I’ve always thought and said that PC FPS games are, overall, better than console games. People will often cite the Halo series, Lost Planet, and Gears of War as examples to the contrary, but there are very good counter arguments for those titles. For one, each one of those games has or will have a PC adaptation at some point. With Halo and Halo 2 already having PC versions at least as good as their console brothers, and Gears of War releasing its PC version, which according to reviewers is everything the console version was and more, it is hard for me to believe that FPS games for the consoles will ever be superior to the PC versions.
Since Halo is the benchmark for all FPS games to be released for consoles, it is obvious, at least to most PC gamers that play FPS games, that console gamers’ expectations for FPSs are much lower. When your best titles come in the form of the Halo series, which don’t look so great or innovative compared to many PC titles such as Half-Life 2 or the upcoming Crysis, it is hard to be disappointed. The most recent example of this is Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
I’ll warn you upfront that most of my information comes from Gamespot, but I’m going to be focusing on the user reviews rather than the critic reviews. Call of Duty 4 was released for the PC, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3. The game is nearly identical across all three platforms. Now, here is the user review data, separated by platform.
PC – Gamespot User Review Data
Total Reviewer: 17
Xbox 360 – Gamespot User Review Data
Total Reviews: 92
PS3 – Gamespot User Review Data
Total Reviews: 26
You can tell just by looking at the percentages, that console gamers thought that Call of Duty 4 was generally better than PC gamers thought. Granted, there could be some differences in the game for each platform, but usually the PC versions are always better, more versatile, and allow for extra free content. So why isn’t the PC version being rated as high by users?
The simple answer is that Call of Duty 4, while appearing to satisfy most PC gamers, isn’t considered the greatest thing since Halo. It does well what Infinity Ward set out to do and PC gamers acknowledge that, but they aren’t going to freakin’ sacrifice their first born over it. On the other side, however, console gamers appear to think that this is one of the best things since Halo and, in fact, they are right… as long as they are thinking inside a console-specific world.
I’m not saying that this data proves anything, but it definitely supports my theory that console gamers are more likely to think an FPS title is better than it actually is because of their limited knowledge and experience of FPS games. They cite games such as Halo, Gears of War, Rainbow Six: Vegas, and Resistance: Fall of Man as great FPS games and, therefore, they use them as the benchmarks for newer FPS console games. On the other hand, PC gamers have games such as Half-Life 2, Call of Duty, Battlefield, Enemy Territory, and Quake that they will often use as benchmarks, depending on individual preferences.
In short, console gamers and PC gamers differ in that the former expects less from FPS titles than the latter. We can expect to user reviews hinting at this fact more and more in the future when FPS titles are released at the same time across all major platforms.
Filed under: Call of Dut 4: Modern Warfare, PC FPS Games vs. PC Console Games, PC Gamers Expect More Than Console Gamers, PC Gamers vs. Console Gamers, PC vs. Console
Call of Duty 4 is going to be one of the best 2007 games! I can’t wait to start playing the one I bought from bestbuy.com
I decided to buy it after watching this game trailer: weshow.com/us/p/6618/call_of_duty_4_trailer
Perfect graphics isn’t it? I hope this game is as good as GoW
Interesting article! Although maybe ~17 & 26 people is too few statistically to compare to 96? I have to give you full credit for including this information though – it makes it far more meaningful. I would be interested to watch how these numbers change in the next week or so….
Also, dont forget, whilst yes the games are fairly identical between platforms, PC power will vary wildly amoung the people playing the game, from massively overpowered to held-together-by-duct-tape slide shows.
Is there an interesting point hidden here somewhere?
Ok Alex, let me start by asking what is the point of this article, or should i say statement. You are basically stating that ‘pc’s are better than consoles’ . Most ppl these days have both anyway, so your argument about each set of benchmarks is inaccurate.I, like many of the gamers i know have played all of the games you have used as an example. My favorite game of all time is rainbow six on the xbox 360, because of its excellent multiplayer gameplay and easy to access community (everybody who plays has a mic, not just 30% like the pc). Another point i would like to make is: like i said, i have both formats, so when i go to a games shop i look at both sections. i have bought about 8 appealing fps games for xbox this year and only one for the pc. Why? because this year has been very slow for pc fps games. Anyway, look! you made me bite. It doesn’t matter which is ‘better’ evryone enjoys their ‘preffered’ format, so thats all thats important right?
