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PC gaming will never be taken seriously until it fixes the bs
- Thread starter Scrabble
- Start date
I'm sure millions of people love not being able to play a game because one little thing is not working correctly on their computers.
Same here. My dad managed to play Oblivion on his notebook when it came out. Even managed to install mods and shit. And he's one of those people who can't even properly use google, or write simple text files. It's only gotten easier the last couple years, don't know what some people are doing wrong...
When you have the money PC can't be beaten; even though there's sometimes some fiddling. On the other hand you gain the ability to circumvent errors and bugs more quickly and heavily mod games. I get everything sooner or later, because I don't want to miss out on the console exclusives.
I dunno OP, I certainly agree that there's still more tinkering involved with pc games than with console games. Then again, the issues like you describe them...it's either hyperbole, or you're just have very bad luck.
I hate to make statements like "I'm sorry, it's just you", but I've also been back into pc gaming for several years now, and I've never experienced stuff like Windows Update crapping your gaming session (might be a setting where you manually install the updates, or when shutting down the pc, instead of automatically).
I wont deny that certain games required some tinkering on my part, but it's maybe 5% of all games I've played (if that). I think poor optimization is still the biggest issue of all the stuff you listed. The only time where I needed to edit an .ini file was with Trine because it didn't put out the proper refresh rate to my tv. And just recently I had to manually reinstall the Physx .dll for Metro 2033 because it wouldn't boot otherwise.
That's it. Especially this last year has been great for me on pc. Playing on the tv through Steam Big Screen, controller in hand, just tweaking games where I'd like (which is just to improve them, instead of having to fix broken stuff), finishing one game after the other.
In the end though, it will never be as accessible, user friendly and hassle free as console gaming. Comes with the territory.
I hate to make statements like "I'm sorry, it's just you", but I've also been back into pc gaming for several years now, and I've never experienced stuff like Windows Update crapping your gaming session (might be a setting where you manually install the updates, or when shutting down the pc, instead of automatically).
I wont deny that certain games required some tinkering on my part, but it's maybe 5% of all games I've played (if that). I think poor optimization is still the biggest issue of all the stuff you listed. The only time where I needed to edit an .ini file was with Trine because it didn't put out the proper refresh rate to my tv. And just recently I had to manually reinstall the Physx .dll for Metro 2033 because it wouldn't boot otherwise.
That's it. Especially this last year has been great for me on pc. Playing on the tv through Steam Big Screen, controller in hand, just tweaking games where I'd like (which is just to improve them, instead of having to fix broken stuff), finishing one game after the other.
In the end though, it will never be as accessible, user friendly and hassle free as console gaming. Comes with the territory.
I'm trying to think back to the last serious problem I've had with PC gaming and I just can't think of one that has happened in the last couple of years.
I've had the extremely occasional crash to desktop (well, Steam BPM) but you just fire the game back up and all is well. I've had more trouble trying to activate a code via the Xbox 360's god-awful slow menu system than playing PC games via Steam's BPM recently.
I've had the extremely occasional crash to desktop (well, Steam BPM) but you just fire the game back up and all is well. I've had more trouble trying to activate a code via the Xbox 360's god-awful slow menu system than playing PC games via Steam's BPM recently.
Sentenza
Member
Not just that. I also have genuinely no idea what people are constantly "forced" to tinker about.
Even as a long (LOOONG) term PC gamer, as someone who plays a lot of stuff and as someone who DOESN'T HAVE a high end machine I can't even remember the last time I *had* to edit stuff or tweak things.
I can say I do that quite frequently, but it's never some mandatory thing necessary to make my PC (or my games) "just work". It's always some optional stuff I do because I simply enjoy doing it (and reaping the benefits).
I can already see someone replying "OH, come on, be honest! When is it the last time you *had* to fix something that just didn't work?"
and my answer to those people is "No, seriously. I can't even remember that. This virtually never happens to me".
SneakyStephan
Banned
Fuck me, they're doing it again
PC has 20 years of backward compatibility that may need a community patch or compatibility mode for some games.
This is somehow bad
The solution? Buy a ps4 which has NO backward compatibility, not even 6 months of it
Yes, if none of the older games work on the system then you definitely will never need to google how to run them...
Pre order the HD rerelease for 40 euros today!
