5 Reasons Why I Hate HD Console Gaming
Navneet Prakash, Jul 04, 2009 1158 hrs IST
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The next-gen of gaming, also known as HD Gaming, started with the
introduction of the Xbox 360 way back in November 2005. It is another
thing that PCs were capable of HD gaming much before the consoles, it's
just that they picked up much later.
Coming back; I spend good 25-30 hours a week playing on my Xbox 360 and PS3, and occasionally on the Wii -- that just means that I do enjoy my consoles. But the fact is that like most things in life, console gaming isn't perfect. So much so that I've come up with a list of reasons for the same.Whether you agree or disagree with my list, let me know in the comments section.
5) Highly Visual Centric (Xbox 360 and PS3): A good looking game can really turn heads -- MGS4, Gears of War, Bioshock and Uncharted; they're stunning games, and have been praised universally for the same. But it takes a lot of talent to makes such games, which not only look great but play just as well.
However, these days every developer wants to make games that look really good, but in their quest for visual supremacy, they lose out on the basics -- the games just aren't fun to play! NFS Undercover, Assassin's Creed, Afro Samurai, Face Breaker, need I say more? Nintendo's Wii is an exception in the visuals department, but most of its games get boring very soon.
4) Expensive (Consumer): I know PC gaming ain't cheap, but the same applies to consoles as well; in some cases consoles tend to be more expensive. Let's take the Xbox 360 for example, the HDD, the Wi-Fi adapter, headset -- all freaking expensive!
"Xbox Live" is a godsend and there are no two ways about it, but I am forced to pay to play a multiplayer game, which is insane. I can buy an original PC game from my local store for about Rs. 1000 ($20), but the same game on the PS3 costs me Rs. 2500 ($50).
3) Expensive (Developer): I don't really care how much the developers pay for making a good game, but if that leads to developers churning out weak games, I get livid! Developers can't risk millions of dollars and expect a small return, for every $1 they spend they need to make $10, which means low risk and minimum innovation.
I was really impressed by Electronic Arts (EA) when they tried new games like Dead Space and Mirror's Edge, and I hope EA stays on this course. Making a new AAA title is really expensive but with the right amount of time and effort, we do get games like Fable II.
2) PC gaming is messed up: The biggest reason why PC gaming is dying is due to piracy, everyone likes free stuff and the internet is filled with torrents. But take a look at MMORPGs, there is a huge population that pays top dollar for these games, which means gamers will pay for a quality product. A game like World of Warcraft takes years to develop and is best experienced on a PC. But console gaming has lead to a new breed of "easy-gaming", you can't quick save on a console, so developers make sure you don't die that often (Prey, Bioshock) and in some cases you don't die at all (I am looking at you, Prince of Persia). I'm sure that most of you will disagree but let's face it, console gaming is a breeze compared to the old-school offerings on the PC.
1) The Fanboy-ism: I enjoy playing games on the Xbox 360 and the PS3 and on the Wii (occasionally) but I hate the fanboy-ism. There are no issues when you support your favorite brand but it's getting a little out of hand. Every decent forum is now filled with PS3 supporters, Xbots and the elite Wii squad. What surprises me the most is the fact that people take the console war so seriously, from ridiculing games on metacritic to starting anti-PS3/Xbox/Wii websites. It's truly insane and brings to notice the repercussions of a quarter life crisis.
