The Future of the Console

[Quindiana Jones]

Alright, don't get all dandy you two. Let's get back to bashing gaming platforms!

smurfing Microsoft! They're trout, but the only alternative is to go to Sony! GRRR.

[Hollycat]

Things a standard XBOX 360 can do a PC cannot: nothing
pros: better graphics than the average PC at 720p, great controller for shooter, better scrolling than a PC, indented Analog Sticks prevent thumb slips.
cons:No Wifi- limited in terms of types of games (with some exceptions) no internal hard drive, have to pay for service

Things a Wii can do and a PC cannot: motion controls
pros: really really cheap, wide range of games, plays gamecube
cons: bad graphics, shoddy controls, few inspired titles, no internal hard drive.


Things a standard PS3 can do a PC cannot:
blu-ray movies and games, a bunch of tiny things not worth mentioning
pros: supports 1080p, 3-d games and video, blu ray, wifi, expandable drive, free games and videos, wide game selection, great controller for platformers, fighting games, and racers. Motion controls that aren't mandatory. Backwards compatable. Playstation home.
Cons:Terrible Terrible trigger buttons! Trigger buttons break easily! Not all games have trophies (either do it or don't sony) Impossible to use saves from old systems. No minecraft

PC:
Pros: modable games, tons of exclusives, infinate reverse compatability. Freelancer.
Cons: Gaming PCs cost tons of cash, dwarfing the other systems

[Slothy]

Things a standard XBOX 360 can do a PC cannot: nothing
pros: better graphics than the average PC at 720p

720p wasn't that high a resolution by PC standards when the 360 came out.

great controller for shooter, better scrolling than a PC, indented Analog Sticks prevent thumb slips.

The first point is debatable at best, but all of them are moot since the 360 controller has been available for PC for years.

Things a standard PS3 can do a PC cannot:
blu-ray movies and games,

Not true. Any PC with a blu-ray drive could play blu-ray movies, and since most PC games will install to, and run from, the hard drive without the need to even have the disk in the drive, there's no benefit to using blu-ray discs for games since they're more expensive and leave you paying royalties to Sony.

a bunch of tiny things not worth mentioning

I'd be curious as to what those are. As a PS3 owner since a month after release I can't really think of any.

Not all games have trophies (either do it or don't sony) Impossible to use saves from old systems. No minecraft

My dislike of trophies aside, it was only a few months after they updated the system to allow trophies that it became mandatory for all games to have them. There hasn't been a game that wasn't trophy enabled in over 3 years at least. But if you're referring to not patching in trophy support for games older than that, that's not Sony's call to make, nor is it worth spending the money to do even if it's possible.

Cons: Gaming PCs cost tons of cash, dwarfing the other systems

I just give up... Is there an emoticon for blowing my brains out?

[Quindiana Jones]

Vivi, your attempts to argue that a PC that can play modern games can be cheaper than a console are futile /borg. It is impossible to buy or create a PC able to play modern games for less than £200. I mean that not as a slight to PCs - because they are superior and people who disagree are fools - but a simple statement of necessary truth.

[Slothy]

Did I ever claim otherwise? Yes, in absolute dollar terms a PC is more expensive than a console. But again, when you factor in that most people who buy a console to play games also by a PC of some kind (whether it be a laptop, desktop, or god help you, a Mac), the actual amount of money that's been spent is nearly identical. Again, my argument is that whether you buy a PC and a console, or simply spend some extra money buying a PC that will play games five years down the road and skip the console, you spend the same amount of money with the only difference being whether or not your playing PC or console exclusives during that time period.

Moreover, due to the difference in game prices on PC and Console for the average AAA release, the money someone saves from owning a PC is significant if we only assume even a $10 savings per game (the usual price difference between a new AAA console game and it's PC counterpart), and a relatively modest amount of games purchased. Say, for example, five games. That's $250 alone, and it just bought you a Wii, 360, or PS3 at current prices.

And that's a modest price difference. I've gotten games that were a year old or less in Steam sales for between $20-25 less than they're being sold for at local stores used. That adds up, and it adds up unbelievably fast if you're smart about waiting for the right deal to come along.

[GhandiOwnsYou]

Whelp, We've proven one thing beyond a shadow of a doubt. Consoles aren't going anywhere, and neither are PC gamers. Both camps are foaming at the mouth to defend the honor of their chosen platform. That said!

No. Graphics change if I remember correctly, every like 8 months. Now a console lasts for about 8 years before there is a new one. If you have a PC you can have the better graphics the entire time. Like currently, I can't buy myself a WiiU, Xbox 720 or PS4 but I can upgrade my PC. If you want to keep the same graphics for 8 years, yeah sure, but if you want anything better, PC it is. And instead of buy a new console every bit, you can just buy one new part. That to me is cheaper.

Consoles are not reliable. Red ring anyone? While most PC problems are human errors, they got themselves a virus or messed up something. Console, that's all the developer. The only way there is human error is if they've tried to mod it.

I have never known any console to have a wide, systemic issue other than the 360. The Original 360 was tit though, so I'm not even going to argue on it's behalf. Issues here and there, sure. All things considered though, I know many more people whose PC's have given the gigantic issues than people whose consoles have failed outright. A big reason for this is, as has been commonly touted, the PC is used for far more than just gaming, meaning it is more vulnerable as a whole to intrusion and failure. LOL PSN GOT HACKED. Compared to how many other reputable websites? Even if you are the worlds most careful internet user, you still should factor in that in MOST households the computer is a shared device, and you're probably not going to be the only one on it. Especially if you have a family. Good luck keeping your elementary school aged kid from clicking a sketchy link. PC's are just as vulnerable, if not more so, than consoles to frying out. If we're going to talk about people knowing what they're doing, most system failures for consoles require little more than an arbitrary knowledge of soldering and the ability to find ehow.com articles to fix anyway.

[Bolivar]

Vivi, your attempts to argue that a PC that can play modern games can be cheaper than a console are futile /borg. It is impossible to buy or create a PC able to play modern games for less than £200. I mean that not as a slight to PCs - because they are superior and people who disagree are fools - but a simple statement of necessary truth.

We're at the steam sale right now buying AAA titles for $3 and $5. I guarantee you console gaming is probably more expensive in the long run.