#285987 - 25/08/2006 04:28
Xbox / PC dilemma
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member
Registered: 06/04/2000
Posts: 158
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So the offspring has been nagging for a console for a while,and I have finally buckled. But just before taking an Xbox to the checkout counter I paused and wondered if it might be a better long term idea to get a small dedicated PC instead.
As I see it, the key comparisons are be that it would be a higher hardware cost (no MS subsidy), an approx equal software cost for the games, but a wider range of games and a higher quality video / audio output. But is it possible to replicate completely the ease of use of a dedicated console with things like wireless controllers and other peripherals and have it All Just Work ?
I'm guessing that there are a hundred varieties of sites along the lines MyPCIsWayBetterThanYourConsoleAndHeresWhy.com - but any pointers to recommended reading ?
Thanks
Mark
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#285988 - 25/08/2006 05:02
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: MarkH]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31604
Loc: Seattle, WA
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I suppose the next questions are:
- What are you going to use it for?
- If the answer is "playing games", then it's just a question of which games are your favorites.
I've had my PC hooked up to the television set for the last week or two, and I've really enjoyed playing games this way. In fact, it's kind of made me less interested in getting an xbox right away because now I'm enjoying my games widescreen on a nice big LCD, just like the xbox displays in the stores.
The only thing is, there are some games you can't get on the PC. Like, I'd love to play Halo 2 right now, but can't, since I don't own an Xbox.
There are a lot of games that are the same, such as Need For Speed Most Wanted, which is one of my current favorites. After finding an online resolution patcher, I can run it in 16:9 widescreen and it works great. I've found that a lot of games which don't have widescreen support by default can be patched for it by third party tools.
On the other hand, I'm playing a lot of Counter-Strike Source, and you just can't do that kind of thing properly on an Xbox. First person shooters are mediocre at best with a joystick, keyboard+mouse feel so much more natural.
If you're talking about doing other things with the Xbox/PC combination, such as watching movies, just get a good DVD player and a Tivo and be done with it.
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#285989 - 25/08/2006 05:29
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: tfabris]
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member
Registered: 06/04/2000
Posts: 158
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Tony Thanks for that. It's just going to be for games. And I see that both Saitek and Logitech have the wireless stuff available, so it looks like it could be viable. Regards Mark
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#285990 - 25/08/2006 06:14
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: MarkH]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31604
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Re-reading the thread, I have another comment:
Your original post said that it was your offspring nagging you. I missed that part the first time around. The offspring are going to want Xbox games period. Because that's what all their friends are playing. You might not necessarily keep them satisfied with a PC.
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#285991 - 25/08/2006 06:17
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: tfabris]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31604
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Oh, and I'm assuming that in all of your calculations, you're got a nice flatscreen widescreen HDTV with lots of inputs for DVI/HDMI, Component, and VGA, right?
Because without those inputs, the newest Xbox and the latest PC video cards aren't going to be very helpful.
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#285992 - 25/08/2006 08:28
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: tfabris]
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member
Registered: 06/04/2000
Posts: 158
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Yeah, I have the TV thing covered. But it's an excellent point on the peer group - I'll have to do some more focus group research there.
Cheers
Mark
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#285993 - 25/08/2006 09:12
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: MarkH]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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If you are only getting one console I would get a PS2 because there are way more good games available for it and they are cheap too.
_________________________
Matt
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#285994 - 25/08/2006 09:38
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: msaeger]
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old hand
Registered: 07/01/2005
Posts: 893
Loc: Sector ZZ9pZa
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Quote:
If you are only getting one console I would get a PS2 because there are way more good games available for it and they are cheap too.
I think we are talking about the Xbox 360 here. In which case, it is not sensible to compare consoles of different generations. High Def, Live! gaming etc is not in the PS2's domain since it is about 6 years old.
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#285995 - 25/08/2006 10:18
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: sein]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
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Quote:
High Def, Live! gaming etc is not in the PS2's domain since it is about 6 years old.
But it does have Guitar Hero, which is worth the cost of the PS2, game and controller all by itself, even for only the one game.
_________________________
-- roger
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#285996 - 25/08/2006 10:29
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: Roger]
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enthusiast
Registered: 29/03/2005
Posts: 364
Loc: Probably lost somewhere in Wal...
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We had that on pc too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quest_for_FameI still have that guitar pick with wire lying somewhere, i think it was for the paralel port. Should i try to find it and bring it to the bring and buy? :-)
_________________________
Empeg Mk1 #00177, 2.00 final, hijack 4.76
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#285997 - 25/08/2006 10:33
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: Roger]
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pooh-bah
Registered: 09/08/2000
Posts: 2091
Loc: Edinburgh, Scotland
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Seconded! Remember Guitar Hero 2 is coming out very soon.
