Future of Gaming and PC's

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: Wingznut
However, I don't think there's anyone here who doesn't believe that there's more to a great game than high resolution graphics.

I'll believe that the PC is better than a console in EVERY WAY, when you show me a racing game on the PC that's better than Project Gotham Racing 2, Gran Turismo, or Rallisport Challenge 2. And not just visually... I'm talking about the complete package (i.e. Voice chat, excellent surround sound, custom soundtracks, downloadable content, online racing, etc...)

How about a fighting game better than Soul Calibur 2 or Virtual Fighting Evolution?
Maybe a better sports game than ESPN NHL Hockey, NFL Football, or MLB Baseball?
Perhaps a better adventure game than Resident Evil 4, Jade Empire, or Silent Hill?
Any thoughts on a better action game than Ninja Gaiden, Onimusha, or Devil May Cry?
Got a suggestion for a better platformer on the PC than Maximo, Ratchet and Clank, or Jak and Daxter?


Is anyone beginning to see my point yet? Yes, the PC has better hardware. Yes, the PC has better graphics. Yes, the PC does SOME genres better than the consoles (i.e. FPS, RTS, MMORPG, etc...) But the consoles do many genres better than PC's.

But it's all about the games. And the fact of the matter is that there are A LOT more enjoyable games on the consoles right now.

And there you have it; the only thing going for consoles is that they have a few good games available for them which aren't available on PCs.

Originally posted by: Wingznut

Originally posted by: Bonesdad
omg, we are witnessing the birth of a new phenomena...console fanbois and PC fanbois...can't we all just get along???

And this is my point... I'll never understand the zealots who'll champion their favorite platform to no end. The only thing they accomplish is to limit their options, and miss out on some great gaming.

Believe me, the lack of understanding is mutual. Do you have a lot of cars? Something nice for going to work, say a BMW 5-series with power everything, a 1500-watt stereo system, climate control, and massive storage space in the back, then three separate featureless econoboxes, a Civic for going to Blockbuster Video, Corolla for going to the grocery store, and a Kia for going to visit friends/family? Why wouldn't you do all that in your work car, which as an added bonus has all the creature comforts I mentioned? It makes no sense.

 

[Gurck]

This got me thinking; is there any way to play ps2 games on a pc? Xbox would provide obvious interface challenges, as not many PCs have cartridge drives.. but ps2 uses CDs, right?

 

[Maximilian]

Damnit the PC is way better than any console will ever be.
Can you do this on a console? can you surf the internet? somone told me the xbox can but its limited.
Can you chat to people on a console? not to the same extent as pc's.
Can you not even chat to friends without having to use the phone? Without messenger nope not really.
Can you burn cd's and dvd's? nope.
Can you print things from your console? even if it came with a free printer? nope i dont think so.
Can you make a website for your clan with your daft little console? nope.
Can you play old games from consoles which break? nope cuz cartriges dont fit into cd players and the cd's from my other console arent compatible with this console sucks to be me.
Can you emulate other consoles which have died? nope you cant not even the genesis which is so easy for the pc.
Can you get a good game from another type of console to come out for your console? Somtimes not as often as with the pc.
Can your console accept floppy disks//compact flash//smartmedia etc etc? nope and even if it could it wouldnt be much use as theres no way to open them due to a lack of operating system.
Can you edit music? nope not really
Can you edit dvd's? umm no.
Can your pitiful console do anything other than play games and play music? come to think of it NO omg ive wasted my money on a beefed up radio!! i want a pc!!!

This is why consoles suck compared to pc's

 

[DrMindbender]

Computers are different from consoles, I get it already, LOL Anyways I play both, but I was just thinking that for the price of a new console, you're paying the same amount as upgrading to a top of the line graphics card, maybe less considering other minor extra upgrades to your pc. And you could sell your system on ebay the same way people do with their old graphics cards.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: Wingznut
However, I don't think there's anyone here who doesn't believe that there's more to a great game than high resolution graphics.

I'll believe that the PC is better than a console in EVERY WAY, when you show me a racing game on the PC that's better than Project Gotham Racing 2, Gran Turismo, or Rallisport Challenge 2. And not just visually... I'm talking about the complete package (i.e. Voice chat, excellent surround sound, custom soundtracks, downloadable content, online racing, etc...)

How about a fighting game better than Soul Calibur 2 or Virtual Fighting Evolution?
Maybe a better sports game than ESPN NHL Hockey, NFL Football, or MLB Baseball?
Perhaps a better adventure game than Resident Evil 4, Jade Empire, or Silent Hill?
Any thoughts on a better action game than Ninja Gaiden, Onimusha, or Devil May Cry?
Got a suggestion for a better platformer on the PC than Maximo, Ratchet and Clank, or Jak and Daxter?


