What’s up with PC gamers?

PS3, PC opinion by Ashley Wilkinson on 6th January 2012

As a gamer I often find myself on the receiving end of criticism and much of it I can shake off. I “score too many two-yard tap-ins” on FIFA 12. I “button-mash” on fighting games like Tekken or Marvel vs. Capcom. I “slept with a German junkie whore” in LA Noire. The list goes on.

But one criticism which particularly irks me surrounds my preferred method of gaming and it comes from a group of gamers who I’ve often found to be incredibly patronising and full of amusingly high levels of self-superiority. The type of gamers who believe that, unless you’re pressing “WASD” with your left-hand and waving your gaming mouse wildly with your right that you aren’t a true gamer.

Yes, my bugbear lies with my own personal experiences with PC gamers and their attitude towards me: a console gamer.

“My bugbear lies with my own personal experiences with PC gamers and their attitude towards me”I should point out that I was being deliberately inflammatory in the paragraph above. I am positive that not all PC gamers carry an air of self-satisfaction when looking down on console gamers and that the majority doubtless dabble in both videogame worlds (even as a console gamer I cannot prevent myself from indulging in repeated Football Manager 2012 marathons).

But in my experience, the only PC gamers I have met or dealt with have scoffed at my assertions that I consider myself a console gamer and have struggled to resist letting out a brief “harrumph” after asserting in their minds that, as a man with only a PlayStation 3 and a shite laptop that runs on AA batteries for gaming contentment, I am little more than a serf in their gaming kingdom.

I wish I didn’t have to generalise in that manner but given my experiences I’ve little choice. The PC gamers I have met and befriended often treat me with contempt because I have little-to-no interest in playing an FPS game online without the comfort of analogue sticks and rear triggers. They may play the occasional game of Pro Evolution Soccer or have a blast of World at War’s Nazi Zombies on the nearest Xbox 360 but their main passion is investing time and effort into their PC gaming library, whether they enjoy a clan game of Counter-Strike or a quest in World of Warcraft.

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I’ve encountered this attitude towards my gaming habits (and console gaming as a whole) from PC gamers for several years now and I still briefly encounter it to this day. I live in halls of residence with two PC gamers who I consider very close friends. Each of them have just ordered brand new dedicated gaming computers with their well-deserved Christmas money but both own current-generation consoles (admittedly, they only really play Skyrim on console and that’s pretty much a glorified PC game anyway).

Last month my flatmates thought they would treat me and allowed me a brief play of a game on one of their “aging” dedicated gaming computers before they sold them. Being the kind, caring, considerate friends that they always have been to me they allowed me to play a fun game of their choice.

It was the psychological horror Amnesia: The Dark Descent.

After spending six hours convincing myself that all the fear and horror would be worth the inevitable post-event banter I sat down in front of the 19-inch widescreen monitor. As I waited for Amnesia to load (my hand shaking as I did so; I had after all seen the trailer for Amnesia and that alone left me nervous) I tried to figure out how much all this hardware must have cost to purchase. The tower alone was a good 2-3ft tall and it contained two separate fans which cooled an unmistakably red-and-gold graphics card. This PC, which my flatmate was replacing, would cost a hell of a lot more than a top-of-the-range PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 would.

“I’m sure that the majority of PC gamers across the world aren’t as high-and-mighty as some of those I have encountered”Eventually Amnesia started and I tried to acquaint myself with the standard “WASD” movement controls, whilst figuring out what each of the other keyboard buttons did. Barely 30 seconds after the game had begun and my flatmates were already asking me what I was waiting for. I raised a titter when I mentioned that I hadn’t played a first-person PC game since 2007 and that I was unsure how PC games were controlled. As I eventually moved down the first beautifully-designed and unbearably atmospheric corridor I was soon confusing buttons and hotkeys, throwing chairs around the castle, taking out my lantern to read a note and just generally not knowing how to control my character. I was nervous but I eventually began to question why. Was I more nervous about my sanity slowly draining away as I stuttered about in Amnesia or was I perhaps more nervous about looking like an actual gamer in front of my PC-loving pals? By the third “you’re not very good with PC games, are you?” I had strong suspicions it was the latter.

Soon after I finished my experience of Amnesia (I lasted an hour before retiring to my room with the lights on and the curtains closed) I began to wonder just why I felt I had to justify my being as a gamer to both my friends and to myself. Just why I felt so inadequate when put in front of a PC monitor and a PC game? I didn’t enjoy trying to control a character in the first-person on a PC, that was for sure. I didn’t like the mouse-and-keyboard control method, and I certainly didn’t enjoy assigning hotkeys, discovering in-game menus through the keyboard and the overly-responsive gaming mouse.