I can't...
congrats guys I've think you've spun every single major advantage the pc has into a disadvantage, good job.
CecilRousso
Member
When did you last try Brütal Legend?
I'm not gonna count the Fez issue as a real issue. That's just a game not being as good as it could have been, but the game still runs and looks as good as on XBOX*
* Which means that I just now ran the XBOX version next to the PC version and couldn't find any noticable differences.
That's fine as long as you're not that particular about what you actually play. Just as you don't get Mario games on PC, there is a lot of games you don't get on consoles, and if those are the games you're interested in, then it really doesn't help that consoles are easier.
I never tinker with my PC. I dont inject things etc. I just use the standard ingame settings and aim for maxxed out at 1080p and 60 fps. I know people will say I am being silly, and missing out on a lot, but it also seems I miss out on every single problem that you have. I don't have any issues with my games crashing etc.
I must be lucky
Minsc
Gold Member
I just keep thinking one of these days someone will make one of these threads where all the games listed are not console ports and actually unique to the platform, but it seems I'll keep waiting.
Really though, does no one use PCs to play games only on PC? Or do those people just not complain? Seems silly to throw away a platform that offers so many unique games not available elsewhere because a port is having some issues.
I can't even remember the last game I couldn't complete because of a bug, I don't think there's been even one. And I seldom have issues with any game. So I always think pebcak, even when it's not.
Another good solution if you hate to have problems all the time with computer games is just wait a few months to play games. I played RAGE on an ATI card with no graphic issues, no problems at all, thanks to not rushing in to it on release. Plus you will save a ton of money that way, possibly getting the game for $10 or less.
Really though, does no one use PCs to play games only on PC? Or do those people just not complain? Seems silly to throw away a platform that offers so many unique games not available elsewhere because a port is having some issues.
I can't even remember the last game I couldn't complete because of a bug, I don't think there's been even one. And I seldom have issues with any game. So I always think pebcak, even when it's not.
Another good solution if you hate to have problems all the time with computer games is just wait a few months to play games. I played RAGE on an ATI card with no graphic issues, no problems at all, thanks to not rushing in to it on release. Plus you will save a ton of money that way, possibly getting the game for $10 or less.
TAJ
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
I didn't even buy Brutal Legend on PC until about a month ago. (on Steam)
And I consider the 360 version of Fez to be better because I'd rather have that console scale to 1080p than have my PC output 720p and have my TV do it, for IQ and latency reasons.
CecilRousso
Member
This. A lof of people doesn't seem to care what they actually play, or maybe just doesn't know what they actually like.
I've been primarily a PC gamer for over a decade now and OPs experience is so different from mine I'm wondering if he isn't exaggerating a lot of shit.
Disabling keyboard drivers? Wut?
Never had to edit ini files to make a game work.
I've had to add a dll file once to get an old game to work.
Disabling keyboard drivers? Wut?
Never had to edit ini files to make a game work.
I've had to add a dll file once to get an old game to work.
CecilRousso
Member
And Brütal Legend just doesn't start is what you're saying?
And sure, that might be a good reason for you to think that Fez is better XBOX360, and I'm have no interest in argueing about that. But that still doesn't make any difference to my point with listing it. Which was that I haven't ran into any issues with running the game on PC. No driver updates, no ini editing, no disabling any hardware, no virgin sacrifices to the computer gods, I just installed it and played it.
I asked somebody in this thread that, and apparently they hate PC games. Made no sense to me, as it's like buying a 3DS and only playing those spin-off ports like Blackgate and Mirror's of Fate. It seems like people just want a fourth console? Screw that, PC-ass PC games are better than anything else on the market.
TAJ
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
It didn't. I got it running almost immediately but that's not really the point.
Nikodemos
Member
PC owners who play mainly PC exclusives are PC-primary users (as opposed to console-primary). They know enough about their platform of choice and its strengths to not complain about the occasional niggles.
CecilRousso
Member
SneakyStephan
Banned
That laptop is not for gaming, it's a browsing/music/video/school/work laptop with a terrible dual core cpu and a low end integrated gpu. (calling it APU does not make it less shit)
Laptops are also shit value for your money, that's why people don't buy them for games unless they are rich enough not to care that they spend 4x what they would on an equivalent desktop, or because they need to do all their pc gaming outside of their house.
