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Just a simple question: Why do people like consoles/companies/PCs than the other(s)?

No flaming or console wars are intended, nor encouraged.

For me, I play PC/Nintendo (It's now mostly Nintendo). Because I don't think graphics matter, but the gameplay (Might be easier said because the Wii U is 1080p instead 480i/p like the Wii).

So what's yours?

PC for the abundance of free online multiplayer accessible games, and Nintendo Platforms because I am a fan of most every franchise present in the Super Smash Bros series.

I said about two years ago that this console generation I would like to be able to purchase all the major hardware platforms, but unfortunately PS4 doesn't exactly have that many games that are compelling to me, and all the exclusive games coming to the Xbox 1 are getting PC Ports so what is really the point of getting that system?

On top of that, I do also regret buying the Wii U when I did. It really feels like this is the first holiday that there are enough must-haves to warrant the purchase of one.

And I just got steam just a few months ago. I mainly avoided it to spite the Glorious PC Gaming Master Race Elitists, but thus far it's been a decent service (though hasn't changed my mind about the fanboys in the slightest). Unfortunately I am a bit more hard pressed to find games I actually like on that platform. Though in this case it's not them it's me, it's uncomfortable for me to play a game with a mouse and keyboard, so I quickly tire if I'm not able to use my USB controller.

I grew up with PC, so it's what I'm used to. DOS gaming was where I was raised, and it grew from there. Building my first PC is one of my proudest achievements. (I haven't achieved much.)

I feel Mouse and Keyboard are much more versatile and precise for 3D games, especially shooters. Some games, I still hugely prefer a controller, like with Dynasty Warriors. Thankfully, I have that option.

You have literally thousands of games available in some degree on PC, and that's before you add emulation into the equation. IBM PCs are been around since the early 80s, and the flow hasn't stopped since. Also, PC seems to be much more welcoming of small indie devs than console markets, so it's easier to find fresh stuff.

Mods. They can make an old game fresh and new again. Doom has aged OK considered it's over 20 years old, but throw Brutal Doom into the mix, and it's brand new all over again. I pine for people who play Bethesda games on consoles, as they miss out on the glorious modding community, as well as fan bug fixes and balance patches.

Free games. Not even torrents, freeware stuff. Legitimately free, not allegedly free like most mobile games. The original Spelunky, for instance, is free and open source.

Customization. Pay for what you need. I bought an (at the time) pretty solid GPU because I play mostly action games and didn't need tons of CPU power. It's becoming a bit long in the tooth now, but an upgrade is only about $120, compared to a brand new console, and I don't lose anything.

And finally.

Another excellent point, but…
1. All consoles are 1080p.
2. Indies aren't always good. Looks what happened to one of them (GamerGate).
3. VR is coming to PS4.
4. Mods are hard to set up, like gaming PCs in general.

And the more I look at that gif, the more I'm reminded of the "great community".

I get what you mean. However, it's just the Xone that's lacking for me. I'm not a fan of FPS, and most games are also on PC and PS4.

The Wii U, I've rented for a month. I didn't have a NNID, so I couldn't really say much of it.

>mods are hard to set up
Maybe you just can't fucking read. Is it really that hard to read instructions before installing?

I prefer consoles by a ton. I can see why people like PCs, but to me a PC could never ever replace consoles. I have many reasons why, so I'll just list them out bullet-style.

1. Nintendo: This is probably my biggest reason. It's 90% of the reason I do not switch to PC gaming completely or mostly. I have other reasons of course, but this is pretty much most of why I don't. People tell me PC still is superior because "you can emulate." That's a pretty bullshit reason. For one, emulation is complicated and hard to do. Secondly, which is my main reason since I could just learn how to emulate is just that I don't want to pirate everything. I want to give a good company money for their good products. I don't want to be some backwards fan who doesn't pay for shit. I'm not totally against piracy personally and I wouldn't equate it to stealing completely and I think in moderation it's fine, but come on, I don't support getting everything for free all the time. It's these kinds of people who make piracy so stigmatized in the first place. Nintendo games are mu favorite. They're the main reason I like video games and I don't really care for too many of the games available on PC to make a switch or anything.

2. Screen: This ties in some ways to the first point, and that is that I want a big screen. Sure some computers have some good screens, but nothing beats a flat screen showing 1080p definition games on a couch with a controller. Of course you can use a controller for a PC and I'm sure someone's going to tell me that there's some way to play PC games through the TV, but I don't understand this logic at all. If you play PC games on everything but the PC including using a different controller and a different screen then there's no reason for you to be using a PC is there? If you prefer using a big screen on a couch and a controller then why would you cash out for a fancy PC when that's what consoles do except way less complicated and pricy? Like how Steam is making a new system thing that's basically a console while claiming to be PC. It's a console and it works like a console, it's just that it works with Steam.

