360 vs PC - is the 360 winning in your eyes?

[bob4432]

for the past 10+years i have been an avid pc gamer. before that the last console i had was the original playstation.

lately, the last year or so, i have noticed the qualtity and refinement in pc games going down - kind of like they shipped a beta and then figured they could fix it with patches. my scope of games is small as i only play fps or some rts games, so others may not feel the same way i do and that is cool.

well, after much deliberation i picked up a 360 premium system and a couple of games - rb6, batltlestations midway, bf:mc and a couple others i got some really good deals on. plus i joined up with gamefly so i can get basically any game out there and have it for some time. upon paying all the $$$ for the console, additional cntrollers, rechargeable batteries, chargers, live accounts i was into it pretty heavy so i was really hoping i liked what was about to be an alternative gaming setup for me.

now i know why the pc games have been suffering so badly lately - all of the time is going into the consoles. i understand it is probably much easier to code for - hell you only have 1 set of hardware - like the reason macs are suppose to be so stable - very little if any difference in the hardware or software - you have hardware xyz and software xyz, not a mix of hardware a,x,z,y,t and software b,d, o and 2 and all differences are known, so very easy to make stuff work fast and efficient.

i must say that after gaming for so long on pc getting used to the controller has taken some time to get used to, but other than that i am extremely impressed with the quality of games for the 360. this explains why the pc games have been half a$$ed lately - plus the prices of the 360 games is crazy - $50-$70 for a new release.

even after all that, i am still happy that i did go the 360 route instead of picking up a 8800gtx and a new 1920x1200 lcd as the games currently for pc are, imho, about 70% at most of what they are on the 360. the 360 online setup is very good, albeit a bit limited, but still very good nonetheless..

i must say ms has done their homework and the quality of the unit is far superior to anything i expected - i game the 360 on a 40" lcd 720p panel and my computer is 1280x1024 panel, so i can compare graphics quality pretty well considering i just had my main rig hooked up to the 40" lcd not too long ago, and again, the 360 is very good. this does sadden me as it seems that pc gaming is kind of on a downwars spiral, and unfortunately i can understand why. also, for audio i use a home theater setup so the 5.1 surrond was already installed in the room

for the amount of $$$ invested in my 360 setup i could have built another rig, updated my current one, but sadly, i am glad i did not. i can see running the pc for more pc orientated items (need to learn solidworks but don't see any type of gpu upgrafe anytime soon and may put a zalman on my x1800xt to cool it a bit better) and the occasional game and the 360 is all gaming and also media sharing as soon as i set that portion of it up. need to learn solidworks a bit to possibly start making some 360 parts that i see could use some imrovement

also, another big bonus with the 360 is you put in a game and the damn thing just works. as a gamer i currently suck getting used to the controller but can see how this is the way of the future. lately, when a couple buddies of mine and i want to go a round in bf2 on the pc, we need to start up ts (which i have a server i host, find a map we both want to game on and hope we get 1 - on the server, 2 - on the same sides and 3 - don't get a ctd. for the last 6mos, i would say that at least 35% of the time was dealing with one of these issues and gaming was only ~65% at max for the 4 of us to get on together. in any given night, if we take a 2hr block of tiime, we may play 1-2rnds with the qualtiy of server admns out there. and we have even had our own servers, but that didn't work out too well. has 6+ people go in on the $$$, so they felt they could give out admin rights to anybody they wanted - so basically no admin.

i was just wondering the opinions of the people that do have a 360 along with a pc. which do you really like to game on better?

for certain games like simulators i don't thnk a console will every replace a pc, but that is about the only place where i see the pc still keeping its niche, and that is only until they (ms) create a good working keyboard/mouse setup for the 360 - hopefully ms will put something out even if it is limited to just certain games.

the power of the 360 is there, at least up to 720p and i am simply amazed at how well it has turned out. 6mos ago i would have had an entirely diferernt outlook, but am glad i did go the console route.

in a civilized manner, please voice your feelings about this topic - are consoles going to take over for 90% of the gaming industry?

thanks in advance for you time and opinion,
bob

fyi - i can't speak for the xbox1, the ps2, the ps3 or any of the nintendo stuf as i never owned one of them.

 

[Agentbolt]

Baxter? Is that you? Bark twice if you're in Milwaukee.

 

[doze]

I have owned consoles as long as I have owned PC's starting with an atari and a Tandy Coco3. I have also recently given up on pc gaming due to the endless upgrade cycle, driver updates, patches etc... being time and money consuming.

It is nice just to pop in a game and go

edit: I got my 360 in Dec

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: Agentbolt
Baxter? Is that you? Bark twice if you're in Milwaukee.

