Upgrading PC or XBOX

Rhys · 22 May 2006 at 14:51

I have recently played on an XBOX 360 and have mulled the age old question:- Should I upgrade when Unreal 2007, Crysis, Prey come out or should I jump ship and get a 360?

It seems that PC technology is moving so fast these days. Every time I go online there is a new GFX card. I think that its taking the **edit** "the waste products filtered from the blood and combined with excess water by the kidneys" to be honest.

Although I will miss FPS with Keyboard and mouse. Why dont they bring this out for the 360?

Anyone else "jumped ship"?

DaveyD · 22 May 2006 at 14:59

There's been a couple of threads in the console forum on this subject.

It all depends on what kind of games you like and what kind of financial situation you're in, and if you're happy to spend that extra cash every year on upgrades.

An Xbox360 / PS3 / Wii should last you a good 3-5 years, wheras at the rate graphics and CPU technology is going, you'll probably have to upgrade something at least every 18 months to get the newest top PC games running at full glory. It's always been that way however, I don't think there's much of an increase or decrease in the rate of new cards and tech out, but may be wrong.

You wont find Keyboard and Mouse support for FPS games on the current consoles as epecially in multiplayer, it would give people too much of an advantage over those with pads. Plus generally you don't need to be as accurate in on console FPS games, more point in the general direction and shoot, instead of aim between the eyes and shoot.

Also, fully star out your sweary mate.

Rhys · 22 May 2006 at 15:39

I think that the PC will begin to die as a gaming platform and be gone by the time the 4th gen of consoles appear.

PC's will lose their multi function monopoly -

* by 2009 we will all have TV streamed to hubs in the living room and consoles will be part of that hub. I think this is what MS are building to.

* most people will have High resolution TV and will read their email from the tv or a tv device in their house.

* Phone calls will all be made via VOIP which prob will be able to intergrate to their tv with a webcam type device.

* Everyone will have online storage with all their music and photos. Which they can upload and download without significant waiting.

* If you need to use wordprocesser etc then you will have wireless monitors and keyboard that will connect to the internet which will have online programs and all your data.

I cannot see people buying PC's as consoles will be so powerful then that it will be illogical to buy a PC. I think it will be the time when gaming will lose its dependence on graphics and it will be about the experience - just like what the Wii is promoting now. I think if a console brought out a keyboard and mouse and CS:Source then a lot of PC gamers would find it hard to justify why they have a PC over a console.

SCM · 22 May 2006 at 15:45

The thing is you don't need to upgrade constantly to play the newer games coming out on the PC, as reduce the graphics quality in game and you wont need to worry about it. As a past UT player in leagues cups etc the vast majority of us didn't run games at the full graphics settings as lower settings meant better pings and game performance.

I am still playing UT and at lower settings than my new system could run because i want the edge in gaming when i play. Eye candy doesn't make a game good to play and can at times gloss over the cracks in the gameplay or count against you.

My current set up will allow me in the future to add a 2nd pci-e gfx card in which will cater for the newer games. If you want to upgrade the Pc go this route and allow a motherboard with room for a 2nd sli card.

SCM

DaveyD · 22 May 2006 at 15:47

I personally don't see any of that happening fully for another half a decad, as we're only just starting the High Definition boom now, which is quite late compated to the US.

I doubt we'll see the demise of PC gaming for a long time yet, as it still has much more to offer than what the new next gen consoles can', but cost still is an issue and therefore it will still be kept in a niche market. PCs will always have the potential of being more powerful than what consoles will be, as consoles cannot change their spec, wheras you'll have PCs being equivalent or more powerful than the consoles, where some are now if you have the money, but more affordable in the next 12-18 months.

MS are also starting a drive for gaming on Windows Vista, apparently dedicating a lot more of the operating system to allow an integration between Xbox Live and Windows Live, meaning cross platform communication between Xbox 360 and PC gaming, and also even allowing, depending specifically on the game, for PC gamers to play against console players.

Rhys · 22 May 2006 at 15:48

My point is that if you play on xbox live then it is all standard kit with no cheaters. I like the idea of that.

DaveyD · 22 May 2006 at 15:48

Rhys said:
My point is that if you play on xbox live then it is all standard kit with no cheaters. I like the idea of that.

You still have to worry about total iditions though, but you get that with any online game, nomatter what platform.

Rhys · 22 May 2006 at 15:49

I think this thread should be renamed - Rhys rambles on about technology because he is bored at work.

-|ScottFree|- · 22 May 2006 at 15:53

Crysis is coming out for PC only according to this months PC Format Magazine.

I have a 360, I hardly use it. The genre of games I like to play are FPS and Sports, but ultimately FPS. The PC is what I will always stick too. I will be upgrading when the next Gen Video Cards become available ( @ a decent price)

The 360 is good,but no console will ever take the place of my PC.

Ultimately it comes down to finances, if you can afford a top of the range Gaming PC then there is only one winner. If you have limited funds to spend, get a 360.

-|ScottFree|- · 22 May 2006 at 16:00

Rhys said:
I think that the PC will begin to die as a gaming platform and be gone by the time the 4th gen of consoles appear.

PC's will lose their multi function monopoly -

* by 2009 we will all have TV streamed to hubs in the living room and consoles will be part of that hub. I think this is what MS are building to.

* most people will have High resolution TV and will read their email from the tv or a tv device in their house.

* Phone calls will all be made via VOIP which prob will be able to intergrate to their tv with a webcam type device.

* Everyone will have online storage with all their music and photos. Which they can upload and download without significant waiting.

