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

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: torpid
Well I won't dispute that the PC is losing in terms of sales. You got me there.

Yes and no actually...the sales figures usually don't take into account monthly revenue from blockbusters like WoW. That said, a lot of the PCs traditional bread and butter is becoming the domain of the consoles for whatever reason.

The PC is in a weird point right now, especially since Microsoft steals a lot of its thunder and redirects it towards the xbox 360. (ports, xbox360 exclusives). I'm not sure what to think. The gaming PC will always have a place on my desk in some capacity, I like the freedom of customization, some of the tinkering, and I love mods.

The keyboard and mouse interface is really the only thing that works for FP(S, RPG, anything) and RTS for me. Its true you can do ok with a controller, but it'll always be more cumbersome IMO and I really don't have any interest in playing a FPS on that. However, if all xbox360 games had keyboard/mouse support I'd have a hard time not finding a place for one in my house.

I've noticed a lot of the lack of focus on games initial quality. I shield myself from it mostly by buying games that have been out for 6 months. Some still aren't entirely fixed by that point. Its a tough nut to crack for the developers and I don't entirely blame them for not achieving the nearly impossible goal of working with all different ranges of hardware and software on the PC. Its no easy task, and I think most decent developers get it pretty close...eventually.

However, if a game is a multiplatform release I have come to immediately view it with scepticism. I know the console is going to likely be the developers focus because thats where the money is. And the PC title is going to suffer the same constraints as the console version because they won't take the time to differentiate the platforms. Fable, Thief 3 and others both constained the player to small, loadable sections that were unnecessary on the PC...simply because the xbox lacked the memory to do more. Oblivion couldn't even be bothered to give a reasonable interface design for the PC, a much simplier change. Tons of other titles, ported well after they come out, perform terrible on top of the line hardware while providing unimproved visuals. All of this has you thinking...if they aren't going to take the time to make it work right on the PC...why bother?

I think most PC gamers, like myself have become jaded with this kind of stuff...and have become tighter with our dollars as a result. I've seen appopin post a lot of threads where he buys a game in the bargain bin for $10. I do the same kind of thing. A lot of those games are ok to me, but when they're just a unchanged port of a console game I see no reason to buy them for full price when they come out. I feel like they gave me about $10 worth of effort, so I'll give them $10 for their game.

I realize this means developers look at PC games as a losing position...there's not much money to be made. Thus more of them stop focusing on PC gaming and it becomes a vicious cycle. All the same though, I'm not going to rush out and buy crappy ports for $50.

 

[PingSpike]

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.

Doesn't the xbox360 use a version of directX? And I thought the PS3 used some kind of OpenGL, along with the Wii?

 

[clamum]

Originally posted by: 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.

I know... I had my last computer for 3 years and was still able to play Battlefield 2 and Company of Heroes on it and kick some ass online. I don't need 80 FPS to play a game, nor settings maxed out. I guess I concentrate on gameplay way more than pretty graphics.

And PCs aren't that expensive to build. I got this one for $813 (4300 C2D which I have yet to overclock, X1950Pro, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB SATA drive, etc).

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: clamum

Originally posted by: 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.

I know... I had my last computer for 3 years and was still able to play Battlefield 2 and Company of Heroes on it and kick some ass online. I don't need 80 FPS to play a game, nor settings maxed out. I guess I concentrate on gameplay way more than pretty graphics.

And PCs aren't that expensive to build. I got this one for $813 (4300 C2D which I have yet to overclock, X1950Pro, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB SATA drive, etc).

even if you take out the hardware aspect, the quality of pc games doesn't seem to be there. sure, i am definately looking foward to enemy territory and fuel of war, but what pc game has really blown anybody's sox off lately? coh? bf2? imho 2142 was a flop and bf2 is nearly 2yrs old. i don't follow the mmorpg games at all so maybe there is something there.

 

[MBrown]

It depends on the times. Right now its the consoles time but that will soon be fading away then more people are going to start playing PC games, and after that the new consoles are going to come out and the cycle is going to repeat itself.

 

[bob4432]

imho it is the console's time because you are getting very good graphics and hdtv is helping that along too. mix that in with the quality of the games, the refinement of them and it seems that it is a good time to be console gaming. i would love to do a rb6 360 vs pc comparison and see which one i like more, with the pc hardware i currently have...

