Pachter on why consoles are becoming obsolete

[alienjesus]

so this feels related: It was just announced that the next Harvest Moon game will be on PC. That has long been a Nintendo-only series.

Is this the next Harvest Moon game by the developer, or the next Harvest Moon game by the publisher?

[Forlorn Drifter]

Well, for starters, I can't afford a second PC right now, and my laptop can't handle anything above DOOM (but DOOM runs on everything)

I imagine you have a nice laptop like this one

The hand problems, that's something, yes. But I promise you Forlorn you have a laptop that can run a whole lot more than Doom.

What are its specs?

Also, I imagine that if PC reigns supreme, more games would come with control pad support. Already a good number of them do, though I can't say anything about exclusivity vs. console ports on that matter.

Let's see, specs are...
Intel i7-4702 CPU, 2.20 GHz
8 gigs of ram
Intel 4600 Graphics Card (I think that is 90% of my kicker, graphics kill this computer)

But, I was exaggerating, I know my PC can run more, but it won't run the type of stuff I want, and unless I beef it up with expensive parts, it won't run them as well as a console could.

Pad support is continuing to get more widespread, but tends to be seen a lot more commonly on games that are already on consoles, seeing as they already have everything set up. And no matter what you do, a lot of PC games have a ton of hotkeys and such that you just can't apply to a controller, you are limited on the amount of buttons and all that.

Is this the next Harvest Moon game by the developer, or the next Harvest Moon game by the publisher?

By the publisher, Natsume. The "true" Harvest Moon games no longer have the legal right to use the Harvest Moon name, at least not in the US and Europe. Don't know about other areas or Japan though.

[fastbilly1]

Let's see, specs are...
Intel i7-4702 CPU, 2.20 GHz
8 gigs of ram
Intel 4600 Graphics Card (I think that is 90% of my kicker, graphics kill this computer)

But, I was exaggerating, I know my PC can run more, but it won't run the type of stuff I want, and unless I beef it up with expensive parts, it won't run them as well as a console could.

What games do you want to run on it?

That setup will run Witcher 3 as is (though at 15ish fps at 720p), but if you put a $65 gpu in it will smoke - unless it is a laptop (if I am not mistaken the 0x designation on the i7 chipset is usually used for mobile chips). Granted the 4600 is a igu (integrated graphics unit), it is still capable of running Killing Floor 2 and GTAV at around 20fps per in single player.

[Exhuminator]

The "true" Harvest Moon games no longer have the legal right to use the Harvest Moon name, at least not in the US and Europe.

Yep. PSA; it's Story Of Seasons for nowadays, if you're looking for the real thing.

[Forlorn Drifter]

Let's see, specs are...
Intel i7-4702 CPU, 2.20 GHz
8 gigs of ram
Intel 4600 Graphics Card (I think that is 90% of my kicker, graphics kill this computer)

But, I was exaggerating, I know my PC can run more, but it won't run the type of stuff I want, and unless I beef it up with expensive parts, it won't run them as well as a console could.

What games do you want to run on it?

That setup will run Witcher 3 as is (though at 15ish fps at 720p), but if you put a $65 gpu in it will smoke - unless it is a laptop (if I am not mistaken the 0x designation on the i7 chipset is usually used for mobile chips). Granted the 4600 is a igu (integrated graphics unit), it is still capable of running Killing Floor 2 and GTAV at around 20fps per in single player.

Its a laptop. But 15 or 20 fps? I beat that on console.

[fastbilly1]

Of course you do, but your pc does not have a dedicated gpu. But that also does not answer the question of what you want to play. If you want to play say Diablo 3 or Borderlands 2, you will get a solid 30+ fps, close to 40. If you want to play something like Quake 3, youll get close to 300fps.

[isiolia]

Its a laptop. But 15 or 20 fps? I beat that on console.

Well, that's also a brand new game n' all. If you compare to what a 360 or PS3 can do, considering they're usually at 720p or lower anyway with lowered settings/FoV/etc, it doesn't compare too badly.

However, roll back to early/mid 2000s titles, and it'd actually compare pretty well to the good discrete cards at the time. The main caveat I've seen is that pre-DX9 support in 8/8.1 and on is...sketchy. It tends not to be as much of a problem with discrete cards, but you can sometimes find a game that, by all rights, should fly on the hardware, but doesn't.

[marlowe221]

Well yeah, consoles are only as relevant as their exclusives.

I have to disagree with this to an extent. Consoles will be relevant as long as there are those folks that want to play games but don't want to build their own PC - and that is a pretty big number of people as things currently stand.

