How the PC is making consoles look out of date

[YosemiteSam]

Now, who was it that said computer graphics aren't advancing and that iPhones/iPads won't have any trouble keeping up? I know it had to be someone. Surely an Apple fanboy, but I just can't recall who that was.

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As console hardware ages game developers are again turning to the PC to showcase the jaw-dropping visuals that next generation games will be capable of.
Over the years the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco has morphed from a developer focused gathering to a kind of mini-E3, where games are announced and the internet gets flooded with developer interviews and game previews. However the real core of GDC is still development, and it often delivers a fantastic insight into where games are headed.

What has been clear from this year’s GDC is that consoles are beginning to show their age. We are currently experiencing the longest lifespan in console history, and with the hardcore gamers truly sated both Microsoft and Sony have focused efforts on increasing their user base with more casually focused interaction through Kinect and Move.

Unreal Technology Demo GDC 2011
[youtube]n3XeCHywNYM[/youtube]

CryEngine 3 GDC 11: Exclusive Tech Showcase HD
[youtube]YHNWj8HmWwQ[/youtube]

The final video is of DICE’s Frostbite 2 engine, but it's not Youtube so you have to click the link below. Not to mention it's Battlefield 3 and has bad language.

Complete Story


...I'm betting that guys iPhone or iPad can't render that 3D. (and I don't mean just playing a video of it)

 

[Christiann]

I've always been a PC player at heart, Played AvP2, Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear, Counter-Strike 1.6 and source, UT2004, SoFII, etc. The fact of the matter is that it's alot of money to keep your PC up to date. I've payed for 2 400 dollar GFX cards in the past, and it's just easier to have a XBOX360 that's compatible for every game on there and it's probably the most competitive type of multiplayer out right now. I loved all the games I played on the PC, I was almost pro at Counter-Strike Source, but its just way too much to keep up with nowadays.

 

[arglebargle]

Consoles are running on hardware that is at least four to five generations behind the present day computer. Consolitis is prevalent in countless games due to this, as well as problems due to limited control that aren't fixed in the PC ports. Microsoft plans to continue the Xbox for another couple of years, probably in part to make up for their disasterous 'Red Ring of Death' expenses.

Thankfully, both the Xbox and PS3 used multi-processor cpus ahead of their time, so that has helped a bit.

Some of the game engines coming out are supposed to be very scalable, capable of delivering on everything from a smart phone to screaming gamer machine. I cross my fingers....

 

[theogt]

Takes quite an expensive PC to make a game look like that. If consoles cost $2000+ they could play it.

 

[Hoofbite]

I was expecting a thread about consoles.

Personally, PC games can get lost. I don't want a keyboard or mouse and I don't want my ability to play a game being based on my ability to spend as much as the other guy.

I'll never switch from a console. Likely never switch from Xbox either because their online system is the best thing going right now.

 

[vta]

I'm not sure how this is comparable to iPhones or iPads? Are these thing being played on competitive phones/pads or on actual machines?

 

[baj1dallas]

Takes quite an expensive PC to make a game look like that. If consoles cost $2000+ they could play it.

Yeah I agree and plus you build a computer and 6 months later you have to downgrade the graphics on the newest games because it can't keep up.

The thing should be to make better games that are less about processor intensive graphics. There's more to a game than looks and business are going to suffer the consequences of refusing to adapt to that.

 

[Dallas]

I prefer PC over my xbox360 anyday. I do not enjoy playing games on my Xbox. It's just fact. I can play the same game on my PC w/ a far better environment and gaming experience than the console systems. I do however love my Xbox360 for LIVE content only. I can play my Rock Band and Guitar Hero and mess around w/ friends online but I don't get serious nor will I ever about being an avid console gamer. There are just limits to the system that I don't experience on a PC.

The keyboard and mouse that a PC gives is far more sensitive and faster than what one gets from a hand held console controller.

Price issue?

I can see the argument, but even some of the older NVIDIA cards you can still pickup nowadays for 90$ continue to give you a better graphical experience than the current console systems.

For me it's a non issue. PC > Console by far

 

[tupperware]

So much misinformation.

If your computer is even relatively recent, most (Really, all) PC games allow for incredibly high amount of detail options. If you don't want to keep up with the joneses you drop detail levels and suddenly your performance is completely playable. It takes monstrous games on highly sophisticated engines to bring games down to unplayable levels if the PC is relatively new and you're not playing at incredibly high resolutions.

The PC is the superior platform. It only costs as much as you want it to cost. None of it is all or nothing. Swapping in graphics cards is as easy as putting bread in a toaster and pulling it out and it's as much as you want to spend or not spend. Nothing but options for PC gamers.

You can't exactly upgrade your consoles. Modding community? Nonexistent. Customizations? Pales in comparison. To top it off, I can output any of my video on my PC to my TV and with a wireless controller do the same thing consoles do, but better. Your PC can do ANYTHING, your console can't.

The only advantage a console has is its ease. Come home from work, pick up a controller and play. Though I can do this probably quicker on my PC than you can on your console.

 

[Dallas]

So much misinformation.

If your computer is even relatively recent, most (Really, all) PC games allow for incredibly high amount of detail options. If you don't want to keep up with the joneses you drop detail levels and suddenly your performance is completely playable. It takes monstrous games on highly sophisticated engines to bring games down to unplayable levels if the PC is relatively new and you're not playing at incredibly high resolutions.

The PC is the superior platform. It only costs as much as you want it to cost. None of it is all or nothing. Swapping in graphics cards is as easy as putting bread in a toaster and pulling it out and it's as much as you want to spend or not spend. Nothing but options for PC gamers.