WTF are you talking about?

 

[ric1287]

its a quote from anchorman. and i believe he was commenting on how amazingly long that post was

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: Agentbolt
Baxter? Is that you? Bark twice if you're in Milwaukee.

sig worthy.

 

[RKS]

I don't 'game' much, maybe 3 hours a week. I have my 360 hooked up to my LCD for sports games. For my FPS I have my computer attached to the same LCD.

I actually prefer my computer because I can now use a nice 360 controller for sports games on my PC. My 360 randomly finds my new discs 'dirty' and I have to re-boot. Unlike a PC the 360 games are expensive and there is no way to really troubleshoot errors. Nor can I download 'enhancements' for 360 games.

 

[dwell]

For graphics whores, the PC > 360.

 

[0roo0roo]

budget isn't there for pc game dev now it seems. consoles getting all the nice stuff

 

[dug777]

THe PC will always win the IQ game in the longer term, because you're not dealing with a fixed hardware situation. The 360 and the PS3 have drastically outdated GPUs even now, and we're not even going to mention the Wii...

Personally i will be buying consoles in the near future, for sheer ease of use, but it's likely the Wii, for sheer awesome drunken fun with mates, and then PS3 at this stage simply because it's got Blu-Ray at a remarkably low price. The reviews i've read suggest there's some pretty damn hot games out for it, and that situation can only improve...

 

[JoPh]

i used to be a huge pc gamer back in the hayday. now i have go towards consoles. i got tired of upgrading. i do miss online fps games on the pc side. thats about.

the mod community for pc fps is the only really strong thing left. thats the only thing i miss in the console side.

 

[3NF]

I only play PC games. I am not a fan of console games.

 

[jfall]

Consoles can't match the PC's graphics, but they come "close enough" for me. In the past PC graphics were much further ahead than consoles, however that gap has gotten smaller. I only play FPS games on my PC, everything else on a console.

 

[DivideBYZero]

FPS & RTS on PC. Every other type of game on a console.

 

[Golgatha]

There is just no substitute for a keyboard and mouse interface on RTS games. FPS just don't feel right to me using a controller either. However, I'd play all my FPS and RTS games on a console if they'd just allow for a wireless keyboard and mouse combo on the console. The $500 graphics cards ($1000 for SLI/Crossfire) and power consumption of the PC just seem like they won't be worth it in the near future.

The only saving grace on the PC is that the games are less expensive than their console counterparts and come down in price much quicker as well. Also, the rest of my computer will to stay up to date anyway, because I like to do video editing and I don't like to wait .

I'm a long-time PC gamer (10+ years) and it sickens me how consoles have taken over almost completely. I must admit though, I'm thinking about getting an XBox 360 instead of upgrading my X1900XTX next time around because I can use the 360 for gaming and as a media center extension. Of course, I also have a 2month old and 3year old son who will most likely redefine gaming for me over the next several years too.

10years from now:

Sons: Dad, we really want a PS4/XBox720!
Dad: Ok, but you have mow the lawn for the rest of the summer.
Dad: (thinks to self) Well, just killed two birds with one stone there.

 

[Ultralight]

I am a PC gamer but as you point out the quality of PC games upon release is enough to make one throw up. Patch, patch, patch. It is a coding thing and it is far easier to code for consoles than PCs. Neverwinter Nights 2 is a prime example of sloppy coding to the point that even high-end gaming rigs had/have issues running it. They are on their 5th patch - five! - since its release in November and a sixth one is on its way.

Little wonder why consoles are here to stay.

 

[Golgatha]

Originally posted by: Ultralight
I am a PC gamer but as you point out the quality of PC games upon release is enough to make one throw up. Patch, patch, patch. It is a coding thing and it is far easier to code for consoles than PCs. Neverwinter Nights 2 is a prime example of sloppy coding to the point that even high-end gaming rigs had/have issues running it. They are on their 5th patch - five! - since its release in November and a sixth one is on its way.

Little wonder why consoles are here to stay.

FEAR is on patch #8. Supreme Commander was released last week and already has a large patch. BF1942 had a patch ready the day before release as I recall.

 

[funboy6942]

Originally posted by: Chris
For graphics whores, the PC > 360.

I sort of agree BUT a great looking sh1tty playing game is much worse then a slightly watered down graphics games with great playability.

I used to be a console gamer with the 3do, PS, then saturn, and then got my first PC and left consoles behind.
PC games were great, looked great, and for the most part played great. Now they are selling lots of crappy game titles that look great I have no real wants of playing, and my Xbox and OS2 is loaded with graphic challenged games, but the gameplay smacks the PC, and there are a ton more games for the systems I would rather play.

