Shots fired! CNET's review of Alienware Alpha

[Derangel]

Yes trade ins hurt devs there's no debating it online passes started as a direct result of people buying used games saying it doesn't is no different to saying piracy doesn't either way the devs/publishers don't see a cent and you become gamestop/EB games bitch. In Australia at least you're lucky to get more then $15-20au back on games less then a week old that often retail for up to $110 so aren't cheaper at all and they don't have the crazy sales the PC gamers get either.

 

 

Oh that's bull. If the video game industry actually gave a damn about used sales publishers wouldn't be bending over backwards to give Gamestop exclusive DLC, exclusive launch events, exclusive games, tons of exclusives through Game Informer (a magazine Gamestop owns). The video game industry has the power to cripple and kill Gamestop and they don't really need GS' sales that badly, especially with things moving towards digital and Walmart selling more new games than Gamestop. Used sales have been part of the industry since the 2600 but no one has bitched about it until recently. You'd think if they cared they would stamp down on rentals too since renting games is still very wide spread on consoles.

[deathjester]

I guess if you can't build your own PC, its an option. Built this for my sister though. Easiest mini itx build I ever did, and I needed bang for buck gaming (no water cooling). Case rocks and is cheap. Slightly bigger than a coolermaster 110 elite, but can take of all four sides, psu is on bottom, 200 mm fan. Only reason it has the I5 K is you get the motherboard for 44.99 with combo at Microcenter and the K is 179.99 (try to price match the CPU through staples online if you don't have a microcenter). PSU? Same deal. Was 49.99. Overkill but whatever, it has a 5 year warranty. Lesser PSU's were same price. $852.75 with Windows and Far Cry 4 and a cordless mouse/keyboard (most people already have a PS3/Xbox controller). Would be 750 bucks without Windows, if you already have a copy of 7/8 and put Ubuntu on the older computer (she did not have this luxury). Board also has Wi-Fi so she can take it with her to peoples houses and game with it. 

 

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/6CXPYJ

 

Will play Dolphin Emulator with her real Wii controller/light bar (blue-tooth on the motherboard) since the Devil's Canyon chip is fast enough for it now that HLE works with Mario Galaxies etc. I really don't understand moving from one console to another. These things are small enough now and well cooled and this one literally looks like a tiny speaker/woofer and you can fit a GTX 970 in it that is small enough to still give you great airflow and get air from the 200mm fan.

 

I built this for her as a present, now I want one lol. Highly recommend this case for anyone doing a mini itx build. This one was  very easy to work with (a new builder could use this easily) and manage cables in, then some towers I have used. Also can fit a pretty darn big CPU heatsink in it if you wanted to OC an I5 on a Z97. Evo 212 won't fit but tower coolers a little shorter will. MB plate is open on the bottom as well and you can remove a modular psu/bottom tray and add a big cpu cooler later without much effort.

 

[Lord Baal]

Oh that's bull. If the video game industry actually gave a damn about used sales publishers wouldn't be bending over backwards to give Gamestop exclusive DLC, exclusive launch events, exclusive games, tons of exclusives through Game Informer (a magazine Gamestop owns). The video game industry has the power to cripple and kill Gamestop and they don't really need GS' sales that badly, especially with things moving towards digital and Walmart selling more new games than Gamestop. Used sales have been part of the industry since the 2600 but no one has bitched about it until recently. You'd think if they cared they would stamp down on rentals too since renting games is still very wide spread on consoles.

Explain to me how buying a used game is better for the game dev/publisher then pirating it they have the same exact impact. The reason it's complained about now is because of how wide spread it's become and well Xbox(with publisher support) would have crushed it all together by being 100% digital had people not cried about it. I've also not seen a store that rents games since the original xbox hell I've not seen one that rents movies since then either haha.

