Is PC Gaming worth it?

I haven't been around for a while (had to focus on girl and school), but now I am thinking of getting back in PC gaming.

I was chatting with some friends/people, and there general feeling was that console is better than PC Gaming cuz:

1) Cheeper - console = $300-600 - a really good PC Graphics Card can cost that much. Also, everytime a new PC game comes out - you gotta upgrade the graphics card and maybe other things, which makes it more expensive.

2) Can use a keyboard and mouse with some of the consoles, and most PC games have a console version.

3) Consoles are easier to learn and use, and not as scary as learning a PC game.

4) Consoles are in living rooms and more family oriented

Now, I don't agree with all these point, but some of them I do feel are real with some people.

Also, it seems like PC gaming doesn't seem to be as popular as it did a year or 2 ago.

Anyways, now it is off to see about a new graphics card...

yes pc gaming is worth it!! about every 6th months computer get outdated.. but if u buy like a $2,000 computer (best around) then u won't have to upgrade for a long time.. if u look hard enough u can make a good pc for 2,000.

there r the mods for games, pc games r more popular, people r still playing counter strike. thats been out for a long time, compared to a console game u won't find a lot of people playing it.

its fun to make a computer! buy the parts and put them together can be fun if u know what ur doing. u can always find guides on how to put together a computer.

yes pc gaming is worth it!! about every 6th months computer get outdated.. but if u buy like a $2,000 computer (best around) then u won't have to upgrade for a long time.. if u look hard enough u can make a good pc for 2,000.

there r the mods for games, pc games r more popular, people r still playing counter strike. thats been out for a long time, compared to a console game u won't find a lot of people playing it.

its fun to make a computer! buy the parts and put them together can be fun if u know what ur doing. u can always find guides on how to put together a computer.

iam2green

most stores dont sell gaming pc and when they do they make you pay alot extra.deadmeat59

no, look at this

http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=647050 - call of duty 4

http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=646589 - spore

http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=646911 - frontlines: fuel of war

http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=646828 -crysis

all good games that r worth 50: 49.99

1) Cheeper - console = $300-600 - a really good PC Graphics Card can cost that much. Also, everytime a new PC game comes out - you gotta upgrade the graphics card and maybe other things, which makes it more expensive.

2) Can use a keyboard and mouse with some of the consoles, and most PC games have a console version.

3) Consoles are easier to learn and use, and not as scary as learning a PC game.

4) Consoles are in living rooms and more family oriented

RipMaker3

if you have a good TV and sound system, and a comfy couch, then add a $350 console and don't look back...

buy a second $35 controller and invite a friend over... after that, PC gaming can feel like a kinda lonely experience...

For anyone who enjoys playing games like Crysis, The Witcher, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Company of Heroes, Team Fortress 2, Portal, Sins of a Solar Empire, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, World in Conflict, and Battlefield 2 among others.

...or who are anticipating the games like Spore, Starcraft 2, BioWare's Dragon Age, Half Life 2: Episode Three, Mafia 2, Empire Total War, Dreamfall Chapters, and Guild Wars 2 among others.

...or who enjoy getting free exclusive maps and updates for games such as Team Fortress 2.

...or enjoy mods like Garry's Mod and being able to create and download usermade maps and content for games like TF2, Portal, and Oblivion among others.

...or who enjoy being able to choose the lastest technology for gaming and if they want their games and hardware to have the latest tech features.

For people interested in the things mentioned above, PC gaming is definitely worth it.

If you are not interested in any of those games mentioned above or the developers behind them or any of the features mentioned above....then it's obviously not worth it for you.

Is PC Gaming worth it?RipMaker3

No, it's not. But Mac gaming is awesome.

1. I am not so sure anymore about the more expensive part. It depends a lot on if you feel the need to be on the bleeding edge and play games as soon as they come out. Gaming in general is not cheap anymore. Once you get all the little extra costs that come into buying something like an xbox360, you're way past the $300 range and, depending on what you get, might even start to approach the price of a new PC. In addition, I'd say that if you are someone who buys lots of games, you're going to spend a lot more on new games on consoles because PC games (on average) have a lot more life and gameplay to them, so there's a lot less turnover (buying fewer games).

2. I don't know anyone who uses a keyboard and mouse on their console, but the second part of this is a valid point because that is one thing that consoles have in their favor -- if you buy the console version of a game, you pretty much know for sure it's going to work (no unpleasant surprises with bringing a game home thinking it should work, only to find out it doesn't).

3. On average, I'd kind of agree. There are some games on the PC that take time to learn, and if you are not used to using the keyboard, it can take a while to get used to... and in my case, I've been playing PC for over 15 years and am still find myself struggling to manage the keyboard as much as most other PC vets. There are games on the consoles that are complex and tough to master as well though. Overall I wouldn't use the learning curve as a deterrent. Once you get used to it, it's fine -- at least in a single-player environment.

