Hi, my name is Peter Chapman and I’m a PC gamer. It feels good to get that off my chest, to share with the group. You see, PC gamers are a special breed. You think console gamers are poorly thought of in the mainstream press? Console gamers are only accused of being borderline psychopaths with poor social skills. PC gamers are the real freaks.
If I told you to think of a console gamer you’d probably arrive at the mental image of a male in his late teens or early twenties. He’d be playing FIFA or Madden, Halo or Call of Duty. He’d be in his living room with his big flat screen HD television. There might be a group of them on a sofa. Perhaps there’s even a female present. You might even have pictured a brightly lit room reminiscent of those staged “lifestyle” adverts that all three console manufacturers are so fond of. These are the general stereotypes of a console gamer (at least outside of the ignorant mainstream press).
Now picture a PC gamer. It’s dark isn’t it? They’re still male, perhaps slightly older and certainly less outgoing. Your mental image of a PC gamer probably involves a smaller room, lit only by the glow of an LCD panel. There might be pizza boxes and soda cans around the scene, probably circuit boards and little fans and bits of wires. A PC gamer doesn’t play the big sports games. They’re not even synonymous with the big first person shooters the way they used to be. A PC gamer plays MMOs. Alone, save for the staccato chatter through his headset.
Of course, I’m generalising massively and I’m exaggerating for dramatic effect but there is a disparity in image between the two methods of playing games and PC gamers have become marginalised in recent years. But you cool kids with your approachable consoles, on your big screen TVs, in your brightly lit rooms, with your surround sound are missing out. There are certain types of game that your consoles simply can’t do properly.
My PC can do statistics. I play Football Manager every year. SiGames have just announced the 2011 iteration and I’m really looking forward to it. You can have conversations with the players you’re trying to sign, it’s hard to describe how excited I am about that simple implementation without drawing blank stares. The whole package looks to have been given another coat of polish and usability improvements. Underneath the yearly improvements to the user interface and the growing friendliness of Football Manager, though, there are numbers.
Most games keep these numbers hidden, Football Manager is proud of them. What FIFA gives you in a few columns of player stats, Football Manager gives you in dozens of statistics. For thousands of players, coaches, physios and clubs. Measured on a scale of 1-20 and set against hidden scales to account for current and future ability (among others), these numbers are the difference between a wonderkid and pub-league hoofer. Football Manager can’t be done on a console.
Sure, there was a version (in 2006) on the Xbox 360 which sold reasonably well and was fairly well-received. They didn’t release the next iteration because, by their own admission, it wasn’t up to scratch. The PSP versions (Football Manager Handheld) are moderately popular but they’re not the same and they’re not anywhere near as good. The iPhone version is approachable but it feels very lightweight. It doesn’t have the same scale of data, it doesn’t have the numbers. To play Football Manager, you need to play it on PC.
What about MMOs? They’re making repeated attempts to bring those to consoles with the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV, DC Universe and oft-delayed Free Realms but the jury is still out. Sure, Final Fantasy XI and Phantasy Star Online have their fans and some solid sales figures but compare that to World of Warcraft and let’s see what popular really means. WoW had eleven and a half million subscribers at one point, all paying between thirteen and fifteen dollars a month. That’s a serious income and a huge fan base.
Blizzard, the creators of the Warcraft universe are, perhaps, the heroes of PC gaming. Not content with making more money than can be easily imagined from WoW subscriptions, they’ve made the best selling PC game of the year too. Starcraft II is a shining example of another genre of game which just doesn’t work (at least not yet) on consoles.
Real Time Strategy needs a keyboard and mouse. You might argue, you might think that the quality of Supreme Commander 2 and the popularity of Halo Wars indicate that RTS can be done on consoles. They are barely the same genre in comparison to Starcraft II. Yes, Supreme Commander 2 did have streamlined controls that made it a pleasure to play with a console controller. The base-building aspect was dialled down sufficiently that the slowness of control wasn’t an issue. It was pretty good. It wasn’t in the same league as Starcraft II.
