Playing console games - painful?

I've been playing a lot more of my PC for the last 6 months and more, and literally haven't touched my Xbox in that time. It was hard going back to play Saints Row on Xbox, when it really does run pretty bad. I've been playing it alongside Just Cause 2 on the PC, and whilst both of them are probably the two best open world sandboxes of this generation, the sheer beauty and smooth magnificence of Just Cause 2 on PC at max settings makes me want to say it's just outright a better game. Not having to deal with sub 20FPS at times and seeing some of the most gorgeous landscapes and vistas I have ever seen in a game makes doing dumb shit in planes and crashing cars repeatedly way more fun.

@avantegardener: Console gaming is nowhere near dead.

@Devil240Z said:

I feel the opposite. I have a gaming PC that I built recently and playing PC games is making me want to go back to console.

I'm getting sick and tired of games that don't have proper gamepad support. Obviously with exclusions of course, games like Endless space and starcraft 2 are way better on keyboard. But why the hell cant I play minecraft with a 360 pad? WHY! Or mass effect 3. Shit makes no sense.

Yeah I find that annoying as well but than when I look at the frame rate of say Borderlands on PC when compared to my PS3 version it makes it worth it.

I have never been that much into PC gaming but I have never felt like I am left out with playing console games.

@bluecollaralaskan said:

@Devil240Z: use xpadder, it takes a little bit to realy get familiar, but when you do ,its great. I've been playing the Secret World on a gamepad, and it's just fine. I keep the kb/m handy for menu nav and things, but I have my essential hotkeys mapped to the pad, and it works rather well.

I tried that for a while but my problem with it was that when I played games with native gamepad support xpadder would screw with it so I had to uninstall it. I even had the paid version I believe.

@msavo said:

@Devil240Z said:

I feel the opposite. I have a gaming PC that I built recently and playing PC games is making me want to go back to console.

I'm getting sick and tired of games that don't have proper gamepad support. Obviously with exclusions of course, games like Endless space and starcraft 2 are way better on keyboard. But why the hell cant I play minecraft with a 360 pad? WHY! Or mass effect 3. Shit makes no sense.

Yeah I find that annoying as well but than when I look at the frame rate of say Borderlands on PC when compared to my PS3 version it makes it worth it.

well I'm not too worried. BL2 should have native gamepad support. The original did anyway. But I'm getting it on PS3 for the split screen. Ill probably get the PC version a few years later when its like $5. Just like I did with the first game.

I'm not a graphics whore, so I don't this issue.

@Devil240Z:

you.. you can use a controller for minecraft, look up xpadder

@RandomHero666 said:

@Devil240Z:

you.. you can use a controller for minecraft, look up xpadder

I have xpadder. I tried to use it for minecraft. Didn't like it.

@JoeyRavn: my point is, there will always be great games locked at 30 because you can always puch for more physics, more complex AI, more characters on screen etc etc etc instead on focusing on frame-rate. Optimizing a game to run at 60 is also a pain in the ass for most devellopers if they're already pushing the limite of the system.I really don't think the big bullet point of next gen will be 60 fps for all games because it dosen't sell as well as prettier explosions and more polygons.

And since most people don't even see 60 fps as a meaningfull upgrade, games at 30 are here to stay so if you ''find it painfull'' to play them, sucks for you.

Solution: don't get used to 60 fps

If you have a better one I'm listening

It's just framerate and loading times that sometimes bug me on console versions. Constant dips below 30fps get old fast. I'd rather they just simplify console version graphics anytime to maintain 30 or above. Performance > Pretty-Pretty [ALWAYS]. This applies to PC gaming as well, though it's much less an issue as we all know. Especially since we can usually tweak graphic settings to our heart's content.

@pyrodactyl: Better solution? Give developers better hardware to work with... as I said in my previous post. Better performance is something that everybody notices almost instantly, if they have the chance to see it, of course. Prettier explosions and more polygons come with, you guessed, better hardware. So, really, your "30 FPS or burst" position is pretty silly. If you want better graphics, get better hardware. Better performance will come naturally with it.

I didn't mention anything about the quality of the games, though. I don't understand why you keep basing your arguments in "great games" when this is solely a technical matter.

