My first PC game

[Fivespot]

I bought myself a new PC this last week. I've had high speed internet for quite awhile just for my XBOX (damn I've been spoiled). Plus, I work in the business field and are on PC's all day long so my former philosophy has always been to stay far away from PC's in my personal life (reminds me of work too much).

But I cracked and bought one. I also bought Call of Duty which I've always been impressed with when watching my cousin play it.

My initial thoughts on PC gaming - WOW. Graphics are tight, sound is awesome, the mouse / keyboard set-up is a good one for FPS, and the catalog of available games is tremendous.

I know I'm behind the times not playing PC games up to this point - but I'm there now and will probably keep it up for many years to come.

I now own an XBOX, Gamecube, & PC. My options for gaming are endless but I will be PC heavy for awhile now (as I'm excited with this new gaming opportunity). Until Forza, my XBOX will be a little unused.

Can anyone recommend any games for the PC? My computer can handle Doom3 and HL2 right out of the box so specs shouldn't be a limitation. Anyone have any thoughts about PC gaming or interesting tidbits to share with a new user?

[Gadfly2317]

You know, even the my PC will adequately handle any of these graphics saturated eye-candy shoot-a-thons, I like the PC for geekier games that don't even come close to maxing my system (and trust me, I feel a little foolish having upgraded my graphics card to a 256MB GeForce and then not buying any new PC games to take advantage of it (on the plus side, this graphics card has a DVI out.)

Favorite PC Game: Roller Coaster Tycoon, but haven't picked up RC 3 yet. Will probably also get Zoo Tycoon. And I still play StarCraft, and I'm going to pick up the Warcraft box set soon (haven't played those games.) I don't game much on PC anymore, but I like to goof around with these lego/erector set games where you build stuff.

I was a Gamecube gamer-only before I bought the Xbox and Ps2, so I did used to use my PC for stuff I couldn't play on Cube. I bought the GTA games, RTCWolfenstein, and Halo for PC. The PC is pretty versatile that way, I just don't like sitting at my desk mostlyl.

But I got an LCD TV recently, and since I can run my PC to it, I'm going to play around with wireless kb/mouse/control, and if games run and look good, I might start gaming on the PC more often.

[slade]

If you're into fantasy, they've got a new Conan game coming out that is supposed to be a MMO Action RPG.

[MoNkEy MaN X]

Try out Far Cry, it's probably only 20 bux now a days. It's probably one of the best single player shooters out for PC...

[Horngreen]

One of my favorite PC games was the Combat Flight Simulator series 1 through 3. WWII air combat sim. You would need a joystick to play it though. There are also tons of other dog fighting games out there from WWI to modern warfare. I think Silent Hunter 3 comes out soon it is a submarine combat sim although it seemd to have a high learning curve to the original, adjusting torpedo gyros and so forth.

[Mochan]

3 things!

* Catalog of games for consoles are FAR bigger than that for PCs.

* Mouse Keyboard Setup -- Once you go PC, you never go back to console for FPS.

* Graphics? No console can even compare technically. But some console games can make graphics that look better from a design standpoint.



I agree with Monkey Man X that Far Cry is possibly the single best straight shooter ever made. Give it a shot, loads better than Doom 3, possibly loads better than HL2 (didn't really play HL2 long enough to judge it properly).

Anyway a lot of the games I play on the PC and enjoy best aren't the FPS games. A lot of them are quite old though. BTW -- if you liked Morrowind on the XBox, you just have to play it on the PC... with all the mods you can get.

[Superior Beatslayer]

I bought myself a new PC this last week. I've had high speed internet for quite awhile just for my XBOX (damn I've been spoiled). Plus, I work in the business field and are on PC's all day long so my former philosophy has always been to stay far away from PC's in my personal life (reminds me of work too much).

But I cracked and bought one. I also bought Call of Duty which I've always been impressed with when watching my cousin play it.

My initial thoughts on PC gaming - WOW. Graphics are tight, sound is awesome, the mouse / keyboard set-up is a good one for FPS, and the catalog of available games is tremendous.

I know I'm behind the times not playing PC games up to this point - but I'm there now and will probably keep it up for many years to come.

I now own an XBOX, Gamecube, & PC. My options for gaming are endless but I will be PC heavy for awhile now (as I'm excited with this new gaming opportunity). Until Forza, my XBOX will be a little unused.

Can anyone recommend any games for the PC? My computer can handle Doom3 and HL2 right out of the box so specs shouldn't be a limitation. Anyone have any thoughts about PC gaming or interesting tidbits to share with a new user?

I strongly suggest Unreal Tournament 2k4, or Warcraft lll : Frozen Throne if you like RTS's. Once you get HL2, it comes with counter strike source, thats always fun too.

[Renzatic Gear]

Of course Farcry and UT2k4, they're the best straight up shooters you can get for the PC right now. Doom 3 and HL2 are good, but they're not quite as cool as the aforementioned titles.

You've also got Gothic I & II, No One Lives Forever, Morrowind and it's expansions (plus the 10,000+ mods), Thief 1 & 2, Anachronox, System Shock, and even the original Unreal to look forward to.

Plus you have STALKER, Oblivon, Gothic III, and Quake 4 to look forward to in the near future.

[Hieremias]

Heh, it's funny that you have such a reaction to Call of Duty. Next to other games of its day, it's really not that good-looking; it uses the very aged Quake 3 engine.

So here are my suggestions for relatively recent titles (some have been stated by others). Just do a search on them here or your favourite professional review site.

For frantic very fast-paced multiplayer, Unreal Tournament 2004.

For great single-player shooters, Max Payne 2, Far Cry, Half-Life 2, Doom 3, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault (in that order).

For something a little slower-paced and more cerebral try Thief 3.

For some real-time strategy you can try Warcraft 3, Command & Conquer Generals, Battle for Middle-Earth, Act of War: Direct Action.

For turn-based strategy try Civilization 3, Galactic Civilizations, Heroes of Might & Magic 4.

For RPGs try Guild Wars, Vampire: the Masquerade- Bloodlines, Morrowind.

And for golden oldies, whose graphics may not amaze you but every PC gamer should play: No One Lives Forever, Deus Ex, System Shock 2, Baldur's Gate 2, Fallout 1 & 2, Jedi Academy.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

Its kind of an odd time to be reverting to PC gaming. But since you took the plunge, I would kick things off with some Bioware classics to really get a feel for what these guys were about before KOTOR and Jade Empire. You can start with Neverwinter Nights, but I wouldn't, I'd go back to Baldur's Gate, Planescape or Ice Wind Dale. Just be warned, be prepared to invest some serious time with these games.

Others have already suggested some pretty good games. I would also suggest Blade of Darkness if you can find it, there is not another melee combat game out there like it. People have also mentioned some flight sims. These might be long in the tooth, but Jane's Apache Longbow was awesome, if you go down the flight sim route, you will need to get some serious hardware.

