PC PHOBIA - Is the PC dead as a gaming platform?
It got me wondering. I mean, I’m not spending as much time with my PC as I used to. I admit that I find myself buying more games for my console than for PC. If a game releases on multiple platforms, I will most likely get the console version, preferable for Xbox 360. To put it in short, I mostly prefer consoles to PCs. But it got me thinking - what does the future hold for computers as a gaming platform? Are we going to accustom computers with offices and consoles with homes?
I don’t blame you if you are thinking the same. I mean, the PC graphics are oh-so last-generation, even if you do own a decent gaming rig. For the half that you spend on your PC, you will most likely find a top-of-the-line next generation console. And should I start about the next-gen graphics in consoles and HDTVs? Sure, that will soon change when Direct X 10 graphics cards hits Bangladesh, but come on, are you kidding me? Is anyone willing to cough up $500 just for a graphics card when you can get the wlite Xbox 360 just for $480?Then there isn’t the hassle of ensuring that your system meets the requirements to play the game, just pop the disk inside your console and start playing - even no installation required! Unlike PCs, you don’t have to constantly upgrade your consoles meaning that your “investment” won’t get obsolete by the next year or just six months from now.
Besides, the analog controller in consoles is more fun to play with than a standard “keyboard and mouse” setup. Couple that with rumble and motion sensing support and you know what I mean.
Then there is the achievements in X360 and PS3 - the main reason why I bother to stick with single player games on consoles - bragging to your friends of your gamerscore is a truly satisfying experience. Now why don’t we see that on PCs?
Xbox Live for 360 is, I believe, one of the greatest online multiplayer experiences avaialable at the moment. I know there is multiplayer support in Pcs, but it has to be more streamline. Games for Windows Live is nothing but a flop. Look at consoles, ther are no viruses, spywares, adwares or crashes to deal with. And now you can browse the internet with consoles!
Heck, you even get to watch DVDs/HD-DVDs/Blu-Ray discs on consoles any experience “next-generation entertainment”, which is expensive to do so on computers. And then you have to ensure that all your hardware is HDCP compliant or its standard definition or even no movies at all for you!
Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve been using PCs since way-back 1995. But something needs to be done to help promote PCs as a gaming platform. The “Games for Windows Live” and “one-click game installation” in Vista is one step forward in the right direction by Microsoft. Sure, the PC is not entirely doomed and excels in certain areas. You cannot get the fast and twitchy gunplay in consoles as in PCs. And a true RTS experience is only possible on computers. But the point is that something needs to be done for this waning platform - and SOON - because consoles are quickly catching up.
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More and more games are showing up on the PC that are ports from consoles, that rend will only continue. You can play with the 360 controller on the PC and the number of games that support it is just going to increase.
I agree computer gaming is relatively more expensive.. and you don’t have to buy a $500 card to get 360 graphics. Maybe use more realistic numbers. Bloggers tend to focus on a general point and then make lazy mistakes when supporting their argument. I don’t think it discounts your point in total, but it takes away from it.
First of All pc gaming is not dead.
You don’t have to pay $500 for a good dx10 card. $250-$350 is enough for buying 8800gts or new coming Ati Hd 2900pro in bangladesh.
pc gaming industry still makes $927million every year which is even better than ps3 now.
and by the way you don’t get a nextgen console just for $400
its cosole+HDTV=$400+$1200(minimum).
In our country for most students pc is a must, we have a huge markets for pcs where as there is no microsoft or sony for their consoles in our country.
fucking retards
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2188339,00.asp
Try and read this. Makes a lot mere sense than this article.
PCgaminf isnt close to dying. Its the biggest plattform.
No other console can stand up against the PC in sales. The problem is that they always compare the PC to CONSOLES, which is like one plattform vs 10.
Here in Sweden pcgames stand for 51% of the overall gamesales, so here the PC is bigger than all consoles combined. Several other countries in europe got about the same statistics.
And COME ON! The PC graphics are always one step ahead. Hig res, better textures, AA+AF and SCALABLE. You can play the newest games on a 2-3 year old pc if you turn the graphics down. People whining that they cant play the newest games on their one year old computer is either incompetent, “omgineed100fps”-people or they bought a crappy gfxcard.
Yes playing on a computer requires a little more than playing on a console. But we get it back tenfold in patching without verification processes, mods and more.
Achivements? Take a look at the orange box. Its on its way to pcgaming even though it adds absolutely nothing. Xbox live? It isnt needed on PC. You can get way more content from any gamingsite. The PCs serverbrowsers are vastly superior to the “matchmaking” and other crap that live uses. Granted it takes 20 seconds longer to understand it but you got to be goddamn lazy not to prefer having a wide selection of servers with the ability to play on the same server as many times as you like.
