Are there any Video Game Players here?

[cathy]

I am thinking about getting a Video Game System. I was wondering if anyone has one and plays games. I was hoping you could give me some insite on the systems, I know that there are alot of them out there.

Thank - you for your time. :)

Cathy

[Newbie]

Well PC is the best, if you know how to use it....but if you want something simple get XBOX...or wait untill XBOX2 comes out ;)

[Red_Rabbit]

What types of games do you play. If you like FPS go with xbox, the will have Halo 2 and Doom 3 in the next 6 months. If you like platformers like mario and adventure games go with gamecube, they have a lot of new interesting games like a new zelda and metroid a fps with some puzzle solving. If you like sports games and a good mix of everything else go with PS2, they have all the EA games online, though so will xbox soon, the have the Final Fantasy RPG's and a little bit of everything else. PC would be the last choice, unless you have a really good computer with lots of Ram and a good video card, which you will need to play the top of the line games like Half Life 2. I have a ps2, gamecube i'm getting an xbox and have a pretty good pc. PC is good at times because you can get games for *free* if you know where to look but i would say go with an xbox because it has 2 of this years best games and will have the EA sports games. The have good online play and good games.

[Anubis]

I have all the major game consoles, but it took me a while to gather the cash. I have the XBOX, PS2, and GameCube and PC but I don't use that for games

I'm getting geared up for the release of Halo 2 and Splinter Cell 3 later this year going on through next year

If you're wanting a handheld device then I recommend waiting for the PSP

[angsty_otaku]

i think the best console out there is ps2...

[zebrok]

Those consoles cant compare to a PC if you take the time to learn how to use it. Any game that is on both a PC and the consoles is far superior on the PC due to the ability to customize the controls, apply mods to games and have unlimited save game files. Good PC games evolve, good console games get replaced. I say that to illustrate the fact that PC's simply offer more depth to games, but they also take more work.

Also, you dont need a top of the line PC to run the best games. A 1.5-2.0 gig machine with a 32mb graphics card and 512mb of ram will do you just fine. 2gig+, 64mb gfx and 1024ram would be better but is not necessary and even that setup is nowhere near to top of the line.

And dont forget, unless you have a High Def TV with surround sound or that is hooked up to your home stereo, games look and sound MUCH better on your PC.


However, if you really want a console, look for the games that you want to play first and then pick the console that has the most of them or at least the most important ones to you. OR get the PS2 because it has by far the most games with the greatest range of game types as well. Also it is a good sign that the PS2 supports PS1 games. I would expect Sony to keep up that trend with their future platforms thereby making their games a better investment in the long run.

[Thoth]

Well, you need a PC. And you obviously have one, since you're posting here. I'd use that for a lot of games. But, you have the problem of installing the game, constant breakdowns (God Damn Microsoft) and other glitches with the PC. If you're looking for a game console, from the general concensus, get the X-Box. That's what I'm getting after my exams.

If you're interested, i've already made a thread for this topic. Check it out. It's called 'Game Console'. It's got 25 responses, maybe more at this stage, so it's pretty comprehensive. I can't remember which area it got put in, it was moved by the mods. But it's in the off-world section for sure. Do a search for it or go to my profile (through clicking on my name at the top of this post and then going to profile or some similar link), click on my threads and find game console.

[petzke_42]

Also, you dont need a top of the line PC to run the best games. A 1.5-2.0 gig machine with a 32mb graphics card and 512mb of ram will do you just fine. 2gig+, 64mb gfx and 1024ram would be better but is not necessary and even that setup is nowhere near to top of the line.



You will need a top of the line PC soon, if you want to play games that are soon to come (such as Doom 3, HL2).

[shinyredpants]

I am thinking about getting a Video Game System. I was wondering if anyone has one and plays games. I was hoping you could give me some insite on the systems, I know that there are alot of them out there.

