The final answer is get both PC and console. But... if you can only have one, go with the PC. Hook it up to a HDTV and get a gamepad and it will act a lot like a console. Plus, internet use, organizing photos, video editing, finances, work, school, shop, what can't you do with a PC?
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How is this relevant? Since when did PCs start coming with controllers for 4 people? PC owners would incur this same cost to play 4 player games (at least those that aren't turn based).
The cost comparison in this article is ludicrous. Just because you already have something doesn't make it cost any less. I already have a gaming console and the money I paid for it is still gone. I'm assuming that money will still be gone tomorrow and the next day, funny how that works.
I not only wasted my time reading this article, but it was so bad that I was forced to comment on it and waste even more time. I got screwed.
I like my different systems for different games. MMO and RTS are PC only imo. I play most my FPS games on my 360 as that's where my friends are. I play boom blox and mario kart on the Wii when we have friends over and am shopping craigslist right now for a PS3 for the few exclusives and a BR player.
On the monitor debate, since I can hook my console to my monitor or my PC to my TV I think what you view your games on is a moot point.
On the monitor debate, since I can hook my console to my monitor or my PC to my TV I think what you view your games on is a moot point.
Average PC in a house can quite possibly be a Pentium III or Pentium 4 maybe with HT, either choice is hardly capable of playing decent games at a good frame rate. I had to upgrade from P4 3.2ghz (3.2ghz? sounds like a lot but no, depends on the technology so yeah it is slow as a snail) to core2duo and I spent around $600. Xbox360's can be acquired for around $150 new if you know where to look. Which do I play more? PC so I would say the fun factor value goes to PC but the price value goes to console.
Tomsguiderachel
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[citation][nom]dingumf[/nom]Another comment, more than 50% of current console owners DON'T have HD televisions so that makes this article even MORE a waste of time and effort.[/citation]
Please share the source of your statistic. Thanks!
Please share the source of your statistic. Thanks!
nun
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- Jul 31, 2009
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[citation][nom]Tomsguiderachel[/nom]Please share the source of your statistic. Thanks![/citation]
76% of statistics are made up and no i don't have a source. no one goes and buys a console then instantly goes and buys a hd tv thats ridiculous, and yes kids do love to beat them hookers
76% of statistics are made up and no i don't have a source. no one goes and buys a console then instantly goes and buys a hd tv thats ridiculous, and yes kids do love to beat them hookers
This is a pretty one sided evaluation of which route is better. Both routes have advantages and disadvantages, but the price "comparison" has many flaws, mostly mentioned in the above comments. My OPINION of the average user is:
-Their TV is larger than their computer monitor and are not located side by side. Thus, in order to play games from the computer on the TV they need to run long cables (expensive), or buy a nicer looking and quieter PC to sit in the living room (expensive).
-(known stat) "The average game player is 35 years old and has been playing games for 12 years. The average age of the most frequent game purchaser is 39 years old" Most likely there are more than one person with influence using the area, gaming console, PC, etc. Most people do not appreciate a cable infested living room or a old PC humming away in the corner while they watch TV. Most users want something that is dummy proof, easy to use, and be compatible with the latest and greatest games.
-The average user has a okay computer, which likely needs a new video card (inexpensive) to play current games. However, in the course of a console lifespan, the PC will require more than one upgrade to stay current.
Rambling summary:
-The price comparison is one sided and does not address issues that cost far more than a simple video card upgrade. Long term the console will be cheaper hands down.
-The evaluation looks at a relatively small segment of the gaming community.
-Their TV is larger than their computer monitor and are not located side by side. Thus, in order to play games from the computer on the TV they need to run long cables (expensive), or buy a nicer looking and quieter PC to sit in the living room (expensive).
-(known stat) "The average game player is 35 years old and has been playing games for 12 years. The average age of the most frequent game purchaser is 39 years old" Most likely there are more than one person with influence using the area, gaming console, PC, etc. Most people do not appreciate a cable infested living room or a old PC humming away in the corner while they watch TV. Most users want something that is dummy proof, easy to use, and be compatible with the latest and greatest games.
-The average user has a okay computer, which likely needs a new video card (inexpensive) to play current games. However, in the course of a console lifespan, the PC will require more than one upgrade to stay current.
Rambling summary:
-The price comparison is one sided and does not address issues that cost far more than a simple video card upgrade. Long term the console will be cheaper hands down.
-The evaluation looks at a relatively small segment of the gaming community.
[citation][nom]nun[/nom]76% of statistics are made up and no i don't have a source. no one goes and buys a console then instantly goes and buys a hd tv thats ridiculous, and yes kids do love to beat them hookers[/citation]
Nobody does that? I was playing my xbox on a 32" crt a few years ago. Then I purchased a 360 and a 50" Samsung. Giess that makes me a nobody
Nobody does that? I was playing my xbox on a 32" crt a few years ago. Then I purchased a 360 and a 50" Samsung. Giess that makes me a nobody
JWL3 must live under a rock,
1-the console is moddable therefore you can load modded software
2-there are roster updates
3-there are plenty of one word cheats
4-the 360 has a keypad that attaches to a controller/PS3 has a BT keyboard
5-it's easy, i've seen 4 year olds do it
6-you can add or upgrade your hard drive.
