Forums » General Gaming

• Robin Westerbeeke

  

  • 40 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 2:01 PM EDT

  So I've been a PC gamer all my life. However recently I feel I'm getting tired of having to upgrade my pc/laptop every 2 years (becuz I never have the budget for a really high end 1500+ dollar pc that can last many years for many game titles). So I'm considering switching to console.

  Now most of my pc gaming friends are all anti-console. They're arguments are that if you get a console you need to get extra stuff to allow online gaming (something like an antenna for xbox?). They also say the games are less 'complete' then PC versions of the same game and generally will have lesser amount of content.
  They also say it's alot of a fuss getting DLC's for these games and they think stuff like Xbox Life Gold is stupid.
  
  So I know there is alot of console players here so I'm looking for you guys' opinion on Xbox or consoles in general.
  
  How is it really? How do you download DLC's for a game like Skyrim. Is an internet connection all you need? Or do you need an Xbox live Gold subscription to do it? What about patches/updates? What about game content/dumbed down/simplification as opposed to pc games?
  
  Should I convert to console?

• Matt Feeney the New Guy

  

  • 1124 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 2:20 PM EDT

  From what I've seen of Steam sales and all that, PC games are a lot cheaper than console bought games, so that may still be something to consider.
• Robin Westerbeeke

  

  • 40 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 2:21 PM EDT

  Where I live you can get an xbox for 249 euro's which is 324 dollars. It has 2 controllers, slim edition 250gb and 2 random dumb games. It's basically the cheapest unless I get the 4GB edition which I heared isn't really smart to get cuz 4GB would be too little.
  
  Can I also hook up the Xbox to my internetmodem, using a normal ethernetcable? Rather than wireless? I prefer steady connection, cuz on pc/laptop wireless equals lag and other horrid stuff.
  
  

• Robin Westerbeeke

  

  • 40 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 2:26 PM EDT

  I don't care about the price for games. I always buy at release, physical copies only, exceptions I make for MMO's as tehre usually is no physical copy. Anyway, I'm used to paying 60 bucks for a new game.

• Robin Westerbeeke

  

  • 40 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 2:35 PM EDT

  We don't have those kind of stores where I live. I can buy them online though however buying used copies online doesn't seem safe to me.
  
  But where would I get a seperate xbox hard drive?

  Edit: I just checked and getting a 4gb costs 199 euro's and a seperate HD costs 89 euro's. So would be 288 euro's as opposed to the 249 euro's that also comes with a second controller.

  Edit2:
  I have an 'old' tv. meaning not an LCD/HD modern TV. Is an Xbox 360 compatible with older tv's. And if so, any got any experience with how the game looks graphic wise with an old tv?

• Vazgen

  

  • 1483 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 2:57 PM EDT

  Ben I heard console games update automatically and there is no way to revert to the old version. Is it true? 

• Robin Westerbeeke

  

  • 40 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 3:00 PM EDT

  It's just standard of living really. Xbox was 599 euro on release. Ps3 was a bit cheaper.. or the other way around. Either way, for us it's normal. Like a mid-range pc costs about 700-800 euro. High end costs 1000+.

  What the product companies sometimes do when it's an US product is, they simply use the same price number but then simply write euro behind it. So like if a certain new device costs 200 dollars they will make it 200 euro. Despite it being 30% more expensive lol.
  
  Edit: I just found out one of the games in the 259 euro deal is a Skyrim Download Voucher. Is this just a redeem code for the microsoft tradingplace that will download the game + install onto my hard drive?

• Vazgen

  

  • 1483 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 3:03 PM EDT

  So basically if, say 1.9 update introduces a game breaking bug you'll have to either restore the version before the update 1.1 or wait for developers to fix it?

• Alduin

  

  • 966 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 3:35 PM EDT

  Robin, you have Game Mania! They have good used games and you can sell your games there.

• Robin Westerbeeke

  

  • 40 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 3:44 PM EDT

  Where is this exactly?
  
