Let's squash this myth that PC gaming isnt much more expensive than consoles.

[QUOTE="locopatho"][QUOTE="WhenCicadasCry"]

I could build a computer for £200 that could run Mass Effect 2 at 720p.

WhenCicadasCry

Here ya go. HD5570 Benchmarks. That's a £60 card.

[QUOTE="locopatho"][QUOTE="Filthybastrd"]

And why not? Because it's not in favour of consolites?

you need a TV just like you need a monitor and you guys do seem to have some kind of PC in your houses. And why is an SDTV from 1998 good enough while you apparantly need a 500$ Monitor before your PC will even load?

Gaming PC's are as expensive as you make them and certainly not more expensive than consoles over fx 5 years if you're settling for console level graphics.

Filthybastrd

Fine with me.

A PC capable of gaming will always be initially more expensive than a console but everything else about them are not. A very high end PC may also remain more expensive but depending on how many games you buy and what services you subscribe to it's likely to actually end up cheaper for non enthusiasts.

PC gaming is both more expensive and cheaper dependiing on you. And it will always be cheaper if you aim for console level quality.

its really not though... you will never find a PC gamer that has kept an up do date gaming rig since 2000 that hasnt spent multiple thousands of dollars. Its simply not possible. Not even in terms of maxing games, just being able to play them.

[QUOTE="locopatho"][QUOTE="WhenCicadasCry"]

I could build a computer for £200 that could run Mass Effect 2 at 720p.

WhenCicadasCry

Here ya go. HD5570 Benchmarks. That's a £60 card.

200 post thread over and under, PC gaming is more expensive than console gaming...

ProjectNatalFan

[QUOTE="markinthedark"]

[QUOTE="WhenCicadasCry"]

Lets see. Console + 1 controller at launch = average of £300. Plus a second controller for "teh splitscreenz", and 2 games, that's another £150.

Total of £450.

My current PC (from 2008 ) with 2 games (Crysis and The Witcher) = £490.

PC gaming is cheaper for me because I use the same PC for school / college work. :)

WhenCicadasCry

didnt you say you have bought 4 PCs over the past 10 years all in that price range?

surely one of those old guys can still run the necessary apps for school :P

Yeah, but can they run Crysis? :P

and the truth comes out.

[QUOTE="ProjectNatalFan"]

200 post thread over and under, PC gaming is more expensive than console gaming...

AzatiS

I'm sorry but I cannot enjoy console games with out owning a Sony 52" LED HDTV and bring my friends over to show of my awesome TV. my $1500 PC is much cheaper.

[QUOTE="WhenCicadasCry"]

[QUOTE="locopatho"] Super for you. I can't.locopatho

Here ya go. HD5570 Benchmarks. That's a £60 card.

Plus the graphics card, so that's about £230. Not sure if I missed anything.

[QUOTE="WhenCicadasCry"]

[QUOTE="locopatho"] Super for you. I can't.o0squishy0o

Here ya go. HD5570 Benchmarks. That's a £60 card.

We're talking about Mass Effect 2, not Crysis.

[QUOTE="o0squishy0o"][QUOTE="WhenCicadasCry"]

Here ya go. HD5570 Benchmarks. That's a £60 card.

WhenCicadasCry

We're talking about Mass Effect 2, not Crysis.

I'm sorry but I cannot enjoy console games with out owning a Sony 52" LED HDTV and bring my friends over to show of my awesome TV. my $1500 PC is much cheaper.

hd5870corei7

Just because you can't doesn't mean everyone can't. I've played my 360 on a 21" PC monitor for about a year, it's fine.

I really disagree with always cheaper than a console. Getting a 360 with Mass Effect 2 is cheaper than getting a PC with Mass Effect 2. I don't see how that's an argument.o0squishy0o

Me: "I could build a computer for £200 that could run Mass Effect 2 at 720p. "

" Locopatho : Super for you. I can't."

Simply proving this wrong. :P

since i dont feel like doing a bunch of math to calculate the exchange rates for all the funny money numbers being thrown around here... ill just yield that maybe outside of the US its cheaper to game on PCs (though im highly skeptical)

but in the US, its historically far more expensive to maintain a current PC rig, than own a current console.

