We live in a world where the mighty console seems to dominate the gaming world – more games are made for them, there are larger communities for consoles and they’re cheaper and easier to access – but that hasn’t stopped me from continuing to use my PC to enjoy the latest games. Why? Well, here are just a few reasons why I stick with the good ol’ PC for my gaming needs.
Foremost in my passion for PC gaming are the games themselves, which contrary to popular belief do actually keep being released for PC. People are always talking about the death of the PC as a gaming device and I always push them aside because of this reason: quality games still do come out for PC, and enough of them for me to keep going at a steady pace. So, OK, there are fewer PC games than console games, but so what? The difference is negligible considering the volume of PC games that get released every year.
Just this year, I’ve enjoyed playing FEAR 2: Project Origin, The Godfather II, Resident Evil 5, The Sims 3, Red Faction Guerrilla, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Borderlands, Dragon Age: Origins, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Need For Speed: Shift, Prototype, ArmA II, Burnout Paradise, Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, Wolfenstein, HAWX, Dark Sector and Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood. That’s 19 games, all released this year, and all great games.
I got all those games because they’re big name and well known games, with good reviews. All of them stood up to my test and I enjoyed playing all of them, even if I haven’t finished some of them as yet. The year before, 2008, I played 16 games; it’s still a lot, but it is less than the amount I’ve played this year. In both this year and last, there have only been 5 or 6 console-only games I may have wanted to play. That’s not many considering the 36 games I touched on PC over that time period. In my eyes, the PC gaming industry is still strong.
But it’s not only the games that keeps me drawn to my PC for games, it’s also the graphics. If you have ever played a PC game then hopped on the same game on the console, you will see the difference. My gaming machine can easily pump out graphics set on high with acceptable frame rates, and it just looks so much better than on any console. Textures are better detailed, scenes are rendered better, and lighting absolutely shines on a PC. Also considering the large catalogue of games available and being released, I’m not going to replace my PC with a console any time soon.
I also am not a fan of the controller. I have an Xbox 360 controller that I use with my PC for some games (mostly racing), but other than that, I far prefer to use my trusty keyboard and mouse to control my characters with absolute precision, especially in shooters. It just feels so much better to control a character precisely with a mouse over the sloppiness of an analogue stick. Not only that, but in most games you can change the controls to however you like, something not often seen with console games.
What also stops me from buying a console is the fact that I had a computer and I didn’t have a console. I just chucked in a relatively cheap graphics card and I could play most games on the highest settings. The graphics card cost me $200; a console would have set me back $300 or more. This may seem cheap, but to get the most out of PC gaming you will need to spend money.
And it’s a downside really. Computers need upgrades far more often than consoles because games will demand the latest and greatest to run at the best settings, and this will end up costing you more than a console in the long run. The Xbox 360 was released back in 2005 and hasn’t changed much since; no upgrades needed. A PC would have needed to be upgraded at least once or twice during that time to maintain its grace. However, you do pay for the best.
Multi-tasking and flexibility are also a huge benefits of a computer as a gaming device. While writing this post, I could have opened up a game, played it for a while, Alt+Tab-ed out and written a bit more, put on some music, returned to the game then closed the game and finished the post – all on the one device. Also, as a computer isn’t just a gaming device, I can surf the internet, edit some photos/vidoes, watch a movie, chat with people via Skype/IM, write a document then hit up a game all without switching devices.
Oh, and did I mention mods? That’s also something a console-user doesn’t really get to experience. There are huge communities out there that modify games to add more levels, change what characters look like, change sounds, add more items in fact they can do almost anything with a game thanks to the power of a PC. Thankfully though most PC games have strong anti-cheat devices in place so you can’t use mods during multiplayer games.
Maybe one day I’ll make the switch to a console as my main gaming device, but for now my good ol’ PC is doing its job just fine. I enjoy the games that come out, I enjoy the better graphics and I enjoy everything else that my PC can provide, and that’s why I’m not making the switch any time soon.
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"Probably that is why i m still living"