It ain't a first person shoot em up or a driving game (which are my two favourite genres) but I think GH is the best game of all time... partly for the reason that it can be played by EVERYBODY (caveat..arms, hands and fingers are necessary)
Trying to persuade my brother to buy it too - so we can play head to head. And I'm really going to try to get one of my songs on GH3!
_________________________
Rory
MkIIa, blue lit buttons, memory upgrade, 1Tb in Subaru Forester STi
MkII, 240Gb in Mark Lord dock
MkII, 80Gb SSD in dock
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#285999 - 25/08/2006 10:48
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: frog51]
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enthusiast
Registered: 29/03/2005
Posts: 364
Loc: Probably lost somewhere in Wal...
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Edited by Schido (25/08/2006 11:06)
_________________________
Empeg Mk1 #00177, 2.00 final, hijack 4.76
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#286000 - 25/08/2006 10:59
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: frog51]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
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Quote:
it can be played by EVERYBODY (caveat..arms, hands and fingers are necessary)
I found eyes quite useful, too.
_________________________
-- roger
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#286001 - 25/08/2006 11:28
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: andym]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12345
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
Quote:
But it's an excellent point on the peer group - I'll have to do some more focus group research there.
Cheers
Mark
I can't stress the importance of that enough. In my childhood being an Electron owner in a sea of Speccy owners made me social leper.
Not that matters to me now as the majority of them still work at ASDA.... 
Ditto, although from a newer generation. I was one of those Sega Master System kids. I loved it, but nobody I talk to now has/had one, and I'm not well versed on NES games.
Also, you don't want your kids always nagging you when their "game console" doesn't work. It's a computer, after all. It'll take them several minutes of booting up before they can play their games, they'll have Windows Update nagging them, etc.
My vote is for the 360. If it's just for games, that's the way to go. Personally, I'm waiting for the Wii (latest rumor is late September, though I'm suspecting November). I normally don't go for the top consoles in each generation, but the 360 has impressed me a lot. I've heard nothing but good things. Of course, I played a demo unit with that "racing game with guns" and somehow within 10 minutes I got glitched outside the track and was driving on unrendered streets. I eventually fell through the ground and watched the world spiral away above me. That was weird.
_________________________
Matt
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#286002 - 25/08/2006 12:09
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: Dignan]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5683
Loc: London, UK
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Quote:
I got glitched outside the track and was driving on unrendered streets. I eventually fell through the ground and watched the world spiral away above me. That was weird.
I managed to do that with Burnout 3 on the original Xbox, after about 6 months of playing it. I got rammed by another car, knocked through some sort of wormhole in the crash barrier and then had to drive around on the wrong side of the sky.
_________________________
-- roger
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#286003 - 25/08/2006 13:42
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: Schido]
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enthusiast
Registered: 29/03/2005
Posts: 364
Loc: Probably lost somewhere in Wal...
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Ok, i tried frets on fire, not my type of game. But the tutorial is extremely funny 
_________________________
Empeg Mk1 #00177, 2.00 final, hijack 4.76
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#286004 - 25/08/2006 14:54
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: MarkH]
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addict
Registered: 18/02/2002
Posts: 658
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I would go the console route. I'm a PC person myself (for now), but I think for a kid, consoles are probably better. I think it is important to know how old the kid is. He might have a lot more fun with the upcoming Wii ,or even the Gamecube then the xbox.
Consider age and then check out the various games available.
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#286005 - 25/08/2006 15:37
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: MarkH]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
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Quote:
But is it possible to replicate completely the ease of use of a dedicated console with things like wireless controllers and other peripherals and have it All Just Work ?
Simply put, no. This list of steps to game on either platform should point out why:
Game Console:
1. Buy one console from the store, some games, an extra controller or two.
2. Unbox products, plug into power, TV, and possibly internet.
3. Power on console, set the audio and video options, one time setup.
4. Put in a game disc, wait about 30 seconds to a minute, then play the game.
5. Repeat step 4 for any games. Buy a new console in 5-6 years when the next ones come out.
PC Gaming:
1. Decide on building a PC or buying a premade one
2. Shop around for the best price on components or complete systems. Read several hardware sites to find out what will work the best for the current games.