  And also, anyone else who has experienced using this 'Game Voucher' that comes with the xbox?

• Alduin

  

  • 966 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 3:49 PM EDT

  Not much of a console player myself. 

  Game Mania in Den Haag is in: Frederik Hendriklaan 141. Their site.

• Slashy McSplatter

  

  • 39 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 3:58 PM EDT

  I am a Xbox 360 player and my buddy who is like you, a diehard PC player, is tired of spending 200 - 300 dollars every 8 to 16 months to keep up with the latest game he wants to play.  He recently bought an Xbox for COD:BO2 and a used copy of Skyrim. He says that the only difference he has seen for COD:BO2 & Skyrim is the graphics are not as spectacular as a dual GPU setup, and the inability to mod the games.  Otherwise, he is satisfied.

• Robin Westerbeeke

  

  • 40 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 4:11 PM EDT

  Well I am used to not having dual GPU setups either since I never have enough money to buy a high end pc. I could if I saved up but for me, with costs for my house, education, and all other montly costs like saving up for vacation it takes too long of a time to save up for a 1000 euro PC.
  I'm willing to bet the games look better on Xbox then on my machines :P

• Titan

  

  • 297 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 4:27 PM EDT

  so in a sense and no offense meant here but your devolving too a console gamer?

  wait that sounded wrong sorry but it just seems like a step backwards in terms of power, performance well everything really , the pc in no way has too be upgraded every 2 years too keep up thats ludicrous when you think how long we wait for upgrades in console generations,you only need buy cleverly this is just my opinion but seriously other than if you wanted too play games with your friends who dont have access to a pc i fail too see the point.

• Alduin

  

  • 966 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 4:32 PM EDT

  My friend bought a pc for 720 euros 3 years ago and can still play everything at best graphics and such without any lag.

• Dieter

  

  • 952 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 4:34 PM EDT

  Steam sales are cheaper if you play on PC and provides you with a game that can't be lost or broken and will be yours eternally. I'd rather pick a game up for -50-85% than to get it secondhand. Digital is just easier.

• Dieter

  

  • 952 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 4:37 PM EDT

  Indeed, I bought a midrange PC about 3 years ago for about 700€ and it still runs all games fine. Not at the highest settings but at medium settings which are all lots better than their console counterparts. The only way PC gaming is more costly then console gaming for a hardcore gamer is if he's one of the 60FPS only elitists. Which you can't get on console if that's what you're looking for because all consoles are capped at 30FPS for performance reasons which also disables the ability for any 3D technology.

• Vazgen

  

  • 1483 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 4:39 PM EDT

  My PC costed me around 500 euro 2 years ago, and I can still run almost everything (Crysis 3 excluded) with maxed graphics without lag. Skyrim is also running smoothly with some visual mods and is very good looking. Can check out my album Skyrim Scenery for screens 

• Dieter

  

  • 952 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 4:46 PM EDT

  He* and it's just some advice.

• Robin Westerbeeke

  

  • 40 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 4:46 PM EDT

  That's already alot of money for me. 720 euro's is more then a month of rent. And honestly I can hardly believe he got a 3 year old pc for 720 euro that can run every current gen game with ultra high max resolution. The only way that is possible is if u you buy the parts indidivually at a pc-part shop online. Which would require a creditcard and that is something I refuse to dabble in. If you buy a whole pc in a shop or construct one out of parts you pick yourself there is no way you can get a full pc (screen, case, hd, gfx, cpu, cooling, ram, mb, power supply) for 720 that is able to run games 3 years from now on Ultra. I would call BS on that. Granted GFX architecture hasn't really improved the last few years as much as it has the years before that but still. I have friends who browsed tomshardware for weeks to scout for parts that could deliver the best bang/buck pc's for the budget they had and even their pc's cannot handle current gen games as easily as old gen games.