[QUOTE="Bunj84"]

My xbox with 5 year old tech, can play every xbox game maxed out. ( yes, I understand that 720p isnt as good as what a new PC can do, but this is a valid point)

My 3 year old PC cannot play every single PC game maxed out. And most games on medium or low settings DO look worse than 720p console graphics.

Filthybastrd

Your 5 year old xbox can't play anything maxed out.

And what specs does your 3 year old rig have? Are you sure it's not a case of bad judgement on your part when you bought it?

Maxed out as far as the xbox goes (720p), and if you re-read my post, thats the point I was making. Surely Halo 3 and Gears 2 are maxed out because they arent available on any other system.

Off the top of my head i don't know what hardware my PC is. I don't really care to follow PC hardware like i used to and I only really play Civ4 and football manager these days.

PC gaming is a bit more expensive, but I am willing to pay for the best.millerlight89

[QUOTE="locopatho"][QUOTE="WhenCicadasCry"]

Here ya go. HD5570 Benchmarks. That's a £60 card.

WhenCicadasCry

Plus the graphics card, so that's about £230. Not sure if I missed anything.

[QUOTE="WhenCicadasCry"]

[QUOTE="locopatho"] And what about everything else I'd need to play it. locopatho

Plus the graphics card, so that's about £230. Not sure if I missed anything.

Unless you lack basic lingual abilities like following instructions, then I can't see why you wouldn't be able to.

These are more complex then building a PC. :P

This thread is a huge fail lol.

1) If someone spent £450 on the launch price for a ps3, and someone spent the same amount on a computer, the computer would be more powerful

2) You do not have to upgrade your computer everytime a new graphics card is released, especially if you are running your games at the same settings as a ps3 (probably medium settings, 1280x720)

3) For someone that bought a £450 gaming pc at the same time as ps3/xbox release dates, they wouldn't have to upgrade it as it will still run every game today on 'console level graphical settings'

4) PC games are generally cheaper than console games, especially online

5) It doesn't cost PC gamers anything to play online, xbox users however have to pay for that, PS3 gamers excluded

6) With all of this said I have concluded PC gaming is not more expensive than console gaming, but could in fact be CHEAPER!

7) EVERYONE needs a PC, so why not spend an extra £200 and get a powerful rig, every console gamer has to add the price of their computer in order to make this comparison fair. Which would probably equate to £600-£700 if not more

8) Don't argue with me because everything I said is a fact and people with common sense would agree with me

CASE CLOSED

And I disagree that assuming I pay 4 times as much for games as I do is "fair". That's silly.locopatho

I have no problem including all of these factors, but if we lay down the facts you'd really wish that I hadn't, because it's only going to widen the gap between consoles and PC. Me sticking only to full-price games was a courtesy towards the consoles, to show good faith.

If you think I'm wrong, you can set our own terms for a comparison and include whatever you like. I am quite confident that the end result will be the same. Are you (or anyone else who thinks the same) as confident in your belief? If so, prove it.

Let me see in 12 years i build my self 2 pc's Each costed me about 1000euros The first one got a 300euro's upgrades The second one has yet to be upgraded since i build it in 2007 has a Q6600 and a 8800gt and still runs most games on high settings That said let me ask you a simple question. How many new games you bought for consoles in 12years? With the average price of console games being 10-20 euros you can imagine how much i saved those 12 years on the nearly 200 games i bought Also you get to have a pc regardless of consoles you know for your normal pc needs. So add the cost of that Also how about the $50 a year for online play on Xbox How about the overpriced accesories consoles have? All in all you buy a good Pc for 2-3 times the price of a console but you buy games $10-20 cheaper and face it Pc has a better value since you know it will be used for alot more than just gamingadamosmaki

console games and PC games cost the same up until this gen if i recall correctly. And with all the preorder gift cards i get for buying console games, and the fact that i tend to trade in games i dont forsee playing again... i probably spend quite a bit less on average per console game than per PC game.

then again, this is in the US... i dunno how things fair in europe.