Thank - you for your time. :)

Cathy
so like...here's my take of things.

personally i'm not a PC game fan...and here's why:

1.) i hate online rpgs
2.) first person shooters are alright, but boring
3.) you're always going to have to update and upgrade your computer for the newest games to work and/or be cool in general.

I would suggest a console personally. I'm a playstation 2 whore actually...because playstation 2 will not only play PS2 games but the original playstation one games as well (you must must must play final fantasy VII for PS1) i love playstation 2, and it has the most games available. load times are short for most games (except older games) and the controller for the playstation 2 is the best controller out there (especially for me, since i'm a girl and other controllers are uncomfortable). PS2 can also double as a dvd player as well

X-box is okay, i have a couple games for it...there's alot of games avail. for x-box but not as many as playstation 2. the games are fun, but i've noticed that you can find alot of the games for x-box on playstation 2 so i would just get the PS2 version instead. X-box is still pretty expensive (though the price has gone down). also the controllers...i really dont like the controllers for that system at all. see they made smaller controllers but they're still too huge and clunky for my hands. hardware wise it does load faster than PS2 and i think the graphics are a touch better too

gamecube: i have no faith in nintendo...but its cheap. the controllers suck and there arent many games avail for this system. i'd suggest if you're going to go nintendo, go for the game boy advance instead...

if you need anymore advice...message me or something =)

[zebrok]

You will need a top of the line PC soon, if you want to play games that are soon to come (such as Doom 3, HL2).

Even for them you would only need to upgrade the video card if you want to turn the graphics settings up. These are the minimum system requirements for each:

Doom3

"The official Doom 3 minimum system requirements are released. To run the game you will need:
1GHz CPU
256MB RAM
GF1 or Radeon 7xxx series card" -From esreality.com

Half-Life 2:

"The minimum system spec is currently targeted at a 700 MHz PC with 128 MB RAM and a DX6-level video card, eg: TNT2 etc, meaning you won't need a supercomputer to run Half-Life 2 but don't expect to see reflective water,dynamic shadows and bump-mapped textures.

The game running at reasonable detail eg: 25/40 fps, requires a 1600Mhz cpu, 256 mb ram, GeForce4 Ti or Ati Radeon card.

In real life you need the best from a new game so I would recommend a 2000 cpu, or higher 512 mb ram or higher, GeForce4 Ti4800 128 ddr or ATI Radeon 9600 pro. (what i suggested plus a better gfx card)
IF you've got the money ATI Radeon 9800 pro. or Geforce FX5900 ultra
The more power the better but not essential with this game." -From ultimate-gamer.com

[zebrok]

so like...here's my take of things.

personally i'm not a PC game fan...and here's why:

1.) i hate online rpgs
2.) first person shooters are alright, but boring
3.) you're always going to have to update and upgrade your computer for the newest games to work and/or be cool in general.



1 & 2) Those arent the only game types for PC. There are more game types for PC's than there are for consoles.
3) Not true. You have to upgrade the whole computer once every 3-4 years and you dont even have to do it all at once. And besides people ugrade their computers at close to that rate anyway even if they arent playing games because all of the other programs evolve too.

All I know is that the consoles that I have bought turned out to be a waste of money because playing on my PC is SO much better that I hardly use them anymore.

[petzke_42]

Even for them you would only need to upgrade the video card if you want to turn the graphics settings up. These are the minimum system requirements for each:

Doom3

"The official Doom 3 minimum system requirements are released. To run the game you will need:
1GHz CPU
256MB RAM
GF1 or Radeon 7xxx series card" -From esreality.com

Half-Life 2:

"The minimum system spec is currently targeted at a 700 MHz PC with 128 MB RAM and a DX6-level video card, eg: TNT2 etc, meaning you won't need a supercomputer to run Half-Life 2 but don't expect to see reflective water,dynamic shadows and bump-mapped textures.