The whole process of playing a game on my console is a chore, at least compared to the ease of loading up a game while on my PC. If my PC isn't "on", it's always just a couple seconds away from waking to the desktop, and I can go from desktop to (for example) playing a round of COD in under a minute.

@warxsnake said:

Playing on current consoles is painful. Developing on current consoles is excruciating.

I found hilarious people concerns about "Next-Gen" budget increase. If so having better hardware would most likely decrease the dev cost.

fuck optimization for 7 year old hardware.

@JoeyRavn: better hardware means better everything exept frame-rate(unless it's sub 30 fps). That's just the industry we live with. 60 fps doesn't sell.

If your looking for steady 30 fps, better hardware is the solution. But the point of the OP was how it's hard to go back to 30 if you're used to 60.

So for the last time, the only solution is: don't get used to 60 fps.

@Accession said:

@Vinny_Says said:

the pain....it's unbearable, sometimes I envy starving African children; they don't have to deal with sub-par framerates and a lack of AA and V sync.

I had a feeling someone would make this inane argument. Yes, starving African children is a terrible thing, but that doesn't mean we should not talk about how we prefer to game. You're wasting time on an internet video game forum, not being useful to mankind at all. Get over yourself.

Although my comment was meant as a joke, I find your reply much more hilarious than anything I can pull off. Intentional or not, congratulations my good sir or madam for making my day :)

I really wish more games got a pc version, especially japanese games.

@CptBedlam said:

@avantegardener said:

most PC gamers are hooking their PCs up to the TV and sitting on the couch

I highly doubt that.

Yeah, I haven't met a single one. Most of my friends are PC gamers and they play on laptops or on their desktops, not on TVs. I personally hate the constant tweaking just to get a game to work right. Except in weird cases, it's usually safe to assume a game you purchase for a console is going to work just fine. I've rarely if ever had good experiences with PC games - they're always so janky, even on powerful ones.

Also, the games that really work better on a PC (FPS, CRPG, RTS, etc.) are all genres I kind of hate anyway. Platformers, third-person action and shooter games are really my gig.

@MormonWarrior said:

@CptBedlam said:

@avantegardener said:

most PC gamers are hooking their PCs up to the TV and sitting on the couch

I highly doubt that.

Also, the games that really work better on a PC (FPS, CRPG, RTS, etc.) are all genres I kind of hate anyway. Platformers, third-person action and shooter games are really my gig.

That right there is my problem. None of the games I want to play actually come out on PC and if they do, they aren't particularly better there, so yeah...I have to be fine with consoles and handhelds.

@pyrodactyl said:

So for the last time, the only solution is: don't get used to 60 fps.

OK, you keep telling yourself that, I'll go enjoy my games with better performance and graphical quality. Everybody wins.

I prefer the convenience of consoles. PC gaming drives me friggin' insane.

I switch between the two often enough that I'm not specifically accustomed to any frame rate.

I've lost count of how many times I've said this on these forums, but, 30 FPS is fine.

If I had the choice of playing on a nice gaming PC I would, but I don't. Yes my 360 pisses me off with how long the dashboard takes to load up, how often it comes it a freezing halt while in the middle of a game, the frame rate dips in a large percentage of games. It does the job for the most part though, there are still great games coming out and many more I still need to complete. They all tend to run fine for the most part. Like the rest of you I'm absolutely ready for the new consoles but for now, it's fine. It's 7 years old. Of fucking course it's getting rough around the edges.

@Mahonay: 30 fps is fine for some. I have several friends who can't seem to tell the difference between 60 and 30. But for my eyes, 30 feels horrendous. I notice it immediately and when you play so many games that are at and above 60 and you are conditioned to it, coming back down off of that is just too much. This has led me to ignore my 360 and PS3 for non-exclusives. It's very tough to look backwards these days.

I only have the option of consoles for current titles. Believe it or not, video games are still alright.

@Binman88 said:

The whole process of playing a game on my console is a chore, at least compared to the ease of loading up a game while on my PC. If my PC isn't "on", it's always just a couple seconds away from waking to the desktop, and I can go from desktop to (for example) playing a round of COD in under a minute.

You can if they're both in the same room.

@crcruz3 said:

@CptBedlam said:

@avantegardener said:

most PC gamers are hooking there PCs up to the TV sitting on the couch

I highly doubt that.