[jaggysnake57]

Yes trade ins hurt devs there's no debating it online passes started as a direct result of people buying used games saying it doesn't is no different to saying piracy doesn't either way the devs/publishers don't see a cent and with trade ins/second hand games you become gamestops/EB games bitch. In Australia at least you're lucky to get more then $15-20au back on games less then a week old that often retail for up to $110 so aren't cheaper at all and they don't have the crazy sales that PC gamers get either. You seem to think PC's don't have physical media anymore or something PC can install from disc(I have 2 optical drives for a reason) just as easily as you can on console faster with a good ssd if you're so worried about time, consoles also get stuck with large downloads the same as PC does.

I never said consoles didn't have their upsides you're imagining that in fact I said they did and you just failed to name their biggest strengths.

There are plenty of arguments that support pc being far superior to consoles in many many regards so long as you're not too stupid or simple to be able to use them such as less screaming kids, no stupid subscription just to play online when you already pay for your internet(adding $120 a year to the cost of the console) better graphics, better input support often resulting in a more realistic experience(HOTAS for example), game mods and customization,they're largely backward compatible, easy multi-screen gaming or multitasking. Not to mention all the none game related things PC's can do. I game on both but there's no arguing the fact PC is stronger platform overall. My pc spends only about 10% of its time on actually in games.

The biggest strength of console gaming is local multi-player which was enough reason for me to own them that and I have children consoles are perfect for children. Consoles actually require you to own a PC or other online device to make the most out of them (media streaming, setting up your router/internet, hell even setting up your online accounts and managing subscription can't be done from the consoles themselves)

They have their strengths and a reason for existing I didn't ever argue they didn't and pointed out multiple times that I own more then one of each and play on both console and PC you're not talking to a blind fanboy.

 

 

 

Explain to me how buying a used game is better for the game dev/publisher then pirating it they have the same exact impact. The reason it's complained about now is because of how wide spread it's become and well Xbox(with publisher support) would have crushed it all together by being 100% digital had people not cried about it. I've also not seen a store that rents games since the original xbox hell I've not seen one that rents movies since then either haha.

 

 

when you brought physical media into pc sales thats when i knew you were clutching at straws....it feels like your against trade ins more because you get screwed being in australia, than it hurts devs.  and to answer your other question, for a game to be used it had to be new, a pirated game could just have been leaked not to mention the whole would never have brought it/ went and brought it anyway argument...stop grasping at straws

[Derangel]

Explain to me how buying a used game is better for the game dev/publisher then pirating it they have the same exact impact. The reason it's complained about now is because of how wide spread it's become and well Xbox(with publisher support) would have crushed it all together by being 100% digital had people not cried about it. I've also not seen a store that rents games since the original xbox hell I've not seen one that rents movies since then either haha.

 

I don't know about Australia but over here in the US I don't remember a single time in the last nearly 25 years I've been playing games that used sales weren't widespread. Heck back then you got a lot more for used games and systems then you do now and used games were much cheaper than buying new. It's complained more about now because publishers are going crazy with spending on advertising and team size. No other industry complains about used sales like video games do. Hollywood doesn't even complain about it now when disc sales are down.

 

It's still a big thing here, though less so than ten years ago. Interestingly that has more to do with movie services like Netflix killing off big movie rental places. Still there are things like Gamefly, Redbox, various smaller rental places, etc. It's pretty easy to rent games in the US.

[Lord Baal]

when you brought physical media into pc sales thats when i knew you were clutching at straws....it feels like your against trade ins more because you get screwed being in australia, than it hurts devs.  and to answer your other question, for a game to be used it had to be new, a pirated game could just have been leaked not to mention the whole would never have brought it/ went and brought it anyway argument...stop grasping at straws

Sounds like you're disregarding it because it doesn't serve your purpose physical media is just as easy to get for PC as it is consoles so it's just as valid. I don't trade in or sell my old games never even thought of it. Not even the games I own multiple copies so being Australian has nothing to do with it. I still own every console I ever owned from 2600 to now I have a spare room with them all plugged in and working to one of 3 screens depending on the age of the console, I even replaced a old Sega master system(that had died in storage) not all that long ago.

