Why do console games suck so bad???

[Jdvn1]

The Nintendo Revolution has me excited.

Seconded! Plus, their controllers are much more simple. And it has the old-school 8-bit style.

I like that Nintendo tries to be creative, whether or not all their ideas are good.

 

[Orius]

Hated Nintendo; controllers were not rounded on edges and hurt my palms to hold. Never played Zelda, Metroid, etc. I was exclusively a Sega Genesis player (Sonic rules! LOL), then moved on to Sega CD and 3DO and then PS1 to play Suikoden I + II and Resident Evil I-III.

The original Nintendo controller did have that blocky sqaure configuration, but there was a redesigned Nintendo made around 1993 or so that had rounded controllers that were a lot like the SNES controllers, but with fewer buttons. If you could find a used system somewhere and the newer controllers, then you might like some of the games on that system, as Nintendo games still featured the kind of simultaneous multiplayer games you like.

I'm not overly enthralled by today's console offerings. I don't care at all about the newest consoles. Most of the games these days do not interest me, particularly the shooters and fighting games. I tend to prefer RPGs, strategy and puzzle games myself. Console RPGs might interest you since they generally just involve navigating menus and map screens and don't have or require a lot of complex controls; however console RPGs have nearly always been single player.

I also don't care about fancy 3d graphics polygon counts, and crap like that. Game play has always been more important to me that graphics. I'm perfectly happy with old Nintendo era games with their 8-bit graphics that are still a blast to play.

 

[Alzrius]

I've always adored console games (Nintendo specifically; I never play any of the other companies' consoles), and likewise disliked computer games.

The big problem for me with computer games was that they always seemed to have problems in loading and playing. Just getting them properly loaded always seemed like it was trial-and-error. Worse, even after getting them loaded, they were subject to freezing, crashing, running slowly, and a host of other PC-specific problems.

Consoles never had that. The games on them always ran perfectly; the few times error did happen, they were isolated and didn't repeat themselves. It just never seemed worth the hassle to play computer games.

 

[John Crichton]

The big problem for me with computer games was that they always seemed to have problems in loading and playing. Just getting them properly loaded always seemed like it was trial-and-error. Worse, even after getting them loaded, they were subject to freezing, crashing, running slowly, and a host of other PC-specific problems.

Consoles never had that. The games on them always ran perfectly; the few times error did happen, they were isolated and didn't repeat themselves. It just never seemed worth the hassle to play computer games.

I have the same thinking. I will almost always choose to play a console version of a game or avoid a PC game completely because of running problems. Now, I love turn-based strategy games and tycoon type games which are better on PC so I do buy & play those but that's about it.

I've had too many problems in the past with getting PC games to run or crapping out/skipping in the middle of a gaming session. It hasn't happened very often but if it happens twice in a short period of time it frustrates me a and turns me off completely.

 

[KenM]

The big problem for me with computer games was that they always seemed to have problems in loading and playing. Just getting them properly loaded always seemed like it was trial-and-error. Worse, even after getting them loaded, they were subject to freezing, crashing, running slowly, and a host of other PC-specific problems.

Consoles never had that. The games on them always ran perfectly; the few times error did happen, they were isolated and didn't repeat themselves. It just never seemed worth the hassle to play computer games.

Well with computer games, you have to be aware of your computer specs to make sure the game will run decent on your computer. But there are some cases of companies putting out the beta so the consumer tests its and then report the bugs back.

 

[KenM]

Is the PC game platform dying? And then you have the issue of three different game consoles with very little cross-over between them. If I get a Nintendo system, that means no Halo. If I get an XBox that means no Zelda

Thats when you download an xbox or NES emulator to play them on your PC.

 

[3catcircus]

Hmm - I'm in agreement. Consoles suck. They emphasize graphics and are fine for "twitch" games where you gotta remember an obscure sequence of controller inputs and are by far the best platform for sports games, but otherwise they suck.

Try flying a Cat III approach using the Level-D 767 or PMDG 737NG for MS Flightsim on a console...

Try playing Morrowind, Ultima Online, or Pool of Radiance on a console...

 

[mojo1701]

Hmm - I'm in agreement. Consoles suck. They emphasize graphics and are fine for "twitch" games where you gotta remember an obscure sequence of controller inputs and are by far the best platform for sports games, but otherwise they suck.

Try flying a Cat III approach using the Level-D 767 or PMDG 737NG for MS Flightsim on a console...

Try playing Morrowind, Ultima Online, or Pool of Radiance on a console...

Try playing Super Mario Sunshine on a PC.

 

[Captain Tagon]

And Morrowind was acutally pretty fun on the Xbox.

 

[CarlZog]

I think I've developed Old Fogey Syndrome, LOL.

Let me get this straight: You have GENE RAYBURN as your avatar, and you THINK you may have developed Old Fogey Syndrome?!?!?

Are you kidding me? Let me let you in on a little secret from further down the old fogey hill: Expecting someone raised on the Match Game and Gong Show to keep up with stuff like Soul Caliber III is just a joke. It's a miracle they even let people like us buy consoles these days!

I got an Xbox a couple years ago. I don't buy any of the games 'til they drop under $15, 'cause that's about how much play I get out of them before getting stumped.

I do like some of the role-playing games (Deus Ex, KOTOR, Baldurs Gate, Morrowind), but I also end up online ALL THE TIME looking up the walkthroughs to figure out what I'm doing wrong.

I got Xbox Live -- mostly for Crimson Skies -- but never raised my rank above one star. I'm almost always at the bottom of the pile.

I bought Rainbow Six 3 more than a year ago, but I've never managed to finish the first mission -- even on the easiest setting.

I'd like to be able to play this stuff -- I read Penny Arcade every week and I'm a sucker for the media hype -- but the sad truth is I just don't have the eye-hand-brain coordination for it.

Carl