RANDOM VIDEO GAME NEWS!

[Drowsy Emperor]

I don't think I've ever played a FPS single player twice, not even HL. And only UT, CS1.6 and TF2 for an extended period of time anyway.

[Fighter]

LOL. I'm the other way around. I cannot play a game for the story twice or for that matter read a book twice. But I can play a game for the gameplay.

[BruceVC]

LOL. I'm the other way around. I cannot play a game for the story twice or for that matter read a book twice. But I can play a game for the gameplay.

 

Thats the same as me, I have never played a game twice. For me even though there may be nuances with the story, or different character plots, end of the day you know how the game ends. So I battle getting excited once I know the ending.

[Morgoth]

Halo 4 may keep gamers from voting: http://kotaku.com/5958185/fox-news-says-halo-4-may-keep-gamers-from-voting

 

If Romney wins it's all Microsoft's fault!

[Mamoulian War]

Fox News says... It must be true!

[alanschu]

Seems kind of like a statement of the obvious. I'm sure it will in some capacity have an effect.

[AGX-17]

Cortana's ass must be the only memorable FPS character.

She's a sapient, not a piece of meat! That's extra true in her case.

 

This bothered me to no end in the Mass Effect games (don't get me started on their misuse of the term "biotic,") and it bothers me here.

 

"Sapient" does not mean "sentient." Nothing is "a Sapient" because

A. sapient is not a noun, it is an adjective.

and

B. It means being sagacious or discerning, that is, possessing wisdom. It is not a definition of self-consciousness or sentience, because wisdom is different from those qualities.

 

A sufficiently aged animal with any form of long-term memory could be said to have wisdom. This animal does not need to be sentient to be sagacious. And there can be sentient creatures which do not possess wisdom, as well.

Edited November 6, 2012 by AGX-17

[Tale]

"Sapient" does not mean "sentient." Nothing is "a Sapient" because

A. sapient is not a noun, it is an adjective.

and

B. It means being sagacious or discerning, that is, possessing wisdom. It is not a definition of self-consciousness or sentience, because wisdom is different from those qualities.

 

A sufficiently aged animal with any form of long-term memory could be said to have wisdom. This animal does not need to be sentient to be sagacious. And there can be sentient creatures which do not possess wisdom, as well.

 

I know fairly well what sapient means and I do not confuse it for sentience. Self-awareness and sentience are rather minor things. Your definition of wisdom is a poor one. Sapience is impossible for non-sentient creatures, even by that. As any creature too simple for sentience has no significant memory, they have merely conditioning.

 

Sapience is what is supposed to help man stand apart. It is no common thing. It requires intelligence and judgement. By contrast, sentience merely requires the ability to perceive, a pre-condition of the other.

 

Edit: Also, adjectives can be used as nouns. TMYK

The meek shall inherit the earth.

[Morgoth]

Top PCs already more powerful than Next-Gen consoles

 

"What I was showing [with Star Citizen] you can't do on a current generation console," he told Ars Technica. "You can do most of it on a next generation console, but I can promise you a top-end PC now is already more powerful than what a next generation console is going to be.

 

 

There you have it my little piglets.

[Gorth]

Fox News says... It must be true!

 

 

Sorry, completely off topic. I visited their website recently and it was as funny as an episode of Monty Python. I was shocked that they didn't try to pin Sandy on Obama (I suspect they tried very hard to find an angle, but couldn't quite manage it).

 

Hmm, Bioshock, one of those games I bought a long time ago from Gamersgate and never got around to play. I also got Dishonoured from Steam, which is probably on my to do very soon list.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Top PCs already more powerful than Next-Gen consoles

 

"What I was showing [with Star Citizen] you can't do on a current generation console," he told Ars Technica. "You can do most of it on a next generation console, but I can promise you a top-end PC now is already more powerful than what a next generation console is going to be.

 

There you have it my little piglets.

