Are you a console or PC gamer?
Aug 8, 2016 at 1:33 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 963

Music Alchemist

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I've been a console gamer since the early '90s. Never got deeply into PC gaming.
 
What about you?
 
Share your experiences of why you prefer one over the other, or why you like both equally.
 
Aug 8, 2016 at 2:58 PM Post #3 of 963
Both, but primarily on XBOX One.

 
Although I've owned more than a few consoles, I never got into Xbox. I've always been more into PlayStation and Nintendo systems. One reason the Xbox One would appeal to me is the new Killer Instinct game. (I was a huge fan of the first one.)
 
I'm really bummed out that the PS4 has next to no backwards compatibility. You can't even download older digital games on it! They have planned for a long time now to have universal compatibility, making all previous games available in digital format, but who knows when that'll actually happen...
 
Aug 8, 2016 at 3:56 PM Post #4 of 963
Was a console gamer from childhood to the year 2007, then realized PC gaming is the better platform and got my first gaming PC at the beginning of 2008.  Haven't looked back since.  Reasons why I prefer PC gaming:
 
  1. Much broader game and genre selection.  All of my favorite games are on PC, many aren't on consoles.  I don't want video games to try and copy movies, like most console single player titles do.  Movies will always be better movies than games so that's futile.  I don't want oversimplified games designed for a child audience, which most console games are (and AAA games in general).  Multiplayer gaming other than casual laid back gaming is pointless on console due to too much network lag, although this has improved over the years as P2P isn't as common.  Although if you love Japanese games then PC will not satisfy.
  2. Modding, both creating and using them.  Take games and make them better, and/or make them into something different.  Or just make your own campaign in a game that has gameplay that you like.  Add more maps to a multiplayer game.  Change the color palette, shaders, effects, and overall look of any game using ReShade, ENB, and/or GeDoSaTo (shader injector applications).  You name it.  Yes, not every game supports modding, but many do including almost every game I play.  Or you can download Unreal Engine 4 (or another, lesser engine in my opinion) and make whatever you want.
  3. Practically infinite backwards compatibility and availability of older games.  Worst case scenario, an emulator is needed whether it's for DOS or a console emulator.  Such emulators are easy to find and set up.
  4. Much better performance in games.  Bye bye stutters and low frame rates that make a game look like a slideshow (looking at you Uncharted 4 and Metal Gear Solid 4).  30 FPS now looks terrible to me.  60 FPS is okay.  Nothing beats gaming at 120 FPS or more with triple buffered V-Sync (consoles use double buffered last time I checked, adding way more input lag) with backlight strobing enabled which gets rid of all sample and hold motion blur.  For example try focusing on objects in the moving photo test here and you'll see that it's all blurred, unlike human eyes which can track very well without blur.  On PC you can game with a technology that eliminates that making for a much clearer, more lifelike experience.  Or, if I can't maintain 120 FPS, I will instead use G-SYNC which syncs my monitor's refresh rate to the game's frame rate, removing screen tearing without a fixed frame rate like V-Sync and without the lag or stutters.  Consoles don't have this tech either, and it makes a huge difference in immersion and competitive gameplay (not that I game competitively).
  5. Building on the above, much faster loading times thanks to SSD and RAMdisk technology.  Every time I see my brother waiting forever in GTA's initial loading screen I laugh.
  6. Much better, more advanced sound processing in certain games (albeit this doesn't apply to modern games).  Nothing comes close to OpenAL or DirectSound3D 3D sound processing combined with EFX or EAX.  Stereo/headphone users can enable a highly effective binaural audio simulation with this while surround users get much better surround localization (use of all speakers).  I think this can even be classified as object based surround because of the way these APIs work, sort of like Dolby Atmos and DTS:X in concept.
  7. Much better visual quality in games thanks to superior graphics technology.  Or, in the case of various PC exclusive games from Total War to ArmA, Warhammer 40k Dawn of War series or most of the Civilization games, or large scale MMOs like Star Wars: The Old Republic, we get games on a scale that consoles can't handle.
  8. Wider selection of sound and video output devices.  Can game with a wider variety of speakers, headphones, microphones, monitors/displays including TVs, also software such as virtual surround or the aforementioned ReShade/ENB/GeDoSaTo.  Larger resolutions, 1920 x 1080 is garbage to me.  Higher refresh rates.  Multiple aspect ratios to choose from.
  9. Wider selection of input devices including console controllers if you want.  Mouse and keyboard for shooters and more complex games that need more buttons than a controller offers, more racing wheel and joystick options.
  10. Much better, more flexible recording software both for local recording and streaming.  Open Broadcaster Software monitor capture being the champion for Windows 10 (especially with NVIDIA GPU acceleration).
  11. Game updates aren't forced on me, and I can play games while others are updating (although maybe current gen consoles have this).  OS updates aren't forced on me in Windows 7 either.
  12. Choice of different operating systems.
  13. Typically better prices on games; Greenmangaming always has AAA pre-releases for under $50 opposed to the usual $60, Steam sales and Humble Bundle and other stores often have games on sale for 50-90% off.
  14. Preloading games (downloading most of the game's before it's released) so I can play a game immediately at launch.
  15. Doesn't apply to me anymore but PC offers a much better multiplayer experience for those interested in communities/clans.  The games allow for actual server creation and customization, can make private servers, have the server link to your website via a message or screen when connecting, can use programs like TeamSpeak for better privacy and coordination, and far more in more moddable multiplayer games.
  16. The ability to make a customized PC build.  Unlimited selection of enclosures, hardware, cooling, peripherals, aesthetics.  My current build has a water cooled processor and is extremely quiet, and I never have to worry about it overheating.
  17. Overclocking is fun.
  18. I multitask.  Don't have to get up or switch devices when I want to be done gaming and doing something else on my computer.
 
