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It seems that in all the dicussions of which console will win the battle of the next generation, a topic which seldom crops up is the effect of the PC market on these consoles. Now it'd be a pretty safe bet that most of the people who visit this forum have regular access to a PC, which is probably fairly high spec. With more and more of the population having access to PC's, is it not likely that many people won't bother with a console, as they can get many high quality titles for the PC.
A few years ago, the arguement for consoles against PC's was thus:
1) Consoles don't have loading times
2) Consoles are much cheaper
3) PC's have the ordeal of installing games and configuration options.
It seems that this is no longer valid, because
1) Consoles now do have loading times
2) Most household already have a PC anyway
3) With the advent of auto installers and auto detection, this is now only a matter of clicking "proceed"
Is it possible that consoles could be made redundant in the future?
Just think for a while, How often did you play PC games 5-10 years ago? How much more often do you play now? Does this make you more or less inclined to buy consoles/console games?
Whilst the PC isn't threatening much right now, I'm pretty sure that the trend could be on the cards. PC's are becoming more widespread, yet consoles have always been available to all. Time will tell.
A few years ago, the arguement for consoles against PC's was thus:
1) Consoles don't have loading times
2) Consoles are much cheaper
3) PC's have the ordeal of installing games and configuration options.
It seems that this is no longer valid, because
1) Consoles now do have loading times
2) Most household already have a PC anyway
3) With the advent of auto installers and auto detection, this is now only a matter of clicking "proceed"
Is it possible that consoles could be made redundant in the future?
Just think for a while, How often did you play PC games 5-10 years ago? How much more often do you play now? Does this make you more or less inclined to buy consoles/console games?
Whilst the PC isn't threatening much right now, I'm pretty sure that the trend could be on the cards. PC's are becoming more widespread, yet consoles have always been available to all. Time will tell.
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Sorry to butt into this thread unannounced....
Consoles and PC's produce two very different game sets, and do their own very well... there are very few good platformers on a PC, and although Dreamcast QuakeIII was good, it really needs a PCs setup to give the best gaming experience.
When consoles first come onto the market, as they are over the next couple of years, they do seem to offer extremely good value for money, in a price Vs spec comparison with PC's, e.g. NVida stated that Xbox's graphics chip is two - three generations ahead of their current PC crop. However, this spec has to last the console user for a good five years, by which time their specifications are so outdated that PC users would have a hard job finding the pieces to fit
Equally it seems to me that consoles are moving away from there roots and becoming games computers. With the addition of the internet connection, keyboards, mice, hard drive options, etc. We seem to be repeating the move from Atari's & Intellivisions to Speccys, C64, Amiga direction we made in the eighties with PC's shifting into more business applications...
On the other hand PC Games, not usually big sellers compared to console titles, (the majority of the big sellers are sleepers), however several games this year, e.g. Sims & Diablo 2 have been outselling pretty much all console games released...
PC games will always be made, though the quantity and quality will depend on the current trend, the nineties was a good decade for PC games, it may be that consoles will be the mainstay for the next decade, before PC gamers are put back on top...
Which pretty much make me making the same point as geords made in the last mail... it all depends on your gameplay needs, If you want a quality arcade, blast go for a console... since games are easier to get into, are more social when your home from the pub with mates (Mario Kart anyone) and can do some games in a way a PC could never hope to do. However if you've got more time to spend, prefer to be upto date, want to be able to create your own Quake Mods, and want a higher chance of playing something original, then a PC is your beast of choice.
Consoles and PC's produce two very different game sets, and do their own very well... there are very few good platformers on a PC, and although Dreamcast QuakeIII was good, it really needs a PCs setup to give the best gaming experience.
When consoles first come onto the market, as they are over the next couple of years, they do seem to offer extremely good value for money, in a price Vs spec comparison with PC's, e.g. NVida stated that Xbox's graphics chip is two - three generations ahead of their current PC crop. However, this spec has to last the console user for a good five years, by which time their specifications are so outdated that PC users would have a hard job finding the pieces to fit
Equally it seems to me that consoles are moving away from there roots and becoming games computers. With the addition of the internet connection, keyboards, mice, hard drive options, etc. We seem to be repeating the move from Atari's & Intellivisions to Speccys, C64, Amiga direction we made in the eighties with PC's shifting into more business applications...
