Am I being paranoid? PC vs. PS2 et al

[runzwithsizorz]

It seems to me that lately XBox, PS2 and other console gaming systems are getting "first pick" at a lot of games and when they finally come out on PC, there's lots of "bug" issues. I played Deus Ex on the PC and then had to wait 2 years
after the PS 2 version came out for the PC version of Deus Ex 2. "Draken" (if anyone remembers that game) was orinally a PC game. "Draken 2" never made it to the PC at all. I am seeing sequals to good games coming out on consoles first. Of course Halo was never a PC game, but now that it's come to PC...playable but buggy. I REFUSE to spend$$$ on a console system just to play some games. Anyone have an opinion on this?
p.s. One consolation is Theif III is due out for the PC sometime next year....and not on a console first.

 

[Kntx]

I REFUSE to spend$$$ on a console system just to play some games.

Yet you've spent significantly more for a PC which apparantly doesn't have the games you want to play.

 

[klah]

Thief III is being developed by Ion Storm simultaneously for PC and Xbox, the same way they have done with DX2.

 

[TheVrolok]

Originally posted by: Kntx

I REFUSE to spend$$$ on a console system just to play some games.

Yet you've spent significantly more for a PC which apparantly doesn't have the games you want to play.

Although the PC can do quite a bit more than the consoles can that can more than make up for the game deficit.

 

[TheVrolok]

Originally posted by: klah
Thief III is being developed by Ion Storm simultaneously for PC and Xbox, the same way they have done with DX2.

Wonder if it'll suck as much as DX2 ?

 

[jim1976]

If you worry that much I would suggest on buying a console to have with your pc.
You spent I presume some money each year for your pc upgrade.Why don't you get a ps2 or Xbox to have them all?

 

[BurnItDwn]

I agree with you runzwithsizorz, though the PC has a huge edge on good FPS and RTS games, as well as with Flight simulation type games too.

 

[FatAlbo]

Originally posted by: runzwithsizorz
Of course Halo was never a PC game...

Never a PC game? Halo was originally developed for Mac then PC. Then MS bought out Bungie...

 

[TerryMathews]

My opinion is that you're making a mistake by not owning consoles. You'd be suprised how much longer your PC hardware lasts per dollar when you're not upgrading all the time to get 35 bajillion FPS in the latest shooter.

No. 1 reason I play games on my consoles) You put a disc in, and it works. Never any driver conflicts or software bugs. Heck, Microsoft has simplified online play with their Live service to where it is as trouble-free as the rest of the console.

I still play some shooters and flight sims on my PC, but general gaming occurs on one of the consoles (n64, GBA, Saturn, Dreamcast, Xbox, PS2, GC).

EDIT: Point of contention, the Deus Ex that came out for PS2 a few years ago was a port of the PC version, not an original game. You didn't miss anything there by not owning a console.

 

[Sunner]

Gotta agree, console ports generally suck horribly.

Final Fantasy VII and VIII(didn't bother with any of the newer ones), Halo, and a bunch of others I don't remember off the top of my head.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

I actually believe that consoles are the industry's darlings because the consumers are just consumers. With a PC, you can tinker, hack, and even *gasp!* copy programs and games (not to mention you can ACTUALLY make your own stuff....) With a console, you're pretty much passive.

Every time someone buys consoles, the industry is making money handsomely. This is so ridiculous, and such a bad policy in the long run. The PC is much more of an open standard, and much more widespread in the world, but I guess there are people out there who just can't understand that more is at stake than their selfish distraction.

 

[Nothinman]

With a PC, you can tinker, hack, and even *gasp!* copy programs and games (not to mention you can ACTUALLY make your own stuff....) With a console, you're pretty much passive.

But most people don't like to tinker, they just want things to work. Any more I'm the same way when it comes to hardware (and mostly software too, but some tinkering is unavoidable with software), I expect to plug it in and load the module and be able to use it.

I don't personally own any consoles because I'd never play them at my house, but I do play them frequently at a friend's house and I put a lot of time into playing KOTR and TigerWoods (2004?) on the XBox because they're fun and they "just work". I doubt I would have finished KOTR if it was on my PC, especially now that I've seen the interface changes they made on the PC version.

And now with the trend of console's being backwards compatible it's even less of a risk. When you buy a PS3 you'll be able to play all the PS2 and probably most of the PS1 games out already, no waiting for tons of games to be released. If the trend continues we might even get to a point where we have a console standard like the PC "one". Whether it's sony or MS that becomes the Mac of that standard is to be seen.

 

[dpm]

Originally posted by: TerryMathews
My opinion is that you're making a mistake by not owning consoles. You'd be suprised how much longer your PC hardware lasts per dollar when you're not upgrading all the time to get 35 bajillion FPS in the latest shooter. No. 1 reason I play games on my consoles) You put a disc in, and it works. Never any driver conflicts or software bugs. Heck, Microsoft has simplified online play with their Live service to where it is as trouble-free as the rest of the console. .

How often do you actually have problems playing games on the pc? Unless you are trying to get 35 bajillion FPS (as you put it ) generally you just pop the disk in, install, and play.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

With a PC, you can tinker, hack, and even *gasp!* copy programs and games (not to mention you can ACTUALLY make your own stuff....) With a console, you're pretty much passive.

