Why do you have a console? [Archive]

Hardin

12-17-08, 01:47 PM

Since there is a thread in the general games section asking people why they stick to a pc I thought I would create a thread asking why they have a console. For me it was because of the exclusives the 360 had and xbox live is a great way to play games with my friends. The graphics aren't always as good as my pc games, but they aren't bad either. And the controller is very comfortable.

FudgeNuggets

12-17-08, 02:18 PM

Here's my TOP 10:

1. Got sick of unnecessary, expensive and too often upgrades for CPUs, GPUs and memory

2. Don't like keyboard and mouse control. PC Gamepads suck

3. Got sick of games being buggy, crashing, driver issues with certain GPUs etc....

4. Better selection of games on consoles

5. Got sick of Windows and went OS-X.

6. I can play console games on my 51" screen while sitting in my easy chair and I don't want to use my PC on it or have my PC in my living room

7. Console games IMO or more fun on the whole

8. Got sick of fooling with silly copy protection and DRM stuff on the PC

9. Consoles can now play audio or video, in game audio etc...., surfing the web taking place of many leisure activities from the PC

10. PC is for work, consoles are for play. If the PS3 had a couple GB of RAM instead of 256MB, I'd really have little use for a PC. I mean it will run Linux and Open Office, surf the web, download torrents, has a hard drive etc... so why bother?

deception``

12-17-08, 03:11 PM

My Turn:

Being able to play the PC games at their optimal settings requires a lot of tweaking & updating; it can be expensive over time. I personally think that it's much cheaper to use a console over the course of 5+ years than it is to update a PC every few years or so. There's always a better video card, mouse, or gaming surface; there's only one console and [standard] controller.

Console gaming to me is much more social, particularly when it comes to people you know [none of my friends gamed on PCs]

I like the fact that console games are pick-up-and-play; no need to worry about having the right drivers, DRM, etc.

Xbox Live. This, to me, significantly narrowed the gap between console and PC gaming.

I really like the fact that both of my consoles are very capable media centers.

My consoles make great use of my 40" Sony LCD TV.

As Fudge stated, the software selection for consoles is much, much deeper and more varied. Not to mention that many PC ports of console games are both slow to market and quite sloppy.

These days, I use my laptop only for websurfing, torrenting, and a bit of e-mail. Nothing against a powerful PC, I just simply don't have a need for one anymore.

deception``

zexmarquies01

12-17-08, 07:04 PM

My reason is simple...The games.

Has very little ( if nothing ) to do with the cost of a computer, the constant tweaking, driver issues..etc. That stuff comes with PC's. I knew that when i got into them. So headache of computers isn't a factor when it comes to me owning consoles.

Again, my reason is games. There are MANY games that simply do not, and will not be ported to PC. And even if they are, the PC is not the platform to play them on. Has nothing to do with how bad most ports are, but more to do with the fact that a Keyboard and mouse just doesn't work on many games.

I'm a big fan of RPG's. JRPG's to be specific. the good ole turn based style. I couldn't imaging trying to play them on a keyboard for an extended period of time. And if anyone here has done any emulation with old RPG's on their computer, then you should understand.

Also, a lot of the Action games, such as Devil May Cry, Onimusha, God of War...etc have the same problem. they keyboard and mouse just aren't designed to cater to those types of games. Ontop of that, the 3 games i just listed are fast paced games, and the LAST thing you want is a massive FPS slowdown when fighting 10+ enemies, or a strong boss.

Yeah, a controller can be plugged into the PC and used. And I can hook my PC to my TV without any problems, as they are close enough to one another. But you arn't going to see the new Final Fantasy, or the tales of, or the Metal Gear series popping up on the PC anymore.

It comes down to exclusives, and when they are ported, the keyboard and mouse tend to suck, and console to PC ports tend to be shoddy at best.

hajalie24

12-17-08, 07:25 PM

for me its cause i've been a console gamer most of my life and i just started getting into pc gaming, the only time i used to play pc games was when grand theft auto 3 was out and I didn't have a ps2 or xbox, just a gamecube.

madhatter256

12-17-08, 07:27 PM

I grew up with consoles. There are games on them that I like. However, i'm not into today's console. The latest consoles I own are PS2 and Game Cube.