 

Sadly, it doesn't matter. Hardware was never the PC's problem, as a platform.

 

Now that my PC has aged beyond what a reasonable upgrade would fix I'm seriously considering switching to consoles more or less permanently because:

a) I don't have time for long stretches in front of the monitor anymore and my future job will likely consist of starting at the computer screen for 8 hours per day anyway

b) comfort, no back pain on the sofa eh

c) the social side - with consoles I can spend time with my gf/friends and engage in my hobby at the same time. You can't do that (in general) with one PC

d) money. A top of the line PC costs almost twice as much as a console. Its a far better tool but I don't really use it for anything other than games and internet, and a console can do that almost as well now

 

I'm sure that plenty of people feel the same way, and if they do, the PC is going to stay the red headed stepchild for the forseeable future.

 

The only question I'm asking myself is - which next gen console to invest in. Wii U is out of the question.

Edited November 7, 2012 by Drowsy Emperor

[HoonDing]

"Top PCs", really?

[Morgoth]

The only question I'm asking myself is - which next gen console to invest in. Wii U is out of the question.

 

If it has to be one, then it's clearly PS4.

 

MS has sucky exclusives and sucky policies.

[Drowsy Emperor]

The only question I'm asking myself is - which next gen console to invest in. Wii U is out of the question.

 

If it has to be one, then it's clearly PS4.

 

MS has sucky exclusives and sucky policies.

 

Its very likely you're right.

 

However I'm not impressed by the PS3, I feel they screwed it up. Too few exclusives, too few landmark games, practically no RPG's - certainly no exceptional ones and a small game library.

 

This makes me feel nervous about PS4. I don't want to invest in something that's going to have all the same multiplatform games (that the PC can do better).

 

Obviously the XboX360 is even worse in this regard. I'm still playing all of its (worthwhile) games on my wreck of a PC and they look better too.

 

But what if the next xbox is significantly cheaper (like half the price) of the next PS? That's something to consider.

[Morgoth]

But what if the next xbox is significantly cheaper (like half the price) of the next PS? That's something to consider.

 

Unlikely. MS is also moving away with Xbox as a dedicated gaming console and more towards an overall entertainment hub. It's also gonna include some motion-control gimmick which will make the whole package probably more expensive.

 

Also, the PS3 has plenty of great exclusives (MGS4, Heavy Rain, Uncharted series, The Last of Us, Beyond, The Last Guardian, Demon's Souls and many more). Just no real dedicated RPGs. But that genre is as good as dead anyway (minus Obsidian).

Edited November 7, 2012 by Morgoth

[Morgoth]

Also consider price flexibility: A powerful PC might be more expensive, but on the long run you're gonna save plenty of money thanks to Steam and Amazon sales.

Edited November 7, 2012 by Morgoth

[Nepenthe]

Sadly, it doesn't matter. Hardware was never the PC's problem, as a platform.

 

Now that my PC has aged beyond what a reasonable upgrade would fix I'm seriously considering switching to consoles more or less permanently because:

a) I don't have time for long stretches in front of the monitor anymore and my future job will likely consist of starting at the computer screen for 8 hours per day anyway

b) comfort, no back pain on the sofa eh

c) the social side - with consoles I can spend time with my gf/friends and engage in my hobby at the same time. You can't do that (in general) with one PC

d) money. A top of the line PC costs almost twice as much as a console. Its a far better tool but I don't really use it for anything other than games and internet, and a console can do that almost as well now

 

I'm sure that plenty of people feel the same way, and if they do, the PC is going to stay the red headed stepchild for the forseeable future.

 

The only question I'm asking myself is - which next gen console to invest in. Wii U is out of the question.

Funny how people start seeing things your way when they are in the same situation, I could've sworn I've written a,b and d myself in the past (I'm not really seeing C, but I've been mostly console gaming for 8 years now so I could just not see the connection) You're lucky that you're getting off with 8 hours, though. I know I'm not. And even now that I'm starting to be reasonably well off, I can't really rationalise a good gaming PC, since with the local price structure I'd be looking at 3-4 the console price, the last I looked.