[jaggysnake57]

Sounds like you're disregarding it because it doesn't serve your purpose physical media is just as easy to get for PC as it is consoles so it's just as valid. I don't trade in or sell my old games never even thought of it. Not even the games I own multiple copies so being Australian has nothing to do with it. I still own every console I ever owned from 2600 to now I have a spare room with them all plugged in and working to one of 3 screens depending on the age of the console, I even replaced a old Sega master system(that had died in storage) not all that long ago.

 

no im disregarding it because its not relevant....ill just leave this here http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/24/report-92-percent-of-pc-game-sales-in-2013-were-digital/

[Lord Baal]

no im disregarding it because its not relevant....ill just leave this here http://www.joystiq.com/2014/08/24/report-92-percent-of-pc-game-sales-in-2013-were-digital/

It's relevant if you prefer physical media the option is there and it's as easy to get as it is for console. The fact most users choose digital distribution is irrelevant. You don't have to download games you can install them from a disc just as quickly as you can on a console, faster in most cases.  

[jaggysnake57]

The fact most users choose digital distribution is irrelevant. You don't have to download games you can install them from a disc   

 

[x-eagleeye-x]

Yes we do have extreme fanboy and I didn't say we didn't have them don't shove words in my mouth.

 

Funny how your original post criticized console gamers as ignorant fanboys, yet you fail to highlight that there are PC gamers who are as ignorant as a rock, especially those who call players of other platforms ignorant. 

 

I wasn't shoving words into your mouth. I was merely translating into words what you were implying.  :lol:

[cesrai]

Funny how your original post criticized console gamers as ignorant fanboys, yet you fail to highlight that there are PC gamers who are as ignorant as a rock, especially those who call players of other platforms ignorant. 

 

I wasn't shoving words into your mouth. I was merely translating into words what you were implying.  :lol:

Then in the other post I apologized and said the generalizing is wrong.

[NeatSquidYT]

On the irony...

Exactly my point.

[IdortMasterRace]

Can all you PCMR Redditors fuck off back there, please?

[patrickjp93]

It's not snobbish when your lazy, bad decisions effect the rest of the industry. We have seen more and more Dev's handicapping PC gaming because the console makers don't want people to realize how shit their hardware is. You can do what you like, but be prepared to have your shit called out because you made a bad decision and are financially supporting bad (for the customers) business practices. Some of us actually give a shit about how well our games play, and are getting annoyed about having our experience handicapped so that you peasants don't realize how far behind you actually are.

Consoles have 1 advantage over PC's. Simplicity, all you do is plug the fucking thing in, and somehow enjoy a shitty looking gaming experience with 8 year olds screaming over the voice chat. You can call me elitist all you want, but the fact remains that consoles are dying, albeit slowly.

You just used the same logic socialists use when discussing greater government control of industries. "Lazy, stupid consumers ruin it for everyone."

[Majestic]

I would hope that the console peasants would wake up, but sadly they won't. They are determined to make their purchasing decisions out of ignorance "I don't have time to build a PC!, I dont have time to make sure things are up to date, I don't have time to look up what kind of hardware I should need, etc".

 

They refuse to wake up and make responsible decisions, and the industry suffers as a result.

 

This. Been saying pretty much the same ever since the new consoles launched.

[Ashley]

I would hope that the console peasants would wake up, but sadly they won't. They are determined to make their purchasing decisions out of ignorance "I don't have time to build a PC!, I dont have time to make sure things are up to date, I don't have time to look up what kind of hardware I should need, etc".

 

They refuse to wake up and make responsible decisions, and the industry suffers as a result.

Don't have such a dismissive pessamistic attitude.

 

Granted there are some entrenched fans. You encounter these people on the Internet of course. But there are plenty of console gamers who just need education, and that education isn't in the main stream.

 

Many PC gamers on LTT were likely console gamers once, I know I once was. I played Nintendo games then switched to Xbox and upgraded to a 360 when that came out. I knew that gaming PCs were a thing but I wasn't familiar with the community and knew the graphics were better but I thought there weren't a lot of games. I had a number of ignorant assumptions I had made prior to discovering building PCs, PC gaming, etc. There is lots of market share from consolers to be had and Steam Machines are aimed to do just that! So don't give up hope.

