PC gaming versus Console gaming

My computer erased my third round argument four times in a row so sorry for the delay. .. I nearly threw it out the window. > Price In order to enjoy the experience my opponent describes here: “Playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (which is epic) is even more amazing when it's stretched out on a plasma with bass that rattles your floor. ” …One must possess a plasma TV and a surround sound system. Therefore I propose that setting up a console gaming experience from scratch is more expensive than setting up a PC gaming experience from scratch. The components I listed for the PC are indeed necessary for the experience but a plasma and a surround system are not. And I never said they were so I'm unsure why my opponent would say that Console gaming is now more expensive. That is utterly false. > TOTAL $698.00 This system would play any game available on the market today and wouldn’t be obsolete for quite some time. I would hope that the readers know that even though you can go cheaper does not mean that you should go cheap. If you skimp on the quality of certain parts of your PC, you put at risk not only your gaming experience but also any business or social related date along with access to network connections and distractions. And even though it won't be obsolete, it will still need to be maintianed and upgraded regularly to perform at optimal levels for gaming -- a flaw that a Console does not share. I would also like to point out that Consoles do not become obsolete as long as you stil have a power supply, TV and game. I still take out my Sega Dreamcast from time to time -- and it's awesome. > CONSTANT UPGRADES: Again, I disagree with this point. Only rich people can afford to keep their systems high-end constantly and it’s utterly pointless anyway. The video card I mentioned is more than enough to play any of the most popular games out now. By the time some new game is released that my system wouldn’t play, the parts required to play it would be very affordable. If I sounded snotty, I apologize but PC gamers are always concerned with their PC functioning at the optimal level. For it do so, constant screening for viruses (from downloading the games), upgrading drivers, uploading new alerts for security or efficiency, etc. is needed. And even if your video card may last for a couple years, the mere abundance of problems that can go wrong with the other hardware (motherboard, CPU, coolers, etc. ) is still there -- along with the need to upgrade them. Also, even if they are "affordable" for you, that isn't to say that they will be affordable for all PC gamers and this is something they need to take into account -- can they truly afford the upgrades and maintanence of a PC or would they rather just plug in a Console to their existing TV? Simple as that. > WAIT: WHAT? ! This is entirely untrue now and anything that might happen in the future is entirely speculative. COD: Black Ops for example was released simultaneously on PC and Console. Gran Turismo 5 released Nov. 24 -- only PS3 version. Dance Central released Nov. 4 -- only XBOX 360. Halo Reach released September 24 -- only XBOX 360. Red Dead Remption released May 18 -- only PS3 and XBOX 360. God of War 3 released March 16 -- only PS3. Final Fantasy XII released March 9th -- only PS3 and XBOX 360. Halo 3ODST released September 22 -- only XBOX 360. Mortal Kombat to be released April 19th -- only PS3 and XBOX 360. Point is, it's not entirely untrue and Console games *do* get priority. [1] >Piracy ISN’T eroding the market. We have internet verified CD-Keys. The most popular first-party developed games are very, very difficult to pirate at all and impossible to enjoy online, because of unique CD-keys. It's not piracy itself which is eroding the market but the safeguards put in place due to piracy. This article's conclusion sums it up nicely: Mac gaming is in serious trouble - people aren’t buying games like they used to. .. You might think that because the Mac game market is so much smaller than the PC game market, piracy isn’t as big a problem. Looking at the lost revenue dollar totals, you might be right, just because the Mac market can’t compare to PC gaming in terms of size. But, nevertheless, piracy has a profound effect on individual Mac game publishers’ profit and loss sheets. In many cases, it’s the difference between being in the black and winding up in the red. .. . When I asked [Mac developer] Tamte what game publishers can do to staunch the flow, he gave a telling answer: Shift development to platforms where piracy is less of a problem like game consoles. The Mac example shows us that regardless of the platform you're on, if piracy is rampant enough it can affect the viability of the market to the point where developers and publishers will either shift to a less piracy-prone platform, or implement more intrusive copy protection/DRM. I'm sure most PC gamers don't want the PC to end up being similar to the Mac in terms of its gaming appeal. [2] Have you ever played Mac games? If not, don't. The possibility of the PC market becoming like the Mac is frightening to many PC gamers who have noticed the increasingly intrusive protections on PC games which have lessened the amount of players and publishers. The amount of time needed to produce a game which can be saved from piracy is too substantial now -- and they don't guarantee a profit like the Console games. > PLAYING ON THE TV: I’m sure my opponent is aware that you can buy surround sound systems with a subwoofer for the PC. Yes, you can. Should we add that to your already substantial list? They say you should expect to pay, for a surround system and subwoofer, at least $150-$400. [3] That would place your cost, if you chose to buy it, at least at $800 but more likely over $1,000 now. If a Console gamer chose to buy a surround system, it would most likely cost them $300-$400 [4] and if we add a console, like the XBOX 360, for $169.99 [5], they are now at least at $469.99. PC is still double the cost. > COMFORT: Sitting at a desk isn’t so bad. A comfortable computer chair eliminates this problem. SItting at your desk all day can also cause: Deep vein thrombosis, obesity, increased risk of heart disease, risk of diabetes, raised cholesterol, herniated disk, poor posture, knee pain, muscle weakness, increased risk of depression, slowed metabolism, neck problems, back aches and pain, shorter life span [6]. Yes, some of this can also affect a Console gamer. But the most sold game console right now is the Wii which allows you to move and exercise while gaming [7]. Unlike the Pc which keeps you constrained to the chair of death. > MEDIA CENTRES: A media centre (also known as a home-theatre PC) is a computer designed to be hooked up to a TV via a HDMI cable. Anything a console can do, a media centre can do better. Except that your Xbox 360 can also be used as a Media Center Extender. [8] So your console can still do this an your point is moot. > False. I would go so far as to argue that setting up a console system you would want to play every night (one with a plasma and surround sound) is much more expensive than setting up a PC system you would want to play every night. Surround sound and a plasma are not necessary though -- the PC components listed are. So this point is also moot. > PC speakers = surround sound. Standard TV speakers: [9] Standard PC speakers: [10] TV > PC > False. You might have to upgrade every 2-3 years, just like you would need to upgrade your console with every generation to stay on the cutting edge of console gaming False. Xbox 360 was launched in 2005 and is still cutting edge. Since I have no more room, this is it folks. Sources will be in the Comments section.