3. Complicatedness and Price: This is something advocated by console users all the time, mostly because it's a damn good reason. Like I said above, why do so much work with modding and emulation and plugging stuff in and getting parts and building it or some parts of it and the enormous bill that comes with everything. It's pretty ridiculous for something that isn't worth my time personally as shown by my two above points. God are the bills for these things enormous. Not everyone has the money for this or the time and technical know-how to do all of this shit. People really experienced in PCs often forget that not everyone knows how to do this stuff and it's not always as simple to learn as "look it up".

Ain't you a peach.

Consoles are good because you don't have to deal with all the software bullshit you do on PCs (audio drivers, video card drivers) and making sure you can actually play the game (have the proper RAM, video card, etc.). You pop in the disk, install it (on the newer consoles), and play. Not nearly as much hassle as with a PC. They also allow for simple muiltiplayer, without having to deal with LAN cables or local area network settings.

PCs are good because of their versatility. If you have the right program, you can play pretty much any game, from any system, any time. You can build your computer with the latest and greatest tech right now and not have to wait 8 years for a company to release a new system. You also have a native mouse and keyboard, which are much faster at playing certain games (FPS) and browsing the internet.

Agreed, but since when did you need LAN for singleplayer?

Consoles (at least the modern ones) is very horrible IMO. I just hate it when I have to pay some crappy subscription fee just to play online. Playing with a joystick is good, but it feels stiff in some games. Lastly, you can't multitask in a console(or in other word, running ten Crysis programs at the same time). Also, did I mention the crappy sub fee?

1. For Xbox, you pay $60 for online for a year. Seems fair to me. Also, PS4 (I think) & Wii U's online are FREE.

So your argument is only on at least 1 of 3, and even then, it looks like a fair (I've never owned a 360 or and Xone(yet, if a good-looking RPG comes out on it) to pay. I'll pretty much pay the same price for most games, anyway.

2. Eh, no arguments there. Some games feel a little off at times (I'm used to having A as jump, so jump being Y in Skyrim was a little like this:)
3. Xbox allows this (I can't say if it does it GOOD, but hey, it's there), but not PS4.

Wii U? Soooort of…

I assume you can open these with the game still running in the background, but I know the Internet Browser works while games run.

Also, you can basically play the game on the Gamepad (select games only) while the TV is on something else (like TV), which is sort of multitasking as well.

EDIT: I was wrong. "PS+ costs $17.99 for 3 months, or $49.99 for 12 months."-Source:http://community.us.playstation.com/t5/PlayStation-General/how-much-will-it-cost-to-play-online-on-ps4/td-p/41668829

Consoles and PC's have their respective pro's and con's

People pick a preference of one for the same reason they choose between Mac or Windows. Or Chrysler or Ford. Or iPhone or Android. Or PS4 or Xbox. Or Photoshop or GIMP.

There's too many factors influencing these decisions for me to sum up. But I personally think the biggest part of it is what you grew up using or just became used toward

I'm a very strict PC user because I've always been a PC gamer since I played Commander Keen on the 286. It's what I was raised to use.

I only use consoles when I'm playing with friends who bring theirs, and I'm not very good at them. I find controllers very difficult and confusing, but that's also because I never owned a console in my life

I could go on big rants on how I find PC's superior as a gaming tool with all their extensiveness and versatility (and the M/KB) while the consoles are clunky and limited for me…but I'd be bias because my experiences with either are warped by my limited exposure to just one of them.

What stops me from being an annoying PC fanboi is knowing that there are definite advantages that consoles bring that PC can't offer. One of them is being an open inviting platform that encourages your non-gaming friends to join you, sit down next to you on the couch and grab a controller.

I almost forgot to mention this: EMULATION!

I prefer PC gaming, and here are my reasons:

1. PCs are multi-purpose: While many gaming PCs cost far more than a typical console, they at least have the rather large benefit of having more purposes than gaming. For example, my gaming rig ran me around $2,600 (total, with upgrades over a large period of time) but it doesn't just do gaming. I run servers, test software, do CAD, do programming, and sometimes I even create and test benchmarking software. (which believe me, will bring any processor to it's knees) The fact that my computer can be used not just as a toy but as a tool is very important to me, and at least in my eyes, it justifies the cost.
2. PCs are (for the most part) extensible. I have a fair amount of faith that even accounting for moore's law, my computer will be able to run the sequel to the next game because as long as there is no huge change in computing, the developers will always favor programming for the most common architecture and software. (I.E. x86_x64 and Windows/OSX/Linux)
3. This is the biggest one: Alterability: I've yet to see a console where you can (easily) install a piece of software which can completely alter the experience of a game. I am referring to mods. And I do not mean mods which are created by the developers to be added as additional content. When developers allow the modification of the way a game is played or viewed at the will of the people, they're utilizing the single most powerful resource they have available to them: their community. (see TF2, garry's mod, minecraft, etc…)

That doesn't mean I don't also enjoy console gaming though. I'm a huge sucker for nintendo, and have owned every console of theirs from the gameboy color to the 3DS XL. That's the advantage that consoles have for me. They have a certain charm about them, that I can't quite put my finger on.

…Which is illegal to do on modern consoles, and WAY too difficult to set up.

