Sunday, November 18, 2007

The End

This article presents the current state of PC gaming: according to the industry it's fine. Of course, us PC gamers know this is not the case. It started about seven years ago - with the death of the Flight Simulation, a game genre that is not reproducible on a console system. Just as bad, has been the numerous console titles that have not been ported to the PC. Notable inclusions are Obi-wan and Dead Rising. Come Spring, there will be a major media event with the release of Stars Wars, The Force Unleashed, hopefully the most playable SW title since Jedi Academy, but quite shockingly it will not be available for the PC. Someday, if I ever want to experience these titles, I'll have to break down and get an XBOX system. The need to do this is quite absurd given the investment in high-end PC hardware, and Microsoft OS, a company which, if not so greedy, could easily port the games for their own XBOX system to their OS.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am a converted PC gamer. I believe consoles are more cost effective. First, a console costs about as much as a high end graphics card. PC don't offer a uniform online gaming experience where ALL gamers have a mic. On consoles there are no IP addresses to remember. Game updates are streamlined, no little patches to download. Last I checked theres no rumbling mice. You don't feel the game like you do with the Xbox 360. This further emerces you in the game. I must say like the Arcade, PC gaming is dead, in my opinion.

Come to the Darkside, Come to the console my young apprentice.

XBL Gamertag: Darth Nefarious

Brian McCooley said...

Thanks for your response. I understand the social aspect of console gaming - it is a more group experience, although thats not really what I'm looking for in a game. As far as cost - I don't like to have to buy multiple consoles - XBOX and PS, when it used to be that everything came out for PC. Secondly, after I build a new PC I'd like to try its new capabilities on new titles, but there just aren't that many to choose from. The lack of PC games is what I find most disturbing. As I mentioned, there aren't any new Flight Sims - and this is a gaming genre that hasn't been, and really can't, be applied to consoles. For other combat games, the console versions seem dumbed down, I guess I just like a certain level of complexity. As for me coming over- well I do agree that consoles have their place- and in fact my recent game time has been on Guitar Hero on the PS2. And, I will be buying the Force Unleashed for PS2 when it comes out, I'm just amazed a title like this wont be on the PC