Game Consoles

NEWLINEtvNEWLINEtv Posts: 5,420
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Hello,

I was wondering, are game consoles still important these days?

With a game console, the gamer is stuck with the hardware, i.e. can't upgrade much, unlike PC gamers who have the freedom (funds pending) to upgrade whenever they like.

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  • 2dshmuplover2dshmuplover Posts: 8,271
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    Well considering console games are what drives the videogame industry I'd say so, yes.

    Not upgrading much is a benefit imo not a negative since we can play the same games as PC gamers on 7 year old hardware and for a fraction of the cost. it's clear that consoles still have their worth, even at times like now where we are at the end of the current generation.

    Once the next gen consoles arrive PC gaming will also take a huge leap forward.
  • mojobrewmojobrew Posts: 1,608
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    Not upgrading much is a benefit imo

    Totally for me too, not having to worry about system specs is a massive plus for consoles.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,813
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    I know i'm stuck with a device that just keeps updating itself for free

    when i bought a PS3 it was BluRay player now it is a 3D BluRay player tell me more about how PCs update themselves in such a way for free
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,329
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    Well considering console games are what drives the videogame industry I'd say so, yes.

    Not upgrading much is a benefit imo not a negative since we can play the same games as PC gamers on 7 year old hardware and for a fraction of the cost. it's clear that consoles still have their worth, even at times like now where we are at the end of the current generation.

    Once the next gen consoles arrive PC gaming will also take a huge leap forward.

    Sums it up for me as well. Probably every console gamer too.
  • gavo360gavo360 Posts: 1,608
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    thomas2400 wrote: »
    I know i'm stuck with a device that just keeps updating itself for free

    when i bought a PS3 it was BluRay player now it is a 3D BluRay player tell me more about how PCs update themselves in such a way for free

    Especially when the device is 6-7 years old. What other electronic device that is 7 years old still gets supported and is still a joy to use. A 7 year old pc is a dog to use and I wouldn't want to be seen in public with a 7 year old mobile phone.lol
  • BinaryDadBinaryDad Posts: 3,988
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    NEWLINEtv wrote: »
    With a game console, the gamer is stuck with the hardware, i.e. can't upgrade much, unlike PC gamers who have the freedom (funds pending) to upgrade whenever they like.

    Making games for a fixed platform is a much easier, and less expensive than targeting something that is constantly changing and has an almost infinite number of configurations.

    Look at how the market for iPhone games is much larger and more prosperous than for Android. I mean, I love Android, but it must be a nightmare and a real profit drain supporting so many hardware and OS versions.

    There IS going to be a ceiling limit to what a console can do, but over a 5 to 6 year lifespan, that ceiling becomes pretty high as developers find out all the tips and tricks. In some cases, they never even get close to using all of the features

    So I think that they're still pretty relevant. If only because it sets a limit that a person has to spend on hardware, to get a good quality piece of entertainment.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 6,848
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    gavo360 wrote: »
    Especially when the device is 6-7 years old. What other electronic device that is 7 years old still gets supported and is still a joy to use. A 7 year old pc is a dog to use and I wouldn't want to be seen in public with a 7 year old mobile phone.lol

    Still getting good performance from a 10 year old PC, I used it at work for a year after my work PC blew up until they replaced it (small company been there for ever) and it was quicker than a PC 5 years newer, currently it is our second PC.

    Phone - nothing worng with older phones, they still work, not lile they are the large Motorola analogue ones which weigh a ton.
  • Matt DMatt D Posts: 13,153
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    What's your 10 year old PC like for playing games, though?
  • The_OneThe_One Posts: 2,402
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    Well considering console games are what drives the videogame industry I'd say so, yes.

    Not upgrading much is a benefit imo not a negative since we can play the same games as PC gamers on 7 year old hardware and for a fraction of the cost. it's clear that consoles still have their worth, even at times like now where we are at the end of the current generation.

    Once the next gen consoles arrive PC gaming will also take a huge leap forward.
    How will PC gaming take even a slight leap forward? After the PS3 and 360 became popular then PC gaming went downhill. Before the PS3 and 360 went online PC online gaming was an absolute blast. Now its kind of boring as most things of a new game have already been done over and over in a previous game and most of the games that are released cross-platform are dumbed down... sorry i mean balanced for the limitations imposed by the consoles. So yes because of that console gamers get to play the same games as PC gamers.

    Upgrading is a benefit as it helps make gaming more interesting. Its all fine when a console gamer upgrades to bigger memory or harddrive - when its done they always feel well happy for the upgrade, and dont forget a lot of people even go out and buy a whole new console of the same console just for some extra 1 or 2 USB ports or bigger harddrive. PC gamers get that tenfold by means of being able to totally customise every part of their machine. And because of this its like its a bad thing in the console gamers mind...you know when a console gamer upgrades slightly its such a wonderful thing! but not for PC gamers to do it who are ironically the ones seen as the elitists.
    PC gamer: "Hey ive upgraded such and such parts it cost me £X amount, its great!"
    ... its like in a round-about way console gamers see PC gamers as snobs, just because someone is even happier than before and can play better games or with better settings.