While I don't prefer FPS on the PC anymore nor racers, I happen to think the XBOX is a better cinematic and control experience for FPS and Racers. You still can't beat PCs for rpgs, flight sims, real time strategy games and of course MMORPGs. So since you have XBOX, i'd focus on playing games in those categories since they can't really be done the same yet on consoles.

[ilnadmy]

One game you HAVE to get for your PC is the classic, the humorous, the polished, and my all-time favorite game: No One Lives Forever.

It's pretty old and won't wow you with its graphics, but it's no slouch either. It's funny, it's long, and it's an experience you won't soon forget.

Oh, and get Command and Conquer: Red Alert and Red Alert 2. Classics.

[Mochan]

I'd like to point out that Planescape is not a Bioware title.

Blade of Darkness is fun but frankly its console game equivalents beat it out without even really trying. It had the edge graphically but gameplay-wise it can't even compare.

[Fivespot]

Heh, it's funny that you have such a reaction to Call of Duty. Next to other games of its day, it's really not that good-looking; it uses the very aged Quake 3 engine.

So here are my suggestions for relatively recent titles (some have been stated by others). Just do a search on them here or your favourite professional review site.

For frantic very fast-paced multiplayer, Unreal Tournament 2004.

For great single-player shooters, Max Payne 2, Far Cry, Half-Life 2, Doom 3, Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault (in that order).

For something a little slower-paced and more cerebral try Thief 3.

For some real-time strategy you can try Warcraft 3, Command & Conquer Generals, Battle for Middle-Earth, Act of War: Direct Action.

For turn-based strategy try Civilization 3, Galactic Civilizations, Heroes of Might & Magic 4.

For RPGs try Guild Wars, Vampire: the Masquerade- Bloodlines, Morrowind.

And for golden oldies, whose graphics may not amaze you but every PC gamer should play: No One Lives Forever, Deus Ex, System Shock 2, Baldur's Gate 2, Fallout 1 & 2, Jedi Academy.

If Call of Duty is a bad (or decent) looking PC title, I'm in for a hell of a future enjoying PC games. I'm absolutely enamored with this game at the moment. Maybe its because compared to my many years of console gaming - these graphics are fantastic (Its all relative).

I'll have to pick-up UT2k4 and Farcry after I beat this one. Many other genres and titles to choose from outside of the FPS spectrum as well. So little time, so many great games to look forward to.

[Fivespot]

Wait, I need to add a few thoughts.

Its not just the graphics for Call of Duty that is impressing me. I also love the levels. You can walk into buildings, climb upstairs and snipe from a window. Console gaming has never had such huge levels with it all being playable and usuable.

AND the gameplay is fantastic too.

I could go on and on but won't. 2003 games don't normally excite me this much in 2005 so I'll spare you all further talk. Its just that PC is so new to me with regard to gaming and I'm surprised that its this good.

I've always believed console gaming ruled supreme but I've been sorely mistaken. I'm not trying to say I don't love my XBOX or GAMECUBE, this is just a fresh, different experience for me.

Forza releases 5/3. I'll still be there with bells on.

[Hieremias]

Well Call of Duty falls into the sub-genre of highly-scripted, highly cinematic shooters. The Medal of Honor games are like this. It has a lot of things happening on-screen, it's got a very movie-like feel to it. But the actual graphics, the textures and poly counts and whatnot, are quite old.

I think you should give Max Payne 2 a try, its graphics are far better than Call of Duty, and it too has a highly cinematic quality to it. Some of the gunfights are spectacular.

Far Cry is the best "big open outdoor" shooter you can find. Every level features a truly enormous playing area set in a lush jungle environment.

And since you're new to PC gaming, don't neglect the genres that the consoles simply cannot handle: strategy (both real-time and turn-based). There are some very technically impressive and fast-paced real-time strategy games, like Battle for Middle Earth and Act of War.

2004 was a crappy year for RPGs or RPG hybrids on the PC, but there are some very significant ones on the horizon, like Oblivion (sequel to Morrowind), Stalker, BioShock, Gothic 3, and Guild Wars.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

I'd like to point out that Planescape is not a Bioware title.

Blade of Darkness is fun but frankly its console game equivalents beat it out without even really trying. It had the edge graphically but gameplay-wise it can't even compare.

Planescape, you sure? I coulda swore that game came out of the same Interplay/Bioware/Black Isle Studios camp. I know it used the Baldur's Gate Engine and the AD&D rules, either way it was a great great game.

Far as your take on Blade of Darkness, that depends on what you like "gameplay-wise". Console melee and combat games are based on button mashing and insane combos. In Blade of Darkness you could control the swing of the weapon from the left side high or low, right side high or low, a straight jab. There were a few combos you could string together, but the main thing was you controlled the swing of the weapon. At the same time defensively, you had to react to where a weapon was being swung at you to block it. Shields would also break under powerful swings, and the bow/arrow combat was not watered down. On top of that, you really hacked meat in this game. When you hit an enemy it took off a limb, a wrist here, an arm at the elbow there, and ankle. And the enemy AI were excellent fighters it took strategy to beat. Not the same approach in most console games, if so, then name it cause I missed it. This game is in a totally different space than the Ninja Gaiden's and DMCs on the console, or the Hundred Swords etc on dreamcast.

[Renzatic Gear]

Planescape was a Black Isle game, which didn't have much to do with Bioware beyond using their engine to power it.

[Fivespot]

I picked up Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 w/some Gamestop credit this evening. Haven't played it yet however? Bout to jam more Call of Duty.

Far Cry, UT2k4, Max Payne2, Quake4, Warcraft 3, No one lives forever, & Neverwinter Nights are all on my wish list for future purchases.

Thanks for the help everyone. Now I have to address a couple more issues; a headset, soundcard compatible w/digital recording device, better speakers, an optical mouse, & more RAM (phew, I think thats everything).

Lets start w/headsets and speakers. Any recommedations on headsets w/mic for online gaming? Can I get one that has excellent gaming sound and functions as a mic/headset as well? How much do they cost? And for speakers - I have a sound card but its a basic one. Can I get better speakers w/the same card or do I need both? I would like a 2-speaker set-up but my current set is a standard issue basically no frills.

[Darwin]

* Mouse Keyboard Setup -- Once you go PC, you never go back to console for FPS.

I disagree. I didn't want to finish Doom3 for my PC. One of the reasons was because I found the controls to be too uncomfortable. But Doom 3 on the Xbox is much better to control. Everything at your finger tips. No need to get "mouse-elbow".

I logged in a good hundred or so hours in Quake 2 for the PC when I was at college, as well as some FPS's for my PC soon after college. I've also logged in countless hours of FPS's on my Xbox. I would take my controller-s over a mouse and keyboard ANY DAY.

