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| Which do you prefer for gaming? |
| PC |
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76% |
[ 16 ] |
| Console |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Play both equally |
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23% |
[ 5 ] |
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| Total Votes : 21 |
Sly Boots
Eager Tradesman
Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Posts: 30
Location: United States |
Okay, so it's a question as old and cliched as the hills, but it seems like it's been a little while since there was a decent little poll and some opinions on it. I'm not looking for definitive answers (ain't gonna happen, and that's only flame bait!) but just curious what you all think.
Personally, I have to go with PC. I recently tried to make the transition to Playstation 2, mostly because it's a lot cheaper than maintaining a decent PC gaming system - but I just couldn't get into it. With the exception of Zelda and Grandia II (which I happened to play on PC), I guess I just prefer Western, computer RPGs. Every Japanese RPG I've tried since Grandia II has felt like the exact same experience. PC games, RPG and otherwise, feel more diverse and immersive.
That's just me. What about you?
_________________
"We'll go back in time to that mystic land
Where the dew drops cry and the cats meow
I will take you there"
- Spinal Tap's Stonehenge |
Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:11 am |
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X-dANGEr
Unknown Destiny
Joined: 16 Jun 2004
Posts: 2383
Location: The X place |
PC, just a very better performance, can be used for a lot of things and has the best games. And really, I have my PC for 2 years now and only needed to upgrade RAM to 512MB. Of course consoles has some nice 'catch' games.. Few jewels on the rough road.. And I think that depends on the person, if he's ready to pay xxx of money to get to play a couple of nice games.
Edit: And I doubt any people would see a console better than a PC.
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Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:04 pm |
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txa1265
Magister of the Light
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 390
Location: Marlborough, MA USA |
... and I'm sure that we'll get replies representative of the real world here 
_________________
Dopelar effect (n.) The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
Check out my blog. |
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Wed Nov 23, 2005 4:25 pm |
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Sly Boots
Eager Tradesman
Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Posts: 30
Location: United States |
quote:
Originally posted by X-dANGEr
And I doubt any people would see a console better than a PC.
At the same time, I can see why someone WOULD prefer a console. I mean, consoles are so easy to use and stable, their games are generally more mainstream, and you can rent the games from a local video store .... It's really a different experience, in a way.
Another interesting thing I've noticed is the age of console vs PC gamers: generally, PC gamers seem to be older, usually adults. There seems to be a greater proportion of children and teens playing consoles. This is just a general trend, and there are many exceptions in both camps. And I have NO statistical evidence to back this up, but merely an observation through friends, family, and work (at a video store that rents out video games).
BTW, good blog, txa. I like your writing and topics of choice.
_________________
"We'll go back in time to that mystic land
Where the dew drops cry and the cats meow
I will take you there"
- Spinal Tap's Stonehenge |
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Wed Nov 23, 2005 9:29 pm |
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Dhruin
Stranger In A Strange Land
Joined: 20 May 2002
Posts: 1825
Location: Sydney, Australia |
For me, it's pretty simple. I mainly play western-RPG (surprise!), with a sprinking of the better shooters and the occasional fantasy TB-strategy. I don't like the style or gameplay of J-RPGs.
So, I would happily buy a console as soon as any one of them produces some games of interest to me. I'm not going to hold my breath.
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Editor @ RPGDot |
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Wed Nov 23, 2005 11:17 pm |
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piln
High Emperor
Joined: 22 May 2003
Posts: 906
Location: Leeds, UK |
I play all kinds of games and I'm not really bothered what platform they appear on - it's great having diverse tastes, but the downside is there'll always, eventually, be a game I want that is exclusive to one console or requires a beefy PC. And you know what that means: £££££££!!!!!!! 
I agree with most folks that the RPG scenes of the console and PC worlds are too very different things. And while I generally prefer the western style associated with the PC, I have found both console and PC RPGs to be largely derivative and uninteresting for quite some time now.
The vast majority of console JRPGs do nothing for me (I've played ChronoTrigger and FFVII, and they were great, but the endless regurgitation of the same conventions is cynical and tiresome) - however, the Zelda games are always fantastic (Ocarina Of Time being one of the most impeccably-designed games ever made, of any genre or platform). Also, I find I get RPG-like feelings from games that aren't RPGs in the traditional sense (certainly not the Japanese tradition) - Shenmue 1 & 2 were unforgettable experiences, among the best and most memorable in all my gaming years, and satisfied me in the manner I would expect from a good western-style free-roaming RPG.
