Are Consoles Necessary?

[numbuheightbitstar]

This thought occured to me just now:

Do we really need console systems? It seems to me, the PC can more than handle console games.

Currently I only have an NES, SNES, Sega Genesis (with CD) and TurboGrafx (with CD), in the past I owned a Playstation and Nintendo 64, but got rid of them because I had no space for them.

But with PCs and Emulators, I could play all six without needing to hook up anything, make any special preparations, or take up precious space.

Earlier today, I almost made up my mind to sell all my console systems and do all my gaming exclusively via the PC, but something held me back.

So, am I just sentimental, or is there a real, logical reason I should maintain my consoles?

[SAVE_US.WBTC]

Only?! Damn, I would love 4 consoles, even if they are not current.

I never expected to get a PS2, I just happened to win one at a raffle. I had loads of fun with the PC games. Thief is still my favorite series, and from what I gather the XBox version of Deadly Shadows sucks compared to the PC version.

Still, like consoles, PC's do become obsolete over time. You will eventually need graphics and sound card updates to play the latest PC titles, just as you will need to eventually buy next-gen consoles to play the latest games. This is why I still haven't played DS, as my video card won't support it, and I don't trust myself to install a new one correctly without screwing up my computer forever.

[numbuheightbitstar]

webuiltthiscity said:

Still, like consoles, PC's do become obsolete over time. You will eventually need graphics and sound card updates to play the latest PC titles, just as you will need to eventually buy next-gen consoles to play the latest games. This is why I still haven't played DS, as my video card won't support it, and I don't trust myself to install a new one correctly without screwing up my computer forever.

You overlook two things:

1) PCs are typically backwards-compatible. Consoles usually aren't. You can play MS-DOS games on a Windows 98 computer (though playing them on a Windows XP computer is slightly more tricky).

2) You don't really have to buy upgrades. I haven't bought an upgrade in years.

[iguana]

It's the games, nothing more. Can you play Ratchet and Clank on a PC? No. Zelda? No. Mario? No. The newer Final Fantasies? No. Besides emulators since there's the whole "illegal" part, and I'm talking of the recent stuff. Good luck emulating Twilight Princess.

Other than that, there's always the little innovation (otherwise known as a 'gimmick' if you're a fanboy) like the occasional Eyetoy, touch screen or motion sensing controller that won't work properly on a PC. Plus, PC-exclusive stuff is mostly composed of WW2-themed shooters/RTS games and terribly boring and bland RPGs with no personality.

[Numbuh 0xFF]

iguana

Good luck finding Civ4 for a console. Or GalCiv2. Or Baldur's Gate. Or classic adventure games.

A serious flight sim? Forget it. Flanker 2.5 ain't comming to Xbox.

Still, consoles have their uses. I've never seen a fighter for the PC that could come to spitting distance with...well anything on a console, really. Console RPGs are genre unto themselves and, of course, they are missing from PCs.

@re: emulation

Emulators on PCs can do some scary stuff. Mame emulates old-school arcade machines pretty much perfectly. Amazin' stuff.

However newer consoles? No way. Their hardware is to specific. The trainwreck that is PS3 will probably need a BlueGene system to emulate all it's quirks and near-cosmic strangeness.

@re: why I don't like consoles

Because in order to prosper they need to, effectively, turn into a PC. Only a PC with a corporation-mandated OS and applications. Totally closed. No homebrew, no freeware only what the corp gives you (Like, say, the PSP).

Consoles like game-playing gizmos are cool, though. The Wii looks interesting. Despite the idiotic name.

[diala]

Consoles appeal to those who lack knowledge in computers and to those who want to make things simplier on themselves. They are smaller, easier to hook up, and serve only one purpose: gaming. They also tend to be cheaper than a high-end computer (which you must have if you wish to play a good chunk of the latest games). Sure, computer can be upgraded, but not many people have the time, money, or patience for something like that.

This also doesn't bother me as much, but with a PC game, you have to check the stats on it to make sure it fits your computer's stats. With console games, you just buy and put them in. No extra hassle.

No matter what opinion we may form amongst ourselves, consoles are here to stay. They are profitable, and perhaps that is what matters.

[numbuheightbitstar]

Funnily enough, what got me to thinking about this was reading someone's idea for making a standard game console.

Personally, that's kind of why I've come to not like console systems: You need to buy a new one every couple of years. Gaming really needs to have just ONE standard, that anyone can design games for. That got me to thinking that PCs could very well be that standard.

But people are right that PCs don't perfectly emulate everything, especially the newer systems, and you basically have to buy a new computer to do all that. PCs themselves aren't always entirely backwards-compatible with their own software--you couldn't run MS-DOS on a modern computer and expect to really play any real MS-DOS games with it, for example, unless some adamant fanboy coded DOS drivers for all of today's fancy sound and video cards.

Still though, one can hope for a consistent standard and an end to all this constant updating. Until then, I guess I'll just keep to my outdated hardware.

[numbuh76th]

Consoles are good since you can watch on big screen tv's w/srs speakers, but other than that my Win '98 can't emulate anything above a N64 and that alone takes up alot of resources. With over a 3000+ Rom collection burned on cd, I better keep the Win 98 installation disc around because well over 1/2 won't play on XP. And yes, XP hates DOS and older executibles. Win XP bad puppy. New and improved yet.

[victor]

YAY! Consoles rule! the Wii Rules.

[numbuh82]

With pc though you have to buy ram and graphics cards ect,Like I ahd to buy a powerful grapghic card to run oblivion on my pc when I could have just gotten a 360 to play it in but I prefer PC any,I have a sega megadrive,N64 and a GC and soon to get a wii,which is one resons to get a console.

[Mariostar]

I have tons of Consoles. I like playing on the Consoles more then computer, cause its more cooler and interesting using a controller.

[thesuki]

Question for the people who mindlessly idolize consoles without considering the overblown prices and long-term effects of buying a new one every few years:

Who's paying for those?

If it's your parents or someone other than you, it's not surprising you don't see the expensive financial detriment to consoles. If it's you, my inner accountant weeps at such financial waste.

[valerie]

Dude. Dude. You guys don't get it?

It's about money.

They make game consoles for money. But once you buy the console you need games. Money. Then you want to make it more attractive by beefing up the graphics. Oops, you need a better console. Money. Now you need games for that console. Money. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Why do we need consoles, he asks. And I thought it was obvious. We don't need them. Gaming gurus lead us to think we do. That way they can make money.

xD

[NumbuhInfinity]

Money is the answer to just about anything, huh? (no sarcasm intended)

[thesuki]

Actually, it's the answer to almost nothing. Usually, it's the catalyst to a problem.