On the other hand PC Games, not usually big sellers compared to console titles, (the majority of the big sellers are sleepers), however several games this year, e.g. Sims & Diablo 2 have been outselling pretty much all console games released...
PC games will always be made, though the quantity and quality will depend on the current trend, the nineties was a good decade for PC games, it may be that consoles will be the mainstay for the next decade, before PC gamers are put back on top...
Which pretty much make me making the same point as geords made in the last mail... it all depends on your gameplay needs, If you want a quality arcade, blast go for a console... since games are easier to get into, are more social when your home from the pub with mates (Mario Kart anyone) and can do some games in a way a PC could never hope to do. However if you've got more time to spend, prefer to be upto date, want to be able to create your own Quake Mods, and want a higher chance of playing something original, then a PC is your beast of choice.
Hi,
I'm not sure that pc's will take over in the future. I will certainly not be playing much more than flight sims and Monkey Islands on my pc in the comimg months. I personally much prefer playing games on my consoles.
Some random unordered reasons for this...
1 I like plying games on my big TV.
2 I know I'll have exactly the same hardware setup as every body else.
3 I won't be disapointed by minimum hardware requirements turning out to be laughably optimistic.
4 A new console is often cheaper than a decent pc upgrade.
5 The X-box is gonna be pretty much a cheap pc you can play on your telly anyway.
6 My living room is warmer than my bedroom.
7 Some of the best games in the world will never make it to the pc platform.
But there are some drawbacks to the would-be console gaming nirvana...
1 Region protection. This is just the most hypocritical action that console companies can take. I mean, THEY want unhindered global access to markets but they don't want us the consumers to be able to do the same. And the pound - dollar parity pricing policy is just unashamed greed.
2 Hardware limitations. If you do have an up to the minute machine, a pc can compete with even the latest consoles whereas console games can often be limited by a platform that is 4 or five years old.
3 Some of the best games in the world will never make it onto the console platforms. Wait a minute, didn't I just...
So what I'm trying to say is that for me and quite a few of my friends, consoles will take up more of our time that pc's but that doesn't that mean we don't like pc's or will never play a pc game.
Horses for courses?
I'm not sure that pc's will take over in the future. I will certainly not be playing much more than flight sims and Monkey Islands on my pc in the comimg months. I personally much prefer playing games on my consoles.
Some random unordered reasons for this...
1 I like plying games on my big TV.
2 I know I'll have exactly the same hardware setup as every body else.
3 I won't be disapointed by minimum hardware requirements turning out to be laughably optimistic.
4 A new console is often cheaper than a decent pc upgrade.
5 The X-box is gonna be pretty much a cheap pc you can play on your telly anyway.
6 My living room is warmer than my bedroom.
7 Some of the best games in the world will never make it to the pc platform.
But there are some drawbacks to the would-be console gaming nirvana...
1 Region protection. This is just the most hypocritical action that console companies can take. I mean, THEY want unhindered global access to markets but they don't want us the consumers to be able to do the same. And the pound - dollar parity pricing policy is just unashamed greed.
2 Hardware limitations. If you do have an up to the minute machine, a pc can compete with even the latest consoles whereas console games can often be limited by a platform that is 4 or five years old.
3 Some of the best games in the world will never make it onto the console platforms. Wait a minute, didn't I just...
So what I'm trying to say is that for me and quite a few of my friends, consoles will take up more of our time that pc's but that doesn't that mean we don't like pc's or will never play a pc game.
Horses for courses?
Great work venom. looks like my reviews were crap again.
Hell...If a car didn't start as often as my PC won't start then it must be a write-off.
I say that because this morning I find I can't run a single program due to corrupted .dll files. I was perhaps asking for trouble by not having any virus protection or backed up files...
I say that because this morning I find I can't run a single program due to corrupted .dll files. I was perhaps asking for trouble by not having any virus protection or backed up files...
Well done, by the way Venom.
Recent games to join me collection include:
Deus Ex (PC) best of the lot
Diablo II (PC) long and involving but repetitive in places adventure RPG
Totally Unreal (PC) Great online shooter
Shadow Watch (PC) naff stay clear
Rugby 2001 (PC) only get if you like rugby
What are you going to get?
Recent games to join me collection include:
Deus Ex (PC) best of the lot
Diablo II (PC) long and involving but repetitive in places adventure RPG
Totally Unreal (PC) Great online shooter
Shadow Watch (PC) naff stay clear
Rugby 2001 (PC) only get if you like rugby
What are you going to get?