Halo Wars, then, was popular. It sold really well and it has a number of zealous fans. The emphasis on “hero units” meant that you didn’t need to focus so much on base building, tech trees or rushing your opponent. Halo Wars was simply an average RTS, with reasonably well-implemented controls, set in a familiar and interesting universe. It wasn’t a great game and, measured against others of its genre (on PC), it was completely inadequate.
Starcraft II is the pure distillation of a genre which is only possible on PC. Only without the need for chunky, SD-friendly hud overlays and pared-down control systems can this genre really flourish. The keyboard is essential for offering adequate speed of selection and control to make the margins of winning or losing so well balanced and fine-tuned. The freedom of motion offered by a good PC mouse is like a breath of fresh air when measured against the very best that the analogue stick has to offer. This is only possible, or at least only ever made possible, with a PC.
So PC gamers might have an even worse stereotypical image than console gamers. PC gamers might have to constantly be thinking of their hardware upgrades (although it’s not really as expensive as you would like to think). We might have to sit on less comfortable seats and tinker with sliding scales to get the best performance out of a game. But it is, generally, the best.
Setting aside the potential for immense graphical superiority that a PC offers, and the superiority that a keyboard and mouse still maintains over an analogue stick for certain tasks (although the FPS argument is quickly becoming irrelevant) some game experiences are only available on PC. Whether we see that gap narrow over the next few years will be an interesting movement to observe.
For now though, games like Starcraft II mean that if you don’t play games on a PC you’re missing out on a defining moment in gaming. That may sound like hyperbole but the qualities in Starcraft II are far beyond just being a good game on its platform.
Starcraft II isn’t only one of the best PC games of recent years. It’s not just one of the best examples of a real time strategy game. It is one of the best games available and the subtlety it demonstrates with guidance, exposition and pacing as well as how exquisitely well-balanced the mission structure is should serve as an example. Not just to PC games or RTS games but to anybody making any kind of game for any platform. Without a PC I would have missed out on that. Are you?
proog
I’m glad to see the PC getting some recognition here after the many articles in which “exclusive to the 360” more often than not meant “for 360 and PC”. There are definitely both pros and cons of playing games on a PC, but I’m not sure why the FPS argument is becoming irrelevant. Is this simply because developers implement auto-aim and other adjustments in the console version (a la Modern Warfare aim-down-sight)? Anyway, good read, does this mean we’ll also get PC news on TSA from now on? :)
colossalblue
I can’t promise news, at least not with the same dedication that we do for PlayStation and 360 stuff.
I do plan on doing some weekend blogs about PC gaming though. Perhaps some of the other writers will do some too, I know Blair plays a bit on his PC and we have several close friends among the community that are dedicated PC gamers, maybe they’ll want to get involved.
No reason why we can’t give PC (and Nintendo for that matter) a bit of attention is there?
plutoniumdragon
I’m a PC gamer and tbh originally I only bought my PS3 as a Blue ray and media player.
That said I do play the occasional game on it, but teh PC comes first lol.
Looking forward to the promised PC love :) :)
Maybe an Android section next?
bunimomike
For me, the console and/or the PC are simply devices for me to play my favourite games. They both have pros and cons and the big one is control input. I’ve stated recently that I try to avoid FPS games on the consoles if they have a PC counterpart. I play Call of Duty: World at War every Tuesday evening with friends (online). I wouldn’t dream of doing that on a console.
Then again, I wouldn’t entertain the idea of playing something far “softer” and more console-friendly on the PC. The likes of Limbo, LBP, Flower, Uncharted 2, etc. All incredible experiences which need a big TV, a sofa, good quality sound, etc.
I also have absolute respect for the PC community when it comes to pricing. To know that developers/publishers can’t take the piss with the PC community is something the console world needs to learn. Remember the hoo-haa about MW2 pricing? Not an issue on the PC. RRP was £30. It was, in essence, the same game!! That’s how easy it is for publishers to shaft us in the keyster when it comes to the Xbox or the PS3, etc. This disparity I loathe.
