GT's Bonus Round :The Rise Of PC Gaming:
- Thread starter TeKPhaN
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Is good that the Bethesda guys keep asking for sales on consoles. I do agre ewith a lot of what was said too. PC gaming has changed, its focus has changed. The Business models on consoles are a little behind. However, we saw today with EA that these things are now becoming a focus. Subscriptions models, indie games have taken off in a really big way, digital games is now a big focus, and I fully expect the sales to come in the next 2 years or so.
I am sure they are. It is hard to ignore the popularity and success of steam as a distribution service. Just takes time.
I stopped watching the video when the guy said "We at Bethesda play on both, sometimes we want to play from our couch so we play on consoles"
I've been playing PC games from my couch forever with a controller or with a KB/M. So what he stated makes 0 sense.
I've been playing PC games from my couch forever with a controller or with a KB/M. So what he stated makes 0 sense.
It feels more like... New consoles released - PC becomes popular - Consoles establish themselves - PC popularity wains... and repeat.
I'm still shocked PC is making such a comeback. I'm still a PC gamer (granted my rig is old and only runs older games), but it seemed everyone was shifting to consoles.
My questions is: are many people building their own rigs, or overpaying for stuff like Alienware/Dell? There's also the lesser known companies like Digital Storm too.
One thing for sure is that both the next gen consoles went too low on specs. I love my X1, but my gosh, the graphics improvement is minimal. I know games will get better as the years go on, but this seems like the lowest jump that I can remember.
I'm also shocked that MS hasn't had more steam-like sales. (I'm not sure what PS does but I know it isn't equal to Steam). Steam gets people to buy games that they don't even install or never play. For a digital copy of a game that costs you nothing to produce you'd think this would be obvious.
My questions is: are many people building their own rigs, or overpaying for stuff like Alienware/Dell? There's also the lesser known companies like Digital Storm too.
One thing for sure is that both the next gen consoles went too low on specs. I love my X1, but my gosh, the graphics improvement is minimal. I know games will get better as the years go on, but this seems like the lowest jump that I can remember.
I'm also shocked that MS hasn't had more steam-like sales. (I'm not sure what PS does but I know it isn't equal to Steam). Steam gets people to buy games that they don't even install or never play. For a digital copy of a game that costs you nothing to produce you'd think this would be obvious.
I really need to get myself a high end gaming PC so i can see what i'm missing. The hype is killing me.
Good question. I think a lot of PC games that people buy can be played on off the shelf hardware. Then people that want more performance maybe throw in a low to medium end GPU. Then there is the other 30-40% (very scientific) that build their own hardware.
League of Legends and Dota 2 are the biggest reasons for this, IMO.
The next biggest reason is a too long and pretty stagnant (last 2-3 years) life span of the last generation consoles. Then you add the pricey and underwhelming new-gen consoles and that helped boost PC sales as well.
Add to that the fact that PC gaming is just as easy as console gaming with many features being easier, more robust or just flat out better in quality along with a library of games that dwarfs the last 3 console generations combined not to mention the ability to modify games to look and play different as well as add thousands of hours of gameplay and you have a cocktail for success.
And it's only going to grow. The ability to continue to play new games without having to fork over $400 or play those same games with better visual fidelity and performance for around $200 in upgrades will appeal to a LOT of people. We've already seen DIY PC builds that compared to or surpassed these new-gen consoles for not much more than those consoles cost, within 2 years we'll be seeing PCs that can easily crush these current gen consoles for around $400.
Oh yeah, then there's that nifty little thing where PC gamers get a "free" game every year thanks to the not having to pay to play online.
I think PC gaming is awesome if you're into it and it has a lot going for it. But that post was just filled with lies. Whatever makes you sleep better at night though. PC gaming is not easier than console gaming, not cheaper, and doesn't become stagnant the last 2-3 years of a generation. I'm almost certain that the consoles absolutely destroy PC in volume of games and in quality. The metacritic numbers don't lie. PC can't keep up with exclusives. Consoles get the same multiplats with a better online network. Sorry, but PC gaming just isn't as good as console gaming when you add all that up.
Like i said, it's a great platform but it's not for everyone. Not everyone wants to blow that much money to get slightly better graphics than what consoles can put out and less killer app exclusives. If PC gaming was the purest joy of entertainment that you paint it out to be and so cheap and easy, everyone would be a PC gamer. Back in reality it's not even close. Consoles are much more popular and that's because they do everything that matters better than a PC can do it. PC gaming is making a comeback but it'll always be second place to consoles. Valiant effort though.
Agreed.
And amazingly, more people have a PC or laptop at home and now the tablet craze. You'd think with already accessible hardware at their fingertips why would anyone want to bother spending $300, $400 or $500 to buy a new console? And then have to spend more money buying higher priced games, XBL, PS+, controllers, Kinect, Eye, etc..... But people do.
It's not even all about the actual specs. A good PC will always beat a console. But also, exclusives, who's playing it (friends and fam) and of course nice comfy couch gaming. And also local play having fun with two or more people playing beside each other.
Just like the old days, it still just as fun to play sports games competitively either locally or online. All the best sports and racing games are on consoles and have been for years despite PCs in the past all having the best games. Over time, just about every sports game maker ditched PC and went console only.
How many people actually hook up their PC rig to a 50+" tv? Hardly anyone. How many PC gamers have fun playing games with more than one person locally? Hardly anyone. I bet at least 90% of them still have their PC rig on a computer desk staring at a monitor smaller than even the first TV I ever had by themselves in a bedroom or basement. And then having the PC rig hooked up to pitiful sound speakers.
