PC Gaming: Is it worth it?

[mur'phon]

Ever played with one? Sure it's fun, but when you feel the teeth against your skin, you realize just how poor human body armor is.

[Jae Onasi]

Hey, I love my cat. If I'm trying to catch a wildebeast, however, I want my cheetah.

 

OK, jonathan7, that was a good funny. Ranks almost as high as Mace MacLeod's 'deli bar' euphemism.

[jonathan7]

Because the cheetah would eat your face? o.O

 

Actually cheetah's are meant to make excellent pet's - walkies would be interesting though

[Det. Bart Lasiter]

Because the cheetah would eat your face? o.O

PS3s crave raw flesh as well.

[Bob Lion54]

Why have a cat, when you could have a cheetah?

pfft... If you want to settle with a cheetah, that's all you.

 

Me, I'm with the King. Hail to the King, baby. Hail to the King.

[mur'phon]

Meh, I like the white kings better.

[Astor]

Mostly, I think, it is down to the costs involved.

 

I can only afford to upgrade my computer once every 3 or 4 years. This means that, inevitibly, I will miss out on quite a few games. Plus, they don't have as big a life cycle as a console does.

 

So I mix both. I have console to play games between upgrades, and then, when it comes to upgrading, I can buy the games that I couldn't get for the console.

 

As many have said, it's all down to the mods. As an example, let's look at Rome Total War. A fine sandbox strategy game.

 

With mods, I can make it more historically accurate (RTR or RS).

 

With mods, I can turn it into middle earth and kill some orcs (FA:TW or LOTR:TW).

 

With mods, I can turn it into 19th century Europe and fight Napoleon (NTW2).

 

This therefore gives my games a longer life. Bored of fighting Gauls? Let's fight some Austrians, or some Elves!

 

So mostly, PC gaming IS worth it, when you can afford to do it.

[jawathehutt]

When I bought my computer back in 2001, its been off due to technical problems maybe a total of a week and all of those were my fault. Most of my friends have sent in their xboxs at least once, some up to 10 times, for days at a time. True it may take a few hours/days to set up a new PC, but at least I dont have to send it in every half year since some part melted or something that wasnt caused be me.

[ET Warrior]

Considering the fact that purchasing a desktop computer is a fairly pointless expenditure for many people now that a laptop can perform all of the required functionality, and be transported to/from work and class, were one to get ahold of a laptop that can run high-end games you will be looking at a purchase of at LEAST one thousand dollars.

 

A brand new Xbox 360 Pro costs less than three hundred dollars, will run all 360 games, and probably has at least two more years before it is replaced by a new console. With a lifetime of ~5 years for a console, that means you spend $600 every decade on new gaming hardware. The costs aren't even comparable. Even if you go with a desktop system, best of luck keeping your cost below $600 for ten years.

 

Gaming consoles also are vastly more appealing to people who actually like spending time with their friends AND playing video games. Chilling out on the couch, drinking beer and playing halo with a group of friends is an experience that PC gaming simply cannot deliver on. Also, paying less for a console means having more to spend on a big TV and surround sound.

 

Not to say PC gaming has no advantages, just fewer than it used to.

[Relenzo2]

Nice one, jonathon7!

 

So mostly, PC gaming IS worth it, when you can afford to do it.

 

Well, that explains poor me. Emphasis on poor, right.

 

Gaming consoles also are vastly more appealing to people who actually like spending time with their friends AND playing video games. Chilling out on the couch, drinking beer and playing halo with a group of friends is an experience that PC gaming simply cannot deliver on. Also, paying less for a console means having more to spend on a big TV and surround sound.

 

 

Aye Charana, I forgot that. I once talked to a man who liked Civs, but said he wanted to play it loungeing on his couch with chips and soda, not hunched over his computer. And I can see where people are coming form when they might buy the Xbox version of BFII, or, Yoda forbid, even the PS version over the PC one, simply because you can have another player or three sitting next to you when they come over.

[Xarwarz]

Yes it is mods rule

[jonathan7]

Considering the fact that purchasing a desktop computer is a fairly pointless expenditure for many people now that a laptop can perform all of the required functionality, and be transported to/from work and class, were one to get ahold of a laptop that can run high-end games you will be looking at a purchase of at LEAST one thousand dollars.

 

To be honest I have been arguing from the standpoint of PC/Laptop - I have a Rock gaming Laptop, and haven't had a tower since 04', though my dad still has a PC at the heart of our house netowork.

 

A brand new Xbox 360 Pro costs less than three hundred dollars, will run all 360 games, and probably has at least two more years before it is replaced by a new console. With a lifetime of ~5 years for a console, that means you spend $600 every decade on new gaming hardware. The costs aren't even comparable. Even if you go with a desktop system, best of luck keeping your cost below $600 for ten years.