Ok Nick, let me respond by asking you what the point of your comment is. This is my blog and, therefore, is my place to write about whatever I want. The fact that it made “you bite,” is irrelevant. That was not my intention. My only intention was to provide some statistical basis for my theory. You provide nothing but opinions sold as facts.
You’re right, most people do have a gaming PC and at least one console. However, I know that most of them aren’t going to buy a game like Call of Duty 4 two or three times just because they have several platforms. So, they are going to purchase the version of the game for the platform they like the most.
All I’ve done was take a mere theory and support it with factual evidence. if you don’t like the way the numbers roll that’s your problem, but they don’t lie.
Also, I never once said that PCs are better than consoles. I said that, IN MY OPNION (try and grasp that phrase), FPS console games are years behind FPS PC games. I’ve owned my fair share of consoles and console games over the years.
Anyway, here is the summary. I provide factual evidence to support my claims. You provide opinions gift wrapped as facts and say that I’m wrong. I have written a complete article detailing my thoughts. You have written an incoherent mess that is borderline “fanboism.”
pwned, bwnt, pwnt, r4ged, cl4wed, and last but not least, cR0pDu$$$t3d“
I have to agree with you Alex. I also believe that the PC FPS gaming experience is better. Usually the graphics are better, the controls are more (if not fully) customizable, and online gaming is both free and better than its console counterparts. Mainly due to the stability of dedicated servers, and IMO better controlled avatars which lead to better competition.
For myself though, I tend to stray from console FPS games mainly due to the control schemes for consoles. Unless they allow for the southpaw(left-handed) control scheme (which many console games do not), I would have to play through a game feeling uncomfortable with the controls, which leads to a limited experience. Especially when it’s gaming online with consoles. Where my inability to adjust to the default control scheme pretty much makes my avatar seem slow, sluggish, and extremely inaccurate.
Who would want to play through a game handicapped anyways?
Oh and I forgot to add something to my previous comment….
Since there’s a larger selection of PC FPS games compared to consoles, and with IMO better games that set the standard in the PC world (like you said, Quake/Half-Life/Counter-strike vs Halo), PC gamers SHOULD have higher standards.
Plus, games that make it to the PC world from the console world are not only better than their console counterparts, but they’re also good indicators of how far behind the console FPS world is. When the games make the jump, even though some parts of the game gets better (graphics and controls), most of the time IMO the games tend to be on the easy side and/or just seems slow. Guess thats how most console FPS gamers like it.
Then again, for most console gamers, precision controlled games would be too hard at a fast pace (PC pace) without autoaim (which is a joke to the PC world).
Well, I was a PC gammer, and would still love to be, What made me change, defently not the control system for the console i hate it, Its the hackers on the PC that made me go console, No matter what anticheat system games have included theres one that will always beat it, Its called MSX Security. They make hacks for games that are undetectable by any anti-cheat system that’s out there
IT SUCKS AND HAS PUT ME OF PC GAMING
I MISS PC GAMING reason
Better graphics
Better draw distences
Just better
I am a PC gamer, who has played everything from Counter-Strike to World of Warcraft. Call of Duty 4 is a fantastic game. The single player is fun and it brings a lot of variety to the ordinary “shoot’em up” scenario. The multiplayer is even better, besides some overpowering weapons and perks; nevertheless the game is almost flawless. When looking at these results one has to remember that not all PC gamers have a perfect system to run this game. I myself am running an outdated system with a Geforce 6800. The game still looks good but nothing compared to what it will look like when I get my Geforce 8800 GT this christmas. With consoles all games for everyone is played at the same resolution, despite the differences in TV’s (exp. HD TV’s and such). Not only do we have to look at the look of the game but also the feel. I have a Xbox 360 and I am a dedicated Halo 3 player. If I had a mouse, playing Halo 3… well we’ll just say that the game would be a little unfair. The precision of a mouse over a thumbstick is like day and night.