Next time do some research before buying something.
Hear hear.
NS2, trackmania 2 ,dota2 , civ 5 (from the indie bundle), cs 1.6 and shadow warrior are my last played games.
TAJ
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Well, manageable for me. Not for anyone else I know who plays games.
I'm so glad I don't have any Steam friends...
Yes, it's annoying on consoles, too.
Hullo To U
Banned
I hear that System32 folder is pretty important, best not delete that.
denshuu
Member
This is pretty much what I've suspected from people who personally identify themselves as "PC gamers" on forums. They're not really interested in playing videogames so much as they are interested in tinkering with their machines. They're more PC hobbyists than game enthusiasts.
Personally I don't need all that to enjoy playing videogames. For me, it's the game first. That's why I haven't been u sing my PC as my primary gaming platform until very recently; It's taken this long for PC ports to stop sucking.
Prophet Steve
Member
It was unplayable on any PC. Ports in those times were way, way worse than the ports nowadays, even when the ports nowadays are not without flaws.
I am primarily a PC gamer, because of many reasons (IQ, cheaper games, better frame rates) and I do not like tinkering at all, especially if it is to get a game working instead of applying extra aliasing or something.
SneakyStephan
Banned
No, they are not.
Thanks for suggesting pc gamers aren't real gamers.
So many terrible posts
Having played games on PC since I was 5 years old (so for 18 years now) I've never had half these issues people seem to have with gaming on a PC and I've never understood any of the opinions to how tedious it is. Alot of the time, especially with modern machines if you want to play say an old Windows 95 game, sure you can't run it straight off, but there'll either be a very easy to find fan patch or you can run it through DOSBOX, both of which you can get in less than the time it would take to dig out your old consoles to play them on.
I personally game on consoles and PC but PC is most certainly my main platform and there's so many amazing games people miss out on like Transport Tycoon, Counter Strike, Roller Coaster Tycoon, Deus Ex and others purely because they have this weird idea that PC gaming is somehow hard.
It's much easier to work out why something is broken on PC since you can google the problem and follow a guide, if something goes wrong on a console you don't even get told what the error was :/
I personally game on consoles and PC but PC is most certainly my main platform and there's so many amazing games people miss out on like Transport Tycoon, Counter Strike, Roller Coaster Tycoon, Deus Ex and others purely because they have this weird idea that PC gaming is somehow hard.
It's much easier to work out why something is broken on PC since you can google the problem and follow a guide, if something goes wrong on a console you don't even get told what the error was :/
TheLegendOfMart
Banned
I started my gaming hobby in the 80s with ZX Spectrum and NES.
I identify myself as a PC gamer primarily purely because the PC is better at playing games, if anything console gamers don't care about videogames because they are fed any old shit the developer will give them, why would I choose console version when I can run games at 1080p+ resolution at 60fps+ with the ability to install HD textures, etc..
Far from the truth. It's correct that people who identify as PC gamers don't like playing video games, they like playing computer games. Games and genres built around desktop PC set-ups. Who do you think funded Torment, Project Eternity and Divinity? And bought Crusader Kings 2, Legend of Grimrock, Natural Selection 2, ArmA 3 and Sins of a Solar Empire? I mean, Star Citizen is sitting at 24 million dollars of funding, those are all people who play computer games, not video games.
The fact that you only started gaming on PC because 'ports stopped sucking' tells me you yourself are not entirely games first, since you missed out on a shitload of stuff.
TAJ
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Those were all on console except Transport Tycoon.
CecilRousso
Member
Wiktor
Member
It's definitely a far more viable option than consoles are for most people though.
Wiktor
Member
Got any link to back this up?
Also..yes PC gaming has it's problems, but a lot of it come from it's biggest strenghts. If you introduce the level of control consoles have you will get polish, but also loose a lot of what made PC such great platform.
Seriously, while I'm all for more polish the truth is that it will never get to the point that consoles have. If you can't accept it you better find yourself other platform.
LOL. Some interesting biases you have.
I just want to say that I absolutely agree with the OP.
PC Gaming can be extremely tiring, specially if you have an ATI card ( but you will still have problems with geforce ).
Is all the hassle worth it for the 60fps and downsapled 1080p and all that shit? No, most of the times it's not, at least for me.
