Top 5 things we love about game consoles

Media Center features of the XBOX

1) Wireless controllers cause lots of destroyed TVs. Also, PCs have had wireless controllers (mouse/keyboard) for years.

2) PCs have allowed you do download full versions of games for years

3) PCs do Demos also.

4) That's specific to a game, that is not expressly a console feature with all games on the console so you can't really count that.

5) PCs invented online gaming.

Now for some good reasons.

1) Graphical Quality: Consoles typically have a broader range of graphical capabilities compared to PCs on the available hardware. PCs require upgrades to keep in shape though they are currently equal for the most part. Consoles do more with less though and typically have less graphical glitches than PCs thanks to thier dedicated status as a gaming platform (at least they used to).

2) Ease of use: Pop in a disk and go, the software will automatically download updates as required, meaning you don't have to go hunt and patch. This is a plus and a minus as we don't always want to deal with any patches.

3) Artistic quality: The variety of games for consoles is much broaded when it comes to the artistic stylings of games. From the supergraphical 3D fighting games like Street Fighter and Soul Caliber, to the stylized water color looks of Valkyria Chronicles, the sheer variety in styles varies from studio to studio, where most PC games follow a standard fair in thier design philosphies.

4) Gameplay: Some games are better with console controllers. It depends on the game type, but gamepads can be more condusive of good gaming with certain genres. On the flip side, gamepads can be a great hinderance to games, ever tried aiming in an FPS/TPS with a joystick? Try the same game with a mouse and its much easier.

5) Volume of games: There are usually more games released for consoles than there are for PCs in a given year, this is arguable as more and more independent groups throw thier hats into the ring, however. Console users dont always see this however, as many of the games are locked up in redtape as they come through translation so they may not release for sometime. When you compare the wall of PS2 games to the previous generation of PC titles, you'll see the stark difference in the number of titles. At some point consoles outpace PC titles in the number of releases, as both Japanese developers and many US groups delve into the production.

The only advantage I give consoles over PC games is the fact that the game will play the same on all consoles. With PC's you get a different game with different computers. It's nice that you don't have to worry about minimum requirements with a console. I have had to upgrade components in my pc to get the prformance I wanted. But it seems like the latest games always require more that I have to get the best performance. Though, there will always be the debate on which console is better.

Our family went in together and purchased a Wii for Christmas. We now have family game night where all of us - grandparents, my sister and her family and my children and myself get together once a week and have a pot luck dinner and then spend the evening playing games. We play Wii, air hockey, XBox 360, pool, and have a ball doing it. In these times of a recession we are not only saving money by not going out to eat and to the movies but we are spending quality time together as a family.

Instead of not knowing what the younger members of our family are doing on the game consoles all of us adults have joined in the fun. We love game consoles and think all families should join in with their kids and have fun!

Die hard PC gamer here... and all those reasons to "love consoles" are really kinda lame. As Exeder pointed out most of those points such as downloadable demos/games, online gaming, and custom content have been PC features for more then a dozen years, and arguably are still better on the PC.

The two that really get me tho are the wireless controllers and custom sounds tracks. First of all, my wireless 360 controller dies on me so often I seem to spend more time changing batteries then I do actually playing games. It is nice to not be tied down with a short wire on the controller, but if console companies want to impress me they would have made their controllers plug into the console to recharge when not being used. As for custom sound tracks... that's really a bad reason to love consoles. You can simply listen to an iPod, or even a radio while you play a game and have no real NEED for custom sound tracks. In fact, while all my friends are huge music fans... none of them use the custom sound track feature.

Custom sound tracks pale in comparison to actual player made custom content you have on the PC. Player made mods can extend the life of a game by years, and add new levels of fun to a game you just won't get with mainstream developers. In the Call of Duty series for example, console gamers had to pay $10 for 4 maps. Not only did the PC gamers get that same map pack for free from the developers... there are dozens and dozens of player made maps out there, and many of them are far better in quality then the developers maps. Not to mention people like myself who make maps that I know suck and will never be publicly released, but my friends and I enjoy playing them. Such maps, combined with the SWAT mod, extended the life of Call Of Duty 1 by at least a year for us.

