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There’s no doubt that Mass Effect 2 is going to sell like hotcakes. With the surge of TV and general media advertising that the game is going to get, almost everyone will get a copy of it sooner or later. For a lot of us, the main question is “Do I get it for PC, or do I get it for Xbox 360?”. Actually, probably a lot of people won’t ask themselves that question and just go ahead and get it for the 360, but I’m here to tell you why the PC version is the way to go.
Ok, ok, I know this is the go-to argument for any PC vs. console discussion, but it’s true. While some TVs and games do in fact support 1080p on a console, the fact that you need a massive TV (and equally as massive budget for said TV) to even notice the different between 720 and 1080 is a major point. With computer monitors as small as 22″ pushing close to 1080p resolutions and the power of ever evolving graphics cards, it almost seems like it’s a no brainer. The GPU in the Xbox 360, while optimized for the hardware, is still about 5 years old. For less than the price of the console you can make your way over to the near electronics store (or online) and get yourself a graphics card that outperforms the 360’s GPU in every single way.
Some games are made for console controllers, I’ll admit that. Mass Effect 2, and it’s predecessor, are definitely not those games. When it comes to movement, aiming, choosing special abilities, managing inventory and other functions in the game, a keyboard and mouse cannot be beat. It has been a long spoken tradition that any game that includes gunplay is better played on a PC – the amount of control your given is exponentially higher than you can achieve with an analog stick.
It has been my thought for some time now that digital distribution is what will bring PC gaming back to the forefront (or at least back into the pack) in the next few years. With the constant evolution of the Steam platform, it’s making it easier and easier for me to take my favorite games with me on the go instead of being stuck to my tower at home. The other case that can be made for digital distribution is that I no longer have to account for disks. In a few years from now, when Mass Effect 3 comes, if I want to play Mass Effect 1 or 2 again, it’s as simple as few clicks of a button. No hunting down old disks, no worrying about scratches, and no “Oh crap, I traded that in for this or that”.
The average Xbox 360 game is $59.99. The average PC game? About $10 cheaper, at $49.99. Licensing and publishing costs, among other items, drive the price of consoles games up that usual $10 premium. These “console premiums”, along with the charges for additional online services (I’m looking at you Xbox Live), make the game much more expensive in the long run. While PC gamers are paying more for their entertainment system of choice, these costs are minimal at best over a period of time, usually boiling down to a new graphics card every 2-3 years.
While not always easy, customization of games through mods and hacks is almost inevitable on any games that are released for the PC. Games that have been left for dead by the developers have been resuscitated by a dedicated community, bugs have been fixed by enterprising gamers, and unofficial expansion packs have transformed a game so completely that it spawns another genre (like what DoTA did to Warcraft III). Broken quest in your game ruining your $60 experience? Tough cookie. Not only will you have to wait for the developers to create the patch and test it, you’ll also have to wait for Microsoft and the Xbox Live team to go through their approval process before it gets pushed to your console.
So there you have it. Five reasons why you should purchase, and play, Mass Effect 2 on the PC rather than your Xbox 360. Think I’m wrong? Leave a comment below and let me know why!
Bo is the Editor and Founder of GamingOgre. When he isn't working on making GamingOgre one of the best PC gaming sites on the web, he enjoys sports and music.
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i disagree with you
idiot idiot idiot idiot idiot idiot stop writing stuff on the internet, you are clearly an idiot, idiot
Not much else to talk about. Most of my games i prefer on my 360 than my pc, sometimes gfx look better on a big tv in lower res than on my tricked out PC. Try Dark void on pc vs 42 inch plasma > plasma wins everytime, oh and my couch is waaaay better than a chair and the xbox controller is so much more natural to play with.
I agree. I prefer most games on the PC, both Mass Effects included.
This list applies to pretty much any PC game that is not defined as "console port". Interesting article.
#1. Clearly you need more than a graphics card to play, add in CPU, HD, MB, Sound System, Ram, keyboard, mouse, monitor. 22" - I'm happy playing on my 42" then switching over to the footy without having to leave the armchair.
3#. Mate wants to borrow game, with dvd, no probs. I finish game, want to sell, no probs, make half the money back.
4# I paid £29.99 @ amazon - happy as.