 

[Staples]

With the amount of good games that came out for PC last year, sure the Xbox 360 is winning.

 

[Eeezee]

PC quality really is crap right now. Although it's true that I can't wait to try C&C3, and I haven't installed Jade Empire or Supreme Commander yet. Promising titles

I just don't like consoles. I own a PS2. I'll buy a PS3 when they lower the price (I don't care if I have to wait a very long time). This last December the 360 had fallen to $300ish if you knew where to look, so hopefully the PS3 sees a similar price drop. At that point it will cost $400 to have the PS3, which I want as a Blu-Ray player that can play some nice games (MGS4 and Assassin's Creed).

I have to be brutally honest, I haven't played anything on the 360 that I really liked to make me feel that it is better than a PC. I'm not into sports games, and Halo's popularity is a mystery to me. Gears of War is alright, but the multiplayer modes aren't very fun. I can't think of any other 360 games that are exclusives that I'd want to play, either. Dead Rising was a great idea, but I heard it is very repetitive and dull after the first *attempt* at beating the game

 

[Flammable]

i envy your 40"

 

[LtPage1]

As with all consoles, wait one year. Oh wait, that already happened, and PCs can put up twice the resolution at twice the framerate. Haha, silly me.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: LtPage1
As with all consoles, wait one year. Oh wait, that already happened, and PCs can put up twice the resolution at twice the framerate. Haha, silly me.

i am not arguing about shear power, i am more concerned about the avaialability of good programming for pc gaming. why am i still playing a 2yr old game on the pc in the fps arena? after looking at the reviews for rb6, my rig in sig could play rb6 but at low settings and even then it would probably stumble on some of the scenes that i have seen on the 360, which it plays very well on.

i shouldn't have to pick up a $300-$500 gpu to play a game that looks good on a $300 console, at very close resolutions to what i want for the pc. i can definately get used to a different controller for $300-$500

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: Flammable
i envy your 40"

thanks

 

[sao123]

I have a problem with the 360...
its a video game console... and they encourage you to buy 4 controllers for it...

however 90% of the games dont support split screen multiplayer anymore...
and the ones that do require you to pay a subscription for the live, just so you can play multiplayer...

this is complete crap... I think ill stick with my PS2/Gamecube for now.

 

[NFS4]

Originally posted by: sao123
I have a problem with the 360...
its a video game console... and they encourage you to buy 4 controllers for it...

however 90% of the games dont support split screen multiplayer anymore...
and the ones that do require you to pay a subscription for the live, just so you can play multiplayer...

this is complete crap... I think ill stick with my PS2/Gamecube for now.

Encourage you to buy 4 controllers? Says who?

 

[archcommus]

I'll chip in here.

It makes sense that consoles are winning. PCs never stood a chance outside of the enthusiast market. You can't expect Joe Average to build (or care to build) his own computer, and if he goes into a store and picks up an HP or Dell, it'll be underpowered graphically, he'll get frustrated when new games run like crap, he won't feel like searching the net for patches, and he'll give up within a week. A console fixes virtually all these issues. They were built from the ground up to be easy, to be placed in the living room, and to be usable by anyone. So of course they're popular and that's where the money's going to be for the developers.

Now, my reasons for sticking with PC gaming and NEVER having bought a console. First, I mainly like FPSs, and we all agree those are better on PC. Second, I prefer keyboard/mouse, and using those with a console wasn't really feasible prior to this generation. Third, back in the day I was really into modding, and of course that couldn't be done on any console. And I was already interested in computer hardware so I had no problem with upgrading. I DIDN'T like how if I bought a console, it stayed stagnant for years. I enjoy seeing new power and new graphics annually. I also used to say that upgrading my computer was better than dropping a big hunk of cash on a new console every few years, but with the rising costs of PC hardware that really isn't the case anymore.