[QUOTE="locopatho"]And I disagree that assuming I pay 4 times as much for games as I do is "fair". That's silly.alexandros1313

I have no problem including all of these factors, but if we lay down the facts you'd really wish that I hadn't, because it's only going to widen the gap between consoles and PC. Me sticking only to full-price games was a courtesy towards the consoles, to show good faith.

If you think I'm wrong, you can set our own terms for a comparison and include whatever you like. I am quite confident that the end result will be the same. Are you (or anyone else who thinks the same) as confident in your belief? If so, prove it.

Someone should show him that steam Deal when mirror's edge was 5euros or when left4dead was 10euros not long after it was released. Heck today on D2D StarWars force unleashed is 5euros ( not that i suggest anyone should play that game but whatever ).

Also F12010 is 40euros preorder on steam and on consoles is 60euros and i'm not even gonna talk about the huge summer sale steam had a while back

[QUOTE="locopatho"]And I disagree that assuming I pay 4 times as much for games as I do is "fair". That's silly.alexandros1313

I have no problem including all of these factors, but if we lay down the facts you'd really wish that I hadn't, because it's only going to widen the gap between consoles and PC. Me sticking only to full-price games was a courtesy towards the consoles, to show good faith.

If you think I'm wrong, you can set our own terms for a comparison and include whatever you like. I am quite confident that the end result will be the same. Are you (or anyone else who thinks the same) as confident in your belief? If so, prove it.

My friend pre ordered red dead redemption for $60.

Got a $20 gift card for pre ordering it.

Sold his in game pre order bonus on ebay for $10.

Beat the game within a month, then sold it back through amazon trade in for $35.

He bought and completed a brand new console console game and made $5 profit in the process.

console games can be quite cheap... or in some cases... profitable!

Someone should show him that steam Deal when mirror's edge was 5euros or when left4dead was 10euros not long after it was released. Heck today on D2D StarWars force unleashed is 5euros ( not that i suggest anyone should play that game but whatever ).

Also F12010 is 40euros preorder on steam and on consoles is 60euros and i'm not even gonna talk about the huge summer sale steam had a while back

adamosmaki

Exactly. If we include this stuff, console gaming will prove to be much more expensive than PC gaming.

PC gaming is a little bit more expensive, but not to the point that many people exagerate it to. For me though, the gains for the extra money are way more than a console gives you for the money.

[QUOTE="alexandros1313"]

And I disagree that assuming I pay 4 times as much for games as I do is "fair". That's silly.locopatho

I have no problem including all of these factors, but if we lay down the facts you'd really wish that I hadn't, because it's only going to widen the gap between consoles and PC. Me sticking only to full-price games was a courtesy towards the consoles, to show good faith.

If you think I'm wrong, you can set our own terms for a comparison and include whatever you like. I am quite confident that the end result will be the same. Are you (or anyone else who thinks the same) as confident in your belief? If so, prove it.

My friend pre ordered red dead redemption for $60.

Got a $20 gift card for pre ordering it.

Sold his in game pre order bonus on ebay for $10.

Beat the game within a month, then sold it back through amazon trade in for $35.

He bought and completed a brand new console console game and made $5 profit in the process.

console games can be quite cheap... or in some cases... profitable!

[QUOTE="markinthedark"]

[QUOTE="alexandros1313"]

I have no problem including all of these factors, but if we lay down the facts you'd really wish that I hadn't, because it's only going to widen the gap between consoles and PC. Me sticking only to full-price games was a courtesy towards the consoles, to show good faith.

If you think I'm wrong, you can set our own terms for a comparison and include whatever you like. I am quite confident that the end result will be the same. Are you (or anyone else who thinks the same) as confident in your belief? If so, prove it.

capitalism25

My friend pre ordered red dead redemption for $60.

Got a $20 gift card for pre ordering it.

Sold his in game pre order bonus on ebay for $10.

Beat the game within a month, then sold it back through amazon trade in for $35.

He bought and completed a brand new console console game and made $5 profit in the process.

console games can be quite cheap... or in some cases... profitable!

Uhm, you mean like the ones that are also on console games?

[QUOTE="capitalism25"][QUOTE="markinthedark"]

My friend pre ordered red dead redemption for $60.

