The Evils of Console-centrism

[mikey]

Originally posted by Regus
I don't feel like upgrading my pc just to play games, nor do I feel like downloading patches. This is why I rarely play pc games.

Yeah, and sitting at the PC is a bit too much like work. It's not the same as sitting in the living room in front of a large TV, which was the traditional way that consoles were, and are, played.

Plus, you don't have to have a PC with modern specs to surf the 'net and send e-mail but it has to be upgraded for games. My PC works fine for web/e-mail but it won't play a PC game released in the last 2-3 years. To play PC games I'd have to buy a whole new machine. Not worth it, especially considering the type of games you get on PC.

I see your point, but staying away from PC games makes perfect sense to me. But I would accept that PCs have shaped the development of games and new ideas.

[burgundy]

Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
This console-centric mindset often results in a distorted view of video game history, where computer gaming and sometimes arcade gaming get undermined. Just look at almost every video game history book. They don't show you the whole picture.

Some of those books are about the history of console games, and focusing on them is appropriate. Board games and card games may be similar, for example, and they certainly have quite an influence on each other, but they're still fundamentally different, and different people may prefer one over the other for a myriad of reasons.

And High Score for one has a disproportionately high amount of PC coverage, IMO.

Originally posted by NeoZeedeater
Actually burgundy, I wasn't referring to you at all. I was going to make this topic last night.

I'm just kidding...but I am exactly the kind of console gamer to which this thread refers.

[NeoZeedeater]

High Score does have a disproportionate amount of PC coverage. Console, computer, and arcade gaming history are so intertwined that it's wrong to neglect any of the three in a history book unless it's something like Game Over that focuses mostly on a single company.

[Frogacuda]

I used to play more PC games, but I stopped not because I don't like playing games on my PC, but I am absolutely sick of the repetitive barrage of FPS, Sim, and RTS games that make up 90% of the market.

Arcade and Handheld gaming are underrated too.

[NeoZeedeater]

Console gaming is filled with repetitive unimaginative garbage as well. That's why we pick out the gems.

[Ojisan]

Main reason I moved to PC way back when I did... communication.

I love talking to people while playing games.

I also love my computer chair and being able to rest my arms on the table while playing games ^_^

[Kinopio]

i became out of touch with the PC gaming scene once my computer couldn't handle the newer games. The last PC game I bought was black and white.

There are some PC games I love though, notably Half Life, NOLF, Age of empires, and the longest journey. if the adventure genre was still popular i'd be much more interested in PC gaming.

[Nash]

why do i only stick to consoles? because i don't like the majority of games on the PC. real-time strategy, point-n-click RPGs (diablo, fallout), MMO --- none of these games appeal to me, and they make up the majority of PC gaming. sure, there are first person shooters that i like, and sure there are console-ish games, but that's not enough for me to upgrade my PC every so often in order to play them.

[Omni]

If my computer was better I'd be more into PC gaming. I actually used to like PC games better than console games, but technology advanced and my computer didn't, so I'm pretty limited to what I can do now.

The only genres that I think are done better on PCs are FPS's and strategy games. Since I'm not that into those genres, I don't really mind much, but back in the day PC RPG's owned my soul...and now I'm really craving to play one. Damn you slow computer!!!

They're a whole different entity compared to console RPG's though, so I'm not gonna say one is better than the other, just that they're different, and they each have they're pros and cons.

[Mr_Furious]

speaking for myself, I'll give you plenty of reasons why I prefer console over PC:

1) computer's not up to snuff and I don't feel like upgrading every 3-6 months (the hardware almost always depreciates just after you buy it which is also another burn)

2) compatibility issues. Having too many hardware configurations means problems and ends up being a guessing game when you go to the store to buy any PC game.

3) Patches! Almost every game that ships usually has some detrimental bug or crash that can kill the gameplay experience or cause enough headaches to turn me off to the game. Patches are the work of the devil!

4) Overall, the PC market's track record for consistent, reliable software is a joke and it's usually the most hardcore of PC players that continue to overlook these bold flaws and actually poke at people who decided to find other means for their gaming experience.

5) unoptimized code/art is also a an excellent excuse for hiking up the hardware requirements which is commonly abused as well. At least with console you know your target and the hardware doesn't change rapidly compared to PC.

DISCLAIMER: I'm in no way, against PC gaming (even though it might sound like it here). In fact I buy enough of the high caliber titles (I'm buying Doom3 day one). I just usually end up playing them at work where I have a competent machine that can run them (hopefully). The volume of PC software I buy compared to console is a joke though, relatively speaking.

That's my perspective on this PC vs Console debate