Essentially consoles will turn into something like a standarized proprietary computer. I am convinced that the future lies there. Mostly because of piracy.

I for one am glad to be slowly drifting away from the cold uncomfortable desk to the warm couch ^^

Originally posted by r3volt21

I would have to disagree with pc's costing more than a console when ps3's etc come out with for $900 or so on release and i feel they get quite outdated after a couple of years as i dont think they even match a good gaming pc when they are released, I build pc's and can build a good gaming one that will last for about 3 years playing most things on max setting without a problem for around $1000,  As for pc's becoming more popular i highly doubt as majority of console gamers are kids who get them as presents and working class people who dont have a computer knowledge past web browsing and e-mailing who like to just turn on a console and play for an hour or so after work.  

As for piracy i think this could even be higher on consoles, at least every1 i know that owns a xbox 360 has them mod chipped and d/l and burn games with things like steam available for pc gamers offering top games with big discount weekends etc why not pay for it and use online multiplayer and get all the updates.

I was just looking at Gear of War 2 on my xbox 360 on my big screen HDTV. May be some really high end gaming PC can do better but I highly doubt my eyes can tell a substantial difference. The pic comparisons someone put up a while ago is the best examples. The difference is SO SMALL that i care more about whether i am sitting in a comfortable couch .. then the graphical differences.

Well, at least console games are selling like 14x in revenue compared to PC games (see my earlier post on the numbers). Given that, which one has more piracy matters a lot less. Plus, you have to MOD your 360 and keep it updated to pirate games. PC games are a lot easy to pirate. All you need is an internet connection.

I prefer PC games, always have and probably always will.  But the trend shows consoles are becoming more and more like a mini-computer.  They are getting advanced on an almost yearly basis.  While PC market are simply pumping out faster cpu's and video cards, yet the games are still about samo samo, but with a tad better graphics.  If I was to place a bet, I would bet that pc will never, ever crush the consoles.   It may be the other way around.

Right now we are getting smaller devices that are inching closer to PC power.  Consoles are getting more powerful, more creative.  We are starting to hold mini computers in our hands by ways of iphones.  Unless PC finds a way to get smaller in architecture, and games somehow become really more exciting, I don't see PC crushing consoles at all.

Although I do think most likely both will still co-exist, because the audiences are different.  Many PC gamers do not like console games at all, and many console games don't understand how anybody can play on a computer   I think there's room for both, and console games will continue to be the preferred choices for companies I think, mainly due to profitability.

Originally posted by Elikal

Right now consoles have more and more of the problems of the PC, but mostly NONE of the strenghts.

No ned to update drivers on a console not wonder if the game will run smoothly or not as it's optimized for your console.

Recent example caused much suffering to PS3 gamers these past days and to this very day. You know, when I bought by first PS1 I thought, COOL, finally no installing, no waiting for patches (since no internet!), a game you just buy and off to the fun you go. Not so today? With harddiscs, installation and internet came the same things which plague PC for years. This evening I finally wanted to continue by "Marvel Ultimate Alliance" and when started it said "re-installing trophies", stuck at 10%. Forever. Well, WTF I thought, and saw, hey my date is resent to year 2000. THEN I realized my internet connection of PS3 was goners, and after much research I saw PS3 users ALL of the world have issues like this since a week ago Sony PSN began some maintenance. Maintenance your ASS! And as a result of their network going haywire the gamers even of SINGLE PLAYER gamers can't play their games. End of story.

Buy an XboX 360 or a Wii problem solved

 

What this has to do with consoles VS PC? Well, consoles are getting the same negatives as PC, but so far NONE of the advantages

 

 

Once again false, piracy is way lower on consoles

 

 

A mostly clueless rant.

The first thing you are forgetting is developers and publishers make games to earn $$$ and now piracy is a plague to the PC. What you should know is around 80-90% of each installed game on PC are pirated. And that data does not computes the players who purposely prevent game clients to connect to the internet.

Not so long ago most studios knew they had an issue with piracy on PC, but they didn't knew it was that big. Now the word is spreading out and they are mad. For now the developers have the choice either to publish games on PC with the piracy issue or make them for console with the huge second hand market of which they see zero $.

