So Apparently There's This Thing Called PC Gaming...

Diehard console kid Instant Karma decided to give into temptation and try PC gaming...And he enjoyed it?

[NYC_Gamer]

pc gaming has caught my attention aswell

[Montrealien]

I did not notice mr Steam crackhead. lol

/on topic

It has been pretty clear thay I enjoy gaming on every console that has great games, but I have always been a huge fan of PC gaming. I guess someone, this Karma dude, finding out that there is fun to be had playing great games makes for a decent read.

[HSx9]

Newfags and 12 year olds will now be purchasing a gaming rig because of this article.

[ijkabob]

Ya, This "PC GAMING" sounds pretty neat. Mabey it will be a feature on the next generation of consoles?

[EvilBlackCat]

NAME ME A FPS SIM WAR GAME ON PS3 or Xbox360 that can stand next to ARMA 2

WHO HAVE THE BALLS?!

*EDIT: Well they dont have the balls but no doubt they have ignorance a a damn mouse to hit on disagree.

[SeanRL]

That's because there isn't a lot of war sims that are actually good.

[GrilledCheeseBook]

i don't think there is anything more hardcore than this game
http://en.wikipedia.org/wik...
damage models are ridiculous

[SeanRL]

HAHA, the one pc article around here and conloles hasn't showed up yet.

[Amplitude]

Good point.

[JsonHenry]

When it comes to gaming I will ALWAYS be first and foremost a PC gamer. The average console person doesn't even know what they are missing out on because they are afraid to even try it.

[pangitkqb]

Having grown up on Consoles I finally dived into PC gaming a year ago. I can't believe what I have been missing out on.

PC is now my favorite platform.

[JsonHenry]

Here are some numbers regarding PC gaming - http://www.shacknews.com/on...

[kevnb]

wait till he discovers a few more exclusives, and that some multiplatform games may as well be pc exclusives. Ive tried every platform this gen, sold them all but kept pc.

[BattleAxe]

STEAM is the reason I have really started to game on my PC this year. You can't beat the prices, and its nice to have the ability to buy alot of games that you might have gotten rid of in the past, without having piles of game cases laying around. In addition, as a PS3 owner I'm happy to be able to play games that are exclusive to the Xbox 360 as far as consoles go.

I am liking the versatility of the PC also as far as being able to use Keybord and mouse or a Wireless 360 controller which is recognized automatically by Windows Vista and windows 7.

Now if only Microsoft would actually put some effort into Games for Windows Live, we could actually get rid of the 360 all together. It boggles my mind as to why such a huge software developer for the PC would even want to mess around with a console, especially since more and more people are hooking their PCs up to their TVs anyway.

[JOHN_DOH]

probably because they can't make money off of pc gaming. MS doesn't really make many games and halo is really popular on pc. They failed trying to charge for online play on pc but they make like a billion dollars a year on xbox live charging people to play games other people make.

[sid4gamerfreak]

"So Apparently There's This Thing Called PC Gaming..."

Yeah and its better than the low res console gaming for sure

[mrv321]

It appears to be pretty big to. Since currently there are as many PC players of BC2 as on 360 and PS3.

And World of Warcraft is still one of the most played games... just check giantbomb.

[xYLeinen]

Bad Company 2 have sold a total of 5-6 millions.

PS3: 1.66 millions
Xbox 360: 2.35 millions
PC: the remaining

Meaning the PC haven't even outsold Xbox 360 alone.

And yea, they might have WoW, but MMO and RTS are the only genres that still is alive on PC. Everything else is focused on console. You even lost Crysis as a PC franchise.

[Montrealien]

hey xYLeinen , not to burst your bubble, but there are as many people playing BF1942 and its mods as there are people logged onto Warhawk on a weekly basis. And 1942 came out almost 10 years ago.

