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[dragonknight337]

How I played SimCity 5

• Download SimCity
• double click SimCity on origin browser
• game starts
• If I'm feeling real adventurous, I go in settings and carefully navigate the dangerous and confusing options like "resolution" and "refresh rate"
• play the fucking game*

* depending on servers, not a pc exclusive detriment to 'turn on and play'

 

[SparkTR]

Go step by step on what's required to take a game you want to purchase to playing that game at the optimal settings.

Let's use the game Sim City as an example.

I don't own Sim City, so I can't say. I recently got Batman, so I'll talk about that.

I bought it and downloaded it on Steam, Geforce Experience detected optimal settings, started playing it 12 hours before the rest of the world (and console users) got it thanks to my time-zone. Took a whole 10 seconds.

 

[BoosterDuck]

How I played SimCity 5

• Download SimCity
• double click SimCity on origin browser
• game starts
• If I'm feeling real adventurous, I go in settings and carefully navigate the dangerous and confusing options like "resolution" and "refresh rate"
• play the fucking game*

But Dragonknight, The Game shouldn't be running right after you Install IT!!!! That's not what true pc gaming is!!!!

You need to explain how to adjust files on an obscure message board to get the game running properly!!!!!!

Gosh

 

[SparkTR]

I tend to hate PC exclusives. I want the games I do like to look and run better. Simple.

No judgement, it can suit you because PC gets the best version of multiplats, but you're spending a whole lot for the icing while ignoring the cake.

 

[Almighty]

Go step by step on what's required to take a game you want to purchase to playing that game at the optimal settings.

So is trying to get the best out of a PC game the only way to game on the PC? I mean sure if you want to or need to squeeze every last bit of performance out of your system you have that option, but it isn't mandatory.

For the vast majority of games it's not much of a different experience from consoles. I buy the game, download it(most of my games are digital these days), install it, set the game to high settings, and play.

 

[nded]

Boy, hearing some people describe it makes playing a video game on a computer sound like some monumental task. 99% of the time I just click install on steam and start playing as soon as it's downloaded. Maybe a cursory glance at the options menu to see if the auto-detect managed to be reasonable.

As for the difficulty of assembling a computer, I would rank it as slightly less difficult than your average Airfix kit.

 

[Tabris]

1. Buy Sim City on Origin
2. Install Sim City
3. Go to Graphics Menu, adjust accordingly
4. Play Gaem

But that's not turn on and play.

1) That's turn on
2) exit Steam as that will most likely be your default auto-load on a PC gaming machine
3) go to your Origins icon (if installed, otherwise need to install that).
4) Browse to that section of the store
5) select to buy
6) download
7) install
8) launch the application
9) go to the graphics menu
10) adjust the graphics
11) start a new game
12) game is chugging or crashes because you set graphics too high
13) Open up Origins
14) Launch simcity
15) Change graphics to a lower level
16) Start game
17) When you want to play again, repeat steps 2, 3, 8 every time.

Secret Step 18) Internet connection is down. Can't play.

 

[Jira]

Go step by step on what's required to take a game you want to purchase to playing that game at the optimal settings.

Let's use the game Sim City as an example.

Origin is a piece of shit so here's a better example. Say Skyrim:

Right click Steam
Click Library
Double click Skyrim
(alternatively a desktop shortcut would cut that down to one action)
Out of game options menu pops up, click detect settings
Launch game

You only have to do that once so after that you can bypass and open and be in the actual game in seconds, not the main menu or pre menu videos. So first time 4 actions and after that 1?

 

[dookeh]

Funny how I just turn on my PC and play.

I think I turned mine on about 2 weeks ago. But it was terribly confusing.

 

[Scrabble]

How I played SimCity 5

• Download SimCity
• double click SimCity on origin browser
• game starts
• If I'm feeling real adventurous, I go in settings and carefully navigate the dangerous and confusing options like "resolution" and "refresh rate"
• play the fucking game*

* depending on servers, not a pc exclusive detriment to 'turn on and play'

how that work out for you at launch?

