Topic: A WiiU/PC generation?.....That's starting to make sence to me.

[Mannypon]

So I've been lurking the Neogaf forums since around E3 (for all the sh*t the site gets, the community there is very knowledgeable and funny as hell lol)  and there is something that's been mentioned a lot there that I've never really put much thought of until now. 

A lot of members there are stating they are taking a WiiU/PC approach to the next gen so that they get their Nintendo fix from the WiiU and their western multi ports on the PC.  Now, I've never really been a pc gamer and have always given in to purchasing all the major consols to get the full sampling of what gaming has to offer but its starting to get really expensive.  As a result of the expenses that are associated with this hobby, I think the WiiU/PC approach is a good way to go.

I just recently decided to give Elder Scrolls 4:Oblivion another run through.  Originally, I played the game on the 360 when it had first came out and enjoyed it very much but eventually grew tired of it, especially after I found out the game levels up with you so your never really gaining much ground on the enemies no matter how much you grind.  Well this time, I picked it up for the PC and decided to mod the hell out of it since that's what I've always heard is the benefit of PC gaming. 

I finally got the game running, fully modded up and I must say, its amazing what the community has done to this game.  Its like a brand new game now.  New graphics, new weapons, quests, dynamic weather, the list goes on an on.  If this is the benefit of PC gaming, then sh*t, I've been missing out.  Now with all these programs like Joy2pad that let me play PC games with a gamepad, I have no more excuse anymore for not gaming on my PC.  For years, keypad and mouse controls are what kept me off PC gaming but more and more new games are coming out that support gamepad options right out the box. 

So after this revelation I've pretty much decided, it'll be a WiiU/PC generation for me these next 5-7 years or so.  If I end up missing out on a few key exclusives on the PS4 and 720 then so be it, there are already too many games to play as it is. 

I'll like to hear what my fellow members here have to say about this approach.  Do you already fall in line with this line of thinking or will you stick to the strictly console approach?  I know there are a lot of drawbacks to PC gaming such as upgrading your PC, installations, game updates and optimization but for those willing to put in a little more initial work, PC gaming isn't all too bad.

 

[Adrock]

I've never been much of a PC gamer. I have nothing against it; I just grew up with consoles. Ideally, I'd only buy 1 console which would be Nintendo's because I like their 1st party lineup. Moving forward, I may end up sticking with just Wii U because I really don't play games as often anymore. My backlog is mostly 3rd party games so I'm finding myself finishing mostly Nintendo's games even if I started a 3rd party game before it. I suppose they just resonate with me more.

If there's a 3rd party title that I feel like I absolutely must have and it's not on Wii U, I'll buy a PS4. If it's not on PS4, looks like I'm SOL. Microsoft's 1st party offerings never intrigued me enough to buy one for myself and my brother has since abandonned console gaming. That said, if Sega ever makes a Mac version of Phantasy Star Online 2, I would consider playing that if I couldn't play it on anything else or cross platform play.

[broodwars]

Until a few years ago, I actually tried something similar with the GameCube and Wii.  Unfortunately, my PC just got too old to play the newest games (and its video card line was no longer being supported, so I couldn't upgrade it), and the GameCube and Wii stopped getting games so I ended up branching out to other consoles.  These days, even though I have a year-old laptop PC that could play whatever I want, it's ironic but I never get around to PC gaming (the last one I tried to play was StarCraft 2).

Depending on how powerful the Wii U specs are in the final version, I'm not sure you'll need a PC unless you're really into strategy or Indie games.  If a big budget title comes to the PC, chances are good that it'll come to the Wii U unless Nintendo manages to establish another console where 3rd party games don't sell.  Still, if Nintendo and 3rd party titles are all that interest you, it seems like a perfectly serviceable combo for next-gen.  But be prepared to spend a fair amount of money keeping your PC hardware up-to-date.

[Chozo Ghost]

If there's a 3rd party title that I feel like I absolutely must have and it's not on Wii U, I'll buy a PS4. If it's not on PS4, looks like I'm SOL.