I dont have a powerful PC, just a slow P133 therefore I talk about consoles.
However I dont think consoles will die, my P133 is faster than a PS1 ... but do you think I can play any games of PS1 quality on it! no, at least not while Windows is the standard OS. Consoles and PCs will need to get closer to each other, in terms of Design. Consoles need to get as powerful as PCs, and PCs need to be become more efficient. Think about it for a second, if you Car wouldnt start regularly, with the same frequency as your PC would you be concerned - or would you get another car???
However I dont think consoles will die, my P133 is faster than a PS1 ... but do you think I can play any games of PS1 quality on it! no, at least not while Windows is the standard OS. Consoles and PCs will need to get closer to each other, in terms of Design. Consoles need to get as powerful as PCs, and PCs need to be become more efficient. Think about it for a second, if you Car wouldnt start regularly, with the same frequency as your PC would you be concerned - or would you get another car???
Perhaps a fall in PC gaming popularity could be due to the advent of consoles now offering internet gaming, thus denying the PC of it's main, and perhaps only advantage?
Pcs will soon be redundant when it comes to playing games if u ask me, they used to offer better graphics and the online multiplayer gaming but now the consoles are so more advanced that when you buy say a dreamcast or playstation 2 your basically getting a PC without all the boring configuration cack and theres no way of getting viruses on a console. I used to play PC games myself but i just got fed up of not having a fast enough PC to run certain games, you see the problem with PCs is that they update all the time, you have to have the right graphics card the fastest processor, there just too expensive. Im sorry but i would much rather have a console where u put the cd in and it runs instead of a pc where u have to install the game put the right resoloution on etc etc. As soon as the X box is released the PC will really be useless as a games playing machine.
PC's started the games industry because programmer nerdy type people like to muck around sometimes, hence the first text based adventures coming out on the early PC's in the early 80s.
But even Microsoft, who have always had their feet firmly planted in the PC world, have decided that a dedicated console will be more amenable to gaming than a PC
By investing 1000 staff and $500 million in the X-Box project, they are taking a nearly opposite stance to the original topic in this post.
PCs, although much better now I agree, will still have their glitchy side, especially as games become more and more complicated and start to interract more with your system files, which is what Windows does a lot, hence the blue screen of death from time to time, and illegal operations being performed more often.
That is the main reason why Microsoft opted for the dedicated piece of gaming hardware that they are now developing. There would have to be a major shift in operating software design for PCs before PCs could match the X-Box's performance for handling games. (Allegedly).
But even Microsoft, who have always had their feet firmly planted in the PC world, have decided that a dedicated console will be more amenable to gaming than a PC
By investing 1000 staff and $500 million in the X-Box project, they are taking a nearly opposite stance to the original topic in this post.
PCs, although much better now I agree, will still have their glitchy side, especially as games become more and more complicated and start to interract more with your system files, which is what Windows does a lot, hence the blue screen of death from time to time, and illegal operations being performed more often.
That is the main reason why Microsoft opted for the dedicated piece of gaming hardware that they are now developing. There would have to be a major shift in operating software design for PCs before PCs could match the X-Box's performance for handling games. (Allegedly).
PC's are more for work use then games, but someone started making games for them. Then we got all the Championship Manager games that uses a mouse, click and your playing.
But sometimes without having Joysticks or Joypads, things can get worst when you buy say a Flight Simulator, the keyboard wasn't designed for people to play games on it, it was designed to type stuff on.
I think that is a rip off having to go out and buy a joystick to play one game. Best suited is the one click games like Command and Comquer, Champ Man, Rollercoaster Tycoon or Unrea Tournament. The reason why we use a mouse for shoot em' ups, it acts perfectly for people to aim their weapon, and the ball enables it to move about in 3D environments.
But sometimes without having Joysticks or Joypads, things can get worst when you buy say a Flight Simulator, the keyboard wasn't designed for people to play games on it, it was designed to type stuff on.
I think that is a rip off having to go out and buy a joystick to play one game. Best suited is the one click games like Command and Comquer, Champ Man, Rollercoaster Tycoon or Unrea Tournament. The reason why we use a mouse for shoot em' ups, it acts perfectly for people to aim their weapon, and the ball enables it to move about in 3D environments.
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