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"Expansion"

Ahhhh.

Right, on with the topic.

Expansion, for those who own a pc which is everyone that reads this will have had to undergo the best/worst thing to do with PC’s. When you find out that the new game you just spent 30 quid on doesn’t run on your PC because it is to slow. You ask you dad in that pleading voice “Daddy, can we have an upgrade, please, pretty please” And eventually he says “Yes”. A pc is built to be upgradable, that is one thing that is an advantage or disadvantage over consoles.

With a console, it has the facility to plug and play. That means when you plug in the game then run electricity though it you don’t have to worry about expansion. No worries over CPU, Graphics, monitor, ram, hard drive space, sound card. No worries about anything. “No!” you cry? What?!? Oh. You say that some consoles do have slots for expansion? Oh yes I remember, good old n64. The expansion pack. Yes, but not major expansion. It was 30 quid new, and a new graphics card for a PC would be at least 200 quid.
Yes, point taken I think.

“No!” What not you again. What now? You say about the PS2? Ah yes, the PS2 has room for a Hard Drive and further expansion. This is going to cost more than 30 I think. My bets are around 100 quid. I do think its all a big con, not so much in the PC view because you don’t HAVE to upgrade, only if you want to. But with consoles, if you want to play the latest games you need to expand. It’s a big con because, they know they have slots for expansion. They make the console with slots for expansion. Why? To get more money from you. You see it as necessary to buy these things. But it’s not. They blackmail you in a way; it’s like this, if you don’t buy our expansion kits you won’t be able to play any more games. You say “No way!” But you don’t want to make your 300 pound console redundant so you, against your will, buy these bits of equipment. So they have successfully “conned” you.

I little example for you. You go for a job, say a doctor. You have to be trained. The trainer’s goal is to make him, as good or better than him/herself. This goes for consoles. Who makes them? PC’s. While technology is improving so will the consoles, as we can see the PS2 has USB ports, which are on PC’s. Like their new hard drive. Who has that? PC’s. So eventually the console will die, they will no longer have the plug and play facility unless..

They know this already and they are planning consoles that use PC’s technology but still have that old plug and play. But still, they will need upgrading. But with consoles running PC technology won’t the consoles become unstable, like Windows is. Unless they make it more stable? We shall see.

My point is that consoles will become like mini-pc’s. Thus needing PC like upgrading and virus scanners etc.
We should make the best out of consoles while we still can, in 10 years we won’t be able too. It will be like having 2 PC’s. Not 1, 2. You will have to buy upgrades for both, graphics memory and all sorts.
This could either good or bad.
Good points, the consoles will become more powerful, producing amazing looking games, and the graphics will be superb. Like real life. The games could be so lifelike, so real, so good.

Bad points, upgrading. Unstable. Upgrading is bad because it costs, we are not all made of money, well maybe pb is :o)

So maybe it’s a good thing, or bad. Its all a big secret, unless I can capture shiggsy and make him confess all….. Erm ok…

:o)

Thanks for reading

GM

Could we please take a minute and think about those people that have died in this tragic terrorist attack.

Erm, I think you posted that in the wrong Topic Grix, I thought you would have shared your wisdom of building PCs with us.
Well, ok then.

I was going to write something thoughtful and insighting, but I can't remember what it was. I blame M16, and you all should too.

Oh yeah, I was going to say Pb wasn't made of money, but made of FADS and GADS. Yup.

The n64 wouldn't have been able to handle the graphics without it, Perfect dark still has a low framerate with 8 sims and 4 humans, he he. But it's nessasary for premium gameplay, it might have better if the game was playable without it, e.g. I can still play 3d games on my PC without a 3d card :D. (my pc is so crap) it looks nice though, and I can still come online which is always a good thing.

I know 30 quid for that thing!! I got mine with DK64, it was only 30quid for both.

Thanks SR :o)

*roll roll* I am aren't I :-D

To be honest, I don't know much about Expansion, nor the PS2 Hard Drive.

The N64 Expansion Pack I do know about though. Surely that was a bit of a con, as well? If you wanted over half of Perfect Dark, you had to have it. If you wanted better graphics and more options on a lot of games, you had to have it.

If I had an N64, I would be rather annoyed at this. Anyone else have any views?

Also, great post Gassie, you're on a roll. {:)

I like PC games, thats why i'm building a PC, operation flashpoint doesn't run on my pc so I need to upgrade it, + I could use it for UNI + my dad's giving me a bit of money towards it, so I can get better parts, my budgets £1000, but I know it won't end up being that much, it's worth a lot more though so I'm very happy. I'd like to play Max payne and B+W, these aren't on any other format so a good PC is the only way, I also use my PC for recording/making music, I can't do this on any other system, but it's mainly for coursework and internet 'studies' if you need a pc for work, get a pc for work, if you only want games, a console is the best direction to go in.

The thing is, though, is that consoles will be able to run a game from the box, and the PS2 HDD and Modem are optional. Games will be written to runon the basic hardware, and though they moght not beable to have the full content from lacking the hardware, they will still be able to play the game at full speed, with full graphics.

PC games work differently. My laptop at home is not a great deal more than a paperweight, (P133, 64k, no CD drive!) and will barely run fireworks. Itseems that to be able to play the latest games you need this machine that has its own account at PCworld. If you don't have the latest cards, you cannot play the game how it was intended, if at all.

Consoles have a set spec. Games are written for that spec, and everyone who buys the game gets the same game. The online features of a game are just as optional as they are on the PC.

I am not going upgrade my PC, my work machine is far better than anything I could afford, and for games my console is more than great, without the upgrade expense that PCs have. Yeah, it wont last forever, and whn the next great thing comes out, Ill spend my cash then, but inthe meantime I'll stick to buying agame without having to buy a new card to run it.

sorry I didn't get that, I guess you had to be there.

A 3d card for £90! i'm getting a good geforce 2 for £60 +VAT and postage, then i'm getting a geforce 3 when I can afford it, I only need something that will work until I can gather some money....I can't wait, the first pieces have arrived! Juno P3 case and Asus a7v266 mobo! wahoo! it's great fun to build your own pc, set a budget and you can easily get the stuff:

pc case £14.99
CPU + fan £50 (600Mhz!)
the list goes on, you could have a great computer for less than £399 like pcworld are offering! + when you've built it, you'll be able to upgrade to better stuff when you get the money!

SHEEPY wrote:
> *cough*

The best post sheepy has ever written. Ever.

Sheepy - Into crap one word fetish :o0

Got ya back :-)

*cough*