Now I have a year old powerhouse of a pc, no really new games for , maybe halflife, NFS Black, but those games can be had for the consoles as well, and I have no real wants for any other games for the PC atm but alot of 360 games. I find myself using my power house of a PC to play small internet games such as chainz and the like that a old PIII 500 with a ATI rage graphics card could do. If it wasnt for me using it as a HT set up I would most likly sell it and downgrade it big time and pocket the money to buy a 360

But I can relate and totally agree with you OP, PC to me seems to have to have gone by the way side, I am really hoping that MS is going to do something like they say with games for windows bringing a lot of the 360 titles to the pc market. That would be nice, and may make me stick with my pc, buy 360 games for it, and a 360 controller for it. But intill then, the cheap $10-$20 internet games, love saints and sinners bowling, is what my rig is crunching.

 

[FlamingDouchebag]

I don't know about the 360, by my PS3 is pretty awesome. Resistance is a PITA though.

One nice thing about console games is the software can be developed for standard hardware. That means fewer bugs (hopefully) and better utilization of the hardware's features. Instead of depending on DirectX or OpenGL.

 

[Aharami]

Originally posted by: jfall
Consoles can't match the PC's graphics, but they come "close enough" for me. In the past PC graphics were much further ahead than consoles, however that gap has gotten smaller. I only play FPS games on my PC, everything else on a console.

PC will soon leap far ahead again with upcoming games like Crysis

 

[Bitek]

I'm really enjoying the 360 as well. There is something also to say for sitting on the couch in front of a large HDTV with a wireless controller in hand. As said, the graphics have got to a point where they are very impressive, even if there is better on a Pc. Mods for games like Oblivion would be nice, then again, Morrowind was so big I never came close to finishing the game and never really needed any mods. I have too many other hobbies I'd like to dump money into rather than chasing top of the line hardware for a bit more eye candy.

RTS games have to be played by mouse, but these are not my favs anyway, so eh.

Recently built a new c2d comp, and only game on it is gal civ II. Only a few hrs on that anyway. Many hours on 360.

 

[KarmaPolice]

errr I have owned a NES, SNES, 64, Sega Saturn, and an xbox. I had fun back in the day but I really did not enjoy the xbox. PC gaming is a different feel all together and I still love that that best for a majority of games. PC games are the best for online play and FPSs/RTSs. Console games are better for side scrollers, fighting games, skateboarding games, sports games, and so on.

The day they start making the consoles compatible with a mouse and a keyboard is the day I might switch to consoles. but at the moment I dont own any next gen system and dont plan on buying one soon or ever. I especially dont like the wii.

 

[totalcommand]

Originally posted by: FlamingDouchebag
I don't know about the 360, by my PS3 is pretty awesome. Resistance is a PITA though.

One nice thing about console games is the software can be developed for standard hardware. That means fewer bugs (hopefully) and better utilization of the hardware's features. Instead of depending on DirectX or OpenGL.

Tell that to Oblivion

 

[jdoggg12]

I don't understand why people think that in order to play PC games you have to have the latest and greatest. You buy a gaming rig, on the high end, and you should be fine for 2+ years. you dont have to play at the highest settings to enjoy the game, often, medium settings will be on par with the console anyway.

 

[WT]

I've been a gamer since '89 (Lakers vs. Celtics - 386/20mhz and that Pro Audio Spectrum 16 sound card upgrade for only $276 gave me a wonky sound of a ball being dribbled .. and I liked it !!!) but my last console purchased was an SNES ... sorry, but consoles were never my thing. After learning how to upgrade/repair PCs I managed to get a job doing it, and 10 years later I am still working for 8 hours, then come home to game or upgrade my PC or friend's PCs and making $$ on the side with that. You think if I would have fallen head over heels for consoles that I would be getting paid to do what I love ??? There might be a few pro gamers, but I'd be willing to bet a large sum of cash that there are more people making $$ by fixing or selling PCs than there are pro console gamers making cash.

It boils down to simplicity these days. If I invent something that makes your life easier, you buy it. Microwave, remote for a TV, indoor plumbing .. all necessities these days. So the console has that in spades over a PC, but only if you don't care about building or maintaining a PC. Since we are discussing this on Anandtech, you obviously have some interest in PCs or you wouldn't be posting in this thread. If your true calling leads you elsewhere, thats fine too, but PC gaming needs to survive just to give us a choice. If AMD goes under, don't expect to be buying any cheap Intel processors for quite some time also .... competition is OK, its a monopolistic market that isn't.