 

[Dr.Acula]

Thing about a console is you gotta get the all-clear by Sony/MS/Nintendo to license that game for their console.

If you make a game on PC, no hardware manufacturer is gonna say boo, you just put it up somewhere and people buy it, buyer beware.

So PC gaming will never be "fixed" unless MS or Valve wants to get super strict with doing all sorts of licensing and testing. And they're not going to.

 

[Tabris]

But I want to play Sim City. You can't make exceptions for your case. What if I want to play a Microsoft game that runs on Windows for Live or whatever their service is?

That's the point I'm trying to make. The experience is never the same. With consoles, you can turn the power on, press X and be playing the game. PC gaming will never be able to offer that same level without a unified service and hardware architecture.

 

[Mohasus]

how that work out for you at launch?

I think it was like GTA Online at launch.

 

[TAJ]

No judgement, it can suit you because PC gets the best version of multiplats, but you're spending a whole lot for the icing while ignoring the cake.

I bought OEM Windows, a HDD and spent $200 on a 7950. The rest was free.

 

[MutonCommander]

how that work out for you at launch?

How did GTA online work for you at launch? Online launches frequently have problems, more at 11.

 

[BoosterDuck]

how that work out for you at launch?

1. Start Sim City from Origin
2. Get an Error Connection Message
3. Exit Sim City
4. Demand a Refund
5. Uninstall Origin and vow to never buy anything from EA again

there that was easy

Oh and there's tons of console games with day one patches.

 

[Wallach]

I think it was like GTA Online at launch.

Well, minus the fact that he wasn't paying $50 a year for the privilege of getting to that error message to begin with.

 

[dragonknight337]

Didn't play it at launch, got it a couple months later, never had a problem connecting. Game was still lame though.

I think it was like GTA Online at launch.

Hm, it must be a pc game in disguise

 

[hlhbk]

What an ignorant statement.

I was a PC gamer for a long time. I built every PC I owned since I was 13 years old (I'm 31). I installed Civilization from floppies on DOS. I ran a Quake 2 server with my friends.

But all of that was a headache. I mean you would think things would have changed, but you're still building your PC and you're still having to edit files to mod your games to have them run optimally. We're in a "turn on and play" generation and PC gaming hasn't caught up.

If you actually used DOS you know PC gaming caught up just fine. There is literally no effort required now compared to configuring DOS to play a game. If you want a turn on and play experience buy a console. To have this utopian setup we would need unified hardware and zero customization. No thanks.

 

[MutonCommander]

Hm, it must be a pc game in disguise

Didn't some hackers discover PC assets on the disc? I bet that's what caused the problems, damn PC gaming is contagious.

 

[hlhbk]

What? Origin lets you play offline.

This thread is officially in this territory:

Good luck playing some Halo 2 with your bros tonight.

Lol that is awesome!!!!

 

[Dr.Acula]

With consoles, you can turn the power on, press X and be playing the game. PC gaming will never be able to offer that same level without a unified service and hardware architecture.

Yeah, but if I play Uncharted 1 today, it still looks like it did years ago. I can get Crysis though, and install texture packs, downsample it, crank the settings, and on new hardware it's like a new game. So it might be a little more of a pain to set-up, but the trade-off is a higher-quality experience.

And for all the people who moan about having to adjust gfx settings... you don't have to. Consoles have a gfx setting too -it's called "low." You can play any PC game on a 1080p display at 690p and all the settings turned down, that's fine, you'll get the console experience. But if you want, you can go and tweak, and fuss, and get a better result.

 

[Scrabble]

How did GTA online work for you at launch? Online launches frequently have problems, more at 11.

I didn't need GTA online to play GTAV, not to mention the issue lasted what, a week? Also I clearly stated right in the opening post, "I'm not ignorant of the issues that plague consoles", so I'm not biased. We should be able to call both out. It's not about being on team pc or team console, it's about wanting what's right for games as a whole.

So ya, I'm right there with you. The issues with GTA online are unacceptable, doesn't dismiss the issues that pertain to pc gaming though. Which is all I've been trying to say this whole time.

