MSW Posted March 14, 2004 Posted March 14, 2004 Don't forget that console systems can be hooked up to large-screen TVs, 7.1 surround sound with the subwoovers so deep it makes your bones rattle. Most computers can't do that video cards with TV outputs are extreamly common and cheap now, as are 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound cards....course video cards operate at much higher resolutions then a typical TV (and gameing console) can handle...Moot point really as there are PC monitors and even projection systems that give HDTV a run for the money...not to mention that there are some fantastic sound cards out there, and of course nothing is stopping you from connecting your home theater reciever and speakers to your PC... Quote
JKeats Posted March 14, 2004 Posted March 14, 2004 I think the big point people have against PC gaming, other than the rare "no run" situations is the price tag. A Gamecube is a franklin ($100), a PS2 or X-Box is a Ben-and-a-half ($150) but a top of the line gaming PC can run you 2 to 3 bills ($2K-$3K) easy. Now that the home consoles are offering things like internet, online gaming, hard drives and such the line between a PC and a console is blurring. Unless you need a PC for working at home or school all most people do with them is burn music, look at boobie pictures on the internet and play games... the second the consoles start burning cd's we will have a revolution on our hands. Exactly right: I think home PC's are crossing the gap from merely being a workstaton into a piece of entertainment furniture. That said, I love playing music, looking at boobie pictures, and playing games on my comp. On-topic: Buy a PS2. As a casual gamer, you have a ginormous variety of games to choose from. Halo is not the only FPS out there, there are tons of good ones for the PS2. Plus, the games you buy now for PS2 you'll be able to play on the PS3. Graphics, console-specific games, meh. These type of things can be easily overlooked for the sheer variety of games available for the PS2. As Ben/Starsky said: Do it. Do it. DO IT. Quote
MSW Posted March 14, 2004 Posted March 14, 2004 Hmmm... you may think FPS games are the bomb... many do... but not a one has sold anywhere close to 1.4 million units in 2 days like GTA: Vice City did. Course if 1.4 million sheep jumped off a cliff in 2 days...guess that means they had good reason, and we should follow thier example by doing the same. Then again, I hate FPS...and have a strong dislike of most RPGs (Square has gone way, WAY downhill IMHO), not to mention finding that GTA:VC makes a good beer coster, but not a particularly good game Bangai O! Another one of my faves. The Dreamcast was truly an awesome console...just like the Saturn, it was just shunned by the masses. To true Some game marketing jargon, and my thoughtst: "Explore a huge game world!" - The developers couldn't think of anything for you to do so they padded the game with dull boring walking between long distances... "Do anything you want!" - I want to play Bangi-O and Robotron, but doubt this game will give me that option... "Over 50 hours of gameplay" - gameplay measured in units of time? what is this bizarro world or something? Even though Robotron is as repeditive as GTA:VC, it has no ending...so would it feature "infinate gameplay"? "FPS" - yet another clone of a clone of a clone "RPG" - if story is that important, then make a movie! "RTS" - Real Tedious Sh*t! "MMORPG" - as if the single player versions wern't bad enough. "solve puzzles" - like a rat in a maze! "realistic graphics, volence, weapons, etc." - if I wanted realisam, I wouldn't be looking at games Quote
Protoplast Posted March 14, 2004 Posted March 14, 2004 Just my IMHO: programmer skill outweighs system power, when it comes to graphics. Look at what happens when Square brings out a new game. It's nearly gauranteed to blow away all previous games on that system and "look like that more powerful system". And then you can have new games that look like they're running off a PSX, or my old 286...And yeesh--Ace Combat 4 still blows away all other PS2 flight games graphically, despite coming out a LONG time ago (in "game years"). It's all about how you USE the power. (Boy is that a cliche, but it applies) Squaresoft's best programming tricks are the overuse of FMV or pre-rendered graphics.. Not amazing consider my $50 DVD can also render FMV. Artistically Squaresoft has the best of any group in Japan at putting out well polished RPGs.. But the best graphics programming house is Team Ninja of Japan.. Ninja Gaiden, DOA series, and especially DOA: Volleyball blows all games visually. Ninja Gaiden, my pick of game of the year. Squaresoft had gameplay back in the days when the SNES was limited system spec but they had the gameplay.. now, they have PS2, the gameplay hasn't improved but the graphics without the use of FMV is just weak. Quote
Protoplast Posted March 14, 2004 Posted March 14, 2004 My old PC used to have tons of issues with games... but it was just that: old. I was kidding myself that I could play games like Vietcong and Tron 2.0 on my old P3 700 system with a crappy 32 meg graphics card. Crashes everywhere, lag, framerates that would make flash cards look like smooth action...Since I upgraded my new PC handles everything I throw at it with gusto. Outside of reloading Max Payne 1 and needing to DL a patch I have not had a single issue running any PC game I have bought lately... then again this has come at a steep price. I dumped a few bills (that is thousands to you non spreckenzie my slang) into this system. I think I could launch ICBMs with it and it has that nice government price tag to proove it. People said I could have bought a much cheaper system and gotten basically the same thing but meh, what do I know? I just wanted the home computer version of WOPR... sans dumbass voice that is. Anyway, add to this the fact that a good number of the new PC "mega hit" games are being streamlined for the exsisting market's hardware. Almost every game I see has the nVidia sticker of approval on it or a "runs like a cheeta with a ATI" sticker. Let's face it, unless you have some old soviet sub computer running an off-brand five year old graphics card you should not be having any problems running PC games... unless you have your new uber-system wired all weird... I think the big point people have against PC gaming, other than the rare "no run" situations is the price tag. A Gamecube is a franklin ($100), a PS2 or X-Box is a Ben-and-a-half ($150) but a top of the line gaming PC can run you 2 to 3 bills ($2K-$3K) easy. Now that the home consoles are offering things like internet, online gaming, hard drives and such the line between a PC and a console is blurring. Unless you need a PC for working at home or school all most people do with them is burn music, look at boobie pictures on the internet and play games... the second the consoles start burning cd's we will have a revolution on our hands. The only games left to play on PCs will be online RPGs, (I still think the PS2 FFXI HD pack is a waste of $$) turn-based+real-time strategy games, and then shooters. There are no arcade games, no fighting, console-platformers, and not many decent racing games. The PC gaming scene is left with hobbyist programming houses like id who still give a damn about PC hardware but still knows the cash cows are in console games. You can do 4096x4096 resolution in PC, but makes no difference the games usually has bugs, patches, and just issues that you have to wait for V1.x to fix or sometimes just completely not fixed in favor of next version. PC Gaming is just a hobby.. you must invest time into it to get best results.. Quote
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