I would say the Xbox 360 has been the best 3rd party console this generation. Not only does it have a lot of exclusives that the PS3 (and Wii) don't have (such as Mass Effect 1 and various PC game ports) but also because Microsoft has made it a policy to ensure the 360 gets DLC and all that crap first. If a new map pack comes out for COD the 360 will get it first, and then the PS3 will get it a month or two later.

If the next generation ends up being like this one then we can assume the NeXbox420 will also be the penultimate 3rd party console, because Microsoft will pay or require that it gets the DLC and stuff first. With the Wii U/PS4 you will either have to wait, or it might never come at all.

[Ceric]

...
But be prepared to spend a fair amount of money keeping your PC hardware up-to-date.

That might have been true about a generation ago but, If you don't want to play games at the bleeding edge of graphics a PC setup will last you its life pretty much now.  My current PC is a $300 special with a middle-ish graphic card back in 2008 and I haven't ran into a game I can't play on PC. 

[Adrock]

@Chozo
In the very next sentence after the ones you quoted, I said Microsoft's 1st party offerings never intrigued me. PS3 got most of the 3rd party titles I wanted to play, the Gears of War series being the only exception I can think of. I like Sony's 1st party offerings more. To me, that's more of an incentive to buy a PS4 if I even buy another console. There's no guaruntee that will happen. Like I also said, I just haven't been gaming as much as before. I have my doubts that there will be a game unavailable to me that inspires me to buy another console. Not saying it's impossible, but I certainly have my doubts. I have real obligations and responsibilities now. I like Nintendo games so I buy Nintendo hardware. I'll make use of them. An additional console, to me, has to be a worthwhile investment. I like owning multiple systems, but I can't just haphazardly throw money around like I did when I was in college and living in my parents' house. I'm not finishing a lot of games, mostly 3rd party. I'd rather bank the cash than have something new to put on my shelf to look at occasionally.

[Kwolf]

I've always been very big into pc gaming since 1995.  I started it with my dad.  I hear people bring cost into the argument a lot.  And it does have some basis.  I bought my current rig over four years ago now.  I spent about 650ish or so when I bought it.   I only recently upgraded the video card.   I did that cause I don't plan on upgrading anything else on the rig till at least the end of next year. Maybe then or a bit after I might do a new pc.

So for less than a thousand dollars.  I would say about 850 total counting my current video card.  I have been playing basically every game released at 1080 Resolution  and high settings.  Considering everything else I use my pc for.  To me it was never a bad investment.    But that is for me. I play mmo's and have a good deal of close friends and family who play games on pc. 

The funny thing is.  I actually now play my console games through my pc. Just so I can continue to have voice chat if I want.  I just clone the hdmi signal going to my tv, and send it to my monitor .  Then at the desk I use my monitor to split out the audio and run that in my pc's line in.   Then I have all my audio coming through my main headphones.   So I can skype, voip, listen to podcasts, whatever while still listening to the game and playing it.

If you have friends on the pc, and you like setting stuff up personally.  It can be a world of fun.  If you are wanting to put the investment into it.  Plus steam sales are crazy!  *Waves arms in the air like crazy arm blowup tube guy*

The main thing though is to keep in mind the costs, the effort (Sometimes you gotta do work around or custom set ups to make something work the way you want. ), and of course the games and community.

The main thing to do is take some time and research it. Find out if you have friends who play on the pc. Find how just how elaborate you want to go with hardware.

 Figure out what kinda games you want to run.  Are you wanting to run next gen games on your pc?  Might want to wait a bit before going into a new pc then.  Wait till we know what is in next gen hardware.  That's part of the reason I am holding off on doing my next upgrade.  The next computer I do at the end of next year or a bit beyond.  Will most likely easily match whatever the next consoles are and beyond.   

I should say a year or two ago I did get a ps3.  As a little treat for myself.  I usually end up owning all the consoles every gen. Though next gen I might skip xbox.  Just don't care for the way certain things with them and me have went.

