Sony Cuts Price of PlayStation 3 to $410

[Uatu]

I think the reason X-Box and 360 failed in Japan was becuse Microsoft is an American company and the Japanese tend to be loyal to their own products.

Loyalty didn't have much do with the original xboxs' failure. Like I said, size definately played a factor, but more importantly the system lacked the all important RPGs, 2D fighters and simulation/strategy games, which pretty much make or break consoles over there.

[cactusmaac]

True, But outside of Farenhiet\Indigo prophesy, I had the others on the PC. Still you are correct on that account.

But I also on the PS2 enjoyed the Xenosaga, Wildarms, Suikoden, etc. It's just a matter of taste for each individual gamer.

Stephen

Well, if you have a top-end PC there is little point in getting an XBox of any variety.

[Leslie Lee III]

For a great many people, sitting on the couch with a 48" TV > hunching over in an office chair with a 21" monitor.

I like how the average consumers television changes whenever we're talking about different game systems. Talk PC and it's always huge, take next gen, and it's always small and incapable of showing a difference between PS3 and a N64.

[Grazzt]

For a great many people, sitting on the couch with a 48" TV > hunching over in an office chair with a 21" monitor.

And yes, for the great majority of people, a console will be technologically superior to their PC.

I'm not arguing either of those points, and I can understand buying the console version over the PC version if all other factors are equal. Except maybe first person shooters, but thats because I prefer a mouse to a controller for those sorts of games, and I know I might be alone in that.

But Astonishing X-Fan was saying he'd buy the console version even if the PC version was obviously superior. How do you justify that? I'm willing to hunch over a little monitor if I get extended modding capabilities, more content, extra features, or whatever advantages a PC version has over a console version. Assuming your computer is up to snuff for the game, I think all of those things would be worth it, and it seems irrational to me to sacrifice them just to play a version that your able to clearly admit as being inferior.

[Leslie Lee III]

I face the choice regularly. As long as the PC version has decent controls I'll use it. Hell, with Hitman 3 I got the far superior PC version in spite of not liking the controls. It just looks so good.

[cactusmaac]

I'm not arguing either of those points, and I can understand buying the console version over the PC version if all other factors are equal. Except maybe first person shooters, but thats because I prefer a mouse to a controller for those sorts of games, and I know I might be alone in that.

But Astonishing X-Fan was saying he'd buy the console version even if the PC version was obviously superior. How do you justify that? I'm willing to hunch over a little monitor if I get extended modding capabilities, more content, extra features, or whatever advantages a PC version has over a console version. Assuming your computer is up to snuff for the game, I think all of those things would be worth it, and it seems irrational to me to sacrifice them just to play a version that your able to clearly admit as being inferior.

You skip having to deal with assorted hardware and software issues.

[sirgod]

Well, if you have a top-end PC there is little point in getting an XBox of any variety.

True. I'm abit overzealous when it comes to my PC's. This next month, I'll probably build another one, to Downgrade for older Nostalgic games.

Right now, I have My main gaming PC, an old 486 that I use as a firewall router, two small ones for Lan games/ Internet, and of all things, an Amiga. But I digress. I'm giving some serious thought now to the 360.

Stephen

[Jmacq1]

You skip having to deal with assorted hardware and software issues.

Bingo. Even with a relatively high-end computer, you may end up with games that just plain don't work right without a ton of tweaking and/or patching (or both). Heck, sometimes even games that you would think wouldn't be the slightest strain on your comp can crash every five minutes.

From my experience...it's pretty rare for console games to "crash".

[Grazzt]

Bingo. Even with a relatively high-end computer, you may end up with games that just plain don't work right without a ton of tweaking and/or patching (or both). Heck, sometimes even games that you would think wouldn't be the slightest strain on your comp can crash every five minutes.

From my experience...it's pretty rare for console games to "crash".

Yeah, but we're speaking of PC games that are strictly superior to their console versions. If the PC version crashes on your system, then it can't be said to be strictly superior. :p

[BlairH]

For a great many people, sitting on the couch with a 48" TV > hunching over in an office chair with a 21" monitor.

I have my PC hooked up to my digital home cinema projector :D

[BlairH]

Bingo. Even with a relatively high-end computer, you may end up with games that just plain don't work right without a ton of tweaking and/or patching (or both). Heck, sometimes even games that you would think wouldn't be the slightest strain on your comp can crash every five minutes.

From my experience...it's pretty rare for console games to "crash".

This is true in most cases. However, I personally have not yet built a PC that has given me any major problems with games. On the other hand, I've owned a few consoles that had to be replaced early on in their life cycle (I attribute this to my "early adopter" policy)

[DrewTheXenocide]

Holy crap on a pike shaft. According to the CNet Podcast, some PS3 games could be 70 to maybe even 100 dollars. Screw that. Royally.

[Mike Pothier]

You skip having to deal with assorted hardware and software issues.

Considering how much research I do into a game's PC requirements before I buy it, I can count the number of hardware/software issues I've had with a game on one hand.

[Jmacq1]

Not everyone cares to do that much research. If the freakin' game's minimum (and/or "Recommended") requirements (according to what's on the package) are all met or exceeded by your computer, then it should run smoothly.

Which is -not- always the case. Hell, these days you can look up the forums of 3/4s of the major releases for PC out there and see thousands of pages of people who have game-killing flaws when trying to run the game, despite going above and beyond the listed requirements to play the game.

Not everyone has the time, patience, or know-how to "tweak" everytime a new game comes out to play. And besides that...when you compare the cost of keeping a "high end" gaming PC at that "high-end" for longer than a year or so (IE updating/upgrading costs), you're probably paying nearly as much for parts as you would be for a console, anyhow.

[BlairH]

Not everyone has the time, patience, or know-how to "tweak" everytime a new game comes out to play.

And not everyone has to. I've owned PCs all my life and I've never "tweaked" any of my PCs to get a new release to run. I usually upgrade the hardware every 1.5 years, and sell the old hardware to absorb the costs so it isn't that costly. It's more of a chore -granted- than just sticking a game in and playing it, but I feel that the experience, in the end, is more rewarding, especially given the quantity and quality of user-created content in PC games. You just can't get that with consoles (yet).