Slashdot Mirror
Computer Gaming PCs Try To Stack Up To Consoles
bippy writes "RedAssedBaboon has what I think is the first review of a computer to feature the much lauded DISCover technology. DISCover basically turns a computer into a gaming console, allowing you to drop a PC game into a system and play it immediately on your television. The site reviews a new DHS (Digital Home System) by Alienware which will feature the technology and is due out next month. The article ends with this interesting comment: 'It's high time that the computer stop lurking in the shadows of dusty computer desks in forgotten rarely-used bedrooms. If PC gaming is going to survive it's going to have to do so in the well-lit family rooms and dens of America right along side the GameCube, PS2 and Xbox -- and this looks like a great way to start.'" We previously discussed the DISCover 'Drop And Play' PC gaming system over on Slashdot Games.
My monitor is bigger than my TV...
Yes, I much prefer playing a computer game on a 30Hz 525x525 blurry display than on a 72Hz 1024x768 display. Anything that can make my $1500 screaming game PC behave more like a $200 console is a welcome change. (that was all sarcasm, by the way)
All I have to say is "Lan Party." Games consoles will never have people stringing Cat5 across living rooms to stuff 15 geeks itching to blast each other away.
BS.
PC gaming will survive, even if it's a niche market. There will always be college students in dorm rooms with modern computers that they were required to purchase. There will always be IT professionals with the wherewithal to keep up with the latest trends.
Console and PC games combined do not make up the lion's share of the entertainment market. Neither do cinema ticket sales or DVD purchases. As long as there's room for someone to turn a profit, variety will persist.
Last time I checked, the Xbox was nothing more than a stripped down x86 system that does nothing but play games. Doing this to any other PC would, in effect, make it just like any other console (albeit with customizeable hardware). But why bother?
I play PC games for three reasons.
1.) The latest hardware is almost always superior to that of a gaming console
2.) I have a mouse and keyboard to use, which gives me much more control than a 12 button controller.
3.) Online play is simply much easier and more popular on the PC and will always stay that way, despite what MS and EA would like you to believe. I think that it's also more fun, because console games generally attract more immature children.
Doesn't anyone else realize this too?
Ok. I like pc games typically better than console games.
But, the reason I haven't bought a new pc game in over 6 months is because I'm sick and tired of having to upgrade something on my computer. I love consoles. I can get any new games that come out. I can play them without worrying about performance. It is really just that simple. And for the price of a new video card to play the latest pc games, or a new motherboard+cpu, I can quickly buy the latest console and a game or two.
That is the biggest hurdle for pc games. If they could come up with a standard where they say all new games must be playable on this minimum requirements without the minimum moving every 3 months then they might start doing better. They could quite easily control the industry to say the games must work on X until Y date when we upgrade the minimum standards)
Just my opinion.
I'm assuming a hardware digital tv tuner & mpeg encoder because they aren't using ATI's AIW. You've got internet access on your TV, we all know how messy that can get. Sister is reading e-mail & chatting and Junior wants to play games.
This is just a setup for disaster if there's more than one child present. I'm sure families will use the fast-user-switching feature, what if it crashes? Shouldn't they wait for SP2 before shipping these out? God help you if there are porn popups while your parents watch TV.
Imagine how much of a mess it'll be trying to kick someone off the computer so you can watch tv. This is a great idea w/fast hardware.... but it's not going to work for everyone.
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
It's high time that the computer stop lurking in the shadows of dusty computer desks in forgotten rarely-used bedrooms.
Really now? that sounds like the perfect place to play doom 3 =)
A well lit room will just not do for such a game...takes all the scare right out of it!
Yes. Anything to get my game on.
You seriously underestimate the will of a console gamer. Go look in a dorm hall - you'll see people like us willing to find a couple TVs and take over a lounge for game time.
Ok, I'm confused here... who is their target market supposed to be? I don't personally know anyone who would justify spending $2,000-$3,000 on a pc based game console that will be rendered obsolete well before the sub-$200 consoles will.
Granted, they added features like Tivo style functions and the ability to surf the web and what not, but look at the history of such all-in-one devices in the past. When was the last time you bought a combo vcr/dvd player or a TV with dvd/vcr built into it?
No sane person would buy into such gimmicks. if one part breaks, the entire unit will likely has to be replaced. At $2,000-$3,000 a pop to keep $500+ worth of hardware in one neat box, I just don't see what incentive they are offering to make it worth the extra $1,500-$2,500 in the price. (I do know I'm not that concerned about hiding a couple wires.)
If they want to pitch this item as a game console, fine... then price it competatively with rest of the console gaming systems. If they don't want to lose the profits, then promote it as a niche market item, instead of confusing the consumers.
While I don't want to discredit the "Discover" technology, I do predict this system will ultimately fail. No one is going to buy something that cost more than your average PC, just to play the latest games at NTSC resolutions.
8==8 Bones 8==8
Perhaps.
... well let's just say you can keep your little game console.
But when I'm playing my first-person shooter at 1280x1024 on my flicker-free 21" monitor, getting 100fps at 100Hz refresh...
"Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
"If PC gaming is going to survive it's going to have to do so in the well-lit family rooms and dens of America right along side the GameCube, PS2 and Xbox"
Whoops, PC Gaming vs. Console Gaming misconception #1: "PC gaming will die off because consoles will eventially have the same horsepower for a lower price."
WRONG.
It's an utter falicy that the PC needs to fight for it's life against a console in the gaming world for one simple fact-- Gaming on the PC is completely different. First, consider the kind of games you play on the PC versus those you play on a console. It's all an issue of complexity, and half of that is the input devices availible to you. Information management is where the console falls flat on it's face, into the mud and stays there. And it's not likely to get up anytime soon because of the fundemental philosophy behind it-- All information must be accessed through a gamepad in order to make gaming as brainless as possible. Even in comparible (and simpler) games, like FPSs, you will never find a device equal to a mouse, and it's something that console makers give a wide berth in favor of the formentioned philosophy.
Also, the PC is the home of grass roots gaming. With a PC, you can become the next Counter Strike of gaming. Speaking of which, what was the last count of people playing that mod? Yeah, keep telling me PC gamin is in trouble 9_9 The PC will also always be the home of cutting edge gaming, since developers don't have to wait until the next full out console release 3 years down the road to push the envelope a little further. If it's good, people will upgrade their hardware right the and there just to buy your product, royalty free I might add. No console barons, specialized code/hardware required.
But I guess we have to break out The Death of Gaming myth just to keep things lively now and then, right?
You need a FREE iPod Nano