Video Game Console/Platform Discussion
I'd like to talk about video game consoles/platforms and why having one is preferable to having another.
My wife and I recently bought a Wii. Up until now, I did not have a 7th generation (current gen) console. My thoughts were that the Wii's games were often too "casual"; and the 360 suffers from rampant hardware failure, scratches discs if moved while a disc is inserted, and costs an extra ~$100/yr for access to xBox Live. This left me with the PS3, which doubles as a Bluray player, but spending over $300 on a console was still a bit much of a barrier to entry. So, for a time I just let the whole issue be, especially after having discovered Steam.
What got me thinking about it again was that I was given some money from family for my birthday, and my wife brought subject up. Now, I've recently played on a 360 that has a Kinect, and though I think it's great I just don't have the proper amount of room allocated at my place for it to function properly, not to mention the whole set of 360+Kinect is expensive. However, the issue of the PS3 seems to have answered itself for the near future since the Playstation Network has been hacked more than once in recent days. I just don't feel secure going near it until Sony can cover themselves and fix the issues at hand.
In comes the Wii to my mind. It's fairly cheap, it has Zelda, Metroid, Mario and Virtual Console; and I can install ScummVM on it and play LucasArts games on my TV. So, I bought it. Mine is black.
My wife and I recently bought a Wii. Up until now, I did not have a 7th generation (current gen) console. My thoughts were that the Wii's games were often too "casual"; and the 360 suffers from rampant hardware failure, scratches discs if moved while a disc is inserted, and costs an extra ~$100/yr for access to xBox Live. This left me with the PS3, which doubles as a Bluray player, but spending over $300 on a console was still a bit much of a barrier to entry. So, for a time I just let the whole issue be, especially after having discovered Steam.
What got me thinking about it again was that I was given some money from family for my birthday, and my wife brought subject up. Now, I've recently played on a 360 that has a Kinect, and though I think it's great I just don't have the proper amount of room allocated at my place for it to function properly, not to mention the whole set of 360+Kinect is expensive. However, the issue of the PS3 seems to have answered itself for the near future since the Playstation Network has been hacked more than once in recent days. I just don't feel secure going near it until Sony can cover themselves and fix the issues at hand.
In comes the Wii to my mind. It's fairly cheap, it has Zelda, Metroid, Mario and Virtual Console; and I can install ScummVM on it and play LucasArts games on my TV. So, I bought it. Mine is black.
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PS3 is the best of them all. sure you have to pay more but you get free network so it ends up cheaper than xbox.
I suppose im biased because i hate xbox but they have always caused more trouble than they are worth, just get a play station because they last longer and have better graphics.
Case in point: I have recently bought Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect 1&2, Bioshock 1&2 and Portal on Steam.
Concerning Mac and gaming Gus Sorola disagrees with you. Oh, and also this.
And as far as PCs only being for browsing the net and for the "odd video or song," my 13.4GB of legally-bought music and my ability to play recently developed games at a good graphics setting on a PC that I built 2 years ago for only ~$400 disagrees with you
I'm not sure if I'll go back to console gaming anytime soon. The former advantages of consoles slowly seem to vanish as these platforms "evolve". In "my console times", there were no patches needed for games (and they could not have been applied), no operating system to be configured, no DLC to be paid in "points", no senseless "achievements" to be reached. I liked those times better...
For a start, although the PS3 is more expensive to purchase, it's completely free to play online. You don't need to pay a single penny to do so, which (if you're an online gamer) is a massive positive. By comparison, you need an XBox Live Gold account, which costs around £35 a year (that's about $45-50 these days, I believe), which isn't something they tend to mention. So when comparing initial costs, the difference between the two consoles isn't as much as people would have you believe.
Secondly, there's Playstation Plus. This is completely optional and is utterly unnecessary, but when you consider that it costs as much as a Gold XBox account and you get so much with it, it's hard to argue against it. I've already got Stacking, Sonic 1 + 2 and Magician Lords for absolutely nothing, and there's some great discounts on other games (though I mostly get PS1 games). There's also free themes (I got the Sega one and I've been in love with it ever since) and the chance to download full games to play for a limited time, complete with the option of keeping any trophies you might earn during the trial period.
