Josh H

That would apply if many people here had bought PS3s. Most think it is too expensive and has shit games and haven't bought one yet. Look how few PS3 threads there are compared to 360 and Wii.

The main problem is Console gaming is getting more expensive, so they comparison doesn't fit as much as in the past when consoles had never been more than $200-300. That said $250 for the Wii is the most I've ever paid, and I have no intention of buying a console for more than that (even that was $50 too much IMO).

And I don't think PC games look anywhere near 100x better, especially with the 360 and PS3 being in HD now (which neutralizes the monitor advantage). But moot for me as I don't care about graphics and have more fun replaying Super Nintendo games than playing new games anyway.

darkside

I'm kind of in the middle on this. I spent $200 on my video card which was the maximum I felt I could rationalize spending. I didn't want to turn my sliders all the way up, just high enough so the game was enjoyable and still looked pretty good. There is no way in hell I would spend $600 on a PS3 for gaming. I still consider the Xbox360 too expensive for gaming at $400.

To me the big factor is the fact that a PC I build for $800-$1000 is not only going to be very good for playing Oblivion and Half Life 2, but for every other thing I would need a PC for. You don't have all the BS restrictions for music and video you have to deal with on the Xbox360 and PS3.

I seriously considered a 360 for streaming music and video to my home theater, but after reading about all the hoops MS made you jump through I passed on it and just modified my own original Xbox into an unrestricted media center for a fraction of the cost. (not to mention a 250GB HDD that cost less than the 360s 20GB one) Also more importantly, I have no doubt my $800 PC will still be useful 5-6 years from now in some capacity. I would be shocked if an Xbox360 could last 2 years without breaking much less 5-6.

The thing I think PC gaming has for FPS and RTS is the controls. I find FPS games completely unplayable on consoles and I think the mouse and keyboard controls are the bigger advantage. DX10 will look pretty amazing, but I would side with a PC version for control and not purely graphics.

mbs

I'd argue that with a $800-1000 you spent $500-700 making it a gaming PC. A $300 PC today is more than adequate for most every PC task a home user has, aside from gaming.

I disagree with the argument of a gaming PC being cheaper than a gaming console, citing that the computer can be used for a multitude of tasks.

And I'm not trying to knock PC gaming, because IMO, it's the only way to play RTSs (which I enjoy playing). And I prefer a PC for FPSs (though will still play on my 360).

darkside

I guess it depends on what tasks you use a PC for. A $300 PC is great for surfing the internet and minor tasks, but I use a lot more processor intensive tasks than just gaming and that $300 celeron isn't going to cut it for me. I get your point though that a person that only needs the $300 PC might be better off with that and the $400 Xbox360.

fumanstan

I was going to mention the same thing. I think these days there a lot more people using the PC for various tasks that a $300 PC won't cut it, so it's tough to attribute a higher cost to gaming purposes outside of the video card, since CPU, RAM, and other components all contribute to other tasks.

fumanstan

Except WASD in most games essentially only controls whether you accelerate forwards or back, or left to right. The mouse control typically determines which direction you point, giving just as many directions as would an analog stick. You're hardly limited to 4 or 8 directions when playing on a PC with a keyboard/mouse.

Supermallet

It's funny this thread has come up. I am heavily considering custom building a PC just for gaming, not for general computer use.

Josh H

I suppose.

All I can say is I can't move for shit when playing an FPS on a PC and can't aim for shit when playing an FPS on a console.

Thus I steer clear of the genre for the most part.

Obey The D

I wonder why a company hasn't come out with a one handed USB controller similar to the Wii nunchuck? That would be a great option over WASD IMO.

K&AJones

I still say it all boils down to convenience and $$$$ and consoles win on both accounts. Convenience for that they are "true" plug-n-play. For the $$$ for about $500 (360) you get a all-in-one machine, a few games and in no time flat you're up and playing.

With PC's you've got software and hardware to work out and $500 sounds and feels better than $1500 minimum. Plus that $1500 pc rig today is almost obsolete within two years so besides that impressive $300 video card you've got to get a newer chip and MB. And of course lets not forget "Vista".