On PC, I find the vast majority of RPGs to be just as formulaic and bogged-down by blind convention as JRPGs. I am sick to death of seeing the same Tolkeinesque fantasy with the same save-the-world-from-Ultimate-Evil story and the same uninvolving hidden-dice-roll mechanics again and again. And let's face it folks, that's what we get nearly every time. I know some of you are happy with that, but I'm not, so I'm always glad to see something a bit different. Arx Fatalis and Gothic brought some welcome diversions recently, and I'm looking forward to Dark Messiah and the (hopefully) improved gameplay of the next Elder Scrolls game to do the same. Again, games that aren't necessarily considered RPGs often sate my role-player cravings most effectively: Deus Ex, System Shock, even Thief (it may not be a role-playing game, but no role-playing game lets me role-play a thief better than Thief! See?  ).
Aside from RPGs, I would consider my gaming landscape desolate and far from complete without fascinating and wonderful games like Ico, Magic Pengel, Katamari Damacy, Shadow Of The Colossus, and the director's cut first-person version of Fatal Frame II (I never thought an Xbox game would scare me even more than System Shock 2 - I was wrong - amazing game). They're every bit as essential to me as my most-loved PC games (Ultima Underworld, Planescape:Torment, etc.) so I'm afraid I have to be greedy and have ALL the platforms!!!  |
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Thu Nov 24, 2005 3:49 am |
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Arma
Mysterious Lady
Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 1230
Location: in the middle of hell |
A correct answer would be that both have their strenghts and their failures. While I have mostly considered myself a PC gamer type, being interested in good (western) CRPGs and the occasional strategy title, mainly fantasy and preferably turn-based by a well known series (you know what I mean) these day most games in both cathegories are either one of these : 1) crap 2)with way too high sys requirements for me to play. Most often they are both with the occasional exception of a good indie RPG or it being too buggy to play in addition to any of the previos 2.
While on the Console scene 1) I don't have to worry about sys requirements 2)developers for console try to get their games bug free since right now making patches for them is way too hard 3) they are something I haven't played yet so most of the stuff someone who's been playing them for years would find boring and crap would be like playing Baldur's Gate 2 again when I did't think it was crap 4) there is a whole lot greater variety of other games I might accidentaly be inclined to play given that a console has a way easier controls for them like action adventures for one thing, which may come out with a PC version but are 1) crap 2) buggy 3) for normal play with keyboard and/or mouse I would have to A) an octopus or B) have 8 hands anyway anyhow or something like that.
Example - I recently tried out a few GBA games on by pure chance and I found them among some of the best things I have ever played. In case someone is wondering, I am speaking about Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Fire Emblem/FE: The Sacred Stones. I know someone may say that they indeed are crap, and they may for a given fact really be crap, that GBA is a kiddy console, underpowered, etc. But it's a fact - they were something new to me, and therefore, I found them among the best things I have ever played. |
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Thu Nov 24, 2005 4:18 am |
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Jaz
Late Night Spook
Joined: 20 Jan 2002
Posts: 9708
Location: RPGDot |
I'm with piln here (as so often )... I'm trying to get the best out of both worlds. For me, the platform doesn't matter - it's the game that counts, and luckily I like games from all genres and all types.
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Jaz |
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Thu Nov 24, 2005 5:55 am |
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Amelia
City Guard
Joined: 18 Jun 2004
Posts: 141
Location: Ong's Hat, New Jersey |
Ultimately I prefer PC because of the game selectiion and the control, but I've been playing lots of traditional turn based RPGs on console for some time now.
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The real secret of magick is that the world is made of words. And that if you know the words that the world is made of, you can make of it whatever you wish. -Terence Mckenna |
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Fri Nov 25, 2005 9:45 am |
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cptmaxon
High Emperor
Joined: 19 Jun 2003
Posts: 557
Location: Israel |
PC frankly I think mainstream games are well for kids, I like the more mature games, and those usually are only aviable on pc, furthermore a pc is usefull for more then gaming, so pc wins every time 
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"We're still flying"
"it's not much"
"It's enough" |
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Fri Nov 25, 2005 5:09 pm |
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Davo
City Guard
Joined: 03 Sep 2002
Posts: 146
Location: Massachusetts, USA |
I agree with Piln and Jaz. For the record, I would describe myself as 75% console and 25% PC. Why do I prefer consoles? My wife and I are both working at home, so we tend to need the PCs for work. Also, I really enjoy the kinds of games I see on consoles. I guess the most important factor for me is ease of use. I detest tinkering with the settings on my PC or cracking it open to upgrade RAM, videocards, etc. I like plug and play. I like the PC because I can play certain types of games either not available on consoles or not suitable for console gamepads (RTS games, some turn-based strategy games, Western-style RPGs and certain FPS games
On the console side, I've been playing Shadow of the Colossus and can think of no other word to describe it as accurately as breath-taking. The controls and the camera are a tad flawed, but they do nothing to diminish the beauty of this game. Fatal Frame II is another good example offered up by Piln. It's the first game I've ever played that I could not play alone at night because it's so damned scary. I've also just put 50-plus hours into Zelda: The Minish cap on the GBA, and it's one of the best games I've played this year. It nails the fun-factor.