Aug 8, 2016 at 4:11 PM Post #6 of 963

 
Not surprised to see ya here, buddy!
biggrin.gif

 
Those are some very compelling reasons to go PC. I only disagree with the following:
 
Much broader game and genre selection.  All of my favorite games are on PC, many aren't on consoles.

 
I guess this depends on the games you like. I've enjoyed all sorts of games, and many are console exclusives.
 
Which game genres are not on consoles? I don't know of any.
 
I don't want video games to try and copy movies, like most console single player titles do.  Movies will always be better movies than games so that's futile.

 
Only a small percentage of console games are based on movies.
 
I do agree that the movies themselves tend to be better than the games based on them. On the flipside, movies based on games tend to be worse than the original games.
 
I don't want oversimplified games designed for a child audience, which most console games are (and AAA games in general).

 
There are countless console games that are not for children. This makes me wonder how many console games you've played.
 
Aug 8, 2016 at 4:40 PM Post #7 of 963
Oh I didn't mean actually "based on movies" but rather the game design approach where the goal is to emulate the style of a movie.  E.g. Naughty Dog games, where the emphasis is on cinematic cutscenes, they rely more on cinematics than writing quality (the recent Tomb Raider games are the most guilty of this, they think sticking a female protagonist in the game is sufficient character development), and all of the gameplay is just repetitive filler content.
 
The genres that are stronger (more prevalent) on consoles include JRPGs and fighting games (and maybe "action adventure").  Genres much more prevalent or even exclusive to PC include:
 
  1. wRPGs from before 2007 or so
  2. MMORPG
  3. MMOFPS
  4. MOBA
  5. Persistent world multiplayer in general
  6. Point-and-click adventure
  7. Turn-Based Strategy (hardly one genre due to the variety)
  8. Real-Time Strategy (ditto, hard to put it all in one genre)
  9. Racing simulators
  10. Flight simulators
  11. Pseudo-military simulators (ArmA franchise, Operation Flashpoint, that WW2 game the same studio published).
  12. All kinds of odd simulators like Surgeon Simulator, Truck Simulators, and games like Papers Please.  There are genres that even I haven't heard of.  You should browse Steam's indie section to see all the weirdness in there.
 
The bigger selection of games on PC is a statistic.  Whether or not one cares is another matter.
 
As for dumbed down console games, I was referring to AAA titles as I pointed out but I forgot to specify games from after 2007.  Most of the mainstream AAA games since then are dumbed down as such, even PC is guilty of that now since mainstream AAA titles are generally on both consoles and PC.  
 
I've been playing console games from late 90s until 2007 (I've owned Sega Dreamcast, SNES/N64/Gamecube/Wii, PS1/PS2/PS3, XBOX/XBOX 360) and have played a few after that to completion (and have tried and discarded more).  I've also played PC games from the same time period as I made it a point to go back and play most of the RPG and FPS classics.  My favorite games come from the late 90s, the entire 2000s and a few from the 2010s too.
 