I am not saying PC gaming is better then the PS3, or console gaming for that matter, just giving you a little perspective. You clearly have it out for PC gaming for some reason. We are not all as polarized as you would wish us to be. Some of us just enjoy great games on whatever platform they are available and yes, the PC platform is not only one of the oldest, but it is also one of the most sucessful.

@mrv321

Starcontrol 2 for the motherf***ing win! I still boot up my 3DO every now and then to play that game. I will have to look up this free to play version you speak of.

[tdrules]

Well that just proves PC gamers are more social online and more likely to play online than 360/PS3 owners.
And that stat is actually from DICE, the PC= PS3 + 360 players

[Charmers]

Would you mind clarifying what you mean by "lost Crysis as a PC franchise" ? As far as I am aware Crysis 2 is coming to the PC and will be visually better so I don't see how PC gamers "lost" Crysis.

The fact that Crysis 2 is now multiplatform is down more to the PC's open nature than anything else. In case you missed the memo most developers are switching to multiplatform development. The only developers not doing so are either owned by Microsoft/Sony or receive financial incentives to stay exclusive to a particular platform.

I believe Crysis sold 3 million copies on the PC but naturally EA want more and there is nothing stopping them from taking the franchise multiplatform because no one "owns" the PC platform therefore no one is going to write a big fat cheque to make a franchise exclusive to the PC. In other words the PC stands on it's own and doesn't have to rely on kickbacks and bribes that are common place in the console world.

[Nihilism]

In addition to excellent PC exlusives like Starcraft 2...multiplat games are not even the same games as they are on console's.

Mirrors edge:

http://img97.imageshack.us/...

Farcry 2

http://img411.imageshack.us...

Resident Evil 5

http://img28.imageshack.us/...

Dragon Age

http://img180.imageshack.us...

Crysis Warhead for good measure

http://img825.imageshack.us...

When multiplats look this good, I hardly think PC is losing out.

All those mutliplats ( you really should click the link to see what your missing ) all run at 60 frames on my 2.5 year old PC.

I use my 40" bravia as my PC monitor now as of last week, I can use any peripherals I like including PS3/360 game controllers + joysticks...the way I see it, PC gets the best of everything.

[Nihilism]

Those aren't some random pictures from the web either, I took those with FRAPS in game not 5 minutes ago...

EDIT:

^^ 60 frames @ 1080p maxed settings, with 8aa...just to be clear on the graphical divide...

[Information Minister]

"multiplat games are not even the same games as they are on console's"

I understand what you're trying to say and I agree with it to some extent but not entirely, because your comment implies that graphics are the most important part of a game, to the point of completely changing the experience you get from said game. My opinion is that gameplay is the most important aspect of a game. Even though most titles look significantly better on PC, if they play exactly the same as their console counterparts and provide the same experience, they are still the "same game".

We already have enough flamewars, we don't need to create another one over PC vs consoles. Both platforms have pros and cons.

The PC grants better visuals and performance, but requires you to input more time and effort. On consoles you don't need to worry about hardware upgrades, driver updates, installation, configuration and last but certainly not the least, DRM (the reason why I nearly stopped gaming on the PC). On consoles you buy the game, pop the disc in and enjoy the game in the way the developers meant it to be.

[Xfanboy]

http://wccftech.com/2010/04...

6M dx11 cards sold in 3 months $1.57 billion in busines

Console numbers are weak..

[mrv321]

I run Ubuntu, I play the ur-quan masters a free version of a 3DO game. Who is this 'you' person?

I'm not a PC gamer... but it's a gaming platform and one that's doing a lot better than expected.

BC2 sold VERY well on PC and I wonder if you account for steam and DD which aren't usually counted in NPD's.