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USER COMMENTS
pc gaming is much better and cheap.here is why.i have spent about 30000 to make a gaming rig this what has1.intel core 2 duo E6850 running at 3.2 ghz.2GB OF DDR2 RAM.INTEL DG31PR MOTHERBOARD AND 80 SEAGATE HDD 7200 RPM AND NVIDIA 9800 GTX XFX GRAPHICS AND 15 INCHES LCD MONITOR L1515S.and window xp pro.IT has six months and what ever game i have played in my rig i get average frame rate of 60 flps in almost all dirext x 9 games and about 50 flps for high end games such as cod 4,assain creed,crysis and warhead.bottom line is that my pc has played all games i have thrown at it at high setting.and i brought those games at rs 100 all pirated..now coming to consoles ps3 cost about 23,000 and along with that u have to buy a lcd tv which supports hd gaming to unleash the true potential of the system which cost around another 25,00 0.so total u are paying about 50000..and now the games which are priced so high about 1500 to 2000.and there is no pirated copies available so u have to pay that price.and i don't think any average Indian can afford games so high priced after buying a console and tv for 50000.and most of the consoles games finish withing 10 days.and after a game is finished u have to buy another game which will cost more.while pc games are so cheap u can play 10 games in a month.so pc gaming rules.as long as price of consoles games comes down
by gamer, calcutta, on Jul 06, 2009 12:49 PM, Report abuse Reply
You don't like Consoles because no pirated content is available for them - aren't you ashamed of making such a statement. Piracy is theft. I have a PS3 and I have purchased 56000 worth of games all with my Indian Salary. If you want something you should be ready to pay the cost for it. You think you like PC games, but because of people like you the game developers are suffering. They invest huge amounts into developing games, you are simply stealing their life's work. I hope people like you get caught by police and have to pay huge penalty
by Girish P, Bangalore, on Jul 29, 2009 11:20 AM, Report abuse
No such thing. Everybody gets their XBOX 360, PS2, PS3 "chipped" and buys pirated games. I know people who've never bought an original console game. I think piracy is as bad on consoles because everybody who buys a console immideately gets it "chipped" while buying it. There's no brain involved in console piracy...
by Apocalypse, Pune, on Sep 04, 2009 05:59 PM, Report abuse
First of all don't add HDTV to the price of consoles because most people will purchase an HDTV anyways to watch bluerays and Hi def TV... Having an HDTV is practically a necesity now a days.... second of all... you're gaming on a 15" LCD?.... dude... thats tiny!!! can you still buy one of those?
by pabmeister, toronto, on Sep 04, 2009 10:45 PM, Report abuse
Console Gaming Sucks, PC GAMING IS THE BEST FOREVER
by Abhi, Mumbai, on Aug 16, 2009 07:49 PM, Report abuse Reply
There are some good points in your article, but I disagree with some views: 5. Highly visual centric - that is not a fault of consoles. Games like Crisis, Call of Juarez etc were developed for PC and are highly visual centric. And truth be told for console games are mostly played by non-tech people who care more about gameplay than visual trickery 4. Expensive - Well not in the long run. You buy a PS3 or XBox and you are set for the next 5 to 6 years. I bought mine in Feb 2007 and I'm still able to play all the latest games without hardware upgrades, whereas the PC has to be upgraded with uber expensive gfx cards every 6 months to keep up with the latest games. Games discs are definitely more expensive, but when I add up all the money I spent on original game discs vs the amount I saved on hardware upgrades, I think i got the better end of the bargain. 3. Expensive (developers) - Again not much to with consoles, when developers invest in optimizing something for consoles, they get to tap into a huge market. Whereas a developer targetting PC can only target the consumers with latest hardware. 2. Yes console gaming tends to be easier. They should make it more challenging 1. I hate fanboyism.
by Girish P, Bangalore, on Jul 29, 2009 11:30 AM, Report abuse Reply
Superb article! why you called it as a Review. You pointed out some really interesting point which are almost true in their own way. As one of the reader said "using computer and mouse for the whole week a office - he want to seat at sofa and play some nice n easy n fun games" and thats where consoles comes in. Forget about all the hassles (upgrades,compatibility) just play the games and have some good times.Consoles are ontime hardware investment - for atleast 4-5 years. Consoles games are costly - 2-3k per game. But do we have that much of time to play all the game - you are not supposed to buy all the games and only gaming at weekend or else get a life- You are supposed to other facilities of consoles like - enjoying movies,downloading contents, chatting or shut it down and meet your familiy/friends. Whereas PC is for geeks - who constantly upgrades their hardware and freak about frames n all. The best part of PC is you can choose your parts and games are really cheap in compare to consoles.PC gaming is all about FREEDOM and customization. As a PC gamer you don't required to pay hefty money for getting a new piece of hardware or playing multiplayer.All of you need is time and patience to do all this at your own. I love both PC and consoles ,depending on games and mood. Gaming is a baby as an industry in compare to other entertainment industry like Movies. But it suddenly become so huge that everyone wants a piece of it and thought - whatever they make people will play and they blame piracy - losers. We need less of number games which are good. Developers and publishers has to be realistic while planning their road ahead. over expectation will lead to nowhere . enough said
by pcgamer, pccity, on Jul 27, 2009 12:54 PM, Report abuse Reply
Does no one miss the keyboard and mouse... The only things thats been keeping me away from these consoles... :D
by Samrat, Mumbai, on Jul 22, 2009 10:31 AM, Report abuse Reply
I might agree with the Author on all points except point 2; about developers going in for visual supremacy at the cost of gameplay. I don't think holds true for Console gaming only ... even many PC games these days are visual centered. In the end, it all boils down to the game... how good it is etc. etc. A good game plays good on all plaforms .. take for eg. the GOD of WAR series on PS2.
