Consolification of the PC: The transformation is complete

[lorax]

The two best games of the year are Splinter Cell:Chaos Theory and GTA:San Andreas. How do we know this? From a poll of 3 randomly selected gamers: me, myself, and I. These two games are primarily console titles and have console-style gameplay. So, how can consolified games outrank the more sophisticated PC exclusives? How can this be?

For one, the creation of innovative PC games has been limited for the past few years. Where once we had Doom, Civilization, and Baldur’s Gate. Now we have prequels, sequels, and console ports. Two of these console ports, Splinter Cell and GTA, have excellent gameplay and polish missing in PC exclusive titles. Why aren’t the PC game developers creating better games with the advantage of more powerful hardware and tools?

The answer is creativity. Creativity has been stifled by the lack of risk-taking on the part of PC game developers. Many have said that the small and independent developers will fill the void and repeat the innovations of the past. This is very doubtful because they are now competing with large companies for gamer’s dollars. Guess who wins?

The two winners are GTA and Splinter Cell. Two franchises which closely mimic the venerable arcade-style gameplay with simple interface and style. Whether elegant or not. Many PC titles are lacking a simple interface, leaving the unwary gamer with feature bloat and unwieldy controls. Pithily stated, simple has won out over sophistication. And PC game development can be wrapped in the Vlasic label. Pickled.

[Jeff V]

None of the games I play have ever appeared on console, and the trend is likely to continue in the forseeable future.

Now where is my pickle?

[Tareeq]

lorax, out of 42 posts in your history on this forum, exactly 2 were in threads you did not originate. Sometimes I wonder if you're talking to me. I know that's not true, but it feels more as though you're talking at me.

Why not get out and smell the roses? There's a nice debate going on in pc games by title about D W Bradley's newest game, its problems, and what makes a good computer role playing game in general. It's been a bit testy, but it's also produced some interesting discussion of what makes this genre compelling to some of us.

Elsewhere here there's a good thread about the last great 2d game. It's sure to bring back memories.

Further afield, in everything but gaming we have some nice discussions of what makes a good book, or a bad book. You like books, don't you?

Or just tell us your story. Ever had a beer? How did it taste?

[Kraken]

I don't think TBS has much of a console following. That's mostly what I play.

[raydude]

Congratulations lorax! Your poll has shown that your opinion, taken from you, yourself, and only you, is off base.

I find that all of the console games I have (and I have an Xbox) satisfy a quick fix for gaming but they don't give me that satisfying feeling that I've accomplished something. Nor am I compelled to think about strategy in a console game after I've turned it off.

Contrast that with some of my PC strategy games where I feel like every move is important, that I have to think several moves ahead, and that I even think about strategy after I've turned off the game.

As for the independent PC publishers, they are still there, making games and I'm buying them. So until those die the PC is still in a class by itself.

[Peacedog]

It's been a bit testy

Pffft. I don't think it's been much of a problem. There was that one incident, but it was a quickly fixed misunderstanding. Or are you trying to start something?!?!

I don't think TBS has much of a console following

They are out there. The PS2 has some titles but honestly I can't tell you much about them. Disagea, La Pucelle(?), a couple of others. Some people in consoles like them a lot.

The GBA has some nifty TB games as well. Advance Wars, Advance Wars 2 (wrth the price of admission IMO); Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (too easy, but fun); Tactics Ogre: Knights of the Somesuch (decent, significantly less complex than FFTA); Fire Emblem (decent if occasionally frustrating); Shining Force (kind of meh, IMO); the May 23rd Fire Emblem sequel (which I will get; despite it's faults I've enjoyed the first enough to make it a day 1 purchase), and the August release Rebelstar: Tactical Command - from the makers of X-com and featuring turn based squad based gameplay where you battle aliens and your guys apparently "level" up to some degree.

Now, I have a game cube, and a gameboy adapter (I put that on the GC, plop a special disc into the cube, and can play GBA cartridges on my TV) - because I've gotten some good enjoyment out of the cube (including Gladius - a pretty nifty TB game available on multiple systems) the adapter (which was a pricey $60-$70 iirc) was well worth it.

But you can get a Game Boy SP for a reasonable price these days (and your SP will be decently backlit, unlike my own gameboy), and I think a turn based fan will really enjoy the above titles. Something to consider if you've got some money you are dying to spend. I can't recommend AW or AW2 enough.

[wonderpug]

As happy as I am to see that you've outgrown "defunct," the presence of "pithily" is scaring me.

