This has been a topic of much discussion between my friends and I. Frankly i do
see consoles as overpowering PC's. Not that they are superior, really the only
advantage of a console as far as i'm concerned is that it makes it a bit easier
for multiple players to play games together. Not having to setup a lan, sitting
on the couch in front of the tv, etc. The reason i believe consoles will rule
the day is because of the developers. Fortunately or unfortunately, however you
choose to look at it, consoles are the money makers, and always have been. Too
few people are either too lazy, or not competent enough to want to deal with
gaming on a computer, despite the many advantages. As a result, dev's are
reluctant to shell out money to develop PC games when they can be guaranteed
more sales if the game is developed on a console. I also believe console gamers
are not as p icky or finicky in regards to what games they will or will play as
PC gamers. I think we (pc gamers) tend to have a bit higher quality standards,
which is a good and bad thing.

Frankly i would be happier if they just killed the PC ports of these games. I'd
rather have nothing than the loads of shyte they generally foist upon the pc
gaming masses. About the only decent port i can recall was KOTOR, and although
it was an excellent game, the fact that it had been gimped from the start by
being dev'd for a console was brutally obvious from the first moment of play.

On a side note, i will never understand first person shooters on consoles. How
anyone can possibly stand using a controller is beyond me.

Here's my 2 cents. I feel that PC will alwasys be a gaming platform option, but
it won't have much impact on game development. Unlike a console, PC can always
be updated and upgraded. But that's where I believe the developer loves to
develope games for a console. They know how many consoles are sold and which
has company sold the most and what the company strategy in terms of the console
hardware. Where as PC it's a free for all, because you can build your PC to
suit. When the game developer has to spend $, they would rather spend it on a
console, knowing the specs for the console and the database of type of gamers
that plays that console. So it's much less a risk if the game doesn't do well.
There's less tech support required too. Ever try loading a game and finding
that your PC hardware needs to be upgraded, or the very least needs new patches.
With consoles, that hardly ever happens or an issue. Except when you try to
play older games. To conclude, PC will always have game made for it, it just
won't have the titles like the consoles. As mentioned Sony, Nintendo, and MS
each has different strategy when it comes to games and game play (Mostly
Nintendo Wii and it's wiimote) I want to have all 3 consoles plus a PC if I
could, because each has exclusive games that looks so fun to play with. I've
seen people make a Frankenstein monster of a PC that houses all 3 consoles and a
PC. That would Rock!

As long as the interesting games remain PC-only or more playable on PCs - I see
no reason to buy a console. Oh sure those mass-market big-name titles like GTA
and CoD are now console-favoring, but who cares - really? Those aren't the big
names in PC gaming - they're also not very interesting games - so they're
certainly not reasons to buy a console.

No I have yet to see complex games like NWN2 and X3 on a console - or enjoyable
fps games like Q3, Savage and UT2004 (without being mutilated straight to hell)
- or any playable form (that can even remotely compare to keyboard & mouse) of
rts gaming for that matter.

As for console gaming eclipsing PC gaming... that's kind of old news isn't it?
It's been like that for many years now.

Note: hardware compatibility issues on PCs are SO RARE nowadays that I have only
had one such an instance on my current - 3 year old - PC. Which was because of
my Audigy soundcard - hardware that anyone who might be troubled by this sort of
thing wouldn't have anyway...

The line between PC and Console gaming is fast disappearing as far as I'm
concerned.

I used to be a hardcore PC gamer... scoffing at the consoles lack of ability on
numerous fronts:

Graphics - How long has it been since PC games surpassed 480i graphics... 10
years? Heavily pixellated graphics make a joke of games like Gran Tourismo for
instance, I took one look at those games and laughed in the face of the guy who
was proudly showing off his consoles cool new racing game. Compared to the same
era PC Driving games early GT games were a joke, pathetic graphics, inferior
physics. Is that pixel another car or just a grey box?

Control - All you have to do to truly understand the inferiority of a console
controller at any 3d shooter is play against one from a PC. We had guys who
liked to use gamepads during our lan gaming sessions... we called them Fodder.
They died so fast the only use they had was padding your frag count. Gamepads
were great for platform games, but they're a one-trick pony that you've had to
ride everywhere.