[Darwin]

Diablo 2 .... very fun.

[Cuddly Knife]

All I hear from everyone so far is how the pc has tons of FPS, RTS and other "slow-play" style of games. Where's the darn action?!! Are there any games on the pc that might have the same kind of action-adventure that I love, games that haven't already been released on a console?

[Hieremias]

There are plenty of fast-paced run-and-gun shooters. But if you actually call FPS and RTS "slow-play", then the consoles are probably your best bet to appease your hyperactivity disorder.

I prefer games to be a bit more cerebral than the typical Mario jumping-on-mushrooms, so I'll take my "slow-play" any day. I take it you're not a fan of turn-based wargames.

[slade]

PC gaming is greatly focused in just a few key genres. That's mainly part of the reason I left it a long time ago. Outside of FPS's, RTS, the online RPG's and a few racers, there's not much else to try out. There are the console ports of games but they lose something in the control setup. I have a hard time seeing games like Ninja Gaiden or Devil May Cry work on such a platform anyway and you can't beat plain leaning back on the floor, staring up at a television, gaming that consoles offer.

[yacobschlomo]

I disagree. I didn't want to finish Doom3 for my PC. One of the reasons was because I found the controls to be too uncomfortable. But Doom 3 on the Xbox is much better to control. Everything at your finger tips. No need to get "mouse-elbow".

I logged in a good hundred or so hours in Quake 2 for the PC when I was at college, as well as some FPS's for my PC soon after college. I've also logged in countless hours of FPS's on my Xbox. I would take my controller-s over a mouse and keyboard ANY DAY.

I'm using the controller-s on Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory PC version right now. It works really well too. I also use it for Winning Eleven 8. I play against other people online and have never really had any problems with it. Not sure about Doom 3 since I haven't the controller on it. I use my keyboard and trackball mouse in that game, so no "mouse-elbow". I only use regular mouse in games that require more precision and faster reflexes. So on the PC, you're not really limited to just the regular mouse and keyboard setup. You have other options too, and the controller-s is one of them for me.

[yacobschlomo]

and you can't beat plain leaning back on the floor, staring up at a television, gaming that consoles offer.

I actually do that with my PC right now on certain games (better resolutions than that crappy Xbox too). It's also nice being able to play some of the "oldschool" games without having to hook up the older consoles (especially since the dumbarses at the Transpo shipping company lost my stuff.) But you're right, the PC lacks in diversity. There are many genres where consoles have an advantage over PCs. And vice versa. PCs are technically superior, but that doesn't mean that PC games will be more fun than console games. I think a lot of PC games require more time to get into and complete, while console games are generally easier to get into and shorter in length. It all depends on what you're looking for.

You don't have to worry about "console droppage" with PCs either. (of course, there is probably a 100 other things you'll have to worry about.)

[slade]

Funny thing you mentioned the whole droppage thing. A while back in university, I had my DC hooked up to my PC monitor and I was playing Soul Calibur. After a particularly long fight, I swiveled my chair around to celebrate my victory. Unfortunately, I swiveled it right into the tower and banged it pretty hard. The next day, the harddrive wouldn't function and I had to get it replaced.

[Hieremias]

The consoles lack in diversity at least as much as the PC does, if not more.

The only areas where the PC definitely lacks are fighting games and party games. There aren't too many that let multiple people to crowd around one machine (the Worms series is an exception). Of course we have vastly superior online or network gaming, but that's not the same. If I were to buy a console it would be for that reason, a good round of Super Smash Bros is pretty fun. Last night four of us played Crimson Skies on one machine, and it was neat--ignoring, of course, the fact that I had to stare at 1/4 of a screen that had crappy resolution to begin with.

But try finding a decent RPG on a console. Good luck. Morrowind is one, and KOTOR is sort of a light immitation of a PC RPG. But that's all I can think of. Anything made in Japan is not an RPG, I have absolutely no interest in that anime junk.

Not to mention real-time strategy, turn-based strategy (two entirely different genres), world-building games, sim games, etc. No, I think the PC's genre library is as big or bigger than the consoles, and more importantly, PCs have a wider selection of the better, more intelligent genres. We don't have many Mario-style platformers, that's true, but I don't miss them. There are exceptions on both sides obviously, but I don't think it's untrue to say that PC gaming as a whole offers more deliverately-paced, deeper games than the shallow and repetitive action so common on the consoles. That's one of the reasons why many PC gamers hate the recent "concurrently-developed" trend; "consolitis" is a very real thing.

Fivespot, I would suggest looking beyond the typical action/shooter games and try some genres that are not available on the consoles. The Tycoon game is a start. Try a good RTS like Stronghold or Warcraft 3 or Battle for Middle Earth. Try some turn-based strategy if that appeals to you--Civilization 3 is a great one to start with.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

PC gaming is the greatest...stick with consoles to satisfy your hyperactivity...PCs are more diverse...internet and network gaming is WAY better on PCs...

Guys knock it off with the campaigning....we've all been down this road before. And like its been said, different strokes for different folks. Campaigning ain't gonna win no hearts around here, and well mud slinging is only gonna start a fight. We all know you PC boys whipped before in that fight.

[Aku]

STRATEGY

RTS Age of Empires II

TBS Alpha Centauri, Civ 3, Space Empires IV, Jagged Alliance 2 (tactical combat and roleplaying)

City Building Sim City 3000, Caesar 3, Pharaoh/Cleopatra, Zeus/Poseidon

Hybrid RTS/Building Startopia, Dungeon Keeper 2


NOT STRATEGY (but worth mentioning)

Oh, and play Thief 1/Thief 2. With all the fan missions available, they're probably the best value in gaming history.

[mandark]

Guys knock it off with the campaigning....we've all been down this road before. And like its been said, different strokes for different folks. Campaigning ain't gonna win no hearts around here, and well mud slinging is only gonna start a fight. We all know you PC boys whipped before in that fight.

You should really try to remember these posts of yours when you are campaigning for MS and your almighty X-box. Its quite pathetic.

Anyways, being a current and, most likely, permanent console and PC gamer I can atone for what is mostly mentioned around here. Consoles are great for that quick fix that most gamers need or want. If I want a quick race, which is all the time, all I have to do is pop in GT4, NFS, or some other racer and go at it pedal to the metal. But if I want to seriously race then thats when games like NASCAR RACING 4 comes in where the models and consequences are unforgiving. The damage models are so realistic that if you hit a wall even at just 20 mph the race for you is over. Is this fun for most people? Probably not, but then again I'm only making examples.

[Renzatic Gear]

We all know you PC boys whipped before in that fight.
That's right, son! We whipped before and we'll whip again, by gawd!

[mandark]

Can anyone recommend any games for the PC? My computer can handle Doom3 and HL2 right out of the box so specs shouldn't be a limitation. Anyone have any thoughts about PC gaming or interesting tidbits to share with a new user?

