Comparing PC with Console games

[General Chaos]

Just so no one freaks out and suspects this as a flame-bait topic, let me first state that this isn't intended to prompt a comparison of the merits of console vs. PC gaming.

Instead, I'm interested in how to appropriately categorize PC and console games for the sake of hypothetical comparison. Let me elaborate--I sometimes see people make comments like "the PC is better than (insert console here)." However, it seems unfair to compare decades of games to the library of one specific console. On the other hand, there seems to be something too general about lumping all of these PC games into one category.

I'm left unsure how to compare PC and console game libraries. Should consoles be lumped into groups based on their manufacturers (e.g. Nintendo vs. PC, or Sony vs. PC), or perhaps PC gaming should be broken into eras based on decades. Then again, there's also the chance I'm just over thinking this. Nevertheless, I do continue to see the PC vs. Console argument unfold, and I'm pretty sure the involved parties aren't even clear on the comparison groups.

Any thoughts?

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Well, I know that if available to me, I will often choose the PC version of a game due to control. I love keyboard's and mice. Also graphics and general performance of a game can be much better on a decent PC versus a console. Most games eventually come out on PC, and then theres always emulators.

[nickfil]

I don't play many PC games. That said- when i do get the chance in life to play them, i usually group them by whatever operating system was out when they were out. Whatever it runs best on.

Obviously times like these are a gray area with windows 7 and vista, but games are still made with vista in mind so i'd call dragon age a vista game.

Lately I've felt the bug to get a cheap computer or laptop specifically for an older os and older games. I think the fact that they announced a sequel to American McGee's Alice has a hand in that.

[General Chaos]

I don't play many PC games. That said- when i do get the chance in life to play them, i usually group them by whatever operating system was out when they were out. Whatever it runs best on.

I like that approach. Certainly DOS games could be in their own category. I wouldn't mind having an older PC myself, just to run some of the classics hassle-free.

[Ack]

I would also argue in favor of considering an era or OS. You might go on and on about how you have the greatest PC in the world, and how it has so many more titles and can play all these games, but can it really run games from fifteen years ago smoothly and at the proper speeds? Warcraft goes ballistic when played on a modern computer.

You might also consider evolutions over time, especially when comparing a game genre. And there are certain genres that tend to favor either the console market or the PC, even though they appear on both(and sometimes the unfavored market will still have some awesome peripherals to back it up).

[nickfil]

You might also consider evolutions over time, especially when comparing a game genre. And there are certain genres that tend to favor either the console market or the PC, even though they appear on both(and sometimes the unfavored market will still have some awesome peripherals to back it up).

True- although consoles have RTS games, i wouldn't ever really want to play them on anything other than a PC. It just seems unnatural.

[Hobie-wan]

Another Division that's generally needed on the PC side is graphics technology. At the very least, 2D , software 3D (maybe even so called 2.5D), hardware 3D, then hardware 3D with transform and lighting.

[MrPopo]

Generally when I compare PCs to Consoles I mostly look at the control and multiplayer options. Is game X of genre Y better suited to mouse & keyboard or to a controller? Does PC game R support better matchmaking and game hosting than console equivalent S?

If you want to categorize PC games the quick and dirty is to divide it up into the DOS era and the Windows era. The big divide is that Windows emphasized abstraction so that you did not (and could not) have to modify your code to suit specific quirks of a specific piece of hardware; it was all handled for you by whatever API you used (DirectX being a big one). As a result, you no longer saw things like a game that sped up to unplayable levels based upon your hardware. The other big divide you can point to is the divide between 2D and 3D, for obvious reasons. Since the platform is completely open from a hardware perspective, though, it doesn't have a generational feeling like the console world does. Everything upgrades in yearly increments vs. the 5-year console cycle.

[wilsona26]

I like fps games on a PC simply for more players involved in combat. PC games can be modded quite abit as opposed to console games. Some can be to an extent, but not nearly as much as a PC game. I like consoles just because I dont have to continually upgrade/buy new. Once every 5-10 years maybe, but if you get into PC gaming, system requirements start getting further and further along from the system you purchase 2 years ago. Each has pros and cons. You can play any computer game ever made on just about any computer with the right program. Not so much for my older console games. Backwards compatibility is great, but usually only spans a few generations of systems. I love both equally for their individual merits. Just like all my consoles. Each one makes me happy in its own special way. Even my Jaguar and 3DO. All my computers Ive collected over the years provided me with countless hours of fun. Just enjoy games no matter what system.

[neilencio]

How about the years that consist the lifespan of the console it was being compared against? For example, if the console it was being compared to had 2000-2009, you'd only use PC games released during 2000 and 2009.

As for the advantages/disadvantages, the cost of a console is almost consistent, and you'd be able to play most of its library the way it should look and feel without spending much. Whereas on a PC, to be able to run games consistently at the same level or better (which is one of its advantages) for a long time, you'd have to buy/upgrade to the hardware side that's on the higher end, which can be very expensive compared to buying a console.

There's also a lot of tweaking/fiddling involved just to play PC games. Whereas console games are much more plug and play.

and before I give off the impression that i'm a console fanboy, i don't have any consoles except a Ps2 that is rarely played nowadays since there's already a working ps2 emulator.