Cool thread by the way!
 
Aug 8, 2016 at 4:57 PM Post #8 of 963
  Oh I didn't mean actually "based on movies" but rather the game design approach where the goal is to emulate the style of a movie.  E.g. Naughty Dog games, where the emphasis is on cinematic cutscenes, they rely more on cinematics than writing quality (the recent Tomb Raider games are the most guilty of this, they think sticking a female protagonist in the game is sufficient character development), and all of the gameplay is just repetitive filler content.
 
The genres that are stronger (more prevalent) on consoles include JRPGs and fighting games (and maybe "action adventure").  Genres much more prevalent or even exclusive to PC include:
 
  1. wRPGs from before 2007 or so
  2. MMORPG
  3. MMOFPS
  4. MOBA
  5. Point-and-click adventure
  6. Turn-Based Strategy (hardly one genre due to the variety)
  7. Real-Time Strategy (ditto, hard to put it all in one genre)
  8. Racing simulators
  9. Flight simulators
  10. Pseudo-military simulators (ArmA franchise, Operation Flashpoint, that WW2 game the same studio published).
  11. All kinds of odd simulators like Surgeon Simulator, Truck Simulators, and games like Papers Please.  There are genres that even I haven't heard of.  You should browse Steam's indie section to see all the weirdness in there.
 
The bigger selection of games on PC is a statistic.  Whether or not one cares is another matter.
 
As for dumbed down console games, I was referring to AAA titles as I pointed out but I forgot to specify games from after 2007.  Most of the mainstream AAA games since then are dumbed down as such, even PC is guilty of that now since mainstream AAA titles are generally on both consoles and PC.  
 
I've been playing console games from late 90s until 2007 (I've owned Sega Dreamcast, SNES/N64/Gamecube/Wii, PS1/PS2/PS3, XBOX/XBOX 360) and have played a few after that to completion (and have tried and discarded more).  I've also played PC games from the same time period as I made it a point to go back and play most of the RPG and FPS classics.  My favorite games come from the late 90s, the entire 2000s and a few from the 2010s too.
 
Cool thread by the way!

 
Oooh, I gotcha! Yeah, cinematic cutscenes are common, but I like 'em! There are plenty of high quality games with cutscenes. Final Fantasy and Metal Gear come to mind.
 
But which of those genres are not on consoles at all? I believe there are console games in all of those genres except perhaps ones with point and click features. I don't consider that feature to be a genre, anyway; just a feature within a genre.
 
I get what you mean abut many games being dumbed down, particularly on Wii. (Though that's precisely why some are so popular.) I just wanted to be clear that this should not be applied to console games in general, even if it is a prevalent trend compared to PC games.
 
So you never tried any portable consoles? PS Vita and Nintendo 3DS were so fun! PSP and Game Boy Advance were great too.
 
Aug 8, 2016 at 5:07 PM Post #9 of 963
Point-and-click does exist on console actually (Heavy Rain, Telltale games).  
 
Are flight simulators on consoles?  I think racing simulators just finally landed on consoles with Project C.A.R.S. (a game with PC oriented development).  Military simulators aren't on consoles, neither are most of those other simulators.
 
I did forget to mention city builder type games, which are either PC exclusive or just very strongly prevalent on PC.  I'm not sure which type of RTS games are on consoles, but several types such as Total War aren't on consoles.  The genre system as it is now is a bit of a mess as you can see, many RTS franchises are so different that they have next to nothing in common with anything else thus could be their own genre.
 
I did try portable consoles actually.  Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Advance SP, DS, and PSP.  I hate handheld gaming.  I see it as being meant for time wasting, it's impossible for me to get immersed on such a small display with such awful controls (I hate controllers in general) and immersion is typically what I game for.
 
Aug 8, 2016 at 5:12 PM Post #10 of 963
  Point-and-click does exist on console actually (Heavy Rain, Telltale games).  
 
Are flight simulators on consoles?  I think racing simulators just finally landed on consoles with Project C.A.R.S. (a game with PC oriented development).  Military simulators aren't on consoles, neither are most of those other simulators.
 
