Why PC gaming is not the best option for CAGs.

sealionnn

sealionnn

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It may seem to be the superior choice, what with gaming PCs being more and more reasonable to build, but there are hidden costs that make consoles the better choice for true CAGs. Sure, you can usually snag games at great sale prices, but there is no resale value. With a console game, there is a physical copy of the game that you can resell and make back some of your money. If you are a veteran CAG, you probably pick up used games on sale and end up making most, if not all, of your money back when you resell. Also, how many of these games are you ever going to touch once you beat? Hell, how many of these games have you even launched and played for more than an hour, or even played at all? It sure is tempting to keep picking up games at less than five dollars a pop, but is it really worth it if you don't even play the game? Chances are, you are buying games that you normally wouldn't buy, so what's the point? At least with a console game, you can make your money back if the game isn't your cup of tea.

Besides the games, the initial buy-in for a PC is substantially higher than a console. $300 for a console with a HDD is much more appealing than say $500 for a budget gaming PC. Of course, PCs can go a bit cheaper, and much higher if you want to max out everything. So, those finer graphics do come at a cost. Factor in a decent LCD display for a few more hundred, a quality keyboard/mouse, speakers/headset, and future upgrades to maintain the performance you want, and you'll see that it all really adds up quickly.

There is also the common argument that gaming PCs aren't just for gaming, since it can be used for everything else you need from a PC. This is true, but the only people that would benefit from the power of a solid gaming PC are people who do video, photo, rendering, etc. work that requires that power. Chances are, you already have a PC/laptop that can handle whatever else you need.

Above all else, disregarding CAG worthiness, PC gaming just isn't social. Sure, you can hop online and play a few rounds with your friends, but you surely cannot play split screen on many games. Granted, you're bound to make friends with people you don't really know, but that's less likely and not as fun. With a console, you can play in your living room with a group of friends taking turns on split-screen, or taking turns roaming around racking up stars in Grand Theft Auto IV. Even casual gamers can jump into a game on a console with relative ease. Consoles bring a more social experience to the table, an experience that PCs don't, and probably can't ever have.
 
1. Yes, PC games have almost no resale value. Soon consoles will join that party when everything is either digitally distributed or comes with online keycodes.

2. My PC and console setup is one and the same. I run my PC and consoles to the same monitor and speakers. When I get a big LCD, I'll run my PC to that. My mouse and keyboard cost less than a Wiimote. or PS3/360 controller.

3. My PC can do better video editing than 95% of OEM PCs you can get at Best Buy. It's the added bonus of having a gaming worthy PC.

4. PC gaming is very social. Ever heard of Steam? And friends and I either play online or via LAN for multiplayer fun. It's not hard to use a 360 pad on modern games and pass that back and forth, if that's what you want.
 
[quote name='hankmecrankme']Oh shit, seriously? :cry:[/QUOTE]

Yea, sorry bro, guess I'm going to have to resell my copy. OH WAIT!
 
Who says veteran CAGs buy used, or resell their games? You're making an awful lot of assumptions about us.

And digital distribution is the future, even for consoles, and I don't see Microsoft or Sony or Nintendo having Steam quality sales.

If you factor in the cost of your TV and speakers, console gaming is expensive too (And don't you dare say that doesn't count after mentioning monitors). I never really understood this argument, personally.

PC gaming is very, very social. Who plays split-screen anymore? When my friends and I wanna play GTA4, we all get online and play together.

And, let's not forget that games on the PC look better, sound better, and play better. I don't have a mouse and keyboard option on my 360, but I can plug a 360 controller into my PC.

I don't really understand all the PC hate from console fanboys. Do you people dislike PC gaming because it's too open? That we get all these sweet mods for our games and you don't? Do you like shittier graphics and control? Did a PC rape your sister? What the hell is it?
 
The resell argument is why I do both PC and console gaming. I buy and sell games I like a few times on console and then eventually buy them on PC when they're cheap. That way I get to play the game close to launch, but end up with the best version to keep later on. Plus buying and selling console games easily makes me enough money to pay for all my PC games.
 
[quote name='JasonTerminator']Who says veteran CAGs buy used, or resell their games? You're making an awful lot of assumptions about us.

And digital distribution is the future, even for consoles, and I don't see Microsoft or Sony or Nintendo having Steam quality sales.