7-you can watch DVD/BR/HD-DVD's, stream movies or tv shows, watch picture slide shows, listen to music, have voice/video chats...the list goes on and on.
8-who hooks up more than 4 controls to a PC? how many people can you crowd around a typical size PC monitor?
1-the console is moddable therefore you can load modded software
2-there are roster updates
3-there are plenty of one word cheats
4-the 360 has a keypad that attaches to a controller/PS3 has a BT keyboard
5-it's easy, i've seen 4 year olds do it
6-you can add or upgrade your hard drive.
7-you can watch DVD/BR/HD-DVD's, stream movies or tv shows, watch picture slide shows, listen to music, have voice/video chats...the list goes on and on.
8-who hooks up more than 4 controls to a PC? how many people can you crowd around a typical size PC monitor?
Don't forget that console games are stupidly more expensive too. Here in Australia, a new PS3 or Xbox 360 game will set you back anywhere from $90 to $120. New PC games are RARELY more then $80. That is a big price difference. In US dollars, I think that equals $40 for PC games upto $60-$70 for console games.
brisingamen
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- Feb 3, 2009
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running an xbox 360 or ps3 or wii on a non HD tv is absolutly laughable. ive been a pc gamer since the voodoo days because i wont even bother playing video games at, . . . 480 or whatever it is so low i dont even know, i was playing quake 2 at 800x600 on my voodoo 2 8 meg back in 1998, . . .
the old yellers stating half of consolers dont have high def tvs is the most compelling reason to go for PC ever.
not to mention if you dont mod your xbox or ps3 you have to pay up for every game, not that i download anything illegally, ahem, . . .
its like hmm, its so blurry is that a 5, a 6, or a 2, . . . i cant tell! ohwell lets mash buttons on this fat horrible clunky controller, console games are for the simple minded.
i cant wait for the day where console players and pc players can play the same FPS game toghether, all the pc gamers with proper mice will have a field day sniping these poor halo players with controllers. . . but that probably wont happen cause consoles are going extinct soon.
anyway oh yeah thier is unlimited options for peripheral interface for PC yet another reason why pc is better.
not to mention lan partys own any console multiplayer due to the strategy genre, or fps games where, gee i wonder if someones hiding behind the corner, . . . oh wait ill just look over onto the other side of the tv to find out, . . . how compelling, . . . .
anyway i cant wait for consoles to go the way of the dinosaur, . . they are only soakin up dollars that should be going to pc games.
viva la PC, the alpha and the omega of gaming,
amd is working hard on thier new standard chips that should be the death knell for consoles this fall, 4cpu cores and 2 gpu cores on the same die,
in a mere 5-6 years when those dx11 parts will be so cheap it wont make sense for any company to release another console
all console companies will eventually be like sega and just make software. . .
the old yellers stating half of consolers dont have high def tvs is the most compelling reason to go for PC ever.
not to mention if you dont mod your xbox or ps3 you have to pay up for every game, not that i download anything illegally, ahem, . . .
its like hmm, its so blurry is that a 5, a 6, or a 2, . . . i cant tell! ohwell lets mash buttons on this fat horrible clunky controller, console games are for the simple minded.
i cant wait for the day where console players and pc players can play the same FPS game toghether, all the pc gamers with proper mice will have a field day sniping these poor halo players with controllers. . . but that probably wont happen cause consoles are going extinct soon.
anyway oh yeah thier is unlimited options for peripheral interface for PC yet another reason why pc is better.
not to mention lan partys own any console multiplayer due to the strategy genre, or fps games where, gee i wonder if someones hiding behind the corner, . . . oh wait ill just look over onto the other side of the tv to find out, . . . how compelling, . . . .
anyway i cant wait for consoles to go the way of the dinosaur, . . they are only soakin up dollars that should be going to pc games.
viva la PC, the alpha and the omega of gaming,
amd is working hard on thier new standard chips that should be the death knell for consoles this fall, 4cpu cores and 2 gpu cores on the same die,
in a mere 5-6 years when those dx11 parts will be so cheap it wont make sense for any company to release another console
all console companies will eventually be like sega and just make software. . .
I agree there are some games I would never ever touch on console because they are total suckage.
The lame ports of games like unreal UT3 call of duty 4 orange box left 4 dead ETC are prime examples.
They look and control like total junk on consoles.
I only buy all 3 consoles for there exclusive games like super mario ETc.
The lame ports of games like unreal UT3 call of duty 4 orange box left 4 dead ETC are prime examples.
They look and control like total junk on consoles.
I only buy all 3 consoles for there exclusive games like super mario ETc.
