Have consoles held back PC gaming?

[Pooky]

Seeing the announcement and release of 'next gen' games has got me thinking. Surely consoles have held back PC gaming quite a bit, as many games are developed on consoles first, and thus PC gaming has had to lag behind waiting for 'next-gen' consoles to be released.

Of course they do update the PC versions often with better graphics features, and there are games developed specifically for PC, but I reckon quite a lot of games could have been made far better on PC had they not been held back by consoles.

 

[Cicero]

Seeing the announcement and release of 'next gen' games has got me thinking. Surely consoles have held back PC gaming quite a bit, as many games are developed on consoles first, and thus PC gaming has had to lag behind waiting for 'next-gen' consoles to be released.

Of course they do update the PC versions often with better graphics features, and there are games developed specifically for PC, but I reckon quite a lot of games could have been made far better on PC had they not been held back by consoles.

Definitely man. And I think once the uptake of next gen consoles has improved, and game devs start making purely next gen and PC only games, we'll see a huge jump in quality.

 

[blaaislaai]

After the release of the PS4 and Xbone, I believe the consoles are actually catching up to the PC. However consoles will never ever surpass the PC in any way as our desktops will always be a few steps ahead.

 

[AlienTaker]

Well consoles have kept pc gaming back but it's a strat i think to sell more units first on consoles to prevent losses to piracy on Pc.

I got the new metal gear but haven't played it yet will compare it on pc to the PS

 

[Iam3G]

Seeing the announcement and release of 'next gen' games has got me thinking. Surely consoles have held back PC gaming quite a bit, as many games are developed on consoles first, and thus PC gaming has had to lag behind waiting for 'next-gen' consoles to be released.

Of course they do update the PC versions often with better graphics features, and there are games developed specifically for PC, but I reckon quite a lot of games could have been made far better on PC had they not been held back by consoles.

When you talk about "held back by consoles", are you specifically talking about visual quality of the games?

 

[Pooky]

Definitely man. And I think once the uptake of next gen consoles has improved, and game devs start making purely next gen and PC only games, we'll see a huge jump in quality.

Yeah but then the 'next-gen' consoles will still be behind PC if not now already, then in a few years.

On a side note, I'm amazed at how they can develop amazing graphics on such old hardware such as PS3 and Xbox 360 as they know exactly what they are developing for.

 

[Pooky]

When you talk about "held back by consoles", are you specifically talking about visual quality of the games?

Yes mostly, but also with game mechanics/engine etc.

I'm no game dev, but surely PC processing power allows for more complex engine design and features, and this will also be held back.

Not to mention PC input is not limited by the buttons on the console controller. We already see how this blatantly puts PC users at a disadvantage with examples like Skyrim and Oblivion, which had crappy inventory management, solved somewhat by mods on PC, while Morrowind's inventory still is way ahead.

 

[Iam3G]

Yes mostly, but also with game mechanics/engine etc.

I'm no game dev, but surely PC processing power allows for more complex engine design and features, and this will also be held back.

Not to mention PC input is not limited by the buttons on the console controller. We already see how this blatantly puts PC users at a disadvantage with examples like Skyrim and Oblivion, which had crappy inventory management, solved somewhat by mods on PC, while Morrowind's inventory still is way ahead.

And I'm guessing it would take too much time for them to just make 2 different versions, one specifically designed for console and 1 specifically designed for PC?

Like for example have 2 different teams designing the same game but for different platforms to to the best that they can get out of each.

 

[Pooky]

And I'm guessing it would take too much time for them to just make 2 different versions, one specifically designed for console and 1 specifically designed for PC?

Like for example have 2 different teams designing the same game but for different platforms to to the best that they can get out of each.

Yeah I think most of the money lies in consoles so they would rather port the console version to PC.

 

[Iam3G]

Yeah I think most of the money lies in consoles so they would rather port the console version to PC.

Well, consoles are preferred (IMO) for convenience (especially by me), which is why I moved away from PC gaming. And for the fact that I could never own a decent graphics card.

