ResearchConsole versus PC Gaming
In the recently passed decade, games on the Personal Computer outdistanced the games available on the console in almost every category. However, in just the last few years, console gaming systems have caught up and dramatically even passed-by the personal computer gaming experience.
The reason for this is that the big three of Nintendo, Sony, and Xbox have enhanced their systems to pack in features that used to be only a computer's advantage. Add to this that the personal computer is expected to do anything and everything, while the gaming console is just as powerful, but devoted mainly to games. There are quite a few ways in which the console gaming experience is superior to the PC:
Time for one. Consoles don't require a lengthly install process; just pop in the cartridge or disc and go. Where you have to scrutinize the PC game to see if it works on your system, all you have to do for a console game is check the brand name. Console games are designed for fast load and fast shutdown, making them more suited to grabbing a quick twenty minutes of fun sandwiched between two items on a busy schedule.
Gaming consoles beat PCs for total cost. The average life of a console system is about six to eight years, and within that time you'll have access to a gamut of games running out of the same system. With a PC, you must continually upgrade your system as the hardware demands are always rising at a dizzying rate; last year's graphics card gets eaten by today's. The average cost of a PC is also in the thousand-dollar range if you want a top-performance gaming system, compared to a console's hundred-dollar range.
Consoles have caught up to PCs for quality. While PCs typically ruled for years because of their monitor's high-definition display, consoles have been recently making use of high-definition TVs. Add to that that your can hook your biggest, baddest pair of speakers to your gaming console, where PCs are stuck with little chirping speakers. Consoles have also caught up with and passed PCs for hardware specs; modern consumers may be surprised that their console has more Gigabytes of memory than their PCs.
The console games themselves have increased in immersion and performance. Gone are the days when playing a console was limited to arcade-style games; with the advent of Half-Life, Elder Scrolls, Grand Theft Auto, and the Sims series, console games now allow live multiplayer action that's easy to set up, deeper game play, and more memory to allow a more sophisticated set of options.
Finally, there are the mutimedia capabilities, unheard-of in the consoles of just a few years ago. A console gaming system now qualifies as a one-stop home entertainment system as well. Right now, you may have a separate DVD player in addition to your console, but the consoles of today are a good sign that when your DVD player gives up the ghost, it just might not need to be replaced.