Over all though my primary gaming has been a pc/nintendo/handhelds about since 95.   I've been pretty content with it.  Though it fits my wants.  Just whatever you do, make sure to take the time and research it.  Especially if your cheap like me.    ^_^  Also good luck on whatever route you go.

[Mannypon]

Looking back at this generation, I can see that MS is the odd man out.  Once I got all three consoles, I just stopped playing my 360 for the most part.  Any multi-console  release I got on PS3 simply because the internet was free and wireless.  If I do end up getting another console outside of the WiiU this next gen then it'll most likely be a PS4 also. 


As for PC gaming, yeah, there is a little more investment of time on your part initially.  You do have to do some research and will more than likely have some setting up to do.  It hasn't been an issue for me as I like to tinker around with things so messing around with my PC is fun in and of itself. 


I'm currently in the process of building my first custom (cheap) rig and I can't wait to have it finished.  If your cheap, or on a type budget, then having yourself a decent rig isn't too expensive especially if you don't mind buying things used.  MY current PC I got off Ebay used for less than 200 and I haven't had any issues yet running games (although most of the time its at mid or low settings which ultimately are what you get on the PS360 anyway). 


As for the PC I'm building, I'm moving up to a quad core processor I found on ebay new for around 60 dollars (could be unlocked to run with 6 cores too).  The motherboard is a small average board I got for around 50 new on ebay.  I got 8 gigs of memory using my Chase reward points lol.  I received a 25 dollar gift card from a friend that I used to buy a CPU heatsink and fan.  The only things I have left to purchase are a HD, a case, and a new OS.  The case I've found is only 25 dollars but the HD will probably end up costing me some money.  As for the OS, I'll probably get that free as part of the Academic Alliance this coming semester.  Everything else, such as the PSU and graphics card, I will be taking off my current PC as they were upgrades I put into them. 


As you can see, it takes some creativity to build a decent PC on a low budget but it can be done.  I'm sure my build isn't going to be able to run all games on their top settings but I can live with that.  Cutting corners does have its draw backs though as I'm sure my setup will not leave much room for improvement or future proofing but the PC should last me another 5 years or so. 


All in all, it does take work and if you don't have the time or just like to plug and play, then I can see where PCs won't be the way to go.  I'm, in a way, being forced this route in an attempt to save money by trying to get off these monopolizing Cable companies and their ridiculous bills.  I'm transitioning to getting most of my TV fix from my PC and the internet.  Setting up my PC to my living room TV just made me start thinking gaming also lol.  That's a whole different discussion in and of itself though. 

[Ian Sane]

My PC is embarrasingly old, possibly ten years old now and since I don't play games on it I have not really had any incentive to update it.  It seems to work fine for what I want to use it for.

This last gen I went Wii/PS3.  This was not my plan.  I wanted to just go with the Wii and I begrudgingly bought a PS3 because I felt I had to as the Wii was just so inept at addressing my needs.  I have bought non-Nintendo systems at the end of a generation to grab some exclusives I wanted to try out but this was the first time I felt I had to buy one DURING the generation because the Nintendo system was so piss poor.

I didn't like doing that at all.  I could live with just the Gamecube or just the N64 but couldn't make due with just the Wii.  If I have to combine the Wii U with a PC or another console, well that's the same crap I had to deal with with the Wii and I'm not going through that ever again.  If I feel like the Wii U alone isn't sufficient then the Wii U is a failure.  Nintendo's third party support should be strong enough that I should only have to own a Wii U.  I don't mean every title has to be there but it should be a strong enough lineup that I feel I can make due.  I'm not going to buy a Wii U if it's just going to be the Nintendo machine.  I'm done with that crap.  I will buy a Wii U only when I feel confident that it alone will be sufficient for my gaming needs.  To support Nintendo on anything else will just encourage their bad habbits.  They have to EARN my purchase.  I didn't make them earn my Wii purchase and I feel they took unfair advantage of that.