benbaked

12-17-08, 07:34 PM

I've always been a fan of both platforms. I've owned and own consoles because of a certain console exclusive that I wanted to play, and I've generally never owned more then ten games per system (the Saturn and NES being the exceptions). The PS3 is the first non-Nintendo console I've owned since the Saturn, and I originally bought it for movie watching and Linux experimentation. My reason for buying a 360 was several of my friends consistently nagging me to join them on Xbox Live. I don't regret either purchase. Some of my friends only game on 360, some of my friends keep strictly to PC gaming, and the PS3 was just something I had to have once I was able to get one for a good enough price.

pejsaboy

12-17-08, 08:10 PM

You know, I was resistive to the idea of buying a console since the days of the ps1 and 2 because I wasn't a huge fan of the controllers in comparison with a mouse. But, I picked up a 360 over the weekend, and in a matter of a few days I've gotten really comfortable with the 360 controller. I'll never completely give up my pc for games due to the fact that there will always be exclusives, and because I'll always think keyboard/mouse are better for FPS games, but I think I could easily see the majority of my gaming being done on the 360. It really is much more convenient to grab a [wireless] controller, plop on the couch or in a chair, and start playing. Even though my PC uses the same tv, it just isn't as easy to get a game going.

FudgeNuggets

12-17-08, 09:42 PM

You know what, I just came up with #11. I can't rent PC games from my local vid store for 8 bucks a week.

Red_LightRanger

12-18-08, 08:29 AM

I like having both pc and ps3. The ps3 is great for movies, plus whenever friends come over its much easier and quicker setting up a game vs having a lan party.

blueswitch

12-18-08, 01:03 PM

..I think for me having to upgrade the PC constantly is the big draw back. My tower recently died and I've found that my laptop has been plenty enough machine, not to mention it's been nice just getting an external HDD enclosure and just consolidating to one portable machine. I mean I have enjoyed PC gaming, and I still think it's superior for certain games like RTS's but I think it's just not getting to be worth it anymore. The cost of frequent upgrades, the lack of mobility on whats your #1 system, and for the most part the games the PC is getting are ported from the consoles and poorly at that.

It just doesn't make as much sense anymore to dump a bunch of money into building a fast tower machine, only to use your laptop most of the time anyway, and then h ave to upgrade it with in a year and a half. Might as well spend less and get a console that will last you for 5 years.

12am

12-19-08, 01:21 AM

Alot of what I'm going to say has already been covered by the posters above, regardless I used to be a die hard PC only gamer, this changed once I got an HDTV and my 360 and found the library of games far superior on the 360, while I think certain genres still lend themselves to the PC (fps/rpg's/rts) I just find the ease and convinence of the consoles much more appealing these days.

Firstly is the cost of upkeep to have a good pc gaming rig, I just got tired of buying 500 dollar vid cards every 6-12 months (I know you don't have to use cutting edge, but I did personally) and spending gobs of time constantly tweaking and overclocking my PC to get the most out of my games. Then the library of games begun to slow for PC and I looked elsewhere, I found it in the Xbox 360, and something has to be said for playing games that look and play well on your couch on your big screen hdtv.

Second has to do with how newer consoles integrate multiple soloutions into one small easy package, my 360 handles all of my living room needs; gaming/dvd viewing/music listening all with one machine. While I still think PC gaming has better online gaming capacity, xbox live has proven to be an adequate method for playing games online.

And lastly the big reason I have a console..... Rockband!... the game just captures me in ways that I havn't felt since the early days of WoW.

To sum up, I still think the PC has it's place in society, but it's loosing alot of ground in the gaming arena to consoles, because of their low cost investment and ease of use/funtionality, however my PC still has a prominent spot in my bedroom providing web browsing/tv viewing/music/ and late night movies.

iaacp

12-19-08, 03:05 AM

Being able to lay on my bed > Sitting at a desk
32" > 23"
Better fitting controller > Keyboard and mouse
Relaxing while playing > Sitting up straight, alert
More, better games > Less, but still good games
1 purchase to run everything > Multiple purchases, upgrades to play the latest greatest.

Mostly, it comes down to being comfortable. I like laying down on my bed as opposed to hunching over a desk. It's relaxing, not stressful (both physically and mentally).