If you like Morrowind for your X-box give Gothic and Gothic II a try. Both are very good RPG type games that should keep you occupied for a while.

[yacobschlomo]

The consoles lack in diversity at least as much as the PC does, if not more.

The only areas where the PC definitely lacks are fighting games and party games....

The PC is lacking in more than just those two genres. Personally, I think it also lacks diversity in sports, racing, platformers, and action/adventure games.

In sports, the PC doesn't have the great Visual Concepts games (NBA2K5, NFL2K5, Etc.). The EA Big games like SSX, NBA Street, NFL Street. It also lacks extreme sports games. There are also other games like Top Spin, Hot Shots Golf, NBA Ballers, Mario Tennis, etc.

The PC also lacks diversity in racing games. On consoles you have arcade racing games like Project Gotham 2, Burnout 3, F-Zero GX, MArio Kart, Wipeout, etc. Also, just look at the selection of racing games that have come out on the PC in the past year and you'll understand why I say it lacks variety.

Platformers? It's pretty obvious so I'm sure I don't have to give any examples.

Action/Adventures games. I'm talking about games like Ninja Gaiden, Devil May Cry, Ico, Resident Evil 4, Zelda: Windwaker, Eternal Darkness, Oddworld, Spiderman 2, Viewtiful Joe, MEtal Gear Solid 3, God of War, etc. The PC doesn't offer as much variety in this genre.

There is also the weird quirky games that are hard to place in a genre. Games like Katari Damacy, Eyetoy, Donkey Konga, Super Monkey Ball, Amplitude, Dance Dance Revolution, JSRF, etc.

It seems that you prefer the more "cerebral/intelligent" games so a lot of the games I listed don't suit your tastes. I play games to relax and have fun (to get my mind off things) so I enjoy the console games that are easy to get into and just play for 15-30 minutes.

Again, it probably just depends on your tastes. I say the PC lacks diversity because there are so many console games that I like to play that have no equivalent on the PC. For you it is probably the other way around.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

Alright all you PC gamers, don't make me have to send you all a malicious virus just to make you all remember how much of a headache PC gaming can be.

Anyway, you guys are crazy. Everyone knows MACS kill PCs. I'm done with Windows after this machine I have now gets outdated. I'll be a MAC man with my next PC. Yessir, my MAC and my XBOX 360, all a fella will ever need. Plus, I look to see a lot of you PC gamers on consoles this generation. You know you can't resist. Hell, you can save yourself the $2000 pc upgrade and actually buy a XBOX 360, PS3, and Revolution and still have about a GRAND leftover to buy games! Hell, instead of upgrading to the next $500 graphics card, you can buy an XBOX 360 and a PS3. And i'll guess for a good year or maybe two consoles will be whuppin' your PCs in realizable power. Make that switch don't be a B****!

[yacobschlomo]

Alright all you PC gamers, don't make me have to send you all a malicious virus just to make you all remember how much of a headache PC gaming can be.

Anyway, you guys are crazy. Everyone knows MACS kill PCs. I'm done with Windows after this machine I have now gets outdated. I'll be a MAC man with my next PC. Yessir, my MAC and my XBOX 360, all a fella will ever need. Plus, I look to see a lot of you PC gamers on consoles this generation. You know you can't resist. Hell, you can save yourself the $2000 pc upgrade and actually buy a XBOX 360, PS3, and Revolution and still have about a GRAND leftover to buy games! Hell, instead of upgrading to the next $500 graphics card, you can buy an XBOX 360 and a PS3. And i'll guess for a good year or maybe two consoles will be whuppin' your PCs in realizable power. Make that switch don't be a B****!

For $2000, here's what I got:

Dell 2005FPW - 20.1" Widescreen LCD - $480

DESKTOP:
Antec Overture Case - $100
Nvidia Geforce 6600gt - $170
Wireless Keyboard - $20
Wireless Mouse - $15
A7N8X-X Mobo - $59
Logitech Z-3 Speakers - $25
Philips Aurilium Sound Card - $30
Wireless Network Adapter - $20
80gb Hard Disk - $62
1gb Ram - $136
dvd/cdrw drive - $37

LAPTOP:
HP ZV6000 - $760.74
15.4" WXGA Brightview Widescreen
AMD Athlon 64 3200+
ATI Radeon 200M - 128mb
512mb Ram
DVD/CDRW Drive
54g 802.11b/g WLAN
40gb HD
Windows XP Pro

Total: $1915
throw in some accesories to bring the price to $2000.

And the games are usually cheaper than their console counterparts. For example, I just picked up Chaos Theory a couple of weeks ago for only $30.

When I upgrade my video card, it won't be anywhere near $500. I just spent $170 on the 6600gt and it runs all the latest games just fine and practically max settings. I'm sure it will last me at least a couple more years.

[mandark]

Hell, you can save yourself the $2000 pc upgrade and actually buy a XBOX 360, PS3, and Revolution and still have about a GRAND leftover to buy games! Hell, instead of upgrading to the next $500 graphics card, you can buy an XBOX 360 and a PS3. And i'll guess for a good year or maybe two consoles will be whuppin' your PCs in realizable power. Make that switch don't be a B****!

$2000? WTF are you talking about? I got me a Rig that can run all the latest games for less than $800! Here's my setup.

AMD 64 3000+ (OCd to 3700)
ATI Radeon x700
1 GB RAM
120 GB HD
20" Monitor

On top of gaming I use my PC for spreadsheets, DVD burns, MP3 downloads, Autocad, Movie editing, subtitling, etc. Since you have openly admitted that you used to be a PC gamer then the only explanation for your "Campaigning" is total, complete fanboyism.

Its true that the next gen consoles will overlap the PC for the next year or two. But that has, will, and always be the cycle that PC's and Consoles go through. Afte a year or two the PC will once again be on top of the console for the next 4 years.

[joquito]

I thought Oni started out as a PC action game then was ported to PS2. Wasn't the same true with MDK2? The game that got me into PC gaming was an action title SHOGO: Mobile Armor Division. I will load it up tonight if I have time.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

For $2000, here's what I got:

Dell 2005FPW - 20.1" Widescreen LCD - $480

DESKTOP:
Antec Overture Case - $100
Nvidia Geforce 6600gt - $170
Wireless Keyboard - $20
Wireless Mouse - $15
A7N8X-X Mobo - $59
Logitech Z-3 Speakers - $25
Philips Aurilium Sound Card - $30
Wireless Network Adapter - $20
80gb Hard Disk - $62
1gb Ram - $136
dvd/cdrw drive - $37

LAPTOP:
HP ZV6000 - $760.74
15.4" WXGA Brightview Widescreen
AMD Athlon 64 3200+
ATI Radeon 200M - 128mb
512mb Ram
DVD/CDRW Drive
54g 802.11b/g WLAN
40gb HD
Windows XP Pro

Total: $1915
throw in some accesories to bring the price to $2000.

