Is it yet possible to _really_ switch from Windows?

[Judd Pickell]

On Dec 27, 2007 5:14 PM, JT Moree <moreejt at pcxperience.com> wrote:
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> Chris Gehlker wrote:
> > It pains me to say it but on the PC none of the other OSes touch
> > Windows as a gaming platform.
>
> so what?  PC Gaming sucks.  Why?  Incompatibilities between this game
> and that Direct X version.  hardware that isn't up to par with game X.
> 'I don't have enough hard drive space to install this game' and 'Where
> did I put that disc?  Why do I need to put the disc in the drive again?
> Copy protection what?'
>
> These are the problems I have to deal with when my friends and family
> try to use the PC as a gaming platform.  I tell them I don't want to
> hear it anymore and to buy a console.  My father has all of them (all
> the consoles).

Sorry, but this argument falls on its face when you consider the cost
of the console and quality of the game. When a console costs as much
as the upgrades to a PC, I hardly call that being better. Especially
since the cost of the games is almost the same.

Quality is really where things start to fall down. A PS3 game or Xbox
360 game falls on it's face compared to a hi-quailty rig. That is
because the components picked for these systems are often not any more
advanced than the PCs of the time. Which means that while the PCs are
improving and getting better over the 2 years it takes for the games
on the platform to reaching the potential of the system.

Now the incompatible DX is just a fact, but that happens to consoles
all the time as well. Not all PS2 and Xbox games run on their upraded
setups due to compatibility issues. However these compatibilities are
usually few and far between, the same as consoles. It has only become
prominent recently because for the first time DX upgrade wasn't
compatible with older versions. Sucks for those of us that hate to use
Vista, boon for MS who wants to help boost sales.

As for issues with space, that is a given. You do a heck of a lot more
with a PC than you do with a console considering it stores your music,
downloaded movies, photos copied from cameras and not resized, etc.
However, it is silly to say that is a fallacy of PCs only since you
couldn't use the HD for that stuff before the latest system
iterations, and even now if you don't pay attention you will run out
of room and not be able to download that movie you want to watch, or
game you just bought that you really want to play. I have friends who
complain about managing their XBox 360 discs because they have FFXI
installed and movies they have bought.

It is a safe bet it is more expensive to upgrade your console than
your computer, at least if you stick with company specific released
upgrades. Third market upgrades is a big business for consoles..

As for the comment about putting the disc in, I don't follow that one,
you have to have the disc in to play the game on the console unless
you purchased it as a download, at which is the same thing for PCs.
So, it doesn't make much sense to argue that point.




>
> I agree.  If your only purpose for a 'computing device' is to play
> games.  Don't use Linux.  and don't use a windows PC either.  If you
> want games on windows, buy an Xbox.

This seems extremely silly since the Xbox is a PC. Might as well buy a
Dell specific for gaming, and spare yourself any upgrading for the 5
years it would take for the console to catch up to it. Not to mention
over the time it would probably be cheaper to upgrade the PC than
buying the new console (given the price increase from system to system
at least for the last two generations).

I work for an independent company that does game development, and our
main product was developed for windows and linux
(http://www.garagegames.com/products/29/) using the torque engine. We
drew a large crowd from the linux side, but can you guess what our
problem was with linux gamers? I will give you a guess.. Our game
wasn't free.. We had very few sales from the linux world, outside of
Linspire users who seem to believe that it is okay to buy a game. We
have talked a bit with other developers who have released linux
variants of their games as well, and shockingly the story is the same.
It is a very sad fact, but a very poignant one.

Linux could be the next gaming platform, it is open, in constant
development, offers a lot of support from people willing to put time
in to help. However, you just can't make money building and selling a
linux only game. When one can, the world will change. I for one look
forward to that. I would really love to ditch windows completely.

Sincerely,
Judd Pickell