  @Titan
  
  The point is I don't have unlimited funds. A pc costs say 750 for an i5, 7 or 8 series radeon and 8gb ram without a screen. In order to make sure you can keep playing every game that comes out at maximum graphic quality you'd need to spend around 250 every 2 years for an upgrade pack. So in 5 years thats about 1325 bucks. Now you have a console that always delivers maximum graphical quality (granted lower than PC but maximum for the machine it works on) and for every game released in the 5 years of its lifespan (average console lifespan). You spend 250 once (or like 500 if you buy a newly released console) for 5 years of pleasure as opposed to the 1325 for the pc. I can then simply buy a cheap minilaptop for everything that I need a pc for.
  Either way it's cheaper for me. Which is why I'm considering it. If I had thousands to spend I'd get the best PC I could get, along with every console and a laptop. I don't have that though so i gotta make choices.

• Dieter

  

  • 952 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 4:48 PM EDT

  Ah, so you're a 60FPS elitist who refuses to play below the maximum possible. Downgrading to a console makes no sense at all then. But still, if you think that's the best thing to do we shouldn't be in your way.

• Boom2215

  

  • 25 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 4:49 PM EDT

  Xbox isn't too bad beyond Live. I have one and I know that if you buy a new one its got a built in Wi-Fi receiver unlike the old ones. Downloads are easy for most things beyond movies. The DLCs aren't too tricky to get its pretty user friendly. Patches aren't that long (unless you get and older game might take awhile) and console updates take about 5 minutes or so depending on you Internet. Options and graphics are a bit dumbed down you probably won't get more than 30 FPS and the "HD" is more like 420p. The limiting feature is graphic options to be honest hardly customisable at all. And the lack of mods is annoying.

• Robin Westerbeeke

  

  • 40 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 5:10 PM EDT

  The point u made was clear though. I'm not looking for people to convince me I should stick PC. I know my own budget the best and I've seen Skyrim on console at a friend and it looks better than it does on my current machine. Plays alot smoother too. I'm not a 60 fps elite but I do want the games I play to run on high setting smoothly. I've been doing this pc thing for a very very long time and honestly it annoys the hell out of me that I need to keep upgrading. When a new game comes out and I am looking so incredibly forward to playing it, it really sucks all the fun out for me when i can't even get smooth FPS and lagless play at medium settings (had this with guild wars 2). I'd rather buy a new machine once every 5 years. All the games I buy for it work lag free with pretty good graphics. Better than the low-medium settings that I have to put up with cuz machine can't handle shit. And definitely much smoother and lag free.
  
  

• Andrea Barghetti

  

  • 34 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 5:15 PM EDT

  A friend of mine bought a PC for a little over $400 and plays battlefield 3 at medium. battlefield on xbox and PS3 is worse than low settings on PC. 1000 euro is way too much also. 600-700 euro's would be plenty for a computer that could play almost any game at the highest except Metro Last Light and Crysis 3 (which still look amazing on high, medium, and even low). Having too upgrade every 2 years is something consoles players have in there head as a fact, but the only people who do that are people who only play games on ultra settings. I have a $300 video card from 2010 that still doesn't need too go below high settings on one of my computers. My gaming computer's GPU was also made in 2010 and plays crysis 3 on max settings except for post proccessing and only 4x AA. So in no way are they as expensive as people think, and you do not need too upgrade every 2 years to look great.

• Andrea Barghetti

  

  • 34 posts
   

  April 25, 2013 5:38 PM EDT

  Not true, you can remove all updates by clearing the hard drive cache which is extremely simple, but it will prompt you to re-update every time you start the game. 

   I would personally recommend a PS3 for its exclusives if that is what you want since they have an amazing list, as well as a much longer one than xbox 360 which still has a few still upcoming unlike xbox atm. For online gaming I would recommend xbox live. Though you do have to pay a premium for xbox live, it is because it is indeed "premium". For media xbox has a better digital service imo, but playstation has an obviously better optical media option. I went with 360 this generation for my primary console and invested too much to switch to PS3, I do kind of wish I went with the PS3 instead. Over all I recommend PS3, but xbox wouldn't be bad either.