 

Cost is where Consoles really have the advantage.

 

Gaming consoles also are vastly more appealing to people who actually like spending time with their friends AND playing video games. Chilling out on the couch, drinking beer and playing halo with a group of friends is an experience that PC gaming simply cannot deliver on. Also, paying less for a console means having more to spend on a big TV and surround sound.

 

I completely disagree with this - I can hook my laptop up to our video projector, and have Xbox 360 controllers linked to my laptop; ergo I can play multi-player games with much better graphics and perhaps sound (never compared the two) than a console will deliver.

 

Not to say PC gaming has no advantages, just fewer than it used to.

 

I agree slightly with this. I do think if you have the money and are into gaming a PC/Laptop does deliver you more high quality gaming and more customizing options.

 

All this said if/when I get the money I may well buy an Xbox 360 - which I still think is the best of the current generation of consoles.

[ET Warrior]

I completely disagree with this - I can hook my laptop up to our video projector, and have Xbox 360 controllers linked to my laptop; ergo I can play multi-player games with much better graphics and perhaps sound (never compared the two) than a console will deliver.

And how many PC games are meant for split screen play? Any Mario Party, Smash Bros. or Mario Kart level party games?

 

Additionally, I've yet to play video games on any projector that was actually a good experience. Maybe if you have an HD projector, but most of them incur such a visual-audio lag with gaming as to make it nigh impossible.

[jonathan7]

And how many PC games are meant for split screen play? Any Mario Party, Smash Bros. or Mario Kart level party games?

 

You haven't mentioned a game I would want to play yet

 

Additionally, I've yet to play video games on any projector that was actually a good experience. Maybe if you have an HD projector, but most of them incur such a visual-audio lag with gaming as to make it nigh impossible.

 

Come round

[ForeverNight]

Really? Never played a video game on a projector and have a good experience with it?

 

Wow.

 

My best friend has a PS3 and Rock Band, whenever I'm at his house, we usually end up doing that for a little. His parents have a Sony Black Pearl Projector system that looks... awesome, there's no other way of saying it. The Audio shouldn't be affected by the projector, so I don't see how that works in.

 

 

And, as for laptops and gaming. I guess I'm just old fashioned in the way that I still say that Desktops are the only way to game on a PC. You can build yourself a pretty good Desktop for ~800USD, a little less if you reuse stuff like monitors, mice, cases, speakers.

 

A decade with a computer is definitely a longer time than most people spend with one. In the past seven years, my dad and I have built... 3 computers from scratch for our home use. I myself have built two more from spare parts so that I could have a comp. for free. (It's not the best system, but, meh, it gets the job done). Later this year, we're going to build another one.

 

So, yeah, bang for your buck, consoles are more cost effective. But, as J7 noted earlier about Audio Quality being better on PC's than consoles. That's no lie.

 

Take a Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Edition and compare it to what ever a X-Box or PS3 packs.

 

Granted, that's a higher-end card, but we're comparing the best (Or close to) a PC can offer to the best a Console can offer.

[ET Warrior]

I guess I'm just old fashioned in the way that I still say that Desktops are the only way to game on a PC.

Which means to stick with PC gaming, most people are going to need two computers. Continuing to drive a wedge into the price gap.

Take a Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Edition and compare it to what ever a X-Box or PS3 packs.

Best of luck getting an $800 price tag tossing one of those into your machine.

[ForeverNight]

Hey, I never said that I was going to put an X-Fi in my $800 computer. If we're talking an X-Fi, that means that I'm actually going to go higher end than normal. So, the price jumps accordingly.

 

So, you're buying a new console every 5 years or so... do you really think that that's likely? I mean, in the late 80's the NES was released, ~92 the SNES was released, ~96 the N64 was released, the Game Cube was released ~02 and the Wii was released ~07.

 

So, in a ten year period (Just from Nintendo though) we have 3 different consoles, with 3 different forms of gaming media.

 

What do you do with all your old games on with your consoles after you buy a new one? Throw them away?

 

With a PC you don't need to buy new games every time you upgrade. Even DOS games will word on XP and even on 2000 Professional (Granted you need an Emulator, but DosBox is free!) and there are some really good DOS games out there!

 

I know that I've been playing Wing Commander lately on my computer, got the emulator for free and downloaded the program for free. Both work great on my system.

 

Now, if I wanted to play Super Mario Brothers/Duck Hunt on my Wii, I'd be SOL'd wouldn't I?