I can say the developers really don't care if the graphics are better on console or PC and they are the one who decides what you will play as making the games available or not. They also don't care which console has the better hardware, they want easy developing tools. The PS3 is a pain to develop no wonder there are less games than on Xbox and the graphics are most of the time worse than the Xbox even if on paper PS3 > XboX

The PC won't crush the consoles but there will be a merge of both. Not only the PC is too complex for the average Joe but the console lacks customization both in terms of UI/mods and hardware.

In not far from now most of your PC applications will run remotely on servers owned by Microsoft, Google, etc and you will use them with you "console". We are getting back to the client/server thing, it's a cycle and a good way to have people pay for it and removing most of the hassle. Also with this you will be able to sell personalized support, translations services, pictures editing help and so.

Onlive is showing the way, just plug any office application inside and many SMB would lean to that to move most if not all their IT to this.

In short the PC is dieing... first gaming then office softwares.

 Deewe,

I mostly agree with what you've said here.  However, I don't think that the growth of client/server infrastructure necessarily demands the elimination of PCs.  To show this, I'm going to break down computing needs into a few different categories.  I'm leaving some things out, but these strike me as the primary groups of reasons someone will use a computer: 

• Social Networking - Email clients, Facebook, Twitter, etc.  This category is already being passed on to phones as much as PCs.  There is nothing here that I can do with a PC that I cannot do with an iPhone.  I do find the extra screen real estate nice on a PC, but that is becoming less and less of an issue as content providers design "mobile friendly" versions of their sites.
• Office Work - Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.  This category still benefits highly from the extra screen space on a pc, but these apps are traditionally pretty low-intensity when it comes to processing, memory, and rendering.  Thin clients, netbooks, and cloud-computing will take this over completely before much longer.  As long as you have a keyboard for your console, and something that works well for a mouse, there is no reason this can't be done entirely sans-pc.
• Studio Work - Audio mixing, 3d drafting, animation, etc.  These things are pretty specialized pieces of software, and they rely on a great deal of file management and organization (something that console still lack, for the most part).  Not only that, but they also tend to be pretty processor intensive, and/or rely on specialized peripherals.  The "open" platform of a PC is well-suited to this solution, and not much else will do, I think.
• Gaming - Obviously, there are numerous different kinds of games out there, and many of them are already browser-based, or iPhone-specific.  The paradox of the game market is that it will always develop based on the market of its platform.  For instance, the iPhone launched, and many people saw it as a new market for games, so they developed games for it.  The PC is being seen today as a much less reliable platform for games, due to piracy, non-standardized hardware, and other factors, which means game development is beginning to focus more elsewhere.   Consoles are odd, because the platform is developed to support games and little else, while games are developed because the platform exists (or will exist).  If game developers don't believe the platform will take off and don't develop for it, the platform will more than likely flop.  I guess launching a console is very much a faith-based endeavor, and is often reliant on pre-existing relationships with game developers.  Just look at who makes them: Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo.  Anyway, all that to say this:

Games will generally be developed for the most profitable platform available.

Right now, that isn't the PC.

While I love my PC the console is crushing the PC, and will continue to do so.

How many times have you bought a game, and it not worked immediately, or the game randomly decides not to work one moring? I've had that happen tons of times. Luckily, for me I'm pretty suave when it comes to computers. Sadly, most people aren't, and that is what's killing the PC .

it is obvious walking into any retailer, and you can see the console is clearly crushing the PC, not the other way around. Almost every retail branch I walk into , including Fry's now has a slowly dwindling PC Gaming section, with more space being consumed by consoles. So sadly I think you are mistaken.....

Do I prefer gaming on a PC?  You betcha! Is it the wave of the future? I highly doubt it....

Gotta agree with Dewee - consoles will crush PCs for gaming for one main reason - piracy.  Since consoles can detect changes to their hardware, hacked boxes can be IDed and the account disabled making playing of pirated console games very difficult.  Because there is such variation in PC hardware, this is almost impossible for PC game developers to implement.  They tried with Starforce and other protection methods, but each has been defeated or such a hassle that the game was boycotted.  With either, as long as games are released on discs, they will be piratable [though again, consoles can then limit the usability of the game while the PC has not been successful in doing so].

What may be interesting to see is if consoles: 1. make it so that games are unplayable without an internet connection or 2. release games so buggy that they are almost unplayable without being patched [and the patch is only available to unhacked boxes...].