If I'm ever going to "love" consoles... they have to be able to receive custom content made by players. But that will likely never happen. It hard for Microsoft to charge you $10 for 4 maps, when players are cranking out tons of maps for free that are just as good. Companies like Bethesda can't release "horse armor" level DLC and expect people to buy it if they can download full mods to the game for free. So I feel bad for die hard console gamers... they will be stuck paying $60 for games ($10 more per game then PC gamers, which adds up over a couple years) that are forever locked in their life span. While PC gamers will pay less for the same games that can have their life infinitely expanded.

"Pixar-quality graphics"?!? That line, right there, kills any and all credibility you think you have. Consoles haven't even reached Toy Story's level of graphics quality, let alone anything like the recent titles.

I think the graphics on computer games are far better than consoles. You can even set it to where you want it if you have the hardware that can handle the settings on a PC., lighting, shading, anti lacing,etc. Consoles just don't have the ability to make all the in game ajustments as a PC. A PC is just more tempermental. If you can afford it,a high end gaming PC is the way to go. Console gaming comes in second for how easy it is to use.

But then again, how many times have you had to upgrade your console for that latest and greatest game?

Consoles make it easier on the developers, as they know the hardware won't change. PCs hardware changes constantly and differ greatly, making it more difficult on the developers (which might mean more bugs or problems... MIGHT mean). If the game supports HD (and not simply a step-up), the console has better graphics. OTOH, if the game is not HD, then the PC does have a better presentation.

Should the consoles ever reach that "pixar-quality graphic" level, then maybe I'll change my mind. For now, I'll keep my PC and let my son play on his console(s).

Graphics. Sorry, I'm not one into "classic" games. I like the better look. Assassin's Creed may have had reptitive gameplay, but it looked good.

P.S. Since I missed the last discussion on reasons against current consoles: I hate the way they make you keep paying for things you already paid for. "Thanks for forking over two hunre some odd dollars for your Next-gen console, but oh, I'm sorry if want download anything of play against others online, we're gonna need some more cash, thanks."

Gaming has replaced the weekly DVD movie rental in my home. We'd normally spend $10 a week on 2 movies and some drinks and now we pay 1/4 of that with our online internet expense. The games run $60 a pop, but before we went online we were buying Xbox and PS2 games anyway. It is a way for our family to save money, yet get tons of content and have fun as a family. My wife loves playing Guitar Hero and the many Wii games we have and I love the 360 games as do my kids. I am even thinking of canceling my satelite TV because we just don't watch it anymore on the weekends. If we did not allow the kids to play games during the week it would be a no brainer. We play the demos and no longer are disappointed when we buy a game because we know what we are getting. I can't tell you how many games I have that collect dust for my PS2 & Xbox because the advertising suckered us into buying it. Looking into the Netflix deal on the 360 now to get all my entertainment through my game consoles. The Wii & the 360 I bought were the best investments I have ever made for our families entertainment.

I played PC games for years, but switched to an XBOX 360. Why? I spent less on the Xbox than I would have on the next video card - not too mention more memory, faster processor, etc. "Upgrades" are now five years apart and everything is upgraded at once in a new console about the price of a single PC component. Checking the game specs and trying to figure out why the darn game is slow or locking up are things of the past. I don't play enough to put up with the frustrations and expense of playing on PC when there's already more gaming to be had on an Xbox than I have time for.

I liked the game ladybug on commodore, also Mario Brothers 3, but now I am dating myself.  The graphics today are wonderful,  I just wish they would bring these games out for the new machines.  Or even Frogger, Pitfall Harry,  just a couple more.  Love them.