[ET Warrior]

Well the original Xbox dropped in 2001, and I don't see a new console from Microsoft hitting the market before 2010, which means at least 9 years on two consoles. And the 360 is backwards compatible with original Xbox games. And with my every 5 years figure, you basically proved my point. With your numbers:

NES 85 - 91 = 7 years

SNES 92 - 94 = 4 years

N64 94 - 02 = 8 years

Cube 02-07 = 5 years

 

As for Super Mario Bros. on the Wii?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Console

[ForeverNight]

Alright, I looked at them wrong as I was typing and then decided to make my point off that, so I'll give you the ~5 years a console bit.

 

However, that still doesn't address the old games bit except on the X-Box 360, which, I believe, included it only as an extra feature, driving that price up.

 

But, I said it earlier, and I'll say it again, PC Gaming is not as cost-effective(In the sense of years) as Console Gaming. However, I do think that you get more bang for your buck with PC gaming. Look at the Graphics on Crysis (With a high end graphics card, not an El Cheapo I can buy four for forty bucks GPU.)

 

Compare that to the best game (Graphics wise) on any console of your choice.

 

Oh, and for the multiplayer bit, I can play multiplayers on my PC with people who live in other countries on games... for free! Beat that for multiplayer.

[ET Warrior]

However, that still doesn't address the old games bit except on the X-Box 360, which, I believe, included it only as an extra feature, driving that price up.

Well, it may be an extra feature, but it's one that all 360s have, and it still doesn't drive the price up nearly to the PC gaming level.

However, I do think that you get more bang for your buck with PC gaming.

Well you certainly get more BANG, but I would contend that the difference between Crysis on a high end graphics card and the more graphically inclined 360 (or ps3) games is not worth the 1k+ difference in price tag.

Oh, and for the multiplayer bit, I can play multiplayers on my PC with people who live in other countries on games... for free! Beat that for multiplayer.

Which is not the same as sitting in the same room, goofing around and having a good time. I can also play with people in other countries on my xbox (for less than 10 dollars a month, still not going to make my console more expensive than your pc).

[ForeverNight]

No, not contending that it is going to make your console more expensive than my pc, however, it is an extra feature that is going to cost you. The longer you use it, the more you have to pay. Whereas I get the same feature for free on my PC.

 

No, it certainly isn't the same as sitting in the same room goofing around and having a good time with friends. However, most homes seem to have more than a single PC in them. (I know my house has three at the moment) and with some Cat5 you can do close to the same thing.

 

I could play a game with two other friends just within the house, now, granted, we wouldn't all be in the same room, but we're all close enough, at least in my house's layout, that we're within shouting distance.

 

Now, I know you're going to raise the point that that's not the same, and it isn't. But that is as close as you're going to get without moving all the computers around or going to a large scale LAN party.

 

However, if that is the only two strengths that you're attributing to Consoles, than there is no point in buying one. Since, with PC's, we can actually mod our games so we aren't playing the vanilla version over and over and over wanting to get more content, but not ever getting it.

[jonathan7]

No, not contending that it is going to make your console more expensive than my pc, however, it is an extra feature that is going to cost you. The longer you use it, the more you have to pay. Whereas I get the same feature for free on my PC.

 

Please tell me where I can get free broadband, I'd like some too

 

However, if that is the only two strengths that you're attributing to Consoles, than there is no point in buying one. Since, with PC's, we can actually mod our games so we aren't playing the vanilla version over and over and over wanting to get more content, but not ever getting it.

 

You can update games on the 360

[Inyri]

Please tell me where I can get free broadband, I'd like some too

A valid point, but it might be worth bringing up that you obviously have an internet connection in addition to your Xbox Live account or whatnot. In fact is it not required to have internet service for the Live account to work?

 

So basically they both use the intarwebz, if my knowledge is correct, but your Xbox charges you an additional fee for the privilege of using it whereas your computer doesn't.

[jonathan7]

A valid point, but it might be worth bringing up that you obviously have an internet connection in addition to your Xbox Live account or whatnot. In fact is it not required to have internet service for the Live account to work?

 

I don't have an Xbox, so dunno I'm affraid

 

So basically they both use the intarwebz, if my knowledge is correct, but your Xbox charges you an additional fee for the privilege of using it whereas your computer doesn't.

 

Bit rich if they do; if I get a 360, won't get it with Xbox Live then.

 

Personally I still think the best gaming experience, especially single player is to be had on the PC.

[Inyri]

"You" is ambiguous.

 

But even so, I think the Xbox is the only console that actually makes you pay extra to play it online. From what I've seen the PS3 just connects directly to the wireless router. Then again my last console was a PS2 (which, when it's working, I'm exceedingly satisified with) so I'm not really an expert on these things.

 

I've not really got much interest in getting a 360 or a PS3 or whatnot. I just have my boyfriend bring his PS3 over once a week so I can play a little GTA4 and I'm good.