Why do you have a console?

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.

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?

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``

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

..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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

rainless said:

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.

Click to expand...

+1, i feel the same. As long as I can afford it I'll get it.

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

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.

My wife made me do it!!