The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Console for a PC gamer...
Aquitaine
Registered User new member
Registered User new member
After many years of refusing to indulge in any console gaming (my last one was the SNES!) and sticking to strictly PC gaming, I've decided to bite the bullet and pick up one next-gen console.
I'm not trying to figure out "which is the best console" or start a flame war. I'm trying to figure out which is the best console for me and I'm hoping those of you who know more about console gaming than I do (read: anything) can point me in the right direction.
Basically, I have a great PC gaming setup and anything that will come out on PC I'd prefer to play there. My initial impression is that this makes the 360 less of a contender, since there seems to be more of a possibility that 360 games will also be made for the PC, based on the un-scientific poll I just conducted on the contents of my sphincter. Is there any truth to this statement?
I don't care about blu-ray or HD-DVD so those are a wash.
Backwards compatibility for some PS2 games I've inherited over the last few years (but rarely played - no PS2!) is a nice perk, though one that seems to be going away with the loss of the emotion engine on the 80GB model. I'd also just as soon not pay $600. $500 I can kindasorta justify.
As for the type of games: RPGs, strategy, the occasional fighting & racing game. Don't care about shooters as much and don't care about playing online (not much interest though I've never done it, so I suppose it could be such a cathartic experience that I'd change my tune).
If the topic of "console for a PC gamer" has been covered in detail elsewhere, by all means point me to it and save yourself the trouble of regurgitating (metaphorically or otherwise) though I wasn't able to find much on it through some clumsy googling.
Thanks in advance for the insightful, well-intentioned, informed, unbiased opinions that I am sure I will shortly read. God bless the Internet!
Cheers,
Aq
EDIT: I didn't mention the Wii not because I don't think it deserves consideration, but because if my apartment got one, it'd be more of a community thing (as the Wii seems intended to be) and not something that'll live near my desk.
I'm not trying to figure out "which is the best console" or start a flame war. I'm trying to figure out which is the best console for me and I'm hoping those of you who know more about console gaming than I do (read: anything) can point me in the right direction.
Basically, I have a great PC gaming setup and anything that will come out on PC I'd prefer to play there. My initial impression is that this makes the 360 less of a contender, since there seems to be more of a possibility that 360 games will also be made for the PC, based on the un-scientific poll I just conducted on the contents of my sphincter. Is there any truth to this statement?
I don't care about blu-ray or HD-DVD so those are a wash.
Backwards compatibility for some PS2 games I've inherited over the last few years (but rarely played - no PS2!) is a nice perk, though one that seems to be going away with the loss of the emotion engine on the 80GB model. I'd also just as soon not pay $600. $500 I can kindasorta justify.
As for the type of games: RPGs, strategy, the occasional fighting & racing game. Don't care about shooters as much and don't care about playing online (not much interest though I've never done it, so I suppose it could be such a cathartic experience that I'd change my tune).
If the topic of "console for a PC gamer" has been covered in detail elsewhere, by all means point me to it and save yourself the trouble of regurgitating (metaphorically or otherwise) though I wasn't able to find much on it through some clumsy googling.
Thanks in advance for the insightful, well-intentioned, informed, unbiased opinions that I am sure I will shortly read. God bless the Internet!
Cheers,
Aq
EDIT: I didn't mention the Wii not because I don't think it deserves consideration, but because if my apartment got one, it'd be more of a community thing (as the Wii seems intended to be) and not something that'll live near my desk.
Aquitaine on
0
Posts
As you say, Xbox 360 library is very similar to the PC library, so if you have a decent spec PC, the 360 offers the least compared to the alternative.
I don't think the PS3 is worth it at $500, especially since some of the hot up an coming games are also on PC.
Wii + PS2 will cost less than a PS3, you get to play the PS2 games you already own, plus a massive library of (now very cheap) classics you have missed out on as a PC exclusive gamer.
Then on the Wii, you get the unique experience of the Wii, and 2 generations of superb quality Nintendo software available to buy, as well as the VC for downloading older games.
Best bang for your buck imo.