The game running at reasonable detail eg: 25/40 fps, requires a 1600Mhz cpu, 256 mb ram, GeForce4 Ti or Ati Radeon card.

In real life you need the best from a new game so I would recommend a 2000 cpu, or higher 512 mb ram or higher, GeForce4 Ti4800 128 ddr or ATI Radeon 9600 pro. (what i suggested plus a better gfx card)
IF you've got the money ATI Radeon 9800 pro. or Geforce FX5900 ultra
The more power the better but not essential with this game." -From ultimate-gamer.com

If you are a gamer, you know the minimum settings for anything suck....and if you just upgrade your videocard, but your processor isnt that fast, it can cause a bottleneck...with your ultra fast videocard waiting for the processor to get information to it...so you almost do need to upgrade the most expensive parts on a computer...which pretty much IS the whole computer. Processor (if your processor is old, you may HAVE to upgrade your motherboard to upgrade your processor) as well as your videocard, and ram.

[shinyredpants]

1 & 2) Those arent the only game types for PC. There are more game types for PC's than there are for consoles.
3) Not true. You have to upgrade the whole computer once every 3-4 years and you dont even have to do it all at once. And besides people ugrade their computers at close to that rate anyway even if they arent playing games because all of the other programs evolve too.

All I know is that the consoles that I have bought turned out to be a waste of money because playing on my PC is SO much better that I hardly use them anymore.
i dont like other PC games either...that's my opinion =)

as for upgrading...i usually dont upgrade but once every few years but i've noticed that alot of games look bad on an old system...my opinion of course =)

[KokiriChild]

In my opinion PC's will ALWAYS be best for Sims (as in Simulators, not "The Sims"... which I guess is a simulator... anyway), FPS, Puzzle games, RTS and StratagyRPG games, whereas consoles will always be best for RPG's, action, adventure, sports, beat 'em ups, platformers and so on. Handhelds - well there's only 1 handheld worth getting and that's the GBA, but personally unless you own a Gamecube or you're a hardcore otaku of a paticular series (i.e: Pokémon, Zelda or Square-Enix games) then I'd wait for the PSP to come out.

As far as consoles go it depends on what you want to play that'll swing your decision. I own all 3 consoles (plus retro consoles too *I'm a major games geek*). Gamecube will always be my favourite because it has a good mix of games, some titles that Nintendo publish are absolute gems (Metroid, Zelda), and they have the GBA link-up (not worth buying a GBA for, but if you've got one can add an extra layer of fun), and I've always been a fan of Nintendo (except when the PS1 came out, but that was so far ahead of the N64). Main problem with GCN is the lack of games for it. It's a great console, but hardley anywhere except the major games stores support it.

Whereas the Gamecube uses it's full colour pallette, the PS2 goes for more "realistic" looking games, and is deffinatley seen as more of a grown-up's console (in contrast to GCN being "childish"... which is rubbish IMO). The PS2 has massive games support, and unlike GCN you can find the games in stores from EB down to your local supermarket. What lets the PS2 down is only 2 controller ports. on the plus side the PS2 playes DVD movies and audio CD's, something the GCN can't, and you need an official DVD pack to play DVD's on XBox.

XBox... hmmm, well, I don't like it. It's huge, it's expensive, the controller is nasty (even though they've shrunk it down). No DVD support, but has a huge hard-drive (no need for memory cards!). One good thing about the XBox is that you can turn it into a PC, and I've done so, and now I kinda like it because I have a kick-ass PC that can play cool games... Kind of a weird one, but I wouldn't buy it for the console.

The best thing you can do is to list a few games you like the look of, then pick the platform that has the most of them, and the most of their genre. Also there's nothing to stop you selling ConsoleX to buy ConsoleY if you decide it's not for you!

[shinyredpants]

XBox... hmmm, well, I don't like it. It's huge, it's expensive, the controller is nasty (even though they've shrunk it down). No DVD support, but has a huge hard-drive (no need for memory cards!). One good thing about the XBox is that you can turn it into a PC, and I've done so, and now I kinda like it because I have a kick-ass PC that can play cool games... Kind of a weird one, but I wouldn't buy it for the console.



