3g Consoles!

[MasterChief]

Haven't seen a poll on this around so thought I would create one and see what everyone's thinking? Which console do you reckon will be best or are you a console hating PC loving fiend?

 

Have to admit I've never been one for consoles, much more a PC kind of guy. Playing an FPS with a joypad just doesn't work for me...

[Loki]

I would go for the PS3 because I have used the other two versions and they were pretty good.

 

Don't know much about the other consoles, never tried them, so its a case of sticking with what I know TBH.

 

Tend to leave the p.c. for the serious stuff.

[the-rhymes]

I voted for the PS3 but I'm tempted by Jade Empire on the xBox. Perhaps I will pick up a second hand xBox when the 360 comes out....

[MasterChief]

But, but, the PC. Think of the glories of the PC, all the games you could ever possibly want or imagine...plus word!

[lethargy]

Stop it fanboys! Naughty!

 

Why don't you wait and see which games you want to play, and then buy the console that supports them? There is no point arguing about something that won't really be known for at least another 2 years.

[matty]

I've always preferred a PC for gaming - have always found them to be more powerful in the GFX and processor departments - admittedly the released specs on the up and coming consoles do seem to be really quite powerful, by the time they arrive I think PC's will have similiar or even more available CPU & GFX power.

 

The PC industry moves at a much quicker pace than consoles - new motherboards & processors arrive pretty much on a monthly basis, whereas consoles - it seems to be every two to five years.

 

I find for FPS type games, I have way more control using a mouse & keybord than I can possibly get with the control pads that come with consoles.

 

Also with a PC you're not tying up the TV as you would be using a console (the wife would probably freak if I came home with a console & plugged it into the TV!).

 

A PC can do many things - you're not just stuck to games (although it is possible to use X-box etc as a streaming media client - I have a Neuston MC-500 for this hooked up to the TV - that can output various HDTV formats - that the present consoles can't do).

 

I've recently been working on a cinema installation in a converted barn, 7.1 sound system and a 9ft projector screen, - plugged a PS2 into it the other night and had my first experience of the Manx TT game - I must say I was quite impressed!

 

Of course there are certain advantages with consoles - they're generally cheaper and you don't have any problems with GFX,soundcards, drivers, chipsets etc, but I've always preferred my PC as a general purpose "tool".

[MasterChief]

I find the great thing about PC Gaming is not only the vast array of games. From racing to flight sim to RTS to FPS to turn-based to platform to MMORPG to anything else you can thing of, everything is on PC.

 

Then you have the additional multimedia abilities (my PC can even be my TV/Video/Radio/Cooker!!!) and ultimate upgradeability not to mention that there are PCs available now that exceed the graphics, etc abilities of these consoles so by the time they come out PC graphics will show GT wheels in a trillion shades of black!!!

 

Then to seal the deal you can get cracks and the like that let you play virtually any console game in existence.

 

In all honesty I can't see a good reason to own a console (especially given the price of games), the last one I owned and the only one I loved was the legendary Sega Mega Drive, what a device!

[ans]

In all honesty I can't see a good reason to own a console

 

I'm not a console fan really, although I do own an Xbox which is used mostly as a media centre for my living room, but I can see why people want them.

 

People want simplicity. They want to be able to turn on their machine, insert a disc and play. They don't want to have to install the latest DirectX, upgrade their video drivers, patch the game to the latest version and enter a 32bit CD key to authenticate online for their single player game.

 

They want to play racing games on their 50" plasma TVs with three other friends, all with a controller each. They want split screen gaming on the one display instead of everyone needing a unit and monitor over a network.

 

They want these things because they're easy and require no effort. People are inherently lazy.

 

Then to seal the deal you can get cracks and the like that let you play virtually any console game in existence.

 

Don't talk crap.

[matty]

It's entirely possible to connect a PC to many plasma's - some of them even come with VGA (15pin D sub) and DVI connectors - you just need to set the resolution & refresh on your PC for the optimum display (you would also have to do this on the coming new consoles as well though).