You're probably right in avoiding the 360. pretty Much everything on it seems to be getting either a simultaneous PC or PS3 release, unless you care about Halo 3.
The PS3...
On the one hand, can run PS2 games. Can't run all of them, but the PS2 does have an amazing, amazing libary, particularly for RPGs, fighters and survival horror.
That said, the PS3 itself doesn't yet have many interesting games, and is doing fairly poorly. I would't put bets on it attracting an awful lot of exclusives except those from Sony themselves- and whatever Ueda (the Ico and Shadow of the Colossus guy) does next aside, Sony exclusives, while sometimes decent, aren't really enough to sell the console on their own.
Mind you, stuff like RE5, GTA4 and DMC4 will still hit the PS3, but they'll probably hit PC as well.
Getting a PS2, however, might be worth your while.
The Wii, judging by sales figures, is probably going places. Since you say you're not interested in shooters, which rules Metroid out, it doesn't have that much out right now, but this should have dramatically shanged in 6 months time. On the RPG front, I'd say Crystal Chronicles 2 is worth watching very carefully.
Plus, it'd give you access to the Gamecube library, which I've been finding something of a plus.
So.. yeah. I'd say the Wii will probably wind up being your best bet. Probably. I'm hoping the control system will cause strategy and adventure games to fit much better on it than they have on soles in the past.
Nothing's forgotten, nothing is ever forgotten
So, why exactly do you want to pick up a console all of a sudden? That would help determine which one's right for you. I mean, considering you don't care about HD-DVD/Blu-Ray and that you're still going to game on the PC, the Wii's really the only thing that'll get you much that a PC won't, and even then they're not exactly RPGs and strategy games.
Also, if you decide you don't like it, you can probably sell it on ebay with virtually no loss, it's in such high demand.
The downside is you can't easily plug it into a computer monitor. VDigi makes a Wii VGA cable but it doesn't work with every game.
I was in much the same boat about two and a half years ago and decided to get a Gamecube. Best decision I made that semester; I'll tell you. I later got a PS2, of course, but moving away from only playing games on the PC was a big, important step.
While the 360 does have a good number of games that aren't on PC, many of its major titles are, so you're probably best to avoid it.
The PS3 is just too damned expensive for what it is, especially if you don't want a Blu-Ray player.
The Wii would be good in addition to the PS2. It's best suited as a communal experience (Wii Sports obv, but also other party games), so I'd only get it as a second system, with the PS2 as the solo-experience box.
- Final Fantasy XYZ (non-MMO)
- Romance of the Three Kingdoms 39 (or whatever they're on now)
- (possibly) Metal Gear - I think I played one for the PC and it was pretty terrible though it was also a bad port. But I fondly remember the old Metal Gear games for the NES/SNES
- Mass Effect ... but it'll come out for the PC.
- Soul Caliber (seems to come out for everything)
- Haven't played Metroid since the NES - I like shooters with a decent story (i.e. Bioshock) but have no idea what Metroids or Castlevanias of today are like
"no console" is also a valid option. I don't know much about the Wii but perhaps I should!
I'm a little surprised by the Wii recommendations, but they make sense. Certainly beats paying $500.
I need to get myself a damned Wii sometime soon.
Really, either the Wii or the PS2 would be a good option here, especially since you never had a Gamecube, so there's a huge back catalog on either. The PS2 has a larger library right now; the Wii will certainly be more "future-proof", in PC terms. Up to you.
The Wii (and the DS for that matter) is the furthest thing you can get from PC gaming, so that's why it's showing up. If you want the other end of the spectrum, Nintendo is the way to go.
Actually, the more that I think about it, the Wii does have enough single player stuff to compliment your PC gaming and serve its communal role as well. Stuff like RE4, Metroid, Trauma Centre, Paper Mario and Twilight Princess (though I didn't care for the last two, lots of people here do). Plus all the old Virtual Console stuff. So maybe it's worth a bit more research.