Is anyone beginning to see my point yet? Yes, the PC has better hardware. Yes, the PC has better graphics. Yes, the PC does SOME genres better than the consoles (i.e. FPS, RTS, MMORPG, etc...) But the consoles do many genres better than PC's.

But it's all about the games. And the fact of the matter is that there are A LOT more enjoyable games on the consoles right now.

And there you have it; the only thing going for consoles is that they have a few good games available for them which aren't available on PCs.

Originally posted by: Wingznut

Originally posted by: Bonesdad
omg, we are witnessing the birth of a new phenomena...console fanbois and PC fanbois...can't we all just get along???

And this is my point... I'll never understand the zealots who'll champion their favorite platform to no end. The only thing they accomplish is to limit their options, and miss out on some great gaming.

Believe me, the lack of understanding is mutual. Do you have a lot of cars? Something nice for going to work, say a BMW 5-series with power everything, a 1500-watt stereo system, climate control, and massive storage space in the back, then three separate featureless econoboxes, a Civic for going to Blockbuster Video, Corolla for going to the grocery store, and a Kia for going to visit friends/family? Why wouldn't you do all that in your work car, which as an added bonus has all the creature comforts I mentioned? It makes no sense.

LMTA - The console IS inferior is EVERY way. Just 'cause the Xbox (PS2/GC) has some (a very FEW) hot games- if graphically inferior - doesn't mean there is any attraction for ANY gamer to buy an Xbox - NOW. Worst of all, you have to buy ALL THEREE platforms to play ALL the hot games (what a waste).

UNTIL the X-box/PS3/GCII - in 2006 - platforms are gonna STAY INferior to the PC for TWO whole years more. Any your console fans will have to be CONSOLED each time you spend $50 for another crappy-looking game.

:roll:

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

PC>>>>>Console

PC has the best online gaming capabilities, some of the best games, usually the best graphics, and countless other uses compared to a console. Players can often create their own content for games (maps, models, mods, etc).


Don't get me wrong, consoles are fun and I play console games from time to time. But 90% of my gaming time is spent using my PC.

 

[Wahsapa]

Originally posted by: sharq
On the flipside, on my desktop I can play the pacman I could play on a P1 win95 machine. I doubt I could play a Super Nintendo game on a Gamecube.
Plus, I agree, there is much more to a computer than just games.

GameBoy Advanced = SNES2

plus the e-reader for even older games....

OR
just get an emulator and some roms for whatever computer you have...

 

[Wingznut]

Originally posted by: Gurck
This got me thinking; is there any way to play ps2 games on a pc? Xbox would provide obvious interface challenges, as not many PCs have cartridge drives.. but ps2 uses CDs, right?

Wait a second... You are consistantly knocking the consoles, yet it's painfully obvious you've never even used one?!?!

You think the Xbox uses cartridges? Are you joking???

 

[Gurck]

Who said I never used one? Leaping to conclusions to back up our precious consoles now?

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
still have to remember that the xbox is several years old at this point and still holding up. when it came out, ur budget pc wouldn't touch it.

Still holding up? :disgust: It looked like crap then and looks like crap now. Sorry, but the only game I'm willing to play in 640x480 is Starcraft. And last I checked that's a pc game. Of course no Ur pc would touch it; Ur is a city that's been dead for millenia. They didn't even have electricity back then, much less computers. However a $500 pc three years ago could easily cream the xbox in that same reso. Keep in mind that price doesn't include a monitor, as console prices don't include TVs.

hm, so when the xbox first came out, what the hell was so great on the pc. doom 3? no... pc games run a bit below the bleeding edge of cpu/vidcard capabilities, thats just the way it is. not that a 500 dollar pc would have bleeding edge tech anyways. anyways, just look at the selection of games, most you won't even get a chance to play on your pc and most look damn good for 640x480 or whatever it is. esp compared to what i was seeing on my computer screen back then. talking about reality, not some optimal fantasy land.

When the first xbox came out PCs with gf3's were doing much more than it could. Saying xboxes run a bit below the bleeding edge is like saying skateboards go just a hair below highway speeds. As it is now, a $500 pc then could cream any console. Again, agreed about the selection of games - it's disgusting. About looking "damn good" at 640x, though, I can only laugh... Seems like I'm not the one in the fantasy land :disgust:

in what? tech demos? pretty screen savers? one might find one or two nice new games that actually use cutting edge techniques, but the rest of the limited lot do not, they stay a generation behind. sure.. if developers made pc games the way they do console games, totally optimizing it for their full potential the pc would be better, but they simply don't work that way. and really, nothing makes up for the fact that so many developers don't make pc games at all. ... its useless argueing that your techinically better, if only that game were playable on your platform.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
in what? tech demos? pretty screen savers? one might find one or two nice new games that actually use cutting edge techniques, but the rest of the limited lot do not, they stay a generation behind. sure.. if developers made pc games the way they do console games, totally optimizing it for their full potential the pc would be better, but they simply don't work that way. and really, nothing makes up for the fact that so many developers don't make pc games at all. ... its useless argueing that your techinically better, if only that game were playable on your platform.