You can't exactly upgrade your consoles. Modding community? Nonexistent. Customizations? Pales in comparison. To top it off, I can output any of my video on my PC to my TV and with a wireless controller do the same thing consoles do, but better. Your PC can do ANYTHING, your console can't.

The only advantage a console has is its ease. Come home from work, pick up a controller and play. Though I can do this probably quicker on my PC than you can on your console.

Obviously NOT so easy for some in this thread. :starspin

 

[YosemiteSam]

My computer is at least 3 years old and spent $1,100 at the time building it myself. (Intel Core2 Duo E6600 at 2.4Ghz) I did just buy a new video card, Nvidia GTX460) You can get one at Newegg for $160. I haven't found a game I couldn't play yet.

So, the "spend $2,000 every six months" rebut is a load of horse manure.

 

[Cowboy Brian]

My computer is at least 3 years old and spent $1,100 at the time building it myself. (Intel Core2 Duo E6600 at 2.4Ghz) I did just buy a new video card, Nvidia GTX460) You can get one at Newegg for $160. I haven't found a game I couldn't play yet.

So, the "spend $2,000 every six months" rebut is a load of horse manure.

I love PC Games, but people will just say 5 years ago they spent $300 on a 360 and there still good.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I love PC Games, but people will just say 5 years ago they spent $300 on a 360 and there still good.

I like consoles for sports games. I have a USB controller that looks almost exactly like a PS3 controller. For FPS they suck big time IMO. Aiming among other things is so freaking slow in comparison.

When you play very advanced games console suck too. You only have some many buttons to control many functions. A keyboard just makes it so much easier. Many PC games that are converted to console end up getting striped of features because of it. I believe even some CoD games were striped of features on the console compared to the PC version.

On a whole, PC gaming is superior in almost every way IMO.

btw, I don't think the 360 was $300 three years ago. I believe the drop to that price point didn't happen until last year. Of course, just before it dropped you will still playing full price for a what? Five year old gaming system.

 

[Yeagermeister]

The problem with PC gaming vs console is more games are being developed for consoles because it's easier. Instead of having to make a game compatible with all the different pc hardware they can develop it for 3 platforms. I loved playing Madden on my pc but now EA is only making it for consoles and it sucks.

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

As much as some fans want there to be one, there is no war between PC and console gaming.

I game on PC, 360, PS3, and my Wii.

PC: Starcraft 2, any MMO
360: various games, but I don't care much about the exclusives.
PS3: God of War, Uncharted, JRPGs
Wii: Zelda, Mario, other 1st party Nintendo

Each one has exclusives that are great, and if the game I want to play is multiplatform then I just choose whichever one I feel like playing it on.

Only people who only have enough money for one platform or just don't care about the other platforms' exclusives have a dog in this fight. To the rest of us, we just play video games and don't squabble over platforms like they're our favorite team.

 

[tupperware]

As much as some fans want there to be one, there is no war between PC and console gaming.

I game on PC, 360, PS3, and my Wii.

PC: Starcraft 2, any MMO
360: various games, but I don't care much about the exclusives.
PS3: God of War, Uncharted, JRPGs
Wii: Zelda, Mario, other 1st party Nintendo

Each one has exclusives that are great, and if the game I want to play is multiplatform then I just choose whichever one I feel like playing it on.

Only people who only have enough money for one platform or just don't care about the other platforms' exclusives have a dog in this fight. To the rest of us, we just play video games and don't squabble over platforms like they're our favorite team.

I say live and let live. It's just that I've come across enough threads talking about how PC gaming is dying/dead and how consoles are superior to let this one turn down that path.

 

[theogt]

Yeah I agree and plus you build a computer and 6 months later you have to downgrade the graphics on the newest games because it can't keep up.

The thing should be to make better games that are less about processor intensive graphics. There's more to a game than looks and business are going to suffer the consequences of refusing to adapt to that.

PC's will never have the same quality/value ratio as consoles because developers are able to optimize graphics for the console specific hardware.

Honestly, I don't think the graphics in the above videos are that much better than what currently exists on consoles and modestly priced PCs. Is it better? Yes, but the added detail in computer graphics for gaming has a declining marginal utility. Generally graphics have gotten to the point where the difference between the best and the worst graphics is tiny compared to the difference in game play.

 

[tupperware]

PC's will never have the same quality/value ratio as consoles because developers are able to optimize graphics for the console specific hardware.

Honestly, I don't think the graphics in the above videos are that much better than what currently exists on consoles and modestly priced PCs. Is it better? Yes, but the added detail in computer graphics for gaming has a declining marginal utility. Generally graphics have gotten to the point where the difference between the best and the worst graphics is tiny compared to the difference in game play.

Evidenced by the 37,000+ posts you've made all from your XBOX 360, amirite?

There are an astronomical amount of things PC's can do, a console doesn't even come close.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Evidenced by the 37,000+ posts you've made all from your XBOX 360, amirite?

There are an astronomical amount of things PC's can do, a console doesn't even come close.

Might as well not argue with him. Either he thinks with about 1/10th of his brain or his brain is only 1/10th the size of a normal human. He will argue to the death an asinine view. His views are just extreme bias supported by extreme suborn behavior. ...either that, or he is just straight lame.

 

[vta]

Evidenced by the 37,000+ posts you've made all from your XBOX 360, amirite?

There are an astronomical amount of things PC's can do, a console doesn't even come close.

I think he means in comparison to gaming only.