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Confessions of a PC gamer
Menelaus | 11:09 AM on 09.12.2008 22 comments


Yes, yes, I admit it. I have...CORRECTION...had a problem. For no explicable reason, I enjoyed the bottomless well of PC gaming and the associated hardware, so much so that I was doing full system upgrades every 4-6 months, just to eek out a few extra frames per second.

At least, I tell myself, this was back in the day; when PC games were GAMES! When console fanboys would admit that, yes, PC gaming was at the top of the gaming food chain (well, maybe I just made that part up). When playing a game on a console was for little boys and playing with WASD was for men. Those were days, idyllic and everlasting.

Until Crysis, for me at least.

That was the first game that showed me the folly of my ways. I wanted so badly to play Crysis maxed out, DX10 ablazin', volumetric clouds and particle physics out the ass, but suddenly, I didn't care anymore. I realized for the first time in a long time that games such as Crysis had become extremely boring, and that chasing specs was a waste of time (and money).

I was having a...crysis...of faith.

So I went to Samsclub and bought a 42'' TV and a Wii as a gift to myself for having this deep and profound revelation. Gaming was about to be fun and simple, no way around it. I bought SSBB and a used copy of Zelda: Twilight Princess. By time E3 '08 rolled around, I had had my Wii for about 4 months. I had about 10 hours put into Zelda. The day after Nintendo's press conference, I sold my Wii and bought an Xbox 360. If there was one thing being a PC gamer had taught me, it was that the focused companies come out of the heap with the spoils. Nintendo was not that company, and their library of shovelware proved it.

So here I am...a lifelong PC gamer, ending his first month with a current-gen console. I have to say, it's been pretty good overall. Of course I'm behind; I'm that guy, bugging my friends to play Halo 3 a year after they beat it. But I'm trying to stay on top of trends here...I have GTA4, although it tends to bore me to tears. It's been interesting transition to say the least.

I would be lying if I said I don't still jump on Steam when I get the withdrawal chills, though. *Say goodbye to your kneecaps, chucklehead! BONK*



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22 comments | showing # 1 to 22

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king3vbo's Destructoid Blog
NOOO DONT SUBMIT!

As a fellow spec chaser, I must chastise you. Come back to the light!
Phantom Spaceman's Destructoid Blog
X-TACLES!!!
Subenu's Destructoid Blog
PC gaming has pretty much gone down hill I guess. Besides, it's not Nintendo that puts shovelware out.
Triox's Destructoid Blog
I know exactley how you feel... After succommbing to the Wii, the other two big guns got here teeth in and now I've been dragged back into console gaming. Though I still refuse to get Gold Live... Pay for online gaming... friggen crazy talk...
dephect's Destructoid Blog
What?
Timmeh's Destructoid Blog
I did my last upgrade 2 years ago and I still get high, consistent frame rates with details turned right up in pretty much any game except Crysis (which is shitty anyway). I honestly don't understand why people feel the need to buy parts every few months.

As for consoles, I've got a 360, but I tend to find myself playing through something once on that and then going back to my PC until I feel like buying another console game to play. After wanting a 360 for quite a while I find I don't have that much interest in the thing now. Score 1 for the marketing machine.
youkilledmyguy's Destructoid Blog
Just as many worthless games come out for consoles as they do for PC. What you're going to find yourself doing now is dropping money left and right on the new "awesome" console game every other week, end up not finishing it because it sucks, and at the end of the year be kicking yourself in the ass because you could have bought the good PC titles as well as a few hardware upgrades.

Upgrading a PC to get more performance is the nerd equivalent hotrodding a car. That's part of the fun. Don't blame the platform for your desire for more power... it's in your blood. What you've done is gone from putting money into your V8 to achieve gut wrenching torque and blistering 0 to 60mph times to buying a minivan and saying "It's fun to drive, it gets me to the store, saves on gas, and all my friends can ride with me".

Don't worry, those of us in the PC Gamer Syndicate will be waiting here with open arms when you come back to the fold. As for PC's not being the top of the food chain... just because there are less releases and a smaller community doesn't mean it still isn't. Mass market appeal will never replace superior controls and graphics. Gameplay isn't a factor since most titles end up on every platform anyway. There are less lions than gazelles, but when they hear the roar they still know who's king.
JACK of No Trades's Destructoid Blog
Last week I decided to go back and play some classic Doom. I started with Doom 1, beat, moved to Doom 2, beat it and went to Doom 64(my favorite) and beat it. So whats next....Doom 3.

After playing Doom3 for the first time a couple of days ago I want to upgrade upgrade upgrade.I finally have a decent laptop to run games from 4 years ago and I have to tell you I was blown away at the graphics and ultra high settings. To this day it has better graphics than most console games that come out.

