Instead, here's a completely non-FFXI post!
I've been playing Mass Effect 2 for the last few days, working my way through the game. Previous to this, I was playing Dragon Age. Both of these games are available for the PC, and the Xbox 360, but I picked up the 360 version mainly because I didn't want some crazy installer clogging up my XP partition on my Macbook Pro (since Apple computers are highly unreliable).
I was thinking about putting together a gaming computer this year to get off this annoying Mac, as well as to take advantage of advances in hardware. Ironically, I'm having second thoughts about this right now since I can't really name that many games that are coming out for the PC only that would be that interesting...
Off the top of my head, all I have are:
- Starcraft 2
- Next big MMO - Star Wars: The Old Republic, or... something else.
About the only game I've had a slight inclination to try out on the PC at this time is the new Star Trek MMO. However, I'm not certain that spending $1-2k on a gaming setup is really worth it with most multi-platform games also coming to the PS3 or 360. The added hassle of putting together a computer and debugging it does not really appeal to me anymore, and so far, I haven't found any PC manufacturer who sells a gaming desktop at a reasonable price.
Thoughts? Is PC gaming worth keeping up with?
13 comments:
I must say, i'm starting to feel very much the same way. PS3 is probably the best bet for any games right now considering it is the only console that has yet to be hacked (though supposedly the hardware side has been... no proof to be shown for this claim though). The only reason to get a PC for gaming anymore is if you plan to A: mod the game you play at some point or B: play strategy games or games best played with point and click methods (which some consoles are even starting to support). Even if you wish to chat in an online game, the PS3 i know has a wireless keyboard that you can buy for it in order to do so, eliminating the need for the slow target type method otherwise used on consoles. So really, unless you like Top-Down style games, you're better off playing them all on console... IMO.
I think gaming on PC means keeping up with all the latest and greatest PC hardware, which is constantly evolving. At some point I got tired of having to buy new mobo/cpu/vid card just to keep up with PC gaming. If you don't, you end up with a sub-par gaming experience with choppy frame rates and performance.
I've been on my PS3 pretty religiously since moving to my new place and I enjoy it alot. $300 system vs 1-2k rig (+inevitible upgrades) = no brainer for me.
Another thing I consider is competitive online games, namely FPS (or third person) and I now prefer consoles. For people that don't do any competitive gaming, I guess this doesn't apply and they can skip anything I have to say in the next paragraph or so.
I didn't always prefer console FPS games, because I was a fan of using mouse+keyboard in my days of Counter-Strike (and eventually Counter-Strike Source). It definitely gives you more control with movement and aiming, but the problem with playing a FPS shooter on the PC is that not everyone is playing under equal conditions. On a PC, how well a person does comes down to a combination of skill AND wealth. The wealth part of it I think ruins it for me. You get people spending thousands on a gaming machine playing against the average Joe with and average performing machine. You put two people with similar skills on two drastically difference machines (one good, one bad) and I guarantee that the person with the better machine will have the advantage. So I view the PS3 (or 360) as a device that levels the playing field. Everyone plays under like conditions.
Also I think there are too many cheats readily available for the PC. I hate cheaters.
But there are still some instances where PC gaming comes out on top. I was largely into Blizzard games up until WoW, and I can't imagine playing any of those games with a controller. Mouse + Keyboard is definitely the way to go for RTS. Diablo I/II would be doable with a controller, but probably not as fun. I've been playing Dragon Age myself and although I got accustomed to the gameplay, I can see it being better on the PC. Having only 6 buttons as shortcuts or macros or whatever you wanna call them was a bit limiting for me. I watched vids of the PC version where you can just click which spell you wanted to use instead of the console's solution of holding down a button to open up a menu for selecting spells and abilities to use. Graphics were also kinda meh for me.
I can't afford to keep upgrading my PC anymore. But for rich people like you Ascii, a new gaming PC should be no problem right!?
So... that's the silly part... I can afford to buy a brand new gaming rig, but right now the only game I play for the PC is FFXI really...
I could have purchased Dragon Age or Mass Effect 2 for the PC, but those were available for the 360 too so I ended up on that console... plus my TV is a lot nicer compared to my monitor for gaming xD
I guess it does come down to the games that are available... which aren't that many that are PC-exclusive really. RTS games and MMOs (and even FFXIV is going to be on the PS3)
The other issue I have with PCs is how large and loud a decent gaming system can be... I mean, yes, you can go water cooling and stuff, but it is still noticeably louder compared to consoles. That's one of the reasons why I use laptops. Less power consumption, not as many fans. Maybe I'll just replace my Macbook Pro with another laptop, one capable of doing some basic gaming?
