My colleague here at Game Judgment, Daniel Beckett, recently wrote an article as to why he is a console gamer. While I agree with him on a number of his points, I have decided to write this rebuttal. (Debate 101 kids, never say you agree with any of your opponent’s views.) I will attempt to explain, in no uncertain terms, as to why I believe that the PC is a superior gaming console using the talking points that Daniel highlighted in his argument.
1. Simplicity
Simplicity is a relative term. It essentially describes the ease of a task, and just because something seems difficult does not mean that it is. Contrary to popular belief, building, maintaining, and upgrading a computer is not a complicated endeavor; no matter how intimidated some may be, and how intimidated those who know how, want them to be. Unless you’re a modder, putting together a computer is fairly easy. I built my first working computer in about four or five hours with no prior knowledge, experienced friends, or really any clue as to what I was doing. It was just me, an unfriendly diagram of a XFX motherboard, and an online guide that I found. I had only one major issue, apparently you need RAM to actually start the computer, I was unaware. (Don’t make fun of me, I was young and naive.) Once you know how, it’s easy.
2. Online Gameplay
Console gaming has come a long way in the field of online gaming, and while it could be said that they’ve caught up to the original platform, the experience has been essentially streamlined for both realms. Unlike consoles, you can’t just jump into online play with most PC games. I understand the ease of matchmaking, but it’s just as easy to pick a server. In fact, there are far more choices available when playing an online game on a computer. PCs also still hold claim to the most popular online game, World of Warcraft.
3. The Cost
A decent rig, including case, processor, hard drive, DVD player, motherboard, RAM, power supply, graphics card, and let’s say some aftermarket cooling (unless you bought a Cooler Master) will run you about a grand. Some people can do it for less and some for much more, but in my experience it costs approximately a thousand dollars, give or take, to make a gaming PC. Granted a PC is a PC, and it can do a lot of stuff that simply can’t be done on any of the major consoles. However, we are talking about a pure gaming machine here and PCs are going to run you about double the price as a console. You have to be willing to weigh the costs here. If you do choose a PC, and put in the money, you will have a beast of a machine capable of speeds far faster than any console, with graphics so sharp they could cut you, be able to break the sound barrier, cure cancer, get a top ten single on the Billboard 100, and achieve world peace. That and we have Starcraft II, so suck it consoles.
To be honest, home consoles have taken over the game market, and have been in control for quite some time. Many developers that have traditionally made games for the PC market are starting to shift their focus to consoles simply because they can make more money catering to a far larger audience. PC gaming has become an enthusiast’s domain, and will likely remain just that. Complexity and price are the major issues here, and as far as most are concerned they would rather zap fry the Pop Tarts in a microwave than wait for them to toast. In all reality, if most people have to choose they are going to pick an Xbox 360 or a PS3, but if you have the money why can’t you have both? I’ll admit that I make a good living, and can afford the luxury of that option. I have what I would consider a decent rig along with all the major consoles and the fanboy police have yet to break down my door.
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Read Christopher Goodchild’s review of StarCraft, a really good PC game that probably will never be released on consoles.
Check out Daniel Beckett’s Story explaining why he’s a console gamer.
Related posts:
@ Nick
A PC that can run the top of the line graphics would only cost about 1500-2000. Anything more, such as your $3000-5000 are used for HIGH END media editing or scientific simulations.
@madjedi
I know a lot of people find the reasons listed here not, lets say strong points in favor of the PC. However, as I mentioned the in the article I only tried to counter the three points used in the first article. I’m sure I could have come up with much better reasons for getting a PC, but I wanted to just stick to the talking points highlighted in Daniel Beckett’s article.
I thought I made decent counter arguments to those made by Daniel. Maybe I’ll try and write something that includes the PCs strong points. I’m sorry you didn’t walk away with a different perspective on the whole argument. I’ll certainly try to be more persuasive next time.
Thanks for reading.
I came into the article expecting to see reasonable reasons why pc gaming is superior to consoles, instead i see 2 severely questionable at best reasons, why pc’s are “better” than consoles.
Instead of superior graphics/resolution and very active and free community mod support, i see cost and simplicity, either one by themselves is a negative not a positive vs a consoles cost or simplicity.