And the games are usually cheaper than their console counterparts. For example, I just picked up Chaos Theory a couple of weeks ago for only $30.

When I upgrade my video card, it won't be anywhere near $500. I just spent $170 on the 6600gt and it runs all the latest games just fine and practically max settings. I'm sure it will last me at least a couple more years.


Jeesh take it easy man, I was just kidding. Hey I have the same Antec case on my PC. If you've got the Asus Mobo why did you go with a separate sound card? For Surround Sound? Your system is very similar to my latest system. Even the speakers. Don't have the wireless kybd/mouse though, and my Geoforce is a 5700 or 5200 can't remember, I know it has 256mb and I don't have a Gig of main memory on 512. But I never game on it, CAUSE PC GAMING SUX!!!! No, just kidding, I do however just prefer to game on XBOX. Believe it or not.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

$2000? WTF are you talking about? I got me a Rig that can run all the latest games for less than $800! Here's my setup.

AMD 64 3000+ (OCd to 3700)
ATI Radeon x700
1 GB RAM
120 GB HD
20" Monitor

On top of gaming I use my PC for spreadsheets, DVD burns, MP3 downloads, Autocad, Movie editing, subtitling, etc. Since you have openly admitted that you used to be a PC gamer then the only explanation for your "Campaigning" is total, complete fanboyism.

Its true that the next gen consoles will overlap the PC for the next year or two. But that has, will, and always be the cycle that PC's and Consoles go through. Afte a year or two the PC will once again be on top of the console for the next 4 years.


Alright, now that is getting a little bit ridiculous. All that for just $800, where'd you buy your parts from Julio around the corner? Come on, that's pushing the edge of believability, your monitor must not be an LCD, then I can believe that.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

I thought Oni started out as a PC action game then was ported to PS2. Wasn't the same true with MDK2? The game that got me into PC gaming was an action title SHOGO: Mobile Armor Division. I will load it up tonight if I have time.

That was a bad-azz game. When everybody else was playing Quake and Unreal tournament I was playing the hell outta Shogo online. We use to kick-azz with that game online, and it was way better than Quake and Unreal cause it wasn't just a twitch fest there was strategy involved. Did you ever play online, we probably crossed paths if you did. So Shogo was when you started PC gaming, wow I started in about 92 with Syndicate Wars. To this day that is still one of the baddest games I ever played. Far as ONI, yes I think that was Monolith's next property after Shogo, it didn't set the world on fire. I never played it myself. But i'm certain it came out before PS2 was even around.

[mandark]

Alright, now that is getting a little bit ridiculous. All that for just $800, where'd you buy your parts from Julio around the corner? Come on, that's pushing the edge of believability, your monitor must not be an LCD, then I can believe that.

The monitor is a CRT flatscreen Trinitron from Sony that I got for $50 from a Compaq based office while they were dissolving into HP. :P

The rest took some really smart shopping. I don't buy the first thing I see. I leave that for the foolish.

[yacobschlomo]

Jeesh take it easy man, I was just kidding. Hey I have the same Antec case on my PC. If you've got the Asus Mobo why did you go with a separate sound card? For Surround Sound? Your system is very similar to my latest system. Even the speakers. Don't have the wireless kybd/mouse though, and my Geoforce is a 5700 or 5200 can't remember, I know it has 256mb and I don't have a Gig of main memory on 512. But I never game on it, CAUSE PC GAMING SUX!!!! No, just kidding, I do however just prefer to game on XBOX. Believe it or not.

I realized you weren't really serious by the tone of your post, but this is system wars so I had to rebut some of your arguments. I just very recently got back into PC gaming. I knew very little about putting together a computer 5 months ago, but have learned a bit since then. I always thought it was too difficult and expensive.

Most of the stuff I got was from NewEgg, so I didn't search around for the best prices. Picked up my LCD from Dell with a 25% off coupon. They were running a sale for the same monitor last week for only $380. Ordered my laptop during a sale at Office Depot 3 weeks ago.

I got the Aurilium for DD5.1/DTS5.1 sound for gaming and movies. Amazon was selling them really cheap so I decided to get one. I use this particular PC for gaming and movies. No need to get one of those upconverting DVD players.

The Antec Case is really stylish, but I just realized that it traps too much heat. My CPU reaches temps in the high 60's on full load. It's not much of a problem if I don't try an overclock the CPU though. BTW, it looks like I forgot to include my CPU when calculating the price of my computer. That's another $90. I got the AMD Athlon XP 2600+. You can overclock it to abou 3200+ speeds, but I'm pretty much limited to 2900+ because of my case.

You can pick up a nice Microsoft Wireless Mouse for $15 on sale right now at CompUSA. Regular price is over $30. I use the wireless keyboard when I'm sitting on my sofa surfing the web. I also just picked up Intervideo Home Theater with a remote for watching movies.

I'd still rather play games on my Xbox or PS2 (wife likes to play Mario Party on the GC), but there are times I feel like going online and playing some Counterstrike, Call of Duty, or Unreal Tournament 2004. I don't think there is anything on the consoles that can match these games in terms of online muliplayer. I'm not into those strategy and RPGs that take up way too much of your time. I like to sit down and play for about an hour at the most. That's why I still prefer consoles.

[joquito]

That was a bad-azz game. When everybody else was playing Quake and Unreal tournament I was playing the hell outta Shogo online. We use to kick-azz with that game online, and it was way better than Quake and Unreal cause it wasn't just a twitch fest there was strategy involved. Did you ever play online, we probably crossed paths if you did. So Shogo was when you started PC gaming, wow I started in about 92 with Syndicate Wars. To this day that is still one of the baddest games I ever played. Far as ONI, yes I think that was Monolith's next property after Shogo, it didn't set the world on fire. I never played it myself. But i'm certain it came out before PS2 was even around.

I actually only played a few times online. Looking back its shocking that it never was ported over to a console. I actually started playing PC games in '94 by EPIC which were small in file size so they would fit on a one or two 3.5" floppies. I played a game called Solar winds and DUNE. What was the name of the Lucas Arts game with the motor cycle dude with the 5 O'clock shadow. It had point and click controls. It was soooooo funny. I can't believe they never made a sequel.

Shogo was my significant start into PC gaming. I bought more games at that time and considered myself a hardcore gamer rather than a casual gamer.

OH MY GOD, anyone remember Electronics Boutique with its cheesy silver manequin. They almost exclusively sold PC games.

[Renzatic Gear]

What was the name of the Lucas Arts game with the motor cycle dude with the 5 O'clock shadow. It had point and click controls. It was soooooo funny. I can't believe they never made a sequel.
FULL THROTTLE! WOOT!