We sure as hell don't want Nintendo to think we'll do this.  They'll have no incentive to improve if they think we're fine with their consoles being the Nintendo-only machine.

[Kairon]

I used to be a big Blizzard fan, my ardor has sorta still cooled since then, so I definitely consider myself a Nintendo/PC type of gamer. I do actually prefer most experiences on console though. For example, I'm waiting for the Wii U port of Mass Effect 3 to get into the series even though ME2 is available on the PC. *shrug* It always just seemed a console type game to me.

I think kwolf is right, PC gaming can be expensive, but you can bring those costs down under control if you are involve yourself in that world, go for desktop instead of laptop, build the things yourself... and more so if you don't care about ultra high settings. My modus operandi is to make my pc last as long as utterly possible until it's chugging through games on all-low-just-barely-playable settings before upgrading to something mid-tier and resetting my "race to minimum specs" for another 3 years.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

The idea in the original post is nothing new for me. That's how I've always done my gaming - the combined force of my Nintendo platforms and my PC has always kept me satisfied. And I don't have the problem with gaming on multiple systems that some people here seem to. What's wrong with opening yourself up to more options?

[Kairon]

I have a host of rationalizations as to why I'm a "one console" sort of person, but I don't know how true any of them are.

[Ian Sane]

I look at the "one console" mindset as merely a financial one.  It's much more expensive to buy multiple systems that cost several hundred dollars each than to just buy one of them.  Part of it may come from my childhood where I wouldn't dream of asking my parents to buy me multiple videogame consoles.  Right now I actually can afford it but that's not likely to be permanent.  I currently don't have any kids for example but if in the future I do, odds are I won't have as much disposable income to throw around on multiple videogame systems.  Overall purchasing multiple consoles is not something that a company like Nintendo should expect to be economically feasible for their customers.

Though in my life I would consider a PC a mandatory item in my house and someday I WILL have to upgrade mine.  I have had times in my life where I've played PC games, usually when it corresponds with a new PC purchase that would have been made anyway for non-gaming purposes.  I played a lot of PC games as a kid because my Dad had to own one for his accounting practice.  However I wouldn't be able to justify the cost of regularly upgrading my PC solely to play games unless I did not have some other videogame system to fill the void (ie: instead of spending the "videogame system" money on a new console I upgrade the PC instead).

[ShyGuy]

For smart gamers, it's ALWAYS a Nintendo/PC generation!

[tendoboy1984]

If you want all the good 1st-party games, stick with Nintendo and Sony.

[Mannypon]

I think only the DudeBro gamers are the only ones that could be satisfied with a single console.  A true gaming aficionado will always have some envy towards other console releases if they go with just one.  There will always be that one interesting 1st party title your missing out on. 


Ian Sane, calling the WiiU a failure if it doesn't satisfy all your gaming needs is not fair.  By that logic, the PS4 and  720 will be failures in and of themselves in that if you just stick with them, they won't satisfy your Nintendo itch.  It all comes down to preference and what experiences or games your looking to have.   I don't think 1 system will satisfy all your gaming desires but I really think you can do no wrong in picking any of them.  If your a Nintendo fan though, like we are, then you almost have to buy their system and hope for the best when it comes to 3rd parties.  Given we all more than likely have PCs then the most logical step would be to take that PS4/720 money and upgrade your PC. 


Ultimately it comes down to how much you want to put into your gaming.  PC gaming requires a lot more of a hands on approach but I'm starting to see all the benefits it can bring.  You really get what you put into it.  The time that I put into modding Oblivion has really enhanced that game so much so that I'm now looking at what other older games I can pick up dirt cheep and just mod up to revelency again. 

[shingi_70]

Nope I like my Halo's,unchrateds, and exclusive xbla and psn to much.


And I could be honestly very wrong but isnt the PC market in terms of big releases slowing down.

That and I'm wondering how windows 8 will affect steam.

