Why I don’t like consoles
Posted on 9th Apr 2009 at 14:19 by Mark Mackay with 42 comments
I should probably start by saying that I’ve owned a few consoles in my time. My first was an Atari 2600, followed by a Sega Master System with built-in Alex Kidd. I’ve owned a Saturn, a Gamegear, a Dreamcast, an N64, a Gamecube, a Gameboy, a Gameboy Advance, several PlayStations and a PlayStation 2.
So what changed? The short answer is, I got a PC, but since I have about 400 words to write so may as well elaborate a little. When I was 18, I finally saved enough cash up to get ripped off by a local PC builder that barely had a clue what he was doing and charged people for the privilege of slapping together PCs.
So I had my first PC. Shortly thereafter I got my first MMO, Asheron’s Call 2: Fallen Kings. A serious addiction ensued. About six months and several gazillion gaming hours later, the new Zelda title – one my favourite gaming franchises – hit the shelves. I glanced over at my dust-gathering Gamecube and ran out to buy The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Walker.
After about two hours of gameplay, the linearity of the gameworld with no other players to go questing with or fight against made the whole thing seem boring and pointless.
I never bought another console game again. Or another console for that matter. I was bought a DS as a gift which I thought was quite cool, but even that didn’t last long. What’s that? Thing’s have changed these days you say? But of course they have! Online gaming with consoles is more popular and more accessible than ever. So why not jump back on the console bandwagon?
There are a few reasons. Firstly, there’s the ‘consoley graphics’ issue. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not some technical graphics whore, but I like a game to look nice and one way to make a game look sucky is for it to be filled with jaggies.
I hate jaggies and the console world is rife with them. The same applies for hard, flat lighting. For me, the hard, flat, lighting and jaggies that are so fundamental to the vast majority of console titles just make the games look as appealing as a pig's testicle and vanilla ice-cream sandwich.
Then there’s the controller. There is just no substitute for the diversity and control that a mouse and keyboard brings to most games and if a game is better with a controller? You can just go and buy one.
Add to the equation the customisability, overclocking, awesome free flash games and browser games and utilities being made all the time, the fact that you have the world wide web under your fingertips and the superior audio capability a PC possesses and you end up with no reason to buy a console. Sure, I have some fond memories of the Zelda games and I loved the Dreamcast but now that I’m converted, there truly is no going back.
So what changed? The short answer is, I got a PC, but since I have about 400 words to write so may as well elaborate a little. When I was 18, I finally saved enough cash up to get ripped off by a local PC builder that barely had a clue what he was doing and charged people for the privilege of slapping together PCs.
So I had my first PC. Shortly thereafter I got my first MMO, Asheron’s Call 2: Fallen Kings. A serious addiction ensued. About six months and several gazillion gaming hours later, the new Zelda title – one my favourite gaming franchises – hit the shelves. I glanced over at my dust-gathering Gamecube and ran out to buy The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Walker.
After about two hours of gameplay, the linearity of the gameworld with no other players to go questing with or fight against made the whole thing seem boring and pointless.
I never bought another console game again. Or another console for that matter. I was bought a DS as a gift which I thought was quite cool, but even that didn’t last long. What’s that? Thing’s have changed these days you say? But of course they have! Online gaming with consoles is more popular and more accessible than ever. So why not jump back on the console bandwagon?
There are a few reasons. Firstly, there’s the ‘consoley graphics’ issue. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not some technical graphics whore, but I like a game to look nice and one way to make a game look sucky is for it to be filled with jaggies.
I hate jaggies and the console world is rife with them. The same applies for hard, flat lighting. For me, the hard, flat, lighting and jaggies that are so fundamental to the vast majority of console titles just make the games look as appealing as a pig's testicle and vanilla ice-cream sandwich.
Then there’s the controller. There is just no substitute for the diversity and control that a mouse and keyboard brings to most games and if a game is better with a controller? You can just go and buy one.
Add to the equation the customisability, overclocking, awesome free flash games and browser games and utilities being made all the time, the fact that you have the world wide web under your fingertips and the superior audio capability a PC possesses and you end up with no reason to buy a console. Sure, I have some fond memories of the Zelda games and I loved the Dreamcast but now that I’m converted, there truly is no going back.