 

[BoosterDuck]

Yeah, but if I play Uncharted 1 today, it still looks like it did years ago. I can get Crysis though, and install texture packs, downsample it, crank the settings, and on new hardware it's like a new game. So it might be a little more of a pain to set-up, but the trade-off is a higher-quality experience.

And for all the people who moan about having to adjust gfx settings... you don't have to. Consoles have a gfx setting too -it's called "low." You can play any PC game on a 1080p display at 690p and all the settings turned down, that's fine, you'll get the console experience. But if you want, you can go and tweak, and fuss, and get a better result.

How dare you insult us console gamers. You know full well that we get 720p/30fps through Battlefield 3 and CoD Ghosts on our brand spanking new XBones.

 

[Almighty]

If you actually used DOS you know PC gaming caught up just fine. There is literally no effort required now compared to configuring DOS to play a game. If you want a turn on and play experience buy a console. To have this utopian setup we would need unified hardware and zero customization. No thanks.

Oh god the days of DOS still haunt me when I think about it. That is what separated the boys from the men and I can truthfully say that I was a little boy. All i knew how to do was get my Quest for Glory to run and that was it. Forget about troubleshooting or hell even installing games. How the fuck do i know what sound card i have and all that shit the installer asks you. Hell i was happy when I could get a game to install. Though more often then not it meant my game had no sound.

 

[Tabris]

Yeah, but if I play Uncharted 1 today, it still looks like it did years ago. I can get Crysis though, and install texture packs, downsample it, crank the settings, and on new hardware it's like a new game. So it might be a little more of a pain to set-up, but the trade-off is a higher-quality experience.

And for all the people who moan about having to adjust gfx settings... you don't have to. Consoles have a gfx setting too -it's called "low." You can play any PC game on a 1080p display at 690p and all the settings turned down, that's fine, you'll get the console experience. But if you want, you can go and tweak, and fuss, and get a better result.

And that's the benefit, there's no denying that at all. You have the most customizable superior gaming experience for any multi-platform title with PCs (assuming you update your PC every couple of years). But the whole point of the OP is talking about why the general gaming consumer will never embrace PC gaming. I am just giving you my experience. I'm a general gaming consumer with a PC gaming history. I'm 31 years old now and I don't have time to manually build my PC and install Windows. I don't have time to tinker with graphic settings for optimal play (or to ensure it doesn't crash or have framerate issues).

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

I've been primarily a pc gamer for about three years now, and while it was awesome in the beginning to be able to play games at 1080p/60 frames a second. My tolerance for the level of bullshit I have to put up with has about run its course. It's not the price of entry, the mouse and keyboard, or playing games at a desk; those issues have already been addressed and largely fixed. It's the constant pc tinkering and general clunkyness that keeps people from pc gaming.
Disabling a keyboard driver to get a game to work, editing ini files and replacing .dll files on a regular basis, certain settings like DX11 or physx breaking a game, windows updates interfering with your game in the middle of a session, limiting certain games to two cores so they don't crash every 10 minutes, poor optimization, games being broken at launch, shitty 3rd party drm, and a whole bunch of other crap that is still common place and shouldn't be tolerated.
I just now reached my breaking point after not being able to progress in Arkham City due to constant crashes during the Mr. Freeze fight. I tried just about every fix I can think of: disable rivatuner-nope, disable D3Doverider-nope, evga precision-nope, restore all default nvida values- nope, update and restore drivers-nope, disable DX11 and physx- nope, and the list goes on and on ad nauesum for about an hour before I just decided to say fuck it, I'm not putting up with this anymore. There goes my money and about 6+ hours worth of play time down the drain. The time I spend to play games shouldn't be taken up with me pulling my hair out just to get a game to function properly, or just work for that matter.
And don't think I'm just being ignorant to the share of issues that plague consoles as well, but at least the only example of a console game I can think of that just flat out refuses to work is Skyrim for the ps3. Spending time to "fix" pc games and deal with the bs is a regular thing for me These issues have really made it hard to decide whether or not I should upgrade, or go ahead with consoles for next gen and for-go the extra bells and whistles with pc gaming.
I truly hope Steam os addresses to fix these issues, otherwise pc gaming will always be a shadow to consoles in terms of public awareness and publisher recognition. I say this as a core pc gamer, and I'm sure I'll get plenty of people playing dumb and telling me how wrong I am, but until people start to really address this and voice concerns, pc gaming will never be something that's taken seriously.