 

Re: what console to pick. I recommend that you look at what the feature set is rather than the games. I went with PS3 because I needed a blu-ray player...

 

Of course, I did also pick up a x360 later on for the few exclusives, when I could get one for ~200 the buy-in cost was so low that it was worth it.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Good point.

 

Btw The Last Guardian's eventual release will have a large influence on whether I might actually get a PS3 or not, if (as is likely) the PS4 ends up lacking backward compatibility.

 

Specifically I'm hoping that we'll see some great games for the PS3 at the end of its life - like the PS2 had. It would make the whole package a steal at its current prices, considering it also includes (a still relatively expensive) blue ray player.

 

@Nepenthe:

 

I like to play coop games with my gf, fighting games with other friends etc. Its just not feasible without at least 2 PC's (that I don't have money for or space to put them in). Besides, its so much more enjoyable to chat and pig out on a sofa with gamepads, playing half the time, talking crap the other half. Huddling around the PC is impractical and I don't like the impersonality of online gaming - I prefer my company to be in the same room.

Edited November 7, 2012 by Drowsy Emperor

[Guest Slinky]

Top PCs already more powerful than Next-Gen consoles

 

"What I was showing [with Star Citizen] you can't do on a current generation console," he told Ars Technica. "You can do most of it on a next generation console, but I can promise you a top-end PC now is already more powerful than what a next generation console is going to be.

 

There you have it my little piglets.

 

Sadly, it doesn't matter. Hardware was never the PC's problem, as a platform.

 

Now that my PC has aged beyond what a reasonable upgrade would fix I'm seriously considering switching to consoles more or less permanently because:

a) I don't have time for long stretches in front of the monitor anymore and my future job will likely consist of starting at the computer screen for 8 hours per day anyway

b) comfort, no back pain on the sofa eh

c) the social side - with consoles I can spend time with my gf/friends and engage in my hobby at the same time. You can't do that (in general) with one PC

d) money. A top of the line PC costs almost twice as much as a console. Its a far better tool but I don't really use it for anything other than games and internet, and a console can do that almost as well now

 

I'm sure that plenty of people feel the same way, and if they do, the PC is going to stay the red headed stepchild for the forseeable future.

 

The only question I'm asking myself is - which next gen console to invest in. Wii U is out of the question.

 

I sure see reason for a,c and d, buuut could someone tell me what holy writing says "thou shalt not sit comfortably while using PC"? I have heard this many times from console users but I don't quite understand why it is imbossible to own a good chair.

[Drowsy Emperor]

I already get back pain pretty quick even in good chairs. A lifetime of bad sitting habits probably combined with the fact that I'm 191cm and 90kg's.

 

Its not like I'm going to fall apart or anything but the couch still wins hands down. And if you spent the whole day sitting in office, sitting is the last thing you want to do when you get back home...

[Nepenthe]

Ok, I see your point. I've never dated a gamer nor do multiplayer games in any significant degree, so that thing doesn't really exist for me. But I can see why.

 

Too bad HD's become so prevalent. "Wanna see movie x in HD?" used to be a perfectly valid way of luring young ladies to casa Nepenthe. Now I have to think of new excuses to offer them.

Top PCs already more powerful than Next-Gen consoles

 

"What I was showing [with Star Citizen] you can't do on a current generation console," he told Ars Technica. "You can do most of it on a next generation console, but I can promise you a top-end PC now is already more powerful than what a next generation console is going to be.

 

There you have it my little piglets.

 

Sadly, it doesn't matter. Hardware was never the PC's problem, as a platform.