While i did not read the counter article, if anything all this article did was reenforce why cost and simplicity will almost never be a strong point of pc’s over consoles. Either better graphics or free mod support would have been alot better reasons than cost or simplicity(especially this one) everytime.
As for the pc saying pcs have better graphics ect, considering it is not limited to specific 4-5 yr old tech, i would certainly hope not.
@Ashutosh Tiwari
There seems to be a language barrier here, but I’ll do the best I can to respond to you.
“Its the choice which is important, not what is good /bad.”
This is the first line of your comment, which I’m sorry to say doesn’t make to much sense to me. Aren’t most peoples choices predicated on what is good and bad about each platform. The two are impossible to separate when making a decision on whether or not to buy PC or a console. If you meant something else I’m sorry that I was unable to grasp your meaning.
“You are wrong Nicholas, its not that easy today to decide the system, there are a lot of PC configuration to use for gaming depends on budget, even in that case the budget dramatically goes beyond $50 (or more) to make system for future gaming.”
This is what you wrote after that. I never said it was easy to decide on a system. What I said is that it is easy to assemble one. (Please read more closely next time.) The basic configuration is essentially the same for about every PC (and I do understand that there are exceptions to the rule). I’m not sure where the $50 argument comes in as I stated that it takes approximately $1k, give or take, to make a good gaming computer.
The rest of your argument appears to be predicated on cost. I stated in both the article and numerous times in the comments section I do understand that the cost of a PC is more than that of a console. (Please read what I have written before you decide you want to argue with me on something we agree about.) I was saying that you get more for what you spend, and it was the only way to counter the cost argument between PCs and consoles that I saw.
Again I understand that there is a language barrier, but you essentially restated just about everything I said in the article, please read more carefully next time before responding.
Its the choice which is important, not what is good /bad.
You are wrong Nicholas, its not that easy today to decide the system, there are a lot of PC configuration to use for gaming depends on budget, even in that case the budget dramatically goes beyond $50 (or more) to make system for future gaming.
If in that case u found that ur PC specs are actually low to run ur favorite game, damn it!
u can do nothing but to upgrade it. But in console gaming, no need to worry about system config, just purchase disc. There may be that the cost of game is bit high, but If u want u can wait for 6 months or more to get the game price lowered by half. older brand new ps3 games I can get at 1300INR i.e. roughly around $26.
And moreover I purchased from my frnd the used ps3 game. There is no scratch on game and game still runs the same and smooth. The game he gave me in just around $7.
may be that will make u think for leaning to consoles for most peoples.
@nick
chill man… u’r getting ur PS3 panties in a bunch.
1. PC graphics arent a tiny bit better… they are ALOT better with a decent rig. God, I tried playing Dragon Age on my friends PS3 after playing it on the PC and I couldn’t stand looking at the screen. (just one example, and i have an $800 rig)
2. MMO’s, RTS’s and FPS’s are better on the PC right now simply due to having a keyboard/mouse. Unless the games support it, you can’t use those on a console. Plus, again, the graphics are alot better on the PC.
3. How the hell can you claim the PS Move is better than kb/mouse? You havent even touched it!
4. With Diablo 3, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Crysis 2, Dragon Age 2, Dead Space 2, Fallout: New Vegas and not to mention the next-gen MMO’s coming out for the PC, how can you claim that PC gaming is dying??
God I hate fanboys. I enjoy playing on my Wii and 360, but still prefer my PC. IMO, its vastly superior to any console.
The only thing I really hate about consoles is how devs are catering to them, simply cause of the masses that either can’t afford a decent PC, or can’t figure out or deal with a problem that may arise with a PC, so the masses stick to consoles only. (generalization here, not meant to offend anyone)
To me this whole argument is kind of silly, It all comes down to personal preference and price. I’d love to game on the PC but due to my apparent level of ghettoness, I can’t afford a gaming level one at this point in my life. This is why I console game. Another reason is the fact that most new games come out on the consoles, this is an unfortunately reality for many PC gamers but there really is no argument around this.
In a perfect world I’d own a console and a PC.
