I just read the article called "PC PHOBIA - Is the PC dead as a gaming platform" written by the Gaming Wiz a while back. Decided just to add my two cents in. I've been playing games for almost the last two decades or so and I can safely claim that "I know what I am talking about". So it's console VS PC once again.Even though I started my gaming career with a funky console called the Atari 800XL, still I can never align with consoles. This console was capable of running enhanced version of already popular games like River Raid, Moon Patrol, Pac Man, Missile Command, Gyruss, Qix etc. I really had a blast with the console, and I kind of grew up playing these games. Later on, I had a Nintento 16 bit console, and now I own PS2.
However, even after playing with consoles for so many years, I still prefer PC as a gaming platform. PC games are almost always more challenging and intriguing. Only recently real time strategy games and first person shooters are being released on consoles; previously these marvel of video games were PC exclusive. Xbox might have Gears of War or Halo, but nothing compares the satisfaction of using a keyboard+mouse combination to map movement keys to WASD and to use the mouse buttons to blast away waves of enemies; be it zombies, demons, Nazi soldiers or anything else--the satisfaction is unmatched.I really find it retarded to play strategy games using a gamepad; or even a keyboard and mouse attached with a console. The feeling is not just the same. While on PC, I can simply pause a skirmish battle, minimize the window and reply back to the gazillion messages sent to me by my friends through MSN. I can check my emails, I can post a message or two in Facebook, and what not.
Although there are some painful moments; these comes when you've found that so and so hardware manufacture has just slashed prices for processor and graphics card whereas you just spent a fortune to upgrade your PC. The bottom line is, if you really want to enjoy gaming in this platform, you always have to be alert and informed. Downloading patches, applying cracks, installing mods, graphics update, downloading new version of directX and graphics card driver--overall it's a very engaging process. Sounds painful? Hehe, it is, to some extent. But the end result is rewarding.On a console, a game has little or no value after you finish the single player missions once (although the Wiz touts about the Achievements and GamerScore of the Xbox 360). Few games have (had) multiplayer support, and the communities and available games are smaller as well. Well, you can always call in a friend or two for some split screen or vs action, but it's not always easy to find a friend with similar gaming interests and free time.
Although in Bangladesh internet gaming is still a far cry, but there are now a good many gaming cafes, and all of them are solely PC gaming cafes. I remember visiting a console gaming cafe in Kolabagan and playing x-box and ps2 games, but that cafe went out of business very soon.The most irritating fact about consoles are their relative obsolescence and small life cycle. Perhaps the PS2 enjoyed the longest life cycle, ever, but few consoles live beyond 2 or 3 years. After this short life cycle, there are no new games for that particular console. However, for a PC, I can still find games that will run on my 10 year old pentium II PC. Well, yeah, definitely these are not new games, but flash, emulation and many other stuff keeps old PCs alive, but few consoles get that kind of support.
You can call me a PC fanboy, but this is my verdict--PC's rule!
Signing off for today...your friendly (new) blogger Dead_Man_Rollin.