4. I know families that are centered around PC gaming but I'd agree with that too, I guess, especially in the case of the Wii. I know one family in particular who owns PC, 360, PS3, and Wii, but plays only Wii because all the members of the family, young and old, can play it and enjoy it.

I'm not sure I agree with PC gaming's declining popularity completely... I think consoles seem to be very popular of course, but the audience is there for PC games. Of course a large amount of the audience is wrapped up in only two games -- World of Warcraft and The Sims. But when you have one game (WoW) that claims to have the same amount of subscribers that's on all of XBox live (10 mil each if I'm not mistaken), I'd say there's definitely an audience. Your friends might not prefer PC, but there are lots of players out there.

I have never upgraded my computer for the sole purpose of playing a game, so I can't say for sure if it's worth it to be someone on the cutting edge who buys whatever components he/she needs when a game like Crysis comes out that a lot of computers can't run. But aside from that, I can say it's without a doubt worth it to be into PC gaming. Even if you can't play some of the new stuff, there's a nice library of older stuff that can be played cheaply -- cheap to buy and last for a long time with a lot of gameplay, especially if you're into multiplayer (and for some games you gotta be REEEEEALY good to go online and do well in multiplayer). I play console more simply for comfort reasons (I have a bad back and bad hands, plus I sit at a PC all day at work, so when I come home I often prefer to take a break from the PC), but I would say that my experiences with PC games have been in a lot of cases deeper, more complex, and more rewarding than the average console game. On top of it all, if you buy a new PC, it's not like it isn't going to be useful even if you don't like the games :)

Consoles have no sole they are to machnical no love goes into machine only the games while a pc can be built with love and care.Poshkidney

Aww isn't that sweet. :P

Now first things first. I definately think PC gaming is worth it personally because there are a ton of great games you can play on it.

When it comes to cost both PC and consoles can be as expensive or as cheap as you want it to be since you don't have to be on the cutting edge of either. You can get a pretty cheap PC to play many older games just fine or you can get a previous generation console to play many of those older games. You can also stay on the cutting edge of either and you will pay more money to do so. Consoles are still ultimately cheaper because the manufacturers typically sell them at a loss at first and they are machines that stay stagnant for their lifecycle which is their drawback and benefit. They also have some sacrifices in their components. A 3Ghz multi-core CPU in a console is not the same as a 3Ghz multi-core CPU for a PC. Also if your building a PC from the ground up you'll need everything from a power Supply to an Operating System and an OS can run you up a pretty good chunk of change. PC's can be constantly upgraded and improved in many different areas as the consumer sees fit so if you want to stay on the cutting edge there then you will be paying more. However you don't have to since the games are flexible enough to run pretty good on numerous settings.

When it comes to complexity consoles, while not absolutely problem free, are definately easier. If you can hook up and run a DVD player to your TV then you can hook up and run a console. This isn't a knock to PC gaming though and shouldn't be looked at as such it's simply the way it is. Consoles were designed to primarily run games where PCs are made to run a multitude of different programs. For someone who doesn't know an AGP slot from a PCI slot trying to build their own PC can be a pretty daunting task with the sea of different components to choose from and how they'll interact with each other. They'll either have to become knowledgeable about such things or get someone who is to help them out. They'll also have to become knowledgeable about various software aspects and how things can both improve and impede PC performance.

Ultimately the descision lies with the individual on what games you want to play, what performance at which the game runs is satisfactory to you, and how much your willing or able to spend to achieve what you want or expect from your gaming.

if i hear one more console n00b saying that you have to upgrade for every new game, then i dont know what to do!

i mean you never upgrade for 1 specific game, and u dont have to upgrade all the time, so if u have a 8800gtx card then u wont need upgrade again 2008 "at least" sure there will be better cards released but 8800gtx is still a strong card!

if i hear one more console n00b saying that you have to upgrade for every new game, then i dont know what to do!

i mean you never upgrade for 1 specific game, and u dont have to upgrade all the time, so if u have a 8800gtx card then u wont need upgrade again 2008 "at least" sure there will be better cards released but 8800gtx is still a strong card!

[QUOTE="RipMaker3"] Is PC Gaming worth it?Black_Knight_00

No, it's not. But Mac gaming is awesome.

oh no he didnt ..