[MexicanAppleThief]

Hey can anyone judge my Laptop? I'm a complete novice to PC gaming so you'll have to excuse my poor knowledge of it. I've got around £900 to blow and I want a decent gaming laptop and this is what I got so far (from SonyStyle.co.uk)

# Intel® CoreTM i5-430M, 2.26GHz
# Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
# 320 GB Serial ATA (5400 rpm)
# 4 GB 1066MHz DDR3-SDRAM
# DVD disc drive
# 41.6 cm LCD, 1920x1080+ webcam
# NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M 1GB

Any thoughts on how to improve/what to change etc?

[MexicanAppleThief]

I also looked at this custom gaming laptop which is a bit cheaper.

# Intel® CoreTM i5-450M, 2.40GHz
# Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium
# Glossy black
# 320 GB Serial ATA (5400 rpm)
# 4 GB 1066MHz DDR3-SDRAM
# DVD disc drive
# 39.4 cm LCD, 1920x1080, webcam
# ATI MobilityRadeon HD5650 1GB

[Nihilism]

"I want a decent gaming laptop "

That's where you are going wrong.

No matter how good the laptop you buy is...if you had spend that same money on a desktop PC is will be twice as powerful for the same money, and that is a universal truth. There are no 'good' gaming laptops because a good gaming laptop costs the same as the BEST desktop gaming PC. Unless you like burning money, don't do it.

[Elwenil]

While you can game with a laptop, it will always be a poorer experience for the same money. If you want to run older games you shouldn't have any issues but laptops generally suffer trying to run modern games unless you have dumped a lot of cash into them in which case you could have had a really nice gaming desktop. Build a desktop with future upgrades in mind and you can't go wrong.

[randomwiz]

its true that if you want a gaming pc, you need to get a desktop, not a laptop, but there's different types of people out there. I travel a lot, so I needed a laptop that has enough juice to play games on normal to high settings, while still being portable. I'm loving my super cool,silent core i7/ati 5730 in my laptop.(its a mobile graphics card so its not as good as desktop 57xx)

For mexicanappletheif, the 1920x1080 res is useless because neither the ati mobility 5650, nor the gt330m will be able to push full hd without sacrficing quality. my laptop's res is 1600x900, and most games just barely give me 30fps on high/max settings. i have to cut the resolution for games like crysis warhead to play it at high settings

you should check out these sites to decide which gpu you want in a laptop
http://www.notebookcheck.ne...
http://www.notebookcheck.ne...

if i were you, i'd go with the 5650 over the 330m anyday. the 1920x1080 won't be very useful for games with those gpu's but the minimum screen res you should look for should be at least 1600x900

when i was purchasing my laptop, i was also considering these for the better gpu, but i ultimately went with the core i7(its a monster with video) since i do a lot of editing. But if you'll settle with a core i5, i highly recommend you check these out.
http://www.newegg.com/Produ...
http://www.newegg.com/Produ...

[evrfighter]

gtx460 and a phenom II

If you're in the market that's you should be building around. buy a netbook for your mobile needs with the leftovers.

[ThanatosDMC]

That laptop is pretty good and should be able to play any games without having any problems. Just make sure you have a $50 cooler underneath it.

He asked about a laptop. He probably moves around a lot. I like ATI better than Nvidia.

[fossilfern]

If your gonna spend that kind of money on a laptop you may aswell get a PC they are 10X faster for gaming and the money that you have left over get a netbook

[nickjkl]

pcs are 10x less portable than a lap top

[tdrules]

gaming on a laptop will drain your battery like a bitch, the portability is null and void

[Chris_TC]

Yes, they're not portable. But there are really only two scenarios:
I travel for work: That means I'll be working not playing games.
I travel for leisure: That means I sure as hell won't spend my time playing a game on a laptop.

[randomwiz]

I actually play a lot of games when I travel for work. Especially since it seems like your flight is always the one that seems to be delayed anywhere from the typical 15 minutes to the weather delaying 3 hours. And I have a lot of time to kill at the hotel also.

In either of those scenarios, there's always an outlet next to me.