How about this list (using the Xbox360 as the primary example, may be more than 5):

1) Easy to use - Pretty simple to use a console: Press the power button, wait for it to boot up (usually much faster than a PC), log in to the Live! service, pick game, insert disk (if required), play game. No taskbars, icons, widgets, crapware, viruses, anti-malware programs, memory-resident drivers or programs, or any other such useless junk to mess with... Turn it on and start playing.

2) Safer to use - Since the internet is only used as a backbone for multiplayer gaming, content downloads, audio & video chat, and updates, there is no worries about viruses or someone doing a drive-by hacking download to try to steal my info.

3) Cheaper to use - The cost comparison is a no-brainer: a top-of-the-line gaming rig, capable of running the newest games released for PC (many of them having been on the X360 for months / years), is easily $1500-3500+ in price, not including the games! An Xbox 360 Pro system is $300 (the cost of a decent video card), comes with a 60GB hard drive,  2 games, a controller, a headset / microphone, and is network-ready out of the box! Taking $300 off of $1500 (low end) leaves you with $1200, which even at $60 / game, means you can get  20 brand-new games for the X360 with the same amount of cash as you would have needed just to get the PC by itself.

4) No need for hardware upgrades - Unless you want to get a larger hard drive (from 20GB  to 60GB or 120GB), there is no need (or possibility) to upgrade the system. No matter what game it is, no matter when it was released, if it was made for the console, it will play. There is no need to worry about processors, video chipsets, drivers, hard drive space available for install, or Operating System versions - just pop it in and it will play.

5) Instant updates - If a problem has been discovered with either the system firmware, or the game I am playing, there is a patch either immediately available, or on the way (after being tested and approved to not cause any other issues, unlike PCs), and is automatically downloaded and installed for me - no worries about differing versions or patch upgrades (unlike PCs).

6) Download Games & Content - Complete ready-to-play games, add-ons, and developer-created content are available for my enjoyment without needing to leave my residence. These games and such are purchased using a points system which does not make use of a credit card number - points cards can be bought in stores and used online, along with Gold membership cards, and never once is there a need to use a credit card online
 for any of the transactions (take that, hackers)!

7) Easy networking, socializing, and game matchmaking - With the necessary settings known, setting up the X360 is a matter of inputting the network settings, testing the connection, and connecting to the service. Once connected, chatting with people and playing against other players in online-capable games is as easy as a few choices and button presses - there is no need to worry about a Teamspeak server (voice chats are now up to 8 people), and the game itself has servers to handle the online game matchmaking.

8) Easy Peripherals - There is no need to download custom drivers or install such things for controllers or peripherals, as they already work right out of the box.

9) Used games / trade-ins - I can go to any one of the many game stores within a couple miles of my residence and buy used games, a low-priced alternative to new. Plus, if I don't like the game, most stores will take it back for a full refund within a certain time period. Also, once I am no longer interested in a game, I can trade it in for some type of credit which I can then use toward other games. This is not the case, however, with PC games - whether you like it, or it even RUNS on your PC, once that box is open, there is no returning or trading it, PERIOD.

There are other reasons, I am sure, but those should suffice to prove why a $300 console beats a multi-thousand dollar PC in overall gaming experience, especially for us poor folks who don't have such money to waste.

Exeder - A few clarifications for you:

1) Broken TV's? Umm, excuse me, but I have never thrown my controller through my TV (mainly because my 360 is hooked up to a flat-screen monitor). You must be talking about the Wii owners who don't follow Nintendo's instructions correctly. Nothing inherently capable of causing TV damage by just playing with a controller held in both hands, although your statement implies otherwise that somehow just moving the joystick and pressing buttons causes damage - sadly, no. And even though wireless inputs have been on PC's for years, the consoles made them a common, viable, and easy-to-use solution.

2) Full downloads, huh? Maybe, but only via services such as Steam, and good luck getting that  (or any other service) to flat-out work correctly without any issues!

3) Yes, beta (test) versions which must be installed first, just like a full game, and then will they possibly play... or not, or mess up Windows, or cause freezes, or come packaged with spyware / adware, or....