you have a shitty and aren't that good at using one anyway. you'll learn. plus PC gaming has been around longer than you've been alive. i'm pretty sure it's taken very seriously if it has gone on that long.

What an ignorant statement.
I was a PC gamer for a long time. I built every PC I owned since I was 13 years old (I'm 31). I installed Civilization from floppies on DOS. I ran a Quake 2 server with my friends.
But all of that was a headache. I mean you would think things would have changed, but you're still building your PC and you're still having to edit files to mod your games to have them run optimally. We're in a "turn on and play" generation and PC gaming hasn't caught up.

that's because you are MODIFYING a game. so you kind of have to... modify files....
if you don't want to deal with mods, don't install mods.

How is Steam OS going to fix 99% of issues with PC games being caused by the user using the PC? Its simple, have a dedicated gaming PC with only o/s, drivers and games on it and report back to me how many issues you have. Don't browse the web and there is no need for antivirus either.
You do everything I just listed and you brought what steam os will fix to your current Windows install.

please. there is no need for that. I watch plenty of porn on my rig and it has never nor will it ever affect what happens when I play a game.

Your custom rig won't have that form factor. I wish mine did.

That's exactly what I have. Problems galore. (Well, not exactly... it has Steam and Origin on it.) Most don't take me a lot of effort to solve, but they'd make all my gamer friends' heads explode.

that form factor sukcs and is limiting. PC gaming is not supposed to be about limiting yourself.

But that's not turn on and play.

1) That's turn on
2) exit Steam as that will most likely be your default auto-load on a PC gaming machine
3) go to your Origins icon (if installed, otherwise need to install that).
4) Browse to that section of the store
5) select to buy
6) download
7) install
8) launch the application
9) go to the graphics menu
10) adjust the graphics
11) start a new game
12) game is chugging or crashes because you set graphics too high
13) Open up Origins
14) Launch simcity
15) Change graphics to a lower level
16) Start game
17) When you want to play again, repeat steps 2, 3, 8 every time.

Secret Step 18) Internet connection is down. Can't play.

ok I see you're into hyperbole and bullshit.

And that's the benefit, there's no denying that at all. You have the most customizable superior gaming experience for any multi-platform title with PCs (assuming you update your PC every couple of years). But the whole point of the OP is talking about why the general gaming consumer will never embrace PC gaming. I am just giving you my experience. I'm a general gaming consumer with a PC gaming history. I'm 31 years old now and I don't have time to manually build my PC and install Windows. I don't have time to tinker with graphic settings for optimal play (or to ensure it doesn't crash or have framerate issues).

how hard is it to click on resolution and put it to the max based on what kind of PC you have? or choose "ultra" for textures or whatever else.
here's a bit of advice. spend money.you should know your rig inside and out just based on how much you spend on it.

 

[Leb]

This thread is officially in this territory:

Yep, this thread has now entered the final stage of the "PC gaming is too complicated" metathread wherein posters contrive increasingly convoluted scenarios to demonstrate just how difficult PC gaming really is.

I feel like at this point, the the only response needed is:

PC gaming: working as intended; will not fix.

 

[hlhbk]

I didn't need GTA online to play GTAV, not to mention the issue lasted what, a week? Also I clearly stated right in the opening post, "I'm not ignorant of the issues that plague consoles", so I'm not biased. We should be able to call both out. It's not about being on team pc or team console, it's about wanting what's right for games as a whole.

So ya, I'm right there with you. The issues with GTA online are unacceptable, doesn't dismiss the issues that pertain to pc gaming though. Which is all I've been trying to say this whole time.

