PC gamers: What would it take to convert you to consoles?

[Char Ell]

So if you're a PC-only gamer, or mostly so, what changes would consoles need to undergo in order to grab your interest and make you want to play on a console? I'm hoping for some open-minded responses, not just "Consoles suck! PC rules! I'll never give up my PC."

 

One thing for me would be better, more straightforward support for game mods. Sure a mod would likely need to be developed on a PC but once the mod for a particular console game was finished and made available I would want a fairly easy way to get the mod on my console and install it. Seeing the hoops that Xbox users have to jump through to get KotOR mods transferred to and working on their Xbox just doesn't cut it for me.

 

Let's see where this goes...

[stoffe]

So if you're a PC-only gamer, or mostly so, what changes would consoles need to undergo in order to grab your interest and make you want to play on a console?

 

Being able to mod games (which I have done to pretty much all games I've played so far to some extent, which can be half the fun of the game) and modify savegames is important. If you don't like something in the game, or if it is too hard or easy that is very important to make the game more enjoyable to play for me.

 

A keyboard and mouse instead of a game pad. I'm so used to my current key bindings and mouse use from years of playing games that they more or less come automatically (like learning how to ride a bike and then just instinctively do it without having to think about it). I prefer not having to re-learn everything from scratch again.

 

Games that don't cost more than the PC version while offering less entertainment and longevity (no modding).

 

Being able to use my computer monitor to play. It has much better image quality than my TV, and since I don't watch TV very much it would be prohibitively expensive to get a new good TV just to be able to play games on it without getting a headache.

 

In other words, the consoles would pretty much have to become a computer for me to have any interest in them. I may miss out on some good games, but it's not like there aren't anything else to play, or other things to spend my time and money on.

[tk102]

I agree cutmeister and stoffe, the console would have to be as accessible as another PC on the network for me to even consider it. Or as accessible as a USB thumbdrive. The fear of doing this, as I understand it from the vendor's point-of-view, is that people will cheat when they play multiplayer-online games. I'm not interested in that. But I suppose that's why I don't have a console.

 

The biggest draws for me towards a console are being able to play them on a large screen and with a gyroscopic remote. That could be an enjoyable change of pace from sitting in the corner hunched over a keyboard and mouse.

[Aash Li]

Simple, allow me to mod my games. Do that, and Ill switch... Im sure they would run a hell of a lot better than on my PC.

[Darth333]

All what has been mentioned already.

 

Consoles would need to have the flexibility of a PC (I have an old xbox and it has turned into a dust collector for that reason):

 

I modify my games and savegames constantly, something I can't do with a console. Also, when I come back from work and decide to play a game my time is limited and I do it to relax and change my mind, not to get a frustrating experience trying to beat a big ugly monster that kills me for the 30th time in row or redo that stupid quest I hate just to be able to move forward with the plot. When something annoys me in a game, I like to be able to change it or to simply avoid it ( I play only SP games so who cares).

 

Also, when I go on business trips, I wouldn't be able to bring the console with me and even if I could, those licensing issues would be way too restrictive for me: http://perfectcr.com/archives/41-Dude,-Wheres-my-offline-Xbox-Live-Marketplace-Content.html

 

Having to use a gamepad and my crappy tv don't help either I can use a gamepad on the PC if I want to (but I don't ) and apparently even the Wiimote (sorry it's in French) but so far, no keyboard and mouse with a console. As for the TV, current one fits all my needs as I only watch the news on it and that's about it. Purchasing a worthy TV to play my games + a console to get a similar visual/audio experience as my current one (and even then I can get better gfx on my actual PC than on a console) would be fairly more expensive than high-end PC at the end...and the only use would be to play games, contrary to my PC.

[swphreak]

Well, I play both, but I think one of the problems PC gamers have is the cost of playing online with consoles.

 

XBox Live costs money, the internet doesn't (your ISP does). If Gold was free, I'd sure as heck be using Live a lot more than I do now, but no way I'm paying extra for multiplayer when I'm already paying for an ISP.

 

Then again, I heard Sony's service was pretty craptacular.

[stingerhs]

i personally don't mind a console, but i don't want to pay all that money for something that's only good for playing games. my only exception would be the Wii. its a new console that doesn't cost an arm or a leg to buy, and it should be around for a while. as such, i've been considering getting the Wii for some time, but my money is currently going towards other things that i think are more important.

 

of course, if somebody were to give me one of the consoles, i certainly wouldn't be complaining anytime soon.

 

its also a matter of the control scheme. most of the games that i play are FPS games, and thus, it pays to use a mouse and keyboard control scheme over a controller with those little joysticks. the Wii could easily be different, but then again, we have yet to see a true FPS title on the market for the Wii.

 

anyways, i don't have much beef with consoles aside from that. i do play on the consoles with my friends, but i don't actually own a console. thats my two pennies on the issue.

