My Lesson in Buying a Console System
 

A couple weeks ago I bought the new Xbox 360. I have been keeping an eye on the console industry over the years but not really paying attention at a level one would if they owned a system. I wish I had.

Consoles (any console system) are years behind PC hardware and High Definition television in terms of graphics. This was my biggest shock.

You see lots of ads on TV for FPS games on consoles and yet the controllers they use suck for FPS compared to keyboard and mouse control. You would think they'd at least offer an optional controller tailored for FPS games using a thumb trackball. This was my second biggest shock.

Ninety-nine percent of all console games can only manage 720P screen resolution which makes them look like cartoons compared to widescreen monitors using 1920x1200. The new Xbox upconverts to 1080P but it still looks like crap.

And yet with all this, the market for console systems and games is huge. Retail stores barely support PC games.

The world is truly a strange place.

I think it's because it's more likely for a console to be available to a kid than a gaming PC. In comparison, consoles are a lot cheaper than a "specialised" PC with the proper hardware. As a result, most kids grow up with consoles to play games on, never experiencing gaming on a PC firsthand.

I guess sitting 2m away from a TV helps hide the comparatively poor graphics as well, but then it should be said that graphics don't make the game in the first place.


Given the average Xbox user's intelligence, as presented (or stereotyped) in YT videos, it's probably for the best they stick to consoles anyway. :DL

Gran Turismo 5. That's all I'm saying :yep:

I concur. You should of gone with a Ps3 for Gran Turismo 5, free multiplayer, and built in blu-ray player.

I have owned an Xbox, Playstation, PS2 and currently my children have a Wii. I want a PS3 for the sports Games (Baseball, Football and Soccer), but all these game systems cost so much.

If they ever drop the price of a PS3 to $199, I will buy, but until then, I will just let the kids play.

Yea, I dont understand some of the people who I know with consoles...

The main thing I hear them say is "Oah, how great the graphics are" I look at them and think... "what world do you live on..."

Also most games Ive seen for the Xbox are mainstream, stupid games taylored to a kid with the attetion span of a fly. Who dosent knotice how fugly the graphics are because there is a explosion going off every other second.

Most of the people I know who are console gamers would go crazy playing a PC game, If I was to give them DCS Blackshark there head would probably explode...

I just want to say I WILL NEVER buy a console. In fact I HATE console.

All the games I'm interested in playing are in PC anyway. Well except that fabulous racing game that I forgot the name.

After getting some good info from member danlisa I almost bought a PS3.

Forget now why I didn't.

Console FPS games with auto aim = :har::har:

Put a pc gamer v console player playing say battlefield and the PC gamer will win hands down. Why, cause hes far more skilled, you don't need any skill with auto-aim.

:haha: I lol'd

Let's do the facts.

Xbox Games: Not a single game on this console can do 1080p natively to a 1:1 pixel ratio. Xbots will have you believe that it can but its been proven to be a 1:4 pixel ratio upscaled.

PS3 Games: The current 1080p vs 720p ratio stands at about 30 vs 70%. True, the majority of retail disc games are 720p, dependent on whether the dev studios want to fix FPS to 30 or 60. Most PSN games are 1080p @ 60 FPS. The PS3 is the only market console that can do 1080p 1:1 natively.

Displays/TV: I'll say this, mainstream TVs are maxed to 1920 x 1080 resolution. Why does a console need to be capable of anymore?

All mainstream studios know where the money is. They are all shifting their resources to consoles because of the higher monetary return, larger adoption of new titles at retail price, 0% piracy (except a small xbox percentage) and the knowledge that they don't need to account for differing unknown variables in the PC market in terms of hardware.

Yes, most games on a console won't be as in depth as a PC RTS or simulations, for example, but it's only a matter or time.

I welcome the trend switch from PC to Console, not because of the touted game genres but because it ensures continued existence for the game studios as well as stamping out piracy.

As for Console vs PC gaming. You'll get your chance, Steam is coming to the PS3 ;) starting with Portal 2, and as the PS3 supports Keyboard and Mouse input I expect to be kicking PC players asses very soon.:D

Anyway, I respect the OPs initial intent. Xbox Sucks, PS3 rules.:arrgh!:

A friend of mine who turned console lover was playing Bad Company 2 on the xbox with 'sticky aim' on. I was disgusted at him, dude what are you doing! Sticky aim I mean come on! :nope: :)

PS3 supports kb/mouse at least sony got that right.

Consoles are silly. That might change at some point, but right now there is no reason to own one.

I would like to agree with you but I've been waiting for the bold bit for about 10 years and so far there's little sign of it. Several PC game development companies have moved away from PC and toward consoles and the result has been a noticable "dumbing down" (sorry) of their games. That said, the console games of these ex-PC developers do tend to have a bit more "je ne sais quoi" to them than the garbage that gets churned out by your typical console development company. And they've certainly enjoyed success!

What I see is the games market heading to a middle ground. A blend of fun and depth that's somewhere between the old stereotypes of "console games" and "PC games". I seriously doubt that we will ever see extremely deep simulation/strategy games for consoles, not least of all because console games are played on the sofa! If the player is sat several metres away from the screen then you can't cram that screen full of the kind of information typically needed in a "deep" simulation/strategy game, no matter what the resolution is. Imagine trying to read your SH3 dials and map, or your Civilization screen, from 2 or 3 metres away! It's not going to work. That said, I think the aforementioned ex-PC game developers have raised the bar in console games and shaken up the market a bit. Their success will not have gone unnoticed by other game developers.

:know:

So I bought Forza 3 today for my 360. The last time it was turned on was about a week ago and that was because the on button was turned on accident. Although I have been meaning to turn it on to play ME some more. I put the second disc in (which has 1.9 gigs of extra content on it) to see whats on it. I ask my girlfriend to plug my ethernet cable into the back of the system so I can get online.

So she tilts the system forward(while the disc was running). I'm screaming "NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" Meanwhile 360 is letting out a god awful noise and my brand new game is being destroyed. :wah:
Whoever the screwball in Microsoft that decided to not cushion the discs should be shot. Another reason I love my Ps3, I can move it perfectly without the disc being scratched. :stare:

Consoles are the future and will if, not already be a main part of a complete Home Entertainment system.

The past was P-4,AGP,DDR, and IDE. Those of us who could, moved on. Multi-Core,PCI-E,DDR2or3, and Sata.

I for one will move on again in near future with a Highend console PS3 or Better. :)