by Pavan, Pune, on Jul 14, 2009 01:19 PM, Report abuse Reply
by Ezee-T, Durban, on Jul 04, 2009 06:45 PM, Report abuse Reply
Embarrasement my ASS! i think i know why the doctor slaped you wen you were born. Sure the PS3/360 is fun but you pple always compare the graphics first and then the gaming expirience.
by E-7, JYFJKVJFJYF, on Jul 10, 2009 10:31 AM, Report abuse
REASONS WHICH MAKES ME HATE HD DEVICE IS I HAD A FULL HD LCD BUT TATA SKY DOESN'T GAVE HD SIGNAL, 2.THEY ARE VERY EXPENSIVE ,
by MRIDUL KUMAR, DELHI, on Jul 07, 2009 06:15 PM, Report abuse Reply
User's names should be a public matter on the say of consul gaming. The future of review and past lies with in chat screens with front door view of the top ten matters being talked about in any subject weather or not it was form five years ago. A good argument could be the top 3 most talked about complaints then the top ten most recent talked about arguments. What the gaming industry needs is a little push for word of mouth to the public on what they are rating as not on point of view alone. Graphics with out a point or story generate a vantage stage of chaos. PS3, XBox360, and Wii have to think about redesigning they're thoughts on a good game. Ask any gamer who's played a good game and most of them would advise a game that most reflects who they are. Such as having a friend who likes to play Foot Ball, Ask him and he will advise you: NFL 2010. It's such a thought like this that lies with in a way to form a idea and rather then create a game, create a way form not only good graphics but a good system of soul support. A game that analayis a players choice and saves those choices re-enhances it's plays form of play. Were in creating a game, regaurdless of it's use with ANY consul.
by Martin Alejandr, Las Vegas, on Jul 07, 2009 02:12 AM, Report abuse Reply
from your above articles.......its clear that you r jealous of CONSOLES.................hahahahah :P
by asad, pune, on Jul 06, 2009 11:32 AM, Report abuse Reply
well I have a ps3 & which i upgraded from my ps2 but three months after i checked how much i spent on blu ray game dvds for ps3 & it was way more than the price of console itself ! If you want to spend Rs.3000 for a new game u can go for it. I am onto pc gaming now & put the ps3 for sale. The best thing u can do is wait till a year ! so u can get a used game still at half the price. Once u buy a ps3 it's like u'll be spending way more than any other thing u've owned until unless if u r so rich.
by srinivas, chennai, on Jul 06, 2009 10:36 AM, Report abuse Reply
What I hate about this gen is the huge mandatory installs for PS3 games as well as the ridiculous DLC some publishers are pushing. I think $2 for a costume/song is expensive.
by Ray, Toronto, on Jul 06, 2009 07:52 AM, Report abuse Reply
bad review.. these fives are not enough to say agree.... i do pc gaming.. looking to buy xbox soon..
by vijoy, Bangalore, on Jul 06, 2009 07:15 AM, Report abuse Reply
Great article! I think point 5 is very true. A lot of the games these days get boring very quickly, due to the amount of time spent on the graphics.
by Dion, Brisbane, on Jul 06, 2009 07:04 AM, Report abuse Reply
"! I HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE wii I don't give a damn shit to wii!" are you stupid? he said wii games get boring, clearly he's a pc gamer i probably own more 360 games than you and i still can't say I hate the wii so maybe you're just an elitist fanboy?
