About 30 days ago i grabed 2 copy's of COD,w@w and RE3 one for me and one for my son each. Mine was PC and his was Xbox. In the last 30 days i have not achieved anything near playability (on my super cool self built that im soo proud of pc). My son is 12 feet away kickin butt on his Xbox. I have had constant errors and disconnects, crashes and lock ups since i got both games. I did everything possible and even reformatted my pc to brand new status (its only 6 months old). I have sent at least a 1/2 dozen emails to both devs of each game and gotten ONE responce from EA with a fix for RE3. It was not a fix and frankly i had to research router tech stuff to even do that "fix". Why is it the developers can complete a game for a console while a die hard fan of pc gaming gets the shaft? I dont get it

I recently viewed a clip on Toms about the owner of Crytek complaining about pirates. Well...what do you expect from all the famously bad releases of games on this platform? Not since the release of Homeworld by relic in 99 have i played a game without issue. Why has this changed?

Altho i do know alll about getting free games on the net i have never done it. I have been a loyal fan and supporter of pc online gaming and rebuked piracy personaly. However...im going to rethink that position. If these company's can take my money and give me something that wont work then....Poetic Justice mabey ?

Im not looking for fixes or tech help..im just fed up and thought id post a post.

Cheers

People like you should not be having children. Just because you recently bought a computer does not mean its meant for games nor does it mean that it is considered "good."

Throughout the OP's crybaby post, nowhere did he mention any hardware information on his POS, nor was there mention of any of the specific problems encountered. To which, I have to say, "Yeah, you're right, PC gaming isn't for you."

I was able to get COD running perfectly, at superior graphics quality to an Xbox 360 using a refurbished Dell with a E4300 CPU and a Nvidia 7900GS. It would take a complete POS machine to not be able to run that game.

When Relic released Homeworld, years ago, IIRC you were not able to get playable framerates on a 5 year old POS computer. I remember dropping in a new videocard into a freshly built AMD system sporting a Thunderbird processor (which at the time would have been as fast as most 2k+ machines, and one of the only options compatible with DDR RAM), and it still chugged when I was in the "The Gardens of Kadesh". There was a software rendering mode, and I suppose you could have run it at extremely low resolution, but the bottom line is the game required a semi-current machine.

10 years ago an old ass system couldn't play the best graphically pleasing games, and now, while current games require a newer GPU, price competition has driven the barrier to entry down ridiculously. (100 dollar 8800 series GPUs, and so on).

Hey everyone, lets cry that we can't play current games because a Radeon 4670 costs 70 dollars. Boo **** hoo. Oh please!

This is another "XBOX is better than PC" thread. If you can't handle being a PC gamer then stop buying PC games. I think one major detail that is always overlooked is the fact the PC gamers push the envelope of technology. Where do you think the technology comes from that goes into your XBOX? PC gaming helps console gamers have the latest technology, because we are always demanding more of everything.

The technological advances that are produced from PC gaming are invaluable to consoles. Lets not forget you can do so much more other than game on a PC. Plus you don't have your wife or Girlfriend getting all mad, because you are hogging the tv if you game on the PC. If you are like me, you can even be in the same room while she watches tv and you play PC games. Consoles are for little boys. PC's are for enthusiasts.

I think Celtic is overreacting. I have not had as many issues getting a game to run and playing throughout my years of playing. Sure, I've encountered bugs and the occasional crash, but nothing that hindered my gameplay to where I'd stop playing the game.

Probably not best to turn this thread into a console vs PC flame war. It'll just become a pissing contest which solves little.

If PC gaming dies that means I have to spend more time with the wife and I can't have that!!! If you are having that many problems with all of your games then there is something wrong with your system. Sorry!

Sure there are certain games that come along and piss you off (GTA4 in my case) but the gaming industry needs PC gaming to keep pushing the graphics/physics boundaries.

Celtic:

You are not thinking this through... When they make an Xbox 360 game, they know the EXACT hardware that the game is going to be using. They have many many xbox's to test it on, and can ensure that the game works 100% before they ship it.


Now let's think about this... You have your "super cool self built that im soo proud of pc" that you built using who knows what. When the makers of these games tested them for PC, they did not have your EXACT hardware to test the game on. AND they did not have the exact software configuration, or video drivers to test.


So let's recap.

A. For XBOX, they have THE EXACT HARDWARE/SOFTWARE that you are going to be playing the game on to test.
B. For PC, they have to make a software that will work (hopefully) on a million different configurations of hardware and software with any different versions and number of drivers.


I can't believe noone else mentioned this. I actually read these forums all the time and this is the first question that actually pushed me to make an account to reply.