It's a nice article, though lacking in several areas.
Prices and availability of games isn't mentioned, and where I live this would be another plus for PC.
Also free games aren't mentioned, and they do exist. Flash games, small free games available for download, etc.
As for price comparision, it is pretty good, but main line of an article should be better described. Caveats like mentioning 4 controllers as a cost, and PC not being able to support 4 players isn't good one.
And as a conclusion, it should be made clear to people that upgrading their PC for gaming will also positively impact other things they do on their computer as well, upgrade is an upgrade, right?
For those debating that "you can't say you need only 150$ for PC gaming" here is a clarification:
- 1 PC = ~1200$ = music, video, surfing, TV, gaming, mailing, storage, etc etc
On the other hand you can think about it this in more conservative way, and list everything most people buy (or have bought) for their home entertainment:
- console for gaming
- TV for gaming+TV+video
- home cinema (DVD player + speakers) for video
- some kind of stereo radio/CD player/MP3 player for music
- and you still need a low-end PC for editing office documents, your digital photos, printing photos, syncing your phone and MP3 player, editing and storing videos from your camera etc
Now add all those up, and you'll be way over the price of a single multimedia PC. THAT IS THE POINT of this article.
Sure, if you have enough money you can buy all of that, with a gaming PC, and a true home theatre system, and Wii+PS3+Xbox360+all older varieties of thos consoles, and enjoy them all. But those that are "on the budget" will be better of with one-PC-to-rule-them-all.
Of course, if you DO NOT have PC, and don't really need one at all, than PC-only gaming isn't a way to go. But seriously, how many people that own just consoles read Tom's hardware?
Prices and availability of games isn't mentioned, and where I live this would be another plus for PC.
Also free games aren't mentioned, and they do exist. Flash games, small free games available for download, etc.
As for price comparision, it is pretty good, but main line of an article should be better described. Caveats like mentioning 4 controllers as a cost, and PC not being able to support 4 players isn't good one.
And as a conclusion, it should be made clear to people that upgrading their PC for gaming will also positively impact other things they do on their computer as well, upgrade is an upgrade, right?
For those debating that "you can't say you need only 150$ for PC gaming" here is a clarification:
- 1 PC = ~1200$ = music, video, surfing, TV, gaming, mailing, storage, etc etc
On the other hand you can think about it this in more conservative way, and list everything most people buy (or have bought) for their home entertainment:
- console for gaming
- TV for gaming+TV+video
- home cinema (DVD player + speakers) for video
- some kind of stereo radio/CD player/MP3 player for music
- and you still need a low-end PC for editing office documents, your digital photos, printing photos, syncing your phone and MP3 player, editing and storing videos from your camera etc
Now add all those up, and you'll be way over the price of a single multimedia PC. THAT IS THE POINT of this article.
Sure, if you have enough money you can buy all of that, with a gaming PC, and a true home theatre system, and Wii+PS3+Xbox360+all older varieties of thos consoles, and enjoy them all. But those that are "on the budget" will be better of with one-PC-to-rule-them-all.
Of course, if you DO NOT have PC, and don't really need one at all, than PC-only gaming isn't a way to go. But seriously, how many people that own just consoles read Tom's hardware?
There is a tad bit of over simplification here. While updating a typical home box can render playable games you need to be able to play current games. So upgrading an aging AGP system maybe a fruitless effort especially when comparing to a console that is playing current games until the system is at the end of it's cycle.
Decent article though, more suited for IGN readers than anything else.
Decent article though, more suited for IGN readers than anything else.
r0x0r
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[citation][nom]brisingamen[/nom] i cant wait for the day where console players and pc players can play the same FPS game toghether, all the pc gamers with proper mice will have a field day sniping these poor halo players with controllers. . . [/citation]
Shadowrun
Shadowrun
beehew
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I can't begin to count how many times I've had a conversation like this on the chairlift while skiing. Of course, those conversations were about skiing vs. snowboarding but the same mentality applies to PC vs console gaming. Most people like what they've got and are used to and are probably not going to switch because of the upfront investment in gear/hardware. Playing the Xbox is weird and awkward for me and I fall down a lot. 
I've had this argument countless times. I have always been in favor of the PC. Graphics are better, controls and customizations are superior, and finding user generated content (mods and maps) is far better as well. The main premise here is obviously geared toward the console gamers argument of cost. Cost is a weak argument in my view. If you cant afford an extra $1,000 for a gaming PC, its called SAVE UP for one!!! Problem solved.
dingumf
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[citation][nom]rtfm[/nom]Where did that statistic come from? I would argue that the majority of people who will spend £300~ on a console will have enough savvy & money to have a hd tv (they're cheap enough these days). Though I do agree the article is a bit of a no brainer.[/citation]
Console owner aren't just in US. Small families in Japan who own Wiis also count. Console owners are all over the world.
Console owner aren't just in US. Small families in Japan who own Wiis also count. Console owners are all over the world.
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