Yes, the controllers suck, even the small ones! That reason alone almost convinced me NOT to buy the xbox. They're really clunky and just...just...bleh!

[SGSlugger]

Really it all depends on your preferences.
Xbox beats a PS2 any day, as it's so close to a computer. But a PC dominates -- I can't see how these people who publish console magazines rip on computers and call them obsolete when it comes to games.

If you have money to update it, go with a PC. But if you want something easy to deal with, take a console.

[LavisBlade]

Xbox that was simple.

Why?

Two Words... Xbox Live. Never play games by yourself again! and to top it off LIVE has chat so no pittiful typing and it will soon (This year) have LIVE Video Chat... now that will kick major ass, not to mention the line up Microsoft has for xbox is amazing this year.

I dont consider PC a choice by the way I tend to stay in consoles.

[aAnubiSs]

Get a GOOD Pc, get the PC-version of the PS2-control, download emulator, download or buy the games, get a gfx with TV-out and use your TV as computer monitor.

There, you got NES,SNES,GameBoy, Master SYstem, Genesis, PS1, PS2, Xbox, N64, Gamecube in the same machine.

I'm sure there're PC-versions of the Gamecube and Xbox controllers too.

[Jeff O'Connor]

I'm all for the PS2, because I'm an RPG-aholic. I love story and character development and truly RPGs are the way to go for that. However, Halo alone is good enough reason to buy an Xbox.

[AgentX]

I've had each of the big 3 at one point in time, now I just have Xbox and PS2. I find that lately I have kind have gone off gaming, I haven't played a game in a couple months. When I did play I found that the PS2 was the best for sporting games and Dancing games - DDR! - The Xbox is great for RPG's (Star Wars Knights of the Republic) and Action games (Ninja Gaiden). People talk up Halo all the time, but I don't get the big deal with that game. Oh, and the Gamecube...yeah....wait until more first party games come out, then factor it in your decision.

[Dinowarrior]

Who ever thinks that the PC is the best Gaming System has been living in the '90s to long. The New Mac's have more power in the each inch of the machine than any PC will ever have. That is why they call the New Personal "Super Computer". PC's will never have that title. Mac come with the latest Graphics and sound card already built-in. Go to apple's website the new Mac Mini has more power than a equivilant PC and it is 1/8th the size of a PC tower. The down side is that Mac versions of the popular games come out between 6- months to 2 years after the PC Version, and they cost as much as the PC games when first release. That is why Mac games are generally bootleged. IF you do not go with a MAc then Go Buy a PS2 but be warned if you try to back up games for the PS2 they will not play without a mod chip. They are starting to do the same with some Mac games but that makes it more expenive to produce the game ;) .

[Osiris-RA]

I am thinking about getting a Video Game System. I was wondering if anyone has one and plays games. I was hoping you could give me some insite on the systems, I know that there are alot of them out there.

Thank - you for your time. :)

Cathy

Playstation2 is pretty good. I've had mine for two years and it's given me hours of excitement - and occasional frustration.

If you're looking for great graphics, a hard drive and basically better looking stuff, you'd get an Xbox. It's games and the console itself are more driven toward the adult gaming community, while playstation serves for Teens and Adults pretty well.


I'd reccomend the PS2 beacause of the higher range of games to choose from, it's semi portiblilty and ease of setting up. It has a great On-line engine, from what i've heard of. I havent been able to get online - yet.

Hope this helps. :)

[VirtualCLD]

I would have to disagree Dinowarrior and say that the Mac is not a superior gaming platform to the PC, but it's a mute point if you want to stick with consoles. It really depends on the games you like and which platform offers the mst of them. Also, if you don't have a broadband connection, I wouldn't be influenced too much by XBox Live! (or Live 2) or PS2 broadband internet gaming.