5# Modding leads to cheats so I'm happy without
Can't believe I've wasted my time writing comments!
PC fanboys shouldn't speak about consoles....
If I can choose between the PC or the console version I always choose the PC one. I leave my console to play exclusives only since I have my PC conntected on my TV and I have a controller for my PC as well, so I can always choose what fits me best.
FPS and RTS are always better on PC playing with a mouse and a keyboard, there's no doubt about it, but racing games and action/adventure I usually prefer to play with a controller, although Mass Effect (and Dragon Age) I really enjoy playing with a keyboard and mouse better than with a controller.
Games like God of War and Dante's Inferno are truly directed to consoles and they r way better playing with a controller.
The author is right. You can't disagree with it unless you don't know what you are talking about.
Without it turning into a console v PC debate the console does have its advantages. Its great for casual dumbed down games and makes a great door stop.
Ok.For starters i have a custom pc spent about 400 dollars for every thing. For those who are writing in this post and don't know anything about pc. Most graphic cards come with s-video or hdmi. Meaning if you have a nice HD tv then you can hook the pc up to the tv. Think 50 in HD tv with High Def Sound at a true 1080 i 1920 x 1080 @ 30 mhz. With optional ajustments. Then deciding if you like 30 fps high graphics or 60+fps mid-midhigh graphics. This includes very distance for games like fallout 3 or gta4 ect.... Pc is so much better.
You might as well just called this article "5 Reasons PCs Are Better Than Consoles". Agree with all of these, but you have to remember that getting graphics better than a 360 with standard HD on a PC requires quite a bit more money. For some people it's just cheaper, easier and quicker to just have a console. Plus, on top of that, there's DRM issues with most PC games (you can't lend or borrow games to and from mates like with console games), and you can have hardware compatability issues. All in all, it's important to remember there are reasons for playing on both platforms.
Also, you can't mod Mass Effect.
[...] GamingOgre’s article is titled ‘5 Reasons You Should Play Mass Effect 2 on PC’, you can see their full article here. [...]
console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks console pwns pc sucks
guys...get over yourself, pc is better, but they cost much much more, so stop bitching about people with better rigs than you do, it's like someone bitching about someone elses sports car because you can only afford public transport, they both do what they are meant to do, stop whining.
LOL, PC gaming is dead, it sucks. Only noob gamers would buy Mass Effect 2 on the PC. Having said that you shouldn't buy the 360 version, either. What should you do? Wait 10 months for the PS3 version to come out. PS3 has better graphics, anyway. Uncharted 2 pwns any PC game.
I play it on the pc, because im more of a pc gamer at heart, but now and then i venture,
If you want take a look at my montage i made its quite good my first of its kind, opening is all talking then it kicks in
http://extremegamingreviews.webs.com/apps/videos/videos/show/6928454-my-mass-effect-2-video
the ignorance of console gamers is appalling
Mass Effect 2 PC on my 52" in 1920*1080!! is fooking awesome!!!
oh and it runs at 60fps too, can't say the same for the 360 version : P
But i still love my 360 for the games i can't get on PC : )
of course the PC version is the better version. but wait for the PS3 version.
The graphics argument is kinda null on this game as both look bloody amazing. Best character models I've ever seen on a console game. Beating Uncharted 2.
The graphics comment wasn't so much a comparison of models, but rather resolution and general rendering prowess.
Wow i totally disagree..really mass effect wasnt made 4 consoles....DUDE it was made for the xbox 360 for a november 2007 Release..dude the pc version came out about half a year after get your facts straight.. And do note does it really matter if you PC monitor is 1080P? no it doesn't as much as a 22 inch TV is 1080P is non important...so is a 22 inch pc monitor 1080P really only matter with 40inch+ Tv's ...I mean i got a 22 inch LCD 1080p set in my room but still not a big deal with that size of a TV..same goes with PC monitors
Simple The PC Version is not better and your supposed 5 things are bogus ...it all matters of preference of keyboard or keypad...