 

Now that my PC has aged beyond what a reasonable upgrade would fix I'm seriously considering switching to consoles more or less permanently because:

a) I don't have time for long stretches in front of the monitor anymore and my future job will likely consist of starting at the computer screen for 8 hours per day anyway

b) comfort, no back pain on the sofa eh

c) the social side - with consoles I can spend time with my gf/friends and engage in my hobby at the same time. You can't do that (in general) with one PC

d) money. A top of the line PC costs almost twice as much as a console. Its a far better tool but I don't really use it for anything other than games and internet, and a console can do that almost as well now

 

I'm sure that plenty of people feel the same way, and if they do, the PC is going to stay the red headed stepchild for the forseeable future.

 

The only question I'm asking myself is - which next gen console to invest in. Wii U is out of the question.

 

I sure see reason for a,c and d, buuut could someone tell me what holy writing says "thou shalt not sit comfortably while using PC"? I have heard this many times from console users but I don't quite understand why it is imbossible to own a good chair.

While I have seriously good chairs at work and at home, I have an extremely long back with arms that are more proportionate to my overall (5'11") height. Accordingly I've never been able to use arm rests...

 

Not that I would use them while gaming, either, but I find that no matter how good my office chairs are, I prefer to... "pig out" as our colleague put it above on a sofa when I have the option.

 

Used to have a sofa in my office at the old place. Of course, I also had to sleep there more often and not due to the crunch hours...

[Guest Slinky]

I already get back pain pretty quick even in good chairs. A lifetime of bad sitting habits probably combined with the fact that I'm 191cm and 90kg's.

 

Its not like I'm going to fall apart or anything but the couch still wins hands down. And if you spent the whole day sitting in office, sitting is the last thing you want to do when you get back home...

 

So you stand on your couch? Badabum!

 

While I have seriously good chairs at work and at home, I have an extremely long back with arms that are more proportionate to my overall (5'11") height. Accordingly I've never been able to use arm rests...

 

Mutant.

[Raithe]

Of course, you can look into just how long a "good" pc will last you compared to a gaming console...

 

If you lay the groundwork of getting a bleeding edge pc, it'll last you for half a decade with only minimal upgrades to keep it going. Once you reach the 5/6 year old pc point, then it'll be toddling along in the low-mid range of pc's.

 

Hell, my sister picked up a laptop for about £400-500 and she pretty much uses it just for some internet surfing, email, itunes, and gaming. And she's quite happy at how much that works out over the 3 years she's had it and it's still going strong for her gaming wise.

 

How long do consoles last for?

[HoonDing]

With my iPad I play hardcore arrpeegees on the couch.

 

[Drowsy Emperor]

Of course, you can look into just how long a "good" pc will last you compared to a gaming console...

 

If you lay the groundwork of getting a bleeding edge pc, it'll last you for half a decade with only minimal upgrades to keep it going. Once you reach the 5/6 year old pc point, then it'll be toddling along in the low-mid range of pc's.

 

Hell, my sister picked up a laptop for about £400-500 and she pretty much uses it just for some internet surfing, email, itunes, and gaming. And she's quite happy at how much that works out over the 3 years she's had it and it's still going strong for her gaming wise.

 

How long do consoles last for?

 

Some articles have asked the question of how long will next gen consoles cycle's be. Due to high costs its very likely that they will last as long as the current generation or even longer for a total of 7-8 years of gaming. This is about the same as a PC, maybe a little less. There are a lot of cheap games for the PC amongst new releases that don't require much hardware power so this extends to total use you can get out of it.

 

During that time, barring bad luck with the warranty and hardware failure the only real expense is replacing controllers. On that note my original PS2 dual shock joystick (almost a decade old) is still fully funcional even if the analog seems to send input in a certain direction on its own, rarely (fixed by rotating it). (While my expensive logitech turd of a gamepad died after barely a year of use).

 

In terms of manufacturing quality Nintendo is the unquestionable leader, followed by Sony (which has dropped in quality somewhat) and MS in last place (with lowest quality components, in regards to both hardware and controllers).

Edited November 7, 2012 by Drowsy Emperor