4) Yes, custom soundtracks ARE a console feature, at least on the Xbox360. I can load a USB flash drive with my favorite mp3's, plug it into the 360 (or stream music from my computer to my 360 via my network connection), and override ANY game's music soundtrack with my own choices, regardless if the game supports custom soundtracks or not.

5) PC's did NOT "invent" online gaming, much the same way Al Gore (or anyone else) did not "invent" the internet. Online gaming evolved gradually over time - Back in the days of the Genesis and SNES, when PC's were still single-player-only affairs, there was something called Xband, which enabled players with compatible games to play others who also used the service, over phone lines. It charged a small monthly fee for the service, and was way ahead of its time. Also, if you want to get technical, one of the earliest uses of communications networks to provide informational content delivery was on a peripheral for none other than the Famicom, the original Japanese console brought out as the NES. This was back in the middle-late 80's, long before PC's even had custom graphics cards or the internet!

John S, you are sadly uninformed, apparently, about wireless controller power options. The Xbox360 has this little thing called a "Play & Charge Kit" (you may have even heard about it): for the price of a couple packs of batteries (new, cheaper used) you can purchase a nice, guaranteed-to-work combo of a rechargeable battery pack and 10ft wired plug-in cable for the controller which not only allows you to charge up the pack while the X360 is running, but it also allows you to play without ANY batteries by directly powering the controller itself, and 10ft is more than enough range (with slack) to reach my couch and still not cause a tripping hazard.

I do agree that, for custom user-generated content, the PC still beats the console, but it is only in a select few genres of games that there is any reason to even try to compare. I know that in RPG's from the Bethesda company, the Dungeons & Dragons games, or FPS's such as the Unreal Tournament series, along with life / management simulations (The Sims, Tycoon games, etc...), there is an advantage of downloading and making new stuff for it. However, those downloads sometimes change the entire game, causing glitches, crashes, save corruptions, and any myriad of problems, so if I want a more flawless experience, I'll just stick to my console so I can spend more time playing and less time modding and bug hunting / reconfiguring just to get it to run correctly.

1. Portability - it's a whole lot easier to carry a PS3/Xbox 360/Wii to a friends house than lugging a PC and a monitor.

2. Multiplayer - sure you can plan online with a PC but it's harder to play with a friend over in the same room on one PC. Current consoles allow up to two or more players to play simultaniously....in the same room.

Reasons why current consoles are better than old ones:

Graphics are better...If you're the type to care about graphics (I'm not)

Sound is better

More choices in controllers than on the (really old) consoles.

Reasons why older consoles are better:

New consoles use hard drives for saving. I'm sorry. I hate that. I want to be able to grab my memory stick and play on someone else's console. Or grab the game and have the data imbedded in it (like many cartridge games did)

Older consoles focused less on graphics and more on gameplay = more fun

New consoles almost require you to spend 10 minutes on profiling. Nothing sucks more than being happy about getting a 360 and being forced to do a profile for xbox live before you get to play.

(another 360 bad console point) Paying for xbox live. So now I have to buy a system, pay for internet, and pay to have the right to use my internet to play?

Reasons why PC is better than consoles

Easier to find downloads.

Easier to look up walkthoughs. (just pause, and change back to regular screen. No need to walk to a computer - you're already there)

Reasons why Consoles are better than PC

Ease of use.

consoles - > tv -> family time and usually more comfortable seating

Consoles are basically PC's but only really focus on games (and media...grr.). That focus means they handle games better than the average PC.

Easier in-house multiplayer.

Ridiculous statements people use as "reasons"

1. You can use your own music on the 360. Hello, you can do that on the PC too.... It's called mute the game, and turn up your media player. Most games allow you to mute or lower the volume without affecting your computer's volume.

