Are PC Gamers Too Good for Console Gamers?

[H2O Gurboura]

Controller vs. mouse and keyboard? Not a fair match.

With gaming technologies so similar these days, as games use the same engine technologies, it would seem like a logical step for different platforms to be able to play with each other online. After all, Macs and PCs have been harmoniously getting along with each other online. So what about consoles?

Microsoft controls what goes on its Xbox 360 platform, so through its Games for Windows initiative, one would assume that Microsoft at one point must have contemplated getting its console gamers online with PC gamers. According to VoodooPC founder and HP CTO Rahul Sood, Microsoft tested it and then canned it.

Why? Because console gamers were no match for PC gamers.

"There was a project that got killed at Microsoft. This project was designed to allow console gamers and PC gamers to interact and battle over a connected environment," Sood wrote on his personal blog. "I've heard from reliable sources that during the development they brought together the best console gamers to play mediocre PC gamers at the same game... and guess what happened? They pitted console gamers with their 'console' controller, against PC gamers with their keyboard and mouse."

The results shouldn't be too surprising.

"The console players got destroyed every time," Sood added. "So much so that it would be embarrassing to the XBOX team in general had Microsoft launched this initiative. Is this why the project was killed Who knows, but I'd love to hear from anyone involved --- what happened?"

Sood then continued expressing his belief that cross platform play with the Xbox 360 would promoted the PC as a superior gaming platform, with a little nudge to developers to consider looking at making games for HP's newly acquired Palm webOS.

Thoughts, comments?

I've always thought I'd be a better console gamer if I had my keyboard/mouse.

[PMS Atiyana]

I'm not sure that I agree that PC gamers are better than Console gamers overall, but there are advantages with the PC platform environment over the Console. For example, you can run commands and you have a better view of the playing field.

But I think the biggest advantage is the mouse. Think about it... In a shooter that mouse just targets perfectly. You have to work harder for accuracy with the controller. But then again, there are things about the controller than just feel more like you are in the game than the keyboard. :-/ Ohs Wells.

[H2O Viral IX]

Meh everyone who has a PC should know this already, I have a PC/360 and know without a doubt PC EQUIPMENT is more dominant then the 360's. I'd love to see any "pro" on the 360 drop a pro from pc. It'd be a near impossibility but neat to see.

[Helios]

Consoles have a limited spectrum on what they can do control wise. While pc gamer have total control over X and Y axis not to mention the DPI (dots per inch) and other factors. Console gamers have a set list of sensitivity with limited if any customization. There are some crazy pc set ups and im sure a pro pc gamer would dominate a pro console gamer

[H2O NokOut]

There are a lot of variables that contribute to the factor. One of the things is that on a console every one is limited to the same tech specs. There are limitations against console vs. PC. A PC user can upgrade things such as video card, processors, RAM. The list goes on and on. It isn't a compatibility issue of XBOX and PC being able to join on the same servers, it just wouldn't be a fair fight and would probably die. I don't see it as PC gamers being "better" than console gamers, but they just have the edge.

Console gamers are unable to use macros, key mapping, or even choose what equipment to use outside of a contoller and a TV. That's all open game to a PC gamer.

If we took a pro console gamer into a PC arena, they would lose, I agree. If we did it vise versa PC wouldn't know what to do without their keyboard and mouse to hold on to. ;)

This is a conversation that has been going on in my schooling for the last 2 years. It will happen eventually, but it won't be long lived due to the PC playes having the edge and most gamers don't like being the underdog. That's why so many of them spend time and money to JTAG and hack their accounts. To have the edge on other players.

If you want to play mouse/keyboard on XBOX get this badboy! (http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/xcm-brings-pcstyle-gaming-to-your-360-217332.php)

[H2O DarkKnight 2k6]

this would be a cool idea but there would have to be some major balancing issues to work on. take MW2, console snipers cant really counter that movement which has the scope move left to right... in the PC its so easy to counter it and allows you to have more accuracy than you could have in the console version. i think maybe there should be an option like Play with console people only and play with console AND pc people.

[Lady Eve PMS]

I don't really like the idea of comparing the gaming skills of console gamers vs. pc gamers. To me, console gaming and pc gaming are on opposite sides of the gaming spectrum. I think it would be cool to be able to play with or against pc gamers, but it would be unfair for me to try to compare the two types of gamers to determine which one is better. :/

[PMS_Tiffuhknee]

i dunno about if they're "better" persay, but, i do think it would be SUPER hard to play MW2 on a PC rather than a console, i honestly dont know if i'd be able to do it and be half as good as i am now.

[H2O NakorD]

Like everyone else has said on here, nobody is necessarily better between console and PC player on each skill level, but it's the peripheral themselves that gives them that advantage; specifically the mouse. Especially, if you have a speedy mouse, you have an even more big advantage over a controller, going at 1600dpi or faster allows you to do a quick 180 in less than a second.

It just isn't fair if they both mingled in a single server. I think Shadowrun did do it, but they had to nerf the PC players' capabilities.

Aside from casual games, I think the only competitive game console and PC can play with one another are fighting games.

And I really don't compare console gaming vs pc gaming the same or as directly as I did 4 years ago. Both platforms are completely different style of gaming.

[Lindzoo]

I agree with NakorD

It really doesn't have anything to do with the skill level of the people play but more of the advantages that the pc platform has to offer.

Anyone who goes from pc to console fps's knows there is a distinct difference in the ability to control your character, but it doesnt matter on console because everyone is on the same playing field. If they try to do pc and console players in the same servers, they would have to modify the controls of pc, which to me seems to defeat the whole purpose of playing on a pc.