Multiplayer - Play split screen 2 player for 10 minutes and you'll already hate
it. Compared to Networked PC's... well there wasn't much comparison.

Online - I was playing online PC games more than a decade ago, console gamers
were asking "What's online mean?"

HOWEVER - Over the last couple years everything has started to change, and with
the current generation of consoles virtually every one of these points will
disappear.

Graphics - 360 and PS3 both support 1080p with powerful graphics subsystems,
bringing their pixel pushing power close to the top of the PC charts. Support
for high resolution output has removed the biggest obstacle to console game
beauty. Now with the wide availability of HDTV's, you can plug your console
into a TV that can show off it's graphics prowess... and as a bonus you can plug
in your PC too and get a nice large display for your PC games. Certainly by the
end of this year they won't look so powerful compared to new offerings from
Nvidia and ATI, but they have more than enough umph to generate a lot of great
HD games. The fact that most of the top developers will be concentrating on
these platforms means we're likely to see game quality continue to improve on
Consoles and suffer on PC's outside of a few areas where top game makers still
work on PC's (like shooters with Valve and Crytek)

Control - With the newest PS3 patch, I can now use my Bluetooth keyboard (and
hopefully mouse), which will give me a decent shooter control FINALLY. Now all
they need is a good force feedback stick and wheel (if they're not available
already) and PS3 owners will be in control nirvana. M$ apparently is insisting
that users can't use kb/mouse for gaming - (they don't want to give them an
unfair advantage), but I expect that will change if they get enough flack about
it.

Multiplayer/online - the XBox started the ball rolling, but now all the new
consoles are networked, so multiplayer and MMO options are starting to truly
open up, often in a form that's easier to configure and use than PC multiplayer
and online games. The paid subscription requirement (in the case of the XBox
and 360) needs to be batted down... but if PS3 with it's free service can
embarrass M$ enough to get rid of it, all will be right in the console online
gaming world.

I don't think PC gaming will ever truly disappear, there will always be
developers and gamers that will need to make and play the absolute hottest games,
but consoles have now addressed virtually every other complaint that a hardcore
PC gamer would have against them.

I definitely agree with you Dave K. What i do find interesting though is that
the consoles are simply moving in the direction the PC has always been, i.e.
online play, high resolution, etc.

To me what is apalling is the cost of the console's. Thats always been their
biggest advantage. I.e. you didnt have to pay for a bunch of equipment u may
not really need to game. Now with PS3's at 5 and 600 dollars. Xbox at 300,
with an addl 200 for an HD dvd player, its getting pretty pricey. I mean
realistically you can build a low end gaming comp for about 600 dollars that
will run plenty of games. Granted it wont look anywhere near as good as the PS3,
but, you also have the fact that you can use it for all the other purposes a
computer can be used.

I agree that console gaming has eclipsed PC gaming. To me this is mostly out of
convenience. Who really wants to pay anywhere from $800 - $3000 just to have a
PC that will run games that look as good and perform as good for what 2-3 years,
maybe 4? whereas the consoles will run great looking games until the end of
their lifespan. Sure this reality wasn't so until this generation of consoles,
but the reality is why PC gaming has dropped significantly. Most people dont
want to mess with it. I have to admit I almost decided to say screw PC gaming
but i forgot how much i still play old pc games. I rarely ever pick up old
console games and play them again. That is where the beauty of the PC lies,
developers continue to bring out titles that go above and beyond what is
considered Great for the consoles. Games like stalker and half life 2 dont come
out all that often, but when they do they make a huge impact on gamers who do
play them. Sure there are games like halo on consoles, but rarely do the
consoles match the high standards that PC gamers have come to play by. And
really I think PC's and consoles each have their own advantages and
disadvantages. PC's were made for online play, FPS, RTS, mmorpgs. Yeah you can
get a gamepad and play platformers and racing games, but it doesnt feel right on
PC. Consoles are great for platformers, racing games, and other stuff like that.
Excuse me for being super general but it would take forever to name off all the
pros and cons of each, im just trying to get the main idea across.

Ok so now that im done putting in my 2 cents, put in your 2 cents