i bought an xbox 360 in all the modern warfare 2 craze after being into pc gaming for a while

i was very underwhelmed by the resolution - i figured surely things must be in HD by now but the hardware is quite old so i understand why it's not possible and things are upscaled for now. i can't stand playing games with this crappy quality for the life of me.

i have until the end of january to return this thing -

1) is the next generation of consoles on the verge of coming out? did i buy the xbox 360 at the end of its life cycle?

2) should i return the xbox and stick with pc gaming even though the community is dying out?

i posted this in tech talk because the entertainment crowd seems to be a bunch of fanboys and their response would have been "oh a typical pc fanboy..." - i'd like a fair discussion considering cost and life span of products, quality, etc. not just fanboy talk...

12/9/2009 1:10:32 PM

Quote :

"surely things must be in HD by now"

Uhhh, what? They are.

12/9/2009 1:23:18 PM

no joke

the Wii is the only non HD console

12/9/2009 1:34:09 PM

halo 3: odst runs at 1152×640
cod4 and modern warfare 2 both run at 1024 x 600

they are just upscaled to whatever output resolution you select. surely you can see how after playing on 1900x1200 going down to 1024x600 is a big shocker.

there are only 3-4 titles on the xbox 360 that run at native 1080i like virtua tennis, and some other cartoon-y games which i will never want to play.

12/9/2009 1:34:53 PM

aw so sad

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 1:35 PM. Reason : a]

12/9/2009 1:34:58 PM

It's really a problem with how much Joe Consumer is willing to spend, which is not a lot.

You can blame the lack of hardware performance on him for not wanting to spend $1,000-2,000 on a gaming console ... which, coincidentally is what we call a high-end gaming computer.

12/9/2009 1:43:32 PM

you can build a pc that will be miles beyond any console for $700-$800

12/9/2009 1:45:23 PM

i completely understand and i'm not arguing that point or blaming anyone. the xbox360 is a few years old and so the hardware was probably the equivalent of a mid-grade gaming PC in 2005 or whenever it came out, that's fine...

just wanted to discuss whether buying one right now was a bad investment if higher quality hardware is on the verge of coming out

12/9/2009 1:49:14 PM

I dont think the next generation of consoles will come out for at least 2 more years. 5 years is the average time between generations but Microsoft has already stated they will continue to focus on the 360 for a while, especially considering the PS2 is still doing well after almost 8 years.

12/9/2009 1:54:07 PM

it really comes down to the games. Anything worth playing on the 360 has a better version on pc.

The ps3 is the only thing that has any really worthwhile exclusives, but there really aren't that many. The ps3 also has a blu-ray player.

12/9/2009 1:58:15 PM

If I understand correctly, the Natal is a 360 addon, but it will come out with updated 360 hardware.

12/9/2009 1:59:10 PM

^^ but what are games without communities? i think the pc gaming community is dying out unfortunately - either that, or they're not united on any one single game so they all seem like very small communities in a bunch of games rather than one large community.

and modern warfare 2 was specifically designed to be an xbox360 offering. the pc version is a direct port, with all the shortcomings that come when you don't design it separately for the PC or make the necessary modifications for it to be played on a PC - even some of their dialogs still say "Xbox live" on them...

^ that'd be cool - so that comes out late next year... wonder if the hardware upgrade would enable content developers to develop and release more HD titles and whether you can get it while using the controller still. the camera and stuff is good but it probably wouldn't be good for any sort of serious gaming though. just like the wii is more for parties and entertainment when friends come over, not for serious gaming...

12/9/2009 2:07:08 PM

Quote :

"the xbox360 is a few years old and so the hardware was probably the equivalent of a mid-grade gaming PC in 2005 or whenever it came out"

The 360 was computationally equivalent to a very high end PC in 2005. You are comparing a $200 dollar console that lasts for 5-7 years against a $600+ dollar computer that you upgrade every year.

This is a seriously stupid thread. If you care that much about high resolution, go drop bank on a PC. You are in the tiny, tiny minority of people who care about this at all. Yes, the next consoles will be more capable. No it won't be anytime soon.

The Wii is the only console that might see a refresh in the next year. Neither the 360 or PS3 will be replaced anytime soon. Modern consoles have a 7-10 year lifecycle which we are right in the middle of currently.

12/9/2009 2:10:11 PM

Quote :

"halo 3: odst runs at 1152×640 cod4 and modern warfare 2 both run at 1024 x 600"

play on a ps3 if you want 720p or 1080p

12/9/2009 2:10:25 PM

Quote :

"The ps3 is the only thing that has any really worthwhile exclusives"

lolz...another shaggy classic

^I have yet to see/play a PS3 game higher than 720p.