[Rip]

mouse and keyboard is better for most gametypes (racers are the biggest exception). Its just a physics thing, not necessarily skill.

[Stryder]

I have decent aiming abilities on FPS's on consoles but I can not aim for the life of me on a PC. I actually want to see a team of pros on the 360 go against mediocre PC gamers, I think it would definitely be fun as hell to watch

[Uteena PMS]

It has been done. Shadowrun is a game where Xbox 360 players and PC players can play together. And it didn't work very well..

Like some others have mentioned, it's not the skill of the player, it's the advantage you have playing with a mouse. It's more accurate and quicker than playing with a controller.
Try making a spiral shape on your screen with a controller, and with a mouse. It's a lot easier and more accurate with a mouse. But it doesn't make you more "skilled" because you used a mouse.
Some can argue to say it's more skillful to master console gaming, as it's harder to be accurate and quick than in PC gaming.

[ZenEye]

IMO there are really only 3 gametypes which benefit from a keyboard and mouse. FPS, RPG and RTS. Everything else is fine with a gamepad. Ever try playing Madden with a KB and mouse? LOL. Don't.

It's 90% driver and 10% machine. Having a faster car doesn't mean your a better driver. Having better gear just means your not limited by your hardware, you still have to learn how to use it properly. Skill is relative, if you play with a gamepad, your good with a gamepad. Play with KB/mouse then your good with KB/mouse. It takes the same amount of learning to master both systems, mice don't aim themselves and any advantage over gamepads means squat if you miss. Practice makes perfect no matter what and a nice shot is a nice shot ya know? Also there is more than one type of skill, map control can compensate for a lot of things in FPS. You might have better aim but if you ain't got a gun or armor then your SOL.

I don't think one could say that it's more "skillful" to master console gaming, more so that the hardware is limited and you just have to deal with it. 10 buttons and Analog sticks, that's it. Gamepads are nice but... they really kinda suck for aiming, they do. I'd much rather use a high precision laser pointing device FTW :D

Who cares though really, I'd gladly play with console gamers because I just like playing games lol. I don't care what your using to play just as long as we're all having fun. So what PC players OWN console gamers, everybody gets owned, it happens all the time.

[TheOneFear]

I agree with everyone here. There is more customization with a pc and a pc is just more dominant over consoles.

But also take into consideration that a pc game is 100 times easier to hack than a console game.

[ZenEye]

Right, that's why developers like consoles, they are also more difficult to pirate. I don't see many hackers online really, only ever seen one in cod4. Was hilarious, the guy just stood right in the middle of Killzone with an RPD and deep impact and was spawn killing everyone. He was banned quickly though.

[H2O Sakuya]

@Zen
Actually, I've played Madden 2004 (I think it was) on the PC, and they actually had a first-person mode. I did just as good in All-Madden as I would on the PS2.

@Rest of the Thread
PC gamers don't exactly have better "skills," but rather, they have better "skill extensions." The level of accuracy a player would get using a properly-configured mouse trumps a controller, and the amount of actions a player could do in a couple of seconds is just phenomenal compared to a controller. It's mainly the method of playing games in which PC dominates.

However, PC has one weakness: hardware variety. Having different spec parts on your PC will affect your performance. Framerates govern the level of play you will have.

[Chabelis]

I play both and have done for years, I find console easier.

With console all you have is 1 thing to worry about, all your buttons are in both hands and all are accessible immediately.

PC in order to make things easier you have to change settings and figure out the best configuration for you and what is going to be easiest to remember and what will be closest to reach so your reaction time is as fast as possible. Sure having a mouse is nice, but there is a lot more to it that "oh look, point and click".

PC you have far more micro-managing than console, the PC gamer would adapt to console faster than a console gamer would adapt to PC.

[H2O NakorD]

However, PC has one weakness: hardware variety. Having different spec parts on your PC will affect your performance. Framerates govern the level of play you will have.

I wouldn't really say that's a weakness per se. The great thing about PCs is variety and options; the bad thing about PCs is also variety and options :) It's almost akin to cars, esp. sports cars. The more money you spend, the more fancy your car is -- somewhat similar in terms of how much you are willing to spend on a PC, for how much performance you really want your computer to be able to utilize. I mean, not everyone is going to enable everything on max detail, nor do you need to.

Even consoles aren't at max detail as we know it, and if we have the same mentality, you can very well just set most settings from low to medium detail. And usually, for mp games, we don't look at graphics taht deeply; so, why not just set most settings at low/medium? Sacrifice the graphics for gameplay.

Really, the weakness/con of a PC over consoles is that you just have too many choices to think about of what you want in your PC; but that's also a good thing, because you have "that" many choices to choose from, as far as what pc parts you want ;)

[H2O NakorD]

I can probably go on and on about the differences, but I'm sure most people know the differences between console and PC; something I don't need to get into, since that's not what this thread is about. I could get into that, if people are willing to make a thread just for that reason.

So, going to try and stay on topic; so, yes, PCs have a big advantage with mouse/kb. It's true that with kb, you have so many more buttons to choose from, and it is more than just "the mouse". Even though we can set lots of hotkeys with keyboard, macros, etc, the core peripheral is still the mouse, because that's what allows us to move really quickly with aiming or micromanaging units from RTS games.

It is easier to have all the buttons and dual-sticks at the palm of your hands iwth a controller, but remember those are analog sticks; and analog sticks don't move very fast compared to a mouse; esp, if you're using a mouse that can go up to 1600dpi or higher. I have nothing against the two platforms, but it is a clear advantage with PC peripherals.