* If you need to use wordprocesser etc then you will have wireless monitors and keyboard that will connect to the internet which will have online programs and all your data.

I cannot see people buying PC's as consoles will be so powerful then that it will be illogical to buy a PC. I think it will be the time when gaming will lose its dependence on graphics and it will be about the experience - just like what the Wii is promoting now. I think if a console brought out a keyboard and mouse and CS:Source then a lot of PC gamers would find it hard to justify why they have a PC over a console.

The PC will also have other things to offer the consumer in 2009...

Consoles are purely about gaming, they do not have the multifunctionality of a PC.

What would be ideal is a console that can fit snuggly into my CD rom Drive, maybe using two or even three bays. Then I could utilise all of the power of both systems!! oh its nice to dream!!!

Rhys · 22 May 2006 at 16:01

The genre of games I like to play are FPS and Sports, but ultimately FPS.

Like I said. If they had keyboard, mouse and CS:Source, then I couldnt justify paying £1k+ for a PC.

The things I use my CPU for are processing files Ive downloaded and playing games. Its not like I need it for anything else. If xbox 360 games were £15 and you could download them straight to your harddrive a la Steam then I think more PC users would migrate. <-- this I think will happen in next 2 years.

Rhys · 22 May 2006 at 16:02

The PC will also have other things to offer the consumer in 2009...

Please elaborate...

-|ScottFree|- · 22 May 2006 at 16:09

Rhys said:
Please elaborate...

That was more of an assumption than actual fact, just making a point that as Consoles will evolve, so will the PC.

The point you make is absolutely valid and I totally agree with you.

However...

There will always be something that one platform offers that another doesn't... (again I assume).

Obviously if that gap becomes less apparent, the PC gaming industry will undoubtedly suffer, I just don't see that happening though!!

DaveyD · 22 May 2006 at 16:15

Rhys said:
Like I said. If they had keyboard, mouse and CS:Source, then I couldnt justify paying £1k+ for a PC.

The things I use my CPU for are processing files Ive downloaded and playing games. Its not like I need it for anything else. If xbox 360 games were £15 and you could download them straight to your harddrive a la Steam then I think more PC users would migrate. <-- this I think will happen in next 2 years.

And what system is it going to happen on in 2 years? There will be 3 consoles by the end of this year, they'll all be on the market until the next next gen, which will likely be 2010-2011 at the earliest.

You're not going to get super cheap games on any console as the manufacturer needs to make money some way, as you're getting cheap hardware.

You're also not going to get games downloaded via their online services to the HDDs as the HDDs simply do not have the space available to allow for that size of game. Games will be coming in a 9+GB, leaving about 4GB on a 360 HDD, and again 4-44GB on a PS3 HDD, not very much when you have 10 games, you're out of space.

Rhys said:
Please elaborate...

Well, as I've said above, you're not going to have anything fundamentally change in the console market during the 4 or 5 years they will last for. PS3 will have web browsing, and 360 will likely follow that, but neither of them will be able to record TV, or stuff like that.

Other than gaming, PCs still have a shedload to offer you, mainly work based things, but it's still a lot you'll not see consoles doing at all, probably never, such as office based, video editing and general organisation stuff.

Rhys · 22 May 2006 at 16:25

Other than gaming, PCs still have a shedload to offer you, mainly work based things, but it's still a lot you'll not see consoles doing at all, probably never, such as office based, video editing and general organisation stuff.

PC's will have their place for this type of work but for general use they wont be needed.

I think that the fact you can download and play demos on 360 is proof enough that full games will soon follow. 360 has the market place setup and people trust it. All you need is MS to release 100gb harddrive and the option to delete a game but download again if you have deleted it.

I dont think most xbox 360 games are 9gb. If you look at some of the copies circulating the net you will see Fight Night 3 is 2.89 GB. With a 10 mb connection that will take 30 mins to download.

How much of the cost a game goes to the creator of the game? You usually have the Game Maker, Distrubutor, Shop, all asking for a piece of the pie. If you cut all the chaff out of the process then you can cut costs. The latest Half Life 2 game is $20 from Steam and there is some game for $40. So £20-30 for a game from Steam.

I am of course speculating but as I said earlier Im bored at work.

n3x · 22 May 2006 at 16:41

PC = Freedom

Console = Boredom

But of course this is just my opinion

i would get bored with a console pretty darn quick tho... i mean, u cant even overclock them can u? wheres the fun in that

I too am bored at work lol

ic1male · 22 May 2006 at 16:42

I got a 360 yesterday and I had more fun playing on it in one evening than I have had with PC games for weeks! It was really great to sit back and relax on the sofa than have to sit at the desk. And now my family can join in with me instead of sitting having to watch.

n3x · 22 May 2006 at 16:45

ic1male said:
I got a 360 yesterday and I had more fun playing on it in one evening than I have had with PC games for weeks! It was really great to sit back and relax on the sofa than have to sit at the desk. And now my family can join in with me instead of sitting having to watch.

that is true. i guess u need both then? and a better job to pay for them. im still workin on that one...

Rhys · 22 May 2006 at 16:48

u cant even overclock them can u?

Thats one of my points. Online gaming where everyone is looking at the same thing. No different view distances, detail level, etc.

ic1male · 22 May 2006 at 16:58

n3x said:
that is true. i guess u need both then? and a better job to pay for them. im still workin on that one...

Well rather than shelling out for a new graphics card every 12 months, I will just leave the PC to stagnate now and upgrade it in 2-3 years time.