console for a PC gamer

mame · 4 Jul 2009 at 10:52

I only got my PS3 2 weeks ago and I am really impressed with it. The only reasons I got one over an xbox360 were that 1: most of my friends have a PS3 and 2: I managed to get the last one in WH-Smiths for £200.

I have to say, I feel slightly bemused at how vastly superior my PC is meant to be but when playing games it just doesn't seem that way. To be honest I'm starting to regret how much I have spent on my PC to play games. If you take away the odd game like crysis, you will be hard pushed to find games where you can say that the PC version looks much better than the console version. Yeah it might have lower textures etc but It's a £200 system.

Most games on the PC at the moment are console ports and it's usually the case that you need quite a powerful PC just to match the console versions. Everyone is quick to say BUT BUT BUT it's the game thats at fault, not the PC it's playing on but what is a gaming platform without the games to back it up? In a couple of years, PCs should be way ahead in terms of graphics but that PC will have a different motherboard, CPU, RAM and graphics card to mine so basically, I don't have one unless I spend hundreds in the future.

The best thing about my PS3 is that if i turn it on for 2 hours, I play 2 hours of games. It's been years since I have done so many hours gaming in such a short time.

I've been playing games since my amstrad CPC464 and I would compare a decent PC to a PS3 (at the moment) the same as I would a Neo-Geo to a Megadrive. Is the Neo-Geo better? Yes. Is it so much better that it's of a different generation? No. Which is more fun/accessible? The Megadrive. Is the Neo-Geo worth 3x/4x the cost of the Megadrive. No chance.

I haven't gone off my PC, I just don't think it is worth the premium over a console 90% of the time. I have spent a lot of money for what seems not a world of difference from a cheap console. I will leave the PC as it is for a while and maybe get a faster graphics card next year if it going to be a big improvment and not cost a silly amount of money. That's if my CPU is still considered good for gaming by then.

Shash · 8 Jul 2009 at 21:13

orderoftheflame said:
Good for you. Enjoy playing Killzone 2, Resistance 1+2, Halo 3, The Darkness... Oh wait...

PC and console gaming are worlds apart imo. Stupid to even begin to compare them.

Yeah they are worlds apart, but for most people that have played FPS on PC, FPS console gaming doesn't compare. Also, note that I was comparing cross platform games that are released on both PC and console primarily.

Take the orange box for example, even higher end tournaments on console look like the lowest skilled PC ones because of the sheer lack of control the players have using a pad. If they opened up 360/PS3 TF2 against the PC gaming community are you trying to tell me that anyone from the consoles would stand a chance?

I don't mean to say the games you mention aren't great games, but using a pad just kills the FPS experience for most people that play FPS on PC and there are plenty of good shooters on it too (especially if your motivation is to play online). Yes I appreciate everyone else will be handicapped with a **** set of controls if you go on console anyway, but that's besides the point. Play TF2 - spy or sniper on a 360, then play it on a PC and my point will be made clear.

Nanoman · 8 Jul 2009 at 21:37

Boring, the old FPS on a console sucks reply. They're both different ball games. There is just no point comparing them. Playing on a console is a different experience, one of which I actually prefer.

Strife212 · 8 Jul 2009 at 21:40

CoD 4 is the one console FPS I find to be amazing. It's so fun online.

The rest I find really bad, although to me that shows that it's the games themselves and not the consoles.

Shash · 8 Jul 2009 at 21:45

Nanoman said:
Boring, the old FPS on a console sucks reply. They're both different ball games. There is just no point comparing them. Playing on a console is a different experience, one of which I actually prefer.

Well yes, there is a point comparing them, especially if it's the same game. My point stands, if you prefer the console experience it's horses for courses I guess. I didn't say FPS on a console sucks, just that for a PC gamer going to console, they will likely hate the controls.

Nanoman · 8 Jul 2009 at 21:49

I was a PC gamer going to console and at first it felt a little weird but after no time I was loving it. I'll actually prefer to play COD4 on PS3 over PC now. I agree though it is horse for courses.