by chris, si, on Jul 05, 2009 10:34 PM, Report abuse Reply
by someone, ergety, on Jul 06, 2009 12:51 AM, Report abuse
Wii has got nothing to compare with the PC ... just like outdoor games have nothing to compare with a wedding night ... playing on wii is for pure pleasure, and the best part is you never get tired of moving around. I've had the wii for a year now and seriously you don't know what you're missing. I still game on the PC ... but only FPS and sometimes RTSnow... for everything else ... Wii FTW
by MaxAxe, Noida, on Jul 06, 2009 03:10 AM, Report abuse
playing on the wrong console makes you hate console gaming ... play on the nintendo Wii ... and love it :P
by MaxAxe, noida, on Jul 06, 2009 02:59 AM, Report abuse Reply
Guys consider this, you sit 5 days in front of a pc at work typing on a keyboard and pointing with a mouse... what would u want your weekend to be like? wouldn't u want to sit in a cushioned sofa away from the monitor without wires and play at your ease, watch TV, eat drink, etc.. I personally liked PC games before I bought a PS3, now I don't return to my PC.. Some points ppl suggest that FPS r better played with a mouse and keyboard have maybe never played with a joystick. I had far cry 2 on ps3, hated it cz I couldn't control it... But I loved the first game on pc so I was hell bent to complete it.. It took me hardly few days or maybe 5-6hrs to get used to it. Now I can play any FPS easily on it... Just finished COD4 it was amazing.. N the comfort of using a joystick , sitting far away from the screen no hassles of wires etc drivers upgrades Also I too used to spend on gfx cards ram upgrades almost every 1-2 years... If I calculate the amount spent on my PC for the past 6 years(life cycle of a console) I might have easily spent 50-60k on it... this is including games... ps3 cost me 30000 rs including the 5 games I have and its been a year with it.. you can always trade your games and buy second hand as you know it isn't pirated... I aint no fanboy, I love my PC but just don't like sitting in front of it to play when I can play 'leisurely' in front of my TV. But I wish to buy a big LCD and have both my pc and ps3 in it... At the end of the day its all a matter of preference what one expects and achieves from gaming... for me its just a leisure activity....
by Altamash, Mumbai, on Jul 05, 2009 11:29 PM, Report abuse Reply
such a confused review ! its not even a review, its some random thoughts placed !!
by JaiHo, Bangalore, on Jul 05, 2009 10:31 PM, Report abuse Reply
Uh ? no quick saves made consoles games easier ? That's a rather silly idea . Whenever you want a list of the hardest games , you dont find many if any pc games , but consoles games of various era . Indeed consoles games are getting shorter and easier , each generation , but even this HD gen it has games wich got no equilvalent in difficulty on PC , like Ninja gaiden 1-2 , demons souls and a few others . Hell it could be argued that at least this gen people got a choice , netween easy modes for scrubs , and hard difficulties that REALLY up the ante for the others . Remind us again whats hard on PC ? Farcry 2 ? Maybe if you didnt have quickload i could somehow believe it ... MMOs maybe ? Those game where what only matters in the amount of time and money your pour into it ?
by Baka, London, on Jul 05, 2009 09:10 PM, Report abuse Reply
by jon, johnsinville, on Jul 05, 2009 08:47 PM, Report abuse Reply
You've got a point the game play of most games seem to be getting shorter, take Grand Theft Auto the first couple of games took a player months to play not because they where hard, they just took a long time to go from start to finish. The latest version was completed in a couple of weeks and that is a long time for this generation. Most games take a couple of days to play even on hard. There are a few games out there that take longer to play and they are worth re-playing. Fallout and MSG4 fall into this group. But most games seem to follow the white goods product mentality, use once before you trade it in ready for your next fix.
by keith ansell, Milton Keynes, on Jul 05, 2009 07:38 PM, Report abuse Reply
FPS can never be played with that zeal on a Console.
by Danish, Navi Mumbai, on Jul 05, 2009 01:07 PM, Report abuse Reply
PC gaming is dying? Interesting opinion, got any facts to actually back that up?
