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the "Master Race" dilemma


Arcadiast

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those of you who are historically informed may well think of Hitler and the Third Reich when the Words "Master Race" is mentioned. "Sadly" there is a new "Master Race" disease going around mainly in the Internets.

 

I am talking about the "PC- Console Master Races".

 

I first noticed this "phenomenon" after the launch of PS3 and XBOX 760. While browsing forums, Youtube Videos or other Sites with commentary functions, I encountered some wildy bewildering comments about "PC Elitists" and "PC Master Race". Then it got more and more ridiculous to a point where my head startet hurting from all the shaking.

 

If you have made a comment about some "PC- or Console Master Race" consider the following:

 

- First, Hitler used this argument to kill Millions of People. They were dragged into Concentration Camps and killed of in a fashion animals would not get killed. Fathers, Mothers, Sons and Daughters, Uncles, Friends and Lovers had to watch in agony as their loved ones got piled on mountains of corpses. Yet you use this word to describe what? somebody who has some other stuff than the stuff you got? Well done!

 

- Second, I read in the comments that PC Owners are elitists because they can afford a PC while the Console Gamers are "poor". Do you have any idea what Class Warfare means? You dont "wage War" against your Neighbour who has a slightly more expensive Car, you "wage War" against People who have CONSIDERABLY more than you do. They dont have A Car they have a Car Factory. See the difference? So somebody who has paid 1000 $ for a PC has not considerably more than somebody who has paid up to 1000$ for a Console (yes the TV you stick your Console into did not fall from the Sky and so did not the different extras you know you will have).

 

But what am I getting so upset about? its just some kids calling names right? Wrong!

 

Your actions have a profound effect to your disadvantage. Ever wondered why Game Companies can charge Money for things that should be in the game in first place? like First Day DLCs? Ever wondered why Game Companies show you a prerendered "Console Exclusive Title" in a Hype Generating Trailer and you find out afterward that the retail game looks nothing like it? Yes, because they have expert analysts that have realised the "untapped ignorance reserves" that we all possess. I dont expect us all to be Einsteins but we sure could make it a little harder for them to screw us over.

 

There is a Tactic in War, its called "Divide and Conquer". Thats what is happening here. Divide the gamers into PC and Console Groups and then let them beat on each other while you sell them inferior products for superior prices. A mission well done indeed!

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There are plenty of valid reasons to use a console, ease of use being the main one. It's something you can just turn on, put in a game, and play without having to deal with installs, updates, having a ton of other stuff load in the background, or require a big square of plastic in your lap. It's something that someone can get into without having to spend very much money or effort trying to get things setup. No complicated installs, no annoying DRM, no checking hardware requirements or configuring settings. For children, people who are just now finally having some time to spend on gaming, or people who can really only spend a few hours a week, it becomes the most practical solution. There is a decided benefit to having it where you can just walk into a store, pick up a game, and it will work as intended without unusual hardware or lack of updated software slapping you in the face. Nevermind the part where most of these benefits are actively being reduced or thrown away by newer consoles.

 

But, the reason why PC is the "master race" has more to do with the fact that, for those who want more, a more expensive PC being used by an experienced and reasonably knowledgeable PC gamer, will do everything a console can do, and usually more. While you might miss out on console exclusives, you get PC exclusives and generally better and more varied gameplay.

 

Are game companies gearing sales and previews based around consoles and the console market where they generally earn the most due to the fact that you have a larger population of impulse buyers who then get stuck with a game they cannot return? Yes. But that's only because it makes financial sense towards trying to turn a profit on an already dried out IP that has gone over-budget and had most of its depth stripped out under the direction of focus groups who have not played a game since the 80's (or comprised of the children of the marketing team). Only indie games can manage on dreams (and crowd-funding), and even then most don't release a finished product that contains most of the features promised. There are reasons to be upset about the current state of gaming on both sides of the fence.

 

But, there are also reasons to be happy about the current state of gaming which are only possible because of the two main movements in gaming... Changing control schemes, and indie development. From consoles, we are getting a much broader range of ways to control and interact with our games. We are now seeing everything from specialized controllers, to motion/voice capture, to augmented reality, to brain control, along with the familiar joypad that most PC gamers have tucked away. From indie developers, we are getting games that once more experiment with mechanics, mood, gameplay elements, as well as theme and method of interaction. While many of these have existed for the past decade or two in some form, it is only lately that these things have taken main stage, and it is only through the passionate (if occasionally misguided) display of fanboyism of one over another that the pot gets stirred up and one group tries to out-do the other.

 

 

Anything beyond that is usually related to one stupid internet meme or another, or someone misunderstanding the meme and over-reacting to it either intentionally as a means of getting attention, or unintentionally because they are new to the internet.

 

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But, the reason why PC is the "master race"

Thats exactly what I am trying to tell. The PC is no "Race" at all. Its a machine, a tool designed to fulfill certain tasks and so is a console.