[TechnoWraith]

I'm a hardcore PC gamer. The computer is far superior to the console when it comes to games. A computer is more powerful, and it also offers several advantages over the console. You can save your game any time you want. You can add-on to your games (either through mods, or officially published expansion packs). Higher video quality and fully customizable controls. If you know how to use a computer, computer gaming is a very good avenue for entertainment. I recommend the computer as a great gaming platform. Also, most computer games cost the same as a console game, so there's really not too much in terms of cost differences between console and computer games.

If you prefer a console, however, I recommend the XBox for it's superior grahics quality (and some excellent titles). But I also recommend the Playstation 2, because of it's vast library of games. (With a Playstation 2, you can also play original Playstation games, too!)

[teddybearnospaces]

Mac come with the latest Graphics and sound card already built-in. .
Look bro. I use both. Macs come with the best CPU in existence and the graphics cards are top end, but not top, top end, you want 256MB of V-RAM on your graphics card, MAC or PC. Most of the Macs come 64 (128 if you shell out extra). There's a noticeable difference in how things look. In terms of overall user satisfaction, all about the Macs. Processor power, mac. Affordability, home made PC (not Dell). Video Game Library, PC at least comparatively, the major titles release for both, but in terms of real choices, there aren't as many companies that produce titles for Mac. The one's that are important to me do (i.e. Blizzard), but not all of them. I'm not trying to start a PC vs Mac debate. They're designed for different purposes, they're marketed to different people. One isn't better, they're just different.

[in circles]

I don't know how I managed before I got my modded Xbox. I use it more for playing videos than I do gaming. The Gamecube is a pretty underrated system. I far prefer Metroid to Halo and the Zelda games are always awesome.

[The Big Dawg]

Best PC game EVER:

Guild Wars

Anyone who plays that, send me a whisper. Add (don't ask, I just made up the name) Alliance Of Zoxir to your friends list. That's my guild recruiter name, but most likely I'll be working on one of my characters :D

Oh yeah, best console game ever:

Final Fantasy VII (FF7) for the original PlayStation (PSX) or PSOne (PS1).

I can't wait for the PlayStation Three. I only want it for the revamped life-like graphics version of FF7.

[Nympho]

To put it pure and simple: a pc its more expensive, more complicated and a pain in the arse if u get a crap 1 but more games. A ps2 games r expensive but its all simple.

[.:Lemon:.]

Well personally I like the PS2 and PC, but to each his own I'd say! Never really been on the X-Box.

[Willow'sCat]

*Bump* PS2 or PC, I got so addicted to Nomad Soul I had to give it away just to stop playing it. Wow how pathetic am I, haha. I tend to go for the less violent games I do like GTA though could do without the prossies but still good game.

[KTrain22]

The Xbox 360 is going to be better than most computers. A computer is the obvious choice for versatility, but are higher maintenance than consoles. The problem is, if you get a medium-powered computer you'll have to replace it in a couple of years whereas a console will last longer. If you're going to get a console, get the Xbox 360 when it comes out. After that, get the Xbox, then PS2. I used to be a Sony loyalist until I bought the Xbox. It's simply unbeatable... while I don't think the Halo series games the absolute best out there, they are a reason to buy a Xbox over a PS2. Not to mention with the Xbox you can store music and have the ability to store saved games, etc. on the hard drive instead of having to buy memory cards. Also, you can take the music stored in your hard drive and play it during video games like Madden and Grand Theft Auto, a really awesome feature. The only problem with the Xbox is that it's run by Microsoft, and in their typical monopolistic fashion they require you to pay for a DVD sensor and remote, where the PS2 can just use the controller, and Xbox Live, Xboxs' online gaming service, requires you to pay a monthly fee where you can run your own broadband through your PS2. Still, the Xbox wins in terms of graphics and versatility, so that should come first.