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What a great time it is at the moment to be a PC Gamer :)


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Posted

Yes I know there would be alternatives, it's just a generalisation

Such as attatching a wireless Xbox controller and pluggin a PC into a HDMI port on a big TV? I'm sure most kids nowadays are capable of this!

Posted
I think a part of the PC-Console "war" is that a majority of console gamers are teens or younger, so get to play Generic Shoot-em-up 5 on their parents 50" LED TV. Buy them a PC and they get to play the same game on a 21" monitor. Parents are generally not going to buy a 50" monitor for the kid, and they also lose the ability to play on a sofa.

 

So developers could make all the AAA titles they want available for the PC, but the mindset of not being able to play on a very large screen in the living room but instead on a small screen while sat most likely on an office chair will still stop some people committing.

 

Yes I know there would be alternatives, it's just a generalisation

 

HDMI out on the graphics card > Problem solved.

 

Hell, my TV has VGA.

 

This doesn't require enterprise tech support levels of technical ability... It's just laziness.

Posted (edited)
Nope.

 

This is why it's getting ridiculous now. They're trying to make consoles do too much.

 

There's also the fact that all the extra hardware/software needed to run all the different functions is A) Another point of failure [Oh, the music part is broken... Can't watch a DVD any more.] and B) An unnecessary cost.

 

What's wrong with just buying devices to do what you want?

 

Want TV? Get a TV.

Want games as well? Buy a console.

Also want music? Buy a Stereo.

 

Having to buy a >£1000 multifunction multimedia device to play a few games is silly.

 

Which is why the PS4 went down the games machine first approach because multimedia devices are almost irrelevant themselves.

 

For example my TV does: TV, Satellite, Recording, iPlayer, webbrowser, avi/mkv/mp4/mp3 DLNA nas streaming, usb avi/mkv/mp4 playback, html5 games, twitter, netflix, hulu and soon game streaming with a pad connected via bluetooth. I like this approach, it uses about 50w of power and its simple.

 

Console connected to TV for console games and DVD/BR. I prefer sofa and no windows/typing.

 

PC on a desk for PC games and PC stuff.... I played BF4 more than any other game last year, but I wouldn't want it in the front room. It is a great time for PC games (Strike Vector anyone), but its not some master race for the intelligencia.

Edited by Theblacksheep
Posted
Example: XBL Gold. %cost% for online play, Netflix, BBC iPlayer, "premium entertainment apps", video streaming from Microsoft, music, 2 "free" games a month...

 

Don't forget Internet Explorer in the premium features list. :p

Posted
Don't forget Internet Explorer in the premium features list. :p

 

It'll only be used to try and work out how to install Firefox/Chrome.

Posted
You've only just got this on PC!?! Wow, we had this on console back in the PS2 days! Maybe you do have hope for Red Dead Redemtion after all :p

 

:behindsofa:

 

(sorry, couldn't resist)

 

 

Just got hold of the 'family spare' PS3. Yes, after six years, it's finally my turn. Been gagging to play Red Dead Redemption ever since I watched my son doing some when he first bought it. Having a whale of a time on it, haven't watched any TV since New Year's apart from football, of course.

 

In fact, it's rekindled my interest in gaming.

 

I loaded ArmA and Dayz mod but my PC is just plain too old (Core 2 Duo, 4Gig) or needs too much of a rebuild. Screen lag, mainly, I could fork out for a new GFX card, but somehow ArmA just don't do it for me like Land Warrior/Black Hawk Down did back in the day.

Posted (edited)

I've said it before, console and PC gaming are different beasts aimed at different audiences who want entirely different things from their gaming experience. As a console gamer, and no we're not all teens using mum and dad's 100" TV's, I find PC gaming too full of issues such as drivers and whether my graphics cards good enough. I know thing have improved greatly, especially with steam, but I really can't be asked.

 

The idea console gaming is dying is laughable. The two big players have just enjoyed the biggest console launches in history! Console sales have been declining over the past couple of years not be because people have lost interest, but because everyone had a PS3 or 360 and that generation had gone on a little too long. It's been time for new hardware for a while.

 

Personally I'd say valve are heading in the wrong direction if they want SteamOS to compete effectively in the living room space.

 

I don't mind PC's offering backend services for the living room, like media streaming, but I'd sooner something with a little more finesse like a Roku box or a console or AppleTV on the front-end.