EDIT: and the Gamecube backwards compatibility is another plus for the Wii. Play a bunch of good titles that you missed, like Zelda: Wind Waker, Eternal Darkness, the first two Metroid Primes, Beyond Good and Evil, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, and many more that I'm forgetting.
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
You can get one for $400 if you apply for the Sony Credit Card with $100 credit and free shipping. The 60 Gb model has the Emotion Engine chip which gives you more backward compatibility with your PS2 games. In fact, that's all I use it for gaming-wise except for downloading free demos. Warhawk might change my tune, though.
This is gonna sound stupid, but here goes. What I'm really looking forward to is getting Unreal Tournament 3 for it so I can use a keyboard and mouse on a console. I love the controller for third-person games, driving, and platformers, but it doesn't go for FPSes. So I'd like to try an FPS with the controls I'm used to, but on a network where everyone has the same hardware, operating system, and configuration limits.
I thought that the PS3 version UT3 plays against PC version users online?
There are plenty of games that do head to the PC from the 360, but there are enough titles that won't, at least for a long while (particularly Mass Effect for me), to make it worth it.
That said, my tastes do skew away from what most people here have. I tend to hate Japanese made games but for a few exceptions.
On the other hand though, the PS3 has alot of a really good games coming out as well like besides some of the multi platform games I listed above like MGS 4, White Knight, FF13, and some other games which names escape me. Then there is the huge library of PS2 games with great games that are, for the most part, $20 and under. The only real drawback is that you don't have a huge amount of good PS3 games at the moment besides games like Motorstorm, Warhawk, and Resistance, so you'll most likely be using it as mainly a PS2 system for a few months.
Then there's the Wii, which has a fun multiplayer component. It's in the same boat as the PS3 in the way that it doesn't have many great titles out at the moment, sans MP3 and Zelda, but has some really good games coming out like Mario Galaxy, SSB:B, and Mario Kart, the later two bound to have near timeless multiplayer fun.
"Everyone who is capable of logical thought should be able to see why you shouldn't sell lifetime subscriptions to an MMO. Cell phone companies and drug dealers don't offer lifetime subscriptions either, guess why?" - Mugaaz
Unconfirmed. It was mentioned on a Gamespot blog, but I haven't seen that elsewhere so I suspect the author may have been misled. The exact quote:
"As revealed at Sony's press conference at the E3 Media & Business Summit, Unreal Tournament 3 is coming out this year for the PC and PS3 only. It will allow cross-platform play between the two platforms, which will be greatly enhanced by the inclusion of keyboard/mouse support."
But hey, if it's true, that's fine with me, too. I might even go so far as to buy DX10 games for the PS3 in order to hold off buying Vista, if they go cross-platform.
Since my primary use for my PC is RPGs and Strategy Games, which aren't really about graphics, I'm pretty much counting on not needing to upgrade my PC for some time.
If I had a perfectly excellent computer, that could play Fallout 3, I would get a Wii. It's cheap, it's going to have at least one game your friends will want to play with you, and it has several really entertaining games out, if you're willing to accept some shortness or occasionally gimmicky controls. Metroid Prime 3 is supposed to be excellent, Zelda: TP has gotten some damn good reviews from friends of mine, Smash Bros looks to be excellent, Super Mario Galaxy looks cool... So there are available and soon-to-come games that look like a good purchase.
Also, Trauma Center is awesome if one other person acts as a nurse, and everyone else in the room screams at the doctor about saving the patient or that he just had one more week on the force. So far it is my favorite multiplayer game.
I would say, however, that the one thing the 360 has over a personal computer is that if you live with other gamers, you can share a bit easier. It means my roommate's shitty computer won't stop him from enjoying a game that is nifty in multiplayer, and I can share it easier for singleplayer games without worrying about people going through my "private folder" full of "just school stuff" and "hardcore pornography".
This is gospel...exactly what I have done, am pretty much a PC gamer, but the Wii is intresting enough to get some games that I cant play elsewhere and when there is a PC Gaming drought in progress...
But that's neither here nor there.
In the end it's all about the entertainment derived from said system.
I would go around to some game sites and check out reviews and such on current and upcoming games then go with which ever system has the most games you're interested in.