42 Comments
Discuss in the forums ReplyAlso £50 for a the 360's wifi add-on?! thats some sort of sick joke.
but getting back to the point if i want to have a little fun my wii is great shaun white snowboarding is ace
but for more 'serious' sessions PC cant be beat
New PC release: ~£35
New console release: ~£50
I'm with yakyb, got myself a wirless receiver for Windows and an X360 controller for games like Tomb Raider (and N64 emulators) but otherwise it's keyboard and mouse all the way for FPS
the controller is hopeless in FPS/RTS and not dumbed down RPG games.
i had a few consoles when i was a kid, and then my dad bought me a Win95 PC hoping i'd learn some programming and gain interest in engineering. instead, i gained huge interest in PC gaming, unlike the console games i've had, all games on the PC even then were much better, got hooked on CnC.
now, the only none-PC gaming i'll ever do is when on-the-go, on the iPhone with actual innovative games. i have tryed the console gaming such as the super expensive PS3, the controls suck, the graphics is god awful (just look at GTA4) to top it all of, it's loud and loads like a turtle.
I personally feel that the point about PC gaming being more expensive is fatally flawed - people always forget that you need a PC even just for internet and work, so the cost of PC gaming is often just the graphics card (in an computer enthusiasts case at least).
Given that consoles typically launch for around £300 and you may need to upgrade your graphics card 2 or 3 times this gives you between £150 and £100 pounds to buy a graphics card - a perfectly reasonable amount to buy a good bang for buck card.
Some combination of control, graphics and just fun :p
It's a shame that this is the ONLY FREAKING game that has is not only a good FPS but got the controls right. If game developers finally end there Jerk-off (it's like they are aiming for a world record), they would wake up and release a good FPS game on the console. The conduit is coming up, look cool and interesting... however, I'll wait and see.
Anyway, Wii control for FPS game is way better than keyboard and mouse, by far! If anyone has the opportunity of trying it out... Check out Metroid Prime 3 on the Wii (if you have a problem with the control sensitivity the game allows you to adjust it). If you want a great action seen, load up someone else game at the around end of the game. Best game play action ever burned onto a disk.
perhaps the Motion plus is the important part, i have played many Wii shooting games (RE4, RE arcade shooting game, Metroid Prime 3, and a few others) and all of them have shaky crosshair even when the controller is put on a table. also, the turning is too slow on the Wii, perfect for the arcade shooters (no need to worry about viewing angle), but not so good for actual FPS.
also, my arm hurts after playing Wii FPS due to the extreme tension needed to maintain a steady aim. and you know with good engaging FPS games: you should try to complete it in one go
I have a PC + 360 (attached to same monitor)
games go on the PC preferably if available, 360 if not.
Depends a lot on the genre as well:
i wouldn't want to play any FPS or RTS on the 360 at all(i've tried the demos, ugh)
RPG's are fine on the consoles (and maddeningly near exclusively only on consoles of late) though the older 2D types are still better suited to the PC
Racing games are great on both (360 gamepad on PC FTW) though the 'pick up and go' nature of the consoles is handy for quick 5-10min blasts of a racing game, rather than waiting for a PC to boot up
long story short: i'd have everything on the PC if games weren't platform exclusive.
So annoying having to buy a separate, lower specced, platform for certain games due to developers ignoring the PC :(
QFT!
But I went out and bought an Xbox 360 - Why? you say! - The answer is simple, Fifa & Proevo with friends at the drop of a hat. That's it!
a console is a social qucik fix machine, for ANY singleplayer expereince and anything truely emersive, you need a pc.
I still have both.
For me, console games are just more convenient. I don't have to dick around with drivers, upgrading graphics cards once a year (for the same cost as a console) to keep that AA turned up ;), I can play left4dead and COD4 with my "non PC gaming" friends, I don't have to wait and install anything.. which also litters my PC with various DRM schemes on top of one another.
Don't get me wrong, I use a PC as well and systems like Steam are great (I play a game on that every now and again) and sure, console games are a bit more rough around the edges, but you can get used to a controller for FPS's. Everyone is on the same playing field, so it's just a different skill at the end of the day.
Bullploppy. I've had just as emersive experiences with a console as with a PC. The quality of a game isn't dictated by it's platform.
Bottom line. "Different" isn't "bad". Flatly refusing to game unless it's on a PC is just narrow minded.
Yes, that is true. Name me 5 games that are multiplier on to the same system , out recently, that is not a Worms game, or a Racing game. Console have that... PC not so much.