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Maybe, as a teenager brought up on consoles to provide videogame entertainment, I was so used to the idea of an actual controller in my hand that I just dismissed any alternatives immediately. The only PC game I have ever enjoyed has been Football Manager and it requires nothing more than a touchpad and the spacebar to play. The simplicity of using a controller (or a spacebar in Football Manager’s case) appeals to me and maybe that says more about me than I would like to let on, but in truth I don’t enjoy videogames that become a chore to control as many PC games do.

During those teenage years I would enjoy a wide range of games on console: both home and handheld. Titles like FIFA 2003, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Mario Kart 64, V-Rally, Pokémon Blue and WWF Smackdown were all fantastic experiences for me and stuck with me as I grew older and wiser. Soon however the gamers around me were entering a strange new world of videogames that I couldn’t comprehend.

Out of nowhere my friends were switching from their PlayStation 2s and GameCubes to their PCs. Four of them had purchased a copy of Counter-Strike: Source each to play online and before long they were involved in clans and professional matches. This was a strange sight to behold as my friends were soon discussing official gaming tournaments and the latest MMORPGs available. When I tried to turn the conversation to a console game I was enjoying I would be offered patronising sympathies, awkward glances or just plain laughed at. PC gaming, I was told, was the future and I should get my parents to invest in a better computer so I could play online with them.

“I couldn’t understand what made PC games so special compared to their console counterparts”But as I watched some of my friends play Counter-Strike: Source, although I could understand the appeal of the game, I couldn’t understand what made PC games so special compared to their console counterparts. Why was Counter-Strike: Source so much better than Call of Duty 3, for example? The graphics and sound of CS:S certainly weren’t up to much and the gameplay seemed a lot less fluid than that on the PlayStation 2. My friends assured me that rather than the games being sub-par it was simply their gaming machines that weren’t up to scratch. Once they had saved enough for a new graphics card or a new processor, there would be a great improvement in overall game quality.

By this time however I was already saving up for some gaming hardware of my own: the heavily-delayed, industry-changing PlayStation 3. My friends were still telling me how I should stop playing consoles and invest in a new computer as it was a much better way of experiencing videogames but in the light of this beautiful new console I just couldn’t see how. The PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 represented everything my friends wanted from their PC games: beautiful graphics, unrivalled processing power, a great range of FPS titles and a good online community at a much cheaper price than a gaming computer.

My friends eventually bought seventh-generation consoles but even today they very rarely play them, preferring to experience and enjoy their PC games. Some play Portal 2, others play World of Warcraft and some just enjoy whatever Steam is offering this month. My flatmates enjoy nothing more than a match of League of Legends or Starcraft II and I hear on a regular basis how bloody good Minecraft is, but not as often as I hear myself being chastised for sticking with console gaming and being a poorer gamer as a result, whether by PC-playing friends or on internet forums.

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Again, maybe I’m generalising. As I said before, I’m sure that the majority of PC gamers across the world aren’t as high-and-mighty as some of those I have encountered and that many of them enjoy a fine mix of PC and console gaming.

Perhaps PC gaming just isn’t for me and that’s that. I’ve certainly not gone out of my way to try a top-of-the-range PC game (aside from one stupid night where I signed up for a World of Warcraft trial and realised it was just a multiplayer Morrowind) and to be honest, I don’t intend to. I don’t believe sticking with console games makes me any less of a gamer and I don’t believe it makes any of my opinions less valid. I prefer to sit down with a beer in my mouse-clicking hand and a DualShock in my “WASD” hand.

It’s just how I enjoy games. And isn’t that the most important thing?

Spread the word

About the author

Ashley Wilkinson is a Staff Writer at Thunderbolt, having joined in December 2011. Ashley has been an avid gamer since childhood and loves writing about his hobby. His blog can be read at www.ashleywilkinson.co.uk and he can be reached on Twitter. Get in touch on Twitter @WilkinsonAshley.

Comments

Nathan
7th January 2012

There is a lot I could argue against in this article.. I don’t really want be that “pc guy” though. For the most part you friends are being kinda douches.. but at the same time it dosnt really sounds like you are even giving it a chance.