I did forget to mention city builder type games, which are either PC exclusive or just very strongly prevalent on PC.  I'm not sure which type of RTS games are on consoles, but several types such as Total War aren't on consoles.  The genre system as it is now is a bit of a mess as you can see, many RTS franchises are so different that they have next to nothing in common with anything else thus could be their own genre.
 
I did try portable consoles actually.  Gameboy, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Advance SP, DS, and PSP.  I hate handheld gaming.  I see it as being meant for time wasting, it's impossible for me to get immersed on such a small display with such awful controls (I hate controllers in general) and immersion is typically what I game for.

 
Depends what you count as a simulator. I believe everything you mentioned has been available on consoles for a long time, if you're more lax with the requirements.
 
I prefer controllers. I can hardly game with a keyboard and mouse at all. At times I can even be more immersed in portable consoles than a large HDTV. Just goes to show ya how subjective gaming is.
 
If you're into racing games, I love the futuristic racing franchise WipEout. Spent a ton of time on WipEout HD (with Fury expansion pack) and WipEout 2048 on PS3 and Vita.
 
Aug 8, 2016 at 5:17 PM Post #11 of 963
I forgot to add, I don't have a problem with a cinematic approach on its own, only when gameplay and actual writing are sacrificed, and when the storytelling methods are entirely cinematic and not taking advantage of the gaming medium at all.
 
Simulators kind of have a standard definition in the industry, which would be where the primary focus is to simulate a real life task, with gameplay designed to not really leave anything out.  Gran Turismo and Forza for example are not racing simulators since the primary focus isn't to simulate an actual standard race (although Gran Turismo 5 added it as sort of an afterthought), although they could be called driving simulators.
 
Of the PC exclusive genres I listed, what are some console game examples you know of?  Military simulators are actually exclusive to one studio, Bohemia Interactive, and all of their games are PC exclusive (they actually have separate games used for military training, the public versions being somewhat cut down versions).
 
Aug 8, 2016 at 5:22 PM Post #13 of 963
It's possible that some of these office simulators, truck simulators, and the like have crossed over to consoles without my knowing.  Looks like neither of us really care about those games anyway.  
tongue.gif
 
 
Many of them are and have been PC exclusive because of the horrendous price of getting a game published and patched on consoles.
 
Aug 9, 2016 at 7:00 AM Post #14 of 963
I've been gaming on both for as long as I remember: consoles with an NES, SNES and Magnavox Odyssey2 to start out with, PC back in the DOS days on my father's machine.
 
This was when Windows 3.1 was the latest thing and you still had to remember your address/IRQ/DMA settings so each and every game you played would have sound. In certain cases, you'd even have to start fiddling around with freeing up "conventional memory" under the 640K barrier just to get a game to load.
 
Yeah, PC gaming today is easy mode compared to back then. You just install it, and it runs - often better than any console on the market if your hardware's up to snuff. I still keep around a retrogaming build for specific cases of Win9x-era games that just don't like modern hardware and OSes, but other than that, most things run on my modern 4770K/GTX 980/Win10 build just fine.
 
Oh, and you have the option of playing with a keyboard and mouse or a gamepad, whichever you prefer. It's rather insulting that modern consoles have USB ports as standard equipment and won't let you take advantage of them, while an old Dreamcast with its proprietary KB+M will let you play Quake III Arena, Unreal Tournament or Half-Life as intended.
 
You're not even forced to use a specific kind of gamepad, either; nab an Xbox One pad, a DualShock 3 or 4, a Sega Saturn pad or even a Neo-Geo CD pad with its nice, clicky little stick in place of a D-Pad, because for whatever you're looking to play, there's probably an ideal gamepad for it.
 
As for certain genres not being on consoles, well, you just aren't going to see anything like Falcon BMS or DCS on a console unless you pull a Steel Battalion and mandate a special HOTAS + pedal setup just to play it. Gamepads just don't have enough buttons and additional analog axes to manage something like an F-16C, A-10C or Ka-50, and let's not neglect how the cockpits are fully clickable and mappable to a real pit should you decide to build one.
 
However, I still keep a small collection of retro consoles around, even if emulation is easy. There's just something about playing on the original hardware that emulation often can't quite replicate, especially on platforms like the Sega Saturn with a notoriously complicated architecture, and the N64, where 2D elements in Project64 just look like filtered garbage instead of clean sprites.
 

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