Got a $20 gift card for pre ordering it.

Sold his in game pre order bonus on ebay for $10.

Beat the game within a month, then sold it back through amazon trade in for $35.

He bought and completed a brand new console console game and made $5 profit in the process.

console games can be quite cheap... or in some cases... profitable!

waltefmoney

Uhm, you mean like the ones that are also on console games?

I bought bad company 2 for 60 bucks on release day... played it for 5 months, then sold it for $30.

so it actually only cost me $30... not that much more... and i was able to play it on day 1.

[QUOTE="waltefmoney"]

[QUOTE="capitalism25"] I remember buying a Bad Company 2 game for like $25 PC version.Its not fake.PC gaming can also be profitable, but in a harder way...like gaming competitions..markinthedark

Uhm, you mean like the ones that are also on console games?

I bought bad company 2 for 60 bucks on release day... played it for 5 months, then sold it for $30.

so it actually only cost me $30... not that much more... and i was able to play it on day 1.

Yeah, but you sold it. So you don't have it anymore. :roll: What happened to the digital distrubtion argument. "But I want to keep my games in a hardcopy for my collection!!". :roll:

[QUOTE="capitalism25"][QUOTE="markinthedark"]

My friend pre ordered red dead redemption for $60.

Got a $20 gift card for pre ordering it.

Sold his in game pre order bonus on ebay for $10.

Beat the game within a month, then sold it back through amazon trade in for $35.

He bought and completed a brand new console console game and made $5 profit in the process.

console games can be quite cheap... or in some cases... profitable!

Uhm, you mean like the ones that are also on console games?

[QUOTE="markinthedark"]

[QUOTE="waltefmoney"]

Uhm, you mean like the ones that are also on console games?

I bought bad company 2 for 60 bucks on release day... played it for 5 months, then sold it for $30.

so it actually only cost me $30... not that much more... and i was able to play it on day 1.

Yeah, but you sold it. So you don't have it anymore. :roll: What happened to the digital distrubtion argument. "But I want to keep my games in a hardcopy for my collection!!". :roll:

[QUOTE="markinthedark"]

[QUOTE="waltefmoney"]

Uhm, you mean like the ones that are also on console games?

WhenCicadasCry

I bought bad company 2 for 60 bucks on release day... played it for 5 months, then sold it for $30.

so it actually only cost me $30... not that much more... and i was able to play it on day 1.

Yeah, but you sold it. So you don't have it anymore. :roll: What happened to the digital distrubtion argument. "But I want to keep my games in a hardcopy for my collection!!". :roll:

yea i sold it because i never wanted to play it again.

Thats the reason i dont like DRM. I cant sell my used games... and me and my friends borrow each other's games. There are many games i completed for $0 because i just borrowed them from a friend.

EDIT: and still many more games i completed with a $5 rental. The only games you really need to buy at full price are the ones you plan on playing for years to come... those tend to be rare gems. And ones that do fit in that category like Halo reach, comes with a $20 gift certificate if you preorder it. On the flipside Starcraft 2 cost me a full 60 bucks, and ill never recoup a dime of that money.

[QUOTE="Filthybastrd"]

[QUOTE="Bunj84"]

My xbox with 5 year old tech, can play every xbox game maxed out. ( yes, I understand that 720p isnt as good as what a new PC can do, but this is a valid point)

My 3 year old PC cannot play every single PC game maxed out. And most games on medium or low settings DO look worse than 720p console graphics.

Bunj84

Your 5 year old xbox can't play anything maxed out.

And what specs does your 3 year old rig have? Are you sure it's not a case of bad judgement on your part when you bought it?

Maxed out as far as the xbox goes (720p), and if you re-read my post, thats the point I was making. Surely Halo 3 and Gears 2 are maxed out because they arent available on any other system.

Off the top of my head i don't know what hardware my PC is. I don't really care to follow PC hardware like i used to and I only really play Civ4 and football manager these days.

You can't max anything on the 360 because you can't change the settings and it's hardly a good comparison when you don't even know what PC you have.

But if we were to compare, use something like ME2 since it's a multiplat. Unless you were ripped off, you'll be able to play it at medium, 720p on your 3 year old PC which is probably the closest you get to "maxing it out" on your 360.