@ Nicholas
Aye, you deffo had a fair task trying to take on the consoles ‘strong points’ – maybe you might have been able to make a stronger case by adding in a few points of your own, rather than sticking to areas where consoles are more likely to hold the higher ground? I don’t think the PC is dead by any stretch of the imagination (although I personally won’t be going back to it), although as you say, I think it’s destined to be either a casual (Farmville, WoW) or enthusiast (Counterstrike, Starcraft II, Heart of Iron 3, Galactic Civilizations 2) platform, rather than mass-market these days.
Also, apologies for not reading it quite as closely as I could have, I’m a little crook today, and clearly not as sharp as I’d like :-/.
@Axe99
Hey Axe99, thanks for commenting and doing so in a rational manner. I understand that many people may find the three talking points used (Simplicity, Online Gameplay, and Cost) suspect, but as I stated before I was trying to make a counter argument to the one Daniel Beckett wrote the other day using only his examples.
(I think I should mention here that I only currently play about three games on the PC, I own all three consoles and my game library for each of those is far larger than the one for my PC. I am what I would consider a console gamer. I can’t be the only one who had classes in school were the teacher made you debate a side that you may have not agreed with. That is what I was doing here. I don’t know, maybe the experience was unique to me.)
I do understand that there would have been better examples to use when making a case for the PC, but again I was trying to use just the points raised in the previous article. While brief I thought I did a decent job of arguing for the PC in each of those categories. I may have not succeeded, but I made an attempt.
Next, I understand that there are driver and compatibility issues with every PC, but I was trying to keep the argument for this section based on the hardware issues. I have also never had a gaming PC simply break on me, I’ve built about three, and the one I’m using to type this at the moment I’ve had for two years with virtually no issues. You also don’t need to be an expert to put together a computer, I am far from that level of skill and I still managed.
As for the cost argument, I did recognize that the cost of a PC is greater than that of a console, I mentioned it right in the article. (Did you read the section, or merely skim it?) Here’s the quote if you missed it, “However, we are talking about a pure gaming machine here and PCs are going to run you about double the price as a console.” What I tried to do was explain that your getting more bang for your buck here. I may have fallen short.
With Online Gameplay I agree with you. They both consoles and PCs have their good and bad points regarding the subject. Again I was just making a counter argument to Daniel’s point that Online Gameplay was easier and more simplistic than that of a PC.
Thanks for weighing in on the debate, and we appreciate your readership.
@nick
Bro, relax. This was merely a rebuttal to an article that Daniel Beckett wrote the day before. I used the talking points simplicity, online gameplay, and cost because those are the ones he based his article on.
I do understand that I’m kinda losing the cost argument, but I made what I thought were decent rationalizations for the price.
Second there are far more games than just two games keeping PC gaming alive, as I said it has become a niche market, and simply because they do not reach the popularity of a game such as Halo or Uncharted does not mean that there aren’t good games out there, and that there are a lot of people playing them.
I’m having a bit of trouble understanding the grammar in your third point, but I’m assume your saying that MMOs on the console are better and cheaper than those on the PC. That could one day be true, but for the moment MMO superiority remains firmly in the hands of the computer market. Also I’m sure you can get a very nice PC for $3k-$5k, but you don’t need to. As I stated in the article it costs about $1k for a decent gaming computer, and the graphics will be very nice.
Fourth, I’m sure that the PS3 is capable of running both Warcraft and SC2, but I don’t know if that will ever happen. You’ll have to take it up with Blizzard and Sony Entertainment.
Fifth, I don’t really get the Sony Move argument you make. I really can’t compare the dynamic of using a keyboard and mouse to a motion sensing control. They are simply two different ways to control a game. It might be a bit difficult to play a game such as StarCraft with Sony Move, but I could be wrong.
Thanks you for your comments, and we appreciate your readership.
Look, you can argue that the PC has benefits (upgradeable power and, where appropriate, a mouse/kb configuration are the two that stand out for me), but the ones raised here are nuts – there’s just no basis in fact for the arguments that PCs are simpler or cheaper than consoles.