Originally posted by Elikal

Ya know, I am mostly a PC gamer, so I am prolly biased. For years and years we hear this talk that consoles are going to crush the PC. Why exactly I never really found logical. Either way, my insights tell me rather the other way around. First, what we see is that atm the two big consoles, PS and XBox are kinda stuck. Sales are mediocre and none of it really has made THE huge market control once expected. Wii, while funny, remains more a niche market for the very casual gamer.

And most important: what we see is that with every new generation consoles become more like a PC! So it is more like consoles, while still existing, become assimilated to PCs and only remain to be consoles by name at some point in the future.

Right now consoles have more and more of the problems of the PC, but mostly NONE of the strenghts. Recent example caused much suffering to PS3 gamers these past days and to this very day. You know, when I bought by first PS1 I thought, COOL, finally no installing, no waiting for patches (since no internet!), a game you just buy and off to the fun you go. Not so today? With harddiscs, installation and internet came the same things which plague PC for years. This evening I finally wanted to continue by "Marvel Ultimate Alliance" and when started it said "re-installing trophies", stuck at 10%. Forever. Well, WTF I thought, and saw, hey my date is resent to year 2000. THEN I realized my internet connection of PS3 was goners, and after much research I saw PS3 users ALL of the world have issues like this since a week ago Sony PSN began some maintenance. Maintenance your ASS! And as a result of their network going haywire the gamers even of SINGLE PLAYER gamers can't play their games. End of story.

Ya know I passionately, vividly HATE this damn trend of games, be it PC or console, to every time connect to the damn internet. Bioware's games, my PC version of Batman Arkham Asylum, the list gets longer every year and FUCK IT I just wanted to play some damn single player game, have my own game world and for ONCE I DONT want to care what anybody else in the WWW is doing! But noooo, nothing without internet today. Gone are the days where console games were great and you just entered the disc and off to fun.

 

I am just pissed about all this. Why can't they just save MY trophies on MY console and I dont care rats ass what trophies others have, as much as I hate all those new online verifications for single player games. Or the damn endless stream of mini DLC. Get the new kick ass companion HERE, or the new super trendy costume THERE. I just want my single player games single, no internet, no updates, no online community coordination as in the good olde days of modems. When I want to play my single player games, I want to stay AWAY from all the internet this internet that. But they don't let me!

What this has to do with consoles VS PC? Well, consoles are getting the same negatives as PC, but so far NONE of the advantages, like having a machine which can do your work or text or lets you draw or whatever else you hobbies may be. Not to forget that a PC game is €40 for 50 hours while a PS3/XboX360 game is €70 for 12 hours of fun. Which is not REALLY kid/teen friendly for their main target group either. So in my book consoles are a failed concept and will in the long term half vanish, half become a PC.

 

Link to news:

playstationlifestyle.net/2010/02/28/playstation-network-goes-down-ps3-titles-not-working/

As long as consoles are cheaper to produce than gaming PCs and cheape/easierr to program games for they will always be more successful than PC gaming.  And that pretty much means forever.

The ease of pirating games and distributing cracks on a PC via bittorrents is just topping on the cake.

I don't like it either, I find it irritating when my very expensive gaming computer collects dust because game "X" that I want doesn't come out for the PC(damn you FFXIII) and I end up dusting off my craptastic underpowered lowresolution 360... but you need to stop living in the land of fairytales thinking its ever going to change. 

I doubt cloud computing will totally take over the PC. People already are in an uproar over the fact that nowadays we basically buy a "license" for PC games instead of the game itself. Cloud computing = licensing period.

While it's true that with the spread of PCs a lot of people who own PCs don't know how to fix issues when they crop up, it's also true that someone referenced over 500 million in PC game sales for 2009. I don't know about you, but 500 million dollars is a lot of money where I come from, and unless you're Epic Games, you're not going to abandon the PC market when you've already made a name for yourself.

I doubt PCs will ever crush consoles, but I agree with the point that consoles are basically PCs now. I don't buy my PC games from the specialized "game box store" because I know PC games take about 2% of the floor room there, and most of the sales pitch is for consoles.

I've accepted that we license the ability to play our games now, and personally I've embraced digital distribution when it means I can get a much better deal than buying from amazon or newegg. However, I have bought from both amazon and newegg when they were cheaper. 