I know, I know.... before any PC fans counter.... yeah I know you ALL have your great rigs hooked up to big TVs, hooked up to surround sound home theatre systems, and you all bought enough mice, keyboards and gamepads for 2, 3 or 4 gamers.
It's funny that out of all people posting the pro-PC/anti-console arguments it comes from Idle. The guy who plays consoles as well as his PC rig. Therefore, he finds value and fun or else he wouldn't bother.
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Those are all great points. Especially the one about us all owning desktop PCs, or laptops with perfectly serviceable hardware to run these games PC fans rave about. Why is it that if we have a PC at our fingertips and PC gaming is the master race we choose to play our consoles over our PC? And then go out and spend hundreds of dollars on more consoles and games every generation? My PC can run probably 99% of games today at medium settings at the very least. There's just nothing that really interests me on the platform to be bothered with it. The only thing i use my PC for gaming wise is to play the FF MMOs.
Yup. And the typical pro-PC argument is that everyone is smart enough to find the best deals, piece together a system themselves to save more cash, and assume people want a desktop/tower to begin with. I haven't had a desktop since the mid 2000s. My last two PCs are laptops. My latest one is not suited for latest gaming at all. It didn't even run Diablo 3 that great and that game isn't a system hog.
My laptop is about 3.5 years old, cost me $1,100, has 4gb cpu ram, 4gb gpu ram, an i7 Q740 quad core cpu and there's no doubt that most 360 games could run games as good or better. That free Battlefield Online game ran like ass when I wanted to try for the heck of it.
Don't get me wrong, this laptop blazes away at productivity software and beats out any office laptop I've ever used for work, but it goes to show that PC gamers claiming uber victory should really be selective at what they claim. By the way, 360's Diablo 3 actually looks and runs smoother than my laptop unless I knocked down all the PC sliders to low/med.
Notice how nobody ever brings up laptops? Let's say someone wants to be mobile and buy a laptop, then what? You're either going to have to pay more to get it up to spec, or get less than a similarly priced desktop. Unless PC gamers expect people to fork out a bunch for a laptop and then pay more to buy a desktop gaming rig as well. lol
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Most "off the shelf" systems, laptops or desktops, are not built for gaming. They lack a capable video card. Having a good processor is nice, but you need the graphics card to play games. Most PCs are built for non-gamers, so they don't bother with a graphics card that most won't use.
There are gaming laptops, but you have to buy one that specifically is built for gaming with better cooling, better video, etc.
That's because usually people compare consoles and PC and not consoles and laptops because consoles aren't portable, that's why. Laptops you pay a premium for mobility, any serious PC gamer does NOT buy a laptop for a primary gaming rig.
This sort of thing is kind of mentioned in the video. Basically a lot of games on the PC platform are not designed to need uber rigs to play them with nice visuals. Games like LOL and DOTA ( arguably the 2 most popular PC games ) are not intensive games. Couple that with the huge indie scene and you can game on non gaming desktops and non top spec laptops. Even the AAA games that are nigh on simple ports of consoles only need mid tier specs at best.
The anti-PC folk in here are rolling with antediluvian views and opinions. I mean how can any console gamer seriously sit there and say the PC has no games they want ? the PC has 95% of the games the consoles have, seriously, WTF is up with that. Although, considering the source of negativity and their status as MS myrmidons I guess it should be expected.
Oh no. That wasn't my point at all. I don't care if you think PC gaming is better than console gaming or not. I just couldn't watch someone spread misinformation on the topic again. PC gaming is great and you have every right to try and sell people on it if that's what you believe in. All i ask is that you get the story straight.
Sure, but a lot of systems just have some simple onboard video which is fine for the average user, but doesn't run even low end games well. A lot of people ignore the video card when buying a PC and get burned. I have a high end laptop for work which has great specs, but it still won't even run low end games.
What story? What are you talking about? You're the one making ignorant statements about PC gaming, I know all about console gaming as I've been doing it since the early 90's and have owned every single console since ATARI 2600 (minus this gen). I've been doing HIGH END PC gaming/building/modding since the late 90's I'm well educated in both subjects.
So you have a top spec laptop that can not run a game that needs something equivalent to a 6600 or x800? when was it top spec ?(if that came off as dickish the I am sorry)) Plus, today's PC's are built with combo CPU/GPU processors that are good enough to run things like DOTA and indie games and even AAA games.
Make no mistake, I know what you're saying, and it was true 4-5 years a go, but the new hardware of modern PC's only facilitate the current trend in the PC gaming realm.
It was manufactured this February. It is an i7 processor, 8gb of RAM and a solid state drive (which absolutely flies). I tried playing Diablo 3 on it and it was pretty choppy. It does have some mobile nVidia card in it, but it is low end. I could probably play like Counter Strike on it and those kinds of games. Of course this is specifically to be a work machine. Unless you're playing games or doing high end graphics work, they skimp on the card. I put the specs together and went max on everything available. This is a Dell. They may have different model lines that have more graphics power too.
Yeah SSDs are awesome. Mine broke and I had to go back to a normal HDD. It feels so slow it is like waiting for the second coming.
You do, many others as well, but many do not.
I for instance did not set up my PC for the living room. My PC is more work/internet & also do gaming, which is why it stay 99% exclusive in my bedroom.
Not saying you cannot set up PC to run in living room, but unless you want a dedicated gaming/media PC, chances are you have your main gaming PC mainly in your study or bedroom.
You meant the same Diablo 3 (which is not a graphical powerhouse of a game to begin with) that I maxed out without breaking a sweat on my 2 years old Laptop, but the cutting edge Xbox one can only manage 900p. Maybe you bought a PC that is not design for gaming, or your PC is not optimized, or have Trojan, or some bottleneck.