For a start, I’ve gamed on both PC and console, and console gaming is orders of magnitude simpler than PC gaming. Sure – it only took you 4-5 hours to put together your own gaming computer, but that’s still 4.5 hours more than it takes to unpack and get a console gaming. #1 is _not_ a reason why PC gaming is easier than console! And you haven’t even mentioned driver and incompatibility conflicts, which crop up all too regularly. Further, I’ve never had a mainly gaming PC where a part hasn’t broken within 12-18 months, for one reason or another. Now, I’m not ‘expert’ in putting computers together, but your whole argument here is that you don’t need to be.
And then there’s #3, cost – do you _really_ believe that a quality gaming rig is cheaper than a 360 or a PS3? Sure, the difference in cost isn’t as big as it used to be, but it’s still substantial. For a quality gaming rig, you can generally get a PS3, 360 and Wii, and a few games to boot. And be gaming on them at least 4-5 hours quicker as well ;).
Also – online gameplay is much of a muchness on both – both have their issues (personally, when it comes to sorting our port-forwarding and firewalls and stuff, I find consoles a lot easier, but they’re still far from perfect). Arguing online gameplay is an advantage for PC is a questionable point at best. For example, if you’re interested in competitive gameplay, you could be at a disadvantage just because PC gaming is about as uneven a playing field as you can get, simply because of the hardware variation. Also, many console games _do_ give you a choice of servers (at least on PS3), and you could argue that while PC’s have a strong range of MMOs and RTS’, you get a broader selection of ‘popular’ online games on console (GT5 and Forza are easily more ‘popular’ than any PC racing sim out these days). Not saying console online is better, but I think it’s hard to say it’s worse as well.
So – while the PC does have points that make it stronger than consoles, none of those points are the ones you’ve raised above ;).
Calling someone a ‘PC Fanboy’ then treating the PS3 like hallowed ground is a rather hypocritical thing to do.
this guy is a retarded Pc fanboy
#3 $1000 i can buy 3 PS3′s with that much which 1 PS3 is much better than a PC costing that much. showing that you are 1 dumb fuck.
just let it go only thing keeping pc gaming alive is world of warcraft and kids who still play CS.
basically MMO’s other than MMO’s console version of games are much better for much cheaper. yah with a pc you can get a tiny bit better graphics but in order to dot hat you need a nice $3000–$5000 PC.
and MMO’s are coming to PS3 (xbox 360 is to shit to handle MMO’s) like DC universe online, final fantasy 14.
and frankly if blizzard wanted to they could easily put world of warcraft SC2 on PS3 (xbox 360 to shit to handle WoW) but they choose not to.
they say it wouldnt work on console why not? you can connect a keyboard and mouse sony and blizz can easily put WoW on Ps3 but they wont.
frankly only time i play pc over my ps3/xbox 360 is games that i cant play on cosole cause they exclusive to PC.
and they keyboard/mouse debate better than control well PS3′s move is superior to keyboard and mouse.
just face it it PC gaming is dying and is hanging on only by WoW and SC2 and warhammer online (which all can easily be put on console).
if sony wanted to they could easily put keyboard/mouse support as a way to play games to basicalyl make it like your playing PC but they choose not to. Why? i dont know
@Patrick O’Rourke
Why do you think Flashcards are now illegal here? :p I would’ve loved to get one to use for Games Development during my Games Design course but now I can’t due to selfish people pirating games from developers. People have said the main reason nothing new or innovative comes out for the DS anymore because of piracy. I can see why that makes sence especially considering if I made a game, I wouldn’t want it to get stolen by everyone when I could easily release it on PC with five types of DRM that makes it ‘unpirateable’. (In other words, a target for Pirates)
I find card games, FPS and RPG games work very well on the DS, RPGs and racing games work quite well on the PSP. The iPod Touch is just one for the small games that you play every few minutes but it’s coming along nicely. I have CivRev for my iPod which is amazing considering the device. I’ll be buying Sim City Deluxe for it when it gets back from repair. The innovation in touch screen and tilt sensitive games is really what the industry needs to push in new genres and changes to current genres. I wouldn’t say they ONLY do certain genres well. I’d say they do some better than others but it could do all types at a push.
And yes, Starcraft 2 has both a ladder based Matchmaking service AND a custom games server browser.