I like putting the game in and being sure that it works. I also prefer controllers over mouse/keyboard.
So obviously I tend to stick with consoles.

For me, a machine made especially for games just seems more convienient. Sitting on the couch, no need to fuck around till you get the game to work, like with so many PC games. That's the way games are supposed to be, IMO.
Plus, consoles tend to have my kind of games.

But I do have a Steam account and own a couple of PC games on disc.

If you have the money to create a PC capable of emulating a home video game console perfectly you likely also have the money to, gasp, actually buy the god damn system~

Amazing right?

@Natsuru

PC gamers have different priorities.

Why would I spend money on console/handheld hardware when that same money could go towards my next CPU upgrade?

Especially when most emulators wont cost me

The mentality of "Why would I spend my money on something if I've already spent my money on something else?" is unhealthy in my opinion. If you are legitimately interested enough in a current gen game to STEAL it you probably should re-assess what your priorities actually are.

Emulation does have it's place, but not in the realm of current gen software and hardware. Support the damn developers.

(And nice Freudian Slip earlier.)

But it'd be hard to set up.

"nothing is better than 1080p on a flat screen"

only if i had disposable income

Ultimate Fanboy said:

since when did you need LAN for singleplayer?

You don't. LAN would be for local multiplayer (with a friend at a nearby computer), whereas you could just plug in another controller with a console.

I'm a console guy at heart, Nintendo/Sony is my set up, but I'll always be a Ninty guy. It them games man, them games. Graphics can be a nice polish to a good game, but to me, it's just not what I look for. Sony/Nintendo gets me more exclusives that I'm into, and while PC is nice for some sweet indies (hyped as shit for A Hat In Time, since that's not been confirmed for Wii U at the moment), I just prefer a controller in my hand. The plug in and play aspect is also sweet, since I'm about as technologically savvy as your average elderly citizen, despite how much time I spend on them.

Oh yeah.

You just can't have this discussion without it devolving into a heated ragefest, can you? OP simply asked "Why do you prefer what you do?" It didn't have to become a struggle for supremacy.

But this is the Internet, so what was I expecting?

Yeah, I half expected it as well.

Even though I do most of my gaming on a PC nowdays (Diablo II, LoL, Jagged Alliance 2) I'm still a console player at heart. It's just more appealing to insert a disc or a casette, hit the power button, and start playing the game immediately.

Whereas on a computer, it's always, install this, then update this, then download this, then create a profile here, then buy this upgrade, and then try to get through all this copyright stuff, even though you have a legal copy. Great, now you can play your game, just adjust all the graphic setting so that it actually runs somewhat smoothly, and prepare for possibe crashes and internet problems. It doesn't help that I'm bad with mouse/keyboard controls either.

I can definitely see the appeal of PC gaming. But since I'm not too keen on superior graphics, mods, etc. myself, it's really not that big of a selling point for me. Most of my favourite games are 16-bit anyway, so it kinda proves pretty graphics and great draw distances don't hold much sway for me.

Everyone should just play with what they are the most comfortable with. Be it a PC, a console, or a phone. I don't really see the point of belittling others based on their choise of gaming gear.

It's the games themselves that matter more.

Everyone should just play with what they are the most comfortable with. Be it a PC, a console, or a phone. I don’t really see the point of belittling others based on their choise of gaming gear.
It’s the games themselves that matter more.

Quote of truthfullness +1

My main preference are consoles. I don't like sticking with just one of the trinity (Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony), that's why I play in all three; this applies for both home consoles and portable devices.

For me, graphics aren't that important; I put the emphasis on gameplay. It's a lesson I learned during my transition between the Famicom (I did have a Famicom, how did my parents got it for me? I may never know) and the N64.

I used to play on PC, mostly RTS games such as Age of Empires or stealth games like Commandos. However, thanks to the implementation of mexican pesos in Steam in the newest wave of transactions, I'm really considering buying games for it. My interest in PC games nowadays simply rely on indie games, The Last Tinker, They Bleed Pixels or The Stanley Parable, just to name a few.

I'm mainly a console guy, though I dabble in PC games a little bit. I grew up with consoles, and I've never really had a computer strong enough to handle anything close to AAA titles (currently I'm a college student with an HP laptop). I play PC games here and there (like TF2, GunPoint and L4D2), but I've developed a natural preference for consoles just because of the ease of using them (with PC I've struggled to get games to marginally work on my hardware when with my consoles I just pop the disk in and boom, ready to go). I fully understand and respect why people prefer PC gaming, it's just not for me.

Like Leviathan, I'm also a console dude tho dabbles in PC gaming. I also grew up with console (Playstaion) games, though I'ma lays seem to behind the curve regarding consoles (I got a used PS1 whent he PS2 was out, got a PS2 while the PS3 is out and now I ave a PS3 whiel the PS4 is out). I also play some handheld games on the Nintendo [3]ds

Besides the Childhood Factor most of the video games I like (Final Fantasy, Kingdom hearts, Disgaea, Neptunia, Spyro, Sly Cooper and BlazBlue) are usually on Playstation consoles.