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Jumping Through Hoops on Game and Player

Jumping Through Hoops

Ed Kirchgessner  //  May 9, 2010


Is PC gaming worth the hassle?

A

s I struggled with the installation of a particularly buggy PC game this morning, I was reminded of the "good old days" of PC gaming. Anyone who ever had to write a boot disk knows what I'm talking about — there's a lot to be said for the simplicity of firing up a gaming console and simply playing a game.

Despite all the frustrations, do you still game on PC? Do you think software and hardware manufacturers have done enough to make it an accessible platform for gaming?




Shockmanronin // May 9, 2010 // 1:00 AM

I've been PC gaming since the days of Commadore 64 and the Atari 800. I've played console since PONG. I have seen a ton changes over time. The more advancements the more current you need to stay current on software and hardware. Therefore more that can go wrong. Console is more accessible definitely. Nothing more simply than load a disk and play. PC get more complicated because all PC's are different. Does your rig meet system requirements ? Did the game install correctly ? That being said PC gaming drives the console to improve. Always the latest in software and hardware is on the PC. Voice over IP chat, Social UI, and Downloadable content have been on the PC long before console. Console is Catching up. Unfortunately Console is also getting plagued with problems PC has always had. Hackers !! Call me masochistic but PC is still my preferred choice.


Joseph Powell // May 9, 2010 // 3:45 AM

PC gaming, from my general experience, has two main crowds: hardcore and very casual.

The hardcore gamers know what they want to get out of their system and will either custom build it themselves, or if they don't have the know-how will buy a gaming rig or have one built. This (almost always) ensures the latest & greatest games will be able to play on their system. Retro games are a different story, though, but only a handful of us old fuddy-duddies like to bask in the nostalgia of classic adventure & RPG titles.

The casual crowd, on the other hand, doesn't really have to worry about their system specs. You can buy just about anything off the shelf at Wal*Mart or Best Buy and I guarantee it will run Diner Dash 2 and Plants vs. Zombies without a hiccup.


Mortar G. Boom // May 9, 2010 // 9:58 AM

I'm not what you call a "hardcore" pc gamer, but there are a few titles out there that I like to play on pc better than console. Namely, real time strategy games that never make it to console. What I end up doing is buying them when they come out, stop playing out of frustration that my pc can't run the graphics, then stuff them in a box until I upgrade pc and run them on the highest graphics setting without a hitch. Patience is a virtue! So what if I'm still playing Age of Mythology in 2010?


Michael Ubaldi // May 9, 2010 // 12:04 PM

The advantage of a console — proprietary hardware — ensures compatibility and a standard of performance, but in the extraordinary case of the Xbox 360, design defects place consumers in difficult situations. Online reviews (such as on NewEgg) tend to cull inferior PC components (which can be substituted easily anyway), while most innards will perform without issue for years.

Granted, the RROD is on my mind, but the third failure of my console has defined the item as electronics in the sense that it's disposable and only impracticably reparable. A PC, on the other hand, stands as a long-term appliance.


James Day // May 10, 2010 // 9:26 AM

Most PC developers now seem to be taking into account that games requiring high-end machines don't sell as well (Crysis for example).

We've seen a lot of high-profile games like The Sims 3 and World of Warcraft shoot for mediocre system requirements and/or have a range of scalable graphics settings to maximise the range of potential buyers.

So, its not as much as a hassle as it used to be. It helps that the technology isn't moving as fast any more either.


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