I gave up the PC gaming scene because it was just too damn expensive. After being on a console for a while I'd say the over all gaming experience is way ahead of the PC...however the PC remains to be the better in terms of actual graphics capabilities. The days of dropping $600 on just a video card are long gone for me and is just absurd.

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 2:22 PM. Reason : .]

12/9/2009 2:18:20 PM

^^^ are you DAFT? i'm not arguing that they should be comparable. read, motherfucker.

i was just asking when the next gen of consoles is coming out and if any people had a fucking opinion on whether i should keep it/return it.

oh and ^^ yeah, there are more games that are 720p on the ps3 - http://forum.beyond3d.com/showthread.php?t=43330&page=19 - but i think mw2 is still the same res on the ps3 too. thanks for the suggestion.

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 2:22 PM. Reason : ^]

12/9/2009 2:21:35 PM

The one thing I don't miss about PC gaming is checking the box for system requirements I do still play on occasion PC games on my laptop but it just doesn't have the same appeal to me as before. Installing games, dicking around with configs just to play a game i'll be bored with in a month...I guess I've just out grown that.

12/9/2009 2:26:19 PM

Quote :

"i was just asking when the next gen of consoles is coming out and if any people had a fucking opinion on whether i should keep it/return it."

You started off talking about blah blah HD blah blah computers.

I gave you the answer to the question you asked, along with color commentary to go with your own.

12/9/2009 2:28:39 PM

Yeah I used to be an avid computer gamer up until about 4 years ago. Thats when I picked up an XBox, jumped on Xbox Live, and played the shit out of Halo and Halo 2. I sold my PC gaming rig, bought a laptop, and havent looked back. The last game I played on a PC was GTA: San Andreas actually (on my laptop).

12/9/2009 2:29:28 PM

I still play games like Civilization and Total War on the PC but thats about it...mainly because you can't get something like that on a console.

12/9/2009 2:31:02 PM

until there is a legitimate keyboard/mouse combination for consoles, I will never give up PC gaming.

That and there STILL isnt a competent way to do RTS on consoles.

12/9/2009 2:32:00 PM

^I would say the only reason to play on a PC is RTS. I felt the same way about the keyboard/mouse deal for so long until I actually started getting into console gaming and I've had no desire since to use a keyboard/mouse in an FPS again...

12/9/2009 2:33:18 PM

haha I actually downloaded some old Steam games like Day of Defeat: source and tried to play and sucked terribly. I couldnt use a mouse...it was terrible haha

12/9/2009 2:41:39 PM

it's just about what you're looking for.

if HD graphics are important than a PC will be superior

I enjoy the social aspect of a console - have a few friends over in front of the tv or play on xbox live. much more convenient it seems than finding friends that are playing the same pc game

i enjoy the controls of a pc more. I like my RTS games on PC. it's no the same on a console at all. I do prefer FPS on pc because of the ease and precision of moving the mouse, but to each his own on that matter

12/9/2009 2:41:58 PM

PC gaming isn't going anywhere, just look at the success steam has had on gaming distribution and pricing, not to mention the aforementioned graphics advantages.

The thing is with a "gaming" PC you aren't actually paying more than you think. Chances are you'll already have a computer in your house it's multifunctional, the only thing you need to upgrade really is your graphics card every 2 years or so to stay ahead of the game. I've had my 9800GX2 for 2 years and is still one of the top 5 graphics cards out there when looking at averages across multiple games.

Next gen video consoles will have upgraded hardware, and I'd assume be more multifunctional like blu-ray standalone devices are nowadays... added support for internet TV, netflix, pandora, digital-content delivery...

Like Noen said you can't really compare the two, they are just two very different markets and people have different priorities in their gaming.

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 3:21 PM. Reason : .]

12/9/2009 3:19:59 PM

I had a Wii, sold it. Looked at an Xbox and didn't think it was worth the money. I'm sticking with PC gaming. I end up dropping money of my PC every 18 months or so, tends to be around $300-$400. That covers gaming, photo editing, plus all the other crap you can do with a PC. Plus playing any kind of FPS using those little joysticks on a console controller is horrible compared to a keyboard / mouse.

12/9/2009 3:30:59 PM

Quote :

"Plus for me playing any kind of FPS using those little joysticks on a console controller is horrible compared to a keyboard / mouse."

fixed it for you so this doesn't turn into a flame war.

12/9/2009 3:49:30 PM

i play starcraft on my macbook. all id ever need.

12/9/2009 3:58:16 PM

Playing a game like Diablo 3 wouldnt be as fun imo on a console.

Platformers, sports, racing, and rpg games are console territory for me; thats it.