[Jeff]

I like both consoles and PCs for gaming. For me it just depends on the kind of game it is as I enjoy a wide variety. Like (turn-based) RPG games I generally prefer to play on the PC along with RTS games but I enjoy FPS games and other action/adventure games on the consoles better.

[lukeiamyourdad]

More complicated games on the consoles would definitely attract me. Not that I don't enjoy a mindless brawler, it's just that I do enjoy a flight sim every once in a while and that's quite impossible on the consoles.

 

Online play is also problematic. On the PC, you can type for chatting. So your headset is not full of "n00b! F*****! [insert insult]". Having tried out Halo online at my friends house...eh. Either PC gamers are more mature or simply don't bother typing the insults. As often as the console ones do at least...

 

There's also the modding issue. I don't mod myself, but I do enjoy them. For example, buying UT2004 means you've just bought the original game and hundreds of mods and other user made content. You get a real bargain.

 

RTS games also play best on a PC. I cannot live without a good dose of Medieval 2: Total War every now and then or Dawn of War : Dark Crusade. I'll even say that most of the great FPS games are on PC. Yes, there's a few shooter titles that are fun on consoles, but it's quite unfortunate that the game type gets dumbed down when jumping onto consoles. Think Rainbow Six.

[Pho3nix]

To be able to browse hot women while playing, simultaneously.

[lukeiamyourdad]

To be able to browse hot women while playing, simultaneously.

 

 

The thread is over. You win.

[True_Avery]

To be able to browse hot women while playing, simultaneously.

Hahaha, I was waiting for someone to say it.

 

I play my computer sooo much more than console, but I still sold my old consoles to get an Xbox 360 in order to play a certain variety of games. To convert me over completely... well, its all been mentioned above so I wont be a broken record.

[The Doctor]

Miracle.

[Boba Rhett]

I already love consoles but more support for modding would be a tremendous boon, short of that I'd love them more for a Mcdonalds hazelnut iced coffee.

 

 

Will someone get me a hazelnut iced coffee?

[Prime]

Put excellent games exclusively on consoles.

 

Mass effect and the like would get me to switch if there are no PC alternatives.

[REDJOHNNYMIKE]

One can be a master of all.

[Arátoeldar]

Being able to mod games (which I have done to pretty much all games I've played so far to some extent, which can be half the fun of the game) and modify savegames is important. If you don't like something in the game, or if it is too hard or easy that is very important to make the game more enjoyable to play for me.

 

A keyboard and mouse instead of a game pad. I'm so used to my current key bindings and mouse use from years of playing games that they more or less come automatically (like learning how to ride a bike and then just instinctively do it without having to think about it). I prefer not having to re-learn everything from scratch again.

 

Games that don't cost more than the PC version while offering less entertainment and longevity (no modding).

 

Being able to use my computer monitor to play. It has much better image quality than my TV, and since I don't watch TV very much it would be prohibitively expensive to get a new good TV just to be able to play games on it without getting a headache.

 

In other words, the consoles would pretty much have to become a computer for me to have any interest in them. I may miss out on some good games, but it's not like there aren't anything else to play, or other things to spend my time and money on.

 

 

Well stated stoffe. I'll also add they need to increase the processing power of consoles. They cannot run games like true simulations (e.g. Falcon 4.0). Another part of this is the small map size. For example what was 1 map per mission in Thief 1 & 2 was 3 to 4 maps per mission in Thief 3. The fact that console FPS need auto-aim because of game-pads.

 

While I cannot blame consoles themselves for ruining several games. I do blame the companies for changing the focus of games like Ghost Recon, Rainbow 6, Dues Ex and Thief from being a PC oriented game to be a console oriented game. Another reason I will never own a console is they way "Uncle" Bill throws money at publishers and developers to get the game to come out first on the Xbox/Xbox 360. I also blame Billy boy for the lack of a content patch by Obsidian for TSL.

 

There have been several good companies that disappeared because they switched focus from PC gaming to consoles. Most notably Interplay, Ion Storm and Psygnosis.

[mimartin]

Put excellent games exclusively on console.

 

Or just put it exclusively to a console a few months before coming out on a PC. That is how XBox sucked me in with KOTOR.

 

I have complete lack anything resembling patience.

[HerbieZ]

Im sort of torn myself. I want to upgrade my pc so it is more powerful, but then again i could spend the money on an X-Box. Some of the games out for PC lately have been dire to say the least so thats why im tempted to sway Xbox way!.

[ExiledFish]

All of the above

[ChAiNz.2da]

While I cannot blame consoles themselves for ruining several games. I do blame the companies for changing the focus of games like Ghost Recon, Rainbow 6, Dues Ex and Thief from being a PC oriented game to be a console oriented game. Another reason I will never own a console is they way "Uncle" Bill throws money at publishers and developers to get the game to come out first on the Xbox/Xbox 360. I also blame Billy boy for the lack of a content patch by Obsidian for TSL.

