PC, Xbox 360 or PS3?

[TwistedBishop]

With a PC game, I spend the first two hours getting the latest non-certified nVidia driver downloaded and installed, getting the release-day patch from the company that wrote the game, tweaking graphics settings so that my game doesn't lag but still looks good. And then it's time for bed. Oooooh fun.

You're not actually going to spend two hours on that stuff. However, I think if you don't like fiddling with PCs, reading tech reviews and generally being a giant nerd, PC gaming is just going to end up frustrating you. The hardware side of things is too closely linked to the whole experience.

 

[Vocenoctum]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/829/829409p1.html

I've seen other similar reviews in other places I can't think of at the moment.

Don't misunderstand me, I acknowledge that people love the game. I disagree that there is any one game that can be universally liked. By posting the review above, are you trying to say that if anyone played it, they would agree that it is better than anything on the 360?

Heck, you pick a great review, it basically takes shots at the rest of the PS3 games load times.

 

[Simplicity]

You're not actually going to spend two hours on that stuff. However, I think if you don't like fiddling with PCs, reading tech reviews and generally being a giant nerd, PC gaming is just going to end up frustrating you. The hardware side of things is too closely linked to the whole experience.

Speak for yourself, man. I've done it multiple times recently. And it's not because I don't know what I'm doing. God help me if I DIDN'T know what I was doing. Settlers, NWN2, and LotRO all required video driver updates to whichever nVidia driver happened to be out on release day.

Oh I left out a part in that 2 hour process, which may be part of it. INSTALL TIME. Consoles really don't require the extremely lengthy install times that PC games seem to. Consoles just don't write much to HD, other than the saved games I guess? Plus, developers seem to depend on the speedy readers that the console provides? I really don't know what is the secret sauce that keeps install times lower on console. Perhaps it's offset by load times, but I haven't really noticed that.

 

[Vocenoctum]

The 360 runs from disc, the PS3 has the option. This is due to there being a 360 without the HD, so the HD can't be required for any games.

Bluray has a slower seek/load rate, so if both games draw from the disc, the 360 would be faster. If the PS3 loads stuff to the HD, then the HD would be faster. In practice, I'm not sure how PS3 games run.

 

[TwistedBishop]

Speak for yourself, man. I've done it multiple times recently. And it's not because I don't know what I'm doing. God help me if I DIDN'T know what I was doing. Settlers, NWN2, and LotRO all required video driver updates to whichever nVidia driver happened to be out on release day.

Oh I left out a part in that 2 hour process, which may be part of it. INSTALL TIME. Consoles really don't require the extremely lengthy install times that PC games seem to. Consoles just don't write much to HD, other than the saved games I guess? Plus, developers seem to depend on the speedy readers that the console provides? I really don't know what is the secret sauce that keeps install times lower on console. Perhaps it's offset by load times, but I haven't really noticed that.

I can see having to update video card drivers and patch a new release, but does that take 2 hours? In my experience, a driver update is like 5 minutes with all the rebooting. A patch? I don't know, 10 minutes? Install time doesn't seem like a big impact on your time, especially since you can do your email/web browsing while it installs.

Fiddling with settings is what always gets me. I never feel happy unless I'm sure the game is running every setting as high as it can. That said, does it take me 2 hours? I can't imagine it does.

But I do get what you're saying, and it's a big part of why consoles are so attractive to people. Knowing that you can put in the disc and instantly be playing a unified experience with everyone else? That's a big relief.

 

[Vocenoctum]

But I do get what you're saying, and it's a big part of why consoles are so attractive to people. Knowing that you can put in the disc and instantly be playing a unified experience with everyone else? That's a big relief.

Unless, apparently, you have Ratchet & Clank, then you may have to adjust your memory 500mb either way with deleting/adding material...

 

[frankthedm]

I know I'll be going 360 when i get my next console. If I was getting a console for a non gamer i'd go Wii. PS3 is for those completist gamers with cash to burn.

WTF is up with PS3s "Eye of judgement?" How transparent of a marketing ploy does it have to be before someone says " No one will fall for this."?

 

[Simplicity]

I know I'll be going 360 when i get my next console. If I was getting a console for a non gamer i'd go Wii. PS3 is for those completist gamers with cash to burn.

WTF is up with PS3s "Eye of judgement?" How transparent of a marketing ploy does it have to be before someone says " No one will fall for this."?

Interesting that the Wii is brought up in the same context with this argument.
Sometimes a gimmick has its own quality to it.
I'm not saying Eye of Judgement is that hot, but at least it's trying something new.

 

[redmagerush]

I

WTF is up with PS3s "Eye of judgement?" How transparent of a marketing ploy does it have to be before someone says " No one will fall for this."?

Well, it is pretty fun actually. Pretty deep gameplay as well. Very pricey though. And I'm horrible at it. Oh well.

I own a PS3 and love it. Warhawk and Folklore eat up my time like it is going out of style. Nothing on the 360 has grabbed me that way in a long time. Dead Rising was fun for a week, same with Gears and Halo 3. Bioshock failed to draw me in when I played it and I never got back around to picking it up.

 

[Chaldfont]

This weekend I went into a custom PC shop where my friend gets all of his gaming PCs and I had a system spec'd out.

Damn.

Ok, I don't have $1800. That's my fault for going to a place that makes custom gaming PCs!

I'm leaning toward the $350 Xbox 360. Maybe they'll drop the price before I get my bonus in April.

Thanks everyone for their help!