Lucasarts actually was making a sequel for it, but they canned it to make more Starwars games.

[Fivespot]

I actually only played a few times online. Looking back its shocking that it never was ported over to a console. I actually started playing PC games in '94 by EPIC which were small in file size so they would fit on a one or two 3.5" floppies. I played a game called Solar winds and DUNE. What was the name of the Lucas Arts game with the motor cycle dude with the 5 O'clock shadow. It had point and click controls. It was soooooo funny. I can't believe they never made a sequel.

Shogo was my significant start into PC gaming. I bought more games at that time and considered myself a hardcore gamer rather than a casual gamer.

OH MY GOD, anyone remember Electronics Boutique with its cheesy silver manequin. They almost exclusively sold PC games.

I played some PC back in the day but our family computer was wicked slow 486 processor w/1 meg of RAM - remember those days. You had a nice computer if you had 8 megs of RAM (early 90's).

I used to love Alone in the Dark, SimFarm, any of the King's Quest tiles (I think thats what they were called), and those old Lucas Arts games were fantastic - Monkey Island was my fave. Didn't they also make a Indiana Jones title similar to Monkey Island? That game was also a blast.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

The monitor is a CRT flatscreen Trinitron from Sony that I got for $50 from a Compaq based office while they were dissolving into HP. :P

The rest took some really smart shopping. I don't buy the first thing I see. I leave that for the foolish.

To imply you can get that all for $800, when you got that big assed monitor for $50. Good steal, but not something any of us are likely to duplicate, not even on Ebay.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

I realized you weren't really serious by the tone of your post, but this is system wars so I had to rebut some of your arguments. I just very recently got back into PC gaming. I knew very little about putting together a computer 5 months ago, but have learned a bit since then. I always thought it was too difficult and expensive.

Most of the stuff I got was from NewEgg, so I didn't search around for the best prices. Picked up my LCD from Dell with a 25% off coupon. They were running a sale for the same monitor last week for only $380. Ordered my laptop during a sale at Office Depot 3 weeks ago.

I got the Aurilium for DD5.1/DTS5.1 sound for gaming and movies. Amazon was selling them really cheap so I decided to get one. I use this particular PC for gaming and movies. No need to get one of those upconverting DVD players.

The Antec Case is really stylish, but I just realized that it traps too much heat. My CPU reaches temps in the high 60's on full load. It's not much of a problem if I don't try an overclock the CPU though. BTW, it looks like I forgot to include my CPU when calculating the price of my computer. That's another $90. I got the AMD Athlon XP 2600+. You can overclock it to abou 3200+ speeds, but I'm pretty much limited to 2900+ because of my case.

You can pick up a nice Microsoft Wireless Mouse for $15 on sale right now at CompUSA. Regular price is over $30. I use the wireless keyboard when I'm sitting on my sofa surfing the web. I also just picked up Intervideo Home Theater with a remote for watching movies.

I'd still rather play games on my Xbox or PS2 (wife likes to play Mario Party on the GC), but there are times I feel like going online and playing some Counterstrike, Call of Duty, or Unreal Tournament 2004. I don't think there is anything on the consoles that can match these games in terms of online muliplayer. I'm not into those strategy and RPGs that take up way too much of your time. I like to sit down and play for about an hour at the most. That's why I still prefer consoles.


Not bad at all, just suprised you went with the somewhat underpowered processor, but I guess you planned on overclocking it. Yeah, listen a person's preference is their preference, so there is no arguing there. I prefer shooters over XBOX Live, but that is probably because I prefer cooperative play online as opposed to fragfest, and I prefer pulling a trigger and aiming as opposed to clicking a mouse on an object. In reality the PC and console are completely different worlds, which is why I don't include it in system wars, its not a direct comparison. But, games like Hellbound constantly keep me intrigued, and this may very well be the next PC game I buy whenever it comes out.

When you game online what services are you using to find people, enable voice chat, friends lists, etc. I'm sure all that has been improved and modernized by now.

[mandark]

To imply you can get that all for $800, when you got that big assed monitor for $50. Good steal, but not something any of us are likely to duplicate, not even on Ebay.
You and everyother console only gamer who always imply to others that it HAS to cost $2000 to game on the PC when the fact is it doesn't. Fact is building and configuring a PC nowadays is no longer that expensive and difficult. Fact is PC gaming is here to stay no matter what the naysayers spout.

It is also misleading for X-bots to say that gaming on the X-box is so much better because the graphics are better, its crisper, and the surround sound is excellent but then withold the information that you have to spend a fortune on a HD TV, 5.1 speakers and basically an all new entertainment system that could easily triple or quadruple the cost of a PC.

[DrunkenThumbmaster]

I'm mainly a console man. I rarely play anything besides FPS on the PC.

One thing PC gamers need to realize more depth is not always better. Lord Know I will never ever see the appeal of combat sims. I had one of the Janes military games a while back. I couldn't get one kill. It was so frustrating I didn't want to learn it. I am looking forward to Hellgate and Dungeion Siege 2 though. I guess by that you can tell the type of games I like.

[Hieremias]

You and everyother console only gamer who always imply to others that it HAS to cost $2000 to game on the PC when the fact is it doesn't. Fact is building and configuring a PC nowadays is no longer that expensive and difficult. Fact is PC gaming is here to stay no matter what the naysayers spout.

It is also misleading for X-bots to say that gaming on the X-box is so much better because the graphics are better, its crisper, and the surround sound is excellent but then withold the information that you have to spend a fortune on a HD TV, 5.1 speakers and basically an all new entertainment system that could easily triple or quadruple the cost of a PC.
Shhh!! Don't burst their bubble! The only way X-bots can put up with terrible textures and resolution and poor controls, and STILL believe that they're getting the best deal, is to think that all the latest PC games require a $500 video card. If they ever realized that's ridiculously false, they'd probably lose the will to live. :)

I paid less than $200 Canadian for my 256mb Radeon 9600XT, and that was more than 18 months ago, and it can still play Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 and every other recent game at full detail with 1024x768 resolution and antistropic filtering. Oh and it has TV-out so I can project all the movies that I have on my PC onto my TV.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

You and everyother console only gamer who always imply to others that it HAS to cost $2000 to game on the PC when the fact is it doesn't. Fact is building and configuring a PC nowadays is no longer that expensive and difficult. Fact is PC gaming is here to stay no matter what the naysayers spout.

It is also misleading for X-bots to say that gaming on the X-box is so much better because the graphics are better, its crisper, and the surround sound is excellent but then withold the information that you have to spend a fortune on a HD TV, 5.1 speakers and basically an all new entertainment system that could easily triple or quadruple the cost of a PC.