I'd say that one of the true cons of PC gaming is that you're liable to get ripped off if you don't know what you're talking about.

Edit: And giving me rough estimates of what kind of rig you have takes all of 15 seconds... Right clicking "Computer" and choosing "properties" + checking out your gfx options for type of gfx card is'nt hard.

All this talk looks like they're going mostly in circles.

I'll just narrate my experience......

I assembled my previous PC in summer of 2005.

Athlon64 X2 4200+

2gb PC3200 DDR RAM

200gb hard drive

ATI Radeon 256mb X800XL, PCI-E, ViVo

Samsung CRT 17" monitor with a gaming res of 1152x864 @ 85hz or 1280x960 @ 72 hz.

That PC remained unchanged until 2008 when I replaced the X800XL with a $65 XFX 512mb 8600GT. Most games up to that point ran okay. I didn't have Crysis at the time because the fanbois scared me away from it. Oblivion ran fine at High 1152x864 although I preferred running it at 1024x768. Most other games with the exception of FSX were less demanding.

[QUOTE="markinthedark"]

[QUOTE="waltefmoney"]

Uhm, you mean like the ones that are also on console games?

WhenCicadasCry

I bought bad company 2 for 60 bucks on release day... played it for 5 months, then sold it for $30.

so it actually only cost me $30... not that much more... and i was able to play it on day 1.

Yeah, but you sold it. So you don't have it anymore. :roll: What happened to the digital distrubtion argument. "But I want to keep my games in a hardcopy for my collection!!". :roll:

Uhm, you mean like the ones that are also on console games?

waltefmoney

Killswitch engaged.

Your puny console games cannot do this kind of competition.

Don't even try to compare the two lol.

Well, you get what you pay for, and this definitely holds true when it comes to the price/performance ratio of PCs versus consoles.

Sure, my GPU alone cost me a bit more than the entire PS3 did, but it also renders games at well above twice the resolution of said console while also maintaining a smoother framerate.

[QUOTE="alexandros1313"]

[QUOTE="WilliamRLBaker"]

if I purchase a computer tomorow for 500-1000 dollars that I don't build my self, am I guranteed in the next year or 2 years to be able to play all the latest games at highest settings?

lucfonzy

Assuming that you buy a good system with the money (ie a PC with a good graphics card), then yes, you are guaranteed to play all the latest games at very high settings for a period of three years. I won't say highest, because highest console settings and highest PC settings are two totally different things.

Now, let's say that, hypothetically, you want to compare PC cost with console cost. The console side will be represented by a Xbox Elite with a Xbox Live Gold subscription. I'm taking an average of 10 games a year. Now obviously there are other factors that can be used for each side (budget games, second hand, steam deals, free games) but I'm keeping them out in order to have a fair comparison.Let's see:

Gaming cost for a three-year period

600$ PC

Initial cost: 600$

10 games every year, 50$ each: 1500$

Online: Free

Total cost: 2100$

Xbox 360 Elite

Initial cost: 250$

10 games every year, 60$ each: 1800$

Online: 50$ each year: 150$

Total cost: 2200$

So here it is. Console gaming is more expensive than PC gaming.

Try The True Cost of Console Ownership in 2009 for more fun facts. $1900 if you own all three and accessories. This doesn't include an HDTV when bought for the enjoyment of gaming or audio equipment for said purposes.

pc gaming could be alot cheaper for most pc gamers, but they dont go for the cheapest solution, they go for the best they can justify buying.

Let me see in 12 years i build my self 2 pc's Each costed me about 1000euros The first one got a 300euro's upgrades The second one has yet to be upgraded since i build it in 2007 has a Q6600 and a 8800gt and still runs most games on high settings That said let me ask you a simple question. How many new games you bought for consoles in 12years? With the average price of console games being 10-20 euros you can imagine how much i saved those 12 years on the nearly 200 games i bought Also you get to have a pc regardless of consoles you know for your normal pc needs. So add the cost of that Also how about the $50 a year for online play on Xbox How about the overpriced accesories consoles have? All in all you buy a good Pc for 2-3 times the price of a console but you buy games $10-20 cheaper and face it Pc has a better value since you know it will be used for alot more than just gamingadamosmaki

[QUOTE="lucfonzy"][QUOTE="alexandros1313"]

Assuming that you buy a good system with the money (ie a PC with a good graphics card), then yes, you are guaranteed to play all the latest games at very high settings for a period of three years. I won't say highest, because highest console settings and highest PC settings are two totally different things.