2 birds with one stone in that post.. want to talk about console programming killing (or coming short of) a franchise, look no further than Oblivion. Any Morrowind player can testify

 

Xbox almost brought about the Ice Age to Bethesda PC'ers if it weren't for the modders who enhanced capabilities with OBSE, Nifskope, Wrye Bash and OBMM (shader editing).

 

---------------------

 

I agree with statements by the majority here. Consoles are far too restricting for my liking... and while Mass Effect looks beyond awesome, I can't help but think how much more beyond awesome it could be on a PC platform

 

A console would have to not only have the openness to modding and processing power for me, but it would also have to not require me to upgrade an entire system at a time for future revs. Yes, I'm well aware that PCs have to be upgraded.. I need only a quick trip to my online banking to know that .. but at least I can do it in stages while retaining at least a hint of backwards compatibility...

 

I will give props to consoles however for at least meeting part way on this. With the introduction to online upgrades, I at least wouldn't need to worry about programming/bios/system operations upgrading.

 

Maybe we'll start seeing these consoles start taking true advantage of USB and Firewire ports in the future. Maybe even fiber, who knows.

 

PS3 comes darn close ( and I mean darn close)... HDMI, mini-USB, Blu-Ray and wireless Bluetooth, but in it's pricing.. it's not feasible for me to give up the PC I've shelled out hard earned cash for. I might as well trick out my existing system with the extra $600

 

Hard to tell though, give another 3 years dev time and they could come out with a console (or a kick arse media center box) that would satisfy my stubborn PC mentality vs my couch hungry hiney

[Negative Sun]

Just look at the 360 and the PS3, they can play games and can do some functions PCs have but not all, IMO, that's pointless, they're PC wannabes...I just own a PS2 because of the fun games (Singstar and GH) and some exclusives like DMC and DMC3, which are only playable with a DualShock if you ask me

 

I have a PC that allows me to:

Play most of my favourite games (NWN, Kotor, JK, etc...), download whatever I want, phone my mom for free over the internet, check my email, post on this board, watch DVDs, burn CDs/DVDs, listen to music, edit images/videos, videotape myself on the webcam, watch endless amounts of **** on YouTube, etc etc...

 

I have a Console that allows me to:

Play games, period.

 

Need I say more?

[Titanius Anglesmith]

The day I fully change from a PC to consoles is the day that the Devil is sitting on his thrown sipping a cup of hot chocolate, while watching a gentle snow fall all over Hell.

[Jediphile]

I've never owned a console, but while I don't see anything wrong with them, I also think their only advantage over the pc is that there are no compatability problems with graphic cards and so.

 

Of course, you could then mention money, since the consoles are cheaper than a pc. On the surface at least. The console itself may be cheap - the PS3 is sold with a loss for Sony, for example - but that's not to say the company is nice. While the lose on the hardware itself, the games are more pricey, and they haul in cash on those, which is why they're willing to take a hit on selling the console itself. I read somewhere that Sony won't make money on PS3 until sometime next year at the earliest. But they expect to make money on the games, or they wouldn't do it. Same with the other consoles.

 

So in the long run, the pc really isn't more expensive, when you consider that you can usually download games for free as well. Old pc titles can also be bought at much better prices than old console games.

 

But from just a political point of view, I wouldn't support the consoles. Because while the console manufacturers can't prevent companies from writing games for the consoles, doing so without the support of the manufacturer is problematic to say the least. This gives the manufacturers a lot of control over the game market. That's one reason alone to stick with the pc. The prospect of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo controlling the game market is frankly frightful.

 

It's not a deciding factor for me, however. There is absolutely no way I could get through my daily life without access to word-processing or calculation-tools like spread sheets or other software I might need for what I'm doing. Not that I always love those programs, but they are a necessity of life for me. So while I might regret games I won't be playing on the consoles, they're not an option, and they never will be.

[Sabretooth]

Well, the only things stopping me from getting a console are:

 

1. Money. I'd like it if consoles got cheaper. The PS3 here is overpriced (like everywhere else) and the XBOX 360 isn't exactly cheap.

2. Availability. I'd really like a Wii, because it's innovative. You can get XBOX-style gameplay on the PC, but the Wii is one of a kind. But it is not available in India, and so I am at a loss.

3. Availability of video games. PC Video Games are fairly common here, but console games are rare. I might get a popular XBox or PS2 game, but it's tough to find anyways. Microsoft is marketing Xbox 360 heavily here, so things might change.

 

If it were possible to get all three of these, I'd get one.

 

But the most important reason why I'm not playing a console it, I don't need one. I have a PC, I have good games, and I have everything else I'd want.