I personally would recommend a 360. However I am biased as fuck.
Just a side note but Assassin's Creed is launching on PC as well as 360. And just buying the 360 pad for the PC and investing in a decent monitor setup does a lot to aleviate console need.
Personally, last gen I had a GC and don't regret it, but being stuck with low-res again... and I'm still not impressed at all by the titles announced (besides the obvious Mario Galaxy - F-Zero WiiX where the fuck are you?). The lure of Soul Calibur IV is hard to resist, and with XBLA titles (allegidly) coming to Windows Live the PSNetwork looks pretty tempting. The PS3 does seem to have that edge of exclusivity about a lot of it's games that the 360 definitely lacks.
The Soul still Burns.
Aside from the N64 and the Genesis, they each ended up going completely unused because I was always called back to the PC with its far superior gameplay (with some exceptions, FFVII, I love you).
But then I got my Xbox 360 Elite, and the thought of going back to the frequent hell that can be PC gaming (bugs, crashes, headache inducing mulitplayer server finders, no good way to get your friends together) is almost too much for me to care about. It is only because a couple people I have always played PC games with still only play the PC that I go back.
XBox Live is about the best thing ever made for the gaming crowd. It really is. Regardless of if it costs money or not (and its easy to find for uber cheap, I just bought a 13 month card from Buy.com for 28 bucks), its worth every penny.
No more searching for game patches, your friends are right there in the buddy list and you can join them at any time, instant game demos, access to movies (even Hi-def), TV shows, and the badass Live Arcade.
You really can't go wrong. The 360 is the first console I have owned that I don't see myself getting bored with anytime soon. I still have a lot of games to finish and love every minute while doing it.
So from one long time PC gamer to another, try the 360, I bet you will love it.
If former, X360, as others have said.
If latter, Wii/PS2/DS. Take your pick.
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
Okay.... I've got a question sir.
PCs the best bet for RPGs?? Are you serious? What the hell games have I been missing? I've been an avid PC gamer for as long as I can tell... And I know for a fact that the RPGs on the PC are getting worse and worse over time. And MMO games aren't RPGs at all, in my opinion.
I'll give you strategy games (how people play them on a controller is beyond me).
Western-style RPG's (Oblivion, KOTR) typically get released on PC + console.
Japanese RPG's are typically console-only.
The only console I bought last generation was the GC, and I still have a pretty sizeable backlog to get through on it. I need to beat Metroid Prime at some point, but those stupid shithead ghost guys near the ice cannon make me quit everytime I turn it on.
I say wait for the Wii to get some more titles you really want to play, or take a look at the GC library and ask yourself if you think you might like to play some of those games. You could get a GC super cheap used, but honestly I would just grab a Wii at this point.
Ah I see. Although I thought both those games were completely monotonous. But that's just me I guess..
What RPG's do you play? Oblivion and KOTOR are a lot less monotonous then pretty much any RPG made in Japan.
Confined to a tiny spit of sand, unable to escape,
But tonight, it's heavy stuff.
I played about 5 minutes of KOTOR and didn't like the style at all. Whenever an enemy appeared on the screen it would pause so you could select your attacks... A game like that shouldn't pause (although I do like turn based/active time battles).
I hate the feeling of an open world single player game. I feel like I'm soloing in a MMO. Oblivion was less monotonous, but I hate the first person (I know there's 3rd person, but that looks even worse) RPG games. I never really got into the story, and only beat the main storyline so I could finally say I beat one of the Elder Scroll games.
I personally prefer a true RPG. Turn based (or active time), random battles, exp/money, weapon/armor upgrades, and magic. Also a story please, thanks!
Yeah, which is why I have to own a console. To get them RPGs and platformers.
I have a Wii/360... I only got the 360 for Dead Rising. The thought of a zombie infested mall appealed enough to me to warrant a $400 purchase (and some change).
I almost jumped on Dead Rising, but after reading reviews decided to skip it. Left 4 Dead should satisfy my zombie killing lust though.