by Tanya, Ashland, on Jul 05, 2009 05:38 AM, Report abuse Reply
A console's life is supposed to be 6 years but there ain't anything on PC(it gets old pretty soon) which is a +tive point for consoles. But u know the PC costing 50K can still run those new games same or little better even after it is considered obsolete than of consoles.
by Cheerpipe, New Delhi, on Jul 05, 2009 02:24 AM, Report abuse Reply
You forgot to mention that good PC setups deliver Way way better graphics. And it's not that expensive either. You can get a pretty decent system up and running in about 50K, that would outperform any console for at least 3 years. You can also have the benefits of having a computer as well. Plus nothing compares to playing an FPS with a keyboard and mouse.
by ShArK, Hyd, on Jul 05, 2009 12:11 AM, Report abuse Reply
Yeah I agree wid u .. consoles are too expensive for average day to day consumers .. PC gaming is better since people prefer to play online on PC rather than on consoles.. consoles I feel are much better for Single player experience, not for multiplayer.. controls are tough too in most games..
by Ritesh Shergill, Delhi, on Jul 04, 2009 11:55 PM, Report abuse Reply
Yeah.... Assassin's creed was repetitive. I'm picking up the second one because, I heard they are trying to fix those problems.
by Jim, San angelo, on Jul 04, 2009 08:46 PM, Report abuse Reply
Navneet Prakash - you seem not to have any idea on what you are talking about.
by Suvinder, Mumbai, on Jul 04, 2009 07:52 PM, Report abuse Reply
Are you for real "Navneet Prakash"??? Who cares what u think... i want the last 2 minutes of my life back
by kannibal, mumbai, on Jul 04, 2009 05:36 PM, Report abuse Reply
consoles games may look good but while playing they have frame rate issue and sometime playing becomes choppy.and on the other hand who the hell wants to buy original games for ps3 which cost between 1000 to 2500 which is insanely high priced and pirated copy of pc games can be purchased at rs 50.though building a gaming pc may need some research but after u make ur rig it is fun playing since pc games are so cheap.at first person shooter games plays best when played with mouse and keyboard.
by subho, calcutta, on Jul 04, 2009 05:14 PM, Report abuse Reply
check out the PROJECT NATAL - new xbox with motion capture gaming
by rigveda, chennai, on Jul 04, 2009 05:08 PM, Report abuse Reply
MMORPGs all the way baby CounterStrike, Battlefield, Call of Duty, Warrock, Parabellum, Gears of Wars, PC rules!!! I HATE CONSOLES
by Adi, Neverland, on Jul 04, 2009 04:07 PM, Report abuse Reply
WTF except in 1 point where have u mentioned HD playing a role :|
by noob, noobistan, on Jul 04, 2009 01:29 PM, Report abuse Reply
good points i completely agree wid u ppl
by dheeraj, noida, on Jul 04, 2009 12:45 PM, Report abuse Reply
Ahhhh Please cut the crap. u don't like the HD consoles don't buy the HD consoles!! I HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE wii I don't give a damn shit to wii!
by Wii Hater!, Every where people hate Nintendo!, on Jul 04, 2009 12:19 PM, Report abuse Reply
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i just happened to come across this website and your article seams to be quite biased towards pc gaming. I know in india the price of game consoles and software is alot due to import prices and lower garenteed sales since it is not the richest of countries; but in the UK where i live most people have game consoles due to their usability. how can you expect children to set up a pc and mod it with the best graphics cards? I have visited india and i have noticed the abundence of pirated sofware which is not so common in the uk, so i guess most people in india just use pirated games which by the way is illigal. also you say that pc gaming is better for HD gaming, but most moniters dont even have HDMI connections and to appreciate HD graphics you should connect it to a large 1080p tv which is awkward and time consuming to do with a pc. i found it much easyer to simply plug in my ps3 and surround sound systme through the HDMI port. i also found it more confortable sit in my lounge a go distance from the TV which is less problematic for your eyes. i appologise for my speeling as i am in a rush but try to produce article that are not so banal and desperate. i have soon lots of pc gamers critsing the ps3 and xbox which i think is unfair as all are goo gaming systems.
by playstayshun3, Birmingham, uk, on Sep 06, 2009 09:07 PM, Report abuse Reply