Sony’s Move may well herald PC genres finally finding a happy home on a console (and may do the PC more damage) but it’d be lovely to see a few accuracy-dependent titles finally feeling comfortable in the living room.
G_The_Enemy14
I never play PC games because my laptop can’t handle it! I bought bioshock for my 1 year old dell and it was lagging. Whereas on the PS3, I know that it can handle the games so I prefer to stick to that although I do enjoy RTS, used to play rise of nations, and RPGs. Oblivion is one of my favourite games for PS3 and I would love to be able to play more PC games but I can’t afford a fast enough computer.
G_The_Enemy14
Sorry that wasn’t meant to be a reply.
bunimomike
That’s ok. :-) My mate’s in the same situation with his laptop. Unless you’re getting a top-of-the-line laptop it becomes redundant in the world of gaming very quickly sometimes. Especially offset against how much it cost compared to a desktop equivalent but that’s the price of portability (read: checking Facebook from the sofa). :-)
G_The_Enemy14
I just finished my GCSEs and because I travelled frequently to my dad’s house to my mum’s a laptop was the only option.
emekcrash
All I understood from that is “lolz you can’t play RTS’ and Football Manager”…
emekcrash
That was a joke by the way… xD
Person678
How can you write a article on PC gaming and not mention Valve? Shame on you!
colossalblue
Valve, Steam and the Mod scene are all too much to include in this one article…
Who says it’s not a series ;)
Danny3194
I was born a PC gamer, my PC died and I got a PS3.
I just miss my strategy games :(
Yahavage
I’m getting FFXIV for both PC and PS3, though I’m betting it’ll be a better experience on the PC overall, sometimes it is just nice to kick back with a controller in your hands. Looking forward to trying Starcraft aswell :) I recently got Crysis and was blown away by how awesome it looks.
One thing I dislike about PC games (although it’s becoming a problem with console games now…) is the lack of splitscreen/two player options. Yeah I can play with like a million people online, but what about my friends who come round? I have fond memories of cramming up round a 14″ portable TV, taking turns on Timsplitters 2, yelling and screaming at each other ‘STOP LOOKING AT MY SCREEN CHEATER!’ xD also things like CTR and such come to mind, just not possible on a PC!
beeje13
I like my management sims and RTS’s, but the latter is a waste of time on a laptop – you need a proper mouse, hence why i don’t them much anymore.
yogdog
I used to be a pretty big pc gamer, but I’ve never liked mmo’s. Just don’t seem to like them, they’re not to my taste. I’m a massive fan of rts’s and turn based strategy games however, especially the total war series. I also like playing fps’s and rpg’s on the pc, but I generally play better on the console. I still play on my dads predator pc, as its up to date specs wise, but he rarely lets me on it and my own pc is broke and out of date. My ps3 now soaks up most of my play time instead.
clank250
Yeah I’ve recently spent a lot of time off my PS3 for my PC just because of all the games on Steam. With the Quakecon pack that I just got, I’ll be busy for a long time playing oblivion and morrowind and Fallout 3 and of course Quake. I’m gonna say that I like PC gaming more than console gaming. The difference between DA:O PS3 and PC are STUNNING. DA:O on PC takes it back to a good old RPG with a ton of quick slots whereas the console versions only have the 6 that they give you. YOU NEED MORE! Plus with Starcraft 2 my PS3 gaming career has kinda gone to shits :P
mynameisblair
I thought about buying that… and then realised I didn’t have the money :(
clank250
The Quakecon pack? Go rummaging through you’re couch to find the coins needed. It’s a hoot. mainly got it because i wanted the Bethesda pack which was the same amount so i figured that I’d play Doom 3 and RTCW as well as the Bethesda games. Having good times stealing shit in Oblivion XD
mynameisblair
I got a StarCraft II guest pass from Person678, so I’m just about to play that…
I enjoy PC gaming, I’ve got a great PC that plays most games. Some games I’d rather play on consoles + some on PC. The mods are fantastic for some games, though.