It changes for me. Sometimes I like to play on desk, sometimes I'd like to straighten my legs and stretch out on the sofa. It may depend a bit on the game though. That's why I'm still trying to come up with the best setup for kb+m gaming from sofa (ie. some trackball device instead of a mouse etc.).

Then again, quite often I've noticed also with console games that while I may start the game stretched out, quite soon I'm so excited about it that I'm sitting up anyway, so I could just as well be playing it on a desk. So, it depends on the game.

Those who are still interested in running their older PC games, and which have not found a good way to play them all in their new system, do. Just like they do with their old consoles. The only reason to get rid of the old PCs is either that they eventually break down (just like old consoles do, e.g. I have a broken first gen Playstation still on my closet I think), or to free some room.

While I prefer playing old PC games (and why not also old console games too) on newer PCs with emulators and virtual machines, even I've now accumulated several retro-PCs. They are:

- Compaq DeskPro (runs Win98SE (and DOS): Pentium 133MHz, 128MB RAM, 3Dfx Voodoo 1, Soundblaster16, Roland SCC-1 + CM-32L). I actually acquired this quite recently, and set it up mainly to find a home for my old Voodoo 1, Roland SCC-1 and CM-32L units which had been disconnected for years.

- Some 1.66GHz 32bit single-core AMD machine with ATI Radeon X800 etc., runs Win98SE and XP.

- IBM ThinkPad T41 laptop, runs both XP and Win98SE: I think this is actually my most often used retro-PC, even finished Heavy Gear (on Win98SE) on it.

- One old Dell laptop from the same era as the T41, but for now I'm running just Linux Mint on it. I might try to install Win98SE on it at some point.

The more modern gaming PCs I have are my work laptop (Lenovo T400), and the ASUS G75VW laptop.

I think the first two retro desktops are pretty redundant for me (as well as the Dell laptop), I could probably play 99.99% of my old games on the T41, T400 and G75VW laptops (emulation or not). But since I've been able to cram all that PC hardware nicely into one IKEA computer corner closet, I've kept them all around for now. It helps a lot with space management if the retro PCs are in laptop format. For Win98SE era and later, this seems to work fine, I've been surprised how great T41 is for Win9x retrogaming, for early Direct3D games. Heck, I even got the Interstate'76 (both the GOG version, and my original CD version) to run 100% correctly on it, even the flamethrowers work now.

And yeah, I also have two retro consoles around, PS2 and the original XBox. I don't see much difference keeping them around, and my old PCs. I could certainly save some space near my TV if I got rid of those old consoles.

And as some have suggested, PC is pretty much the ultimate museum for running also old console games, starting from less known ancient gaming systems like Texas Instruments TI-99/4A etc. With consoles and most tablets/smartphones the emulation is a bit quirky and many times requires jailbreaking or modding your device. As long as I have PCs capable of emulation, I don't see much point trying to get e.g. my ASUS Android tablet to emulate the same.

Agreed. Though even with the consoles it's not always trivial. I have Metroid Other M for the Wii which I can't play because some older Wii consoles (like mine) have problems with dual layer discs. Also on the 4GB Xbox (which I recently bought) the space gets eaten very quickly and then you either have to start deleting stuff or add additional storage. I added a USB drive and now I get asked where I'd like to store games and profiles for pretty much everything I do, which is annoying. I think that a PC can be easier in some respects, such as when using Steam.


As for my opinion on console vs. PC, I use consoles mainly for alternate control schemes and family friendliness. If I want a game where I'm more active or a game I can play with others, a console is better for that. If I want an experience that my little kids can have fun with, a console is better for that. Me, I play more on my Nexus 7 these days, but I just bought Kainy and hope that I can stream PC games to it and play them that way.

You forgot go to install game, get an error, google why there is an error, find out that it is some weird shit with the new firmware and for some reason you have to sign out of your profile before installing works and then sign back in, wait until the installation, that for some reason takes 20 minutes to install these 5gb is finished and then start the game.