Edited by tmcd35
Posted
As a console gamer, and no we're not all teens using mum and dad's 100" TV's

 

Which is why I said it was a generalisation.

 

I don't get how people keep mentioning drivers and such though. When I installed Win7 about 3 years ago I installed the Nvidia driver, and since then that is it. Again I understand there are many not in the same boat, but for the most part, drivers will cause as much problem to your gaming experience as the trouble of not having batteries in your controller or TV remote with your console.

Posted
@Dopefish sometimes it's not just GPU drivers they are easy to sort out half the time! Its drivers for stuff like my Guitar hero issue!

 

Fair enough, I can only talk from personal experience of using keyboard/mouse/USB XB360 controller so I can understand the frustration on that part

Posted
@Dopefish sometimes it's not just GPU drivers they are easy to sort out half the time! Its drivers for stuff like my Guitar hero issue!

 

Just out of curiosity, did you try the 360 pad drivers? I'd have thought that internally it was just another pad...

 

This worked for me with a third party 360 pad that Windows 7 couldn't find drivers for, forced it to use MS 360 driver and it works perfectly.

Posted

I did I downloaded the exe file and installed Microsoft Xbox Controller Accessories or something and it didn't work :(

Just out of curiosity, did you try the 360 pad drivers? I'd have thought that internally it was just another pad...

 

This worked for me with a third party 360 pad that Windows 7 couldn't find drivers for, forced it to use MS 360 driver and it works perfectly.

Posted
I did I downloaded the exe file and installed Microsoft Xbox Controller Accessories or something and it didn't work :(

 

I had to actually force it to use the driver, i.e. "Device Manager > Update Driver > Select from list" to make it work but once I did that, it was fine :) not ideal I know and it supports the point being made that PCs are currently too error-prone for a lot of gamers but then again, what else would I do with my spare time? :p

Posted

I hate consoles. I just don't get on with controllers really. Last console I liked was the N64 (hurray for Goldeneye 64).

 

I do buy a lot of games on PC - just bought Rust, and am looking forward to Banished when it comes out later next month.

 

I don't care if a game is AAA or not - I like good games. I'm replaying Far Cry 3 at the moment, as it is a superb game with a storyline that wouldn't be out of place in a Hollywood blockbuster. The intro to it had me going "Wow!" when I saw it first time, and still does to an extent.

 

However, at the same time, little games like Trine 2 have me going "Wow!" too. The graphics in that game are amazing IMO.

 

No, PC gaming isn't dying, it is changing. More indie games is a very good thing, as it keeps the AAA makers on their toes and makes them get their act together for their big budget games.

Posted
@LosOjos I tried this put the driver was an .exe file so it wouldn't accept it as I think drivers are .inf files (can't remember 100%) if you have the .inf file it'd be most appreciated :)

 

You shouldn't need to mess with INF/EXE files, once it's installed it'll be listed. If you do have to get the INF, try opening the EXE in 7-Zip, you might be able to just extract.

 

I'm doing this from memory, so it may not be exact, but this is what I did:

  • Open Device Manager
  • Locate problematic controller/guitar
  • Right click, uninstall
  • Right click, "Update Driver"
  • "Browse my Computer"
  • "Let me pick from a list"
  • Find the category that matches a genuine 360 pad (it's either HID or Game Controller, I'll check later if you like)
  • Select "Microsoft" from the vendor list, and "Genuine 360 Game Pad" from the driver

 

I can't remember the exact steps, but it was something along those lines. After that, the pad showed as genuine 360 pad in Device Manager and the "360 Pad Status" utility even picks it up as genuine, despite the fact Windows wouldn't automatically install that driver for the device.

  • Thanks 1
Posted
@LosOjos, Morning tried the stuff you said to do last night wouldn't accept it *sigh* :(

 

ah that's a shame, I thought it would just be an ordinary 360 pad inside (it doesn't do anything that you couldn't do with a 360 pad) :(

Posted (edited)

Again, I'm gonna go with 'all of my wat' on this Octodad business.

Seriously. Wat xD

 

Looks like the controls will be a more silly, wacky Surgeon Simulator. With jiggle physics. Lotsa jiggle physics.

May be shelling out for it :D

Edited by Garacesh

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