[uie4rhig]

you be able to get an pc equivalent to that for about less than £500.. buy them in parts, and build it rather than buying complete computers.. get a i7 cpu.. its a fairly easy process even for novices, you just got to have a bit of logic. good tutorial: http://electronics.howstuff...

its up to you tho.. and if you really want a laptop, i would get the first one you posted, for the simple reason that it boasts an nVIDIA gpu rather than a ATi GPU (i have had really bad overheating experience with ATi mobile GPUs, which i have not had with nVIDIA).. but if you look at reviews, those two GPU's (mobility HD5650 and GT 330M), you'll know that most people only get a few extra frames per second, so you wont see too much difference there..

as for improving it, for pc gaming a 7200rpm hard drive is much recommended compared to a 5400rpm, and might want to get a faster processor too..

one more thing, google for some reviews for the specified model you're buying before buying.. they contain very good information!

[Random404]

@dchalfont
While I agree with you about the pricing. I think a gaming laptop is the best mobile gaming platform (certainly not the cheapest though). You get full quality games and can choose between a controller (xbox 360 or ps3 or whatever else) and k/m or touch/pen (see hp touchsmart tm2t). With steam and gfwl your saves are in the cloud, so you can always resume playing on your desktop.
@tdrules
On a modern laptop you can still get 4 hours of battery life when playing. Plus I carry an extra battery.

[pixelsword]

If he says he didn't he's lying.

I can still pull out my Quake III arena and get more fun out of it than a good number of console games out now.

The first time I whacked Xaero on hard was one of the best gaming highlights I'd had.

And "the shop" from from Soldier of Fortune: Double Helix had the most balanced multiplayer board of all time. I have yet to play a board so finely tuned.

My first electronic gaming experience was on the PC, and the way pay-for-play is going, possibly my last electronic gaming experience may be on the PC.

[Nihilism]

I was always a console gamer primarily, but I played PC too, for HOMM, starcraft etc etc, but a few years ago when the PS3 and 360 launched at ridiculous prices and the wii which I bought sucked ass...I went and built my first real gaming PC, never going back to console's again.

I'm gaming on my 40" bravia and i'm going to buy a 360 control for DMC4, street fighter 4 and a few other games that will play much better with it. Upgrading to a gtx480 soon and i'll be sweet for the next few years. There's nothing like a 121 frame average in RE5 maxed out...

[Alos88]

Steam has some amazing deals, I have about 30 games on there I haven't even tried yet!

[KingPin]

frankly i gave up on pc gaming. consoles only for me. Keeping up with the hardware for me was like the major issue. never really had the budget for it. every 2 months is a newer, better graphics card, a faster processor, dual core, quad core, 32 bit, 64 bit, ram DDR2, DDR3, DDR4, DDR5, like wtf. lol i do admit that with a gaming rig all games on full beat out any console, however i just dont think the price is worth it. i think my ps3 satisfies my graphics requirement. so no complaints from me. not to mention, its just pop in n play, well, GTA4 was install and play but yeah, atleast i knew it was going to work for sure! not praying it runs with maximum tweaking required :)

[iamgoatman]

You do realise that you don't HAVE to upgrade whenever new parts come on the market?

A 8800GT in a dual-core system will still play the majority of games just fine, and the card is ancient in terms of modern day GPU's.

Some people upgrade their PC frequently because they WANT to, not because they HAVE to. Some always like to have the most recent technology, this is true with all electronic devices, TV's etc.

[Chris_TC]

But Jimmy, haven't you heard? In order to play the newest console ports you MUST upgrade your PC every 6 months. In fact, I think your PC won't even boot up if you haven't upgraded in the last 6 months.

[Ravenor]

System requirements and having a basic understanding of your own hardware in your computer pretty well alleviates all of your concerns. Also just because a new piece of hardware is released does not mean that it will be required to play a new game, especially in the last console generation with the large number of multiplats and the games being hamstrung by console hardware.

