Has PC gaming become pointless?

[faraaz]

I felt so ripped off to see that 8600GT was just an entry level card, though I didn't pay anything to get it.

This is the problem with your post. You did not do sufficient research on your purchase decision. If you buy a Maruti 800 and want to do drags vs Lancer Evos, dont blame the poor Maruti! You should have checked your facts!!

And from reading your post, I can see that what you did was a generic upgrade of your computer alongwith the upgrade for your graphics card. Saying that computer gaming is expensive may be true in some cases, but certainly not valid based on your situation! Caveat emptor my friend...caveat emptor!

 

[infra_red_dude]

This is the problem with your post. You did not do sufficient research on your purchase decision. If you buy a Maruti 800 and want to do drags vs Lancer Evos, dont blame the poor Maruti! You should have checked your facts!!

The whole point of this thread, imho, is that your Porshe Targa soon become Maruti 800 while the roads are getting better and better everyday!

 

[MetalheadGautham]

The whole point of this thread, imho, is that your Porshe Targa soon become Maruti 800 while the roads are getting better and better everyday!

the main reason behind this is the fact that the Graphic Cards are rolling out faster than ever. So each game needs higher system resources than its predecessor. I wish game manufacturing companies zeroed in on a simgle standard for gaming. If this is done, we can be happy with an 8800GT for 3 years. But with consoles, they don't exactly roll out a model every two months, so that upgrade issue does not arise.

The PC is a powerful machine. But its not utilised properly. If given a dedicated OS for games, and just an 8800GT 512 + 2 GB 800 MHz DDR2 RAM + Intel Core2Quad 6600, the machine has the potential to perform better than three XBoxes. Only Optimisation is needed.

Games have still not standardised rigs. like the above, standard rig configurations could be adhered to while making games.

 

[phreak0ut]

This is the problem with your post. You did not do sufficient research on your purchase decision. If you buy a Maruti 800 and want to do drags vs Lancer Evos, dont blame the poor Maruti! You should have checked your facts!!

And from reading your post, I can see that what you did was a generic upgrade of your computer alongwith the upgrade for your graphics card. Saying that computer gaming is expensive may be true in some cases, but certainly not valid based on your situation! Caveat emptor my friend...caveat emptor!

Ofcourse I did my homework!! Can you expect someone to buy you a gfx card of YOUR need just because you ask them?? My cousin buys a lot of gifts to everyone in our family tree. I mean EVERYONE! So, would it be fair to ask for an 8800GT?? If I was earning, I would have definitely bought a kick-ass rig, only to be obsolete in 6 months

 

[ring_wraith]

zyberboy, i assumed that you were just one of those idiots who use incorrect grammar to appear cool. My mistake. I will be more tolerant from now on.

and console games aren't addictive? okay lets start off : Resident Evil 4, any of the FIFA series, Tekken, Devil May Cry, and so many more....

And yes the point of the thread is to prove that PC gaming is getting more and more pointless as almost every day upgrades are released that render older tech obsolete. And apart from this consoles have several advantages.

Yet another proof is that even if you spent 60k on a 2x30,000k 8800 Ultra your games wont look as good as they can as soon as DX 10.1 is released and you will have to buy a new GPU..... ouch!

 

[faraaz]

@phreakout: Totally valid point...which is why you shouldnt be complaining the card isn't powerful enough...

 

[ring_wraith]

^^yup, agreed. lol, if we stick to PC gaming we need to start earning before we can play games....

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

This is a very subjective concept.I would take in any kind of gaming as long as it's fun.

Initially I had started out with consoles just like any other average joe & then prioritied shifted to newer graphic styles which was graced by PC gaming & from then on it became a very bad race between these 2 worlds.I now own a PC which somewhat sustains most of the games @1280x1024 resolutions with medium settings(except Crysis) & I get great visuals.I think that almost half of my salary has been blown off into getting some or the other part as an upgrade for my PC.If this trend continues,I'll soon be bankrupt.

Now If I look out for buying an Xbox 360 or a PS3 then both of these would eventually provde quite an expensive deals too.Now if we look out for a premium XBox 360 console+additional controller+Rs.2k games then it come off roughly to 29-30k.Now these console's true potential is realised with a good HDTV which is capable to output 720p resolutions(1280x720) which would again cost a fortune,say 35-40k for a good brand.Continuing the purchase of Xbox 360 games would be again an expensive deal.If I get say 6-7 Xbox games costing 2k each then I could get a Xbox 360 core system for the same price.Then again the stability issues of RROD for the console.