You want to talk inconvenience? The 3 RROD on 360 and 1 ylod caused far more effort on my part to fix than all issues I have had PC gaming combined. Mind you I have been PC gaming 20 years.

 

[Dr.Acula]

Oh god the days of DOS still haunt me when I think about it. That is what separated the boys from the men and I can truthfully say that I was a little boy. All i knew how to do was get my Quest for Glory to run and that was it. Forget about troubleshooting or hell even installing games. How the fuck do i now what sounds card i have and all that shit the installer asks you. Hell i was happy when I could get a game to install. Though more often then not it meant my game has no sound.

Don't get me started on manually adding hardware to the right IRQ.

 

[MutonCommander]

So ya, I'm right there with you. The issues with GTA online are unacceptable, doesn't dismiss the issues that pertain to pc gaming though. Which is all I've been trying to say this whole time.

I agree that PC gaming is sometimes more of a hassle than console gaming. It goes with the territory since the PC is an open platform, Steam Machines will soon provide an easier route to PC gaming for those people who don't want to deal with proper PC maintenance. That said, your thread's title makes some generalizations that are quite simply wrong since they only apply to your personal experience. You should have avoided phrasing your title like that, that's all I'm saying.

 

[SparkTR]

You want to talk inconvenience? The 3 RROD on 360 and 1 ylod caused far more effort on my part to fix than all issues I have had PC gaming combined. Mind you I have been PC gaming 20 years.

Opening my 360 to fix my RRoD was like surgery compared to anything I've done with my PC. Turns out I needed to re-apply thermal paste to the GPU and CPU. It was either that or a three week wait for Microsoft to fix it themselves.

 

[dragonknight337]

Oh god the days of DOS still haunt me when I think about it. That is what separated the boys from the men and I can truthfully say that I was a little boy. All i knew how to do was get my Quest for Glory to run and that was it. Forget about troubleshooting or hell even installing games. How the fuck do i now what sounds card i have and all that shit the installer asks you. Hell i was happy when I could get a game to install. Though more often then not it meant my game had no sound.

I started pc gaming around 2000, so I was finally getting to play older games like QFG and King's Quest finally (minus the nes port of 5 - wow, that was almost as much of a difference as Ultima SNES to PC U7).. The first time I actually got the sound to work on a DOS game was the gaming equivalent to parting the Red Sea.

Now, it is so easy, it's just mindboggling to me that people still want to complain.

 

[Scrabble]

Yep, this thread has now entered the final stage of the "PC gaming is too complicated" metathread wherein posters contrive increasingly convoluted scenarios to demonstrate just how difficult PC gaming really is.

I feel like at this point, the the only response needed is:

PC gaming: working as intended; will not fix.

My argument was never that it was "too hard" or "complicated."

 

[StevieP]

But that's not turn on and play.

1) That's turn on
2) exit Steam as that will most likely be your default auto-load on a PC gaming machine
3) go to your Origins icon (if installed, otherwise need to install that).
4) Browse to that section of the store
5) select to buy
6) download
7) install
8) launch the application
9) go to the graphics menu
10) adjust the graphics
11) start a new game
12) game is chugging or crashes because you set graphics too high
13) Open up Origins
14) Launch simcity
15) Change graphics to a lower level
16) Start game
17) When you want to play again, repeat steps 2, 3, 8 every time.

Secret Step 18) Internet connection is down. Can't play.

You forgot the part where you have to stick your tongue into a 5 and a quarter floppy drive and answer the skill testing question from the manual to get past the copy protection. And to rub one out a few times while sim city crashes because of... uh... low framerates I guess

 

[Daouzin]

I'm new to PC gaming and so far it's been good to me, but it's exceptionally enraging when I plug in my 360 controller and it doesn't work. I also know that you can't plug it in after the game has been launched. Anyway, I had to fix the problem by restarting my computer. Then when I went to restart it Windows decided to do a 20 minute update.

Not a big deal,I just played Final Fantasy XIV on my PS3 instead.

