PC vs. Console: The War Has to End Sometime
By Conor "SolidSmoke" McClain

The underground, mostly unheard of, war by outsiders between the PC field of gaming and the console’s has been waging since Nintendo was introduced in the 80’s. Since then there has been a torrent of on and offline “flaming” between both parties, leaving those in the middle to toss up their hands in dismay over the apparent misunderstandings between the two. On the PC side arguments have ranged from the continuously greater graphical achievements of the PC over the Console to an insistence that a keyboard and mouse provide greater tools for gaming than any controller. They also have said things like such as PC gaming is more hardcore due to the price tag and complexity of the keyboard and computer systems. Console gamers, on the other hand, burnish their arguments with claims of gaming being far more enjoyable in front of the TV on the couch with friends and turn the price tag argument against PC users by asserting that that the cost is too high to keep up with high end PC games and in the end is not worth all the cash. Some have even ascertained that the console controller offers as much complexity due to a high degree of precision that must be learned to do well along with the timing of button presses. Overall, both sides have some good points but they are going nowhere other than a continual clashing together in the ongoing war that is PC vs. Console.

The main drive for all of this is a fear on both sides that the other will attain too great a dominance, if not over the videogames market, then in the minds of serious gamers. This fear arises in the stalwart pride Gamers show in the machines of their choice and the inevitable anger that arises when anyone mentions the greatness of the other side. It is also evident in the way in which remarks are tossed back and forth—“That will NEVER be as good as this, that will NEVER be as popular, that will NEVER be as hardcore, and that will NEVER be worthwhile.” It is the assertion of never, or at least the thought of it that truly spells out the fear, which is of course that, the opposite of never will be true. These fears need to be dispelled. The hard part has been how to do this without alienating the hardcore gamers on each side and instead work to bring them together in gaming bliss, or at least be able to stomach the though of a great, serious gaming opportunity on the other side.

The other driving force of belligerence is skill level in the particular field of choice, and it ties into fear as well. Gamers want to play the games and machines they’re good at while keeping that same pair as relevant as possible. This is a natural tendency and nothing to be ashamed of. If anything, one is only helping their community by fighting for its own relevance. But this does not have to mean going to war with everyone else’s choices. Look, for example, at Counter Strike. It is hoped that no one believes its continual spot in the heard of PC gaming comes from bashing other games but rather from its community striving to spread its greatness around at let others know about it. The same can be said for the biggest FPS on consoles, Halo/Halo 2. Halo was not made into a big money tournament and league game by attempting to morally crush those around it, instead it came through word of mouth and the fun and skill that was continuously propagated through the community.

The truth is that no matter what is said and done, both PC and console gaming are here to stay. Moreover, it isn’t the war mongering of both sides constantly harrowing each other with hate that keeps one from toppling the other, instead it is the love of the games and systems that players enjoy that does so. No amount of flaming and bashing will ever change a persons mind; neither will calmly trying to coerce the other into joining their side. Once cannot change the feelings gamers have for their systems and games, one can only make it spread in an attempt to bridge both sides into respecting each other and perhaps sharing time between both types of machines. Of course, not everyone will start playing both PC and console, but no one will give up their machine of choice unless its on their own terms, and no one will quit playing both sides unless it is for the same reason. The question “Why can’t we all just get along?” will not be asked here, but it will be said that getting along is a simple matter of choosing to do so, along with giving up long seated fears in favor of strengthening both communities