Next, there's the fact that it's not just a games machine, it's also a Blu-Ray player. This may not sound like much, but when you realise that DVDs rarely seem to get any bonus features these days (they get put on Blu-Rays now, which is annoying!), it's definitely a plus. Also, and you won't get anyone from Sony admitting this, but you can play copied/custom-made DVDs on the PS3 Slim (Don't ask how I discovered this). Which is just awesome.
There's also the backwards compatibility. The PS3 Slim doesn't do PS2 games, but the original PS3 Fat still does, and they're not much more expensive than the newer models. Plus, both models still play PS1 games, so if you happen to have any lying around, then you don't need to dig your old PSX console out, which is nice.
Finally, and I know this is really petty, but the console itself looks kewl. Especially compared to the 360Slim, which... well, doesn't.
So that's my opinion. But on the flip side, the Wii is also pretty good. There's a lot of great games for it (even if a fair few of them seem to be getting ported to the PSMove - oh wait, that's another positive for the PS3! Woo!), even if you do have to sift through some tat to get to them. I could list off all the great games I've got for the system if you'd like.
And there's plenty I don't own. So yeah, loads of great games, even if the multiplayer is nowhere near as good as the other systems.
But again, my opinion. PS3 and Wii. Thumbs up. The 360 has its good points as well - the Arcade is a great place for small but brilliant games, and the multiplayer, while pricey, is also great fun. So I'm not saying it sucks. Not at all. If it did, I wouldn't have bought it. I'm just saying I prefer my PS3.
I disagree with the Mac sentiment. This was very true once upon a time, but recently with the increased number of games for Mac and the fact that now Macs can dual-boot as both Macs and PCs means a Mac gamer is no longer as limited as previously. I know since I own a Mac and have been able to run most of the games that I want to on it. The only problem I've had so far is my graphics card, which is too old now, but that is more related to the fact that I have a laptop than the fact that I have a Mac.
Having said that, I totally agree with the PC sentiment. A good powerful PC can last quite some time and, if it's properly maintained, won't need to be replaced every few years either. My PC (primary gaming computer) has lasted about seven years right now playing everything I've wanted and the only real maintenance I've done is get a new graphics card. Though, I do plan to rebuild it this summer since the rest of the hardware is beginning to wear out.
Err, what? That's on the consumer. If you buy a PC for gaming, you should ALWAYS build your own. And if you build your own, then what you pay and what you can run on it is up to you. My machine was $400, and it's much more powerful than all three of the current consoles.
And if something goes wrong with my console, I'm screwed unless I can afford the repair fee. If something goes wrong with my PC, I might still be screwed, but I can usually fix the problem myself for a very small amount of money, or even no money at all.
Moreover, "computers are meant for the internet and printing stuff" is perhaps the most bizarre claim I've ever heard. For one, why do you think current consoles are striving to become media centers? Because PCs set the pace for each generation of consoles. At this point, consoles are nothing more than extremely user-friendly (yet heavily gimped) PCs.
For another, if a computer is capable of doing something, then that is what it is meant for. The user owns the machine, not the other way around.
Also, what were computers for before "the internet and printing stuff", if that's all they are meant for now? Even today, there are plenty of computers without the internet or a printer. Would you call those machines useless?
On the subject of games, where do you think games come from (yes, even console games)? The very machines that "aren't meant for games".
Final point, because I could go on for eight more paragraphs and not even touch on everything... most of the games that have shaped the industry into what it is today were PC games. Do yourself a favor and look into the history of your hobby. Namely, the early 90s. Look at the games that kickstarted most of the genres you see today, then look at what platform they were for: PC. In fact, this forum you're on? The one about an adventure game developer? It wouldn't exist without PC gaming. There'd have been no Sam & Max, Monkey Island, or point and click adventures in general. No small feat for a machine that "isn't meant for games".
tl;dr version: lolwut
(this is not meant to disparage consoles in any way. I love consoles just like I love PC.)