[Sterling]

They are out there. The PS2 has some titles but honestly I can't tell you much about them. Disagea, La Pucelle(?), a couple of others. Some people in consoles like them a lot.

Disgaea is one of my favorite strategy games ever, on any platform.

Off the top of my head, PS2 has La Pucelle, Disgaea, Phantom Brave, Stella Dues, Future Tactics, and Gladius. All turn based SRPG's like FFT.

[killbot737]

In the past, and mostly in the present, incredible PC games that get ported to consoles normally suck (and vice versa.)

My examples of good and bad ports: Lego Star Wars & Deus Ex:IW

[dbt1949]

When you can play War in the Pacific from Matrixgames on a console I'll start thinking about getting a console. In the meantime 90% of the wargames I play are too sofisicated for a console.

[Beer Goggles]

Most of the games I have bought recently are PC only, and I like it that way. The only exceptions are games like Riddick.

[LawBeefaroni]

Pity you never played Half-Life 2.

[Thin_J]

While I've picked up games for the PC recently like Swat 4, Act of War, and Brothers in Arms, I've spent far more of my actual gaming time with my Xbox.

I like both equally for different reasons.

[shaggydoug]

Pity you never played Half-Life 2.

HL-2 is being consolified of course. However, I still find that FPS's that exist in both worlds are much better if they've been designed for the PC first. HL2 fits this world.

- shaggy

P.S. Maybe this will change when the xbox 360 comes out.

[mathfed]

Pity you never played Half-Life 2.

Or World of Warcraft.

[morlac]

The Land called Lorax must be a nice place to visit what with all the defunctness and pithily pickles.

[Exodor]

My current playlist:

Civ 3
Out of the Park Baseball 6.12
World of Warcraft
Mount and Blade

I don't see any of those coming to console anytime soon.

[philosophist]

Personally, I think an xbox/pc hybrid could finally "kill" pc gaming. Obviously there will always be pc games (just like there will always be cell phone games: everyone has one!), but the best titles, be they action, RPG, or strategy, would be developed for the consoles. Why dork around with hardware and device drivers when you could be playing games? This coming from a guy who has assembled his own computers for 10+ years.

[LawBeefaroni]

Personally, I think an xbox/pc hybrid could finally "kill" pc gaming. Obviously there will always be pc games (just like there will always be cell phone games: everyone has one!), but the best titles, be they action, RPG, or strategy, would be developed for the consoles. Why dork around with hardware and device drivers when you could be playing games? This coming from a guy who has assembled his own computers for 10+ years.

When they convince the consumer to spend $500+ on a console, they'll be able to do it. We're probably not too far off. Online games will be better (much tighter control of hardware).

Personally until I can use the mouse/KB combo on a console (with the game accepting the full range of keypresses possible), there's no substitute for the PC. Oh, and 3rd party mods.

[geezer]

...90% of the wargames I play are too sofisicated for a console.

I think you're misunderestimating the power of the console.

[Peacedog]

I think you're misunderestimating the power of the console.

Where would you say that this "misunderestimatation" landed? Did he underestimate it too much? Too little? Do you think it was such a gross missunderestimation that he in fact overestimated things?

[IceBear]

Personally until I can use the mouse/KB combo on a console (with the game accepting the full range of keypresses possible), there's no substitute for the PC. Oh, and 3rd party mods.

Yes, once there's a keyboard/mouse and ability to install 3rd party mods on a console I'll happily switch over.

[The Mad Hatter]

Sometimes I think I'm the only one who enjoys both XBox and PC gaming.

[DonD]

I used to be 90% PC gamer, 10% console. Now, I'm the reverse.

But my gaming in general is way down.

- Don

[LawBeefaroni]

Sometimes I think I'm the only one who enjoys both XBox and PC gaming.

I'm probably the only one that has Syberia for both.

I like the Xbox for specific titles. Sports games, platformers, multiplayer (offline multiplayer), fighting games, and combat titles like Bloodrayne and PoP. I also have a Gamecube in the bedroom and am floored by Resident Evil 4 at the moment.

There's room for both. But I still consider myself a PC gamer.

[Caine]

no, the 'console-ization' or whatever you call it has not happened. while we do have console-pc ports, we get more good than bad. riddick, thief 3, kotor 1 and 2(unfinished, but technically sound), morrowind, pop, splinter cell, etc. even though both markets have similar audiences and hence, the same or similar games, there is a large amount of games that are exclusive to one platform or another. this will be the case as long as companies keep making games other than fps and action.

as for me, i'm pretty much platform independent. i play the games i like on the ps2 or the pc.