So you're saying games don't utilize current-generation technology? Heard of Far Cry?

 

[Wingznut]

Originally posted by: Gurck
Who said I never used one? Leaping to conclusions to back up our precious consoles now?

Yeah, right... If you've used an Xbox, why in the world would you think it uses cartridges???

Besides, if you've read (and comprehended) my posts, you'd know that I love all gaming platforms. Consoles, PC's, PDA's, handhelds, etc... It doesn't matter to me. I choose to NOT limit my choices based on blind loyalty.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: Wingznut

Originally posted by: Gurck
Who said I never used one? Leaping to conclusions to back up our precious consoles now?

Yeah, right... If you've used an Xbox, why in the world would you think it uses cartridges???

Besides, if you've read (and comprehended) my posts, you'd know that I love all gaming platforms. Consoles, PC's, PDA's, handhelds, etc... It doesn't matter to me. I choose to NOT limit my choices based on blind loyalty.

How do I have to know what it uses to have played on them? If I'm over someone's place and they throw a controller at me and I play a hideously low-res game for a bit, that gives me no indication. If I did have an indication, I wouldn't pay much attention, as I don't care. The only blind ones here are those who'd buy another, inferior version of something they already have.

 

[Wingznut]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: Wingznut

Originally posted by: Gurck
Who said I never used one? Leaping to conclusions to back up our precious consoles now?

Yeah, right... If you've used an Xbox, why in the world would you think it uses cartridges???

Besides, if you've read (and comprehended) my posts, you'd know that I love all gaming platforms. Consoles, PC's, PDA's, handhelds, etc... It doesn't matter to me. I choose to NOT limit my choices based on blind loyalty.

How do I have to know what it uses to have played on them? If I'm over someone's place and they throw a controller at me and I play a hideously low-res game for a bit, that gives me no indication. If I did have an indication, I wouldn't pay much attention, as I don't care. The only blind ones here are those who'd buy another, inferior version of something they already have.

I think it's fairly obvious if a console uses DVD's or cartridges. It's been years (the N64) since a console used cartridges. You are so out of touch, yet you post as if you know... When you really don't.

As for "another, inferior version", I'll ask what I asked above...

"I'll believe that the PC is better than a console in EVERY WAY, when you show me a racing game on the PC that's better than Project Gotham Racing 2, Gran Turismo, or Rallisport Challenge 2. And not just visually... I'm talking about the complete package (i.e. Voice chat, excellent surround sound, custom soundtracks, downloadable content, online racing, etc...)

How about a fighting game better than Soul Calibur 2 or Virtual Fighting Evolution?
Maybe a better sports game than ESPN NHL Hockey, NFL Football, or MLB Baseball?
Perhaps a better adventure game than Resident Evil 4, Jade Empire, or Silent Hill?
Any thoughts on a better action game than Ninja Gaiden, Onimusha, or Devil May Cry?
Got a suggestion for a better platformer on the PC than Maximo, Ratchet and Clank, or Jak and Daxter?"

Consoles are not "another version" of the PC. A console plays many games that the PC cannot... And the PC does MANY things a console cannot.

 

[wetcat007]

Originally posted by: Pariah

The point is, a PC can do anything a console can and more. And do it better.

When you consider that a video card can cost up to 5 times as much as a console without even including the cost of the rest of the computer plus monitor, that isn't saying a whole lot. The difference between consoles and computers are not nearly as big as you seem to think either. Each platform is optimized for the medium they will be displayed on. Console games look a whole lot better on a TV than PC games do on a TV through TV-out. I've never played a console on a monitor, so I don't know what it looks like. PC cards have monster fillrates and bandwidth so they can run at higher resolutions. Since standard TV's aren't highres, there's no reason to waste money on huge fillrates for consoles. Consoles are all about features and eye candy. Almost every graphical feature you see on a PC, first appeared on a console. The current generation consoles are years old, and still hold their own against PC's in the feature department. When the next generation appears, once again, the console will regain the title of graphics kings.

Very few HDTV capable TV's have DVI in. For the few that do, great, for everyone else it's a pain to get working.

Dolby Digital is far inferior to EAX 4, which can be achieved with 3 analog outputs to your reciever, easily done.

I don't get this at all, DD and DTS aren't gaming sound formats, so how can the sound better or worse than EAX? I don't know what consoles use to generate surround sound, but DD and DTS are simply the package the audio is delivered in to the receiver, it has nothing to do with the individual channel creation of the 3D sound.