[ShyGuy]

I have heard Gabe Newell hates Windows 8 and that's one of the reasons he is making Steam for Linux.

[Ceric]

I have heard Gabe Newell hates Windows 8 and that's one of the reasons he is making Steam for Linux.

Or it may be that Valve has always made there games in a Linux environment first...

[BranDonk Kong]

I think the only PC games I've ever actually played were MDK2 and Unreal Tournament 3, though I did play Crysis 2 on my laptop just because it's powerful enough to play it...but only for like 20 minutes.

[Ian Sane]

Ian Sane, calling the WiiU a failure if it doesn't satisfy all your gaming needs is not fair.  By that logic, the PS4 and  720 will be failures in and of themselves in that if you just stick with them, they won't satisfy your Nintendo itch.  It all comes down to preference and what experiences or games your looking to have.   I don't think 1 system will satisfy all your gaming desires but I really think you can do no wrong in picking any of them.  If your a Nintendo fan though, like we are, then you almost have to buy their system and hope for the best when it comes to 3rd parties.  Given we all more than likely have PCs then the most logical step would be to take that PS4/720 money and upgrade your PC. 

No one videogame system is going to perfectly satisfy me but I'm not THAT picky.  There will always be titles on systems I don't own that I would like to play.  But one console can still be sufficient in providing me with enough quality titles that I'll make do and feel I have something to play.  The Wii failed at that while the other Nintendo systems, even with their problems, did not.  The Wii's third party support was absolutely terrible and the first party games had wonky controls that I did not like.  When I look back at my most enjoyable videogame experiences the Wii has very few of them.  The whole experience involved having to wait and wait and wait for decent games to come out only to see them ruined with crappy controls.  A better third party selection or a higher quality of first party titles would have probably made the Wii "good enough" like the Cube was.  The Cube had it's problems but it was still sufficient.

[Kairon]

If you're a big fan of RTS or turn-based strategy games (especially 4X games (Civ-likes: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate)) I honestly don't know how you can get by without a PC.

Also, if you're a big fan of NWR. &P

[Chozo Ghost]

If you're a big fan of RTS or turn-based strategy games (especially 4X games (Civ-likes: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate)) I honestly don't know how you can get by without a PC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilization_Revolution


BTW, My VERY first Civilization experience was with the SNES version, which was actually far superior to the one on PC. It made use of the SNES mouse which came bundled with Mario Paint, so the controls were exactly the same as the PC version.

It wasn't until some years later that my family finally got a PC for the first time, and then I was able to play Civilization II and every other Civ since. But keep in mind my very FIRST experience with this franchise was actually on a console (SNES).

Games like this tend to not control very well with traditional console gamepads, but for the life of me I don't understand why developers don't support a standard USB mouse plugged into a console's USB port. Every modern console has USB ports these days, so why must everything be on the gamepad? Mouses can be used! They just never are, and I just don't understand it.

[Ian Sane]

I think MS was really anti-mouse on the Xbox because they didn't want it to be seen as a PC-in-a-console.  Meanwhile we all know Nintendo will deny options to push certain control schemes.  It seems strangely political that a mouse isn't standard on a console.  Probably it's because they see PC gaming as competition and offering keyboard/mouse support as an option on a console is effectively "free advertising" for PCs.  How better to "prove" the superiority of a console than to not provide a decent comparison in the first place.

If I made a console it would come with dual-analog controller, mouse and keyboard, all standard.  The idea would simply be that the developers can use whatever they feel will work best for their games.  And it isn't like the keyboard/mouse would take over.  No one plays fighting games or platformers on such things.  It would be more popular for traditional PC genres like FPS and RTS games.

[NWR_insanolord]

Civilization Revolution is **** compared to IV or V. The changes they made to accomodate consoles took a fair bit of depth away from it. There's nothing stopping them from porting the full thing to consoles, but they just don't. Even if it supported mouse and keyboard it's not the kind of thing I'd want to play on a TV.