I remember the initial excitement over MGS4, Uncharted and KZ2, but after that, it all fizzled for me.
My PC rules my gaming interests at least.
For me, PC is still a must have for Warcraft 3 and old games. But a lot of my time of day is to play console games: Ace Combat 6, Elderscroll 4, Saints Row 1 and 2...
And a bit about health problem:10 tips to protect your eyes while gaming
Console gaming maybe better than PC gaming for eyes' health of casual gamer (who plays less than 1 hr per day, hardcore gamer certainly has some more problems).
Since I play both regularly, I have a gaming capable pc anyway, which means the cost benefit of a console equals nil.
Add to that the need for a quality tv and whoops, suddenly a console would be a huge extra expense.
What is becomming a ever increasing argument for me to not touch a console is that the big game titles are getting crapier and in return indie titles which most of the time are not avaliable on consoles are turning into the better games, simply put, all the copy paste coded games out there can't compare to certain indie games if it comes to quality of gameplay and fun.
Console gaming is for idiotic uneducated detritus who dribble when they watch an Xbox 360 or Sony PS3 ad with no understanding of their limited capabilities. In addition console gaming is a very western thing whilst the PC is popular all over, particularly in Eastern Europe, India and China.
So more power to the PC in my humble opinion!
There is a misconception that PC gaming is expensive. It is not. The problem is you need to know what you are buying. And this is way I think the PC is better than any console. With the right hardware you have something that surpasses the Xbox 360 and the PS3 graphicaly at about the same price range but not only that it gives you a hell of a lot more options. The question as a gamer is simple.
If I could get a machine that allowed me to do everything for a good price vs a machine that gave me a pretty user experience what would I choose?
I think the answer is clear. it is the PC.
The only thing that makes consoles success is the hype generated by a very well achieved marketing machine.
I don't think consoles are any better than a PC for gaming, they're just different. :) Older consoles had a different focus (they rarely had FPS games, and frequently played up the 'social' aspect of gaming) while modern consoles are almost trying to be computers - they've got several of the signs (always on internet, FPS, RTS, little to no split screen meaning that any multiplayer gaming has to be via the 'net, patches due to things not being tested well enough before release) the only thing they're really lacking is proper mouse and keyboard support. Which, given the wonders of USB, shouldn't be that hard!
Actually, that is one big issue I have with modern consoles - the hardware is fixed (for a given value of 'fixed' anyway) so there is absolutely no excuse for needing to patch a game post-release! I can understand it with PCs, as there are too many different hardware possibilities out there for testers to check everything... but that excuse holds no water on a console. So why are the manufactuers/devs allowed to get away with it?
I have both, and both are great in what they do, but I'd rather get rid of the PC completely than turn into a snobbish ****** like the above poster.
Seriously, your argument is that all console gamers are basically mentally retarded, do you really think that's an intelligent argument to make?
Had I won a PS3 I would've kept it since it can actually do 1080p and I want a blu ray player eventually. Also JRPG's. PC is getting some (hopefully FF13 with square releasing on steam), but Valkyrie Chronicles and another Persona would be fun.
Oddly, while there are a couple of JRPGs on the PS3, there are more on the 360 at the minute. :( Eternal Sonata is a port from the 360, although Valkyria Chronicles and Disgaea 3 are exclusive to the PS3. The 360 has Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Infinite Undiscovery, Eternal Sonata, The Last Remnant and Star Ocean: The Last Hope. And as Disgaea 3 is an SRPG, I dunno whether to count it, even though it's the game that has sucked the most of my time on my PS3.
I want Persona 5, though, for sure. :D
What about sitting on your couch with some buddies and playing split screen, and actually being able to punch them in the arm when they frag you, rather than merely shout expletives at them down a mic (which, while fun, is no substitute for good old fashion physical violence. Online gaming just isn't as intimate as getting your friends around for pizza and gaming (and just for the record, I do love L4D with some friends over Steam more than a lot of things).
But mainly, you are forgetting price. People are always going on about value of graphics cards, and even this websites Buyer's Guides tout the excellent value of some graphics cards as their main selling point. The fact of the matter is, despite some not so poished graphics, you are still getting a LOT for your money. I could buy two Xbox 360s for the cost of just my graphics card. How can you say no to that kind of value?