Man nobody ever said the graphics are better at this point on consoles. Maybe someone may have said that about a particular game, but I think everybody knows the PC is the tech king. You are sort of preaching to the choir when it comes to PC gaming, a lot of what I've said here is tongue in cheek. Again, I'll say that you can't compare PC gaming and console gaming. Its like comparing motorcycles and race cars, two different animals. I think people will choose one or the other for specific reasons completely different than why one would choose XBOX over Playstation2 for instance. For me, the time was right to switch to the XBOX away from the PC. And when I did it, I didn't plan on ditching PC gaming, it just worked out that I had so much fun with XBOX I never looked back.

Now a lot of people buy PC to do a variety of task. Which is why I have a beefed up system that I don't play games on, I do a lot of video and photo editing and music related stuff. So I understand the complete cost of a PC is not solely attributable to gaming, once again, tongue in cheek. However, that said. Now that i'm gaming on consoles, i'll never buy another PC again. I wish to gosh I had of thought about getting a MAC before I put together my last system. Needless to say, I feel, if you aren't playing video games, MACs are better machines than PCs. From a consumer electronics, music, and convenience perspective, MACs destroy PCs.

As far as your snipe at console gaming and costs, only a fool would try and say consoles aren't cost effective. For those people only using their PCs to game on and surf the internet, i'd say this upcoming generation, they would be the ones interested in the next round of consoles. And needless to say, but i'll say it anyway, people don't buy HDTV and A/V systems for gaming, the fact that some consoles like the XBOX can support that kind of equipment, is a bonus and a reason to buy that console, not vice versa. Although with XBOX 360 supporting 720p standard, it could be a primary reason, like movies and TV to buy an HDTV.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

I actually only played a few times online. Looking back its shocking that it never was ported over to a console. I actually started playing PC games in '94 by EPIC which were small in file size so they would fit on a one or two 3.5" floppies. I played a game called Solar winds and DUNE. What was the name of the Lucas Arts game with the motor cycle dude with the 5 O'clock shadow. It had point and click controls. It was soooooo funny. I can't believe they never made a sequel.

Shogo was my significant start into PC gaming. I bought more games at that time and considered myself a hardcore gamer rather than a casual gamer.

OH MY GOD, anyone remember Electronics Boutique with its cheesy silver manequin. They almost exclusively sold PC games.

yeah Full Throttle, Renzatic's on point. Some other games I was into Bioforge, I don't if anyone remembers that one about a cyborg. And what was those games I think by Electronic Arts, the guy with the Red Armored suit, they were 3rd person action games, Crimson something, I loved those games, they had robots, mechs, awesome graphics. To me 92 - 98 was just the high point in PC gaming, and that was when PC gaming truly was better than console gaming. I don't remember that about EB, where I was it was only Babbage's and mom and pop local PC stores.

[ThaMaskedGamer]

Shhh!! Don't burst their bubble! The only way X-bots can put up with terrible textures and resolution and poor controls, and STILL believe that they're getting the best deal, is to think that all the latest PC games require a $500 video card. If they ever realized that's ridiculously false, they'd probably lose the will to live. :)

I paid less than $200 Canadian for my 256mb Radeon 9600XT, and that was more than 18 months ago, and it can still play Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 and every other recent game at full detail with 1024x768 resolution and antistropic filtering. Oh and it has TV-out so I can project all the movies that I have on my PC onto my TV.

I think for you to delude yourself into thinking that you guys are the only ones with nice PCs and are the only ones who know about PCs is a great little dream your having. I guess you just can't understand how people with more than adequate PCs choose not to use them to play games and opt instead for consoles. But they do, I think there are several people on this board(consolers) who have nice PCs, but there is a reason why we choose consoles. Just like there's a reason why you choose PC gaming. Maybe one day after all the installing, patching, configuring, disabling, coming on message boards crying for help, you might just grab a wireless controller and play some Perfect Dark 0 online and be impressed at the tech and convenience and quality. Now come on, you guys are too high to realize PC gaming is not without its glitches, all one has to do is stroll over to the pc gaming area of this site and read numerous posts about people crying about everything from their mouse to Half-Life 2's authentication device.

We don't have those problems, we just game. Now, you are gonna tell me how convenient and easy it is to game on PCs and game online and communicate in every game, and mimic all the things LIVE can do, and i'll tell you save your breath, cause LIVE can do it all 12 times easier.

[Renzatic Gear]

It's not 12 times easier, Live just requires 3 clicks less to play or something. :P

[Glockstar]

* Mouse Keyboard Setup -- Once you go PC, you never go back to console for FPS.


Speak for yourself.

Personally, I don't know how you guys play with that set-up at all. Let alone like it or prefer it.
I friggin hate it.

I recently picked up the Half-Life Platinum Collection (the one with all five Half-Life 1 games)... but I couldn't play it! WASD... arrow keys... whatever... it's awkward! And the movements are too fast. Then I gotta press the CTRL key to duck and the SPACE BAR to jump?! All the while I've got one whole hand tied up with the mouse?! Hel-lo... I've only got two hands and 10 fingers/thumbs! Gawd, I was looking down at the keyboard more than I was the monitor.

I tried using my Xbox-to-USB Controller Adapter with it but I guess the game is too old, or something(?)... it wouldn't recognize the anolog-stick movements. It recognized the a-sticks as buttons (you know the thumbstick "clicks") but not any of the directional movements. The d-pad it did recognize, but without the right-thumbstick for "looking" the controller did me no good.

I wanted to try and get used to the mouse/keyboard thing - for when STALKER comes out - but I just can't do it. I tried playing Thief II via m/k too, but with the same results. Luckily for me I can at least salvage Thief II, because the Xbox Controller Adapter does work with that game.

-
And now I know what Darwin is talking about when he goes into his 'Computer games... won't play' shpiel. It took me 3 tries just to get thru the opening cinematic (of H-L). The opening cinematic! The first time, my video output wasn't set-up correctly - or something(?) - as only the top half of my screen was working while the bottom was filled with thick horizontal lines... so I had to escape out to the settings, click on a few things (I don't even know what I did really) and then, because I actually wanted to see this, I started it over. The second time, I was checking out the movements and whatnot and had wandered to the back of the train car, when the car paused at station/stop/turn, and then a gate closed... thru the train car! Which of course, trapped me at the back of it. Neat. So I had to reset it... again. And the last time, I got stuck in a wall or something when the last door to the facility was to open up for me. I could look around, but I couldn't move! Reset. Do it all again - for a fourth time. Great! What fun! :rolleyes:

It was on this basis that I took my game back to the store to try and return it. Luckily for me, they took it back - for store credit.

And that's my Half-Life story.

Neat game. From what little I could make of it. Too bad I couldn't play it though. :(

[Renzatic Gear]

You know you can reassign all your keys, right?

I've never had much trouble getting PC games to play. Once you set your comp up (and know what you're doing), all you have to do is install the game and play it all you want.