Pre-built PCs pretty much suck for gaming (particularly desktops) and I don't think it is a big secret even among console-only gamers. I think a lot of console people see what a PC can do but are either intimidated by the process of assembling their own PC or would rather not spend the time to do the research and shop for parts.

Even if someone DOES want to do their homework and shop for parts to build their own PC, cost is a factor that must be considered. Sure, you can find lots of reddit threads and youtube videos on the parts that you need to build a "gaming PC" for near-console prices but here's the thing: they almost never include a monitor, mouse + keyboard, or a Windows license. They assume you will already have those things.

But if you have been using laptops for years (like me, before I got my current PC) then those items are real costs that can quickly push your budget WAY over console levels (particularly a decent monitor + operating system). Since I was starting from scratch, more or less, I ended up spending nearly DOUBLE what an Xbone/PS4 would have cost me on my PC. Sure my performance is better than those consoles but it's not double the price better.

I think there are a TON of people who want to go to a store (or amazon), pay a reasonable price, and take home a console that is ready to go. Exclusives matter for consoles but cost/convenience is a huge factor. PC gaming has come a long way from where it was in the mid-90s but, as a recent PC convert, I think the consoles are still way ahead on the cost of entry scale.

[noiseredux]

Marlowe, this is why companies like Alienware and Cyber have started putting out their 'Steam Machines' though. These are gaming PC's that are made to look and act like traditional consoles. There's no research involved. No assembling of parts. Heck, in the case of the Alienware you don't even need a keyboard and mouse as it uses a custom UI over Windows 8 that is operated completely by wireless controllers. You won't even ever see Windows 8 unless you want to.

http://www.alienware.com/landings/steammachine/
https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

And when the SteamOS and controller finally get a public release, I think you will see a lot more of this concept. You've got the openness of PC gaming but in a familiar "console-like" couch-ready package.

[Ack]

Well yeah, consoles are only as relevant as their exclusives.

I have to disagree with this to an extent. Consoles will be relevant as long as there are those folks that want to play games but don't want to build their own PC - and that is a pretty big number of people as things currently stand.

Pre-built PCs pretty much suck for gaming (particularly desktops) and I don't think it is a big secret even among console-only gamers. I think a lot of console people see what a PC can do but are either intimidated by the process of assembling their own PC or would rather not spend the time to do the research and shop for parts.

Even if someone DOES want to do their homework and shop for parts to build their own PC, cost is a factor that must be considered. Sure, you can find lots of reddit threads and youtube videos on the parts that you need to build a "gaming PC" for near-console prices but here's the thing: they almost never include a monitor, mouse + keyboard, or a Windows license. They assume you will already have those things.

But if you have been using laptops for years (like me, before I got my current PC) then those items are real costs that can quickly push your budget WAY over console levels (particularly a decent monitor + operating system). Since I was starting from scratch, more or less, I ended up spending nearly DOUBLE what an Xbone/PS4 would have cost me on my PC. Sure my performance is better than those consoles but it's not double the price better.

I think there are a TON of people who want to go to a store (or amazon), pay a reasonable price, and take home a console that is ready to go. Exclusives matter for consoles but cost/convenience is a huge factor. PC gaming has come a long way from where it was in the mid-90s but, as a recent PC convert, I think the consoles are still way ahead on the cost of entry scale.

People also have to buy a television for a console to work. Did you factor in the cost of that?

Since you're looking at this from the perspective of someone who doesn't own either a PC, a console, or any related parts whatsoever though, you also have to consider what else a PC can do. You also built yourself a device with access to literally thousands of more games, as well as access to everything else a computer is capable of, including all manner of software ranging from financial documentation to word processors, Internet access, email and other communication tools, the ability to develop your own games or programs, the ability to stream a wide range of media or save it on your own device, data storage, access to peripherals such as printers and scanners, image generation and modification tools, so on and so forth.

If you see your PC as a device for solely gaming...well, you're looking at it all wrong. You can build a desktop for cheap that does a variety of other functions to help in society that are completely not gaming related, one that doesn't have to be very powerful. And once you have already built a PC of some kind, you can upgrade it piecemeal, to spread the cost out over time at much lower costs than a new console. It may cost more overall, but you don't have to buy it all in a single go, like you do with a console. And you can continue to upgrade it over time in ways you cannot with a console.

Conceivably you could have built a machine capable of playing games from 2008 for reasonably cheap and then slowly upgraded your device over time based on your needs without ever taking the sudden financial spike that a console would have cost you. Unless you absolutely need the top of the line stuff to play your games...

...in which case you wouldn't be buying a console in the first place, because they're not top of the line anyway.