 

[Edelweiss]

Seeing the announcement and release of 'next gen' games has got me thinking. Surely consoles have held back PC gaming quite a bit, as many games are developed on consoles first, and thus PC gaming has had to lag behind waiting for 'next-gen' consoles to be released.

Of course they do update the PC versions often with better graphics features, and there are games developed specifically for PC, but I reckon quite a lot of games could have been made far better on PC had they not been held back by consoles.

This is the general consensus... there was a thread I posted last year called 'the diminishing returns of console graphics" and what I gathered from that is that as time passes on console and pc graphics will ultimately converge on the same graphical fidelity because our eyes can only see that much and won't be able to tell the difference. Consoles are basically playing catch up to the PC. Just my 2c.

 

[Orion]

I think the main reason a few of us want a console rather than a pc , is because of the high price of components.

A console have an average life of 8 years or so.

But a new component can change a pc completely. So Yes consoles have held back pc gaming.
Because a pc has no limit, just a high price for the same gaming

 

[Ike_009]

I think the main reason a few of us want a console rather than a pc , is because of the high price of components.

Depends how you look at it, I did a calc a while back with buying one game a month. Effectively if save your R100 from buying the pc equivalent you would have R2600 to spend on PC upgrades after 2 years.

 

[Pooky]

Depends how you look at it, I did a calc a while back with buying one game a month. Effectively if save your R100 from buying the pc equivalent you would have R2600 to spend on PC upgrades after 2 years.

Great point, especially with the 'next-gen' console games' pricetag, you will save even more than R100.

 

[Orion]

Depends how you look at it, I did a calc a while back with buying one game a month. Effectively if save your R100 from buying the pc equivalent you would have R2600 to spend on PC upgrades after 2 years.

Good point, and you have a machine that can do even more than a console.

 

[Ike_009]

Pretty much and that's excluding steam sales and some pre-orders can have a R200 difference. Then you can still sell your old parts and save the proceeds for your next build.

After 8 years the console is still the same, your pc however can walk into the next gen.

 

[Orion]

Pretty much and that's excluding steam sales and some pre-orders can have a R200 difference. Then you can still sell your old parts and save the proceeds for your next build.

After 8 years the console is still the same, your pc however can walk into the next gen.

But many of my friends play on consoles and not pc, so yeah, and I think it is easier to cheat (hack) a pc game rather than a console game.

Piracy is also a big problem on pc games rather than console games because to play that sort of games on a console it has to be chipped.

 

[DieGrootHammer]

There is no denying the fact that the graphics capabilities of a PC is much greater than that of even the newest consoles, if you are willing to invest in getting the best components. This is a non-issue, and on that front I would say consoles have held back graphic innovation.

But gameplay is another story. There are not a lot of AAA titles designed as PC exclusives, but what PC does have better is indie game support and mods. This area is where a PC will always be better for gaming than consoles, irregardless of what happens on the consoles. Indie game have had some of the most innovative gameplay mechanics I've ever experiences. But let's be honest, there is also only so far you really can push certain genres, like FPS games.

Price wise, there have been many debates for and against PC over console gaming. I think it comes down to you own personal budget and willingness to spend.

But has it held back the PC gaming industry...quite frankly I don't think so. Console has ensured that the whole gaming industry grew in leaps and bounds. Without consoles and their incredible buying power, I wonder if the industry would be as massive and lucrative as it is today.

 

[Orion]

Why guys think that pc games prices are about R350-R400 and console games R600-R700, new??

I always wondered this.

 

[Solitude]

But has it held back the PC gaming industry...quite frankly I don't think so. Console has ensured that the whole gaming industry grew in leaps and bounds. Without consoles and their incredible buying power, I wonder if the industry would be as massive and lucrative as it is today.

It helped gaming in that way but with regards to graphics and engine power I'd say consoles held back pc gaming. I think we are going to see a great leap in what games look like, even on pc now that everything doesn't have to be scaled back for older consoles.