I was always mostly a PC gamer, but not anymore. I still play stuff on the PC, but only smaller games that I know won't give me any trouble.
P.S. - I STILL cannot play The Witcher 2. I tried every fucking thing and the game still won't work well for me, even after fully upgrading my machine.
That's how much of a hassle PC gaming can be.
PC Gaming can be extremely tiring, specially if you have an ATI card ( but you will still have problems with geforce ).
Is all the hassle worth it for the 60fps and downsapled 1080p and all that shit? No, most of the times it's not, at least for me.
I was always mostly a PC gamer, but not anymore. I still play stuff on the PC, but only smaller games that I know won't give me any trouble.
P.S. - I STILL cannot play The Witcher 2. I tried every fucking thing and the game still won't work well for me, even after fully upgrading my machine.
That's how much of a hassle PC gaming can be.
Nemesis121
Member
PC gaming has become annoying for me since i mostly play FPS and since a lot of them have hackers i have gotten weary, 2 days ago i had enough and uninstall all my FPS games, BF3 gone, CoD gone Planet side 2 gone every thing is now uninstall, maybe i shouldn't use the word annoying it's more of a hatred right now...
Chairmanchuck
Member
It seems some have problems, some dont.
The last time I really had problems was like 3 or 4 years ago. Thanks to Steam though, PC-Gaming is as comfortable as it gets.
Download, Play.
Never had any big problems other than downloading a new GPU-driver in the last few years.
The last time I really had problems was like 3 or 4 years ago. Thanks to Steam though, PC-Gaming is as comfortable as it gets.
Download, Play.
Never had any big problems other than downloading a new GPU-driver in the last few years.
SpaceShark
Member
Sure that may be the point, but it's a redundant one.
The idea that PC gaming needs to "fix its BS" so it can be "taken seriously" is fucking ridiculous. A PC offers a different gaming experience than a console, with its own pros and ons. If people don't like the experience, that's cool, play games on a console. No big deal. PC has plenty to offer, and a good size market, so there's no problem here.
xBladeM6x
Member
I love tinkering. I love knowing exactly what is making certain things happen within the game, and how I can adjust them or change them to my favorite and preferred setting. FOV tinkering alone makes me happy to deal with ANY BS you'll experience. Plus, I love the feeling of satisfaction after resolving a problem that has been giving me shit. PC will likely never be mainstream, but is sure as hell is fun for the people it appeals to, and thankfully that's tens of millions of people.
I thought about this thread. I think in the end, this is really an argument between the pros and cons of an open vs a closed system. Same type of argument between things like Android and iOS, Windows and Macs, Capitalism and Socialism 
I prefer Console gaming, iOS, Macs, and Socialism. So consider me a closed system kind of guy.
I prefer Console gaming, iOS, Macs, and Socialism. So consider me a closed system kind of guy.
I don't know if anyone's been helping you with this or not but I had this bug too and this is a problem with recent nvidia drivers, downgrading your drivers to 314.22 will fix it.
I thought about this thread. I think in the end, this is really an argument between the pros and cons of an open vs a closed system. Same type of argument between things like Android and iOS, Windows and Macs, Capitalism and Socialism
I prefer Console gaming, iOS, Macs, and Socialism. So consider me a closed system kind of guy.
But what if I prefer PC gaming, Android, PC's and Socialism? I will never have a home
Mithos
Member
Was the game an MMO, that have anti-cheat protections like Frost, GameGuard etc etc? And were your keyboard a programmable one like Logitech G19 etc etc?
I still don't understand why people blame "PC" for games that don't work. When devs do a good job there a chance in 100 000 that it crashes or doesn't work on your machine. Also, patches are much faster to come on PC than on console, even with broken games.
MutonCommander
Banned
Over the years I have become convinced that the overwhelming majority of problems that some people report with their PCs is because of their own actions and lack of knowledge. People who have a base knowledge of how to maintain their PC in good working condition end up having a trouble-free experience.People who lack that knowledge yet feel the need to mess with their PCs by installing weird programs and tweaking obscure settings are in for a lot of trouble.
Keep your computer clean from viruses, keep it updated with drivers and updates, don't install programs that you don't fully understand what they do and chances are you'll have a pleasant, trouble-free PC gaming experience.