PC or Consul? Where should the gaming bucks go.

[apmiller]

For all you fellow gaming geeks out there. With the coming of better consuls (GameCube, X-Box, PS2) and the coming of better and faster PC hardware. Where should the money go?

Should you say screw it to all the computer upgrading and messing around with making games work on a PC? A lot of gaming web sites are saying that PC gaming had a good run but consul games could soon take over the market.

Multi player games are getting better on the consuls and the overall look and gameplay is starting to be just as if not better on the consuls.

Will it be more cost effective to just buy an X-Box or PS2 instead of throwing money to keep your computer updated enough to play one or two games?

Or like myself, do you think it will be important to have a kick butt computer and a X-box, PS2 and Gamecube just so you can play it ALL?! ha ha ha ha ha...

I for one can't see myself going without both. They complete each other. When gaming goes dry on one you go play on the other. It's a balance that must be maintain. This of course means I may never have money to retire on but as long as McDanolds is still dumb enough to hire me, I shall always have just enough income for my medication, games, rent and the electric bill. Food, water and clothing just get in the way.

[ironchef]

i personally haven't owned a console since the n64 was relatively new. i exchanged it to EBX for a few PC games :)
owning the n64 was a mistake on my part though - nintendo has long claimed that they're going to primarily support the bright, happy little japanese characters with cute names and non-violent action. i bought it on the vague hope that something different would come along. nuttin did..

that's one of my biggest beefs with console games and the reason i think my money will stick with PC games. i'm not bound by anybody's agenda on the PC. my self-proclaimed status as an adult is respected and my decisions on which games to buy aren't limited to a choice of the lesser evil (yes, yes, i know it's only a game you goof). the PC's power is exploited in the wide variety of game genres it offers, whereas consoles seem to reign king in some particular gaming category.

consoles do have some benefits that i wish the PC world would catch up with (some just can't fly on the PC though). First, consoles have a nifty controller. yeah, PCs have made some pretty damn innovative controlling aparati, but support is so limited and features so game-specific that it's tough to justify the purchase. Second benefit - a proprietary and controlled environment that results in better and predictable game performance and longevity. Third benefit would be cost. Consoles are (usually!) pretty inexpensive compared to a PC and game costs are mostly on par with PC's.

in addition to the diversity of games that i mentioned above as being a huge feather in the cap for PCs, i'd have to say that multiplayer capability is worlds beyond that of the console. i don't know what's planned for the future of consoles, but i haven't seen anything yet that can compare to 64-player FPS's like Tribes 2, or ridiculously massive multiplayer RPGs like Everquest or those in the works like WWII or.. that uhh.. Neo-something. Both look fantastic.

so, in a few words or less, my money'll stick with the PC.

[gear02]

As an owner of both a kickass PC and two consoles (N64, PS2) and a former owner of three more (DC, SNES, NES), I think this arguement of which console is the best is bullshit. It's like saying which baseball team is the best. The only thing that matters are the games. And this is where you can make a difference.

PCs have strategy, FPS, adventure (Monkey Island, Longest Joruney) and RPG (Baldur's Gate, Diablo). Until the consoles start shipping mice and keyboards, you should stick to the PC if you want to play Half Life 2, Unreal 2, Counterstrike 2, Doom 3, etc. You should also stick to the PC for strategy games as they are hard to control with a gamepad.

Consoles have sports, action (Resident Evil, Tomb Raider), fighting (DOA, Street Fighter, Virtua Fighter) and CRPG (console PRG a la final fantasy). I don't think it's easy to play sports on the pc unless you buy a gamepad, and there's more variety on consoles than the PC. There are NO fighting games on the PC, and until Anachronox comes out, there are no CRPGS on the PC, which can be fun.

There are differences between the consoles too.

N64 - only if you like Nintendo's licenses (Zelda, Mario, Castlevania, etc.) and Pokemon, cause that's ALL they get. No one ever does ports for them anymore since the N64 is old. But the gamecube might be decent, though Nintendo took the stance of "Gamecube is a toy, not a gaming machine" so I'd be worried

Dreamcast - This system has great games, but some of them are being ported to the PS2 (Crazy Taxi) and the hardware is no longer being produced, so games might start to get fewer and fewer. But if you can find a good deal on one it would be bargin gaming.

PS2 - Great system, but the games aren't up to par with the machine yet. There are only a few games that are outstanding on this machine (SSX, Madden), but nothing mindblowing. Still it's a great machine once the games start rolling

X-Box - No idea. It's a mini-PC disguised as a console. A lot of companies signed up with them, but I think it's not going to blow the PS2 out of the water since the games for it are also not mindblowing. I don't think it will be sold at $300, more like $400-500. We'll see what's up with this thing, but I wouldn't bet my hopes on it.

So take your pick.

[sbp]

This happens every time a new generation of consoles is released. People say pc gaming is going to die. Well its not.

Its true most pc games lost money while even mediocre console games make back what it costed to make them. And yes dealing with the pc's compatibility issues and drives at times is annoying. But I see more innovation going on in pc games. And the games I'm interested in are on that platform and there's more to do on a pc than just game. So I'll be sticking with the pc. Not to mention its fun tweaking and upgrading your pc.

As pointed out consoles and pcs each have their own strengths. So buy what you want to. Buy all the consoles and own a pc. :kawaii:



[Edited by sbp on 04-17-2001 at 05:16 PM]

[tupacboy]

hmm... all i have to say is counter-strike... beat that playstation!! heh heh

[sillyazn]

Originally posted by tupacboy
hmm... all i have to say is counter-strike... beat that playstation!! heh heh

No Doubt