If you factor in the cost of your TV and speakers, console gaming is expensive too (And don't you dare say that doesn't count after mentioning monitors). I never really understood this argument, personally.

PC gaming is very, very social. Who plays split-screen anymore? When my friends and I wanna play GTA4, we all get online and play together.

And, let's not forget that games on the PC look better, sound better, and play better. I don't have a mouse and keyboard option on my 360, but I can plug a 360 controller into my PC.

I don't really understand all the PC hate from console fanboys. Do you people dislike PC gaming because it's too open? That we get all these sweet mods for our games and you don't? Do you like shittier graphics and control? Did a PC rape your sister? What the hell is it?[/QUOTE]

I've been gaming on all my life, so I'm not a fanboy. And, by social, I mean you can play with your friends in your room (without a LAN set-up). Talking on the phone isn't the same as talking to the person sitting right next to you, so why would it be any different with a head set? Next, all of the pros for PC you came up with I had already listed, so what's the point? I'm just stating my opinion that console gaming is the better value overall. I was not "hating" on anything, but stating my opinion that console gaming is superior, so, no, a PC didn't rape my sister you ignorant ass.
 
Thanks to digital distribution older PC games can be had for a buck or two on sale. Try picking up an older console classic like Metal Gear Solid 4, most retailers still want $20 for it and it came out 3 years ago The cost difference starts adding up rather quickly. Oh you can go used but it's going to save you maybe $5 at gamestop or ebay after shipping.

Also if you want to play everything the consoles have to offer then you need 3 systems not one and that's not even including the handhelds...

The PC is the ultimate in cheapass systems, so long as you don't buy a system to play Crysis 2, a high end gaming mouse, 24inch monitor and all that other crap you don't actually need to enjoy a game.

Although if you want to be a true console cheapass the PS2 is the way to go, new system for $100 and games can be bought used in bulk cheaply through ebay.
 
Lol, one day you will wake up and console games will require a CD key to play. If you think for one second they're going to stop at the online passes, you're crazy. Consoles have become shitty PCs.

If you truly want to talk about not owning anything, a better argument is how digital distribution is bad for CAGs.
 
[quote name='zionoverfire']Thanks to digital distribution older PC games can be had for a buck or two on sale. Try picking up an older console classic like Metal Gear Solid 4, most retailers still want $20 for it and it came out 3 years ago The cost difference starts adding up rather quickly. Oh you can go used but it's going to save you maybe $5 at gamestop or ebay after shipping.

Also if you want to play everything the consoles have to offer then you need 3 systems not one and that's not even including the handhelds...

The PC is the ultimate in cheapass systems, so long as you don't buy a system to play Crysis 2, a high end gaming mouse, 24inch monitor and all that other crap you don't actually need to enjoy a game.

Although if you want to be a true console cheapass the PS2 is the way to go, new system for $100 and games can be bought used in bulk cheaply through ebay.[/QUOTE]

At least with MGS4, you'd be getting a physical copy of the game that has value. You can't get that on PC anyway, at least legally, unless there is a release of it that I don't know about. I am speaking for current-gen games in my OP, not classics here. As for the equipment, why wouldn't you want a big monitor and a good mouse? I can't imagine playing on some dinky screen, and if you are into FPS, you will want a decent gaming mouse. Period. Lastly, your argument about needing multiple consoles to play all of the games available is kind of pointless, isn't it, since a PC can't play all of the games ever made, either.
 
[quote name='Jodou']Lol, one day you will wake up and console games will require a CD key to play. If you think for one second they're going to stop at the online passes, you're crazy. Consoles have become shitty PCs.

If you truly want to talk about not owning anything, a better argument is how digital distribution is bad for CAGs.[/QUOTE]

And when that happens, I'll go back to solely PC gaming. I'll live in the present for now. I don't think digital distribution will ever overtake physical copies of games for consoles, since not everyone has access to internet, and that would hurt console sales severely.
 
I guess the first thing I'm curious about is... why? The post seems to come from outta left field and doesn't seem to be provoked by anything in particular. What sparked you to write it? Just wanted to reignite a console war?

Ultimately I do think there are some points here: there's no real resale value and you will need to shell out more than a console for a decent gaming rig. That said, being a "Veteran CAG" by the your standards isn't something I really see as a mark of excellence namely because there's a largely ignored side effect to saving money, and that is wasting time. The more money you try to save, the more time you have to spend to do it. I'd rather take the hit and buy a $5 game that I can't resell then spend the time having to resell the games I played (or didn't play, you know how CAGs like to "backlog") when I could be doing something else, like learning sweet power chords on my guitar. There are some incentives that PC gaming offers that might make it worthwhile to a CAG even if they can't resell it. As an outsider looking in I'm always envious of the better graphics and mods that I can't get on my PS3.
 
