What I Hate About Console Gaming
Filed under: Opinion
This is in response to ARandomGamer.com’s post ” What I hate About PC Gaming“. I started out as a console gamer until that faithful day about 14 yrs ago when I got my first PC. For the next 5-6 or so years I gamed on both consoles and PC, until the last generation (Gamecube, PS2, Xbox) of consoles came out and I decided, f*ck’em, PC gaming is superior. I then decided I would come back to console gaming and bought a Wii the first week it came out and have also played many games on my friends Xbox360 and PS3. Conclusion, I haven’t used by Nintendo Wii in over a yr and could care less about the Xbox360 or PS3. Now that you have some background lets get to why I hate console gaming.
Hardware
You might say that you constantly need to upgrade your PC to play the newest games, but this is not true at all. My last upgrade was about 18 months ago and I’m still playing all the new games at max or near max settings and I don’t plan on upgrading anything for at least another yr. You’re PS3 might last 5-6 yrs, but guess what, in the last 2-3 yrs of your consoles life cycle the games are going to look like sh*t compared to PC games.
Crappy Controls
I have no clue how this became a plus for consoles, but mouse/keyboard combo dominates in almost every way possible. Real-time strategy (RTS) games are almost unplayable on consoles, one of the reasons there are almost none. First person shooters are also dominated by mouse/keyboards, one of the reasons no professional gamer uses a gamepad, you just can’t get the quick aiming you can with a mouse. Gamepads are great for platform and sport games that’s it, good thing PC’s can also use gamepads.
No Mod Community
Last I heard there was no modding on consoles. Sad because that’s what really makes PC gaming shine, player created content. I’m mean just look at Counter-Strike, the top FPS in the world created by gamers for free, at least at one point it was free. There have been hundreds of mods created for hundreds of different games, new maps, new skins, new game features all for free. Some Mods are massive, changing sci-fi strategy game into a FPS, while others are just tweaks to the user interface or inventory system.
Less Choice
Consoles lack in two major game genres, RTS and MMOs. Sadly MMO games have not faired well so far on consoles. Whether it’s the lack of online community or limits by the controllers, MMO games on consoles are few and far inbetween. There are a few, but nothing like the hundred or so on the PC. RTS games are also lacking on consoles, mainly because you can’t play them well using a gamepad.
We also get many of your games, GTA4, Halo 1&2, Assassins Creed, Gear of War, Metal Gear Solid 1, 2, 3, Guitar Hero 1, 2, 3 to name a few and when we do, they usually have more content and sometimes with upgraded graphics.
The Console
I hate the console itself, just another thing you have to hookup to your TV and that takes up space. I hate switching out the games and making sure I don’t scratch the disc. Once a PC game is installed I never have to touch the disc again. I hate that in 2009 consoles, except for XB0x, still have not learned that gamers like playing online vs other players. Sony might be working on it, but Nintendo is asleep at the wheel. I hate that I’m locked into a console once I purchase one. If I get a XBox, then decide to switch to PS, I can’t play any of my old XBox games without rewiring my TV.
Communication
With a PC, you can actually text chat with other people. You’re not forced to go buy headphones and listen to some 13 yr old kid who’s voice keeps cracking while there verbally assaulting you. Although the PC does give you that option if you want. I’m sure you can get a keyboard on your console to type, but that gamepad sure does get in the way.
Nintendo Wii
I’ve talked about Xbox and PS in most of this article and have left the Wii out of it for the most part, so I decided to give it own category so the fanboys will be happy. I hate the Wii cause I don’t want to move my arms around like an idiot. I don’t want to stand on a flat board and pretend I’m skiing or exercising. I hate the Wii cause I don’t want to play the same old games with barely updated graphics for the 10th time. I’m looking at your Mario, Zelda and Metroid. I hate the Wii cause it doesn’t care about mature gamers. Yes, there are games I’ve liked, but none that held my attentions for more than a few days.
For me PC games have far superior controls and communication, add a huge mod community and consoles are left in the dust. After this last generation, I just don’t see myself ever going back to consoles.
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March 3rd, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Hahaha, love it!
March 5th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
I’d have to agree with you Mike. Most of the interesting console games are PC titles too. Those few which do seem interesting are games you’ll play for a few hours every month, tops. (Fighting games and watered down RPGs mostly)
But I don’t quite understand why you took the original article seriously. It was clearly written by a younger console gamer and none of his arguments hold up to scrutiny, not even the one about consoles being more powerful than average (gaming) PCs. The Steam Hardway Survey unmasks that fallacy with ease.
March 14th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Me personally, what I particularly hate about console gaming is the fact that it is ruining the gaming quality in general for real gamers on any platform. Especially today’s money-centric game developers who have close to no passion nor heart for games try to direct their products to the casual and non-gamer audience in order to make score most profit.
To make a game that scores a lot of money one has to convert it to several consoles after being made for the PC (in most cases at least), make it so simple and hand holding that casuals can enjoy it and gamers buy it anyway and cut the overall freedom in the game so that they don’t make content that maybe only 10% of the players might stumble upon (instead games are linear, in order not to waste precious time on content that will not be experienced by the majority of players anyway).
This can be seen at best when there’s little or none at all Mod-community (both because of the fact that it is also a console game and because the lack of freedom/sandbox element often eliminate the purpose of modded content since it cannot be properly implanted anyway). Games end up being linear shooters with just good graphics.
This is the reason why I hardly enjoy the new games of today that are made by rich corporations like EA Games, EA Dice (mainly looking at Mirror’s Edge here), Activision Blizzard (after the merge) and the like. The last two epic true gamer’s games were TES IV: Oblivion and STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl. Both were mainly PC games and have some of the strongest modding bases in internet history, an open environment with content that maybe only 10% of the players who play it stumble upon and are the only games since 2001 that I have spent over 100 hours each on (over 200 hours actually spent on both). Together with their mods, they should be the role-models after which more games should be made. Freedom requires being PC-game, PC-game breeds unity, unity breeds mod community, mods breed perfection to a game.
This is my view on this subject, sorry for not being able to keep it shorter (I tried!). Thanks for reading, and I’m not here to start a PC >/< console war.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:45 am
PCs are my hobby, and thus I sink a lot of money into them. I’m also a fan of PC gaming, and the possibilities that come with it (mods, among other things as mentioned above). I’ve played games on consoles, but to be honest, I can never get used to it. I don’t think I’ll ever buy a console, at least not as long as PCs are available. I like to tinker and mess about with stuff, not just sit idly in a chair, thumbing away at a controller pad.
August 4th, 2009 at 5:20 am
PC RULES.
February 11th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
ha is it cuz you can’t afford one? (no offense) or is it that your addicted to mmorpg’s? personally i hate pc games, the only reason ppl play at my school is because 1. didnt buy a console, or 2. console broke