Revelations: How PC gaming allowed me to be born again

We all forgot to mention the most important part about PC gaming,and that is MODS!!!

@45, I recommend to wait a bit for Windows 8 to start upgrading your PC, especially when it comes to SSD. Because once Windows 8 will be released, SSD is going to be cheaper.

Also, your PC is not that bad, but you seriously need to upgrade your videocard and don’t forget for the +3 GB Ram that should do the trick.

your system processor is enough for the gaming tasks.

cheers Steph.

I quite like PC gaming, it’s just a shame that I loathe PC gamers.

@46, I love that you went there haha. Controllers FTW <3

@53, Although I do agree with that, they're not all bad.

@53, LOLWTF?! POT, meet the fucking kettle. Have you missed the last 5 years of console fanboy wars on here or the rest of the web?

Exactly some of the reasons i’m done with Sony/MS hardware. Sony/MS maybe have a few exclusives on their platforms, but that doesn’t justify buying each system for a handful of average “exclusive” games. Gears, Halo, Killzone, Resistance, InFamous, GT, Forza, Fable, God of War, etc, do fuck all for me.

Anyway, the best games this gen have been multiplatform, plus the PC has loads of exclusives of its own.

The PC is the best platform out there, by a mile.

This was a fun read Johnny and reminded me of some great times in my PC gaming past.
I remember in 1996 picking up a Monster 3D 3DFX Voodoo card to go along with my 4MB Matrox Millenium card in my PC. I remember starting up Quake with the glide patch installed and thus began my graphics lust. Without the 3DFX card Quake was blocky and I had to play at a very low resolution on my Pentium system at that time, with the 3DFX everything was sharp and smooth, and looked amazing. I hardly touched my playstation again after that, as its low res just couldn’t compare.
PC’s, thanks to the extended current console life, are making a resurgence. Deus EX:HR on PC blows away the console version, as does Crysis2, Skyrim and others.

PC gaming is good even if your PC is lacking power, I currently run BF3 at 1080p at low settings on a ATI 4850 and I shit you not it still looks better than the xbox & PS3 version lol.

Hmm… I also got myself a new gaming pc lately, pretty much for BATTLEFIELD 3 alone, and it looks awesome and stuff, but I just can’t leave my PS3. Probably because of the controls… And I like it more!
Plus, when you have a high performance pc you can probably play new games at maximum detail for what, one year?
And then if you want to keep that “prerogative” you end up spending a s**tload of money to upgrade it…
No, thanks, I’ll stick to my console, instead. Gaming experience doesn’t look any worse to me, even with less detail.

@59 Uncharted 3 yes please, best looking game on consoles to date imo.

@60 glad you know what I mean!

@59 same story with me.I just prefer PC over consoles because of controls and not over graphic and other stuff.

@62 I can understand that, most people instead keep pushing pc’s better performance, without considering how much more you need to pay to get that result. Plus, console games are generally better optimized, resulting in very good graphic performance even on a hardware that old (e.g. Uncharted, Forza, and other already cited titles)

@59,
“Plus, when you have a high performance pc you can probably play new games at maximum detail for what, one year?”

Not true at all, if you spent “shitload of money” you will run any game at max or highest settings for 5-6 years.

Look at the Steph’s rig at the previous page. It’s outdated and she still will run most of the games on the highest settings.

If you upgraded your PC for the BF3 alone, you are going to have amazing visuals for many years.

good luck and have fun.

Well, I guess it might be the case.. But than you won’t have that hugely enhanced performance over consoles most pc gamers seem to need… Btw, as said, I don’t dislike pc gaming at all, I simply prefer playing on my console, that’s all…

@63 I don’t know about that.

Performance is usually taken to mean superficial graphics stuff, but I’m pretty sure most of us prefer the PC for more than just overly expensive graphics, even if that’s what the fanboys like to beat off to.

Ultimately I love that I can switch from playing a game, to watching a show, to chatting with friends, to writing e-mails, to listening to music on whatever website or client I choose, shopping online on whatever website or client I choose, looking things up, to writing up something for work, potentially within seconds of eachother. You aren’t locked down by proprietary software, and it’s a lot quicker to get around and enjoy that freedom. Alt-tabbing and multi-tasking is a very big part of why I prefer the PC.

Controls are mostly a question of what you prefer, but with PC’s supporting both mouse and keyboard as well as gamepads, we tend to get the best of both worlds, which means I can play most things console gamers can, as well as strategy games, which aren’t exactly numerous on consoles.