The only game I've ever had trouble with over the last couple of years was Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine...and that's only cuz Lucasarts rigged it so that it'd only play on Win95/98 machines.

[Glockstar]

Yeah I know, Beer... but it still doesn't change the fact that they're keys - big honkin' keys. Oh yeah, I have a difficult time with WASD (because that's not how my fingers are aligned!) but location is really only half the problem. Even after a thousand tweaks and customizations, with regards to "button" placement, you will always only have 4 directions to go in. Well... what about the other 12 plus directions - like the ones I get with a joystick - or better yet, a thumbstick? Heck, 16 directions go all the way back to the Intellivision! And I gotta have 'em! Playing an action game with a keyboard is like drawing with an Etch-A-Sketch.

Plus not too mention, these keys are all-or-nothing. They're not analog, you know. And with regards to videogame functionality, they're not even touch-sensitive. Like it's hard to creep, sneak, peer, and/or scan when all that the keys will allow me to do is run, dash, jerk, and/or snap... it's on or off - and that's it.

I'm sorry but if I can't get my Xbox controller to work on these games then I can't play them.

Now when I say "these" games, I mean these kinds of games (action, shooters,etc). Mouse and keyboard work just fine for Homeworld, Icewind Dale, and Myst, thank you. And, of course, cards. :p

[Renzatic Gear]

You forget that you steer with the mouse, so you actually have a full 360 degrees of rotation in FPS games. You just use the WASD keys for forward and reverse movement plus strafing. And also, it's 8 directions not 4..it's about the same as using a digital gamepad for movement, cept you use 3 fingers instead of your thumb.

Mouse/trackball control gives you fall more realistic neck and pivoting movement in FPS games. You can't even begin to replicate that using 2 analog sticks..it's more like controlling a tank in comparison.

[Mochan]

If Call of Duty is a bad (or decent) looking PC title, I'm in for a hell of a future enjoying PC games. I'm absolutely enamored with this game at the moment. Maybe its because compared to my many years of console gaming - these graphics are fantastic (Its all relative).

It's just that the hardware can't compare. Console games look worse because they're operating at less than half the resolution PC games usually go on, minus the superior PC Graphical effects that bleeding edge GPUs offer.


Planescape, you sure? I coulda swore that game came out of the same Interplay/Bioware/Black Isle Studios camp.

It's from Black Isle, not Bioware. That's the difference. Black Isle is separate from Bioware.

As for Blade of Darkness, its controls were nowhere as responsive as a normal console offering like Devil May Cry. It had gimmicky stuff like the limbs flapping off but that's not really gameplay, it's just that: a gimmick. The enemies were not *that* smart though I do realize that console monsters tend to be dumb.

and you can't beat plain leaning back on the floor, staring up at a television, gaming that consoles offer.

[Mochan]

For those people only using their PCs to game on and surf the internet, i'd say this upcoming generation, they would be the ones interested in the next round of consoles.

No way. I'll buy the next PS3 because I like console gaming, but I'm not gonna buy it to replace my PC. PC games have a strength which Console games simply do not, and vice versa. There are games for the PC only that I get a PC for just to play, just as there are console-only games that I get consoles for to play.

Some other games I was into Bioforge, I don't if anyone remembers that one about a cyborg. And what was those games I think by Electronic Arts, the guy with the Red Armored suit, they were 3rd person action games, Crimson something,

One of the few, very few first-gen CD games that was actually worth playing. Alone in the Dark meets cyberpunk. The crimson suit guy was called Crusader: No Remorse. It also had a sequel, I forgot the title (Crusader No Regret? I think).

Around 94 or 95 was the pits for PC gaming IMO. It was around this time that PCs skipped to CD-ROM and we had loads of crap games that relied more on video footage (and ugly looking footage at that) than actual gameplay to sell. It was at this point that I turned to the Play Station after skipping out on the Super Famicom since the Famicom days.

Personally, I don't know how you guys play with that set-up at all. Let alone like it or prefer it.
I friggin hate it.

I friggin hate playing FPS on gamepads. I can't understand how anyone could possibly manage. Now, I played Rainbow Six both on PC and console, and I can attest this: the PC version is MUCH better. In addition to the graphics, the enemies in the console version are dumber and slower. You are given a LOT more time to aim in the console version compared to the PC version. In the console version, you can stand in front of the enemy for like 3 seconds before they even begin shooting at you -- and they won't hit you yet. You can stand still a whole ten seconds or so before they kill you. And when they hit you, usually it'll just damage you a bit instead of kill you. In the PC version, stay straight in front of one for 3 seconds tops and you're dead via headshot.

Furter, it may be a matter of preference, but have you ever tried hooking up Halo to an analogue control and configure it to play like the XBox controls? You won't have pressure-sensitive buttons but everything else is there. Now have the XBox expert play the gamepad vs. a PC gamer using a mouse. Let's see who's gonna rack up the kills.

Also, if you're intimdated by the keyboard, what you need is something like the Nostromo N52 or some similar game device. PC isn't limited to keyboard and mouse, you know. There's a whole world of peripherals for it (there was even a ball gamepad before... weirdest thing. Designed for FPS play, too) and they can improve your game tremendously. In fact, when it comes to flight sims, I don't think anyone's ever gonna take a console pad over a flight stick and throttle. There's simply no competition.

[qoute]Neat game. From what little I could make of it. Too bad I couldn't play it though.[/quote]

Well I'll admit if you're no good with PCs, some games may pose problems. But if you know what you're doing, you never have trouble and it's a lot more convenient most of the time. You never have to pop in a CD into the PC and all you do is click on the desktop! Easy. The only real hassle is if your PC isn't strong enough to run a particular game seamlessly. Still, overall convenience and "dummy proof-ness" is definitely in the favor of consoles.

Like it's hard to creep, sneak, peer, and/or scan when all that the keys will allow me to do is run, dash, jerk, and/or snap... it's on or off - and that's it.

I can understand your initial misgivings over creeping and sneaking, you usually have to hold down another key to activate those modes. I can understand how an analog stick would be superior. But peering and scanning? Huh? You can do that easily, usually with the Q and E keys in most games.

Also, for WASD not being in the shape of your fingers, I know quite a few gamers who play with ASDF instead... S is their forward key and F is the back key. And they can frag like hell.

Even after a thousand tweaks and customizations, with regards to "button" placement, you will always only have 4 directions to go in.

I don't know what you're talking about, WASD works exactly like a directional pad. In fact, the Nostromo Speedpad series have built in directional pads that were ripped right off a console gamepad.

And what's this 16 directions you are talking about? Directional pads only go in 8 directions.

I'm sorry but if I can't get my Xbox controller to work on these games then I can't play them.

Well, your loss. When we're playing Stalker you can just twiddle your thumbs while waiting for the XBox-3 version of Oblivion. :)