At times like this, as the PS3 continues to suffer network outages, it's difficult to deny the PC platform has some significant advantages over its console brethren.

I ordered a new PC today. There were many reasons for this, not least of which is the fact that my four year old iMac, while fine for working, struggles with even ageing Source Engine games and outright laughs in my face if I even think the word "Crysis" when I'm standing near it.

This is not my new computer.

The PC is often seen as that most hardcore of platforms, and is also seen as an expensive, complicated option when compared to the plug and play fun that consoles offer. And sure, the initial financial outlay is much higher, and there's lots of wires and indecipherable acronyms to learn, particularly if you're building the system yourself. But there's a number of factors that should be enough to make anyone stop and think about the amount of money they're throwing at their hobby, and whether it might not be a good idea to throw it in a slightly different direction.

The most obvious advantage of the PC as a gaming platform comes in the pricing of brand new titles. Let's take Bethesda's upcoming shooter Brink as an example. Looking at the GameStop page for the title, we can see that not only is the PC version $10 cheaper than its console counterparts, purchasers also have the option of getting it as either a digital download or physical media, whereas console owners are limited to physical media.

And talking of digital distribution, PC owners have Steam, which when it comes to new games generally offers them at a significant markdown from their MSRP, often with discounts available for pre-order customers. Not only that, but regular and extremely generous sales -- particularly around holiday periods -- mean that high quality games can be picked up for a fraction of the price of what they would normally cost. This business practice has been working extremely well for Valve, with sales of products such as their own Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead spiking sharply both during and after sale events due to the power of word of mouth and impulse purchases.

Sure, we get Deal of the Week on Xbox Live, and PSN occasionally has sales. But when was the last time you had the option to pick up a full retail title for up to 80% off its normal price on consoles? And when was the last time you could do that without having to go to a game store and root around in the bargain bin for a battered old disc that may or may not have been attacked by a dog and/or small child at some point?

This isn't even starting to think about the nature of "backward compatibility." The PC as a platform, despite changing operating systems, hardware and all manner of other bits and pieces over the years, is still more than capable of running games that are over 20 years old, rather than limiting itself to current generation titles and software emulation like current consoles. Services like Good Old Games are keeping the flame of these old titles alive, while past console generations gradually find themselves forgotten, or dependent on services such as Xbox Live Arcade and Virtual Console.

And what about Sony's current woes with PSN? As useful and community-minded as a universal, global gaming network is, such an outage would never happen on the PC, short of the entire Internet being brought down. If Steam goes down, PC players have the option of using another network, another online store, playing other games, rather than being stuck waiting for Sony to fix a problem it sometimes seems they're not quite sure of the extent of.

So it was that by thinking of all the above reasons, I figured that splashing a bit of cash on a new gaming-centric PC might not be such a bad idea after all, despite it being over twice the price of a new console. The savings I'd make on new games in the long run coupled with the lack of reliance on Sony of Microsoft to ensure online play works properly all adds up to a very attractive proposition.

What about you? Have Sony's PSN woes or the past hardware reliability issues with the Xbox convinced any of you to jump off the console ship into the murky waters of PC gaming?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GameProVideoGameOpinionNews/~3/pvAnqrCStNo/

Nintendo 3DS OnLive Pandora Phantom PlayStation 3

Virtua Tennis 4 is in stores now!

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Source: http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/sports/virtuatennis4/video/6313675

PlayStation 3 PlayStation 3 Slim PlayStation Portable PlayStation Portable Slim PlayStation Portable Lite

A group of patents related to Nintendo's Japan-only Wii video-on-demand channel, Wii no Ma, have recently been registered in the U.S., despite the service being available in Japan for almost nine months already. service's name.

Nintendo's video-on-demand channel Wii no Ma has been online in Japan for almost a year now with nary a mention of international release. With Nintendo recently announcing Netflix streaming support, the company may be looking to bolster its video output in another department, as the company has filed a variety of U.S. trademarks related to the service.

The patents, filed through the United States Patent and Trademark Office, include a wide variety of potential uses, like making hotel or restaurant reservations, providing ads or prizes to customers and sharing information via bulletin boards

All of the aforementioned patents were initially created in Japan last year, though the information has been updated for the U.S. earlier in the month. Most of the patents still involve the Wii no Ma name, which suggest that the company may just be attempting to protect its IPs--it's done so before in registering WiinoMa.com and Wii-no-Ma.net--though the recent filing dates are a little suspect.

"Wii no Ma" Name Trademarked in U.S. [BrokeMyController]

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GameProVideoGameRumorNews/~3/VWKp85bANmw/

PC Games PSP Go Space Invaders Wii Windows Mobile Games