The day console gaming goes all digital download is the day I stop buying the newer games/consoles.

As for PC gaming, I tried that back in 2001 on GTA III and I was NOT impressed in the least. To me, it's more of a pita to use a keyboard/mouse combo to play a game as opposed to just using a controller.
 
[quote name='iamsmart']I guess the first thing I'm curious about is... why? The post seems to come from outta left field and doesn't seem to be provoked by anything in particular. What sparked you to write it? Just wanted to reignite a console war?[/QUOTE]
Yeah, this thread seems kind of... unnecessary.

I very rarely resell any of my games, and prefer to buy new, so that whole thing is a moot point to me (though I have resold one or two older PC games, CD key included, in the past). Besides, Steam sales and the like can make PC gaming very, very cheap if you're willing to wait for deals. There's some great free and shareware games out there, too - try finding those on a console.

The computer I do my PC gaming on is also my main machine anyway. I'm not the typical computer user in that it's a dual-boot Mac and I've done a lot of high-end graphics and video stuff on it (much of it work-related), but I am like many in that I don't feel the need for a dedicated gaming PC. My husband does, but he's much more of a PC gamer than I am. He feels it's worth it, plus he always hunts around for good deals when he needs to buy parts; I really don't see any problem with that.

I don't do much multiplayer to begin with, but when I have, it's usually been on PC. Unreal Tournament LAN parties have been some of the most fun I've had with any game. Playing online with friends is fun, too.

The only gripe I have with PC gaming is that nowadays, if I want to play a recent big-budget PC title with my husband, we either have to buy it twice (the LAN-less StarCraft II) or find a way to hack it for split-screen (Portal 2). However, this is no worse than having to buy multiple cartridges to play multiplayer modes in certain DS games.
 
[quote name='IAmTheCheapestGamer']The day console gaming goes all digital download is the day I stop buying the newer games/consoles.

As for PC gaming, I tried that back in 2001 on GTA III and I was NOT impressed in the least. To me, it's more of a pita to use a keyboard/mouse combo to play a game as opposed to just using a controller.[/QUOTE]

You're judging PC gaming from a console port? Honestly, what did you expect?


[quote name='sealionnn']I've been gaming on all my life, so I'm not a fanboy. And, by social, I mean you can play with your friends in your room (without a LAN set-up). Talking on the phone isn't the same as talking to the person sitting right next to you, so why would it be any different with a head set? Next, all of the pros for PC you came up with I had already listed, so what's the point? I'm just stating my opinion that console gaming is the better value overall. I was not "hating" on anything, but stating my opinion that console gaming is superior, so, no, a PC didn't rape my sister you ignorant ass.[/QUOTE]

My GTAIV example was in response to your GTAIV example, is it more fun to gather round the TV and take turns playing GTAIV or to all actually play it? I'm not going to deny that split-screen gaming is nice and all that (I even do it sometimes.), but saying that PC gaming isn't social is just plain stupid.

You say you mentioned all the pros for PC in your post, but I don't see them. Honestly, the line about the "finer graphics come at a higher cost"? You do realize that any decent PC made in the last 5 years has superior graphical capabilities than an Xbox 360 right? Honestly, if you tried to sell a 6 year old computer on the market now, people would laugh. Why is it any different with the Xbox 360?

If you aren't hating on PCs, why did you even make this thread? You have a beef with PCs, or you're trolling.

PS: I don't think ignorant means what you think it means.
 
[quote name='JasonTerminator']You're judging PC gaming from a console port? Honestly, what did you expect?




My GTAIV example was in response to your GTAIV example, is it more fun to gather round the TV and take turns playing GTAIV or to all actually play it? I'm not going to deny that split-screen gaming is nice and all that (I even do it sometimes.), but saying that PC gaming isn't social is just plain stupid.

You say you mentioned all the pros for PC in your post, but I don't see them. Honestly, the line about the "finer graphics come at a higher cost"? You do realize that any decent PC made in the last 5 years has superior graphical capabilities than an Xbox 360 right? Honestly, if you tried to sell a 6 year old computer on the market now, people would laugh. Why is it any different with the Xbox 360?