If I had the money I would fully invest in a badass PC so I could run badass games and also be able to run my animation/engineering software better. I give it a year before I buy a badass motherfucker.
Iron Dragon's Destructoid Blog
As a PC gamer who bought a Wii. I pretty much feel the same way about it. I don't really touch it much. I still have to finish Zack and Wiki, Metroid Prime 3, Super Paper Mario, etc... I have a stack of games to play and I can't really force myself to play them.

The only real reasons to get the console were Super Mario Galaxy and Mario Kart Wii (Fantastic game. Best in the series). Even then Galaxy was worse than Sunshine and Mario 64 (Though still enjoyable). Yeah I said it. The levels were too linear. It lacked exploration like 64 and sunshine had. I guess Samba De Amigo is coming at the very least.

I didn't however turn to the 360 dark side. Having family members on their 5th console stopped me from going down that road. Not to mention live fees, inferior versions, DLC costs, etc.

You can get by on a PC with a $125 card every 2-3 years (8800 GT is $125 right now). A new rig every 5 years or so and even than that's only like 600-1000 depending on what you want to spend. Yeah it's a bit expensive to some people but games like TF2 however make being a PC gamer 100% worth it. Games made properly for the PC are usually 50x better than the console versions.
mix's Destructoid Blog
PC gaming needs more waggle.
Menelaus's Destructoid Blog
Iron Dragon, I felt like you do about paying for Live...but seriously, it's 3 bucks a month. I spend more on lunch from the dollar menu every day. Not really a deal breaker in the end for me.
zaqu's Destructoid Blog
i bought a ps3 and resistance when it came out in canada for 840$ i kinda regret not spending that money on a good quad core and a shitload of games but atleast ive got some exclusives to play
ChillyBilly's Destructoid Blog
Funny, I haven't beaten GTAIV because it bores me to tears as well. One day I'll force myself to play it again.
Iron Dragon's Destructoid Blog
I still can't justify paying that much for listen servers. I've played CoD 4 on the 360 online. It lags like ass compared to the PC version.

Consoles are fine for an everyday experience but they're just inferior to PCs for multiplayer (Where I spend a large amount of my gaming time).
Dao2-SKP's Destructoid Blog
HAHAHAHA

Every 4-6 months? Trying to get the best FPS? Also if you really were you'd know that you can get everything crysis dx10 without actually using dx10 :| Maybe it's best you leave.
TheDreadHawk's Destructoid Blog
^^^

Someone's an elitist.
nintendoll's Destructoid Blog
Bad pun is bad.

Also, I <3 consoles.

The end.
Jetsetlemming's Destructoid Blog
You appear to be one rich motherfucker, because jesus
"I'm bored with generic FPS I think I'll go out and on the spur of the moment lay down a couple grand on a new tv and console just to see how it is on the other side"
Dao2-SKP's Destructoid Blog
TheDreadHawk - Yes I am, sort of :| I really wouldn't be if it wasn't for the new-gen console freaks, but it's hard not being when you look at them and what they've done to gaming :| Note: Not reffering to op as a new-gen console freak :P But definitely went about PC gaming wrong ;p

Every self respecting real PC gamer should KNOW, without a shadow of doubt that going PC only is NOT the way to go. There's things PC just can't do. Fighters, shmups, and beatemups for instance. They suck on PCs.... On the other hand there's tons of shit that consoles can't do that PC do. I.E. RTS, FPS, and MMOs, don't go spouting that halo bullshit at me or any other of those pos crap fps that have been retarded down and gone the "realistic" approach with the only 2 weapons, rebounding health meters, single or double plane enemy locations, and slowed down speed shit like Halo and the rest that came because of it.

*sigh* sorry got really sidetracked :P

Right: As a long time (long as I've been playing games) I've preferred PC games, but I own, play, and enjoy console games just as easily. As should anyone that's not a fanboy.
Jetsetlemming's Destructoid Blog
@Dao2-skp
What's so bad about PC for Shmups or fighting games? Neither are genres that absolutely require the usage of analog sticks (hardcore fighting game players still say to use the d-pad over the sticks), and there are tons and tons of Japanese PC Shmups. You could have a better argument for Platformers, though Psychonauts controlled and played fine on PC.
Too Much Coffee Man's Destructoid Blog
But without the spec chasers spending $600 on new video cards & CPUs; the prices wont drop fast enough for the more sane PC gamers who buy $200 video cards & CPUs every 1-2 years..

so you served an important role in the PC ecosystem. now it's out of balance!

Also, as PCs move to ray-tracing YOU WILL COME BACK. It's just that the disparity in titles that's confusing you atm.

I've been PC gaming longer than console. But I love console gaming too. They're 2 different animals imo. Console is for kicking back & relaxing. PC is for mixing it up w/ all facilities & acuity on turbo.
Dao2-SKP's Destructoid Blog
Jetsetlemming - While they might control fine it's just that they're more fun playing it on a controller or with an arcade stick, not to mention it's lacking the local multiplayer so it's one of the things PCs should stay away from ;p I was going to mention platformers but it's really just a certain style of platformers, some can do it others certainly cant :P Same goes for shmups as fighting games.


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