Why PC Gaming Won't Die

[Professor S]

The hardcore online gamer will not accept anything else. Anyone who has ever played online over a console and a PC will be able to tell you EXACTLY why they prefer the PC experience:

Online Console Gamers = slack jawed, extra chromosome having fuck-tards

Online PC Gamers = reasonable human beings

Its gotten to the point that when I play Battlefield 2 on my 360 I just go off on my own the enitre game while both sides spend every moment trying to TK each other at their main bases because someone dared to fly the fucking chopper. Its pathetic.

[Aladuf]

Online PC Gamers = reasonable human beings

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd122/RatedRKO_23/gaflol.gif If you say this then you've never heard of or seen Shawn Elliott's shenanigans on TF2. Here's a hilarious clip of him messing around with people (he's the one who's doing the really nasally voice that everyones "picking on").

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PYUbUvzlvFw&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PYUbUvzlvFw&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>




But really, I do get your point though. I have heard that compared to PC online gaming, console online gaming is a joke.

[manasecret]

There are tons of turds on PC as well, but they're generally the opposite. They're the kind that take winning way too seriously and will scold you for sucking at all. Which I guess is better than a bunch of idiots who won't play the game right.

Btw, I've got to ask -- who is that guy you've become infatuated enough with to put in your sig and avatar?

[Professor S]

There are tons of turds on PC as well, but they're generally the opposite. They're the kind that take winning way too seriously and will scold you for sucking at all. Which I guess is better than a bunch of idiots who won't play the game right.

Btw, I've got to ask -- who is that guy you've become infatuated enough with to put in your sig and avatar?

Its a tribute to William F. Buckley, who died recently.

And I agree with you about some PC gamers being too nit-picky and prerfection driven.

I respect the whole idea that if you suck at flying, you need to stay out of the chopper and stick to your sniper rifle and claymore mines... but then again... sometimes I just want to fly the fucking chopper...

[KillerGremlin]

PC gaming has a better online community, there's simply no argument. Over the many years of playing Counter-Strike and Team Fortress online I have found a couple of awesome servers. I guess that's the big difference between consoles and the PC. If you find a great server that someone is running then you can continue to play there. And, most of the good servers have moderators that will kick out the annoying retards that spam the microphone or don't play the game the right way. Also, if the server really does have a community then you get to know the other players and the server moderators will mix it up. I've played my fair share of Counter-Strike mods and goof-off maps, it's a lot of fun when it's organized and run by the server administrator. I guess the other advantage is in PC gaming, if the game is popular, there are hundreds of servers to chose from, so if one server is pissing you off it's not hard to leave. Unless consoles become open source enough to allow people to host their own servers and run their own mods PC gaming will always have the upper hand for online gaming.

Take, for example, Team Fortress 2. As of now there are hundreds of modded maps in the PC community, thousands of people hosting servers, and Valve is currently in the process of implementing a massive patch that is going to give new weapons and achievements for all the classes. None of this is available for the 360 community yet, and as far as I know Valve isn't rushing to patch up the 360 version.

Even Halo, the height of online console gaming pales in comparison to What Tribes had to offer (and I really do hate to bring up Halo...for some reason people like to defend it). I mean, sure, Halo maybe improved some of the elements and made them more polished and mainstream, but Tribes had large scale combat and Tribes 2 had vehicles, grenades, giant maps, and pretty much a lot of the stuff that console-tards insist Halo invented. Yes, Halo is incredibly fun to play online. But, I would trade Halo for some Tribes 2 any day of the week. And that's just one underrated, under supported PC shooter. We could reflect on the DOOM days, or Quake which single-handedly redefined online gaming (and they REDEFINED online gaming wayyyyyyyy before Xbox Live existed).

Basically, with all the freedom that PC gaming has to offer, console gaming simply cannot compete. Maybe in some future world people will be able to run their own dedicated servers from their consoles, but somehow I doubt it. Because, consoles exist to appeal to a wide market and they are supposed to be easy. With freedom comes challenges, like dealing with hackers and script kiddies, having to learn how to run a dedicated server, and stuff like that.

Online console gaming appeals to frat-guys and kids between the age of 7-11 who think they are cool because they have a microphone.