You have to be a smart consumer and use money where it's most effective. I got a Guild Wars expansion for 5 bucks on sale at newegg. That turned out to be a lot of fun. I also got Pirates of the Burning Sea for 5 bucks at newegg, that turned out to be something I don't enjoy.

If you're smart you can get great deals on newly released titles for the PC. I got a copy of Mass Effect 2 legitimately for 35 bucks plus shipping on a well known website. If you look at consoles, you're basically herded into always paying more than you do for PC, however with the huge success of the gun nuts buying MW2 at 60 bucks a pop on the PC we are starting to see Acti/Blizz set prices on new products at 60 instead of the traditional 50, and this is spreading to Ubisoft (Look at AC2) and other companies.

Somewhere along the line the consumers forgot that we, the consumers, set the price, because companies only charge what we will pay.

Will consoles crush PCs? They already have. The fact that PC gaming still exists is a testament to the fact that some developers refuse to give up on the platform. Also, if you think piracy is low on the consoles, you are sadly mistaken. Go to demonoid and look at the torrents for new games. The newest releases being seeded are all console versions, with a few PC versions here and there. Gotta do the research if you want to back up your claim.

Console pirating is a HUGE issue, which is why the console makers are doing everything in their power to force your console to be connected to the internet. If they know you pirate, which they can easily tell if your console is connected, then they mark you on a list. They may not do anything right away, but they have you marked as a modder/pirate in their little black book.

PC will never regain the ground it has lost to consoles as far as gaming goes. Consoles will just continue to gain more of the gamer market.

People want easy, people want fair. On PCs you have to first make sure your rig is compatible with the game, so many different companies making technology causing issues to crop up all the time. Game X has an issue with ATI cards while game Y has an issue with NVidia cards. Then you get into the aspect of the person who spends the money for the top of the line rig now gets an advantage over you in game, people don't like that kind of system.

Now you have consoles which hook up to the internet and play the same games. Everyone has the same level of equipment making it fair. The game companies know exactly the specs they're designing for so they can make it work for everyone and get every last bit of power out of the machine.

I prefer gaming on a PC but there is no denying that the option to do so will eventually vanish for real games (casual games will always be playable on everything).

Originally posted by Elikal

Ya know, I am mostly a PC gamer, so I am prolly biased. For years and years we hear this talk that consoles are going to crush the PC. Why exactly I never really found logical. Either way, my insights tell me rather the other way around. First, what we see is that atm the two big consoles, PS and XBox are kinda stuck. Sales are mediocre and none of it really has made THE huge market control once expected. Wii, while funny, remains more a niche market for the very casual gamer.

And most important: what we see is that with every new generation consoles become more like a PC! So it is more like consoles, while still existing, become assimilated to PCs and only remain to be consoles by name at some point in the future.

Right now consoles have more and more of the problems of the PC, but mostly NONE of the strenghts. Recent example caused much suffering to PS3 gamers these past days and to this very day. You know, when I bought by first PS1 I thought, COOL, finally no installing, no waiting for patches (since no internet!), a game you just buy and off to the fun you go. Not so today? With harddiscs, installation and internet came the same things which plague PC for years. This evening I finally wanted to continue by "Marvel Ultimate Alliance" and when started it said "re-installing trophies", stuck at 10%. Forever. Well, WTF I thought, and saw, hey my date is resent to year 2000. THEN I realized my internet connection of PS3 was goners, and after much research I saw PS3 users ALL of the world have issues like this since a week ago Sony PSN began some maintenance. Maintenance your ASS! And as a result of their network going haywire the gamers even of SINGLE PLAYER gamers can't play their games. End of story.

Ya know I passionately, vividly HATE this damn trend of games, be it PC or console, to every time connect to the damn internet. Bioware's games, my PC version of Batman Arkham Asylum, the list gets longer every year and FUCK IT I just wanted to play some damn single player game, have my own game world and for ONCE I DONT want to care what anybody else in the WWW is doing! But noooo, nothing without internet today. Gone are the days where console games were great and you just entered the disc and off to fun.

 

I am just pissed about all this. Why can't they just save MY trophies on MY console and I dont care rats ass what trophies others have, as much as I hate all those new online verifications for single player games. Or the damn endless stream of mini DLC. Get the new kick ass companion HERE, or the new super trendy costume THERE. I just want my single player games single, no internet, no updates, no online community coordination as in the good olde days of modems. When I want to play my single player games, I want to stay AWAY from all the internet this internet that. But they don't let me!