Also, people who say that no installations are required on Consoles, don’t use their Sony machines enough. Which makes sense considering their prices.
I do agree that it can be hard to know what your PC can do whereas you know that your console can always play a game you buy for it. Staff in Games retailers that I frequent always check that I know my PC can handle a game before they sell it to me. However, if you’ve put your PC together yourself, set it up and upgraded/updated everything, you’re probably certain what requirements you have. This is the target market for the hardcore PC market. That’s why Supreme Commander was a good move a few years back and why Crysis became a benchmark.
I know that PC Gaming is better, I myself just play on my PS3. But when I get a job; I’ll for sure build myself a nice gaming rig.
I just hate the fanboys that can’t get over the fact that PC Gaming is better, “IT does everything” unlike the PS3 XD
I choose console because:
1. Cheap compared to same level computer.
2. Just plug and play (no game installations, driver updates, finding new components and no frustrations).
3. Stable gaming: all games will work.
4. Easy to connect friends.
It is not simple for a developer to cater to the PC market. There is a lot of extra code that goes into making a PC game when you can have different graphics, system memory, and processor configurations. With a console you 1 configuration and you know that configuration is never going to change until the next generation. As for the consumer if it reads X-Box 360, Playstation 3, etc. you don’t need to know anymore about the game and whether it will work or not. That is much easier than wondering if your PC graphics card is powerful enough to play the game.
I can’t help but want to mention that the last three or five PC games I’ve played have had both the options of searching through servers and the same Matchmaking experience that can be had on Consoles. This is surely a benefit to the PC gamer as most console games only let you do the latter in my experience. Even the DS and PSP now have online capabilities, although the DS’ archaic friend code system is more annoying than having to remember TSP/iP addresses from the halcyon days of PC gaming when sever lists were still innovative.
For simplicity’s sake, you would go for one of the Handhelds, most likely a DS over a PSP due to the lack of needing memory cards to save. For the online experience, I admit I’m more likely to go Xbox at the moment but I can also say I’ve played a helluvalotta Starcraft 2 with four of my friends.
As for cost, a high end gaming PC can cost around £1000-£2000. A console is usually between half and a quarter of that cost. My console, however, once it becomes out of date, will be totally useless around 6 months into the next generation. My PC however, can have parts stripped and replaced with new ones to keep it ahead of the consoles saving money in the long run. I’ve had my current PC which I use for gaming four around 6 or 7 years. My Xbox has been replaced three times since then, my DS phat became a DSi on release and my PSP was bought off a friend for £50 with a huge amount of games. (Which I then sold most of.) The Games for the Xbox seems to be rising with every new CoD game, ’cause developers seem to think that if people will spend £55 on CoD, they’ll spend it on Split Second and other games that don’t appeal to me. PC games are staying at a lower price, with some big releases such as Starcraft 2 going higher or online games having the monthly subscription that slowly steals cash straight from your bank account. So surely cost-wise the Handhelds win? I also get far more use out of my handhelds due to their portability. Especially when I’m travelling like I have been somewhat during the summer break between College and Uni.
I don’t have the highest end PC. It’s relatively high-end I suppose, it runs most games on full with only a little struggle. I mostly play RTS on my PC, FPS on my Xbox and, RPG on my DS. I’ve also been dabbling with the PSP’s games, trying to find something that suits it nicely. I find that I balance my gaming between my PC, Xbox and handhelds relatively well. But the Handhelds just seem to be of more use to me currently. Especially if you start to consider the iPod Touch/iPhone/iPad as a handheld gaming device.
Should I write up an argument against you both? It might lose the online section but the others seem to be trumped by my DSi. I Could just copy paste his comment. :p
@Christopher
Handhelds are especially cheap if you have a flashcard;)
The only problem with handheld is the fact that they only do specific genres very well.
Doesn’t Starcraft 2 have some kind of matchmaking service?
The way I see it regarding cost is that its all situational. If you know how and what needs doing to assemble a powerful gaming rig then PC gaming could be a great choice. For me however, simplicity wins everytime.
I guess that’s how I feel as well. If I had the funds though I’d definitely build a sweet gaming PC.