Will consoles turn into PCs?

[SaiyanZ]

And what do upgrades cost every 2 years? Would R200-R300 per game be such a huge saving if you take the upgrade costs into account, or would you still be running at a loss? And how many purchases per year are we talking?

The PC upgrade argument is only half valid. People upgrade their PC's to to play new games at better resolutions and textures. The PS3 has old hardware and game developers can only fiddle with the code up to a certain extent to extract all they can out of the hardware. Fiddling too much also increases production costs as well which is one of the reasons why PS3 games are so expensive. So, PS3 games are limited in visual quality whilst PC games keep improving, so the PC gamer wants to see better visuals they'll need to upgrade every once in a while. If a PC gamer wants to play a game at the same quality and resolution as a PS3 game then he can use, say, a 9600GT with a cheap dual core. And that is 3 year old PC hardware.

Also, dont forget that most people already have PC's, so to purchase a new GPU every 2-3 years and a new CPU every 4-5 years is a small cost. But even building a new PC from scratch will work out cheaper until the PS4 is released.

The main benefit of the PS3 is the simpleness involved in operating it for the majority of the population who have no knowledge of PC hardware.

 

[Mineer]

I don't think the cross over will ever happen based on pure economics yes the consumer would like the their bread buttered on both side's no matter which side of the fence u sit on (pc or console) and any tech can see how easy it would to merge the 2 "really simple stuff" mostly because of USB ports and multiple applications you can use this technology with e.g. printers webcams mouse, keyboard u name it if your console has a usb port all this is possible all you need is an obliging OS on the console that will enable these devices to work.

but economics is what drives Microsoft, Sony, IBM, Intel etc...

consider this windows 7 cost just about the same as an Xbox arcade

 

[Smooth Criminal]

The PC upgrade argument is only half valid. People upgrade their PC's to to play new games at better resolutions and textures. The PS3 has old hardware and game developers can only fiddle with the code up to a certain extent to extract all they can out of the hardware. Fiddling too much also increases production costs as well which is one of the reasons why PS3 games are so expensive. So, PS3 games are limited in visual quality whilst PC games keep improving, so the PC gamer wants to see better visuals they'll need to upgrade every once in a while. If a PC gamer wants to play a game at the same quality and resolution as a PS3 game then he can use, say, a 9600GT with a cheap dual core. And that is 3 year old PC hardware.

Also, dont forget that most people already have PC's, so to purchase a new GPU every 2-3 years and a new CPU every 4-5 years is a small cost. But even building a new PC from scratch will work out cheaper until the PS4 is released.

The main benefit of the PS3 is the simpleness involved in operating it for the majority of the population who have no knowledge of PC hardware.

I doubt that a 9600GT will produce the same type of performance as a PS3 or 360.

I also think that it's a bit of a generalisation to assume that people who buy consoles have no knowledge of PC hardware. That certainly doesn't apply to me. I have several reasons for choosing a console. Firstly I don't find the upgrade process terribly interesting. Secondly I don't like having to constantly download large patches and go through the annoying DRM process just to play a game. Thirdly I like playing games in the comfort of my living room as opposed to on a desk (I know this might be possible with PCs too but it's not as simple nor as convenient). Fourthly I like the separability of keeping work separate from gaming - if one system breaks then at least I don't lose the functionality of both. Fifthly I like the standardisation - each game is guaranteed to work on all consoles. With PCs, if a game doesn't work then you have to troubleshoot a variety of things which can be very irritating especially when your time is valuable. Sixthly, games are typically released on consoles before PCs (unless they're games like like Diablo and Starcraft whose reputations were built on PCs). I've already finished Assassin's Creed 2 for example, while PC gamers are still waiting for it to be released next year.

I could go on and on, but for me consoles work. And I'm sure it's the same case with many other people. This whole console vs PC thing is dumb. Different platforms suit people differently. What might be convenient for one person may not be for somebody else, and each has pros and cons. One can only laugh at the retards who try to defend one over the other, as if their gaming needs is definitive and applies to everybody.

 

[SaiyanZ]

I doubt that a 9600GT will produce the same type of performance as a PS3 or 360.

I also think that it's a bit of a generalisation to assume that people who buy consoles have no knowledge of PC hardware. That certainly doesn't apply to me. I have several reasons for choosing a console. Firstly I don't find the upgrade process terribly interesting. Secondly I don't like having to constantly download large patches and go through the annoying DRM process just to play a game. Thirdly I like playing games in the comfort of my living room as opposed to on a desk (I know this might be possible with PCs too but it's not as simple nor as convenient). Fourthly I like the separability of keeping work separate from gaming - if one system breaks then at least I don't lose the functionality of both. Fifthly I like the standardisation - each game is guaranteed to work on all consoles. With PCs, if a game doesn't work then you have to troubleshoot a variety of things which can be very irritating especially when your time is valuable. Sixthly, games are typically released on consoles before PCs (unless they're games like like Diablo and Starcraft whose reputations were built on PCs). I've already finished Assassin's Creed 2 for example, while PC gamers are still waiting for it to be released next year.

I could go on and on, but for me consoles work. And I'm sure it's the same case with many other people. This whole console vs PC thing is dumb. Different platforms suit people differently. What might be convenient for one person may not be for somebody else, and each has pros and cons. One can only laugh at the retards who try to defend one over the other, as if their gaming needs is definitive and applies to everybody.