Sure, shoddy ports are there, and that’s something we have to stomache, but it’s not like nobody ever fucks up on the consoles. Memba Dragon Age, Mafia 2, Modern Warfare 2, RAGE, Skyrim and Battlefield 3? That’s just off the top of my head.

But as PC gamers, we have to know how to troubleshoot our computers when something fails, or software stop working, consoles don’t really have the same issues, but you are right PC’s are easier to download & play, work etc.

@66 that goes without saying, nobody here is trying to compare consoles with pcs for all that purposes… All I am trying to say is that considering the hardware’s age this gen can give you a hell of a great time, and I don’t believe what you now get on pc is worth buying one for gaming alone (of course you need a pc for a bunch of other activities like the ones you mentioned!)

@67 There are definitely pros and cons, but I don’t think it’s ever been easier to keep a PC running smoothly. With Windows 7 it’s become pretty easy to handle drivers, and as long as you don’t abuse your PC with bad software, there’s really a lot less to worry about than there ever was.

The only major problems I’ve had over the last 5-10 years has been hardware dying on me, and while that’s a major life crisis every time, it’s still only been once or twice over that period.

Back in the 90′s it felt like there was a new super-virus wreaking havoc on your PC every other week.

@68 Well my point is that it’s an essential part of the PC experience. I don’t have to limit myself to playing games on it.

Consoles are a great compromise between performance and price, and they’ve only gotten better at offering some of the things the PC does, in terms of online services and multimedia, but ultimately you’re stuck with the dashboard or PSN if you want to do anything other than game.

I definitely wouldn’t recommend buying a PC for gaming alone unless you’re a major hifi geek, but I personally don’t know any PC gamers who bought a PC purely for gaming. They might have chosen the specs to allow for high performance gaming, but the thing that truly makes it worth it almost has to be the versatility.

@69
Theres the thing right there.
My PC wont run ping pong but years ago I had 1 that ran a few games like nightfire 007 and a couple of others.
I was having a few problems with nightfire and when I finally got to the crux of the problem it turned out my anti virus was causing it.

If what you are saying is correct then maybe I might consider having a second look sometime in the future but the console does what it says on the tin albeit with compromises.

I mean us techy noobs are out there in there millions and I reckon it is what,s keeping the console business ahead.

You’re never gonna get around the human factor though, and Lounds is absolutely right in that troubleshooting is a part of playing on the PC.

I consider myself a tech noob as well. I can barely slot a GFX card, even though I’ve been gaming since the 386. I have this idea that my computer is going to explode in my face if I try to open it.

Sometimes developers don’t account for things like antivirus or firewalls. When I first tried to play BF3 coop, it wouldn’t launch, which turned out to be because they hadn’t made sure it was compatible with even the most common free antivirus programs.

You also have some games requiring portforwarding to play online, which is a pretty intimidating thing for people who aren’t too savvy.

On the bright side, troubleshooting is effective. There are few issues that can’t be solved on the frontpage of a Steam forum, and sometimes the community even takes it upon itself to fix developers mistakes for them.

These days you’ll also have the problem of DRM, which is usually very poorly designed software that isn’t meant to convenience anyone. The console audience is spared that at least.

Congrats on the recent build, welcome to EPIC GAMING!

this boring junk article still on top?
facepalm
You dissapoint me VG247

@ loki: Why do you hate PC so much? Instead of just making a rubbish comment why don’t you air your grievances and tell us all your problem with the platform. I am actually genuinely interested to hear what you’ve got to say.

@73, “this boring junk article still on top?”

Because People Like PC Gaming, now get lost.

@74, I’ve been reading this blog since early 2009 and never known him to reply to another user, he just trolls.

The more we game on varied platforms the better. Every platform has its killer ap and its strengths and we should all respect that.

While PC gaming coming back is a nice thing, there is also the fact that it is in a more dire state than at the end of the previous console cycle. Some would just say it’s “different” but that’s quite a lie.

RTS is as good as dead. MMO’s haven’t changed (free-to-play business model or not). PC exclusive shooters don’t exist. Multiplatform titles haven barely advanced their respective genres. DRM has only gotten worse. The same publishers/developers still release their titles in a buggy state (Paradox, Bethesda) on PC. Games have only become more cheapish due to an overabundance of sales. Big names as Bryan Reynolds, Soren Johnson have effectively left the hardcore gaming industry for dreadful social apps and FB games. Most of those promising indies from back in the day haven’t grown into the healthy medium-sized developers we’ve all wanted them to become. Last but not least, the two biggest publishers out there still show they can ruin the reputation of once great developers (Bioware, Mythic, Pandemic, Raven, etc.).

