a totally subjective reason why i'm avoiding the PC this gen

Lol, seating arrangements do seem to come up an awful lot in this kind discussion :)

Honestly, it's probably the real reason why PC gaming hasn't replaced consoles. The console has a place under your TV. A PC has a place on a desk. Sure you can mix it up and make your PC your TV too, but this is not convenient and not what most people do.

In the end, most people use computers for general use. A lot of people get tired of being on the PC. Console gaming allows people to move away and relax and play games on the couch. It's honestly the strongest reason for consoles being better than PCs. It's the convenience and relaxation factor.

When I game on my PC it feels like I'm gaming.

1. There are more pc gamers than any single system unless you combine all 5 consoles.

2. There is more pc gaming revenue than any single system unless you combine all 5 consoles.

3. Consoles are not better than PC in any facet unless you combine all 5 consoles.

4. PC is now the king of the living room thanks steambox and other formfactors.

1, 2 and 3 has nothing to do with anything I said.

4 is stipulated and without basis. You need to wait before sayings stuff like that.

Stop wasting my time with comments like that.

Read the bolded. Better constitutes sales and gamers, as well as games.

It is, especially if you want to instal modes, use a controller or have to optimize and download crap just to get the bloody thing to run. Gone are the days when you could just throw a disc in the PC and play it. Yeah sure the graphics are better for AAA games if you want to run out and drop a 1000$ but I'm just not having fun with PCs like I used to. Also lmao at all the hermits butt hurt just because someone prefers console gaming.

PC Gaming is a hobby, not so different from tuning cars or buying guitars.

What do you mean no updates? I've seen my PS3 sit idle for almost an hour so many times just because there's a system or game patch it needed to download. Besides that, I've had my own issues with the PS3 unable to decide between wired and wireless controllers plus the PS3 remote control.

You spend your day sitting in a chair doing something that reminds you of gaming, and then need to "unwind" on a sofa.

Sounds like the story of the laziest human on Earth.

Optimization and controller 3rd party installation takes 3minutes. Installing a game on xbox one takes 30+ minutes. Facts > Shielder.

Both my psn/xbl updates or game patches also take considerably longer.

PC is easier atm, until they work out these console kinks.

Well besides the convenience aspect, i think initial cost has alot to do with it.

Sure you can goto the supermarket buy a 8 pack of buns, a pound of ground beef, and a head of lettuce etc. and ultimately have cheaper, healthier burgers... but fast food offers greater convenience and a lower initial cost... as a result, its pretty damn popular.

Granted i base the long term cost observation off the stories of others. For me PC gaming costs a fortune compared to consoles, im too competitive, i want to buy the best of everything and have every competitive edge on my online competition. Not just in system hardware but constantly buying gaming keyboards/mice/gameboards and other expensive peripherals looking for that competitive edge.

pc is and will always be superior,

because of the duke nukem 3d source port eduke 32,

and will remain so until it is ported to other systems

I can reformat my PC and install a game faster than I can just install a game on xbox one....

Where is this console convenience nonsense comming from?

games don't download any faster on my PC but they sure do install faster. But also I've never had an update I've seen on my X1 yet. they download and install while i'm at work sleeping etc when its off. When i turn it on, its always ready to go. For PC i have to turn it on wait for start up, then start up steam/origin etc. wait for that program to update then go to the game and download more updates there. PC gaming might give better graphics, but in no way is it more convenient to me and i imagine most people, then console gaming.

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/microsoft-xbox-one-install-times-need-to-improve/1100-6417201/

A. If you are familiar with PCs, PC is considerably more convenient than current gen consoles.

B. If you suck or are inept at PCs, obviously console is more convenient. This goes without saying.

It depends on the person. I'm A, great with PCs, so it's far more convenient. 30 minute+ installs are the biggest convenience offenders I've ever heard about in gaming next to unfix-able Skyrim on PS3 and psn/xbl going down or equally as atrocious patch times.

If playing games on your PC feels like work, maybe you should take a break from gaming for a while.

XBL is never down? not sure where you get that from.

but i enjoy playing them on consoles. example, i had la noire on steam sale for $5. i played like 5 missions and got tired of it. bought it for $20 for ps3 and beat it in a week.

So what you're telling us is that you make poor decisions

is that a true story about la noire?

Good for you, why should we care?

Okay. Enjoy.

Fair enough then, its your preference. But it just seems odd because depending on the game, play it on console or PC it shouldn't make much of a difference. Unless the game work sluggishly on your PC making it annoying to play.

I'm probably the exception, but I lie down next to my bed with a ton of pillows and game on my 32inch with a custom mouse pad I made out of my cpu fan box, lol. With a cordless keyboard and mouse.

It sounds horrible I know, but it's actually really comfortable.

Not sure where you did, either. Read... more closely-er.

if xbox one is doing something it cannot be 'off', it must be in a low power state - sorry, i'm sure this is what you mean, but i just want to clarify. and, well, sure pc gaming can be that inconvenient if you choose it to be that inconvenient. allow me to demonstrate.

****

i've never seen an update on steam, they download and install while I'm at work, sleeping etc - my pc is on all the time for file sharing anyway. when i wiggle the mouse - all my pc games are ready to go. if for some reason i ever restart my pc, it automatically logs on, and starts steam / origin etc - i've configured it that way deliberately.

whereas with my xbox 360, the last time i turned it on it required a system update, and gears of war 2 required a software update. everyone waiting2horde.

****

so, would you be willing to agree that these days - all platforms can achieve similar convenience?