[Trik'Stari]

You just used the same logic socialists use when discussing greater government control of industries. "Lazy, stupid consumers ruin it for everyone."

Fair enough. But the point still stands that if people were more discerning with their money, that the corporations of the world would have a hell of a lot less power than they do know. Knowledge is power. Think of the net neutrality debate, and what would happen if people knew what it was actually about, instead of just listening to fox news and msnbc. Instead of 4 million pissed off emails to the FCC, we might have 40 million pissed off emails. Also, socialists arguments are more along the lines of "greedy evil people ruin everything, alongside the people who want more than they need".

 

Don't have such a dismissive pessamistic attitude.

 

Granted there are some entrenched fans. You encounter these people on the Internet of course. But there are plenty of console gamers who just need education, and that education isn't in the main stream.

 

Many PC gamers on LTT were likely console gamers once, I know I once was. I played Nintendo games then switched to Xbox and upgraded to a 360 when that came out. I knew that gaming PCs were a thing but I wasn't familiar with the community and knew the graphics were better but I thought there weren't a lot of games. I had a number of ignorant assumptions I had made prior to discovering building PCs, PC gaming, etc. There is lots of market share from consolers to be had and Steam Machines are aimed to do just that! So don't give up hope.

I do remain hopeful that SteamMachines will stomp the consoles out. My biggest problem is that a lot of console gamers refuse to believe anything you tell them, such as that the "current gen" of consoles are about 5 years behind PC, and that you can build a PC for the same price as a console, that will stomp that console into the ground as far as performance goes. I don't mind ignorance, I mind willful ignorance.

[patrickjp93]

@Trik'Stari Not really. Socialists argue businessmen have no moral compass and will use any and all tricks legal, illegal, and immoral to fool consumers and hide misdeeds, and thus they need to be closely watched by the government since the people don't have the time to be experts about every company they buy from. The reality is much of that is true. We need only look at drug companies, investment banks, and our big processed food producers to know this holds true.

[Misanthrope]

I love how a simple hardware news item turns into a debate on socialism. Seriously the hardware looks OK, I'd recommend it as a kill your console device for people who want to ease into pc gaming and my only objections are related to the brand

[Norman_the_Owl]

Can all you PCMR Redditors fuck off back there, please?

I've started going on PCMR when nothing else is happening, and jesus they're just one giant circlejerk.

 

They think anything that's been posted on their is OC, just as an assumption. It's a terrible place, don't go there if you don't have to

[Lord Baal]

You sir are a fool. You said consoles install from a disc and don't require large downloads, I said PC can do the same if that's what you prefer so in that context the fact that the majority of pc games elect to use digital distribution is irrelevant. 

[handymanshandle]

I would hope that the console peasants would wake up, but sadly they won't. They are determined to make their purchasing decisions out of ignorance "I don't have time to build a PC!, I dont have time to make sure things are up to date, I don't have time to look up what kind of hardware I should need, etc".

 

They refuse to wake up and make responsible decisions, and the industry suffers as a result.

I kind of like consoles and I wouldn't consider people who use consoles as pheasants. Should Microsoft and Sony make their systems better? Definitely.  It's also form factor, often consoles take up less space (Well excluding XBOne, you could probably fit in something pretty decent in the space an XBone takes up.)

All I can say is  PCMR is a bunch of idiots even if it is suppose to be sarcastic. Some people often live by it. I plan on building an X99 content creation system running as a Hackintosh and Windows system and I'd still buy a PS4 or XBOne idk I have more friends on XBL.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

The reason we say pc master race is simply because our systems are more powerful, don't take it personally, console gamers.

[jaggysnake57]

You sir are a fool. You said consoles install from a disc and don't require large downloads, I said PC can do the same if that's what you prefer so in that context the fact that the majority of pc games elect to use digital distribution is irrelevant. 

 

were is that keep on diggin gif......

 

The reason we say pc master race is simply because our systems are more powerful, don't take it personally, console gamers.

 

no, pc masterrace was originaly an ironc saying. i was insulting the elitests

[Lord Baal]

were is that keep on diggin gif......

 

So because a majority do something you have no option but to do the same??