles specifically and not just lower budget stuff ($5-20 games).
Anyways, I still don't see how there's more available on those platforms compared to what's on the PC.
Steve Youngblood
Member
I've always advocated that the truth of the situation is more nuanced than either side really likes to concede. The fact of that matter is that PCs are easier than they've ever been to connect to a television screen. There's often a misconceived notion that one needs to jump through a ton of hoops, or sacrifice their first born in the hopes that the gods will smile down upon them and magically make the image appear on their television. This is untrue. You hook an HDMI cable to the TV just as you would a console, and you're done.Zefah said:
But, honestly, the story really doesn't end there. I mean, it does if you know exactly what you want to use the machine for (i.e. an HTPC that will never not be connected to the TV), but not if it needs to be multi-functional. Mind you, it'll still work if you want it to be multi-functional -- I moved my desk into the living room about fifteen feet from my plasm and dual-output to the TV and monitor -- but it's extremely disingenuous to put forth the argument that doing this is every bit as easy as hooking up a console that comes out of the box these days with a wireless controller tailor-made for "I want to lie down on my couch" gaming.
I mean, I think PC gaming is wonderful, and would advocate that its benefits make it completely worth any hassle that comes with the territory if it's something you're interested in. But if your endgame is "I don't have a next-gen machine and I want to play Call of Duty on my TV as cheaply and easily as possible," then I can't in good conscience put forth an argument that getting a PC is the easier or cheaper solution to achieve that end.
PooBone said:
I PC game from the same couch I use for my 360 and PS3 (and PSP and DS if those count as well). Wireless 360 controller for most PC games that support it, Wireless Keyboard and Mouse for those that don't. If I was staying at my current apartment longer, I'd probably spend the time to swap to a wired set with some clever wiring but didn't feel like it was worth it.
Not impossible to be a comfy couch PC gamer.
As someone who has recently build a decent computer and started playing PC games I'm still trying to conclude if PC gaming is actually better. There are upsides but they def come with down sides. As an example every game you download you really need to be up on the threads in forums because some games really benefit from playing around with the settings or installing X program. The great thing with console games is you just pop in and play. As someone who doesn't have a lot of time to do a lot of configuring It comes as a hassle. I can see someone who is extremely hardcore to not even be phased by this fact.
Also, I PC game 100% on my couch. Computer desks is for doing work not playing those video game thangs.
Also, I PC game 100% on my couch. Computer desks is for doing work not playing those video game thangs.
manzo said:
I think Valve announced that they are going to make Steam controller friendly for navigation purposes. So some of this might not be that far off.
But I use my gaming PC for a ton of other things besides gaming so booting up in a SteamOS, while cool, wouldn't be the preferred option for me.
N
NinjaFridge
Unconfirmed Member
I'm afraid i'll end up as annoying and arrogant as some people in this thread.
Criminal Upper
Banned
When I put a game into my console, I enjoy the fact that it starts up.
SneakyStephan
Banned
Darkshier said:
The thing is that it actually very much is a hindrance.
-can't play rts properly on a console (ruse made that more than clear hah, what kind of butchered gameplay is that)
-aim assist may do a good job at making you think controller is remotely usable in an fps, but as a smart user on this forum said before: where is the fun if you are only doing 5 percent of the work?
(game being played for you)
-wrpgs are akward (GUI control, fighting) without a keyboard and mouse.
Have fun pausing your game over and over and over while you wrestle through radial menus and painfully browse through your inventory.
-point and click adventure games simply don't work, not without trying to manipulate a mouse pointer with an analog stick.
Platforming is dead on consoles, adventure games are few and far between, jrpgs are barely being made apart from the weird japanese import stuff.
All my favorite genres on consoles have been replaced by shooters , wrpgs and 3rd person shooting games.
Do you have two tvs then? Isn't the tv taken when playing? Just wondering how that works.mujun said:
So plug your pc into that second hdmi port....mujun said:
An install takes no more than 3-5 mins, it's a one time deal.mujun said:
If you use steam it'll install your game in the background in advance while you do other stuff.
Most importantly, the much longer loading times, disc swapping and slow console installs and FW updates give you exponentially much more downtime and waiting time to play over the long run.
Console games release bugged too (terribly bugged) and need multiple patches, your argument was more valid during the ps2 era.
Then plug in a controller...mujun said:
You don't have to upgrade more than once every 4-5 years... About the lifecycle of the average console, if the console lifecycle is longer then so is that of your pc.mujun said:
This is my second pc since 2002.
My possible third console (cafe) might bring the graphics up to the level of my current pc...
Yes and no.mujun said:
Console games resell for more, but pc games only cost about half-60 percent of the console new price to begin with.
Pc gaming is cheaper full stop.
Alt-tab is instant , you don't have to switch seats to your pc...mujun said:
Surfing on a ps3 is a terrible experience if that is what you mean.
It's exactly the other way around than what you are saying.
You don't have to care about graphics to be affected by input lag.mujun said:
Most games 30 fps games on consoles (racing games , sports games and fighting games especially) control like a dog because of the input lag.
This was never an issue in the ps2 era, but console devs lost sight of their priorities.
manzo
Member
danmaku said:
4 of my hardcore PC gaming-friends migrated this gen. I had to listen to 2 months of continuous bitching of how much the 360 pad sucks.
Then it stopped. Now the fuckers kick my ass in any FPS game there is on the console.
I once asked them that how about new PC's when Diablo 3 comes out. 3/4 of them said that they won't play it unless it comes on 360.
hardcastle_mccormick said:
This is why we hate GFWL.
Also, you're overexaggerating. 5 minutes to watch the intro videos? 15 minutes to go through the C++/DirectX redistributables?
For most of us, we double click the game we buy to automatically install it, and play within an hour or two at the very most. On Tuesday, I got home from work, double clicked The Witcher 2, and I was good to play it after supper. I didn't need to go out to a store, to sit through install dialogs, or to patch the game.
Stumpokapow
listen to the mad man
mujun said:
Wait, what?
You have two TVs next to each other?
TheExodu5 said:
Hyperbole isn't going to help your point, especially when one of your points is that other people are being hyperbolic when dismissing PC gaming.
- Status
Similar threads
- Poll
- Poll
- Poll