I threw Deus Ex 2 away because I couldn't play it with reasonable frames at high resolution settings. It was a poor console port, and they lost a lot of customers over it.

Practically every port from console to PC has sucked, just as the reverse is true. Why? Because consoles and PC's do not directly compete. They each excel at their own categories of games while the other stinks at them.

There is no winner here, it depends on what you want. If had to pick one or the other for gaming, I would definitely go with the console. Graphics are great, setup is a breeze, cost is minimal, and most of all, there are a whole lot more games available, and as a result, a whole lot more games that are fun to play.

Yeah uh, I'm lost as to what u were talking about, I have nVidia soundstorm, I use Eax, and transfer it to my reciever using dolby digital, which is just a codec for audio transfer basically..

 

[wetcat007]

Originally posted by: Wingznut

Originally posted by: SonicIce
first of all, pc's are upgradeable. whens the last time u opened up a console to insert a new video card. the console will eventually gather dust and the manufacturer will have to come out with PS4 and Xbox3. seccond of all the consoles still play on a television. puny 640x480 interlaced. PC > CONSOLE.

Yes, PC's have better graphics than consoles. This is NOT being argued. (Why do I feel like a broken record?)

However, I don't think there's anyone here who doesn't believe that there's more to a great game than high resolution graphics.

I'll believe that the PC is better than a console in EVERY WAY, when you show me a racing game on the PC that's better than Project Gotham Racing 2, Gran Turismo, or Rallisport Challenge 2. And not just visually... I'm talking about the complete package (i.e. Voice chat, excellent surround sound, custom soundtracks, downloadable content, online racing, etc...)

How about a fighting game better than Soul Calibur 2 or Virtual Fighting Evolution?
Maybe a better sports game than ESPN NHL Hockey, NFL Football, or MLB Baseball?
Perhaps a better adventure game than Resident Evil 4, Jade Empire, or Silent Hill?
Any thoughts on a better action game than Ninja Gaiden, Onimusha, or Devil May Cry?
Got a suggestion for a better platformer on the PC than Maximo, Ratchet and Clank, or Jak and Daxter?


Is anyone beginning to see my point yet? Yes, the PC has better hardware. Yes, the PC has better graphics. Yes, the PC does SOME genres better than the consoles (i.e. FPS, RTS, MMORPG, etc...) But the consoles do many genres better than PC's.

But it's all about the games. And the fact of the matter is that there are A LOT more enjoyable games on the consoles right now.

Wow the first valid point, yeah when was the last time us PC gamers, had a fighting game like Soul Caliber 2 :'( oh well i got a ps2 for that... Anyways, PC's have Command & Conquer, WarCraft, COuterstrike, BF1942 and Vietnam, UT2004, Quake 3, FarCry, and the list goes on. How i solved it, who give s a crap, i bought a ps2, and use it for games that i want that arnt on PC otherwise I just buy PC games. They are going to co-exist forever, because who's going to use a console for word processing, im, internet, email, and posting stupid topics like this on anandtech.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: Wingznut
I think it's fairly obvious if a console uses DVD's or cartridges. It's been years (the N64) since a console used cartridges. You are so out of touch, yet you post as if you know... When you really don't.

If you own one, certainly. If you give a crap or see someone switching games you might know as well. Otherwise it's anyone's guess.

As for "another, inferior version", I'll ask what I asked above...

"I'll believe that the PC is better than a console in EVERY WAY, when you show me a racing game on the PC that's better than Project Gotham Racing 2, Gran Turismo, or Rallisport Challenge 2. And not just visually... I'm talking about the complete package (i.e. Voice chat, excellent surround sound, custom soundtracks, downloadable content, online racing, etc...)

How about a fighting game better than Soul Calibur 2 or Virtual Fighting Evolution?
Maybe a better sports game than ESPN NHL Hockey, NFL Football, or MLB Baseball?
Perhaps a better adventure game than Resident Evil 4, Jade Empire, or Silent Hill?
Any thoughts on a better action game than Ninja Gaiden, Onimusha, or Devil May Cry?
Got a suggestion for a better platformer on the PC than Maximo, Ratchet and Clank, or Jak and Daxter?"

Consoles are not "another version" of the PC. A console plays many games that the PC cannot... And the PC does MANY things a console cannot.

Yep, already agreed with you that consoles have a few good games that PCs don't, and that those few games are their only advantage. Perhaps the miscommunication hinges on the word 'inferior'. It means 'worse than', not 'worse than in every conceivable way'. Close, but not quite, as there are those few games.

 

[konakona]

the fine line between ps2 and computer lies in the fact that most PC games are done by american developers (the ones in the us market anyway, i mostly play japanese visual novels), while ps games are by japanese developers. numerous poor attempts at porting only served to fortify either sides survival.