I will say when it comes to pure gaming in terms of graphics, options, expandability (mods of course) and controls pc gaming rules. When playing UT I felt more in control with KB & Mouse than with a hand controller.

Kenny J

Josh H

Yep, I said I'd love just that a couple of times earlier in the thread.

matome

I hope it doesn't die. I'm looking forward to Command & Conquer Tiberium Wars on my PC, not on the 360.

Altimus Prime

Consoles also become obsolete. That's not unique to PCs.

I spent $200 and got a pretty good video card. Not $300.

My whole PC, including monitor, all-in-one printer/scanner/copier, new video card and new graphics card, was about $1,150, not $1,500.

I've long considered consoles to be easier, and, in that respect and because of it, better, for a long time. Maybe it's because I just got a new PC, and playing some PC games, that I'm more inclined to support it now. My last "new" console was the Dreamcast. I haven't had any interest in gaming consoles since that.

I needed a new PC, and it's good I can play games on it. I do not need a console. I didn't need it before I got the new PC, and I certainly don't need it now with my new PC.

And not forget Vista - just what about it???

xmiyux

What about gaming on a laptop? I haven't priced laptops in many many years - can you game on one decently and not have to tracers on quick moving objects?

msdmoney

That was probably due to the lcd screens, all lcd screens used to show this, but they have gotten a lot better. I don't notice any ghosting (as its called) on my desktop lcd (8ms response time) or my 42" lcd hdtv (8ms response time), but some people still claim to see ghosting. But of course a laptop will never have the video card/processor of a desktop for equal pricing.

Altimus Prime

^ At the risk of repeating, what I've seen said is that laptop performance is not equal to what you get from a desktop for gaming.

I noticed in the requirements for Far Cry, it said that laptop versions of supported cards would not support all graphics options.

Chris_D

The main problem with laptops is the the severe limitation on the graphics cards you can have. The latest graphics cards are big, and draw a heap of power. However, in a laptop (a portable one at least), you need something that's low power consumption, and ultra compact. So even the top of the line mobility cards can't come close to the top of the line desktop cards. And that's ignoring SLI, Crossfire etc.

Having said that, a laptop does make a fantastic all in one solution (games, work, casual, ht), especially if you don't care about having the settings all the way up (I don't). I just bought a macbook pro (latest iteration - radeon x1600), and am playing Guild Wars on it no problems. And I know, if I wanted to make the leap into WOW, the pc game most people are playing these days, it would run beautifully. And of course, on all the non gaming stuff, it's fantastic.

xmiyux

Well i'm not interested so much in the huge FPS etc. on the PC. I'm more into the RPGs, maybe check out a MMORPG - but mostly i want to upgrade my old desktop to something else for some RTS and turn based games. The new Civ and the new Medieval Total War game (i think that is the one i've been lurking a thread on - it has the Pope and religious politics playing a role in the game) are interesting me in PC stuff again.

BeanDip0001

Hey we could build you a hippie friendly green PC! I know how in tune with the hippie scene you are.

Tommy Ceez

I posted you a link on the previous page....I just want to make sure you didnt miss it

superdeluxe

Unless Blizzard ever decides to dump WOW on the console, the PC will never be dead (not when you have 8 million subscribers playing a computer game)

JaxComet

You can buy a laptop with a fairly high end graphics card. I think mine has the Nvidia 7800. Although it doesn't have the power of my desktop, my 17" laptop displays 1920x1200 Widescreen which blows away my desktop display.

xmiyux

Good to hear, i will definitely look into something like that. The mobility of a laptop would be great.

Altimus Prime

But from what I understand, the graphics card in a laptop isn't going to be as good as a comparable card in a desktop.

I don't get all the fascination with laptop anyway. I've had three desktops, and never considered getting a laptop. Not sure why I'd need one. For what, to go to the mall food court and use the wifi? Nah. I like to use my pc at home.

tbird2340

No need? How about to surf / work from your couch? I have a laptop and use it every night instead of my desktop. Why sit at a desk when I can sit on my couch whilst watching tv..