If you aren't hating on PCs, why did you even make this thread? You have a beef with PCs, or you're trolling.

PS: I don't think ignorant means what you think it means.[/QUOTE]

No, I hadn't noticed that PCs newer (and even older) than the 360 had better graphics. That is groundbreaking news to me. Consoles these days may be computers, but they are not personal computers. They may be heading in that direction, but for now they are separate. You can't buy a 360 game and put it in your computer and start it up, so that's why you can still sell an 6 year old Xbox 360, whereas your PC will probably get salvaged instead of selling it as a whole. I don't have a beef with PCs, I just obviously have an opinion about the two different "main" platforms for gaming today. The PC vs Console battle interests me, and I was trying to display a somewhat intelligent argument in terms of value. You can keep accusing me of hating PCs, but I'll tell you that I still can play almost everything I want maxed on my PC that I built myself, so it's not like I'm some immature fanboy that you make me out to be.
 
PC is always the better value if you research and educate yourself before buying one. People only believe consoles save you money because they buy their PC for work, email, etc... for around $400-600 (a laptop or what have you), when for that same price they could have a Battlefield 3 rig -- something that can surely run their Gmail in the background as well.

So if we're strictly talking price, PC is the no-brainer choice. However, if you want to play console exclusive games, you will buy a console for them. I have, everybody here has, it's just what we do these days. But any multiplatform title will go straight to my PC because no console can match a PC's control setup, graphical capabilities, social options, or game options (mods, servers, etc...).

Everyone needs a computer these days, you might as well put some thought into what's inside it before you get ripped off by some kid at Best Buy.
 
No, I hadn't noticed that PCs newer (and even older) than the 360 had better graphics. That is groundbreaking news to me. Consoles these days may be computers, but they are not personal computers. They may be heading in that direction, but for now they are separate. You can't buy a 360 game and put it in your computer and start it up, so that's why you can still sell an 6 year old Xbox 360, whereas your PC will probably get salvaged instead of selling it as a whole.
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I don't really get what you are saying with this response...

The PC vs Console battle interests me, and I was trying to display a somewhat intelligent argument in terms of value.
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The problem, as I was saying earlier, is that "value" extends beyond pure resale. If we boil this line of thought down, then instead of plunking $3 of coins into a Pac-Man machine that I'll greatly enjoy but never get back, I should instead buy the Atari 2600 version for $1.25 since I can resell it, even though that version is a big ol' piece of poo-poo.
 
I think the biggest thing "killing" PC gaming are misconceptions and idiots. OP has provided examples of both.
 
Well I had a hands on experience on why PC's save money to me in the long run. I have to get my dad a birthday gift and I was thinking about Metro 2033 for the 360. Now It's $26 used at gamestop but it's on sale today for $5 on Steam.

Plus resale values only are good if you are trading in a bunch of games and you hit a trade x get x% bonus unless you do ebay or CAG trading which requires shipping and all.

I find it much better to just wait for a game to get to like $10 on Steam during a sale if I want to play it. Most of the console games I want to play are on PC anyway, and well in the long run even if I can resell games, it still comes out much cheaper for PC, plus I got a PC to handle my everyday tasks. Also PC has mods for games and I would not touch Skyrim on a console just for the fact of no mods.
 
You want to talk about resell value? New PC Gears of War cost $100 new and $25 used. Xbox 360 Gears of War is $20 new and $5 used
 
[quote name='62t']You want to talk about resell value? New PC Gears of War cost $100 new and $25 used. Xbox 360 Gears of War is $20 and $5 used[/QUOTE]

Outlier.
 
OP is doing it wrong, I pick up PC games for $3 each and then flip them for $15-20 and up. I also have a PC that's seven years old and does everything I need for it to do, including word-processing, printing, photoshop, gaming, etc. I maybe paid $600 for the system when it came out; put in my own graphics card and it was anything but a "budget" model--sure it wasn't Alienware but it could handle Doom 3 and Neverwinter Nights no sweat.

And sure, I have my share of older consoles; but as for current generation I can't see dropping $300 for a system maybe 1-3 titles I'd be interested in playing, also HD graphics / bluray and all that other crap is *yawn* to me. If anything, being a CAG is more about being satisfied with what you have and only jumping onboard at the tail-end of the business cycle...
 
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