Aktunka

12-20-08, 12:06 AM

Simple answer for why I have an XBox 360. It was the great advertising campaign for Gears of War. I found myself really really wanting to play it, so I bought one for myself for Christmas a few years ago. Soon after had to buy myself an upgrade for the home theater to be able to play it right too hehe. Anyhow, if not for the game Gears of War I might not have purchased a 360. I have found plenty of other great games on it too though.

rainless

12-20-08, 02:11 AM

twEEkerAreUs

12-21-08, 07:31 AM

So I can have access to different games and exclusives on PC or 360. Also sometimes the console version gets the better version or vice versa.

Also the whole friends/party/communication things works so much better on 360.

technoViking

12-21-08, 08:26 AM

sandyduff

12-21-08, 09:10 AM

I like to play mario kart over the internet... its great fun... apart from my arch enemy Gustaph... i hate him so.... *shakes fist*

SeasonalEclipse

12-21-08, 09:16 AM

One word.. Ladies. They go for the latest and greatest games like rock band and all that jazz. Me.. Id rather play WoW on a keyboard and mouse, but you have to keep the womenfolk happy.

bigrigdriver

12-21-08, 11:53 AM

My wife made me do it!!:santa:

rainless

12-21-08, 05:05 PM

One word.. Ladies. They go for the latest and greatest games like rock band and all that jazz. Me.. Id rather play WoW on a keyboard and mouse, but you have to keep the womenfolk happy.

Oddly enough... this is ABSOLUTELY true.

I was feeling like a complete ass walking down the street with my Rockband drums after coming from Circuit City. Walked right past this bar and this tall blonde was like "Hey! Where are you going with those Rockband drums! I'm DEAD SERIOUS! I have the mic!"

...too bad I don't go for blondes. :)

Golden Monkey

12-21-08, 07:11 PM

If you're my buddy Shawn it's for party games. He has the PS3 for all the Sing Star games (very fun when you're :beer:) and a Blu-Ray player. He plays Scene it on his 360 along with Fallout 3 and Fable 2. Most of the time he's on his PC playing WOW.

I'm with the guys who say if you can afford it then buy it. I have all 3 consoles even though I hardly play the Wii.

piotrr

12-21-08, 07:20 PM

Got used to playing driving games on Console while doing reviews for a national entertainment magazine, then I discovered all the other practical uses for an Xbox 1. Because I had become used to it, I bought a 360 as well to play Forza 2.

shadin

12-22-08, 08:43 AM

I mainly have a console because I'm not an idiot: I like games.

And I don't hold stupid allegiances to crazy things like "I'm a PC gamer! Keyboard and mouse or die!" or "PC Gaming is dying..."

If a game I want is either only available for one platform, or is the best on one platform... then I buy the platform. (I might just be getting a Wii when they come out with Punch-Out).

It's not about the platform... it's about the games. And you'd have to be incredibly conceited to say that there are no good games on console or vice-cersa.

So there you have it... ONe man's opinion.

This sums my stance up as well. Though for FPS games I do say keyboard and mouse or die. :P

Anyway, I own consoles for platformers, as those types of games just generally aren't released for PC. I have a PS2 for God of War, SOTC, Ratchet and Clank, Dark Alliance, Champions of Norrath, a GameCube for the Zelda, Mario, and Metroid games, a PSP for Chains of Olympus of Final Fantasy games, and when God of War 3 is released I will own a PS3 again. I have a 360 but don't play it as much since I only do FPS on PC and most of the good 360 games are FPS, but if they release some good platformers there I'll buy'em.

blueswitch

12-22-08, 10:31 AM

Oddly enough... this is ABSOLUTELY true.

I was feeling like a complete ass walking down the street with my Rockband drums after coming from Circuit City. Walked right past this bar and this tall blonde was like "Hey! Where are you going with those Rockband drums! I'm DEAD SERIOUS! I have the mic!"

...too bad I don't go for blondes. :)

While I think choosing a console over a PC for gaming because of "the ladies" would be completely dumb, I do have to chime in and say that my neighboors (3 girls) bought a Wii and Rockband over the weekend and invited me over to play...I never played before, or played Guitar Hero before....but that game was fun!...It's amazing how satisfying pushing buttons on a fake guitar can feel :santa:

OldSkool

12-22-08, 10:42 AM

Personally, I game on both PC and Console. The fact is, some games are simply better on one or the other. Can you imagine trying to play WoW with a controller? Not possible. Or, on the other hand, something as fun as the Wii games, you simply cannot play on a computer. Both ftw imo.