[QUOTE="deadmeat59"] most stores dont sell gaming pc and when they do they make you pay alot extra.iam2green

no, look at this

http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=647050 - call of duty 4

http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=646589 - spore

http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=646911 - frontlines: fuel of war

http://www.ebgames.com/product.asp?product%5Fid=646828 -crysis

all good games that r worth 50: 49.99

I think deadmeat was talking about stores not selling the actual PCs (the hardware); of course stores would have PC games, but not that many sell complete gaming PCs.

if i hear one more console n00b saying that you have to upgrade for every new game, then i dont know what to do!

i mean you never upgrade for 1 specific game, and u dont have to upgrade all the time, so if u have a 8800gtx card then u wont need upgrade again 2008 "at least" sure there will be better cards released but 8800gtx is still a strong card!

Foreward66

One game may want us to upgrade but we don't upgrade for just one game we upgrade for games of the future in fact we get better quality out of games really than the consoles.

Lets use a game to paint a picture take kane and lynch a bit murky on the consoles but sparkling on pc or bioshock the same thing just that bit of power and a monitor with higher resolutions than those "HD TVs".

if you are upgrading like most console fanboy think upgrading is you need your head examined we upgrade when we need to we don't change graphics cards every six months we change when we need two like every so many years my 88 gt is good for tree years if i'm good with messing with settings.

Of Course.for me,i got a decent pc to play all the shooters and consequently eliminate the need to buy a xbox and oh wii is so childish.so i will get a ps3 with the release of mgs4.

1) Misconception. PC gaming is as expensive as you make it. If you have a PC built around 2000-2003 you can play games from around that time. Specifically... System Shock 2, Deus Ex, Half Life, StarCraft, Age of Empires II, Call of Duty, Delta Force, etc, etc. You do not have to buy a top-of-the-line rig in order to play games.

Do these people allocate a budget for consoles to support the "required" HDTV to get the "full" experience as well as all the "required" peripherals? Do they mention that PC games (many start even lower) start out at $50 and drop quicker over time?

2) Not really. Most console games are built around the gamepad. With PC you can use whatever type of control you want. Keyboard + Mouse, 360 Gamepad, Sixaxis, Wiimote + Nunchuk, Gravis Gamepad, Joystick, Flight Sim Pod... whatever plugs into a USB port or connects wirelessly can be used by a PC and majority of the time, can be made to work with most games.

3) In order to understand all the functions of a console, you have to read the manual, and manuals these days are getting quite thick. For the PC, you can browse one of the many hundreds of message boards and online FAQ's to get all the answers to any problem that might arise. Let us also not forget all the connectivity problems people have when trying to figure out whether or not their TV is composite, component, DVI or HDMI and whether or not their Wireless router is capable of supporting Wifi.

4) A PC can just as easily hook up to your living room TV as a console can. It all depends on how much effort you are willing to put into moving the case from desk to TV. And family orientated is meaningless to a gamer who doesn't want to game with their family.

As for it being unpopular, the PC Gaming Alliance has reported that there are 263 million PC gamers online as of GDC 2008. That is exponentially greater than both Xbox Live and PSN combined. Don't listen to your friends, they are obviously not informing you with facts, only misconception and hearsay.foxhound_fox

Foxhound - thanx for putting some thought into this - I do agree with some of your points for sure.

[QUOTE="Black_Knight_00"]

[QUOTE="RipMaker3"] Is PC Gaming worth it?--Quadkillz--

No, it's not. But Mac gaming is awesome.

oh no he didnt ..

lol, don't worry, that was irony: there's like 4 games in total on the Mac :lol:

For me it has to be PC all the way. For starters, PC has a far greater range of games. If it's a rich RPG world to an in-depth strategy game to a quick blast of FPS fun to the point and click adventure and the thrill of pretending you are a sporting hero PC has it all. The console however falls far short in some of these areas, namely RPGs and strategy games.

Secondly there is the matter of mods. Sure you can download extra content on the consoles but it doesn't come close to what the PC modding community can do.

Then there is the joy of building your own rig. Because PC gaming isn't just about the games - it is truly a hobby. Just ask my long suffering partner of the past 4 years.

I do own consoles though. The Wii gets a bit of a work out when I get the BBQ going of a weekend. Set the Tv and Wii up out in the garden area with a few Extra Dry's and its party time, something you can never do with the PC. As for the PS3 if it wasn't for Guitar Hero 3(another party game, but this one isn't going out the back) my total gaming time on it could be counted on two hands.

In the end it is a useless argument. It is a matter of preference. Yet as sure as the sun will rise in the morning somebody, sometime, someplace will post the question - what is better PCs or consoles.

I use my computer for a lot of other stuff, and the extra money I spent to make it play games ($300 gpu + $100 RAM) was certainly worth hours of BF2, WC3, Medieval 2, Crysis, and many other games. I'm gonna be spending another $400 or so on upgrades soon, but since I can already play Crysis it's only because I have extra cash, not because I need to upgrade to keep playing.