Consoles, or computers?

[Yukari]

So you just confirmed my point.
You need to look at it from developer's point of view, not the one offering the games.
Steam/GOG/Origin as offerers (?) of developed games obviously get enough money from sales because they don't develop games. The finances allocated to service are minimum of what developers need to allocate for developing game.
And after they develop it, they immediately need to sell it underpriced? Not sure if developers would love that.

Yea- No. Developers get just as much money as Valve does from steam and steam sales. If they weren't making a lot of money from it then why would they sell games on Steam? And the developers have to consent to a game being on a steam sale as Sgt.Dustmop already pointed out. Aside from competition with PC games you don't have to pay for packaging when it comes to physical copies of a game. And you don't need a developer's kit like you do with console games which brings up the price even further among other fees. So developing games on PC is a lot cheaper, so games on the PC obviously will cost less. The games aren't "Underpriced," the price is perfectly fair for the amount of money spent.

And, both Valve and EA are developers.

 

[Tlachtli]

So you just confirmed my point.
You need to look at it from developer's point of view, not the one offering the games.
Steam/GOG/Origin as offerers (?) of developed games obviously get enough money from sales because they don't develop games. The finances allocated to service are minimum of what developers need to allocate for developing game.
And after they develop it, they immediately need to sell it underpriced? Not sure if developers would love that.
Of course, fans are happy and I agree that this is of the most important pros of PC gaming.
I'm just saying it's double edged sword.

Is it more profitable to sell 100 copies at $60, or 1000 at $7.50? The psychology behind Steam's sales encourages people to buy games they otherwise wouldn't because... well hey, it was $5!

And I'm totally guilty of that.

 

[TY]

IMO Steam does not have complete control over their sales, so developers do have a say on that matter and they agree to it (how else can Wash Doge be 10% off during the MOST HYPED sale in the summer and every mediocre CoD game only 25% off). They abuse the summer sales, like has been said before, to get much more copies sold, much more DLC sold and thus their wallets get bigger, this is basic Economics: if the price goes down, the ammount of people wanting to buy the game rises and thus your profit rises aswell even tho you sell it at a lower price.

 

[Cosmo's Factory]

I prefer consoles. I know PC's offer a better experience but I prefer the dedicated console. When I start up my Playstation or my Gamecube or SNES or whatever console I'm playing, I know I'm playing a game and that's it. I don't really care if I'm playing something and it's not cutting edge, I just want to play a game.

 

[Palkia]

I prefer the versatility of PC gaming, as I can play the same game on my laptop or computer. Plus I can play with a controller or a keyboard and mouse depending on how I feel. Also as I use Steam there's also save data syncing between computers and there's also modding support built into most games.

 

[Legobricks]

A console is essentially a PC with a highly restrictive operating system (by which I mean the hardware is the same sort of stuff, ditto the cost). As for the 'feel' of them, you can set up a PC like a console if you are so inclined. Anyone with a PC for their Internet and entertainment, and a separate gaming system, ought to have consolidated the two into a decent rig.

In fact many gaming computers out there now vastly surpass the Xbox 1 and Playstation 4.

This console generation is very... weak; I have to wonder why. It's getting to seem strange that 30FPS is even a topic for discussion when it comes to consoles.

 

[Klippy]

I honestly love both. PCs are better overall for different and unique experiences, but some consoles have massive benefits to playing on them. I love being a gamer is all. :)

 

[Hiatus]

I'm more into consoles, personally, as I've always been more familiar with them. You could set your PC up in a way to give you the same experience and whatnot, such as by setting up wider monitors and attaching controllers (as stated in previous posts), but I'm personally too clingy of a person to move away, unfortunately. Have tried gaming on PC plenty of times before, and it just did not seem to work.

If you're a follower of consoles, you have tendency to upgrade each time newer ones are released, which does take some of your money away. Though, I suppose same could be said regarding computers; every time some new hardware is released, you would likely be considering to buy and install, some of which might cost just as much.

 

[Master Krillin]

Manly PC (for now) and 3ds. I started this Gen on PC cause I built my first gaming PC, but after Watch Dogs getting downgraded and Assassins Creed going the same route I might go back to consoles.

 

[Aeroblast]

I like the gaming environment of playing in a console, sitting on a couch in front of my TV. Granted, I could set up the PC to emulate the environment like so, but that just means more hassle or I have to spend more money for another PC. I do wish console games were as flexible with mods, though.

I'm happy with what I got right now, PC and console gaming both have their advantages and disadvantages.

 

[TRIFORCE89]

Consoles. I can buy one and know what to expect for like seven years. I have a guaranteed one-time fee level of quality.

On the PC, I'm outdated fast. I can't play everything at 100% quality. I have to pay to upgrade my machine.

Just, no. One box. One and done.

 

[Ω Ruby and α Sapphire]

I like both. They both have advantages and disadvantages, just like everything else in life.

I don't own a gaming PC yet, but I plan to build my own at the end of the year. I am really liking the idea of being able to use it for a variety of tasks, including gaming, video editing, web browsing and homework. I also love the steam sales (goodbye money) as well as being able to completely mod games like Skyrim. Also looking forward to the experience of building the PC itself, as I believe that computers are a crucial part of society and I will only be better off learning how one works. And of course playing games at 60fps 1080p on high settings will be a big step up from the experience I get from my PS3 now.