For one the controls.. I’m not the biggest fan for mouse/keyboard either but it still works great I can’t deny that.Its much more faster and accurate. What you are experiencing with not being able to control well or liking it is just the fact you aren’t use to it and you are under pressure from your mates to preform well. Imagine the first time you used analog sticks, you were most likely clumsy and awkward as well, I know I was. Secondly.. I’d say most modern PC games support controllers (although Amnesia does not) you can use a 360 pad or even download some drivers to use your DS3. Even Steam is pushing developers to add controller friendly options their games and they plan to make a better controller friendly UI as well. PC gaming is becoming more and more controller and couch friendly by the day.

Then you bring up price. If your friend actually is buying a top of the line PC this year.. I can almost guarantee it will outlast even the next generation of consoles. Also most PC gamers don’t just game on their PC.. its an open personalized entertainment hub. All your music, movies, games and such. People like me use computers for work as well.. such as graphic design and photography. As an open platform you will get much more worth out of it. That said you can get a PC these days that is much stronger than a PS3 or 360 for not a bad price at all. As long as you aren’t being dumb and buying scamhardware from companies like Alienware. Talking more about prices though I would almost say I spend far less gaming on a PC than on console. Games are often cheaper on release and sales are extremely frequent. Plus I am not paying for xbox live or PSN+ when I get all those features free on PC.

Anyways I could go on and on.. about pros and cons but its clear your friends are just being a bit over bearing and you are not taking it well.. which is understandable. Just like when the PS3 had no games Sony fans were uptight and aggressive and 360 fans have done the same thing when their systems were red ringing. PC gamers got a whole lot of shit from console gamers this gen claiming “PC gaming is dead”, we got sick as hell of hearing it when there was experiences on the PC you can just not get on the consoles. Now that PC gaming is on the rise.. we do tend to talk a bit of shit :P. Your friends though.. I wouldnt even really say the games they are playing are even a good example of PC gaming. CS:S is popular because it was ahead of its time and the community never died and World of Warcraft.. honestly I don’t even consider WOW only players gamers at all.. that is more of a social thing than a game.

Last of all..not to be a dick, your comment about WOW being a multiplayer Morrowind is pretty laughable. I can’t imagine you played both of those games and got that impression from them both. They could not be anymore different.
Naami
7th January 2012

I agree with Nathan. I say, to each his own.
Zachary Borrelli
7th January 2012

There is a reason why games like CS:S and WoW are so popular and it’s because of sheer size, expansion and customisation that a console will NEVER have. Aside from DLC there will never be a console game that can match a PC game for sheer depth and longevity; I implore you to find a game you can play on console as much as someone on the PC would.

CS:S is the greatest example of community, sheer fun and the customisation I spoke about, most of the maps on that game are custom made by the community, the mods that appear on the game are once again created by the community and only a platform as complex as a PC can achieve this. I’d love to see the day when custom maps were allowed on the console version of COD or TF2 for instance.

Consoles are fine for single player games, give me Assassin’s creed on PS3 anyday of the week over a PC, that will never work. No, the PC flourishes when you introduce muliplayer aspects, the precision a gaming mouse give you over a poxy analogue will always be better for that knife edge sniper battle you’re having with someone, the ability to change which way you are going, jump and prone straight after can be the deciding manoeuvre between death and your next headshot. You can’t tell me that you’d be able to out precision a mouse and keyboard with a controller on a multiplayer game EVER (aside from FIFA and Racing games).

PC gamers are not all douches, I’d say about 80% of the gamers I know are PC gamers and I wouldn’t trade them for the World, heck two of my best mates are moderate PC gamers and we’ve had some of the best moments of our friendships playing CS:S at about 1am in the morning, nothing will ever beat the sense of teamwork and adrenaline a good game of CS:S brings.

Another point is competitive gaming, I’d like to point out that the BIGGEST games that are competitively played are PC games, OLD PC games at that. CS1.6 is still the 3rd most played game on Steam and it is one of the most played competitive games STILL after 12 years! Does this not show the longevity of the PC game and the gamers that play it? They are true to their games and stick by them through thick and thin. I know for a fact you contemplated trading your PS3 in and games just for some money, ask any PC gamer if they’d ever sell their most prized piece of kit? Ain’t gonna happen.