I double highly doubt that. Some PC gamers could hook theirs PC to TVs and sit on the couch, most just don't want to. I used to play Borderland Co-op on PC with a controller and my friends using mouse + kbs, they complained a lot about my precision (I'm way better with mouse and kb), but I love playing from the couch. I don't care about efficiency, I only care about fun.

You can have M+KB on a couch, you know... Gone are the days of massive 30 kilo Microsoft keyboards and metric ton weighing mice with rubber balls. Lay a modern light keyboard on your thighs and a lighter modern mouse on a small pad next to you on a couch and you're good to go. That's what I do!

On-topic, I severely regret buying a PS3 just for RDR, for full price. I try to embrace it and play new games on it but... The terrible visuals, the maddening loading times, the whole package being restrictive when it comes to controls and internet access, it's insane. On my PC I feel like I'm Zeus resting his buttocks on a cloud.

I actually find playing keyboard and mouse to be literally causing pains in my wrists compared to using a controller.

@pyrodactyl said:

@JoeyRavn: better hardware means better everything exept frame-rate(unless it's sub 30 fps). That's just the industry we live with. 60 fps doesn't sell.

If your looking for steady 30 fps, better hardware is the solution. But the point of the OP was how it's hard to go back to 30 if you're used to 60.

So for the last time, the only solution is: don't get used to 60 fps.

You might want to tell that to Criterion. Espically about Burnout. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-criterion-tech-interview-part-one-interview

Just multiplatform games. I find exclusives that are made optimized for the system great. Like the Uncharted series. Saints Row The Third ran fine on my PS3 too. I'm gonna hope Assassin's Creed 3 and GTA V run good enough on my aging PS3 as they are the last games this gen I'm really looking forward to.

I'm a console gamer, pure and simple. I can understand why so many people prefer playing games on PC, but consoles are just my preference when it comes to gaming. I'm not too picky about frames per second or amazingly high graphic quality. Also, and I'm not talking about anyone specific, but I really can't stand when PC gamers make me feel guilty for preferring consoles. I can't stand PC elitists, everyone has their preference and that's fine, but don't try to tell me that I'm missing out because PC is the only way to go. Sure PC games look amazing, but 360 and PS3 games still look pretty good too.

@AhmadMetallic said:

You can have M+KB on a couch, you know... Gone are the days of massive 30 kilo Microsoft keyboards and metric ton weighing mice with rubber balls. Lay a modern light keyboard on your thighs and a lighter modern mouse on a small pad next to you on a couch and you're good to go. That's what I do!

I did that several times and it's uncomfortable as fuck after a very short time. M&K just don't handle well in such a low position.

@AhmadMetallic said:

On-topic, I severely regret buying a PS3 just for RDR, for full price. I try to embrace it and play new games on it but... The terrible visuals, the maddening loading times, the whole package being restrictive when it comes to controls and internet access, it's insane. On my PC I feel like I'm Zeus resting his buttocks on a cloud.

RDR plays just fine and looks fantastic on the 360. I heard it's not as good on PS3 but hardly unplayable for sure. Also, you can feel like Zeus all you want but you ain't gonna get many games on PC. I play both, PC and console, but I don't pick my games by resolution and fps. I don't want to miss out just because of some petty elitist standards.

@Accession: PC framerates have ruined console games for me. Especially when they have less than average framarates. Halo Reach is just unplayable for me, at least the campaign.

@CptBedlam said:

Nope. 30 fps is perfectly fine for most games. Also, I can go back between smoother and better looking games on PC and console games. It just takes a little time to adjust.

Going back and forth is fine. I'm curious how you'd feel if you spent months only playing PC games that run super smooth and then tried to play a 360 game.

Honestly, a lot of things really bother me about console games now. Latency is super obvious to me now, controller acceleration can be a bit wonky, and man, I fuckin' hate auto-aim. It just makes me worse!

I used to be really damned good at Halo. Now I'm pretty bad at it, and can't hardly stand to play it. I wish like hell those games would come to GFWL.

@Devil240Z said:

I feel the opposite. I have a gaming PC that I built recently and playing PC games is making me want to go back to console.

I'm getting sick and tired of games that don't have proper gamepad support. Obviously with exclusions of course, games like Endless space and starcraft 2 are way better on keyboard. But why the hell cant I play minecraft with a 360 pad? WHY! Or mass effect 3. Shit makes no sense.