No, it seems no-one except Valve or Blizzard have survived with all their ideas and capabilities intact. Everyone else is under pressure on PC. We are very far removed from a golden age. Very far.

@77 That is true.
Even RTS developers developed games on console first and then to PC which is big facepalm like EndWar and older alien theme game can’t remember wasn’t big succeed.Red alert 3 was ok but last CnC was abomination.
Total War is good franchise.
DRM is only critical with Ubi titles.

Though I may not be a Young Buck like JC, at 21 I am guessing, I too remember get into the Gaming PC’s.

I started with my first gaming PC being a Packard Bell 286 and went to a 386, 486, then a 486×2. Buying Ram and Video Cards like they were candy! Remember when Video Cards had to have their own Power Supplies, as big as the Power Supply on the Xbox 360?

With each iteration of Wing Commander, I had to be able to run it at its highest specs no matter the cost. Had to see Mark Hamill in all his Video Glory..LOL.

I thought the Glory Days would never end…but something Funny Happened!

I got Married, Bought House, Bought 2 Cars, Bought a Farm, Bought Appliances, Bought Electronics, Bought Furniture, Bought and set up Salt Water Tanks, Bought and Set up Fresh Water Tanks, Bought and Filled up Guest Bedrooms! Bought Annuities! Played the Stock Market! Bought 7 PC’s!

Had a Great Job, made a Ton of Money, and life was good!

Then Life wasn’t so good. The Company I worked for got bought, and then got stripped and sold off in parts, and then went bankrupt and closed!

Found another Job, a Good Job, but not as good as I had. Funny how something as taking a Pay Cut of $50,000.00 and no bonuses and no stock options can totally change your World View!

All of a Sudden I wanted everything…EVERYTHING…I had to “LAST AS LONG AS POSSIBLE!”

I had to eliminate things that nibbled at my money. Monthly Fee’s for MMO’s, 6-12 Month Upgrades of my PC’s, No more Stock Market, No more Annuities, No more Salt Water Tanks, No more Fresh Water Tanks, No more Landscaping my Farm, Sold 100 Chickens, Sold 25 Turkeys, Sold 50 Ducks, Sold 20 Geese, Sold all my Pygmy Goats!

Say your 20 something living with Parents…Then you have a TON of disposable income if your working a great job, and your Parents feed you and pay for everything.

Say your 40 something, been through jobs due to a horrible economy, married, have kids, and have acquired all kinds of things for 20 years!

All of a sudden you WANT things to LAST as long as possible, that is why Console Gaming is perfect for the 99% of the USA! You see as you get older and your “DISPOSABLE” income shrinks you find yourself wanting things to last as long as possible, unless your one of the lucky 1% in the USA, who can just buy, buy, buy!

So to JC I say, Lets talk in 20 years and see where you are? Believe me, I would LOVE to be in your position, but it wouldn’t be “Responsible” of me to do that, So I envy you, and tell you to ENJOY it, and I hope for you it can last!

@77 – RTS genre is as good as dead? Hardly. If anything, it’s getting better. PC exclusive shooters don’t exist? Try Red Orchestra or ArmA. Both make Battlefield and COD look like piles of crap.

It sounds to me like you’re not looking hard enough or are making assumptions based on what you see in the mainstream.

@77 Whoa, whoa, and whoa.

I don’t think you can say that the RTS is dead when it’s pretty much singlehandedly dominating the e-sports scene worldwide.

And Raven was a great developer… In the mid-90′s! Even id Software is falling apart, and so things change, some people innovate, some people fail to go anywhere. I don’t disagree with a lot of the points you make, but I definitely would’ve picked Massive Entertainment and Relic over those guys in a heartbeat.

I don’t know anyone who wishes indies to be gobbled up by the industry. I’m perfectly happy with independent developers not being molested by venture capital or wild expansions. If anything they’ve only gotten stronger by not going that way. People are throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars at games that have sometimes only been programmed by a single person! And now it’s gotten even better, with some developers even finding support among the community to fund their work before their games are even released.

What could they possibly get by emulating the biggest studios and removing themselves from that community? In a time where people seem to be in tears over how many people are buying Call of Duty, how can that not be the closest thing to Nirvana on earth?

I agree completely with the sentiment around DRM, and I agree that a lot of publishers are ignoring what’s really a very viable platform, and I also agree that the unique gameplay experiences have been cut back as a result, certainly in terms of tactical shooters, tactical RPGs and strategy, but I think it can only be seen as temporary.