Most dual cores with 2-4gb of ram and a video card from within the last 2-3 years (That was intended for games) will run 99% of modern games. It usually only looks expensive to upgrade since people have a nasty habit of only looking at GTX 480's and i7 980X cpu.

[KingPin]

i understand what you guys are saying :) however, the 8800gtx, when it was released, was pretty darn pricey. lets not forget that. sure now its cheap but how long will it last, it will run todays games, but how about next xmas games? same with the GTX480. and sure, you could say play it on lower settings, but thats my exact gripe when i said you have to tweak it. i mean, ul want the best of the lowest settings <if you know what i mean> and if a console can push out about 80% of the look well then im satisfied. not trying to be difficult, and i doubt im the only one who has this line of thinking, :)

[evrfighter]

You're problem is that you described not pc gamers. But pc enthusiasts.

There's a HUGE HUGE HUGE difference.

PC enthusiasts do game on their pc's but they actually want to considered as part of the select few who stay on the "Bleeding Edge." Benchmarking is a huge factor in why they stay on the bleeding edge. Like car enthusiasts who like to measure in terms of horsepower you have pc enthusiasts who like to keep track of their scores in 3dmark.

Don't get the two confused. You'll only make yourself look like the fool.

[Apollyn]

I have the consoles i rarely use the consoles i just cant get into them as much as i can my pc. Also theres just this difference whilst playing a pc knowing i built everything inside the tower. The games are generally harder and more skill based.
However due too consoles games are dieing away from the PC. One day it shall return STRONG AND MIGHTY
GOD SAVE THE KING

[krishnabloodsoul5]

and its gonna be my last too...i bought a ps3 in december 09...and i'm gonna only use it till i graduate get a job and all...cuz then i'll be able to afford all upgrades..:p

[GoodSpeed]

PC gamers tend to be the older crowd who started gaming in the late 70's, 80's and early 90's. The reason for that is because PC hardware was progressing at double the rate of console hardware. PC's were big and consoles were the niche crowd. Of course console gaming is mainstream and a huge entertainment boon for the industry, but PC gaming will always be a step ahead.

Hell, I got my feet wet playing FPS's on PC and in no way can someone who's played on both say they enjoy shooter's on a console better with a straight face. There's just no comparison to the amount of control, customization, community and online competition that PC gaming provides.

Now with that said, I'm a heavy console gamer these days. But I'll build my own PC eventually when D3 and SC2 come out.

[chak_]

sadly I know people plugging their pad to play bioshock

how shameful they should be. But hey, one's taste, can't argue there

Hooray PC

[chak_]

Anyway, won't say anything console related, cuz I'll get minus-bubbled again for trolling, but PC is my favorite plateform by far.

You can just do what you want, when you want, as you want.

Games
movie, music, picture, everything
modding/mapping
real HD
flexibility
backward compatible
mouse/kb/joystick/pad

Could go on for longs minutes.

And NO, you don't need to upgrade every 6 months, it's a myth lads, a myth !

My q9650/4890 runs everything just fine. I'll change my comp sometimes in 2011 I guess.

[ASSASSYN 36o]

I want to play star wars the old republic. So I have no choice but, to buy a gaming PC soon.

[chak_]

...

install steam and sell your consoles, yup

[GoodSpeed]

You're right. You have no other choice. <Waves hand across body>

[ASSASSYN 36o]

<I have no other choice.>

[jy_mrnd]

PC gaming will always give you the best gaming experience possible.That's why i will always be a PC gamer!

[rulakir]

PC gaming is so overrated. I have a PC and I personally don't like to game on PC. I'd rather game on consoles. Reason: Freaking PC you have to constantly be buying crap for it like graphic cards, better power supply or whatever it is you spend on it, what windows version it supports, what sound card and all this other crap, it gets on my nerves. At the end one ends up "wasting" not spending money. With as much money as people spend on such things I can just buy all three consoles with some games, of which I don't have to worry about having to upgrade my consoles for years to come. So many other things of which I really don't feel like typing anymore, you all get the point.