You shouldn't turn your PC off unless you're going to be away for a while. There's a reason 'hibernate' mode exists.

Cold starts are hard as hell on any electronic component, and hibernate keeps just enough juice flowing so the traces don't contract.

Think of a road, and how it cracks and develops potholes in the winter and can buckle under extreme heat. Same thing with electronics: they expand when hot, and shrink when cold. You want to keep these cycles to a minimum.

Your 360/Xbone/PS3/PS4 aren't truly off when you turn it off, why force your PC off?

that sounds awesome. originally set up for watching media in bed or was it for gaming from the get go?

i'm right handed, my gf's a leftie. i sit on the right of the couch and use the right armrest as a mousepad. being a leftie she's on the left with the left armrest.

Comfy couch, OPTIMISED controller, surround sound and great games FTW.

Surely cows and lems can agree on this.

My rooms fairly small, and my tv's elevated a bit off the ground with the stand I have so it works perfectly for me. I just bring a bunch of pillows down to foot of my bed and lounge. It's freaking great.

Originally this was my console setup/tv. But I converted it to PC gaming once I built my own PC back in high school. I already watch practically all my tv shows/anime on my pc to begin with so this works perfectly,

I used to have a pc desk and a computer chair and all that jazz, but I've gotten so used to this comfort that it's hard to go back.

@ReadingRainbow4: that sounds like a good comfortable workable setup you've achieved. nice one.

i even do a bit of photoshopping / spreadsheeting from the couch. feels ergonomic.

I hope when you say update you mean hardware, because right now consoles are probably pushing more patches than windows.

Unless you're buying a 200$ emachine, cold starts won't be a factor.

In fact, the only reason I've heard to leave a computer on all the time aside from quicker start up is that hard drives get most of their wear when the read heads rest/raise from the platter from powering up/shutting down, and hibernate would cause that to happen anyways.

The heads NEVER touch the platter. If they do, it's called a 'headcrash' (which is where the term 'crash' comes from, a software crash isn't a true crash).

If your HDD crashes, you're in trouble.

The arms park at rest toward the outside of the platter, but they never touch it.

http://www.datarecovery.com.sg/data_recovery/hard_disk_head_crash.htm

"While the platter is idle, the head typically rests on the surface of the disk or on parking bay. When the disk powers up and the platter starts to spin, the head rubs along the surface of the platter briefly before a cushion of air is strong enough to hover the head above its surface. During a power down, the process is reversed till the platter finally stalls. Damage can likely set in after a prolonged period of wear and tear."

Bolded.

I haven't known HDDs to rest on platters since the days you had to type park. That went out with the RLL/MFM and Winchester type drives.

Crack open a spare HDD some day and have a look.

It's a reason for the console being better than a PC. Yes. That is a reason. There is no objective truth to the matter. Some people exist (such as TC, most families, and every casual gamer I know which includes all of my friends) that prefer consoles over PCs. And I outlined the reason being that it's just so much more relaxing and easier to use a console than a PC.

I'm not going to debate with you on the objective truth of "which is better" (which if I did have to argue, it'd be that it doesn't exist). I'm just stating that there is a very good reason why people prefer consoles.

I agree, but to clarify, I consider cost to be a convenience factor too (much like your burger example - it's cheaper and convenient in terms of budgeting).

Well I distinctly remember shows on techtv in the late 90's mentioning disk wear through that process in contemporary machines.

Either way, you aren't likely to damage your modern computer from powering it completely down.

@the_bi99man: I was pointing out that it is never down and I have no clue why you would think it goes down a lot. You misread my reaction

@CrownKingArthur: yes In standby mode and no. Until the day my PC can turn on and off via a voice command, also turn on my tv. Allow me to control it without a mouse and or keyboard and switch games instantly from a voice command etc it can't be as convienant as my x1. I guess it can be as much as my ps4 but it would require me leaving it on.

interesting.

that's good you agree pc's pretty much on par with ps4, but i guess in terms of convenience the xbox one with kinect is a cut above.

damn. xbox platform is the most technologically convenient. a winner is you!

@bforrester420: I totally get this, but unfortunately the internet refuses to understand logic that doesn't align itself to theirs. The last thing I want to do when I get off work is sit in a desk chair, and my PC isn't anywhere near my TV.

I'm totally on board with wanting to have a dedicated gaming console to relax on the couch with, something that boots up the game you're playing the second you turn it on.

Sadly, PC-centric gamers won't ever understand why anybody would ever play video games on anything other than a PC.

Whats funny is that I was playing games at 60FPS at 1600x1200 12 freaking years ago (not only that but neither my monitor or hardware was considered highend or groundbreaking at the time).

This only sounds like a problem if you're going straight from sitting at a desk at work to a desk at home...

Maybe get some other hobbies.

I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know where you got the idea that my sitting at my desk at work reminds me of gaming.

If I chose to unwind with a game after work, and this time of year there aren't too many outdoor activities you can partake, I'd rather do it on my couch that at my home office desk. During spring, summer, and fall, I spend most of my afternoons at the golf course.

They're just not very well-rounded people. Sometimes I'll game on my PC, sometimes I'll game on my console. Most days I don't game at all.

First of all, your entire post was essentially "sitting at my desk at home reminds me of sitting at my desk at work." For most of us, our jobs are easily distinguishable from gaming, even if we are staring at the screen the whole day.

Secondly, the weather doesn't explain why you feel the need to "unwind" on a sofa instead of a chair. You can always go to the gym, exercise at home, or walk outside. All of those, however, will require more effort than "spending afternoons at the golf course"