I don’t agree that shooters have changed in a negative way because of consoles. I realize that a lot of people force that idea on themselves because they loved running around in mazes 10 or 20 years ago and they dearly treasure the time they’ve wasted on serverbrowsers ever since then, but ultimately things change for the better. In terms of the PC alone, it’s been the case with both Modern Warfare 2 and Battlefield 3 that the console audience have gotten a lot less (or more in the way of bugs, depending on the way you look at it) for their money.

I don’t think there’s any reason to be pessimistic. Publishers like EA are making more per PC release than they are on any other platform, and that sort of thing speaks louder than the status quo. And if EA knows that, then everybody else does too. Except maybe Ubisoft or THQ, but they’re arguably the dumbest guys in the room.

See, one of the first things you said was that it cost 830 pounds or something. That’s over a thousand dollars. I don’t have money like that to spend on games when I’ve got a perfectly good console to play on. Not to mention, if I want a game to look as good as possible, I’ve got to constantly upgrade my equipment. I will probably never switch to PC. I have a PC now that I could probably not run Half Life 1 on before it would crash and it does everything I need it to do.

If you enjoy playing a game on a PC, then that’s cool for you. I prefer my PS3. And honestly, I hope this gen lasts until 2015, at least. I’m not ready to buy a new system any time soon.

Yeah, a good PC usually costs in the 1000 – 1200 range, or 2000 for a complete system with new tech, but everyone needs/has a computer, so a portion of that cost is already going to be spent one way or the other. Then, of course, if you take the price of a console plus the extra cost of games, service charges, tag on fees like warranty, all of the over-priced peripherals not included in the original box, you’re not looking at spending very much more than you otherwise would. By buying a gaming PC you’re buying a fast computer, capable of gaming, HD movie playback, and a fast, enjoyable general computer experience. I highly doubt you’re reading this on your Xbox or PS3. You’re probably on a computer. I simply took whatever cost I would have thrown into the console pile and instead put it towards buying the faster, more expensive computer. I didn’t spend a dime more than you.

@ 83

You couldn’t be more Wrong on the Price being the same on a PC in the Long run.

I have my original PS3 $400, I have two Controllers, one came in the box, so $50. Bought a 2 year warranty for $30 (Which by the way they sell Warranties for Computers too!) Then last year I bought a bigger Hard-Drive and it cost $50. So I spent $530 Dollars so far!

Game Cost…Games cost on PC and cost on PS3. I rarely buy day one, so I spend about $20 on a PS3 games!

I watch Blu-Ray Movies, Play Games, Watch Major League Baseball, Rent Movies.

I do have a $200 Netbook that I am typing this on right now and have had since I bought my PS3. I had to add ram to the Netbook to speed it up!

If I had a Gaming PC, I would still have spent at least a $1000.00 on, then in 10 years I promise you I would have upgraded the Memory, Video Card, Power Supply, Mother-Board, and Intel Chip…That won’t happen on my PS3 at all!

YES the Gaming PC is the Best, but it also Cost the Most in the long run..Your comparison is just outright wrong! I know for a FACT because I have done both!!

PC gaming works out a lot cheaper in my experience.

I bought my current PC in 2006, around the same time as I bought my 360. I haven’t upgraded once since and it’s still able to run all the latest games (albeit not on ultra). I’m fairly confident that will still be the case when the current console generation has ended.

Now, during this time, i’ve found myself spending considerably more money on console games than PC games… and I buy more PC games.

Thanks to Steam, I rarely seem to spend more than £10 on PC games. Compared to the £30-340 I spend on console games. On top of that, there are no Live subscriptions to worry about on a PC.

Taking into consideration that PC gaming has a significantly vaster catalogue of games available, there’s simply no question which is better value for money.

PC allows LANs to be held.
And a gamer who hasn’t experienced a LAN with friends missed one of the big joys of being a gamer.

I challenge any UK gamers to come to the next Insomnia. I go to them all. :p

I just feel that I should never pay twice my rent on an entertainment product.

@88 – Illogical.

Rent is a montly payment.

A £1,200 PC would last you three years, that’s about £33 a month.

It’s still a lot of saving up when I have rent and bills and band expenses to pay for, already. I don’t need a gaming rig when I have a PS3. My computer, itself, was a gift, because I was about to buy a $150 netbook and a family member wanted me to have something better. It’s still not anywhere near powerful enough to run any games on.

Not to mention, my PS3 has lasted me 4 years already and didn’t cost $1,500.