Yes, console gaming sadly isn't as plug and play any more as it was 20 years ago. That always was it's strongest point. And they're about to get the online DRM too.

Consoles are getting more complicated but the gap is still wide IMO. I guess I haven't used one in a long time though, so what do I know.

It depends on what you want to do with them, but I think that after an initial setup on the PC, if you limit yourself to using Steam then there's a chance you'll have a better experience than on a console. Being able to choose games without having to switch discs is already a better experience, and when it comes to buying downloadable games a keyboard, mouse and monitor combination beats a controller + TV experience any day.

Then you have instances like The Walking Dead where the retail version doesn't even work right on the 4gb 360 and the "solution" is buy a hard drive or use 2.85 gigs of your space to download the game off xbox live.

http://www.oxm.co.uk/49070/telltale-treats-us-4gb-xbox-360-owners-hit-by-walking-dead-bugs-to-free-season-pass/

This really is a matter of preference, I prefer the opposite.

I have an Office Master chair for my comp that would probably cost 1000 USD today (it's old now), it still can't compare to my leather couch, though. I actively prefer my controller so much I have one on my comp and play almost any controller enabled game with it, even some shooters (depends how much sniping is involved).

Keyboards actually do suck ass for many of us, really they do, that's why stuff like this sells:
http://images.bit-tech.net/content_images/2008/03/ideazon_merc_stealth_keyboard/b02.jpg
http://www.logitech.com/assets/17680/17680.png

They were made for typing, not gaming, it's not a surprise many of us would find them an uncomfortable gaming experience.
For every clusterfuck of a console release there's like 10 for PC. Dead Island anyone?

I doubt that stuff sells that much, really. No one ever talks about it, no retail stores stock it.

Anyway, there really is no perfect solution. I am super used to keyboard controls as I have been using them for 20 years, but I acknowledge a pad is a lot better for walking around and pressing buttons. Still a mouse is, for me, so infinitely better for camera control, especially in first person, it's not even a contest. Either way you're boned to some degree, and which you prefer is surely based on experience.

That doesn't invalidate my argument. I said that the majority doesn't keep old PCs around. For consoles it's different. Most of my friends still have a SNES around, but i can't find anyone with a 486 or a Pentium. PCs become obsolete at a greater extent than consoles.
For me it's much better to emulate stuff on my Android phone than on my PC since i carry my phone with me all the time.
I've had my PS3 and my Xbox 360 for quite a few years and i have never had any issues like that.
How do you know? Can you travel in time? The Wii U is the first "next-gen" console and it doesn't have DRM for physical games.

You can buy and download games from Live and PSN too. And for new consoles every game sold physically will be sold in digital format as well (like the Wii U).

It is only more obsolete because the backwardscompatibility is better on PC. On consoles it is very selective and this gen is very spotty to last gen. 360 to Xbox compatibility is very selective and you really have to hope that your game works as it should or even works at all and only the first PS3s where backwards compatible to PS2 and even there the compatibility is far from perfect and the only old console I still have around is the PS2 and I don't use it because PS2 games look way better emulated.

The thing that I mentioned happened after the new disc format for 360 was introduced and there was an error with the new implementation that was patched after a while. Still the main reason I prefer the PC for me is ease of use. Having to change discs and screen output for a very selected choice of games is a bit bothersome. The only reason I still play 360 is for the few worthwhile exclusive games.

Consoles offer a whole different library of games. The PS2 in particular I believe is one that anyone interested in gaming in general would be deficient not having it. And with how cheap they are there's really nothing stopping anyone from getting it.

Are you honestly comparing digital distribution on consoles to the PC?

I'm fine with saying neither platform is better, it depends on your priorities, lifestyle and whatever else. You are going way overboard in playing defense though. You don't need to twist shit to try and make every aspect of consoles match a PC, it won't happen, they both have strengths and weaknesses.

In this thread you come across like the guy defending his bitchy girlfriend to all his buddies.