PC gamers have a right to feel better in most aspects, they are proud of their collection, most can say they are proud of their achievements and their skill within the games they play and the sense of teamwork, dedication and loyalty they show will always trump a console gamer. Console gamers are fickle, moving from game to game without a care in the World, leaving piles of old and unwanted games behind them.
Zachary Borrelli
7th January 2012

I also agree with Nathan, WOW being a multiplayer Morrowind? Give over, that’s like saying COD is a multiplayer MGS because they both contain guns
wizenhymer
8th January 2012

I also posted this on n4g:

Play only PC for a month and I GUARANTEE you will not want to go back to console. You can buy a up-to-date, almost highest end PC for around $1,000. A new console costs 500 maybe 600 bucks. A PC is well worth it. Once you get accustomed to it you will find how accurate the aiming is, how easier a keyboard is. PC gamers feel superior because the platform they are playing on is superior, granted they still shouldn’t act like assholes because of it. I own PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and every other console that has come out since the mid 90s. But I still prefer PC. It’s cheaper in the long run, better control, competition, customization, I could go on and on.

Console games theoretically are not as ‘hardcore’ of gamers as a typical PC player is. Console has no competitive multiplayer scene (because the controls suck). Look at the big competitive games: Quake, Counter-Strike, Tribes, LoL, DoTA, and so on. ALL on PC. What does console have that can actual pass as competitive, Halo? It’s like the article said: I enjoy the simplicity, I like to sit down and have a beer. Okay, then you are a CASUAL GAMER. And there is nothing wrong with that, just don’t compare yourself to PC gamers. If a PC gamer laughs at you, most of the time it’s probably not because you play consoles but because of your ignorance. Nothing wrong with being a casual gamer.
Sideras
8th January 2012

I consider myself a PC Gamer primarily, but I do own consoles and I have since the NES. What I hate with a passion about consoles and console kids is the whole FPS shit. And the inability to actually understand that fact is fact, and an analogue stick will NEVER be more precise than a mouse. I’m not saying you can’t play and enjoy that, but it simply isn’t better wheter you prefer it or not.
And what’s with the auto-aiming, that if something is what the competitive PC scene is laughing at the most.
sklorbit
8th January 2012

Most of the people commenting on this are not understanding the point of this article at all. He is absolutely not saying that console is better, or that PC sucks, he is trying to make the argument that PC players seem to think they are superior when really it comes down to preference. As a person who owns a decent computer as well as all current gen consoles, I understand in a way that most people can’t, that it is all about preference, and that each platform of gaming has something unique and amazing to offer. I play counter-strike, gears of war, zelda, uncharted, ect; some people would still try to argue that I am not as much of a gamer as them though because i primarily play console games.

I happen to prefer controller because of its comfort-ability, for me having more responsive buttons and actual triggers adds a lot to a games experience. I also prefer sitting back in a nice couch and playing on my 32″ over sitting in a chair at a desk staring at a screen a foot from my face. I have more friends that play console, also games are much easier to play on console just stick the disk in and play. Not to mention games such as Gears of War and Metal Gear solid that are not available on PCs. THIS IS MY PREFERENCE! I am not saying i am better than you, or that my way of playing games is better! I have played the crap out of counter strike and TF2 don’t get me wrong, but at the end of the day I usually find myself on the console!

From my experience with PC Elitists, they are usually either 2 things:

- Tech crazed idiot who doesn’t really care about the games, just wants to be able to say they can run them (IE person who buys Crysis/Battlefield 3 and talks about how amazing it is when they played for 30 minutes at the most)

This person either spent all their money on a computer and can’t afford other platforms and feels they must stick up for their choice, or just is too damn stubborn to give anything else a shot.

Lot of these people just play wow or league of legends. (dont require good computer)

- Person who truly does enjoy console games when they play them, but feels they will be looked down on if they try to own them. I have a friend who always wants to come over and play console games, even though he has the best computer money can buy. I ask him why he doesn’t buy an xbox, his response, “CONSOLOLOLOLO.”

We are talking about games here people. What you play doesn’t mean anything to anyone, PC elitists get off your high horse.
Pete
8th January 2012

1. Controls were designed to be utilized with a mouse and keyboard for certain games. When they try and cram all of those buttons onto a controller is when things get messed up but console gamers adapt to it. Many games on the PC can now be played with a controller as well. I do agree that the WASD commands for movement aren’t as user friendly if you’re a regular console gamer.

2. PC’s are scalable depending on your investment. Consoles are static which means you get what you get. Hardly any customization and next to no MOD support. PC games can also run well beyond the standard 720p 30 fps we see on consoles.

3. The online community is leaps beyond what we see on consoles for three main reasons. You will get far more mature players because they are also for the most part older. Punkbusters and other forms of cheat free applications exist. Since the PC is open source 3rd party applications can be set in place. On a console you are at the mercy of the provider to handle complaints and cheaters. Lastly the online community is far more active. Why is Counter Strike better? The game is old yet still has a very active community. Games like Call Of Duty on consoles die off because console gamers go on to their next fix. Which again relates to the maturity of each community.