 

Where does this Console PC rivalry come from anyway? I am a "seasoned" gamer with experience back to the golden ages of Sega and Nintendo. At that time both Systems were acknowledged to be different for different purposes. Nobody who owned a PC would say "but I want Mario on PC" or on the other side nobody who owned a console would say "I want Civilization on my Console". People who could afford it had both anyway, the console mainly for the casual Jump ´n Run, Beat´em up or other platform games and the PC for Strategy, Simulation and other usually complex and time consuming games. If you did not have the resources for both, i know i did not, then you just assessed your priorities and get the system you knew you would play the most time on. Both systems perfectly coexisted. There was no "hate" among gamers but positive envy like "wow as soon as I have the money I like to buy a PC/Console too".

 

All changed when Gaming started generating huge amounts of revenue. Some Publishers had the great idea to sell games to as many players on as many platforms as possible for which no one can blame them. The gaming community got a lot larger and unfortunately a lot more "undisciplined". People started to "Troll" each other to new extremes and some really smart Marketing "geniuses" started using that against them.

 

Hype for example is a great Tool in the Belt of any Marketing/Sales Specialist. Combine it with Preorder and you have a potential method for generating Money for a Product that does NOT EXIST yet. Imagine this, you are paying money for the promise that sometime you will get something. Many well known Publishers have done this but again, can not blame them. The blame is with us. We can not control ourselves. its the same as gambling, we love to spend money for the promise of something without being really sure that if we get it we will like it.

 

Take a normal shopping deal, shoes for example. You go to a Store, look at the shoes, find one that suits your tastes, try it on, look at the price and if all important criterias are to your liking, you buy it. You worked (usually) hard for your money and its absolutely normal that you want to know what you get for your hard earned money. Thats completely normal and logical. So how come that when it comes to video games so many people seem to "shut off" this logic?

 

There is an upcoming Game that I believe launches today for consoles (I really dont wanna mention which game because it does not matter). It generated a lot of hype especially since a Trailer was shown in Youtube. The trailer was admittedly great but I was a little sceptical if the shown graphics are really the graphics of the retail game. However one could easily get the message from the trailer that the game was something very special that would be completely different and redifine her genre. After the beta Version came out, while the overall reviews were not bad many reviewers said that it was just more of the same.

 

Now lets read a few comments of gamers in the comment section of a site that criticized the game:

 

Comment example:

 

- yeah another overhyped game. Looks like a disappointment. I preordered it but I think I wont be playing it for long

 

- I think Game X is not as good as they made it look like. I will buy it for my XBOX One and PS4 but I dont expect much. <this comment hit me hard>

 

another comment to an article that said the game was possibly overhyped:

 

- Yea, I agree for the most part. I havent had a Big Triple AAA Game for a while, I'm entirely ready to be extremely disappointed.

 

(just for consideration, I altered the comments a bit because you nowadays never know who might sue whom because of copyrights)

 

This is mind blowing. Those Gamers are basically admitting that they will buy the game NO MATTER WHAT. Thats a dream come true for any Salesman. This is practically "suicide" from a Customer perspective. Its like closing your eyes, opening your wallet and hoping that whoever takes money out of it will give you something worthwhile in return...all in good hope.

 

To quote a relatively famous Youtuber; "this is why we cant have nice things".

 

It is our responsibility as consumers, especially in a free market, to say "look buddy, thats my hard earned money you want, so you better deliver what you promise" and not "here take my money and do you want me to also bend over?".

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The whole argument and fanboyism thing probably started back around 2006 or 2007 when you started seeing more and more games being released on both console and PC. PC gamers became angry over the simplified and often cumbersome UI or lack of game depth as a means of catering to the limitations of consoles... As things developed and it became common for console gamers to realize how limited their experience was, it also became common for PC gamers to champion computers as being the best way to play games. And thus a meme was born and subsequently made caustic by the internet.

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Fanboyism in my mind stopped after the ps4 came out, they still fight over themselves who is better. They say this console generation will be a short one, and might be the last. The one thing that will though stick around is the pc, it will forever expand and upgrade itself over the centuries.

Edited by Thor.
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Sounds like something started by people in desperate need of a life. Games are one thing but the true master race of technology is the cell phone. People leave their laptops and their playstations behind when they go out, but when is anyone without their cell phone, unless it is manditory to do so.

 

With the cell phone getting smarter and having so many apps it's incredible, I see the gaming systems and PC's disappearing altogether in a short while. I can see Wireless wrap around glasses pluged into a smartphone bringing the wearer into virtual reality games anywhere in the world and playing massive games with virtually anyone.

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No not even close, i say Mobile gaming is plague to innovation. Take for instants the handheld consoles.

You are talking about today's technology as opposed to that of the future, to which I am refering to. Look at the leaps we have accomplished in just 20 years and extend that on to the next 20. I know there is no way we can gaurentee where we will be, but I'll venture it'll not be where we are today.

 

How do you know we won't have controls leads within the glasses themselves who pickup specific brain impulses we use to control our body actions, which will intepet that into actions in the game. This would make our charactor in the game as quick as we would be if we were actually there and our hands would be freed up just to grip the seat we were actually setting in as we hold on for the ride of our lives.

 

 

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/evolution-of-home-video-game-consoles-1967-2011/

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