The problem with posts like this blog post is that they just reek of bias. No one hates computers, and no one hates consoles. They are just not catered for your needs. Consoles aren't ****, or useless, they are just meant for a different demographic. You might as well go on about you hate budget cards because they can't run games with full AA and can't pump out the lighting you like.
It really is no wonder why high end PC gamers have such a bad rep of being elitest assholes. And I mean no offence by that, as this blog post is easily one of the more civilised and non-offensive posts I have read discussing the author's dislike of consoles, but come on.
I have to say, well said sir!
Don't get me wrong, I am quite strictly a PC gamer, and there are many aspects of consoles that make me shudder, eg. controls/controller, lack of AA/AF, lack of "tweakability" (I need to tweak man!) etc. However I do accept, as you said Skiddywinks, that consoles are for a different demographic. Also I do find myself quite often having to tone down or sugarcoat my opinions of consoles because I know so many people who only know consoles and have no idea about the wonderous things PC's can do! ;) And when they keep bashing PC's/PC gaming (even though they may be clueless), I become increasingly like the elitest assholes you refer to towards the end of your post.
Just my two cents.
Of course, don't get me wrong, there are just as bad console fanboys as there are "elitest PC fanboys", and probably more of them given the availability of such consoles.
It's just that console Vs PC is just as subjective as rap Vs rock, or Game x Vs Game Y. At the end of the day, you go for what you look for, and sod everyone else. You shouldn't have to defend your opinion on the matter against anybody, but voicing it in a way such as this (or even the far worse ways I have seen in the author's defense) are not the way of going about keeping the peace. All the issues brought up in this blog post are for valid reasons (mainly to save money so the console is cheap), but none of these reasons are explored, or even acknowledged as valid. The post just comes across as "Consoles suck", and someone might say that because they do not suit their needs/desires, but that is hardly a reason to "hate" or "dislike" them. They clearly are not meant for said person in such a case.
I could say I hate rap and casual games, but that is being entirely unfair because they were not created for my tastes. I simply do not desire what they have to offer.
I prefer the PC gaming community as you arent a bunch of 13 year olds that go on about how tex pstripple suxors and teh xbox3fixme is shite, also modding FTW and uber graphics :P
consoles on the other hand, i like the simplicity of it, if i want a quick game i just turn on my PS3, i also prefer action adventure type games and these are better suited to consoles.
PC I find better for solo or internet play - PS3's online capabilities aren't worth the money you pay for it (yes I know its free) while the 360 online gamersphere has a shockingly high twunt ratio.
was fed up getting the next big console, so moved to PC's and never looked back. Its just better value and better games - well it used to be better games , as now consoles seem to be where the development is and we are getting dummed down games. But why pay £50 for a game when you can get if for less than £20 on PC, with better graphics, free DLC, free online play.
As for split screen gaming never liked it, Its like playing battle ships side by side , instead of face to face. if you want social gaming link 2 PC's.
Any way cosoles are morphing in to PC's slowly.
I prefer the PC gaming community as you arent a bunch of 13 year olds that go on about how tex pstripple suxors and teh xbox3fixme is shite, also modding FTW and uber graphics :P
use a PC, along with a PS3 and an Xbox 360 - each have their benefits. Consoles I find are a lot of fun for social games - four mates with a few beers around the TV (these days the obvious is Rock Band and Guitar Hero but there are lots of suitable games out there).
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I prefer the PC gaming community as you arent a bunch of 13 year olds that go on about how tex pstripple suxors and teh xbox3fixme is shite, also modding FTW and uber graphics :P
use a PC, along with a PS3 and an Xbox 360 - each have their benefits. Consoles I find are a lot of fun for social games - four mates with a few beers around the TV (these days the obvious is Rock Band and Guitar Hero but there are lots of suitable games out there).
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With consoles, you can only run what the hardware makers choose to allow (unless you apply a hardware/software hack) whereas with PCs, anyone competent (cuts down the field a bit eh?) can write and distribute programs.
Control becomes especially important with online gaming and services. With a PC, you can use a firewall to monitor and control network activity along with a packet sniffer to see what data is sent and received. With a console, there is no way of restricting network access (other than pulling the plug) which means no way to prevent monitoring and profiling (and it is clear that there is plenty going on, with services like XBox Live allowing you to see what your "friends" are playing it should be clear that Microsoft also receives such information and quite likely a good deal more).