What this has to do with consoles VS PC? Well, consoles are getting the same negatives as PC, but so far NONE of the advantages, like having a machine which can do your work or text or lets you draw or whatever else you hobbies may be. Not to forget that a PC game is €40 for 50 hours while a PS3/XboX360 game is €70 for 12 hours of fun. Which is not REALLY kid/teen friendly for their main target group either. So in my book consoles are a failed concept and will in the long term half vanish, half become a PC.

 

Link to news:

playstationlifestyle.net/2010/02/28/playstation-network-goes-down-ps3-titles-not-working/

Your arguments are pretty poor. First of all console sales are great, and more important, console game sales are great. Console games continue to sell more copies than PC games.
 

While consoles do get features that are also available on the PC, the goal is not to become a PC. The goal is to become an entertainment center. Thats why consoles now have radio, internet and movie streaming. They also gained benefits like online play and DLC, so I'm not sure why you claim they have received none of the benefits PC gaming used to have.

While it may seem great to not have to instal games, it actually was a huge block in terms of game development. Long loading times and a limit on content was a result of this. You install games on a hard drive for a reason. I personally rather install a game once and then have a better experience through out the entire game.

About your trophies issue, Cmon, really? This has only happened once and its already been fixed.

Regarding the profitability of the PC platform for game developers:

Success for a game company is defined by the number of games sold (and/or current subscriptions held).  Anything that detracts from this number is considered bad and should be avoided.  This includes, but is not limited to:

• Things which make your game unappealing (bad press, lack of marketing, bad track record)
• Things which punish your customers (hellish DRM, buggy launches, disappointing gameplay)
• Things which keep players from buying the game (direct competitors, unsupported platforms, easy piracy)

What we are dealing with currently is a battle being waged between bullets 2 and 3.  To prevent piracy, developers add DRM.  DRM, in turn, punishes the customer.  Without installing DRM, the player experience is improved (read: Not Affected), but piracy becomes rampant.  Either way, the company is losing potential buyers, and it just boils down to which way makes more money.

The solution to this conundrum, as it would appear in a utopian world, would be to have such perfect DRM that no customer is able to pirate the game instead of buying it (theoretically, piracy is no harm if the pirates would not have paid for the game anyway, but that is beside the point).  At the same time, however, this DRM would be so quiet and unobtrusive that it would not affect the player experience in any way, negative, neutral, or otherwise.  I don't believe anything like this exists currently, but we have seen a few trends that are (sort of) moving in the right direction:

• The first and possibly least-effective method of DRM is what we see coming from EA lately.  Limitations like the need to be online at all times to play a single-player game are crushing to player loyalty, but effectively eliminate piracy.  Right?  Oh, well, unless they manage to hack the little part of the game that checks to make sure it's still valid!  This tact results in maximum alienation of the player-base, while still only providing a temporary (e.g. 1-3 week) buffer against piracy.  It's shameful, honestly.
• The second method of DRM I would like to point to is Digital Distribution, a la Steam.  While Steam certainly integrates a great deal of DRM, that is not the sole purpose of the interface, as it also serves as a social networking platform, a patching service, and an online storefront.  As far as customer alienation goes, I have heard mixed responses.  Some people can't stand Steam, because it feels so controlling and limiting.  Other people, particularly the Source Engine crowd, don't have a problem.  I will note that the people I hear complaining about Steam's constrictions are the same people who brag to me about how they "Got the hacked copy of SC2" or "Only pay for a game after I decide I like it".  In terms of effectiveness, Steam's DRM is at least as effective as EA's standard, and people who crack the games on Steam often do so to the retail version, rather than touching Steam at all.  By that logic, Steam's biggest weakness is that it is not the exclusive medium for most sales.
• The third method is sneaky enough that most people don't really think of it as DRM.  Generally, you can identify a game with this flavor of DRM by three simple letters: MMO.  Every time you log in to play, you are connecting to their server, "calling home" so to speak.  This is also very much like EA's method of DRM, except it is disguised by the fact that you MUST connect to the game servers anyway, just to access the MMO content.  It is, essentially, the perfect blend.  The DRM is absolute; nobody can access game content on the server without a valid login, and that login process is a widely accepted and expected function in MMO games.  It provides near-perfect DRM, without harming the user experience.