 

Here's a list of the common HDTV resolutions:-

 

720p - 1280x720 progressive

1080i - 1920x1080 interlaced

1080p - 1920x1080 progressive

[ans]

It was more the social side of gathering round a large TV that I was getting at. Sure, you can always hook your PC up to the TV but unless your graphics card is fairly recent, something will need to be upgraded. You'd also have to buy a 4 port adapter for your controllers. This is all aside from the fact that PC games with split screen capability are very rare.

 

Consoles are simply a convenience for a lot of people. I played all the way through GTA:SA on my Xbox despite having it for PC also. I played it on the XBox because I could do so lying on my sofa, I could hook up a second controller for some two player action and for that type of game it's a more natural platform. Now that I've finished it, I've grabbed a 100% savegame so I can open up everyone on the PC version without having to play it all again just so I can mess with the mods people have created.

[MasterChief]

I'll take the point on easier multiplayer with consoles, plugging in a controller is alot simpler though split screen is a pain in the arse (especially with those cheating gits who look at my corner!).

 

I'll not take the point on lack of emulators though especially given most consoles nowadays are just cut down versions of PCs. I present these here as my evidence:

 

Xbox

PS2

Gamecube

Mega Drive!!!

[ans]

I present these here as my evidence:

 

Xeon - This is an emulator for the X-BOX platform. Xeon runs only one commercial game and it is Halo NTSC version, it plays very roughly, the images are too slow to get in game, of course the emulator is still under development so let’s expect more for this great emulator.

 

Cxbx - This may not actually be an emulator to some people but everyone considers it one. Cxbx's goal is to convert a game from an Xbox executable to a native Windows executable. This may sound bold but it's already happening and in theory it's quite possible.

 

NeutrinoSX2 (nSX2) - This is an open source emulator for the Play Station 2 platform.

Just as the other emulators of its kind, its still under construction, so yeah it means that you can't run any commercial game with it.

 

PCSX2 - World\'s first Playstation 2 emulator. This is the first PS2 emulator that slowly shows us that commercial games might soon be fully playable! As you might recognize from the name, it was developed by the team behind the PS One emulator PCSX. It was developed by reverse engineering PS2 demos, which isn't an ideal source for developing an emulator. It simply is far from complete. But at least it's a start, so if you want to have a look, here it is.

 

Dolphin - Dolphin is the first Gamecube emulator able to run commercial games! Even at its early stage some games manage to load and run but not perfectly. Please remember that Dolphin is an experimental GameCube emulator so many games might not run and for the ones that do run you will need a strong PC..

 

 

Wow, you sure showed me there with those cracks and the like that let you play virtually any console game in existence.

[ans]

given most consoles nowadays are just cut down versions of PCs.

 

And woah. I was laughing too hard at your evidence that I actually missed this gem.

 

I am now ordering cut down PC parts from Dabs to build by XBox 360 before it even hits the shops!

[MasterChief]

Cut down as in functionality - especially given that they basically use the same technologies. When you show me an Xbox that allows image/video editing, handles word and excel documents (to give some basic examples) and allows the use of a printer and I'll retract the statement.

 

As for the cracks et all statement, it was early in the morning and I was hungover but Lord forbid anyone should make a slip of the tongue while the almighty ans is on patrol. The emulators were the result of a 30 second google search, I'm sure if I could be bothered I could find better examples.

 

On a final note, you seem overly agressive ans. Maybe you should try going to the local quack for some calming pills or alternatively if you made some savings shopping somewhere other than dabs then it might bring a smile to your sour face.

[ans]

When you show me an Xbox that allows image/video editing, handles word and excel documents (to give some basic examples) and allows the use of a printer and I'll retract the statement.

 

Wanna see my Xbox running Linux, Open Office and printing to a networked printer? Like this?

 

Look, I'm not a console champion, far from it. I do almost all of my (limited these days, sigh) gaming on my PC and for the types of games I prefer, it's far superior. I'm willing to accept that there is a vast market for consoles and that they are better at some things than a PC, something your blinkered eliteism wont let you recognise.

 

Oh, and you might want to spend more than '30 seconds in Google' if you're trying to respond to someone accusing you of talking crap. Retorting with more crap is just, well, crap.