PS3 Blu Ray games seem even more expensive deal with each title coming in at 2.4k atleast.This proves that even a consoles too are costly affair.

PC users are now feeling the pinch is because graphic card manufacturers are constantly trying to outrun their own products.Case point,8800GT replacing 8800GTS.This is something which happened only in a span of couple of months.This is why one would think 10 times before choosing a graphic card now as there is no saying if 8800GT would be replaced with another cheaper 9 series card which outperforms the 8800GT & 8800GTX.

So console's are a long term asset which PC's are always flexible & expandable(at a cost of course).This is how I can best frame it in.

 

[xbonez]

hmm....the que this thread poses really leaves me flabbergasted....

PC gaming becoming pointless??? but, where was the point in the first place?? the only reason ppl play games (99.9%) is for leisure...if u njoy gaming, then it hasn't become pointless...rather simple.

 

[nish_higher]

well on a pc u can't stay future secure even if you buy a high end rig coz within a few months it will be something called ''Mid Range" and almost all new games will require something better than that to run at their best settings.and within next few months some new idiot will come up with another game which requires some high end card like crysis or a new card will be released and then?ur rig is nowhere.now i dont think anyone ever upgraded a console.and there's not even an option to do that.surely blu ray costs a fortune at present but there was a time when HP cd writer had a price tag of 14000.so why do u expect game prices to stay the same.and by the way i don't think all ppl here buy every original game?even if console games are priced as pc games ppl will still prefer to get pirated ones.so cost ain't a point.

 

[ring_wraith]

@ allwtdilama, thank you for that thoughtful post.

I completely agree with you on the fact that both forms of gaming have become wxceptionally expensive hobbies. I also agree on the bankrupcy part.

However, I feel that PC gaming has become pointless because once you actually go out and buy your upgrade [which itself should cost more than a console] , you have to go through the whole process of benching, optimising, patching and overclocking, and once you are done with all that, you can actually get down to playing you game only to be bogged down by stability isses. Also, there is the often painfully long process of installing a game then applying all subsequent patches.

On the other hand, in a console , you simply buy it, put a game in, and play. Simplicity, if nothing else, is clearly where consoles win.

Also, look at the price factor, once you buy a console , you can rest assured that for at least 3 years, all the newest games will be well within your reach. Whereas on the PC, if you want to play the newest games at settings that won't be an insult to them, you have to keep upgrading you PC every 6 months....
Also , most ORIGINAL, new PC games cost about as much or are slightly cheaper than console games.

Also, about your concerns with the RROD, it is a mere manafacturing defect that is prevalent on just one console that is being ironed out already with the introduction of the falcon chips. So stability is hardly an issue in consoles.


​

 

[nish_higher]

^ and microsoft confirms that RROD will be there when u mod\flash ur xbox or something like that.and a few of unmodded consoles which had that problem have been replaced.

 

[ring_wraith]

Just for info, flashing is done to load backups

And AFAIK flashing does not cause RRODs if done correctly. Hardware problems do. And the new Xbox 360s don't have this problem anymore.

 

[nish_higher]

well i checked a lot of forums before posting that comment.most of the ppl having rrod have modded their xboxes.yes a few are there with legit problems who have got it replaced
and making backups of dvd ain't legal even if u have original game-thats what is written on most original dvds.

 

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

This is a very subjective concept.I would take in any kind of gaming as long as it's fun.

Initially I had started out with consoles just like any other average joe & then prioritied shifted to newer graphic styles which was graced by PC gaming & from then on it became a very bad race between these 2 worlds.I now own a PC which somewhat sustains most of the games @1280x1024 resolutions with medium settings(except Crysis) & I get great visuals.I think that almost half of my salary has been blown off into getting some or the other part as an upgrade for my PC.If this trend continues,I'll soon be bankrupt.

Now If I look out for buying an Xbox 360 or a PS3 then both of these would eventually provde quite an expensive deals too.Now if we look out for a premium XBox 360 console+additional controller+Rs.2k games then it come off roughly to 29-30k.Now these console's true potential is realised with a good HDTV which is capable to output 720p resolutions(1280x720) which would again cost a fortune,say 35-40k for a good brand.Continuing the purchase of Xbox 360 games would be again an expensive deal.If I get say 6-7 Xbox games costing 2k each then I could get a Xbox 360 core system for the same price.Then again the stability issues of RROD for the console.

PS3 Blu Ray games seem even more expensive deal with each title coming in at 2.4k atleast.This proves that even a consoles too are costly affair.