But most people don't like to tinker, they just want things to work.

Most people buy consoles.

PC's are for those who do want to tinker, or who want to think.

Consoles are for people who don't give a damn/aren't so intellectual.

 

[Sunner]

Im a PC gamer, but it's not cause I wanna tinker(I like doing that with new hardware, OS's, etc, not with games).

The reason I don't even bother with consoles are that the games available rarely interest me, and I'd have to get mouse/keyb to be able to play anything, plus a bunch of other small things.

All in all, I find the tinkering needed to be a fair price to pay for the advantages of a PC.

 

[McArra]

Pc gaming is much better for me. Simulation/phisycs are much more realistics, graphics are much better, it provides more features.
Anyway I love upgrading my Pc and seeing results that way. Most people like to play without thinking to much, just plug&play.
But you can't overclock a console, make it faster with your work in it..... They are different worlds.

 

[Slickone]

I (and anyone, I would think) could never play a game as well with a gamepad as I could with a mouse & keyboard. PC graphics can be better, especially on a monitor. PC games are cheaper. PC's have better controllers (joysticks, wheels, etc). With PC's, you have all the mods you could want, and updates that add features/levels, etc. Don't consoles take longer to load a game? Imagine trying to play MSFS 2004 on a console (from your couch ).
So far I haven't seen any console only games that I really wished were available for the PC.

 

[McArra]

Originally posted by: Slickone
I (and anyone, I would think) could never play a game as well with a gamepad as I could with a mouse & keyboard. PC graphics can be better, especially on a monitor. PC games are cheaper. PC's have better controllers (joysticks, wheels, etc). With PC's, you have all the mods you could want, and updates that add features/levels, etc. Don't consoles take longer to load a game? Imagine trying to play MSFS 2004 on a console (from your couch ).
So far I haven't seen any console only games that I really wished were available for the PC.

I have. Project Gotham 2, GT3, Midtown madness 3...... why????? I can't stand it!! I'll love to play those games in my comp!! :brokenheart:

 

[erikistired]

i had an xbox for six months til it died, and MS told me i was out of my 90 day warranty and quoted me the cost of a new xbox to fix it. so i went back to pc gaming, and i haven't given it a second thought since then. there were two games i played on the xbox (mech assault and midtown madness 3) and altho i did enjoy them, i just don't seem to miss them. but i think you're right about being paranoid. companies like microsoft and sony lock the software companies into exclusive contracts to develop for their console first, and then i guess after a certain length of time they can port to the pc or ps2 or xbox or wherever they weren't originally. it sucks, but it's life. i'd love to see mech assault on the pc (not mechwarrior, mech assault. i've played both, 2 different games imho), but i'm not going to keep buying xboxen just so i can play it.

oh, the exclusive release thing aside. imagine what it's like to code a game for the pc vs console. on the console, every single xbox is the same. every single ps2 is the same. they code their game, release it, all better. one reason there's bugs is because there is such a huge variety of hardware and they have to make sure it works on all of them. i've read that directx is helping things, but it's still got some distance to go. they are also dependant on drivers and whatnot, and people knowing to keep their drivers/os up to date. more complicated than just making the game that will work on every xbox, or gamecube, or whatever (altho i have seen compatibility probs on consoles before, just not very often).

 

[Fern]

 

[Fern]

runwithsizors - I agree completely, and don't think it's paranoid at all. It's reality. My fear is that this trend will continue. Meaning pc gamers will be stuck with whatever limitation the particular gaming console has. Dumbed down games for the pc - paraniod, no. Depressing, yes

 

[DaveSimmons]

Interplay is pretty much shutting down PC games (including shelving Fallout 3 and dismantling Black Isle) but you're not missing anything not having a console -- their releases are garbage like "Fallout: POS" with thiong-wearing Brotherhood soldiers and spellcasting ghouls :|

I see a few console-only games that look fun, but not enough for me to make the effort to buy an Xbox and/or PS2.

 

[beatle]

It's frustrating to see games like Halo released for the Xbox when they're very difficult to control with the little controller. Perhaps they're acceptable once you've gotten accustomed to the controls, but you can't just flick the controller and spin around to shoot the scumbag behind you. This is a bigger part than most people realize. Then when they're released for the PC, they're extremely slow and missing crucial features (how can you leave out co-op??)

It's also sad that there are very few quality racing sims on the PC. They're usually dumbed down "arcade" style racing games. I doubt we'll ever see a Gran Turismo equivalent on the PC. The only PC software companies with the bucks to put together a sim of that caliber either don't make games or release their best titles on their proprietary system.

 

[CPA]

I have both. (XBOX and PC)

I refuse to play RTS on the XBox, just as I refuse to play sports games on the PC.

 

[onelin]

Originally posted by: Kntx

I REFUSE to spend$$$ on a console system just to play some games.

Yet you've spent significantly more for a PC which apparantly doesn't have the games you want to play.

I'm with Kntx.

I have a high end PCs that plays FPS games, browses, and let's me code. I have a Gamecube and now Xbox also for games. Why? They have games I want. Just like that new videocard (more than the price of a console) is bought because I want to play new games.

The exclusives that were once PC games (Halo) bother me somewhat, but it's how console makers attract consumers. I will never buy a console->PC port.