Author Topic: Discussion: Will Consoles replace PC's as gaming rigs? (Read 1754 times)

Pride · « **on:** May 16, 2005, 10:17:44 AM »

The next generation of consoles are supposed to rival the speeds and video quality of the current PCs available. The games will run faster, with dedicated hardware.

So here is the question... when the new consoles come out, and are "common" in households... will PC gaming subside and eventually disappear?

If so why? If not, why?

sully! · « **Reply #1 on:** May 16, 2005, 10:35:47 AM »

No, I have seen this topic come up every time a new generation of console is released.

PC Gaming will always have a place for the hardcore, the ones who attend LAN Parties, build and/or mod their own PC, the ones who like to tweak every last bit of performance out of their machine. A PC can evolve over time and adjust and upgrade, whereas a console you are stuck with until the next generation comes out (and this debate comes up yet again).

I remember the same awe and amazement when the PS2 was released. Some of the comments were, "Did you see those amazing graphics!?", "I wish my PC games looked like that" etc.

Now when you look at a PS2 game vs. a PC game, the PC game can have a higher visual quality, run at higher resolutions, and play at a higher framerate. It is an ebb and flow of who is the leader. When the XBox 360 and PS3 hit the market they will indeed be at the top of their game (no pun intended). 6 months to a year down the road and mainstream PC's will be equal. 1-2 years and PC's will have once again surpassed and in 3-4 years new consoles will once again arrive completing the circle.

Will PC gaming be hurt? Maybe a little. Will it ever go away? Absolutely not.

Pride · « **Reply #2 on:** May 16, 2005, 10:59:17 AM »

I never thought that PS2 graphics looked better than PC.

But, I think PC has hit a wall as far as graphics... rather than getting better, they are just getting faster.

A Console running on an HD TV should look incredible!

Agent4054 · « **Reply #3 on:** May 16, 2005, 12:06:44 PM »

grfx will never hit a wall. I can remember people saying that red faction was very realistic looking and they think it cant get any better (we say, "huh?"). yeah then hl2 came out then we see what photo realistic means. cant get any friggin better than that. then we see UE3. incredible lighting and graphics to knock you off your feet. cant get any better? never say never.

i highly doubt pc graphics has hit any type of wall.. i doutb its even scratched one. as far as visual quality, i think we are just starting to see the skin of it.

And for the console/pc sides, consoles have one clear disadvantage. they cannot be upgraded. Until one of the console companies implements some hardware upgradability(n64's sorta did with that grfx enhancer), i see the pc entourage still reigning. not to mention the controls for pc are so much more flexible and easier to handle

although... colsoles are easy to use. plug it in... pop in game.. play. simple and easy. thats like 10 less steps than a pc. so it can be used by even the technologically uneducated.

TekieB · « **Reply #4 on:** May 16, 2005, 01:56:32 PM »

I think that the consoles are going to become "digital media devices" or whatever marketing BS they call it now. Where you use your console as a gateway box, like a HTPC. Where you can game on it, yet you buy it for more. I think that the xbox 360 is trying to do this. But it comes back to the fact you can do most of the stuff better with an HTPC. Yet most consumers won't be buying/building one of those, they will look for a device like the mac mini/ MCEpc / Xbox2. And there they will be .

There will always be 2 markets. Consols appeal to people that do some games but might not have A pc to do it. I know back before I had my own cash flow my parents didn't want to buy a voodoo2 card so I had a PSX, and I loved it, and it was cheap,but wanted a computer.

The 2 markets will never fully merge, but the line might blur a lot

Negley97 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 16, 2005, 03:24:30 PM »

If the console industry can devise a way that you could upgrade your PS3 to the next PS4 and have the ability to upgrade your games then I think the consoles will be able to battle with the pc industry.

But when you look at it if they did do that then you no longer have a console, you basically have a PC

Console grafix will never compete with the PC graphics, by the time PS3 and the Xbox 360 comes out the video technology we are using today will be upgraded to the next level. We already have boards coming out that support multiple video cards, how's a console going to compete with that?

I'll still play my PS2 no matter what (unless of course GT4 comes out for the pc)

TekieB · « **Reply #6 on:** May 16, 2005, 03:27:01 PM »

Quote from: "Negley97"

If the console industry can devise a way that you could upgrade your PS3 to the next PS4 and have the ability to upgrade your games then I think the consoles will be able to battle with the pc industry.

But when you look at it if they did do that then you no longer have a console, you basically have a PC

Console grafix will never compete with the PC graphics, by the time PS3 and the Xbox 360 comes out the video technology we are using today will be upgraded to the next level. We already have boards coming out that support multiple video cards, how's a console going to compete with that?

I'll still play my PS2 no matter what (unless of course GT4 comes out for the pc)

driving and sports on a console

shooters and such on a PC

period.

Pride · « **Reply #7 on:** May 16, 2005, 03:42:25 PM »

you do realize you can get a joystick and/or gamepad for your PC right? makes it play the same!

cuzzNkev · « **Reply #8 on:** May 16, 2005, 03:47:06 PM »

Quote from: "Pride"

you do realize you can get a joystick and/or gamepad for your PC right? makes it play the same!

But you get to be called names by Pride if you do have one.

TekieB · « **Reply #9 on:** May 16, 2005, 03:57:57 PM »

Quote from: "cuzznkev"

Quote from: "Pride"
you do realize you can get a joystick and/or gamepad for your PC right? makes it play the same!

But you get to be called names by Pride if you do have one.

/me looks over to playstation2 to usb adaptor w/ dualshock hooked up and runs

edit: should I toss out i've been playing ddr for awhile (and am getting good) before you dish out the flames ?

Negley97 · « **Reply #10 on:** May 16, 2005, 08:14:23 PM »

Tekie I have a dual action PS2 controller from Logitech on my pc right now and I have Need for Speed Underground for both and let me tell you PC blows the doors off the ol PS2 hands down. Control is EXACTLY the same as my PS2, pick one up at Best Buy for maybe $30.

sully! · « **Reply #11 on:** May 16, 2005, 09:59:01 PM »

another thing PC's have going for them...backward's compatibility.

I can still play games from 5+ years ago (HL1, Quake 1, Unreal '99, just to name a few) when that itch of nostalgia hits me. The PS2 can do this with PS1 games, but I believe the PS3 is cutting the line and I know the Xbox is. Nintendo (yeah, remember Nintendo?) obviously cut the line from the N64 to the GameCube.

As long as PC's are using an x86 based CPU there's a pretty good chance that it can play my old games for a long time to come. We are just now reaching a point where 16-bit DOS games will not run on 64-bit Windows. That's a span of roughly 12 years. You don't see us playing NES games on a GameCube.....but you do see us playing them on a PC through emulators

EDIT: I stand (well, sit) quasi-corrected. http://www.windowsitpro.com/windowspaulthurrott/Article/ArticleID/46432/windowspaulthurrott_46432.html

VonDouche · « **Reply #12 on:** May 17, 2005, 03:01:40 PM »

PC will always be popular over Consule because the simple fact it can do more then just play games.

Author Topic: Discussion: Will Consoles replace PC's as gaming rigs? (Read 1754 times)

TekieB

TekieB

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