So today. I understand why consoles are pulling ahead. But I just don't see myself purchasing one anytime soon (again, I've never had one). Playing the games I like, shooters, with a controller on a TV just doesn't appeal to me. PC shooters DO still appeal to me, but I agree that good titles are becoming few and far between, and hardware is getting too expensive. That's why I haven't upgraded for over a year and a half and still don't plan to this summer. Maybe I'll drop $400 or so this winter just to play the few big titles that are coming up.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: LtPage1
As with all consoles, wait one year. Oh wait, that already happened, and PCs can put up twice the resolution at twice the framerate. Haha, silly me.

assuming it comes out at all, thats how it works for most games, they don't. some others like halo do, once they do its so old and passe that it might as well never have come out in the first place. doesn't matter if a system can do a lot in theory if theres nothing it can do in reality.

the games on the consoles simply look amazing for the power they do have. its the larger art/animation/sound budgets that just bring out the goodness. sure there are some cross platformers, but its pretty slim pickings. oblivion? i didn't really want to play it, couldn't really anyways since i didn't feel like paying another 400 dollars for a faster video card.

 

[funboy6942]

Originally posted by: bob4432

Originally posted by: Flammable
i envy your 40"

thanks

Just a 40"? PHuLEZ, I can fit over 4 of them on my gaming screen

 

[sandorski]

PC wins, sorry.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: funboy42

Originally posted by: bob4432

Originally posted by: Flammable
i envy your 40"

thanks

Just a 40"? PHuLEZ, I can fit over 4 of them on my gaming screen

i hear you, but a 720p projector is a bit much, plus my ht is in the master bedroom since our living room is a weird design - condo, so with a ceiling fan the projectors didn't really appeal to me, but yours does look good. for the room and the fact that i sit 10' from the screen 40" works out good - much better than the 55" rptv it replaced. just out of curiosity what projector do you run? how is the lamp life? what are the prices of the lamp? any ghosting with fast action? what resolution?

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: sandorski
PC wins, sorry.

this is not a wins or loss thread, it is more of just how people feel and why. before i got the 360 i would have never imagined the quality of graphics, the quality of live and the overall refinement in the games. i now see where all the money for games goes - to the consoles. hopefully in the near future some game for pc will actually give me the desire to upgrade my gpu, but until then it is staying as is as i can still play bf2 with it, which is about the only game i play on pc now, or have. i have long missed sports games, and now i can rent those too

 

[iversonyin]

PC is good for MMORPG and FPS. Console is for everything else. Counterstrike still own Halo IMHO. But you are dead on with the easier programming and hardware issue. 1 console last for 3 years. While you have to constantly upgrade your PC to keep up with the stupid games.

And the other reason why PC games been so-so lately, because EA makes everything these days...and they not very good at it.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: bob4432

Originally posted by: sandorski
PC wins, sorry.

this is not a wins or loss thread, it is more of just how people feel and why. before i got the 360 i would have never imagined the quality of graphics, the quality of live and the overall refinement in the games. i now see where all the money for games goes - to the consoles. hopefully in the near future some game for pc will actually give me the desire to upgrade my gpu, but until then it is staying as is as i can still play bf2 with it, which is about the only game i play on pc now, or have. i have long missed sports games, and now i can rent those too

It isn't? OOps, the title threw me off.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: sandorski

Originally posted by: bob4432

Originally posted by: sandorski
PC wins, sorry.

this is not a wins or loss thread, it is more of just how people feel and why. before i got the 360 i would have never imagined the quality of graphics, the quality of live and the overall refinement in the games. i now see where all the money for games goes - to the consoles. hopefully in the near future some game for pc will actually give me the desire to upgrade my gpu, but until then it is staying as is as i can still play bf2 with it, which is about the only game i play on pc now, or have. i have long missed sports games, and now i can rent those too

It isn't? OOps, the title threw me off.

i should change the title but just haven't, but did put in your eyes, so if in your eyes pcs are winning that is cool with me

 

[miniMUNCH]

For me to sit down and really enjoy playing a video game, it has got to have a wow factor.

The only console game that I really like is NCAA football. Everything else, including gears or war, it just a "Meh" for me.

I realize that GoW is a great console game, and I'm impressed... but the the whole time I'm thinking "this would look so much better on my computer". Console gaming is by and large an unsatisfying experience for me.

When Crysis comes out, let's redress the console vs. PC argument... and then we can hit it again when UT3 hits the shelves.

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: miniMUNCH
When Crysis comes out, let's redress the console vs. PC argument... and then we can hit it again when UT3 hits the shelves.

agreed :thumbsup:

just out of curiosity, are you running your 360 on a hdtv?