2. You don't have to upgrade consoles. Sure buying a game-ready PC is expensive. However buying new consoles as technology gets better also gets expensive! While it's true that there's over 1000$ difference between a game PC and 360, the game PC will last longer in game years than the 360. (game years being the time before there aren't really any games made specifically for that machine) Plus if you want to play many games from different consoles, you need to plug them in. Whereas for the PC, chances are your games from 89 and from 2009 will work on the same machine. No extra plugs. Sure many consoles offer retro gaming, but what if you don't want to pay extra for a game you already own (but on an alternate older console?)

3. Computer games don't work on select OS's. Well many console games aren't available for all consoles. Both PC and Console and Handheld gamers have to deal with the fact that you can't always get what you want.

In the end:

I prefer console gaming, especially handheld gaming, but I also see the many benefits that pc gaming can provide

True logical reasons vs ridiculous rationalizations:

1) With the 360 I don't have to lose window focus or worry about my game losing mouse-lock for looking around and instead clicking on desktop items inadvertently, and I can pause or restart the music with a press of a couple buttons while still in the game itself, resulting in less game interruption (and no possibility of a crash).

2) Show me one game on PC from 1989 that still runs on today's hardware and operating systems, flawlessly in both audio and video, without the need for ANY ADJUSTMENTS or emulation such as DOSBox! A PC game lasts only as long as you can find emulators for it, because M$ has been ensuring stuff won't run on newer OS's from previous versions. According to you, as soon as someone gets a new console, the old one disappears... I have an idea for you: KEEP YOUR OLD CONSOLES like I did and you won't have to worry about it! Also, if you do, you can get the games you missed and still play them without worrying about trying to install an OS and drivers you may not be able to find, on old hardware.... And don't forget, the modern trend on consoles (except the PS3) is to offer backwards compatibility - the Xbox360 even upscales the Original Xbox game graphics to 720p from the old Xbox resolution, which means a graphics improvement for nothing extra!

Also, what is so bad about plugging the consoles in? Get a power strip and a multi-AV selector for a few bucks, and you can play any console on a TV and switch between them with a press of a button... unless you're too lazy to worry about such things which only take a few minutes to hook up...

3) Nowadays most of the most anticipated games ARE available for multiple consoles, and are the same in gameplay (unlike some previous consoles). PC games being released now are almost all Xbox360 games ported to PC, which is why a modern gaming PC costs so damn much - it must match the specs of a 360. Also, with vintage hardware and/or emulators, it is easy to play any game, from any console, with very little trouble (console collection releases or PC emulators).

In the end, I am not trying to rationalize any fake "advantages" to stay with PC gaming anymore:

I still have a gaming rig for my PC games I bought up to this point, but I invested in a console for my present and future gaming because it was cheaper, easier, and offered online features I would gladly pay $50 for 13 MONTHS of a SERVICE (or $3.85 / month) which makes chatting, video conferencing, downloading content, and online multiplayer gaming as easy as pressing a few buttons.

I personally believe, one ot the big reasons that game consoles are a must have is the fact that they give us the sense that we all are "The Jones's" (The rich people down the block that always have the latest and the greatest). Think about it. They've become a virtual statis symbol. The more expensive and rare the console, the more people are seriously determined to get it. If you dont believe me, go ask someone. Its not as much about the games as it is about the machine. The conversation always goes like this "So playa, What you been playing lately?". Second dude says "I've been playing metal gear solid.". First dude says "On What?".Second dude says" Playstation 3!". After the console is identified it doesnt even matter what game is being played. Instantly it becomes a "Whos got the best console?" issue.The conversation switches focus (as if the title of any game mattered at all). If they both own same game system, the conversation (by default), switches to why the co-owned game system beats the competition. When Playstation 2 came out, people were willing to pay $1000 or upwards for the system. Nasa even sent one up to the ISS on one of the first missions. Nasa paid $1500 for one. People actually see them as an extension of their own bodies, their own families, their own financial prowess in essence. How pathetic. On a much more serious note, however, it must be said," its pathetic for anybody to compare their weak and crusty old console to my Playstation 3!!!!!!! Its the future baby..................catch the wave and drink it straight."

my love for consoles is the dependability. i turn it on and it works period. when there is an update for the ps3 or xbox360 it is done automatically.