PS3 Call Of Duty 4 HDMI will blow away anything offered by PC or XBOX 360.
^Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Wow, can you be any more of a fan boy? Thats like saying your Honda Civic can blow away my Indy car. Don’t compare graphics between systems when you don’t have any facts to support it. Resolution, texture quality, anti-aliasing, etc. can not be changed on a console game. They do that so they can maintain frame rates. PC games can be tweaked to get the best out of the game graphics wise because not all people have the same machine. Now go play with your controller and keep your fan boy attitude to yourself.
@ Jables:
I think you’ve seriously misunderstood my original article. Perhaps you would benefit from some reading comprehension courses.
By the way, this isn’t a forum. It is my personal blog. Why is it so hard for you idiots to grasp that concept? I made this blog to share my opinions, duh.
Anyways, nobody forced you to come here and act like an immature punk. You did that all by yourself, big boy.
Alex, I am sorry that you misunderstood who I was talking to. I was responding to the PS3 comment made by the person above my first post (thus including the ^)
I enjoyed your blog and I was trying to explain to PS3Gamer that his comment is what a fan boy would say. I was trying to back you up!!
But now I feel guilty for posting because you called me names and hurt my feelings. I will be ok so don’t beat yourself up over it.
Although this has nothing to do with the article, I think you are right about the reading comprehension courses. Since I was a young kid I was always behind the average in Reading. In my college days, I have gotten better.
Maybe I should not have reacted the way I did when I responded to PS3Gamer’s post, but I don’t think you should have reacted the way you did when you responded to me backing you up.
Now, lets shake hands…maybe hug a little…and be friends from here on out. OK?
LOL. Well don’t I look retarded!
No hard feelings. I missed the very subtle “^”. As far as the reading comprehension is concerned, that obviously doesn’t apply to you here. If anything, I would say it applies to me.
Thanks for letting me know though… no hard feelings.
I play games on both the pc and the consoles but i definitely like playing more in my ps3 or 360 than the pc.. However i do recognise that pc games may look a little better than the consoles but it hard to tell.
I play both and enjoy both. Oddly enough, I play PC FPS games with a controller (Saitek P2500), at least the ones that support a controller.
What I don’t enjoy is being held hostage by companies like Microsoft who release to the 360 only and then leave the PC users salivating for 2 years only to release a game (in the case of Halo2) that has basically no refinements/add-ons from the console version then try to charge you $50 for it. That is why it has been a bomb on the PC…
dont agree that people on consoles think cod4 is good cos it stands out from other console games.. I have top spec pc, xbox 360 and ps3 plus the wii, and tho i spent years playing online on my pc, cod1, cod2 and so on, im now mostly playing online on the consoles, why because for one im sick of paying out each time for new graphic cards for new games. never again am i paying out £500 for a graphic card which has only had about four good games out to play on it before needing to update again. Best off with 360 or ps3 where the graphics are as good and run alot better with no one hacking and cheating online like cod1, cod2 and will not be long before the hacking starts on cod4 on pc…..
sorry but what your saying is kinda stupid…All the games you mention are amazing. Its just seems you have a personal problem with consoles. For example, you stated that good games on the pc are call of duty, battlefield, enemy territory, and quake are all good games to compare to the console games; Halo, Gears of War, Rainbow Six: Vegas, and Resistance: Fall of Man . First of all battlefield, call of duty, and quake are all games on the console. So when you say that Halo got on the PC, don’t exclud the fact that all the games you mentioned are on consoles as well.
I believe the ps3 games are and will always be much better than any others console including the pc. However i do admit that the pc have very goo dgames too but these are only a few compare to the playstation 3.
What an idiot. How can a PS3 be better than a PC if a PS3 _IS_ a PC!
And your calling the PC a console?
What a dickhead!
Computer games = 64 player servers, and giant maps
Consoles = 18 players, crowded in a small map.