You'd be surprised how much laptops have caught up recently. A desktop will still beat them, but, for about the price of the highest end desktop, you can get a laptop equivalent to a mid-range high-end desktop. I see lots of kids at school playing MW2 on their laptops and it looks just as good as my PS3 does on an HD 40" other than the obvious fact the screen is smaller... but hey, most laptops come with HDMI ports now and are easily connected to a TV!
Mmm... after some thinking, I think I'll probably stick with my current strategy, that is to simply use a high powered laptop connected to an external monitor for PC gaming. I just don't play that many games on the PC in the first place, and the ones I do play generally do not need the top-of-the-line power.
A laptop is smaller, takes less power, generally quieter and is portable for travel. In general, this also saves from having to keep my files/games in two different locations. Plus, I generally find more uses for laptops after their hardware becomes out of date!
Next question would be... who makes good, small, high powered gaming computers? I came across the Alienware M11x laptop... though it isn't out yet. I'm guessing a 13" laptop would be ideal. The other possibility is the 13" Macbook Pro, but... it's a crappy Apple :(
Any suggestions?
Macbooks are still using the 9000 series geforce so I would recommend against that even as a last ditch desperation attempt.
A buddy of mine is buying one of those HP all in ones and while the specs on it look pretty good, there's got to be a downside somewhere.
Much like Vanh, I was a huge PC supporter until this generation of consoles. They can produce the eye candy I so desire without the frame stutter (most the time). The only difference is I'm glued to my 360 more than ps3 since I know more people who regularly game on it.
I'm also for ps3 gaming for those that have demon souls or mgs4 tho. Add Xlom3000
HP all-in-one... desktop? Those ones that are built into the monitor? Or some sort of laptop?
I guess my ultimate question is... is there a powerful laptop in the 11-13" range out there? :)
Look into Asus' laptops... My friend has an Asus laptop that out-performed my school laptop even though my school laptop has better specs. Only thing is, be sure you dust them out once in a while or use a cooling pad whenever possible when gaming on it. My friend's ran fine for over a year, then it overheated from dust one day, now it requires a cooling stand anytime he games on it... but then again, it is about 4 years old now and he ran it for about half a year after it should have had the dust cleaned out before it initially overheated. Other than that, it's a quite solid laptop.
I'd highly recommend staying away from HP laptops. The HPs that are used at my school for game design have almost a 50% failure rate on their displays. My roommate has a Toshiba he just loves, but it doesn't have a strong enough video card for games now, so it's become his internet machine. Other than that... not a fan of dell cause of support, alienware is dell now, HP sucks, Toshiba I can't really say anything good or bad about myself, Asus I know make good products... though not sure about their support, and Gateway... my sister's had one for about 6-7 years now and it's been decent for her, though she's had a few issues with it, but nothing that required it being sent back for.
Anyway, that's about it as far as brands. There are a few others, but i wouldn't recommend them because of either cost or unknown quality, such as Falcon NW, Acer, etc.
Oh, and supposedly sony programs their laptops to fail shortly after warranty expires (or so many ppl think, lol).
Mmmm... now Asus is an idea. Now their site just needs a better comparison page >.< I can't tell which one to choose because their model numbers do not make much sense, at least, not to me yet. Do they have a 13" compy with a good graphics chip?
Plus... where do you shop for Asus laptops in the first place? xD
I don't have too much experience with HP, Toshiba or Fujitsu. Dells have a high failure rate, but at least their service is decent. My favorite is still Thinkpads, but I'm under the impression that they're currently lacking in performance.
And yes, I fully agree on Sony Vaios -.- Used to run with those at work and they would uniformly fail a month or two after their warranty expired
Ooo... just came across a 13" powerhouse...
http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/sony-vaio-z-series-vpcz114gx-s-review/
It's Sony though ~.~
Well, first off... it's going to be tough to find a laptop with a GOOD graphics card with a screen smaller than 15.4". Most companies figure anyone buying a laptop for games is gonna want a larger screen. That said, here's one of Asus' newer models... though it's a 17" and a little odd looking when opened...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220695
sorry for the double post... anyway, here's the nvidia equivalent of that last one with a smaller screen (and less sys memory ~.~;)...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220670
triple post... by equivalent, i meant nvidia's highest end available for laptop... i haven't seen benchmarks for the mobile versions, but i have reason to believe the radeon card will outperform the nvidia...
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