Multiplayer Gaming
No Contest : PC Pummels Console
Online multiplayer gaming was born on the PC - games like Quake and Duke Nukem 3D blew up and created a subculture that is still growing and evolving. PC gamers were years into their multiplayer careers before consoles woke up and started adding split screens. Today you can log on with your Playstation 2 to play with up to eight people and even communicate verbally using a microphone, but multiplayer gaming on the console isn't quite up to par yet. Though consoles outpace PC's in some aspects of gaming, PC delivers the best multiplayer experience available. Case in point: Half-Life was released by Sierra in 98, and Counter-Strike, a Half-Life mod, still has more players online than any other game. Half-Life is a kickass game that plays fast on just about any system, even with crappy graphics cards.
Strength Beyond Strength: The Personal Computer
Why the PC rules:
- More players : PC multiplayer games can host hundreds of gamers simultaneously; there are no Massive Multiplayer console games.
- More connection options : I can connect via the Net to players all over the world, or host a LAN party at my place. Split screens seem intolerable compared to this luxury.
- Less regulation and censorship : PC games tend to have way more gore - more chunks, bigger explosions, more horrifying screams.
- Better graphics : Though consoles generally beat PC's on speed and graphic rendering, higher resolution (TV is only 640x480) and the option of better graphics cards make the PC screen king.
- More games, better games : Console games are made to be simple and exciting - the real in depth games are on the PC.
- MODing : PC gamers can create their own maps using scenario editors, and even create all new games out of their favorite game engines.
- Free Play : Most multiplayer PC games can be played on the Net for free, some games even offer free multiplayer demos.
- Huge, thriving online communities :
I can log on today and play the original Quake online if I want to. Half Life has been the most popular online game since 1998, and it still sells for $40 at stores. I can also play most other once popular games, making my old obsolete PC into a Legacy Gaming platform. No matter how old your PC, you can play online.
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