When I was younger, I smoked up all of my money so a console was the way to go not only for ease of maintenance/ease of use, but also because I was too high to work on a PC. Now that I am older and clear headed, PC gaming is much more interesting and satisfying. I only work 8 hours a day and support my family, but I always make time for my hobby. It usually calls for a lack of sleep.

So....why should PC gaming die? You didn't quite say why. Just because you ran into some problems with your system doesn't really justify your position. You appear to be a guy in over his head so no one is taking you seriously.

You are complaining that you had to troubleshoot some issues...where one sounds like it was just a matter of getting a patch. If you don't like the troubleshooting that comes along with a home built system then you should stick with consoles then and not bash PC gaming. Easy solution. Different strokes for different folks...no hard feelings.

It would have been a lot more helpful if you posted about your issues that you had so that others who run into them may be able to find a solution. Getting PO and posting to bring down PC gaming isn't helpful.

That is sort of what I did but minus being too high to work on PCs I always spent my savings on the new console every couple of years when I was younger. Tried PC gaming for the online play and got hooked. Now that I have a real job I can support my hobby (but lose a lot of sleep)

Well a $500 pc in america will cost about £3-400 in the uk, which is 3-4 times what my xbox cost. And i still reckon £-for-£ the xbox beats any pc.

Anyway my point wasnt really about performance per-se it was about the whole gaming experience - if you want more good reasons to buy a console how about it can never get a virus, it never slows down as it gets filled with junk, my games never stutter, drop frames or slow down, all of the online options work flawlessley with no need to configure each game individually my list could go on....

My point was that IF I had the time (which I dont) I would undoubtedly maintain a top-spec PC and dedicate the time to routine maintainance, virus scans, defrags, upgrades and operating system updates that it takes to keep everything running smoothly, but these days the overall experience of just pressing the "xbox" button on my logitech harmony remote and then beginning playing is hard to improve on.

Incidentally microsoft warranties new xboxs for three years on the RROD, you dont get that with most PC components or off-the-shelf PCs

Like someone said before lets not turn this into a console vs PC debate - both have their advantages and disadvantages, but for me consoles are currently winning, maybe when the kids have gone to uni and i'm doing less on-call shifts i'll go back to my PC....

k, while I agree w/ some and have issues with others regarding comments to the OPs intelligence... I will ignore it all and focus on what the OP might be truly struggling with. Notice in the hardware specs (posted by someone else? perhaps the aforementioned son?) that list vista 64 bit.

on an old athlon X2.

with 4 gigs of ram.


Now, I personally do not run 64 bit vista (just 32) but I do encounter many driver glitches and such. Everything I have read is that 64bit compounds alot of that AND really should run on 4 gigs MINIMUM. Couple that with the (now quite) old processor and you are not necessarily at the top end of gaming PCs. (for performance OR stability)


Don't take this as a slam on the OPs ability or intelligence. I am only making an observation that there could be legitimate issues with a system configed like that. He could really be having many frustrating things going on that are only more angering when seeing his son game away on the "dumb" console. There are many ppl out there that hit that wall. Some get past it and learn what not to do when making their next PC, some move on to consoles or macs. (which, as amdfangirl mentioned are pretty much the same thing, lol)

Anyway, here is my encouragement to all-

@OP: Don't give up man, there is light at the end of the tunnel. A simple fix that might give you better results would be to try running windows XP (or perhaps 32bit vista, but XP would be better) you might see the stable results you are looking for with your hardware setup.

@the rest: Sometimes ppls frustration w/ PC gaming is more the rabid fanbois that lop off the heads of those having issues thinking they are idTENts... many times they are wanting to get into PC gaming but only need a bit of help... don't run them off... (well, at least give them a chance until you find out that they really ARE morons )

you dont get that with most pc components, you usually get a 1 year retailer/etailer, another 2 year mfg, some even have lifetime and step ups. and no they wont give a refurbished replacement after 30 days when the component messes up which microsoft does (read it somewhere).

and you have a point. ease of use will always favor the console. loved my ps2 till i finished "BLACK" on it. but as soon as i started earning my own money, "VISUAL QUALITY" became my top priority (gameplay and story comes @ a close 2nd and 3rd).

and i respect your opinion, you're like the 3rd "gaming daddy" i had a small interaction with around here. seeing the trend, im guessing i'll do the same once i reached the stage of "gaming daddyhood".

happy new year.

and for those who are about to become a gaming daddy, i salute you.