[Jason1]

I totally agree. What I cant believe is that these idiot people actually believe FPS's are better played with an analog stick.

[Dyne]

Jason1 - Idiot people, huh. Whoa there.

Anyways, PC gaming will never die because even console games need to be made on PC's. The link will always be there.

[Jason1]

Jason1 - Idiot people, huh. Whoa there.

Anyways, PC gaming will never die because even console games need to be made on PC's. The link will always be there.

Are you implying that was too harsh? ProfessorS called them slack jawed, extra chromosome having fuck-tards......

[Dyne]

Well, there is a difference between those of us who prefer analog sticks in the FPS genre (albeit a few) and those of us who play all genres of console games online. I personally don't play games online on console that much, but I do vastly prefer analog sticks to the keyboard-n-mouse kind of setup. The 360 controller is leagues ahead of the PS3 controller for FPS, though.

[Jason1]

Well, there is a difference between those of us who prefer analog sticks in the FPS genre (albeit a few) and those of us who play all genres of console games online. I personally don't play games online on console that much, but I do vastly prefer analog sticks to the keyboard-n-mouse kind of setup. The 360 controller is leagues ahead of the PS3 controller for FPS, though.

See, thats just wrong and backwards. The percision gained with a keyboard and mouse is so great.

[Null]

See, thats just wrong and backwards. The percision gained with a keyboard and mouse is so great.

many console fps games use a form of auto aim.. so they usually dont understand the point, and most have never truly familiarized them self with a keyboard mouse setup in order to make a decision.

best way i've always had to describe it.. is having a pointer on a console.. for something like a type window and using an analog stick. and see how fast you can go from the bottom of the screen up to a certain letter.......

then see how fast you can pick any spot on your pc monitor and nail it with the mouse cursor.... and thats how it is in game for aiming.

[gekko]

Anyways, PC gaming will never die because even console games need to be made on PC's. The link will always be there.

No they don't. Console games are made on PCs for convenience. Making a new text-editor, or worse, IDE, for every console on the market is a waste. Besides, remote debugging using a PC gives many benefits including a) the ability to debug while playing in full-screen mode and b) The processor has a lot less to manage.

But by no means is a PC a necessity to write code for a console. You could hook-up a keyboard and type the machine code, and you could easily create your own assembler. From there, you could build a compiler to run on the console, then a text-editor, and ta-da, you have game development. But the other issues like revision control and network storage come into play. It's just a thousand times easier to use the pre-existing software for PCs. But a console is a PC by every definition, it just isn't running the same OS.

But there are a large number of changes needed to make a game run on a PC vs. a console. Even if console development is always done on a PC, there's no guarantee the game will run on that platform.

PC gaming has a better online community, there's simply no argument.

Actually, there's plenty of argument. But the argument you're making for PC games is that there is custom content and it's community-driven. While that's great, not everyone wants it. I may not care about your mods for a game, because quite frankly, you're not a game designer and it likely sucks. I may play console games because the experience I get is pure and the game I play is exactly as it was intended for me to play, from the match setup to the playlists to the rules of the game.

You can go both ways. As for the online community, both consoles and PC games require effort. You can't sit there and tell me how great playing on your private server is and then complain because the quick-match you got playing Halo sucked. You can easily build up a large friend list and play private matches all day long on Xbox Live. Not to mention there's plenty of leagues out there where you can make teams and schedule matches. The support is there, on both PC and consoles.

See, thats just wrong and backwards. The percision gained with a keyboard and mouse is so great.

Sure, but does it improve the gaming experience? Yes, no? Maybe? Really depends on your preference.

As already mentioned, console games are designed with certain things in mind. One of those s that you're using a thumb stick for precise aiming, and there are auto-aim features incorporated, some easier to notice than others. Halo actually slows down your rate of traversal when you reach a target, and Call of Duty 4 changes speed significantly if you are aimed in or not. Many games also have dead zones on the thumbstick to help you stay level when scanning.

The other thing to consider is that PC games play a lot faster because of the precision you get with the mouse. You may like it, others may prefer a slightly slower game. Not everyone is into super-twitch game play. Also, many PC games are designed where you need to have near-pixel accuracy on your shots because of the mouse. Console games are deliberately a bit more forgiving.