PC users are now feeling the pinch is because graphic card manufacturers are constantly trying to outrun their own products.Case point,8800GT replacing 8800GTS.This is something which happened only in a span of couple of months.This is why one would think 10 times before choosing a graphic card now as there is no saying if 8800GT would be replaced with another cheaper 9 series card which outperforms the 8800GT & 8800GTX.

So console's are a long term asset which PC's are always flexible & expandable(at a cost of course).This is how I can best frame it in.

Dude , most new 360 Games cost Rs 1895 or Rs 1495 and 360Classics cost Rs 999 , so they're not a bad deal .

Also , considering that u buy legit PC games then consoles cost much less than the PC's and give a better gaming experience .

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

^Not a bad deal true but they are still costly.If you look at the Orange Box for Xbox 360 it costs around Rs.1,999 INR whereas the same retail DVD for PC Platform is around Rs.999 or less in some places..Rs.2150 for PAL COD4 Xbox 360 version & PC counterpart stands at Rs.1,299.Plus many PC games if you see right now are coming down to the sub 1k mark.Take a game like Crysis for example which is subtly placed at Rs.999(Rs.800 at Alfa).Now that's not an old game my friend.

I don't disagree to the fact that getting a console is a relatively cheaper alternative to a semi-high end PC but my point is it's supplementing HDTV requirement which puts me off the purchase.As I can go for either an Xbox 360 or a PS3 right now.But I can't blow so much cash for getting a new HDTV for it.

@ring_wraith: Console's are made with the purpose of gaming in mind hence the output ensures a smooth gaming experience.Plus each games made for it are coded accordingly to the similar hardware specifications by the developers.On the PC,it's a whole different ball game as you have a large number of configurations to address to & not everyone owns a 20k or 30k+ graphic card or Quad processors.Hence developers have to code them to make them playable with some bare minimum hardware specifications & as such they can't test the game out with every combination of hardware available out there.Hence PC gaming is very complicated task.

you have to go through the whole process of benching, optimising, patching and overclocking, and once you are done with all that, you can actually get down to playing you game only to be bogged down by stability isses.

Patching is not a term which is affiliated now-a-days with PC only.If you look at Assasin's Creed on the PS3 then Sony has now released a patch for it's freezing issue on it's console via PSN.Hence console's too are turning more like PC.

Also , most ORIGINAL, new PC games cost about as much or are slightly cheaper than console games.

For Xbox 360 yeah there might be some but let me know of one PS3 blu ray title which you can find over here below 1.5k?

Also, about your concerns with the RROD, it is a mere manafacturing defect that is prevalent on just one console that is being ironed out already with the introduction of the falcon chips. So stability is hardly an issue in consoles.

It's not just a 'mere' manufacturing defect with one console as you call it.If that was the case then MS wouldn't have incurred such huge stock of console's piling up & leading to huge losses.It was much more than that.That was the main reason why MS had increased the warranty from 1 year to 3 years.That's how bad it was.And add to that was those DVD drive issues which would scracth the DVD's you would insert in it.That was what one of my friend had faced with his recent 360 he had got for himself.

Anyways not that I am against these things but for me I'll wait for sometime until their prices stabilise along with the hardware issues & then choose to go for either one of them.

 

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

Dude it's not compulsory to get an HDTV for a 360 . you can very well play it on a good TV .

Additionally , you can even use it with an LCD monitor with the VGA cable so no need of buying an HDTV if u currently have an LCD Monitor .

As for the RROD part , microsoft is giving you a free console replacement , what else do you want .

And for the scratched disc part , it only happens when the console is running and you change it's orientation , i.e. change it frmo vertical to horizontal or vice versa , otherwise your discs will be perfectly safe .

Also , you have a scratched disc warranty on your games . i personally got my Dead or Alive 4 disc changed free-of-charge bcoz i accidently knocked down my xbox(horizontal to vertical) and the disc got scratched along the circumference .

Also , on your point of the consoles being tailor-made for gaming . well that's actually a Strong Point for consoles as there is only a single configuration of a single console in the market the developer can actually spend more time developing the actual game rather than testing,benchmarking and then re-testing it for different PC Configs .

Also , for the game patch issues , console game are way stabler than PC games and in my 360 if a game has a patch available(very rarely needed) then it automatically updates the game when i connect to Xbox live ( it downloads the update in the background , letting you play the game and when the update is downloaded it applies the patch )

 

[MetalheadGautham]

since when have all you guys started calling paying of 1k, 2, 2.5k and 3k for games worth it?