The Wii didn't do it for me. Its the lack of good games, especially downloadable stuff, and fiddly controls and interfaces that put me off it.
The PS3 didn't click either. The games in the beginning were a little bit more expensive than 360 titles here in the UK, (its evened out now), and the online content was indeed lacking (though checking the store again today, it does seem to be fairly on par with the 360 now), plus I was never really a fan of the Playstation controller (it gives me cramps. I have pretty big hands you see, and all the buttons squished together was a pain. the weird triggers on the first gen PS3 controllers were really stupid as well)
I settled with the 360. I have a gold membership, and though I don't really go online that much, I do like the fact that its there, plus I buy A LOT of stuff via gold member offers. Seriously I have about 51 arcade titles, and a fair bit of DLC, the membership has had its uses.
The interface was just better, and still is better. The PS3 menu is a bit packed in, and isn't all that attractive to me.
Plus my best friend loves the 360 as well.
And though I don't play with him too often, when we do its a real blast.
We use the PS3 as a Blueray/DVD player more though (the only one who uses it as a console is my older brother, which is all fine and dandy as I don't want all his Call of Duty crap polluting my 360!).
Oh and 360s are cheap to fix and replace.
The main one (the original) sits proudly in the living room. The spare (not actually my one, but one my friend gave me as I was planning to live away, but ended up staying home) is upstairs in my older bros room as a backup (plus he doesn't have a DVD player up there)
There's one currently sitting next to the fridge. Unused. (unsold...)
There's one up in the loft in bits (as my dad run out of stuff to fix it).
You can get a broken xbox 360 for like £20-40 these days, and if its a red ringer, fix it for about £10.
Heck, even the new slim model isn't that expensive.
(Guess the PS3 is sort of the same price for a first buy these days, but isn't as cheap to fix and replace though)
You mean $400 to play every PC game since the first Pong port, store hundreds of hours of media, have unrestrained access to the internet, work from home, edit video and music, etc.?
As opposed to the 350 I paid for my 360, which can only run games specifically made for the 360 (and some that were made for the original Xbox), has extremely restrained access to the internet, can store far less media, and will only run said media if it's encoded by certain codecs, is completely unable to edit music or video, can be used to work from home, but only in conjunction with a PC? Yeah, that $50 dollars extra sure is expensive.
Also, I cannot stop laughing at "better quality". You have GOT to be trolling. Take a look at any given game that is on both console and PC. Look at the PC version (maxed out on a decent PC, obviously), then look at the console version. It's impossible to not see the difference. Not that the difference really matters for gameplay, but the people who care about that sort of thing always game on PCs anyway.
I'd love to get a new one (my best desktop is a pentium D!!), though its pretty expensive to get a good build in the UK at least.
(I've estimated an up to date build would cost around £500)
Plus at least in my house, a new PC is going to be hogged and wrestled over by everyone.
I dont care about xbox and im not trolling im actully being serouis, consoles are worth the money and you dont have to get the ps3 slim straight away to get the best out of gaming unlike computers... and in the near future consoles will be doing what computers will never be able to do. (already done that if your talking game wise)
Here are things PCs will always be capable of that consoles never will be:
-Backwards compatability not only with the vast majority of PC titles, but many older console titles as well via emulators.
-User-made mods(console online would never allow it, devs have tried)
-Ad-hoc multiplayer
-Multiple stores for digital games, set up by anyone
-Self-published indie titles
-Greater graphical power
-More modular hardware capability, pay for the performance you want
-A larger array of buttons and possible control schemes
-A wide selection of MMOs
-The best control scheme for RTS games, and all but a small number(less than 5) of titles in that genre
-Third party solutions for things like online play and voice chat
-Non-proprietary accessories, ALL OF THEM.
-Perform non-gaming tasks, like video editing, music editing, watching videos purchased or rented from any online source
-Inability to have all multiplayer shut down for ANY REASON
-ability to quickly switch between a game window and any other computer process seamlessly
There are times I'm glad to own a Wii, like for Contra Rebirth, Gradius Rebirth, Castlevania Rebirth, the Resident Evil and House of the Dead rail shooters, etc, but overall, I just never turn my Wii on anymore.