Yep, consoles are very popular. Still, it seems to some degree to depend on how much people know about computers. If you have some knowledge about computers, why get a console? You know how to fix any possible problems, you have a larger selection of games from, and you have more possibilities, like modding and stuff. If new generations of games are released, you can piece by piece upgrade your computer, or simply play the newer games on a lower detail level. If I'd have a console, there is no choice of playing next generation games. I'm simply forced to buy a new console.

Console sacrifice possibilities for user-friendlyness. It's like the question what wife you want: a dumb girl who does everything for you without complaining, but who is else in all her ways very limited. Or maybe the woman who sometimes talks back and has an opinion on her own, with whom life sometimes might be a bit more difficult, but more rewarding as well.

The Xbox 360 is like a PC for poor people that you can't upgrade with a better graphics card or more memory.

And to those devs that can't be bothered with improving the graphics for the PC version: Your gaming studios are on my blacklist and I will never buy a single game from you so you can all go to hell.

Originally posted by Mangobyte

Originally posted by Mellow44

The Xbox 360 is like a PC for poor people that you can't upgrade with a better graphics card or more memory.

And to those devs that can't be bothered with improving the graphics for the PC version: Your gaming studios are on my blacklist and I will never buy a single game from you so you can all go to hell.

 

 

Oh crap..  I thought this was the thread for intelligent debate.

Gameplay > graphics. Moving swiftly on...

---

Originally posted by Mangobyte

 Games will generally be developed for the most profitable platform available.
 
Right now, that isn't the PC.

---

---

Originally posted by CymTyr

I doubt cloud computing will totally take over the PC. People already are in an uproar over the fact that nowadays we basically buy a "license" for PC games instead of the game itself. Cloud computing = licensing period.

Console pirating is a HUGE issue, which is why the console makers are doing everything in their power to force your console to be connected to the internet.

---

Piracy is worse on PC and that's the point as a developer you choose the least of the worst.

We might not like it but the publishers want their share of the resale business, be it even $1 per game only.

With RMT, standardized client (web browser), internet connectivity spread mostly anywhere needed we are seeing the shadows of a new business model.

---

Originally posted by Mangobyte

Generally, you can identify a game with this flavor of DRM by three simple letters: MMO.

---

---

Originally posted by Mellow44

The Xbox 360 is like a PC for poor people that you can't upgrade with a better graphics card or more memory.
And to those devs that can't be bothered with improving the graphics for the PC version: Your gaming studios are on my blacklist and I will never buy a single game from you so you can all go to hell.
 

---

And honestly I'm happy most people rather have console than PC, it's time to make things simpler. The guy who invented PHP once told when programming will be as easy as using a phone I'll be happy. Guess what, he's happy now as he's clueless of how to use those over complicated wired office phones...

Finally there's also a very interesting trend emerging from data gathering in games, there's very few players actually finishing any games at all. So while most reviewer insist on arguing about how to many games are too short, over 60% of the installed and surveyed games are abandoned after about 3 hours of game play. The score of players actually finishing any game at all is astonishing low as is the % of hardcore players among the customers. The boss you love? Makes over 70% leave the game for good after 5+ tries. 

Originally posted by maji

Yep, consoles are very popular. Still, it seems to some degree to depend on how much people know about computers. If you have some knowledge about computers, why get a console? You know how to fix any possible problems, you have a larger selection of games from, and you have more possibilities, like modding and stuff. If new generations of games are released, you can piece by piece upgrade your computer, or simply play the newer games on a lower detail level. If I'd have a console, there is no choice of playing next generation games. I'm simply forced to buy a new console.

Console sacrifice possibilities for user-friendlyness. It's like the question what wife you want: a dumb girl who does everything for you without complaining, but who is else in all her ways very limited. Or maybe the woman who sometimes talks back and has an opinion on her own, with whom life sometimes might be a bit more difficult, but more rewarding as well.

Because it takes time and it is NO FUN to fix problems. I buy a game to PLAY, not to fix IT issues. Just go read up on say video card problem with Prototype. I don't want to experimenting with turning off "antialiasing" all day .. i want to pop in a disc and play.