And on a console versus Pc debate yes it is a 4 year old console( it has been out for 4 years so get facts straight in november will be 5 year) but i like to know my copy will play the same as the dude in Germany and don't have to worry will this game run smoothly.. and i don't feel like paying for constant upgrades 4 my PC
I REALLY disagree with the price argument. Sure $10 is nice to save here and there but if you are buying a new video card every 2-3 years i think you are easily losing more than you are saving with each game purchase.
An average video card costs about $160 new. You would have to buy 8 games a year just to break even...
And if improved graphics is your main reason to game on PC, you are probably not going to just stick to the cheaper graphics cards a top of the line GPU can cost over $350
- you dont need to buy a new gfx card every 2-3 years. They last longer then that.
- The only graphics cards that are $350 are the cards that are going to be in the Playstation 4. Therefore your set graphic wise for 7years? lol
And for those of you bitching about having to buy a good processor, ram, etc.
Don't you already own a PC for daily use anyways. You should have a fast PC as it is...Therefore all you need is a 150 dollar GFX card and you can JUST optimize for 5 years like the XBOX is doing
I have a PC, 360 (halos, fable2,etc), PS3(killzone 2, Resistance2, etc). All connected to a Samsung 42 inch at 1080P at 120hz through HDMI (using VGA to HDMI for PC) and connected to 5.1 surround. I spent a grand total of 1, 400 on this rig a few years ago. I get over 50 FPS for Crysis, in the triple digits for Oblivion, 70's averge on DoW2, and Dragon Age? Doesn't look like the 360 version (props to PS3, a bit better). It looks like bliss, at average in the 60's
Mine:
Quad core running at 2.6ghz with 1.6ghz FSB
3GB of DDR RAM at 1.6ghz
GeForce GTX260 Black EDITTION 896MB
A buddys:
I convinced a friend from my squadron got a 350 dollar HP. Slapped a $80 500 watt power supply in there with a ATI radeon GPU that cost a $100 bucks (its a bit old) and has it hooked up to his 50 inch. He runs CoD Modern CrapFare 2 with all maxed out at 720P (his TV's res) and over 40frames per second at MINIMUM. Never touched his 360 again with good reason
1) Every game that matters will come out on PC
2) PC games last longer, MODS, Custom Maps, and it's free.
3) The "forever" console. No worries of playing most older games, constant, and cheap to upgrade after the initial purchase. 500 dollar cards? Lies, you can get better performance out of a 120 to 200 dollar card than a console. And why yes, Uncharted 2 does look great. And so does Killzone 2. And so does.... oops I'm out of games to name.
Long story is guys, 360 and PS3 each have their strength, but the PC is more adaptable, capable, and almost everyone has one, that IF they so choose, can turn the crappy little machine into a beast.
On another note though, even though the PC is my main platform of choice, if i had to just pick one console it'd be the PS3. It's an excellent innovative machine that deserves more credit than it gets. The 360 i have to say I'm fairly disappointed in. And please, no hate/fanboy messages, whatever you have to say be civil
I mostly split time between my PS3 and PC. I've actually lent out my 360 to a friend of mine, it doesn't get touched (along with the Wii gathering dust).
For optimal performance you have to upgrade your PC every 2 years, but it can last 4 at the most. My 2004 PC( 3.0 p4, radeon 9800 xt could play almost every release until 2007. It does not play any games after 2007 except for RTS or other graphically inferior games; PC's do have better graphics, although even now 5 years into the release of the xbox 360 and ps3, it is a signficant but not a substantial improvement.
I had the option of buying a new PC or a xbox 360; a top tier pc (phenom 2 940, 4 gigs of ram, 150 dollar video card, et cetra) would have cost me 500 dollars(excluding monitor/drives) or a 360 with a hard-drive and 2 wireless controllers brand new would cost me 180 dollars. (10 % discount inc.) Every single game I wanted to play was on the 360 including all future games, so I chose to save Three Hundred and twenty dollars. In 2 or 3 years once the xbox 360 is obsolete(the graphic disparity begins to bother me/ next generation) I will upgrade my PC and yield all the benefits of a brand new system without the inevitable upgrade + the 320 premium if purchased now.
[...] Read more: 5 Reasons You Should Play Mass Effect 2 on PC [...]
oh god not another pc v console flame. Definetly fuck off, you annoying little cunt. are you still at school?