Hell, for the cost of a few games today, I can buy a starter rig...

Gaming in India as it is, is quite pointless in itself if you want to buy original games. With most of them costing an arm and a leg, the pleasure you get through games itself gets reduced when you look back at what you spent on that game.

As I said before, a standard rig needs to be adopted for gaming, with each standard lasting an year or so and game manufacturing companies following that standard. We also need a Gaming OS. This is the only way PC gaming can become better.

As for console gaming, there is always the Piracy problem. You either need to risk the warranty, law and money and go pirate, or you need to shell out lots of cash for Originals.

Hell, these guys set rubbish standards. I mean, you can't even play a backup coppy of your game legally. What do they expect us to do? Run a game off a DVD bought for 2K, and burn it out or get it scratched within 3 months? This is getting more and more unfair by time. As of now, PC gaming is the only way one can play well.

Lets face it, either way you need to spend. In PCs, you have frequent upgrade blues. In consoles, you have frequent purchase blues.

Regarding portable consoles, I remember buying a Game Boy Advance SP a few years back when I was deeply intrested in them. Guess what? It cost 6.5K, and I only got a dumb machine. Even pirated games for it cost 0.5K. Auxillary stuff for it don't come bundled. Each and every thing is like shelling out a lot of cash. Even the charger needed a power adapter. I finally gave it up as $hit(that $ is intended in this context) Infact, as far as gameboys are concerned, the only way to enjoy them fully is by buying a Wii/GameCube, and lots of other stuff, and go and settle in the US or Japan.


So in simple words, the verdict is this: To enjoy gaming, anything is fine, and equally good, as long as you are filthy rich, and got lotsa cash to burn.

 

[Ethan_Hunt]

Dude it's not compulsory to get an HDTV for a 360 . you can very well play it on a good TV .

Without having a 720p resolution you mean & miss out on what the console actually is built to offer.Then NO can do.It's like having a 20k graphic card & running it at 800x600 resolutions.

As for the RROD part , microsoft is giving you a free console replacement , what else do you want .

So keep sending the console until you are lucky enough to get a non-faulty one? Seriously man I would rather pay more & have something stable & which doesn't cough up so often.

And for the scratched disc part , it only happens when the console is running and you change it's orientation , i.e. change it frmo vertical to horizontal or vice versa , otherwise your discs will be perfectly safe .

FYI it placed in one stationary position in my friend's case right from day one.No twists & no turns.

Also , on your point of the consoles being tailor-made for gaming . well that's actually a Strong Point for consoles as there is only a single configuration of a single console in the market the developer can actually spend more time developing the actual game rather than testing,benchmarking and then re-testing it for different PC Configs .

Didn't put it across as a negative point in the first place.Was merely comparing the scenarios for the 2 platforms.

Also , for the game patch issues , console game are way stabler than PC games and in my 360 if a game has a patch available(very rarely needed) then it automatically updates the game when i connect to Xbox live ( it downloads the update in the background , letting you play the game and when the update is downloaded it applies the patch )

But the point is,a patch is needed isn't it? Albeit process is different on each platforms both of them needed it whenever a game experiences issues.This was not the case with the earlier generation consoles like PS2.Since the newer consoles are becoming more like PC they will have to share some of the same brunt as the PC users have to do when a hardware or software fails.

 

[nish_higher]

So keep sending the console until you are lucky enough to get a non-faulty one? Seriously man I would rather pay more & have something stable & which doesn't cough up so often.

what makes u think microsoft will keep u sending some defected consoles everytime?

FYI it placed in one stationary position in my friend's case right from day one.No twists & no turns.

send it to them and get it replaced.ask on the official xbox forums about disk scratches.u wont find anyone having that problem when the console is kept still.it occurs when the console's orientation is changed with the disc inside it--no matter ur playing or not.

But the point is,a patch is needed isn't it? Albeit process is different on each platforms both of them needed it whenever a game experiences issues.This was not the case with the earlier generation consoles like PS2.Since the newer consoles are becoming more like PC they will have to share some of the same brunt as the PC users have to do when a hardware or software fails.

the patch for a console is on the dvd itself.u dont have to download.and its got nothing to do with the patches of PC since not every pc has the same hardware but consoles are the same.so its a universal patch.not a patch rather---an update for the console like updates for windows.whereas a pc game patch patches the game.
no offence but comparing them is just worthless.

and there are other 2 consoles too which we are neglecting here.