    When you're looking for a new home, usually you're looking for bigger or more rooms, a garage, a garden. Gaming is no different when going from a console to a PC and then later a better PC.
    Likewise if you're looking to get a brand new car you are always tempted to buy the add-on's until you realise how much extra it all costs (which makes PC gaming look utter dirt cheap which you even get more entertainment value out of a PC, and even a console).

    Point being: its more fun to be able to buy upgrades, figuring out which parts work best with what parts, it all adds to a deeper interest of an hobby, which you simply dont get much of with a console other than figuring out which console to go for or which one next, which is the be all and end of all to an interest with consoles.
    Upgrading something you physically own is even more fun than upgrading some virtual character or soldier - so PC gaming can be equally as fun before you even play the games.

    Just seems like console gamers put down the PC gaming setup just out of pure spite because they want everything for the cost of nothing and the console is the cheapest gaming method they can think of.
    They know games are better or can be potentially better than they already are on all platforms. If more people were into PC gaming then we would all be playing better games instead of being constantly bottlenecked by the "leading" consoles.

    Everything is getting more dumbed down because of the recession and people want to pay less and less for gaming, yet they still somehow consider all these so-called AAA titles as good games with the only explanation is due to these "old" consoles so the dev's dont have anything new to useto advance gaming further. Its not, its because its a classic case of "what you pay is what you get", end of.
  • NorfolkBoy1NorfolkBoy1 Posts: 4,109
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    I have little enough time as it is, I'd like to spend what time I do have playing games, not fiddling with this driver or that setting, or hunting round to find exactly the right parts at the right price.
  • CD93CD93 Posts: 13,939
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    The_One wrote: »
    They know games are better or can be potentially better than they already are on all platforms. If more people were into PC gaming then we would all be playing better games instead of being constantly bottlenecked by the "leading" consoles..

    This is the answer to your own question. Developers want the console market - and PC games are regularly hit by shoddy ports. So PC gaming will take a leap forward in the sense that there is the possibility for higher quality titles making the leap - if a PC specific version is not developed from scratch.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,784
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    NEWLINEtv wrote: »
    Hello,

    I was wondering, are game consoles still important these days?

    With a game console, the gamer is stuck with the hardware, i.e. can't upgrade much, unlike PC gamers who have the freedom (funds pending) to upgrade whenever they like.

    Exactly ! It's just so much easier on a console. Yeah consoles aren't as powerful at top end PC's but they alone can cost a fortune. No need to worry about specs on a console either. My bro in law has just spent a further £600 upgrading his PC so he can play the latest games at full speed and resolution, no thanks, i'd rather game on a console and not worry about that sort of thing.
  • Jimmy_McNultyJimmy_McNulty Posts: 11,378
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    Yeah who needs all that when you can have crappy textures, 30 fps max and 720p.

    PFT. These PC elitists, we've sure shown them!
  • BinaryDadBinaryDad Posts: 3,988
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    Yeah who needs all that when you can have crappy textures, 30 fps max and 720p.

    PFT. These PC elitists, we've sure shown them!

    What do you need more than 30fps for? And as for resolution and textures, it's more about how the pixels are rendered rather than the quantity.

    I'd rather have great games than tech demos.
  • fastest fingerfastest finger Posts: 12,862
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    Nintendo have just released a new console.....

    Sony have a new console on the way......

    Microsoft, a company traditionally involved in PCs have had massive success with consoles, with another one coming......

    Nvidia, who made their name in PC graphics chips are launching a new handheld console.......

    Valve, who have been in the PC market for years are releasing a "Steambox" console......

    The industry certainly seems to think that consoles are still important.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,813
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    Yeah who needs all that when you can have crappy textures, 30 fps max and 720p.

    PFT. These PC elitists, we've sure shown them!

    Movies run at about 24/25 frames i second don't they? i've never once been the cinema and thought the quality was shit because the game didn't run at 60fps, what is the obsession with games running at 60fps, he'll i bet if i showed you something running at 45fps and told you it was 60 you wouldn't be able to tell
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,784
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    Yeah who needs all that when you can have crappy textures, 30 fps max and 720p.

    PFT. These PC elitists, we've sure shown them!

    :yawn:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,784
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    Yeah who needs all that when you can have crappy textures, 30 fps max and 720p.

    PFT. These PC elitists, we've sure shown them!

    and while your'e pouring £/$ into upgrading your PC to run the latest games at max speed and resolution, we'll be spending ours on new games and playing them on our poor old consoles. Have a nice day :)
  • 2dshmuplover2dshmuplover Posts: 8,271
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    Never mind the large amount of console exclusive titles that will never come to PC... As for graphics, it's a relative thing, if you're used to 60 fps then 30 fps will seem choppy, but if you are accustomed to 30 fps then it will seem perfectly smooth enough for all game genres. Back in the N64 days I was used to 15-20 fps and never thought twice about it
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