Stat tracking has been on the PC for many years. Live doesnt have anything on PCs. Heck, Steam is infact vastly superior to live.
If anything i think we will se a rise in pcgaming in the years to come. You can get a good dx10 compatible card for ~300-350 €. Pc got some mayor titles coming and Once youve had the MP freedom of a PCgame Live seems so very clumsy.
As i said PC gaming requires a little more from you as a gamer, its not just inserting a disk and play, but if my sisters 5 year old daughter can learn how to install and start up a game, so can you. Lazyness and ignorance doesnt get you anywhere but into the line of gray people that are being forcefed whatever the large companies like MS spew out.
Everybody moans over the high cost of pc’s, but to play consoles in their full glory you still need a HDTV which way more than a good gaming rig alone, and then you still need the console. Even after buying a HDTV the graphics are still better on pc.
If you dont like the mouse and KB, then buy a analog controller for it. I for one like my KB and mouse. The pc can use both, consoles cannot.
Every time somebody compares their sales they count all the consoles up against the pc so its 3 vs 1, divide the console sales by 3 and the pc wins by a fair margin.
I personally dont care about the achievements you get, but pc is still miles ahead in terms of multiplayer. I refuse to pay more for a game than I already payed to play it online. Ps3 has much better online than Xbox because its free. Thats also the reason I hate wow, and only like GW.
All you people to is bitch and moan all day about how much pc’s suck. Both consoles and pc’s are gaming machines, both are fun and neither are dead.
Hi, my name is disman-kl, i like your site and i ll be back
buy xbox 360 in sweden…
Thanks for the article! it was a great read. FOr all of you looking for cheapest prices.. we all know EBAY is the best for that. Http://www.ebaysweep.com…
Gaming consoles have always been behind PC in overall quality for gaming. The advantages of the PC go far past the ones listed here. Upgradeability is the number one perk of the PC. You want more? Upgrade a few components and Voila. Now the main disadvantage of PC gaming is that the game can not use the hardware to its full potential, especially running OS’s like Vista, which are resource hogs. I could really get into this but I don’t want to make this comment an article in itself.
pc gaming is really expensive for bangladesh i have to agree… just look at the expense of good pc in bangladesh.. if we overlook a core2duo processor or even a powerfull ram or even an excellent graphics card(which will eventually gets bad in 1.5 years or so) if we overlook the harddisk drive required for good gaming but we cannot overlook the power supply which is really a rare and pricy in bangladesh..i m now hovering about for a good psu which is hard to find in bangladesh. i found a 500 watt power supply for 10000 taka!!! do u think someone who has a brain gonna pay 10000 taka for a power supply? man thats really crazy.. i m not american.. i m bangladeshi.. i have to value money.. 10000 taka for a power supply is just crazy.. BUT I HAVE TO SAY PC HAS BEST QUALITY GRAPHICS THAN ANY OTHER CONSOLE..but u also have to pay 3 times more than a console to get those kinds of pc… i dont have a console.. and i know how painful gaming in pc is…specially when u have to upgrade every year
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PC gaming is very expensive but those who can afford(very few actually in BD) are the lucky ones. a friend of mine spent about $300 dollars on upgrading his pc but he can’t play the latest games on high settings. like gears of War. he has to play it in Medium.
on the other hand another friend of mine owns a xbox 360 and a HDTV(45in). i went to his house oneday and if i looked at the graphics…UNBELIEVABLE…even without an HD tv the graphics are awsome.
for an averagegamer in Bangladesh should stick to get a 360 immediately(if they can afford it). ther’s no point in wasting money upgrading a PC.
well guys i think pc is far more usefull than any consoles.
and console games are rather costly.
and i can upgrade my pc or repair it easily which is not the case for any consoles(X360,ps3,ps2..).and even it is possible then the repair takes a lot of money compared to pc’s repair cost(100-500 taka depending on problem)
and in pc we can do a lot other than just gaming.(e-mail,blog….etc)
pc’s keyboard/mouse combination is unbeatable whether you compare it with x 360 or ps3 controllers.(sure those controllers are cool and wireless blah blah..)
and i think i can enjoy FPS or Strategy games best using keyboard/mouse combination other than any type of controller.
so definately PC is the winner for me.P
so i totally disagree with the original post’s topic “PC PHOBIA - Is the PC dead as a gaming platform?”
cya guys P