On the PC-side, I've been playing Ultima 9, because I finally got it to run on a PC I own. I've also been fostering a love-hate relationship with RHEM 2, a sort of puzzle/adventure game. And, I just picked up Gothic 2 Gold and Spellforce Platinum. Now all I need is 300 free hours to complete both.
I think the whole, "Which is better, PC or Console?" question is ridiculous. Neither is better. The right question, and I believe the one asked here is, "Which do you prefer?" Saying a console is inferior to a PC because a PC can do more says nothing about whether one is "better" than the other. They're two different things. A console purports only to be a living room-centric gaming device with some additional functionality for entertainment (music, movies, etc.). Console manufacturers may blather about how a new console will redefine the gaming world (remember the PS2's "Emotion Engine" marketing blitz?), but that's a load of marketing crap transparent to anyone with minimal brain functionality. A PC purports to be a multi-functional tool for use in gaming, business, finance, writing, and on and on. That doesn't make it "better" than a console. It makes it different. Is a car better than a bicycle? It depends on your needs and desires and preferences. I understand that a Mercedes Benz is a better car than a Hyundai, but that's a valid comparison because they're both cars. Consoles only play games (and maybe movies and music). PCs do much more, and are therefore very different than consoles.
Now I shall get down off my soapbox and be quiet.
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Apologize, v.i. To lay the foundation for a future offense.
Backbite, v.t. To speak of a man as you find him when he can't find you.
-- Ambrose Bierce, from The Devil's Dictionary. |
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Mon Dec 05, 2005 8:28 pm |
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RPG Frog
Blade Runner
Joined: 02 Jan 2004
Posts: 748
Location: the Matrix |
Both.
I play 70% Consoles and 30% PC.
For PC I am interested in these upcoming games...
Spore
Gothic3
Dragon Age
Dark Messiah
Hellgate London
For Consoles...
Oblivion
Bioshock
Mass Effect Trilogy
Too Human Trilogy
Ninja Gaiden 2
Halo3
Blue Dragon
Lost Odyssey
Shadowrun
Kingdom Under Fire:Circle of Doom
Ninety Nine Nights
Armored Core 4
Tenchu
Enchant Arm
Forza2
I've always thought consoles suck at RTS. But EA is attempting to port their newest Lord of the Rings RTS to 360. We shall see, we shall see!!!
Davo, Shadow of Collossus is a cool game. It has really grown on me. I rented it....and now I just want to play it some more. It's has a very unique focus and atmosphere.
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Between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities…there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars…Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand…to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandaled feet. - Robert E. Howard |
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Fri Jan 13, 2006 10:55 pm |
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Danicek
The Old One
Joined: 15 Dec 2001
Posts: 5922
Location: Czech Republic |
We have pretty much PC audience here, so the temp vote results are not surprise.
I also prefer PC. |
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Mon Jan 16, 2006 8:02 am |
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Role-Player
Village Dweller
Joined: 10 Aug 2004
Posts: 11
Location: Lisbon, Portugal |
Although my first gaming platfom ever was a Sinclair ZX Spectrum, I mainly grew up with consoles and for some time they were my prefered platform. I went from a trusty old NES to a Super NES and a Genesis (both complete with a Super Gameboy and 32x accessories, respectively). Eventually I wound up moving on to a Playstation, but at some point in time most of the games then just started boring me to tears, especially japanese console RPGs. At the same time we got a computer, and that was when my PC gaming kicked in. I sold the PSX and have been since then a PC gamer. Only recently did I return to consoles, trough a Gamecube, but I still play more on my PC than on consoles.
But PC games and their control method, plus console emulation, really turn the PC into my prefered gaming platform; although obviously each one has their flaws and merits (too many and too obvious to mention them), I just enjoy videogames regardless of platform and the PC allows me to play a whole lot of them. The reason consoles are still somewhat appealing for me, and something to invest, is due to the existence of console exclusives.
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My Writing (Portuguese)
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Tue Jan 24, 2006 12:01 pm |
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