On the other hand, I really like the hassle free experience that you (almost always) are guaranteed with a console. Get it out of the box, plug it in a forget. I also like the fact that they much better to play with when you have friends over. And of course, especially on Nintendo consoles, there are so many great exclusives that I really don't wanna miss by limiting myself to just playing PC.

Overall, the PC appeals to me more, as I love the customisability and flexibility that lets the user have more control over the experience, as well as the many more uses it can perform. However these are completely just my preference, and I can totally understand why people prefer consoles. While I don't own a X1, PS4, Wii U or Gaming PC yet, I do plan to pick up a Wii U and build a PC. Can't wait for that day, it will be great.

 

[Alex]

It's a tough one. The advantage of console in my opinion is that they're typically found in a living room or environment that has a couch. My PC is always at a desk where I'm sitting at a desk chair. But consoles are often frame-locked and I don't have a history of playing on super high-def TVs. I played GTA V on an Xbox and old tube TV. Watching the minimap was really annoying. Any small artifacts like that are always the bane of my experience on consoles.

As a result, I prefer PC gaming. Not only do I have a level of control in the framerate area (last year I built myself a beast and can consistently get 60-120+ fps), the screen is less than a meter from my face so I see very clearly. Plus, games on Steam are generally cheaper and are on sale more often.

The only downside of PC is the lack of splitscreen multiplayer for most games. But that's easily solved by laptops nowadays.

 

[skyluigi2]

I definitely prefer consoles. And to be honest, I'm not entirely sure why. I still play quite a few games on my computer through Steam, but not as much as I play games on actual gaming consoles.

 

[Dustmop]

The only downside of PC is the lack of splitscreen multiplayer for most games. But that's easily solved by laptops nowadays.

And thank god! The days of hauling a ginormous, heavy tower with you to a LAN party are finally over now that we have fairly inexpensive mid-range laptops.

...Do people even still do those? {XD} I hope so; that'd be like watching the P&P genre die. We can't have that.

 

[Centipede Chan]

I like PC because I can get a lot more cheaper but the problem is not every computer will be built for an entire set of games like a console. But then again there's a lot more communication and multitasking that can be done on PC games that are on Steam.

Don't get me wrong I love my Nintendo consoles but I don't think I'll be seeing Half-Life 2 Wii U happening anytime soon.

 

[pkmin3033]

I've always preferred consoles. Once I buy a console, I'll get at least six or seven years out of it before I have to upgrade to the next one; upgrades come in the form of free system patches, and I have nothing to worry about, I know I'll always be up-to-date until the next one comes out. Even when the next one does come out, my current console won't be made immediately redundant, as games will be made for it 2-3 years afterwards, and it'll take a while for the next console to build up a gaming library. So really I'm looking at a 10 year lifespan at the least.

Keeping up with PC technology is ridiculously expensive and, for me, not really worth the cost. As long as the game runs properly, I don't care if it could look better on a high-spec PC; graphics don't make the game for me. PCs just don't have as long a lifespan and, when these things are getting more and more expensive, for me it's not worth the money I'd spend. Each of my laptops have lasted about 3 years, and if I wanted to start PC Gaming, I'd be looking at, at least, upgrades every other year if I wanted to keep up in all probability, and I just can't afford that. Consoles are horribly expensive, but it's one payment, and then I'm good for years.

Plus, I guess it's weird, but I don't like the idea of having all my proverbial eggs in one basket. I already spend more time on my laptop than is healthy, if I had all my games on it as well I'd probably never move out of my chair...and it'd probably wear the machine out quicker. I like a degree of separation, so consoles are the way to go for me. I might miss a few Steam sales, but...eh, I can do just fine without them.

 

[Dustmop]

Each of my laptops have lasted about 3 years, and if I wanted to start PC Gaming, I'd be looking at, at least, upgrades every other year if I wanted to keep up in all probability, and I just can't afford that. Consoles are horribly expensive, but it's one payment, and then I'm good for years.

As a disclaimer, I totally understand where you're coming from with your last part about keeping them separated...

I'd just like to point out that I built mine over two years ago, going on three now - the only upgrade since then has been the addition of a third hard drive, my parents got me a 3TB for Christmas - and it still runs all the newest and highest-requirement games on max settings. The only thing it probably couldn't run on max is Shadow of Mordor, but who actually bought a video card with 6GB of VRAM? That's insane.

If I were okay with your basic medium settings, I'd easily get several more years out of my current rig. Even as she is now, it could probably last me another couple of years on higher settings. Granted, I'm not lowering the settings any time soon because I have the option to upgrade -- but you don't really need new parts every couple of years. Especially if, like you said, you don't care as much about the highest quality textures.

And Steam sales are nothing compared to bundles. ;) Bundles take the change on top of the dryer and give you a handful of games in return. I think I have what they call an 'addiction.'

 

[Morkula]

I've tried to become a PC gamer, but I think in my heart I'll always be primarily a console gamer even if I do have a capable PC. I just much prefer being able to sit back on a couch/bed and play on a TV rather than be confined to a desk/chair/monitor.

I do love my PC though, and there are certain things I will only play on it.