Now, let's say that, hypothetically, you want to compare PC cost with console cost. The console side will be represented by a Xbox Elite with a Xbox Live Gold subscription. I'm taking an average of 10 games a year. Now obviously there are other factors that can be used for each side (budget games, second hand, steam deals, free games) but I'm keeping them out in order to have a fair comparison.Let's see:

Gaming cost for a three-year period

600$ PC

Initial cost: 600$

10 games every year, 50$ each: 1500$

Online: Free

Total cost: 2100$

Xbox 360 Elite

Initial cost: 250$

10 games every year, 60$ each: 1800$

Online: 50$ each year: 150$

Total cost: 2200$

So here it is. Console gaming is more expensive than PC gaming.

WhiteKnight77

Try The True Cost of Console Ownership in 2009 for more fun facts. $1900 if you own all three and accessories. This doesn't include an HDTV when bought for the enjoyment of gaming or audio equipment for said purposes.

does that mean the true cost of PC gaming is always having top of the line hardware? and buying every new upgrade that comes out?

are we comparing the maximum cost of PC gaming and console gaming now?

[QUOTE="WhiteKnight77"]

[QUOTE="lucfonzy"] Dude, you always make such good use of the facts! I love you :)markinthedark

Try The True Cost of Console Ownership in 2009 for more fun facts. $1900 if you own all three and accessories. This doesn't include an HDTV when bought for the enjoyment of gaming or audio equipment for said purposes.

does that mean the true cost of PC gaming is always having top of the line hardware? and buying every new upgrade that comes out?

are we comparing the maximum cost of PC gaming and console gaming now?

I'm sorry but I cannot enjoy console games with out owning a Sony 52" LED HDTV and bring my friends over to show of my awesome TV. my $1500 PC is much cheaper.

hd5870corei7

I find it quite funny that the TC wanted to squash the "myth" of cheap PC gaming and, in the end, what happened was the exact opposite. :)

[QUOTE="markinthedark"]

[QUOTE="WhiteKnight77"]

Try The True Cost of Console Ownership in 2009 for more fun facts. $1900 if you own all three and accessories. This doesn't include an HDTV when bought for the enjoyment of gaming or audio equipment for said purposes.

TerrorRizzing

does that mean the true cost of PC gaming is always having top of the line hardware? and buying every new upgrade that comes out?

are we comparing the maximum cost of PC gaming and console gaming now?

who buys a PC every few years that doesnt play games? what would be the point?

[QUOTE="Bunj84"]

[QUOTE="Filthybastrd"]

Your 5 year old xbox can't play anything maxed out.

And what specs does your 3 year old rig have? Are you sure it's not a case of bad judgement on your part when you bought it?

Filthybastrd

Maxed out as far as the xbox goes (720p), and if you re-read my post, thats the point I was making. Surely Halo 3 and Gears 2 are maxed out because they arent available on any other system.

Off the top of my head i don't know what hardware my PC is. I don't really care to follow PC hardware like i used to and I only really play Civ4 and football manager these days.

You can't max anything on the 360 because you can't change the settings and it's hardly a good comparison when you don't even know what PC you have.

But if we were to compare, use something like ME2 since it's a multiplat. Unless you were ripped off, you'll be able to play it at medium, 720p on your 3 year old PC which is probably the closest you get to "maxing it out" on your 360.

I'd say that one of the true cons of PC gaming is that you're liable to get ripped off if you don't know what you're talking about.

Edit: And giving me rough estimates of what kind of rig you have takes all of 15 seconds... Right clicking "Computer" and choosing "properties" + checking out your gfx options for type of gfx card is'nt hard.

I am aware of that, but I dont usually game while im at work on my work computer ;)