Operation Sports Forums - View Single Post - Are Console-Like Gaming PCs A Good Choice for Sports Gamers?

jpollack34 · 06-14-2015, 02:21 PM

Nice article. It’s a great question you guys bring up.

I have personally made the move to PC Gaming last couple of years. And though I have a PS4 (and was predominantly a console gamer last generation 360/PS3/Wii), I find myself turning it on less and less.

The reason: Editing and modding. I honestly don’t think I can go back to consoles and their closed platform. The PC can be frustrating at times, but that comes with any open platform. A platform that allows editing/modding and other such tinkerings will necessarily come with complications because customization is at its core. They go hand in hand.

Does it suck that I can’t play some of the great sports games? Of course. However, I have come to the realization that if modding is not part of the experience, I’m simply not interested.

Thankfully I have been able to quench my sports thirst (I purchased PES and NBA2K on Steam). I also have a heavily modded version of MVP Baseball 2005 for the baseball fix; although Super Mega Baseball is coming to Steam, so I’m looking forward to that. If the modding community gets a hold of that one it could launch that game into legendary status.

I honestly don’t think that a lot of AAA studios in the sports genre are prepared for what’s about to come. I have been saying for a couple of years now that they are ill prepared. They seem to want to hang on to an old model; hoping and praying that things won’t change. Change is inevitable. When Steam hits the living room, with it’s already 100+ million active users (and an estimated 900 million pc gamers), the studios that are ill prepared are going to get a rude awakening. There is going to be an avalanche of independent games hitting the market that will now take advantage of the couch setting (sports being one of the underutilized genres). And now that that Unreal Engine 4 (and other top class engines) is free to use up-front (5% royalty only), the quality over the next 3-5 years of those independent games is going to skyrocket.

The old way of doing things (exclusive licensing deals and using high costs as barrier to entry) are going to go the way of the dodo bird (to be replaced by modding). Listen to bell it tolls for thee.

06-14-2015, 02:21 PM	#2
jpollack34 Rookie OVR: 0 Join Date: Aug 2014	Nice article. It’s a great question you guys bring up. I have personally made the move to PC Gaming last couple of years. And though I have a PS4 (and was predominantly a console gamer last generation 360/PS3/Wii), I find myself turning it on less and less. The reason: Editing and modding. I honestly don’t think I can go back to consoles and their closed platform. The PC can be frustrating at times, but that comes with any open platform. A platform that allows editing/modding and other such tinkerings will necessarily come with complications because customization is at its core. They go hand in hand. Does it suck that I can’t play some of the great sports games? Of course. However, I have come to the realization that if modding is not part of the experience, I’m simply not interested. Thankfully I have been able to quench my sports thirst (I purchased PES and NBA2K on Steam). I also have a heavily modded version of MVP Baseball 2005 for the baseball fix; although Super Mega Baseball is coming to Steam, so I’m looking forward to that. If the modding community gets a hold of that one it could launch that game into legendary status. I honestly don’t think that a lot of AAA studios in the sports genre are prepared for what’s about to come. I have been saying for a couple of years now that they are ill prepared. They seem to want to hang on to an old model; hoping and praying that things won’t change. Change is inevitable. When Steam hits the living room, with it’s already 100+ million active users (and an estimated 900 million pc gamers), the studios that are ill prepared are going to get a rude awakening. There is going to be an avalanche of independent games hitting the market that will now take advantage of the couch setting (sports being one of the underutilized genres). And now that that Unreal Engine 4 (and other top class engines) is free to use up-front (5% royalty only), the quality over the next 3-5 years of those independent games is going to skyrocket. The old way of doing things (exclusive licensing deals and using high costs as barrier to entry) are going to go the way of the dodo bird (to be replaced by modding). Listen to bell it tolls for thee.