Tsnowflake

12-22-08, 05:46 PM

consoles exist for guitar hero world tour if for nothing else.

...

and also all the good 3d fighters never get the ol' PC port (i.e. Soul Calibur and Tekken series)

little big planet is pretty fun too :)

technoViking

12-23-08, 12:36 AM

I really like console for fps now that I can use a mouse and keyboard on the xbox. When I played any type of FPS on my computer, it would get super hot. I suck at making a computer stay cool. I would soon get big drops in FPS because my 8800gt would start overheating. My 6800gt got up to 124C and still didn't die though so they can take some heat but you still lose performance.

Even though the graphics on the PC destroy any console gaming system I really don;'t notice them when I play FPS. I'm to busy focused on killing to stop and look around.

But in the end, I'll play both the xbox and PC. I'll even think about getting a pS3 because I wanted a blue ray player anyways, but for another 100 bucks I could get anotherr gaming console + a blue ray player so I might go that route.

Once Starcraft 2 comes out though my xbox is going to gather some dust.

orion25

12-24-08, 04:33 AM

NCAA 2009 on the PS3 kicks ass, I bought the PS3 for NCAA09 and Gran Tursimo and I have not been disappointed yet.......................

FudgeNuggets

12-24-08, 07:49 AM

NCAA 2009 on the PS3 kicks ass, I bought the PS3 for NCAA09 and Gran Tursimo and I have not been disappointed yet.......................

You bought the most expensive system solely for a game that's avalailable on every platform and a demo? :screwy:

rainless

12-24-08, 08:12 AM

You bought the most expensive system solely for a game that's avalailable on every platform and a demo? :screwy:

PC is the most expensive system. And Gran Turismo isn't a demo... it isn't out. He bought it fir when it DOES come out. Same way people buy 360 for gears.

orion25

12-24-08, 10:51 AM

You bought the most expensive system solely for a game that's avalailable on every platform and a demo? :screwy:

Yep. It is my Money, not yours.

FudgeNuggets

12-24-08, 11:48 AM

Yep. It is my Money, not yours.

At least you're contributing to the economy...... and Rainless, he owns Sony stock.

orion25

12-24-08, 12:22 PM

At least you're contributing to the economy...... and Rainless, he owns Sony stock.

I'm doing what I can. But I bought it before the implosion..............

shadin

12-24-08, 04:10 PM

PC is the most expensive system. And Gran Turismo isn't a demo... it isn't out. He bought it fir when it DOES come out. Same way people buy 360 for gears.

I used to believe this until I had a 360 and PS3. Once you start picking up those 360 accessories and extra controllers, I actually spent more owning a 360 than I have on my current gaming rig here (until I bought new hard drives but those I didn't need for gaming whatsoever, that was just for my massive media collection). I honestly think current gen console + modest accessories is about on par with a decent gaming rig. Obviously you can go balls crazy with either one and ultimately you can make the computer cost more if you're trying.

Couple in the fact that games are cheaper on PC, along with a good 22" or 24" monitor being cheaper than most HDTVs, and I think PC gaming is actually starting to come ahead price wise.

FudgeNuggets

12-24-08, 04:18 PM

PC is the most expensive system. And Gran Turismo isn't a demo... it isn't out. He bought it fir when it DOES come out. Same way people buy 360 for gears.

Oh no you didn't!
2 points here old buddy........

1. PC is NOT a gaming system. It's a productivity unit and multifaceted tool that also happens to play a few games.

2. The thread title does say console.....

shadin

12-24-08, 04:30 PM

1. PC is NOT a gaming system. It's a productivity unit and multifaceted tool that also happens to play a few games.

There's some truth to that statement, but also a lot very wrong with it...

dfonda

12-27-08, 09:49 PM

Its a BR player.
It folds.

MattNo5ss

12-28-08, 05:16 PM

I like PS3 for Guitar Hero, FPS, and Squaresoft.
I like PC for Blizzard, Bioware, and Atari.

PC is NOT a gaming system. It's a productivity unit and multifaceted tool that also happens to play a few games.

PS3/360 are NOT gaming systems. They are productivity units and multifaceted tools that also happen to play a few games.

rumbl3

12-28-08, 07:41 PM

back in the late 90's i became a huge pc gamer. It was the premo gaming experience to me. But last 2 or 3 years i've tried to slow down and have started to slow down using my pc for gaming. But i'm not exactly a console gamer either. Handheld gamer, because i don't have the money to blow on some huge tv, also no where to put it. The living room tv is always in use by my gf or son.