4. Pricing is more competitive on PC gaming. Steam is a prime example of software sales that make the console software prices pale in comparison.

5. Software isn’t locked to the hardware. When I buy a game on the PS3 or Wii or Xbox 360, those games can only be played on the corresponding systems. Which again is why games like Counter Strike last so long. Buy a new PC, play the same game. Only this time when you have a better PC the games run better. On consoles you have to wait and see if they will even offer backwards compatibly (which again is only good if you stick to the same brand) and the games won’t play better or look better. Unless they come out with a remastered game like we see happening on the PS3. However those games come with an all new purchase.

6. The game library on PC’s dates back decades, not years.

7. The PC is host to many options, not just Steam. PC gamers are not tied to the console maker. I can buy games off of Origin, Steam, Desura and so on.

This article comes across as trying to validate console gaming. We all know why some prefer consoles. The exclusives, the ease of use, the standard technology, the price to get started, the standard controller and so on. PC gaming is the elite of gaming. You are essentially comparing a Honda Civic to that of a Honda NSX.
Mike
8th January 2012

A lot of the negative feelings you’ll get from PC gamers will stem from the (valid) belief that consoles are holding back PC game development. Certainly with FPS’, it’s plain to see that the genre has become a series of narrow corridors with random bits of waist high cover strewn about so you don’t need to worry about moving and shooting at the same time. The only recent big release where this isn’t the case is Battlefield 3, and that’s got separate maps for the console and PC versions. We’ve dealt with shit for… what, it’s 7 years ago the 360 came out? About how PC gaming is dead, well, 20 years I guess since the 4th generation of consoles, but most significantly this current one since it almost caught up with the PC featureset. It’s reasonable to experience some backlash, even if you haven’t dished it out yourself.
Derek
8th January 2012

PC gamers have a reason to feel more superior; the platform itself is. The hardware is more powerful, the competitive scene is much larger on PCs, and there aren’t as many 12 year-olds cursing at you all the time. Though of course there should be a limit to that.
I don’t have any hard feelings one way or the other. It comes down to genre preference for me. For example, I honestly prefer FPS games on consoles. I realize that the controller will never be as accurate nor as responsive as a mouse and keyboard and that the graphics are sub-par compared to PCs, but I prefer the feel of a controller. However, I will never play a strategy game nor an MMO on a console. There is just no way to properly play those genres on a console.
Guymar Dudikoff
8th January 2012

Personally, I think it’s the online community in general. If you want an example, try to put together a MUGEN fighter. It used to be relatively easy, but for the last 7 or so years, nobody shares anything, and heaven forbid you ask for links or files you’ll get the cold shoulder. Then why post about it, if it’s going to be this super secret Illuminati type thing?

Or GameFAQS. If people simply don’t know the answer, they’ll berate the questioner or ignore them, until some soul, months later will admit they just don’t know.

The hardcore gamers have some money invested in their machines, so I’m sure that feeds the superiority complex. $200-$300 is all you need to enjoy a shooter online on console depending on what you buy and the service, whereas they spend anywhere from $500 to $2000 depending on how smart they are about shopping and hardware.
Dado Bax
10th January 2012

Interesting article. I partially agree.
I am 22 and I played Pc Games since I was 6. I love pc-gaming, but I am not a WASD+mouse Sustainer. Usually I prefer my 360 Microsoft Controller.
Obviously, in FPS, I play on keyboard, but is for abitude.

However I would to reportate a fact.
In World Cyber Games 2011 (http://www.wcg.com) :
- 8 games are for PC (Starcraft II, WarCraft III, League of Legends, CrossFire, Special Force, World of Warcraft, FIFA 11 and COUNTERSTRIKE)

- only 1 game is for Console (Tekken 6 for XBOX360)

- 1 game for Mobile (Asphalt 6 Adrenaline)

Ok, Heavy Rain is great. Probably is a MasterPiece that Pc Community envy PS owners. But StarCraft II (and the competition world behind it) is a PC feature.

Try to search “Starcraft II commentary” on YouTube. You’ll discover a World you can’t imagine.
Rob
13th January 2012

I agree Ash, I think most games are easier and more suited to the PS3. Fair enough if people prefer shooters on the pc but I agree it is harder to control. Although I do think that strategy games are best for pc which I love playing. Take Age of Empires, one of the greatest games of all time. Still play number two to this day.