[rulakir]

I also prefer a controller to a mouse and keyboard. I hate playing with mouse and keyboard.

[Zinc]

Personally, I feel that both PC and console have their place. I don't begrudge anyone their platform of choice. I think the more games people are playing and the more choices we have, the better off we are all going to be as a whole.

I myself am a PC gamer first and foremost.

My first experience with gaming was a busted up Pong unit (console), that my brother got at a garage sale. After that, my brother had games he bought for the Apple IIe that we had at our school. We didn't even own the machine at home, but he would play after school. After that, we got a NES for Christmas, then a Sega Genesis, then a SNES.

The last console I purchased was a Playstation 1.

We got our first PC at home in '94 and I was hooked ever since. I can't tell you the amount of good times I've had gaming with the various iterations of my PC over the years. It's like trying to quantify a good book... it's not possible.

I've had to upgrade from time-to-time, but it has been worth it. My current rig isn't even that impressive, but it gets the job done and it does it better than either of the 2 big consoles can do. With a core 2 duo and a 8800GTS 512 card, I can enjoy an experience that is superior to any console on the market right now. It's just a simple truth.

My preference is for a keyboard and mouse, it just seems more nature for me. That further enhances my experience on a personal level.

I can enjoy Mods beyond measure for just about all of my favorite games and PC gamers tend to truly take an active interest in making games better or adding content even 10 years after a game was produced. That has a real dollars and cents impact on game properties when they release additional games based on those ideas and names.

All-in-all I'm a PC first guy, but I enjoy the kind of RPGs that you can get on the console too.

I will always remember the nights I spent playing Final Fantasy 2 and 3 or Phantasy Star for the Genesis.

Everything is constantly changing, but good games are good games, no matter what platform they are on.

[s45gr32]

Ok yeah PC gaming is cool and all but there is too many fp games. Sadly though console gaming is going the route of pay and play which sucks. It also sucks that my brother's slim does not play ps2 games and my ps2 system does not work no more aargh!!! So yeah PC gaming is the way to go.

[Faelan]

As the article points out, modding, Steam and multitasking (dual display FTW) are three big reasons why I like PC gaming. Running 3 EVE online clients at the same time on one PC is just geektastic.

I've never felt any sort of desire to own a console.

It's not that I'm against them or anything. It's simply because most of the games I like to play aren't even on console, so I would always need a PC to play those. I've only encountered a couple of games that I really wanted to play which turned out to be exclusive to the console. Red Dead Redemption being an example. I can't justify buying a console just for a couple of games when that money could be used on PC hardware instead. There are plenty of games for me to play on the PC, so the argument that PC gaming is dead isn't a factor for me either.

If/when things change to the point where I can justify getting a console however, I will not hesitate to get one. My need for gaming trumps any silly platform war/envy.

[BillOreilly]

i love consoles for exclusives and jrpgs but the pc can do it all. Emulators, new games, and great deals. Mods are also great. id game on pc but my pc is too old and i cant afford a new one. i might buy a decent used one thats compatable with new gfx card and upgrade or build my own once i pay off my bills in a few months. Anyone know if i can upgrade a 4 year old pc(dont care about max settings)dual core i think 3gb ram?

[Xfanboy]

It's like saying So theres this game company called valve..

[Spenok]

Pretty much.

[ExPresident]

I really like PC gaming but I've turned into a console gamer for simplicity reasons, upgrading etc. That and Sony has KILLER exclusives that aren't available on the PC. I know the PC has some exclusives but right now not compared to what my PS3 offers, except Starcrack, I mean Starcraft II lol. At any rate PC gaming is awesome, just not for me right now.

[hoops]

When you game on three monitors at 60fps+ with full AA on, you cant go back

[Letros]

PC may be a little more expensive to get into, but it's the most rewarding experience.