1 big reason to buy it on either device... If you own Mass Effect 1. Depending on whether you want your character carried over into the sequel. If you bought it for PC than buy ME 2 through steam. If you bought it for Xbox (which i did) than buy ME 2 for that. As long you don't play both versions one after another.. You can remain naive to flaws of either one and enjoy the game full heartedly. They are both made by Bioware. I am a full PC gamer at heart, but i want to keep my character. I looked for an article like this hoping that there would be some defining character class, weapon or level that would separate the two. There isn't any. It comes down to screen, texture resolution and a comfortable couch. The same as it always does. So if your that torn get in both. Keep Bioware going strong because they are one of the few most reliable Developers left out there. Keep in mind i said ONE of the few. There are others out there... don't want to start another religious war. Except against Scientology. Mass Effect Science Fiction is more believable and better written than L.Ron Hubbard trash.
#6 you don't have to swap disks.....LOL
People keep coming back with "LOL I'd rather play from my couch"
Whats stopping you from using your PC on the HDTV?
I did it for around 8 months and I loved it, Plus I kept my keyboard and mouse which are a hundred times more responsive and accurate than a Pad. With a pad your limited to the sensitivity and motion of the stick, With the PC I can move it really fast... or really slow and both remain 99.9% accurate.
The graphics are better on mass effect 2, All pc games are cheaper HOWEVER you have to pay for the PC in the end.
Lets look at it this way however, If the average gamer buys two games a month on the PC your spending 300@25 a game and on Xbox your spending £479.88.
Thats £179.88 extra a year, Over 4 years thats 4*179.88 which is £719.52... Thats the price of a PC that will last you 4 years and play games @ Medium to high graphics (By the end of the 4 years)
To be honest, their both about the same cost so dont pull this "MOTHERBOARD GRAPHICS CARD MEMORY PROCESSOR BLAH BLAH BLAH" shit into it.
Both work out about the same cost over a 4 year period, except the PC has better, more accurate control system and better graphics AND its not just a console platform, it can have a blu ray player, Media PC, internet PC, Office PC.
Kthx
If you have enough bling for up to date hardware and the know-how to match the PC will smack any console in the gonads, it'll do so brutally, and it'll do so every single time. But many points mentioned above are valid.
- You'll save oodles of cash with a consol vs a PC, granted the PC is used for mor than gaming (I do allot of PS and music making)
- The Consol is much easier to pack up and haul around (unless you own a laptop), the consol also allows you to play 2-4 players on one machine (though you'll feel like you're playing on a gameboy)
- Consols don't crash (stupid windows)...
Other than that the PC owns it. You can plug it into your fancy TV, you can plug in consol style game pads, you can mouse and keyboard if you want, you can plug it into any sound system you could a console, you can D/L games you don't trust for free before committing to purchasing them (ssshhh, and yes, I do buy the games that deserve buying, like ME), mods and downloaded content have always been the biggest one for me. How many times have you played something and knew it needed an extra couple weeks of testing and patching before release ? Too many games are halfasses these days and you can always trust on the gaming community to fix it all free of charge. Mod feels like cheating ? don't install it then, simple non ?.
Oh ya this thread was between ME PC and ME xbox ... MEs style of gaming is in the middle, it's not bad either way, but I've always been a PC man, and it's not me being stubborn, it's me looking at facts and stats. But hey, you're also talking to someone who owns a $4'000 rig.
imo it comes down to whether you're casual or a dedicated gamer.
if you plan to play a lot of games and especially multiplayer, then you pretty much NEED a gaming pc. console doesn't cut it.
multiplayer is dire laggy swill on consoles (and console ports e.g. bioshock 2 and modernwarfare 2). i'd have more fun rubbing my private parts with a red hot poker. this isn't the opinion of a pc fanboy, this is the opinion of someone who has experienced the ups and downs of multiplayer gaming for the best part of a decade.
i can see the main advantage of console, being able to sit on the couch, feet up infront of a 50 inch plasma. i've spend many hours playing 'arcadey' games on the sofa, but imo this is not natural for playing some games. shooters on a console, for example, make me feel like i'm sporting a straight jacket. the easiest way to aim is to strafe in order to align your crosshair with the enemy, this is not natural.