Benefits of Console v PC?

[thepigf@rmer]

In the end, who cares, get the best of both worlds by having both!

Agreed

 

[Mr Krugga]

1. Offline multiplayer (split screen).

What games that offer these on consoles, don't offer it on a PC?

2. Backwards compatability (could be argued either way though tbh).

That's a moot point with emulators and virtualisation. You can play almost all games from back when the first ones came out on a PC (and most classics are free of charge).

3. Just put the cd/dvd in and it just 'works'.

Even easier with Steam, you buy the game, it installs it for you and it works straight away. Moreover you don't have to shuffle any discs and be worried that you'll lose one at some point.

On top of that, who doesn't install games on their consoles?

4. No drivers to **** about with.
5. Cheaper than a PC.

I would still argue PC gaming is better though any day!

These I agree with.

1. Ease of use, everything just works with minimal user effort. Same with online play
2. Titles that don't appear on PC
3. Local multiplayer
4. XBLA/PSN - greatest part of this gen for me
5. Kinect - It offers something different and is a lot of fun alone or with others.

And for the record I have a very good PC too, it fulfils a whole other set of pro's and imo you need both to experience everything.

1. That is one of the main advantages of using a console. It's kind of irrelevant for anyone accustomed to using a PC though.
2. That works either way.
3. Is that a joke?
4. I would argue that PSN is rather crap and XBLA seems expensive in comparison to PC digital platforms.
4. I like Kinect too.

 

[Sp00n]

BUT MY PC GETS MORE FPS.

I don't argue, I just own them all, it makes it easier

 

[DreXeL]

That's a mute point

The expression you are looking for is MOOT point.

 

[Mr Krugga]

The expression you are looking for is MOOT point.

/selffacepalm

 

[DreXeL]

/selffacepalm

As for the debate, it's just daft TBH. They both have their place.

 

[FishFluff]

I used to prefer PC gaming. Nowadays I prefer to play my games curled up on a comfy sofa rather than sat at a desk.

 

[Streeteh]

It's also worth noting peoples' preferences often come in waves. When the current gen consoles begin to look long in the tooth people move back over to PC gaming for a year or so to wait for the next wave of announced consoles.

I've noticed this with every generation of Playstation for example

 

[Skidder]

Console benefits

Sofa
Ease
Things tend to just work
Arcade type games work really well
User base and budgets means lots of games
Cheap

Console Negatives

Often dumbed down
Controls don't suite FPS

PC benefits

Hardware always progressing
Best possible experience can be achieved but you have to pay for it
Keyboard and mouse for FPS, strategy, RPGs is the best

PC negatives

Cost
Pesky consoles mean companies naturally want multi-platform releases and therefore PC games get retarded down to console quality (and sometimes gameplay suffers so knuckle draggers with PS3s don't have to remember too many things)

 

[sambobjammin]

@Streeteh this has to be offset with the fact that some of the better games appear on consoles near the end of their lifespan due to the fact that the devs can get the most out of the consoles, this is often as a direct result of the familiarity with the tech.

Im personally a console gamer and thats probably down to my personal tastes traditionally leaning towards games and genres that appear on consoles primarily, id go as far as to say that until that long ago I was a Nintendo fan boy.

Interestingly im currently(for literally the last three months) weighing up building a rig to play high end games and probably every day I change my mind about what I want, one day its spending a grand on a good setup from scratch, the next day ive convinced myself that I get enough of what I want from my xbox 360 and id be wasting my money.

Reasons why I like consoles:
1)Lower price
2)Graphics, despite being no where near a high end pc, are actually good in a lot of games
3)Traditionally been a console gamer - leap to PC gaming seems daunting
4)Suits my sometimes time constrained needs

Reasons why id be a PC gamer:
1)Want to see something like Skyrim running on a really great machine (literally just the 'ooh shiney' part of me)
2)Kind of exciting being a PC gamer and building a PC from scratch etc, I work in the software side of IT so the inside of a machine is still a dark cave to me.
3)A good MMO, Star wars old republic or something like it
4)Counter to some of the 'pro console' arguments here, I actually like the idea of ont hogging the main TV for gaming, I would play a lot more games with a gaming laptop than I currently do with a console.

The reason I probably wont make the leap is ultimately because of cost, I could quite happily put the expense on a card, and afford the repayments etc, but its the justification of spending it to play games which I shouldnt really do that much anyway.

 

[badcompany]

there is one benefit that outweighs all pc arguments to me which is:

i can sit on my couch infront of a 42" screen in extreme comfort which is what i want after a day at work, not sat on a computer chair at a desk

You can do that with a pc and wireless controller or mouse/keyboard

 

[krooton]

I only really have a console for Kinect and Lips, and some of the given console benefits such as playing on the sofa are moot as I have my machine hooked up to my plasma as well, played all of Batman AA from my sofa with an Xbox controller at much better graphics than my Xbox could actually push out.

Split-screen is a given, though there are some PC games that can do it, Blur being a recent one I can think of.

I think I have been a pc gamer for too long to notice things like ease of use, I find running a game from a Steam icon easier than loading a dvd for each game.

 

[LeJosh]

They're all just video games to me.

Why segregate yourself from one group or another?

But I still prefer my PC.

 

[Rozzy85]

It's not about 'which is better?', it's more of a 'which suits my needs better?' and only you can answer that.

This is pretty much the only valid answer to this thread. Essentially these threads just turn into people giving their opinion on which they prefer, biased or not, and no clear answer ever comes from it because there isn't one. You just use what suits you best.

 

[FishFluff]

You can do that with a pc and wireless controller or mouse/keyboard

Yes because everyone keeps their bleeding edge gaming PC in the living room or can be bothered moving it everytime they want to play a game.

 

[wannabedamned]

Yes because everyone keeps their bleeding edge gaming PC in the living room or can be bothered moving it everytime they want to play a game.

Not everyone does no, My gaming rig is going into my bedroom on a monitor. BUT my HTPC which is capable of games is in my living room and works with my wired 360 pad. Emulators and quite a few games work fine on it

 

[airrunner]

there is one benefit that outweighs all pc arguments to me which is:

i can sit on my couch infront of a 42" screen in extreme comfort which is what i want after a day at work, not sat on a computer chair at a desk

I second that

 

[Princey]

I second that

I can do that too, on my PC. Most games these days offer pad support.

 

[Strife212]

Consoles:

Play with controller on big screen TV
Console exclusives
Easier to get in and play multiplayer games
Generally less hassle

PC:

Better graphics
Way more customization, mods
More elaborate online options
MMOs, Strategy Games, Sims