Most of your points are true apart from the patches/DRM comment. it takes maybe 1-2 minutes to authorise a game. Also patches are made for a reason, to fix issues such as balance, graphical bugs, etc in games. You dont have to download and install them if you dont want to. With the PS3 you're stuck with whatever you bought.

I'm probably one of the few percent of people that have their PC's permanently hooked up to the TV in the lounge. So I get the higher quality of the PC, plus the sociabilty of the PS3 when friends come over. One of the things that makes a PS3 more desirable to people is that it is more sociable, as in you're not locked up in the bedroom sitting at a table on a PC.

In the end though it's basically convenience versus quality. Most people who actually pay for the stuff will choose convenience.

 

[Tpex]

Smooth Criminal and SaiyanZ This is not a PC vs console thread, I stated that clearly at the start of this thread.
Please there are millions of threads devoted to console vs PC fight/arguments/flame-wars, I have made a few, I've join a few, but this is not one of them, so please keep to topic

 

[Tpex]

I don't think the cross over will ever happen based on pure economics yes the consumer would like the their bread buttered on both side's no matter which side of the fence u sit on (pc or console) and any tech can see how easy it would to merge the 2 "really simple stuff" mostly because of USB ports and multiple applications you can use this technology with e.g. printers webcams mouse, keyboard u name it if your console has a usb port all this is possible all you need is an obliging OS on the console that will enable these devices to work.

but economics is what drives Microsoft, Sony, IBM, Intel etc...

consider this windows 7 cost just about the same as an Xbox arcade

Too true

 

[Smooth Criminal]

Smooth Criminal and SaiyanZ This is not a PC vs console thread, I stated that clearly at the start of this thread.
Please there are millions of threads devoted to console vs PC fight/arguments/flame-wars, I have made a few, I've join a few, but this is not one of them, so please keep to topic

And did I not state that PC vs console arguments are dumb? And did you go off on a hissy fit against people on the first page going on about how l33t PCs are?

 

[Tpex]

And did I not state that PC vs console arguments are dumb? And did you go off on a hissy fit against people on the first page going on about how l33t PCs are?

I admit I'm biast in such an argument, but I didn't go off on a half page essay comparing them

 

[Smooth Criminal]

I admit I'm biast in such an argument, but I didn't go off on a half page essay comparing them

So you admit that you're biased, and then go off on a tangent like an emo little kid with anyone who disagrees. It may have been a half paged essay citing my reasons for owning a console and providing opposition for the many l33t PC users on the first page, but at least I arrived at a conclusion stating that these ongoing PC vs. console arguments are dumb. And I didn't end up looking like a hypocrite because "I'm biast".

If you don't want a discussion then don't start a thread and then moan about the posts in it. Otherwise goes start more "GayTechie is The Thread Killer!" and "Ban Rosaudio" type threads where you can expect the LOL type replies that you want.

 

[Tpex]

So you admit that you're biased, and then go off on a tangent like an emo little kid with anyone who disagrees. It may have been a half paged essay citing my reasons for owning a console and providing opposition for the many l33t PC users on the first page, but at least I arrived at a conclusion stating that these ongoing PC vs. console arguments are dumb. And I didn't end up looking like a hypocrite because "I'm biast".

If you don't want a discussion then don't start a thread and then moan about the posts in it. Otherwise goes start more "GayTechie is The Thread Killer!" and "Ban Rosaudio" type threads where you can expect the LOL type replies that you want.

1st Why the hostility? I simply asked you to keep to the topic?
2nd Your reasons are perfectly sensible and I agree with most of them, but what the hell has it got to do with this discussion? Yes I may have joined in too, I can't help it I'm human, but over all I have tried to ignore it.
3rd I was not moaning and why the hell can't I be random some time? that why its in off topic so people who don't like it don't have to see it,

I started this thread to see what people thought of this topic and so we could have a collected knowledge of what people think.

 

[Smooth Criminal]

1st Why the hostility? I simply asked you to keep to the topic?
2nd Your reasons are perfectly sensible and I agree with most of them, but what the hell has it got to do with this discussion? Yes I may have joined in too, I can't help it I'm human, but over all I have tried to ignore it.
3rd I was not moaning and why the hell can't I be random some time? that why its in off topic so people who don't like it don't have to see it,

I started this thread to see what people thought of this topic and so we could have a collected knowledge of what people think.

The hostility only exists because I don't appreciate people lecturing me from their high horse while admitting their own personal bias. Don't take it too hard, but if you want to ask people to stick to the topic then perhaps you should have made it known on the first page

 

[Tpex]

Oh sh** Now I feel like a right old twat, I thought I had, thanks

 

[CorneN]

CONSOLES SUK YO, PC FTW1111 WTF LOL

Yeah, I am biased (and drunk) (and I didnt read the whole thread) (and posting this just felt right)

Bite me console g**lords

 

[ponder]

OMG , this just turned into another pc vs console thread which it was not. Schools out

/Gets popcorn.

 

[CorneN]

Ofcourse it is a Console vs Pc thread!

Every once a while PC owners need to start threads like this o remind Consolers how inferiors their toys are. ;D

 

[Tpex]

Ofcourse it is a Console vs Pc thread!

Every once a while PC owners need to start threads like this o remind Consolers how inferiors their toys are. ;D

Its NOT!
Read the first post

 

[CorneN]

I know. Just screwing around.