12/9/2009 4:01:27 PM

I play both, but if I had to choose one and give up the other completely I'd go with PC gaming, because I love mods.

But yeah there aren't going to be any new consoles for at least a few more years.

12/9/2009 4:14:52 PM

^I hate mods with a passion (not all but most). The last time I installed Counter-Strike:Source and connected to a random server, I hardly even recognized the game. It was an abomination of warcraft and a bunch of other stupid shit.

Battlefield, however, did have some serious mods that I enjoyed.

12/9/2009 4:16:41 PM

Here's my theory (no science to back it up). The gaming industry is usually several years behind the media storage industry. Partly because the gaming industry relies on the media industry to introduce new technologies. So don't expect any new gaming consoles to come out until a new type of media comes out.

DVD's (~480p) -> 1995
Playstation 2 -> 2000
Xbox -> 2001

Bluray -> 2003
Playstation 3 -> 2006
Xbox 360 -> 2005

Terabyte Flash Drives/Highspeed gigabit wireless streaming for the masses??? -> 2012
Playstation IV -> ???
Xbox 540 -> ???

Pffft, who cares anyways. The world ends 12-12-2012.

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 4:26 PM. Reason : goodies]

12/9/2009 4:16:49 PM

I think discs are an abberation.

I want the next generation to go back to cartridges. With the price of solid state memory these days theres no reason to use these fragile oversized discs anymore.

12/9/2009 4:18:41 PM

^screw that...go to digital distribution! which they kind of already have...you can buy a lot of xbox360 classics on the marketplace.

12/9/2009 4:24:27 PM

^^ I dunno, it sucks to have to clean a shiny fingerprint magnet of a disc... but it also sucked hyperventilating into a cartridge as well.

12/9/2009 4:25:20 PM

Quote :

"I hate mods with a passion (not all but most). The last time I installed Counter-Strike:Source and connected to a random server, I hardly even recognized the game. It was an abomination of warcraft and a bunch of other stupid shit."

You realize of course that Counter-Strike itself was a mod.

12/9/2009 4:27:16 PM

^yes, but the mods I'm referring to are mods you would use on games like Counter Strike, battlefield, TF, Quake, etc that alter the dynamics of the game not actually creating an entirely unique game...you know, the shit PC gamers are whining about that they can't do in Modern Warfare 2

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 4:56 PM. Reason : .]

12/9/2009 4:55:58 PM

Yes well you have to crawl before you can walk. You can't get to awesome mods like Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat when you disallow modding in general.

Also, you say you hate mods, but one of the games you list playing on PC is Total War games. Have you never played Total War mods?

If not, you're missing out to the extreme. That's one of the best modding communities out there.

12/9/2009 5:11:47 PM

Quote :

"Pffft, who cares anyways. The world ends 12-12-2012."

Sorry, but you'll have to wait 9 extra days for your apocalypse, it's supposed to be 12/21/2012, the winter solstice.

12/9/2009 5:23:19 PM

^^

Quote :

"(not all but most)"

i generally hate the mods that alter the game play without making it a new game. Like the CS: Source mods I was referring to...basically a mod for the sake of modding.

I haven't played any Total War mods that I'm aware of...maybe way back but its been a really long time (since Medieval II Total War). I do have Empire Total War on my christmas wish list though...

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 5:29 PM. Reason : ...]

12/9/2009 5:28:34 PM

Quote :

"This is a seriously stupid thread."

12/9/2009 6:40:02 PM

I've had a 360 for about three years now, I own 3 games, NCAA Football 2010, 2009, and 2008

12/9/2009 6:54:43 PM

Quote :

"the Wii is the only non HD console"

given that the wii outputs 480p, it qualifies as an HD console.

12/9/2009 7:02:44 PM

480p is not HD you fucktard. 480p is "ED" (enhanced definition).

12/9/2009 7:12:35 PM

there's no official spec for high definition you fucktard.

12/9/2009 7:19:32 PM

most people consider HD to be 720p or greater.

12/9/2009 7:27:12 PM

it is widely accepted that 720p & 1080p are HD, 480p is most definitely NOT HD, but like Limpy mentioned is ED for enhanced.

Quote :

"The Grand Alliance (GA) was a consortium created in 1993 at the behest of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to develop the American digital television (SDTV, EDTV) and HDTV specification"

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 7:28 PM. Reason : .]

12/9/2009 7:27:22 PM

could you please point me to an official copy of the hdtv specification?

12/9/2009 7:56:59 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-definition_television#TV_resolution

12/9/2009 8:01:57 PM

lolz

[Edited on December 9, 2009 at 8:10 PM. Reason : s]

12/9/2009 8:05:05 PM