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"?

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

Rhys · 23 May 2006 at 10:17

Why do we have to wait until 2009? The PC can do all those things already.

My original point on that issue was that by 2009 consoles will do this and therefore the need for a PC will be negated.

Rhys · 23 May 2006 at 12:31

But arnt games consoles made to basically just play games?

Not anymore and by 4th gen I think consoles will be media/gaming hubs. They will do everything the PC is used for by most people and also play games.

Rhys · 23 May 2006 at 13:44

Anyway, we're actually currently in the 7th generation of consoles, 8th likely coming up somtime between late 2010 and 2012.

You knows what I meants. To steer this topic back to my orginal point - I cannot see a future for constant PC upgrading when the console's availiable offer near similar gaming performance except for keyboard and mouse.

Rhys · 23 May 2006 at 14:16

I agree. But I didnt say this gen will kill it, I said the next lot e.g PS4.