Gaming rEvolutions: My Personal Computer to Console Recycling

I was set to do an article on a completely different topic this week when something utterly frustrating happened. I have recently rediscovered my love of PC gaming with Steam and Humble Bundles in the role of enablers with their ridiculously cheap sale prices. This week began innocently enough. I bought a few games and downloaded them onto my PC. When I attempted to open the first game I was met with all manner of obstacles and frustrations. The game, it seems, was a port to the PC and was meant for computers running on operating systems older then mine. I was once again reminded of the very reason I tend to cycle back and forth between focusing on PC gaming and console gaming.

Throughout my life I revolved and evolved in my gaming preferences. Most of my gaming decisions tend to boil down to what will give the most quality fun for the least amount of work. Work has always meant the things I do because I HAVE to do them. Fun is what I will do because I WANT to do it. As long as the fun outweighs the work aspects of the game then I am one happy lady. It is the age old desire to find the path of the least resistance.

I began my gaming life on arcade machines and consoles. These machines are built for the specific purpose of gaming and for the games designed to play on them. They are an almost locked system allowing the player freedom from the installation stress. The only frustration comes when a player wants to do anything ‘outside the box’. If I want to add any personal customization or mods to the games then I am out of luck. This format is, however, perfect for a young kid with limited knowledge of computers. A simple plug in and play device. Provided hours of happy gaming.

Later on I discovered the benefits to PC gaming. Here I was able to update and upgrade my gaming machine to make the game better graphically, improve the processing speed, or add other customizations to my games. In the wise words of Voltaire paraphrased succinctly by Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben, “With great power comes great responsibility”. If I want the ability to tweak and mod my games than I must be willing to accept responsibility for the time and energy expended to make the game work. I tend to accept this responsibility until I realize I spend more time trying to make the game work than I do actually playing the game. This has forced me to seek the simpler times of console gaming again.

Console gaming promises ease in access and a standardized system dedicated to playtime. After the blood, sweat and tears expended in installing PC games I have returned time and again to the simpler days of the closed system. This honeymoon state lasts right up until the moment too many games decide to hang or the system decides it wants to crap out. The next gen systems have also added more peripherals and accessories to the basic console system. Wireless remotes, motion sensing cameras, tablets, and mobile console connectivity all add to the complexity of the system. While the more complex system adds exciting new options to the player it also adds, exponentially, to the number of potential technical difficulties. With a closed system there is little room to fix any compatibility issues. The good news is the standardized system allows any potential fixes to be standardized as well. A simple Google search will quickly determine whether there is a quick fix or the system needs to be replaced. Computer issues can be researched online but each system is slightly different and leads to an almost infinite number of potential solutions to any technical issues.

As the consoles get older and developers start to focus toward the next generation, my interest returns to back to the PC. The fact that most  PC versions of games are cheaper than their console counterparts helps ease the transition back to familiar ground. And so the story goes as I continue to cycle between the two types of systems. The only constants remain the mobile gaming systems. My portable Nintendo device of the moment and my mobile iOs, Droid, and Windows devices will continue to satisfy my casual gaming needs. These devices provide the ‘comfort food’ of simple gaming that help fill my free time in small bites.

My preference of serious gaming device will continue to revolve and evolve as I attempt to stay at least one step behind the utter frustration of install hell I experienced last week. It is a comfort to know that my options will continue to provide escape in its many forms and formats. Each format has their advantages and their insanity. The key is to find the one that fits current technical abilities and desires and enjoy the ride while it lasts.