The best thing about consoles is that they aren't computers. I already know everything that can be done on a console can be done better on a computer. You can hook up a computer to a modern hdtv and if you have a sweet sound card, you can output surround sound to your sound system. You can game online wirelessly and download anything and everything. But honestly, who does that with a normal pc?

My pc sits in the corner where I write papers and do my taxes, all on a 17inch monitor. Not the ideal place to play games, even less so if you want to game with a friend. When I'm gaming, do I want my system slowing to a chug because windoze decides it's prime time to install updates, index my entire harddrive again, or scan for viruses? When I download a demo, do I want to have to worry about ad gator or some other bundled crapware? Do I want to worry about keeping track of 15 different online user accounts because every developer uses their own system? (I realize services like steam have made things a bit more unified, and for that I applaud them)

Computers have the advantage that they are more of an open platform, but with that comes a ton of headaches. The closed platform of consoles provides the advantage of convenience.

1. The experience is standardized for each console. Each console requires 1 user account for online play. There is 1 system for buying and downloading online content. Playing games works exactly the same way for each game, plug it in and play.

On a computer, there are no standards. Some games require a special downloader application to buy content, apply DRM, etc. Some install completely to harddrive. Some require the disk to be in the drive. Some leave behind components after uninstalling. Some bundle components you don't want.

2. Console hardware is standardized. Games are guaranteed to work.

On a computer, games are made to work with a wide range of hardware. Even then, the quality of experience is closely tied to the amount of coin you're willing to drop on your rig. And getting a rig that plays games at a quality approaching that of the current consoles (except for maybe the wii) requires a disproportionate amount of expendible income. The standard hardware of a console means that games are optimized to run the best they possibly can on that single hardware spec.

On a computer, there is also the headache of not having the correct/up to date versions of software such as graphic card drivers, open GL and DirectX, shockwave and java plugins, and media codecs.

And despite what people say, computers really don't outlive consoles at all. Not as gaming machines. The ps2 has been around for 9 years. Even if your 9 year old computer can still play a never ending stream of shovelware mahjong and sudoku knockoffs, it will have been rendered obsolete by the games that really matter. Even if you constantly upgrade with newer components (which can easily equate to a next gen console financially) and install them all yourself, there comes a point when the motherboard itself becomes obsolete and you just need to buy a completely new computer. (your 9 year old computer will never support a dual core processor, won't run windows vista, and won't play halo2... yet my single core celeron powered xbox will)

While computers are completely capable of playing games very well, the convenience of a console that specializes in just playing games is obviously very appealing to many people. Else, videogaming wouldn't be the multibillion dollar industry that it is.

I bought a computer in the days when "Pong" was about the upper limit of console gaming.

Now I use a computer for a myriad of tasks, work, play, cussing at congressmen when they give my money away, and cussing Sony, the RIAA and other lame personages in the movie making industry when they dream up a real crap product to sell then use tax dollars to lobby congress for DMCA, when they don't get enough income to satisfy their greed.

In short I use a computer for a lot of things.

Now what would I use a console for?

Playing a game & watching a movie. Things I already do on my computer.

This leaves the question,

"Why should I shell out a disgraceful amount of money for a second box that I have to attach to a TV set, just to play games are only marginally better (in some cases far worse) than games I have for the PC?

Answer...I can't come up with a good reason to buy a console.

As for upgrading, try playing your old favorite game made for the first Playstation on your PS3. They are not backward compatible. So when you finally save up the cash for that newest of consoles don't forget to add in the cost of buying the newest version of your old favorite games. BTW, with the use of DOSBOX my new quad core PC plays Wing Commander quite well, on those days I want a little bit of nostalgia.