3. Assemble components to build a PC, or wait on a premade system to be built and shipped.
4. Install Windows if going the build it yourself route, otherwise boot windows on the premade system and strip out all the bundled crap.
5. Spend time upgrading the video drivers, Direct X, and sound drivers.
6. Buy a game, and insert the disc. Spend 15 minutes swapping CDs, since few games actually ship on a DVD.
7. Hunt down the newest update for the game on the vendors website, or hope the game has an autoupdate.
8. Plug in the game controller and start the game.
9. Spend more time configuring the game to use the controller instead of the keyboard and mouse. Also configure video options to run smoothly on the hardware you own.
10. Every month or two, spend time doing steps 5 & 7.
11. After a year or two, start looking into upgrades for the PC to keep it in top gaming condition, as the PC games are starting to demand more of the hardware then what you have.
12. Fork out enough money to buy a complete new system over the next 3 or so years, since the PC industry changes CPU sockets, memory interfaces, or graphics slots enough to change that simple upgrade into a major replacement of most parts.
PC gaming isn't all bad. But "just works" isn't a description I'd apply to it.
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#286006 - 25/08/2006 16:15
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: drakino]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
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Or to just put what Tom said into less words:
Software for a desktop PC isn't designed to be easily used in a console-like fashion.
That's it (and includes both OS and content). If you want to play more than one or two games then go with the dedicated console. There's just not a single "pro" in favor of a traditional PC when it comes to gaming in the living room.
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#286007 - 25/08/2006 16:36
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: hybrid8]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31604
Loc: Seattle, WA
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Quote:
There's just not a single "pro" in favor of a traditional PC when it comes to gaming in the living room.
Unless the games you want to play are only available on PC, or the games are the kind that are most fun with a mouse and keyboard.
Then again, for those games, you could just play them sitting at your computer desk.
So yeah, consoles are best for the living room.
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#286008 - 25/08/2006 17:10
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: hybrid8]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12345
Loc: Sterling, VA
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Quote:
There's just not a single "pro" in favor of a traditional PC when it comes to gaming in the living room.
...especially when kids are the ones gaming.
_________________________
Matt
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#286009 - 25/08/2006 19:17
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: Schido]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
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Quote:
Look what i found, an opensource guitar hero clone for windows or linux:
http://louhi.kempele.fi/~skyostil/uv/fretsonfire/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frets_on_Fire
Wow, what a great game! Just been playing it at work on my Laptop (slow night).
You definitely have to have a seperate keyboard to get the feel right. After trying a couple of keyboards that were lying around (a really slow night) I settled on a Dell SK-8115.
The lack of a border around the key area really seemed to help.
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#286010 - 26/08/2006 01:08
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: sein]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 23/09/2000
Posts: 3608
Loc: Minnetonka, MN
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I disagree. I don't care what generation it is I just want fun games and the PS2 has way more good games than the 360 ever will.
_________________________
Matt
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#286011 - 26/08/2006 07:02
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: msaeger]
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old hand
Registered: 07/01/2005
Posts: 893
Loc: Sector ZZ9pZa
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Yeah, I agree to disagree Although the PS2 has many quality games, I find that there is also a huge amount of trash for it as well. The main thing is that I think without online multiplayer play, it can't be as much fun as the Xbox/PS3/Wii/DS/PSP can be.
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#286012 - 26/08/2006 09:14
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: Schido]
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veteran
Registered: 01/10/2001
Posts: 1307
Loc: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Quote:
Look what i found, an opensource guitar hero clone for windows or linux
Of course, from those crazy finns who started the Air Guitar World Championships... And Lordi...
Edited by robricc (26/08/2006 14:19)
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#286013 - 28/08/2006 14:27
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: sein]
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carpal tunnel
Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
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Quote:
without online multiplayer play, it can't be as much fun
Actually, for me, it's likely to be more fun without online play. I meet enough jerks in real life to bother with them when I'm trying to have fun.
In addition, it seems that a lot of games these days are geared only for online play and the single-player mode is barely bothered with. Which means that they're games I don't want. If the console doesn't really have an online connection method, then games that are produced for it can't fall back on the assumption that "it'll be fun when you play it with other people".
_________________________
Bitt Faulk
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#286015 - 28/08/2006 17:54
Re: Xbox / PC dilemma
[Re: Dignan]
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old hand
Registered: 14/02/2002
Posts: 804
Loc: Salt Lake City, UT
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Perhaps instead of Warcraft 4 we will get Starcraft 2? 
_________________________
-Michael
#040103696 on a shelf
Mk2a - 90 GB - Red - Illuminated buttons
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