What sort of gamer are you? (poll included)

[WildW]

I voted 2, and mostly my machine is "budget", with the exception of my 5850. Don't have to worry about graphics card for a long time now.

I stocked up in the Steam sale at Christmas and now I have so many games to play I won't have to buy anything for a long time. Currently working through the bargain Civ4 pack, not remotely troubling my gpu.

I randomly get the urge to play things that I could be playing on a netbook. I'm going to lose a day or two to Transport Tycoon and possibly Master of Orion 2 sometime in the near future.

 

[shortylickens]

Where's "I don't use Steam because it's a piece of shit and I like my rights, but I buy reasonable hardware so that I can play most games with reasonable settings for a couple of years or so"?

Your a fool if you think not using Steam gives you any rights or keeps them.

 

[marmasatt]

Yeah, this is not much of a poll. I understand it, but not sure it makes that much sense.

For instance the 3rd choice is so specific. It's like adding a choice: "Who stays up 'til 2am, eats doritos in their underwear, with blue sox, while playing WOW."

 

[Borealis7]

i built my computer to play Dragon Age ever since it was announced back in 2004 i think.
now that i have played it (and in retrospect, could've gotten by with lesser hardware) my computer serves no purpose. it is obsolete and will be scrapped.

scratch that...i forgot pr0n.

 

[crownjules]

Voted #2. But I wouldn't really say budget. When I build a machine, I'll go for the best bang-for-the-buck stuff. That's usually the hardware just below the newest, greatest, cutting edge models. Upgrade the memory and video over a 2-3 year period before another serious upgrade replacing the key (CPU/mobo) parts.

 

[Schadenfreude]

I guess I'm the 3rd - I prefer laptops for computing and I buy games that are usually 1~2 years old, but I do get laptops with "lasting power" in mind, outside of videogaming - my current laptop has an i7 CPU (but a lower-tier discreet GPU) so it should last me 2~3 years before I have to trade up again.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Your poll sucks. Sorry.

I have a pretty good PC but I don't really play that many recent games on it. I also have an Xbox 360 and a lot of my friends have them too, so for online games I generally play the 360 version. I use the PC for single player games since they look better and I can use mods and stuff. I also get a lot of older games during Steam sales.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

What about a category for:

"I have older hardware but only play two or three first-rate older online multiplayer games because I am very selective and loathe consolization and the current malaise of PC gaming."

 

[zerogear]

I'm sort of in between 1 and 2

 

[cbn]

Yeah, this is not much of a poll. I understand it, but not sure it makes that much sense.

For instance the 3rd choice is so specific. It's like adding a choice: "Who stays up 'til 2am, eats doritos in their underwear, with blue sox, while playing WOW."

Yep, I realize I should have phrased that third choice differently. I put it in there for people who like the idea of mixed hardware (Top end video card with slower CPU).

Maybe the choice should have read, "I am not that interested in CPUs, but these new video cards that allow multi-monitor game support spark my interest"

 

[JoshGuru7]

Poll doesn't seem to fit the OP's post very well. I selected #1 since I have an i7/GTX 295 and this was obviously originally a hardware thread. As far as the software goes, however, I think I'm actually part of a much larger group that combines #1 and #2 on your poll.

I like to play good games regardless of when they were released, and prefer to buy games on sale if possible. My willingness to pay is strongly correlated with the quality of the game. While I will gladly pay >$50 for an excellent game such as Mass Effect 2 or Dragon Age, I will refuse to pay even a fifth of that for titles like Global Agenda or STO that do not strongly interest me. Many of my purchases are heavily discounted steam sales for this reason. I think a large percentage of the PC gaming forum feels similarly, judging from the interest in both ME2 and steam sale titles.

 

[sighlentz]

I'm between option 1 and option 2. I like to build using latest hardware, but will wait until new game releases are on sale. Steam has nice deals sometimes, but I hate using Steam. I can't justify the steep price of new releases. I want the games but won't pay full price.

I favor FPS over all and have been a long time UT2K4 clan member. My games rock on the system I built here:


ASRock X58 Extreme 1366 MB,
Core I7 920 @ 3.8ghz,
Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer (CPU Cooler)
Corsair 6GB 1600mhz DDR3, Timing: 8-8-8-24
(2) 8800 GTX Cards (SLI) w/Scythe Musashi Aluminum Heatpipe VGA Coolers,
PC Power & Cooling 750W PS,
2TB WD Caviar Black HDD,
Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD,
74 in 1 Multi card reader
Antec 900 Case,
Logitech G15 KB and G9 mouse,
Samsung 2232 22" Monitor,
Win 7 Ultimate 64bit

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Option #1 but I'm cutting it pretty close to option 2.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

i'm none of those.

 

[Zargon]

Voted #2. But I wouldn't really say budget. When I build a machine, I'll go for the best bang-for-the-buck stuff. That's usually the hardware just below the newest, greatest, cutting edge models. Upgrade the memory and video over a 2-3 year period before another serious upgrade replacing the key (CPU/mobo) parts.

this.

I did shell out for my 4850X2 to the tune of 250 bucks. I genereally dont spend that much on a single component. the 260 was second hand.

the 9550 was a microcenter sale item for 170+tax.

 

[Raduque]

I'm a solid number 2 that buys a few newer games. Mainly big-budget, high-interest titles like DA:O, ME2 and MW2 (though I didn't actually purchase MW2 yet.. haven't played it at all). I play the newest games at lower settings or with no AA and my monitor is only 1680x1050.

 

[KaOTiK]

I stay pretty close to date with hardware (within reason). As far as buying goes, I buy new releases quite often and bargains all the time.

 

[Gothgar]

Middle of the road for me.

I usually buy games when they are on sale, but will spring on a new full priced release occasionally.

As far as hardware goes, I usually buy just under top of the line, good bang for the buck, and makes things last a bit longer.

 

[pontifex]

I play all of the latest games but I do not have all the latest hardware...I don't fit in any of those options.

I have an Core2Duo E8400 at 3.6 Ghz, 4 GB RAM, 2 Radeon HD4850s in Crossfire. This is all several generations behind but I can still play the latest games just fine.

 

[pennylane]

Another "between 1 and 2", but probably close to 2.

 

[Marty502]

So many choices missing. First and second choices are to restrictive. You need about 9 choices to encompass the above gaming survey.

Have top hardware / buy mostly first release games
Have decent hardware / buy mostly first release games
Have crappy hardware / buy mostly first release games
Have top hardware / buy some first release games some bargains
Have decent hardware / buy some release games some bargains
Have crappy hardware / buy some first release games some bargains
Have top hardware / buy mostly bargains
Have decent hardware / buy mostly bargains
Have crappy hardware / buy mostly bargains

I buy very capable hardware, play many modern titles (i.e. pay full price), but still play older games as well.

 

[lifeobry]

I always get bang for buck, usually entry level hardware.

I upgrade in cycles, for batches of games in the same tier. My first upgrade was for HL2, Riddick, Far Cry, etc. Second upgrade for Oblivion. Third was for Crysis, and now DA:O and other games.

I'll be keeping this rig until the next hot thing comes up, whatever that may be. Nothing on the horizon so far...

 

[Miklebud]

Option 4:
I use my hardware of yesterday to try to play games of today. My 8800GTS and Core 2 Duo are running games like Mass Effect 2, MW2, L4D2 just fine.

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Non-existent option D - None of the above.

 

[jlee]

I'm somewhere in the middle. I have a 4890 now, and a Core i5 750 on the way. I bought Fallout 3 within 6 weeks of release but I got it for 30 bucks (Amazon FTW), so I need an A-/B+ option.