Stuff like that reminds me why I stick to consoles, but I have been spending half my gaming time on PC lately.

I think PC gamers just have more time/value their time less/value learning about their computers more/some combination of these. Some of us don't fit in that mold and we just want shit to work. It's weird, kinda, I guess, but we live in America so we're all pretty damn spoiled.

 

[evil solrac v3.0]

My argument was never that it was "too hard" or "complicated."

maybe next time you should just ask the good folks in the PC build thread how to fix a problem. also, why are you editing .ini and .dll files? you shouldn't mess with those if you don't know what you're doing. no reason to really.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

The only major issue I had was with TF2. They updated it a few months ago, and the game wouldn't load; I had to search online to figure out how to mess around with the folders. Then once I figured that out, they updated it again and the game crashed whenever it searched for servers.

I did not play TF2 for a while after that.

 

[MutonCommander]

I think PC gamers just have more time/value their time less/value learning about their computers more/some combination of these. Some of us don't fit in that mold and we just want shit to work. It's weird, kinda, I guess, but we live in America so we're all pretty damn spoiled.

PC gaming gets a lot easier after the initial teething problems a new user might encounter. You gain experience, you learn some basic stuff and from that point it's really easy to avoid the most common mistakes.

 

[LegendofLex]

I'm not sure what you're saying. PC gaming is not taken seriously because you don't hear about sales figures? There's a much more logical explanation than that. PC digital sales are much more prevalent than on consoles, and digital sales are not generally released by publishers. This is also the case for consoles, but the sales figures are still meaningful because the majority of the sales are retail/physical.

If PC gaming is really "taken seriously" versus console gaming by the people who matter - the consumers - why don't companies make a bigger deal about their PC sales (you know if they were selling upwards of one million copies on PC, you would hear about it), and why do the biggest platforms for PC games thrive on super-low-price discount games?

 

[hlhbk]

I started pc gaming around 2000, so I was finally getting to play older games like QFG and King's Quest finally (minus the nes port of 5 - wow, that was almost as much of a difference as Ultima SNES to PC U7).. The first time I actually got the sound to work on a DOS game was the gaming equivalent to parting the Red Sea.

Now, it is so easy, it's just mindboggling to me that people still want to complain.

Yeah back in the day you needed to copy the config.sys and autoexec.bat over to a boot able floppy and configure them specifically for each game. Most of the time himem.sys needed to be loaded to use all of your RAM, and then you had to configure the IRQ and dmas for the sound to work. You also didn't have the net to walk you through it.

But yeah PC gaming hasn't progressed to the point its easy to play. Not at all.

 

[TheLegendOfMart]

But that's not turn on and play.

1) That's turn on
2) exit Steam as that will most likely be your default auto-load on a PC gaming machine
3) go to your Origins icon (if installed, otherwise need to install that).
4) Browse to that section of the store
5) select to buy
6) download
7) install
8) launch the application
9) go to the graphics menu
10) adjust the graphics
11) start a new game
12) game is chugging or crashes because you set graphics too high
13) Open up Origins
14) Launch simcity
15) Change graphics to a lower level
16) Start game
17) When you want to play again, repeat steps 2, 3, 8 every time.

Secret Step 18) Internet connection is down. Can't play.

You do know you can disable steam from startup but if you let Origin and Steam start up automatically then that makes steps 2 and 3 moot, there is no need to close Steam to load origin as PCs have lots of memory you can run more than one thing at once unlike consoles.

Most if not all PC games detect what hardware you have and set the level of detail appropriately, even if you weren't into changing graphics levels if you leave everything as default it would still look and run better than the console version.

 

[SneakyStephan]

OP pc gaming sounds too hard for you, you should stick to consoles and enjoy your 720p 30 fps 50 degree fov while fumbling about with a controller in shooters

Disabling a keyboard driver to get a game to work, editing ini files and replacing .dll files on a regular basis

what are you even talking about
you don't have to do any of these things (disabling keyboard drivers, replacing dlls? what ? do you pirate games because that is the only scenario where you have to replace a dll)
Either you pirate your games or you're making shit up and don't game on PC.

you CAN edit ini files if you want to change stuff like fov or edit game settings beyond what the options menu offers
how the fuck is this a downside? What is the alternative? NO options and play everything with the settings forced on you by the developer?