There's not a game I know of which is a direct port from console to PC. They designers go through many hours of play tests and tweaking to find the perfect values to balance the controls. Not that either is worse, but both are designed to optimize playing on that particular platform.

[KillerGremlin]

Actually, there's plenty of argument. But the argument you're making for PC games is that there is custom content and it's community-driven. While that's great, not everyone wants it. I may not care about your mods for a game, because quite frankly, you're not a game designer and it likely sucks. I may play console games because the experience I get is pure and the game I play is exactly as it was intended for me to play, from the match setup to the playlists to the rules of the game.

You can go both ways. As for the online community, both consoles and PC games require effort. You can't sit there and tell me how great playing on your private server is and then complain because the quick-match you got playing Halo sucked. You can easily build up a large friend list and play private matches all day long on Xbox Live. Not to mention there's plenty of leagues out there where you can make teams and schedule matches. The support is there, on both PC and consoles.


Mods definitely are a personal preference, and a lot of them do suck compared to polished and developed titles. However, mods have had their impact and have a pretty large roll in first person shooters. Counter-Strike was a mod originally created by a couple of college kids, Team Fortress is a Quake mod. In terms of development, I always think consoles will be one step behind PC shooters. But maybe that will change. We've seen a lot of big FPS releases on the PC and 360 this generation, so who knows.

I guess there's a few other things we can complain about, like how Xbox Live isn't free. The concept of paying to play a first person shooter is probably beyond a lot of PC gamers. Obviously, Xbox Live is a pretty polished system, but I'll go and argue that STEAM is as polished as Xbox Live.

Then there's the non-issue of controller vs. keyboard/mouse. This is personal preference, at least for First Person Shooters. SO I'll add that MMORPGS, Action RPGS (Diablo), and RTS games are going to remain difficult and mostly unplayable unless consoles allow for mouse and keyboard support. I can't imagine playing Warcraft 3 or World of Warcraft with a controller. Or how about Diablo 2? Would anyone want to play that with a controller?

There's a huge online market for MMORPGS and RTS games.

And, even outside the online gaming spectrum, I would hate to play a sim game with a controller. Rollercoaster Tycoon with a controller? Pass.


I believe online console gaming will catch up to PC gaming with racing games and first person shooters. I think consoles will always be number one for online gameplay with sports games and party games (like mario party). And, I think if more fighting titles come out those will remain console kings for online gaming. And I'm positive that console gaming is at some point going to be made free. But there will always be room for PC gaming. And what the hell, some of the best damn games ever made have been PC exclusive. Nothing wrong with a little PC love.

There's just some games that are smoother on the PC and some that are smoother on the console, at least for me. I would never want to play Zelda or Mario on the PC, and likewise I would never want to play Call of Duty 4 or Bioshock on a 360. To draw comparison, I've played through Halo on the PC and it's considerably easier to go through the single player with a mouse. Racing games are much easier to play with a controller or a steering wheel in my opinion, but I'm sure there's somebody out there who prefers having a keyboard. And, a keyboard is a must for me with RTS games or RPGs. Hot keys are the bomb. Fighting games are meant to be played with a controller. And, sometimes having the customization or the pimped out PC hardware is just cool. Whereas, consoles are more economic and practical.

[Professor S]

Are you implying that was too harsh? ProfessorS called them slack jawed, extra chromosome having fuck-tards......

No, I referred to those that play online on consoles as such, not those that prefer FPS's on the console vs PC. I doubt very much that many of the 5 year olds on Xbox Live have even played an FPS on a PC to compare. FPS on PC and console are two different animals with different gaming experiences to offer, IMO.

My comments were aimed at social maturity level, not gaming preference. And quite honestly, I think its the convenience factor of online console play that both helps and hurts it. While convenience means a bustling community, it also means a community that has no investment in playing games like Battlefield correctly, and YES there is a correct way to play Battlefield... exactly the way it was INTENDED. Hell, no one would argue this point if we were talking about a Pyro trying to snipe people in TF2.

[Angrist]

I think PC gaming will not die because of certain genres. It will take a while before we play RTS on consoles. Even with a pointer device such as the Wiimote, people will want keyboard shortcuts.

