The Clever Geek

Why is it that people prefer console gaming to computer gaming? Computers have superior interfacing capabilities as well as a much larger range of functionality. So what is it that draws people to console gaming? Computer gaming used to be the thing to do because it was the only place you could game with more than 4 people. Now that consoles have finally adopted that technology I find that, with regards to FPS, the console market is growing greatly; whereas, I can barely remember the last big title to come out for PC in the FPS market.

Personally, I like gaming on consoles. I agree that FPS are a lot easier and more fun to play on the PC though.

Maybe I'm in the minority here but I also hate spending $204568245193045 for high-end hardware so I don't have to play bleeding edge PC FPS games at 800x600 w/ 24 frames/sec. That's just money that I'm not spending on my hard drives, man.

Granted a PS3 isn't exactly pocket change, but I think console gaming is just better bang for the buck.

I don't technically agree. By the time your done buying the console, controllers, whatever adapters you need, paying for services like xbox live (on top of an internet connection) and then purchasing games you can end up spending near as much money as you could with high end hardware for a PC, and remember that high end software isn't strictly restricted to gaming, and can be used for an array of other things. Consoles only allow for (and this is just recently) gaming, web browsing (only on some) and watching DVDs or listening to CDs (again only some). Besides you can't show off your ep33n with a console!

True but I can still bust out my Sega Genesis which works fine but I can't play the X-Com games which I was into at about the same time because my computer doesn't have DOS on it and installing a vmware image with windows 98 installed is retarded.

With computers, the games you buy might work or they might require hundreds of dollars in upgrades.

If you buy a game for your wii or your 3 or your 36, you have a guarantee that it will work. Even if you buy it five years later on ebay.

If I buy a game right now for my PC, I HAVE to upgrade.

But you have to upgrade your console every 2 years anyways just to play the most up to date games. You can buy computer games that came out years ago and still have a guarantee that they will work on your pc. But just like you went and bought an xbox 360 (note, upgrade from xbox, and a damn expensive one too) you have to go buy upgrades for your computer. And personally, I'd rather not add on yet another monthly bill to pay for xbox live. And honestly, PS3 is the best system out there, but their title list sucks ass. Which is another way that you're limited by consoles. You'll usually find the best of all consoles on pc, whereas the reverse is rarely the case... So, i still would much rather have my computer than a console. At least for normal gaming. Now the Wii, there's something i would love to have...
And note, if you still had your computer from ages ago, the same thing would work. Who said you had to get rid of your old computer... No one says you have to get rid of your sega, why would you get rid of the computer just cause it got old?

There are applications that run super old games. I still play my X-COM games and others. Do a google search for dosbox (I think that's what it's called). Every once in awhile I'll want to slay some Aliens in UFO or some underwater baddies in Terror from the Deep. I even have my old Master of Orion and Masters of Magic!