Handheld gaming allows me to sit back in a recliner in the living room and game while talking to my gf etc. I'm especially trying to slowly move away from online gaming just because i just don't seem to have the time anymore. Also i got into handheld gaming big time when my son was born about 5 years ago. Since i could rarely get on the computer for more then 10 minutes at a time usually. I bought a gameboy SP and i loved it while he was napping right by me i'd just sit back and chill play advanced wars and advanced wars 2.

So i'm about to buy a psp (i have a DS but just seems to be to many kiddy games for it not enough big people games).Also it has ff7 crisis core been dieing to play and castlevania sotn my favorite game just about of all time.

Plus the psp seems to have a ton of features that i would love to have in a handheld.

PC is king in my eyes for online gaming experience. But it's just not so main stream anymore i would call it. It's uncomfortable, expensive, sometimes a big pain in the rear because of unfinished games, bad drivers etc.

So probably by the next set of handhelds (which will be ten times more advanced then the current ones) i'll probably become a handheld gamer 100%, and my pc's will be for work and server type stuff.

Niku-Sama

12-28-08, 07:42 PM

alot of games are better on a console or are only for a console. mario kart for pc i think would suck total ass.

orion25

12-28-08, 07:48 PM

So i'm about to buy a psp (i have a DS but just seems to be to many kiddy games for it not enough big people games).

Plus the psp seems to have a ton of features that i would love to have in a handheld.

That PS would blend nicely with a PS3 :beer:

deception``

12-28-08, 10:48 PM

PS3/360 are NOT gaming systems. They are productivity units and multifaceted tools that also happen to play a few games.

I think you have misunderstood Fudge's point. The primary purpose of the PS3 and 360 are video games; Netflix, media streaming, Blu-Ray, etc welcomed yet added bonuses.

The PC is/was orignally intended for many purposes - productivity, websurfing, etc. Gaming is certainly an option for many, but the bottom line is that it is a secondary function.

deception``

Tsnowflake

12-29-08, 01:04 AM

I think you have misunderstood Fudge's point. The primary purpose of the PS3 and PC are video games; Netflix, media streaming, Blu-Ray, etc welcomed yet added bonuses.

The PC is/was orignally intended for many purposes - productivity, websurfing, etc. Gaming is certainly an option for many, but the bottom line is that it is a secondary function.

deception``

considering how big a market there is for the gaming pc, i'd say its pretty much a primary function.

IR1

12-29-08, 01:45 AM

I got a console because a lot of my friends do not game on PCs. I own a 360, bought it last year. The first game I got was Halo 3, Gears, Skate, GTA4, and recently Rock Band 2 and Gears 2. I also got it because there are games I want to play that are only on consoles. I am also looking forward to FF13, and Skate 2.

I have struck a good balance. I try to only get FPS on PC like L4D, I did get Mass Effect for PC as well as Fallout 3 for PC.

I was also hoping MLB 2k8 was going to be good (xbox), but it sucked... so I passed on it. Here is hoping MLB 2k9 is worth playing.

FudgeNuggets

12-29-08, 07:25 AM

rumbl3

12-29-08, 02:19 PM

Another note i'm also getting back into handheld gaming (PSP) again because jan. I start a new project at work which involves nothing but setting up servers and computers scanners etc. Then managing all of it. Took a short break from doing IT'ish work around here because we had no projects and were short handed in the shop.

Once i get back to computers and computer related stuff all day for work again, i get sick of even looking at computers when i get home for the most part and it usually turns more into a weekend only thing and i do most my gaming on a handheld then.

deception``

12-29-08, 08:23 PM

considering how big a market there is for the gaming pc, i'd say its pretty much a primary function.

I'm not arguing against gaming on a PC. However, I think it's pretty easy to understand that, as a whole, most PC's are not created/purchased/etc with the PRIMARY intentions to play games [by most people, at least]

Yes there is a market for PC games, video cards, enthusiast equipment, etc, but it still pales in comparison to the market of the average consumer - word-processing, websurfing, e-mail. Hell, take a look at the rise of the Netbook and the fact that Notebooks are now outselling desktops - the new PC trend is toward portability and usability, if anything.

deception``