And PC games are quick and easy. I have my PC turned on anyway, games are just 2 clicks away from me.

[Professor S]

I think PC gaming will not die because of certain genres. It will take a while before we play RTS on consoles. Even with a pointer device such as the Wiimote, people will want keyboard shortcuts.

I 100% agree with this. I HATE HATE HATE RTS on a console. It just doesn't work. Regardless of how brilliant the interface (Universe at War has a nice one), you can't avoid bumbling and wasting time and getting slaughtered because of it.

Just make a keyboard and mouse combo for these glorified gaming PC's and get to what you really want to do if your bringing a RTS to a console.

[KillerGremlin]

I guess the next question is at what point does your console become a computer. You can't really sit on your couch, casually, with a mouse/keyboard setup, and you can't comfortably put your 44" HD-TV on your desk either. Personally, I feel that both the PS3 and the Xbox360 are more like stripped down computers than pure consoles like the Wii is. I'm curious as to what direction everyone goes next generation (aka, will Sony and Microsoft try to copy what the Wii has done for this generation).

My point mainly is that RTS games are made for a target audience, and I think that audience appreciates the nuances of being able to play the game on a computer.

I have a thought for our future game designer/developer, gekko. One of my absolute favorite console games, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, has one tiny little segment of annoyance. Now, I already said that I would never trade the console-Zelda experience for the PC-Zelda experience. However, when using the bow-and-arrow or the hookshot in the first person mode, it is often difficult to hit your target without the Z-targeting feature. Obviously, Z-targeting was implemented specifically to avoid such situations, however every now and then you would have to do some long range sniping with your bow-and-arrow or slingshot or hookshot, and it was a pain in the ass. This problem was magnified when OoT was emulated to the Gamecube and you had to use the Gamecube's analog stick to aim. The Gamecube has a smoother and more responsive analog stick, so doing things like playing the bow-and-arrow upgrade game where you had to shoot the rupees was somewhat difficult. That is the exact type of thing that would be made breezy with a mouse, wii-mote, or auto aim feature. Regardless, for a lot of games it just comes down to the tiniest details.

[Professor S]

Well the one good thing that came out of the Phantom debacle was the lap sitting keyboard and mouse set-up.

I'm not saying that the keyboard and mouse should rule the console gaming world, not in the least. But if we can specialty controllers for shooters and driving games, why not RTS's? God knows keyboards and mice are cheap enought to produce.

The console controller should rule the console, but if the industryreally wants the console to become the universal entertainment marketplace, they need to tet past this aversion to the keyboard and mouse.

[Null]

thats the thing. pc gives you choices choices choices.. want a controller for counter strike? use one. you can if you want, no ones stopping you.

consoles have usb ports.. pretty stupid to not give gamers the option of what they'd like to use.

and the question raised earlier... yes. better controls most certainly do make the gaming experience better. i dont need my game compensate in a bunch of ways for lack of control just to make it usable. game should be hard on its own. shouldnt need how you control it to be factored in.

[gekko]

I guess the next question is at what point does your console become a computer. You can't really sit on your couch, casually, with a mouse/keyboard setup, and you can't comfortably put your 44" HD-TV on your desk either. Personally, I feel that both the PS3 and the Xbox360 are more like stripped down computers than pure consoles like the Wii is.

The biggest problem gaming faces on the PC is quite literally the OS. While it does multi-tasking really well, multi-tasking is also what kills gaming. The CPU is quite literally grabbing information, executing a set number of cycles, then storing its current state, and grabbing in the information for the next task. Your PC may have a CPU twice the speed of a console, yet you watch the console pump out real-time HD graphics and wonder why your computer can't play Crysis. Your hardware is being crippled by the overhead of a OS that's designed to multi-task.

If a new OS came out that contained no GUI and only allowed you to run one program in full-screen mode, you could run games tremendously faster. Not going to happen, but running games on a multi-purpose OS is horrible for it. Hence why consoles exist.

[KillerGremlin]

Do you think the solution to this will eventually be more complex and dedicated video cards? I always read a lot about how the real advantage of these super expensive GPUs is that they remove some of the overhead from the CPU.