It will never stop amazing me how people who have a console preorder to rationalise try to spin modding and game settings into a negative, it's mind boggling to imagine the mental gymnastics required.

 

[TheD]

But I want to play Sim City. You can't make exceptions for your case. What if I want to play a Microsoft game that runs on Windows for Live or whatever their service is?

That's the point I'm trying to make. The experience is never the same. With consoles, you can turn the power on, press X and be playing the game. PC gaming will never be able to offer that same level without a unified service and hardware architecture.

You damn well can make exception for Sim City!
The game had problems due to the shitty online crap, if they tried the same on consoles (including the lack of enough servers) it would be the same!

 

[CoffeeJanitor]

And that's the benefit, there's no denying that at all. You have the most customizable superior gaming experience for any multi-platform title with PCs (assuming you update your PC every couple of years). But the whole point of the OP is talking about why the general gaming consumer will never embrace PC gaming. I am just giving you my experience. I'm a general gaming consumer with a PC gaming history. I'm 31 years old now and I don't have time to manually build my PC and install Windows. I don't have time to tinker with graphic settings for optimal play (or to ensure it doesn't crash or have framerate issues).

Watch now as people tell you that your complaints are not legitimate and that it isn't difficult so stop being such a wimp.

 

[Daouzin]

PC gaming gets a lot easier after the initial teething problems a new user might encounter. You gain experience, you learn some basic stuff and from that point it's really easy to avoid the most common mistakes.

I can see that. Since I use my computer for everything I can easily see myself becoming a PC gamer, but when I run into any issue at all I have so many games to play on so many platforms (360/PS3/3DS) that my first instinct is to play something else and figure it out later.

I'm rarely in a gaming/tinkering mood so needing to mess with anything creates incredible (AKA irrational) rage when I'm super excited to play something.

 

[SparkTR]

If PC gaming is really "taken seriously" versus console gaming by the people who matter - the consumers - why don't companies make a bigger deal about their PC sales (you know if they were selling upwards of one million copies on PC, you would hear about it), and why do the biggest platforms for PC games thrive on super-low-price discount games?

Some do, CDP were boasting about their WItcher sales, Runic were boasting about their Torchlight 2 sales, Sega were boasting about their Rome II sales, From were boasting about their Dark Souls port sales, Paradox were boasting about their highest profit quarter earlier this year.

 

[Leb]

I think PC gamers just have more time/value their time less/value learning about their computers more/some combination of these. Some of us don't fit in that mold and we just want shit to work.

Uh, I'm pretty sure it's precisely because PC gamers value their time that they want to ensure they're experiencing the very best the game has to offer. You only get to enjoy your first playthrough of Bioshock: Infinite or GTA V... once.

That's why people are willing to spend a few minutes getting their game setup or wait a few months for the title to become available -- because the thought of having their first experience with the titles marred by terrible IQ and sub-30 fps is worse than the prospect of having Ted Cruz as president.

 

[CaptainGyro]

What the fuck does the bolded mean? Seriously, I have no idea what the fuck dezipping an archive and modifying parameters in a txt means or how to do it, and I sure as fuck don't want to waste my time learning.

It's ridiculously simple. This is copied from the readme of the file (This isn't all of it but it's the main thing):
) Place the contents of the .zip into the game's binary directory.
(this may be something like C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Dark Souls Prepare to Die Edition\DATA)
3) Adjust the settings in DSfix.ini as desired

An example of a thing to do for step 3 is opening an ini file and changing the line "unlockFPS 0" to "unlockFPS 1"

 

[Atomski]

The fact that he thinks modern PCs can't handle "Origins" and Steam at the same time kind of showed his cards. The dude has no idea what playing a PC game in 2013 entails.

Surely he was being sarcastic right? I thought it was a joke post.