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"The most under rated platform ever."

Is, as I'm imagining you've guessed, the PC. To be quite frank, its ludicrous how under rated it is. People seem to associate 'geekiness' with it, and the stigma of games being sad is ever more apparent with the PC.

To be honest, it is its own worst enemy. The sheer cost of purchasing a PC means a console is a far more viable option. The fact that no one company is pushing the platofrm also means a lack of concerted effort on its behalf to change its image. However, the fact that a PC is so widely used basicly means this is little more than a minor gripe.

Consoles are cheap, and are far more easy to run. They don't require any installation, they don't require much effort to use, and they are also, seemingly, far more reliabe. Despite this, the PC (in my opinion) is the best platform simply because it has whatever the consoles have and more. I have a GameCube, and the only way Nintendo can get me to buy that is through its own games - Mario and Zelda and the rest, which are rightly looked upon as some of the best games ever. PCs not only allow me to search for things on the net, produce loads of pointless homework, they also allow me to play practicly every game ever invented. Almost of all the big games come out on PC (from Halo, to GTA3, to Deus Ex). Not one of the consoles can boast such a line up.

As I have said, the PCs lack of singular 'ownership' means it lacks pushing power in the ad department. However, this also means that there is no one company competing, so Sony can release a game on it and PS2 and be comfortable that there will be no conflict, and also make more money, at the expense of the other two consoles. One might argue that the three way ogliopoly that is the console market has competition to make games better and brighter, but to be quite frank, the PC just sits back and reaps the rewards of this, basicly getting every game (either thorugh release or even emulators) ever made, and so making it the perfect gaming platform.

Look at some of the other factors. The speed of PCs is superb. It is ever evolving too, which costs more, but also means that your PC will alwyas be faster than any console. The HD (which has been around for a lot longer than the XBox one) means easy storage of data, and the internet browsing is already established - none of this adaptor lark for consoles. The media capabilites are also unsurpassed, and the fact that you can practicly access anything from your PC means that as a research tool *cough* is its unparralled. Strategy games are practicly unplayable on a console (exempting simplified ones like Pikmin) and FPS are far easier on PC with the mouse/keyboard aiming system. The amount of perihperals and extras available are also mindblowing.

Now, based on such a strong list of appeals, why is it so under rated? Its cost. A decent PC, that can run a game as well as a GC or XBox, has to be costing above £1000. Of course, you get all the other stuff, but as a games platform, this is hugely expensive. Upgrading also costs a lot too, meaning that you spend more on a PC than on a new next generation console, each 'leap'. The lack of accessibility also puts people off, with all that installation lark.

But. Next time you think of getting a new platform, think. I know that most of you will not have the money, but if you do, buy a new PC or upgrade your current PC. Local dealers can often give you incredible deals for cheap, and ususaly they are reliable chaps. For, to be quite honest, a console like the PS2 is a very bad choice in the face of a new PC. The GC and XBox are maybe better ideas, as they have more exclusives worth dealing with, but to be quite frank, the PC suprasses them all. Sure, it may be slightly less accessible, but it has ALL the benefits of every console, (minus Nintendos games :) ) and also does your work for you.

As a games console, its the best out there. And it does loads of other stuff. It has almost all the big games, and the games are cheaper, far more established online, and demos, patches and expansion packs and all the like have been around far longer than the Xbox, which is just bringing these into play. It also has plenty of exclusive titles, such as Breed and Unreal II (as far as I am aware!)

To be honest, its the best. If you can afford it, buy one. Its the best platform availabe.

Unreal is a bit of a mindless game though, I have Unreal 2 and I think it's great, but when it come down to it it isn't the most challanging game in the world and there isn't much to do except shoot anything that moves. Mindless, but fun.

Insane Bartender wrote:

> On PC games, you're often made to
> think, which is far better in my opinion. Unless you're a fan of
> mindless drivel like Unreal, in which case you probably are a geek
> anyway...

Hey, Insane Bartender,what is so mindless about Unreal? everyone has different gaming tastes, obviously you like RTS, Turn Based Strategy and puzzle games. BTW, I am a major Unreal fan, so I take that comment as an insult.

Mr Snuggly wrote:
>In my eyes, the only games PCs do better than everyone else
> is first-person shooters and real-time strategies.

And turn-based Strategies.

MoO3 comes out in March, I won't be in work till about May-ish.

you share the same feelings as me cyclone, the PC is rarely known in the modern world today, with console swamping the adverts on telly n stuff. thers no argument, the PC is THE supreme platform and will never be beaten.

i mean, how can consoles be better, when the games and stuff for them were most probably designed on PC, they seem oblivious to the fact that if PC's did not exist, we would still be cavemen making fires by rubbing heads together, and when i say 'they', i mean the ppl who constantly argue that consoles rule.

while i agree that PCs are far more costly than consoles, unlike the megadrive, playstation or even NES, the PC will never be out of date. although the capabilities of the cpu are rising rapidly, its not compulsory to upgrade to a better one straight away, for games have never really been designed for anything more than a 1.5 ghz pc or sumthin near that. as long as you have a decent PC, you will never need an upgrade for a long long time, unlike consoles that are released every 10 minutes. its basically a war that cannot be won by consoles. the xbox, gamecube and ps2 are all battling for top spot, and truthfully, they will never ever have it, for the PC is and will always be at the top, but despite that when ppl go to a computer for entertainment, most never even consider the PC. if only they knew how superior it was to the PS2, that seems to be the best console out, yet its dwarfed by most top-end systems nowadays.

ive been told, when i discussed this with one of my m8s, and he said that 'pc's are only owned by the more intellignet of society :)' LOL. it can get some bad responses but it is true. you dont see teenagers that roam the streets and vandalise stuff return home and sit down to a PC, unless theyre a mixed up nutcase :)

in my opinion, if more ppl had PC's the world would have twice the advancement of technology as it has today, as more of that energy and brain power could create great stuff, instead of venting it on mind-numbing consoles, that hurt me to see them being sold in the high street n'all.

Hmm.

All the sports/racers/etc come out on PC. All you have to do is to get a gamepad.

Cheers for the GAD SR

:D

Mr Snuggly wrote:
> show me a good racing game/

the formula 1 series?

> beat 'em up

s'pose.

> platformer

Platformers work just as well on PCs, tbh

> sports game

Championship Manager?

> In my eyes, the only games PCs do better than everyone else
> is first-person shooters and real-time strategies.

And adventure games, RPGs, puzzle games etc. Consoles are only really good for "have a bash" gaming, where you have a few minutes to spare and fancy a quick session. On PC games, you're often made to think, which is far better in my opinion. Unless you're a fan of mindless drivel like Unreal, in which case you probably are a geek anyway...

Strategy games, boring, WHAT!!!!! Strategy games are the most rewarding games of any genre, as you don't win them by having the biggest weapon, greatest knowledge of combo moves or fast reflexes, you win them because you're smarter than the game, or person if you're online.

But then you can say: show me a good racing game/beat 'em up/platformer/sports game that I can't also get on a £200 console. In my eyes, the only games PCs do better than everyone else is first-person shooters and real-time strategies. And you can get bored after a while.

My point is, people who say things like that don't know what it's like.

It's like this:

Person A: I love to Scuba dive
Person B: Scuba is for queers and puffs, it's utterly gay and only the saddest of muppets ever does that sort of thing. It's crap.
Person A: ever been scuba diving?
Person B: No.


How can you comment on something which you know absolutely nothing about?

Insane Bartender wrote:
> PC gaming is only ever seen as geeky by people who haven't spent any
> great time playing games on one.

That's because once you've spent a long time playing games on one you're classed as a geek.

:D