And you must be JOKING to say there are a larger selection of games for the PC. For MMOs, yes .. but almost anything else .. NOPE. Just go to gamestop and take a look at the 360 section & the PC section. I don't MOD and most user generated content is crapped. There are way more than enough professionally produced content to even have the time to look at stuff like mods.

Originally posted by nariusseldon

Originally posted by maji

Yep, consoles are very popular. Still, it seems to some degree to depend on how much people know about computers. If you have some knowledge about computers, why get a console? You know how to fix any possible problems, you have a larger selection of games from, and you have more possibilities, like modding and stuff. If new generations of games are released, you can piece by piece upgrade your computer, or simply play the newer games on a lower detail level. If I'd have a console, there is no choice of playing next generation games. I'm simply forced to buy a new console.

Console sacrifice possibilities for user-friendlyness. It's like the question what wife you want: a dumb girl who does everything for you without complaining, but who is else in all her ways very limited. Or maybe the woman who sometimes talks back and has an opinion on her own, with whom life sometimes might be a bit more difficult, but more rewarding as well.

 Because it takes time and it is NO FUN to fix problems. I buy a game to PLAY, not to fix IT issues. Just go read up on say video card problem with Prototype. I don't want to experimenting with turning off "antialiasing" all day .. i want to pop in a disc and play.

And you must be JOKING to say there are a larger selection of games for the PC. For MMOs, yes .. but almost anything else .. NOPE. Just go to gamestop and take a look at the 360 section & the PC section. I don't MOD and most user generated content is crapped. There are way more than enough professionally produced content to even have the time to look at stuff like mods.

I think the amount of PC games causing problems are quite a minority. Not to mention that you learn stuff while fixing any problem, and as said: the amount of possibilities you sacrifice when you play on a console instead of a PC is for me personally not worth any bugs that the PC might have. Not to mention that quite some consoles are causing problems too. If they do, you have no way to fix it, but hope that you have a guarantee and get a replacement. On a PC you can fix the stuff yourself (or do the guarantee thing).

About the selection: I talk about games that are available in general. Compare the amount of games available for the PC to that of a single console type, and I'm 100% sure there are more for the PC.

About the user created content? Sure, some of it is crap. But people create so much stuff, that there are still so many incredible mods left, which a console gamer will never experience. So why should anyone care if some of the user created content is crap? Play the good stuff, and it's free.
If you say that mods ain't worth checking out, because there are enough finished games out there, then that's your personal opinion, which I don't share. It's like saying "I will only watch Hollywood movies, because everything else is crap". Yes, you can do that, but you will miss a lot.

Okay,

I'm gonna try and draw another logical path here.  I've got a buddy who has a media center PC hooked up to his big ol' LCD TV, right alongside his Xbox360 and PS3.  It is plugged into the same output as his consoles, and it has a wireless mouse and keyboard for control.  When he uses this computer for gaming, it is essentially functioning the same as a console.  The peripherals are different, but peripherals are becoming flexible enough between platforms that this doesn't really matter.  From there, it boils down to a single simple question:

Do you want to use an open platform?

Everything else is sort of moot.  New consoles will be released, with newer and better hardware.  Meanwhile newer PC components will be released, to upgrade from old hardware.  All the debates about "better graphics" and "more options" become pointless, because they are all dictated by market whims, which have been doing their thing since the beginning of time anyway.  

Open-platform is going to have it's own sets of pros and cons, which mostly boil down to "More powerful, but harder to use."

Closed-platform, on the other hand, is "Better feeling, but less configurable."

(I recognize the above list is a gross oversimplification, but I hope you can bear with me)

This isn't a new question, either, and I'm sure quite a few of you guys are recognizing this.  Open Platform vs. Closed Platform has been a hot topic since the initial development of PCs, and has been made famous by a few catchy adverts and hordes of zealous "fanboys" on every side.  

My personal stance on this has been sort of "meh".  I prefer open-platform, so I run a PC, but I love the gadgets and support that Apple offers through its closed-platform offerings.  When it comes right down to it, attacking someone because they prefer closed-platform or open-platform is kind of ridiculous.

What is worth noting, though, is that closed platforms are significantly more lucrative for developers, if they have a great enough market share.  This means that the games available on PCs are going decrease, relative to the number available on consoles, until something can be done to make PC games more lucrative (enter the MMO).  For more on this particular point, scroll up a bit and check my previous post.