The age old conflict continues.

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Why PCs dominate Consoles

In recent months, much has been said of the upcoming infusion of games and talent into the console market. With the recently released Playstation 2 and the upcoming Game Cube, it would appear that consoles are reaching some sort of Renaissance, but what about the PC? I will tell you right here, without some sort of drastic improvement consoles will not be able to make up the huge lead that the PC holds in the market.

Skeptical? I'll make it easy for you. Three weeks ago, I went to the All-Star Fantasy at the Denver Convention Center for the NHL All-Star Game. While serving my duties as an Armchair Empire representative, I went to the video game demonstration display where copies of NHL 2001 (on PS2 and PC), NHL Face-Off 2001 (on PS2), and the new ESPN hockey game were being shown and available for play on both the new Playstation 2 and on some PCs that were available. What I saw truly shocked me, there was a bigger line-up for the PC version of NHL 2001 that for the PS2 version - and why you might ask, my father said it best "For all that talk about that new Playstation, it looks like crap compared to an average computer". I couldn't help but agree, the game was more stable, looked better, and sounded better on an average computer than on a new top-of-the-line PS2.

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Better yet, the Nintendo 64 made "great strides in gaming" when they released Mario 64 the first console game in true 3D. Congratulations, you managed to duplicate a feat that the PC achieved in the late eighties with Castle Wolfenstein or if you're more of a purist with Doom in the early nineties. That's kind of like the Iraqis working on the nuclear bomb - you guys can't even meet a discovery made in the 1940's? Damn you suck! I suppose it really isn't fair to make a comparison

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between the two types of systems - just because I have more RAM on my sound card that in the CPU of a new PS2 they can't really expect to compete. The presence of emulators, legal and illegal, that can duplicate the operating conditions of consoles on a computer is sufficient enough evidence. The new software package Bleem claims that it can run PS games on a PC at resolutions of 1024 X 728 as opposed to 624 X 420, the upper limit for a PS. That's really sad let me tell you.

What went wrong you ask? Easy, PCs duplicated what consoles did right, stable multiplayer - whenever I have a bunch of friends over, we used to crowd over a game of Goldeneye, then Perfect Dark - but now I have more fun playing Madden Football or NHL 2001 using my USB hub and "paddles". Why you ask? The graphics and sound are a light-years better on a mid-grade PC than on a console that you have to wait four months just to get on a waiting list to buy.

The arguments against are the same: Consoles are cheaper; Some games are better on the console; Consoles never break down or crash… I'll attack these in order. 1.) Cheaper? You got it - really cheap components and unable to upgrade, hope you have the number of the nearest reseller when you go buy the newest console in 2 years, my PC will last 4-6 years. 2.) Ahh, the one argument with teeth. Sure some games are better on the console (cough, cough, Final Fantasy 7 and 8, wheeze) but you can count them on one hand - the hand of an narcoleptic shop teacher. 3.) Consoles never break down? REALLY? That's funny I don't recall having to go halfway across town to have my computer rebuilt because of dirty contacts… oh yeah, now I remember - that was my stupid Nintendo (that has happened twice at a cost of $60 each 'effin time).

To reiterate, unless one of these new consoles brings me something that I can't see on my mid-range PC, don't expect me to be buying one anytime soon because if they truly cared about quality they wouldn't have fallen so

- Tazman


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