That's like being sick and tired of games that don't have proper keyboard and mouse support on the consoles. It's not the input method that the system uses. Just give Mouse and Keyboard some time, get to know them, and once you get comfortable with them, it'll be so much better for most games, and when it isn't the game will totally support it.

Minecraft is one game I'd love to see proper support for, but you can totally download a program that if you run in the background while you play will let you use a 360 pad. I'll try to dig up a link for you. Also, pretty sure you totally can use a gamepad in Mass Effect 3.. But why would you? Those games feel great with a mouse. Once you get comfortable with it, you won't want to go back except for games like Darksiders or Assassin's Creed, which are built for console controls. Shooters aren't, they are built for Mouse and Keyboard(it's just where they started, and the controls haven't changed enough to stop that from being true) and that is wayyyy better of an experience once you adjust. Trust me. Bulletstorm was pretty cool on 360, but was a god damned blast on PC because of the extra precision I had to pull off cool shots and the like.

The framerate is a big thing but man, the load times is why I can't bring myself to buy console multiplats.

Right now I'm as happy as a pig in shit; games are designed with all the comfort and accessibility of a console game (ie; they use a controller), but they all come out on PC running at 60 FPS at 1080. I get the best of both worlds for the time being.

Not very painful!

I don't have a good enough PC to run anything that came out after mid 2005 so I don't have the problem because I don't know what I'm missing.

@Landon said:

@Binman88 said:

The whole process of playing a game on my console is a chore, at least compared to the ease of loading up a game while on my PC. If my PC isn't "on", it's always just a couple seconds away from waking to the desktop, and I can go from desktop to (for example) playing a round of COD in under a minute.

You can if they're both in the same room.

My PS3 is directly below my PC, and connected to the same screen. Takes a substantially larger amount of time to get into a PS3 game from a standing start, compared with my PC.

I couldn't care less really, It is an incovience yes. I pretty much go where the people I play with go. If i have more people playing a game on a certain platform then that is what I buy it for. I prefer the PC but I play games mainly to play with friends. Now if only I had more people to play with on the PC :(.

@pyrodactyl said:

@Accession: my personal advice: don't get used to 60 fps in the first place.

I see a lot of PC gamers complaining about 30 fps locks but if you don't play most of your games at 60 fps you won't even know when a game is 60 or 30 fps.

30 fps will always be the standard for games so it really sucks if you want an all 60 fps world.

I haven't played a 30 fps game ever since I built my computer...

What are you talking about?

After playing PC FPS games, it's kind of hard to get the hang of playing Battlefield 3 on the PS3, but it works.

For me: Analog stick aiming = higher difficulty

The increased "immersion" of slower aiming is usually ruined by my increased awareness of the handicap enforced by the controls

So for shooters, I prefer mice

Depending on the game, I can get bothered by shit framerates on consoles *and* PC.
 
Saturday I picked up a $5 SyncMaster CRT, played some PC games with it and came to find that LCDs bother me more.

Look beyond the technical side of things. There are some gaming experiences that can only be had exclusively on a PC or console platform and that's probably not going to change in our lifetimes. I get what you're saying about the graphical polish that the PC can offer, but console gaming isn't going anywhere and neither are platform exclusives. Not every game needs 60-80fps.

@Doctorchimp said:

@pyrodactyl said:

@Accession: my personal advice: don't get used to 60 fps in the first place.

I see a lot of PC gamers complaining about 30 fps locks but if you don't play most of your games at 60 fps you won't even know when a game is 60 or 30 fps.

30 fps will always be the standard for games so it really sucks if you want an all 60 fps world.

I haven't played a non 30 fps game ever since I built my computer...

What are you talking about?

you mean you've taken my advice? Well good for you!

@pyrodactyl said:

@Doctorchimp said:

@pyrodactyl said:

@Accession: my personal advice: don't get used to 60 fps in the first place.

I see a lot of PC gamers complaining about 30 fps locks but if you don't play most of your games at 60 fps you won't even know when a game is 60 or 30 fps.

30 fps will always be the standard for games so it really sucks if you want an all 60 fps world.

I haven't played a non 30 fps game ever since I built my computer...

What are you talking about?

you mean you've taken my advice? Well good for you!

goddamnit...

You know what I mean, leave out the word non