For 64-bit, everything you run takes up more RAM. On Vista, 4 gigs in 64 are equal to 2 gigs in 32, which is cutting it close in Vista. 3870 is not a very good graphics card and pretty much anything AMD isn't good. Switch to an Intel mobo, but a good processor (Intel has very good processors sub-200 now), and buy a 4850. Maybe ~450 dollars and your computer will be able to play anything, especially on a 19 in monitor (max resolution most likely 1280x1050). At least get 2 more gigs of RAM which costs about 10-20 dollars on Newegg right now.

Need Help!! I have a HP, new in August 07 with Vista and I cant get Doom 3 to play. I just got it, intalled it and all the drivers needed with no issue and when I open it to play it tells me "Doom 3 has stopped working" and the "windows is seardching for problem and will notify you if a solution is found" then it shuts the program down and gives no solution. I tried to go into "properties" and change the campatability mode and tried to run the program as administrator but those tricks didnt help..... Anyone have any advice

Levi

not sure il be coherent in the morning....be back in the afternoon

You can. In almost the same way as a computer. Download cracked iso, burn and illegally play.

@ OP

if you have a spare hard drive, partition, or the extra time, you should try out windows xp. most of the time, when i encounter problems like that, it's almost always a problem with my os.

It's kind of funny too as the system has now been out for more than 2 years.

That's not exactly right; a guy claimed to have a way of backing up a FEW old games to the hard drive such as Call of Duty 3, but he claimed the disc was still needed to play. Also seeing as NOTHING has really come out of his "discoveries" I'd call it BS. Also, even when pirating games is possible on the PS3, are you really going to want to wait for all 33.2GBs of Metal Gear Solid 4 to download?

Anyways, OP is either uneducated on PC gaming or merely a troll. Play Left 4 Dead on the PC and then go to the Xbox 360 version. Not only does it run and look worse on the Xbox, it even lacks full body awareness. Funny how the PC version of Left 4 Dead also supports 2 player split-screen, and the quality of Left 4 Dead in splitscreen also looks better on the PC than the Xbox.

After the wonderfull way my Original Post was received i all but deleted my account here and had no intention of coming back for more half wit reply's by teenagers with nothing better to do than try to belittle someone. Since i got this fantastic reply after weeks of waiting i though id make a new account to share it with you idiots then move on permanently!

In regards to COD5:

--Response (Nick Bee) - 01/04/2009 07:09 PM Hi, Thank you for contacting Activision’s Technical Support. I'm sorry to hear about your problem. Unfortunately we do not test our games on the Windows Vista 64 bit operating system. Our games are 32 bit games that are designed to run on Microsoft's 32 bit operating systems. Running the games on Windows Vista 64 bit is unsupported by Activision. --

No where on any box or web site does it state that 32bit is a requirement for game play!!!

at least they tell you to piss off in a nice neat email , more than i can say for you lot.


gday

meh, I think there were many of us that were quite civil in response... as for the "half-wit teenagers"... you are gonna get that on any forum mate, that is the good and the bad of ze internetz...

...trick is on how you deal w/ it.

ya, could be... of course, as enthusiasts we have also experienced companies that claim one thing and deliver another, so it is not outside the realm of possibilities that activision is giving the finger to 64 bit users.

And even w/ the not-so-nice starting post I think there were some very thoughtful and <gasp!> polite replies amidst the flames, which IMO is no different than any forum. I just don't think he is handling much of anything very well. If this is how the OP handles a few flames then perhaps his config (and activision) is not the problem...?

methinks the "half-wit" may not be in the replies but rather the originator of this (now overly long) thread... lol

LOL..that makes NO sence whatsoever...

Glad i got the chance to see these boards for what they are.

Mabey ill return when im a super computer genious like all of you. A novice does not belong here.. This is a place for gifted computer techs... Not normal players like me.



gday

I must humbly assume then that if the verbiage contained herein maketh no sense, that english is not first of thine speaking languages. Yea verily, it is not a problem per-se as Tom's dost sojourn far and wide with many minstrels proclaiming and translating to numerous languages, many of which far from english. The problem in thine situation for sooth; this forum that thou art on IS english-primary... it thus necessitates an amount of burden onto thine shoulders to understand said method of communication. thou hast the problem methinks then, and thou shouldst take thine issue to the guru upon the mountain that communes with the almighty to obtain the +4 ears-of-truth and +10 fingers-of-typing-considerately. Therein thou wilt find thy salvation.

Here endeth the lesson.

The games never play right man, you either deal with it or dumb down to a console. Flaming a whole industry on a forum that supports the said industry aint gonna get you positive results.


Well...kept me entertained at work either way so thanks for that.

well you started it with an inbred post, whatd'ya expect? a cyber hug?