The only game I really care about at all on 360, as far as exclusives, is Alan Wake. It's kind of cool to have Doom 1 and 2, Wolfenstein 3D and Duke Nukem 3D on 360, but not really anything special. Beyond that ... I don't know why I own a 360.
They will be able to fly. Imagine that! Playing a flying console! It will be a totally different experience.
I never said consoles aren't worth the money, for one. (and we're talking about consoles here, so disregarding what I say because I'm talking about the Xbox in particular makes zero sense)
"consoles will be doing what computers will never be able to do" makes even less sense. A console IS a computer, and every bit of software has to first be developed on a PC (or, on occasion, Mac). That means the PC has to be able to run it. Consoles will never surpass PC tech. That's not opinion, that's just how development works.
How, exactly, are consoles doing what PCs can't "game wise"? The PS Move? The Kinect? Wiimote? All of those can be used on a PC. Digital distribution? Started on PC. P2P multiplayer? PC. DLC? PC. So, what are consoles doing that PCs can't, again?
That's just what all you luddites say! I bet you probably also think that 3D is a gimmick, too!
...I did not know that.
*Ctrl+F "Dreamcast"*
*No results*
I can rest easy for another day
Best game ever!!!
This was my reasoning
I can't run God of War, Uncharted, LittleBigPlanet, or Resistance on my PC.
I'll most likely come back to PS3 in future given the large library of available titles + Bluray and, as you pointed out, the substantially discounted price of said consoles on eBay.
So I guess it comes down to a number of factors: a new Wii is still cheaper, there are Wii titles I would kick myself for missing out on, the recent PSN hack makes me uneasy, and various games which would convince me to get a PS3 are generally compararable or better on PC and perhaps for considerably cheaper if bought at the right time.
That's not to say that the console didn't have fun games, or that it's unique controllers didn't provide for a unique experience not available on a PC. Most PC successes are best left to the PC however, and although in the early days games on the console helped modernize the video game industry, games such as mario, etc etc, the PC has always provided a more clear, and less jumbled path to video game evolution.
Because the PC has always been easier to mod, easier to work with than a console game. Yet, on a console most games work, provided their not a horrible port that crashes , glitches out, on a PC not all games work, but you can costumize the software, hardware, change settings so that it may work, or may even work better.
Modern consoles down grade most the quality of modern games, the graphics look like shit, are compressed, on a PC, especially a modern one you can control that in settings , or you can choose to run it in high quality, not loosing anything. Many games are made today in mind to run on all consoles and the Pc, so it's not even optional to see the game in full quality.
This is good and bad as some games are just too advanced for PCS only a few year old and need to be run low anyways without a hard ware update, and they look just as good on a console.
Over all the ability for consoles, where they can't update, and become inferior slows down the video game industry, evolution.
Yet they still try to have a edge in the industry releasing original and authentic titles such as Heavy Rain. The console is becoming more and more like a computer, now they are more or less just low end computers that play games that are made for all systems, or down graded for the console, showing that the PC is still superior as it doesn't have any down grades, with authentic PC titles, but forces the user to either update or run the game on lower settings.
The console seems to have become a more business effective way to make games, lower end, and make profits as they port games to all systems, including the PC.
This is also relevant because it shows one of the main reasons I love playing games on the PC over consoles - modding. There are so many great mods, fan-patches and hacks for games out there, and it's great fun playing through them all, even if some of them aren't all that great.
But even so. Neverwinter Nights, Half-Life, Quake 2, Command and Conquer, Deus Ex, Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout... these are all games that have been expanded and (in some cases) improved by fans. And it's something consoles, for all the positives, just can't hope to compete with.
(Seriously, click the link. I don't get to break it out very often)
Thank you, I'm on my mac osx right now so I'll get to it later.
True, but your position was no less valid, whether it confuses people here or not to refer to it.