|  Between August and December of 2002 PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube all introduced online capability. Some industry analysts have suggested that PC gaming has seen its day, and that consoles will dominate the video game landscape from this point forward. Of course, many of us can remember when the same kind of bold propositions were made about the Nintendo. In fact, PC gamers have so far watched a variety of over-hyped consoles come and go without making much more than a blip on the radar screen.
That said, online console gaming is extremely appealing to an enormous number of people already. At the moment the PS2 and the Xbox are getting quite competitive in this area. Xbox Live is currently a little ahead on multiplayer titles, and offers a great player matching service complete with voice chat. Sony released several big online titles for the PS2 in the last year, and Need For Speed Underground, published by EA Games, became the first genuinely cross-platform game, allowing PC users and PS2 users to race against each other.
Of course, there are many things to consider before deciding on a gaming platform. Foremost among these is deciding which games you want to play, how much money you want to spend, and whether or not you need a PC for other purposes. Ideally I suppose we would all have both a console and a PC, but if that's not an option, here is quick comparison of the two.
Console Advantages
The most obvious advantage consoles have over PCs is cost. The Xbox currently sells for around $200, often with a couple games in the bundle, while it's easy to spend that much or more on a quality PC video card alone.
The second most obvious advantage is simplicity. Let's face it, PC gaming is a technical nightmare compared to console gaming. People can actually take a console home and be playing a game within minutes. No operating systems to configure or drivers to update, and better still, no purchasing a game only to find out that it isn't compatible with your PC for some obscure reason.
Multiplayer gaming is also made easy and affordable with companies like Microsoft offering online services for their product. The Xbox, for example, comes equipped with a network card, making it a simple matter to hook it up to a DSL or Cable Internet connection and get into a multiplayer game on Xbox Live.
Many people prefer to play games sitting on the couch, or they want to play with friends in the same room. While these things are possible on a PC, consoles are extremely well-suited for this right out of the box.
Console games are more readily rented than PC games, and more easily returned to the retailer if you're not satisfied with them. Generally speaking, it is difficult to return PC games because they are easy to copy.
Console games tend to have a relatively low learning curve. You might need fast thumbs, but you certainly won't need to spend hours in a "tutorial" trying to learn how to operate basic game functions.
Console Disadvantages
Although sealing everything into one unit does keep it simple, when some of the components inside the box become dated there's no way to solve the problem without replacing the entire console. In most cases, upgrades that could prolong the life of the system are not an option.
Consoles perform only one task really well, where PCs can be used for an extremely wide range of things. Some console manufacterers may try to make them a little more flexible, but it's unlikely they will ever support near the selection of applications that is available for PCs.
There is a distinct lack of inter-connectivity between the different console brands. Many games are available for one type of console but not others, and when it comes to online play, each is typically restricted to its own network. This means that people with Xboxes can only play against other people with Xboxes, so, for example, there is no way for console gamers to jump into a fray on one of the countless Counter-Strike servers available. The PS2 has made some progress in this area, forging the way for cross-platform gaming between PS2 and PC users, but only one or two titles support this right now.
While the PS2 network adapter supports both 56K modem and broadband connections to the Internet, broadband is required for Xbox online play. As well, Microsoft charges a yearly fee of around $70 to use the Xbox Live service.
PC Advantages
One of the biggest advantages the PC has over consoles right now is that there are a lot more games available for the PC than there are for consoles, particularly when it comes to multiplayer online games. Not only are the vast majority of MMOGs designed for the PC, but PC gamers also have the option to play MUDs, Email games, browser games, and a wide variety of titles available as free downloads.
As mentioned above, another clear advantage PCs have over consoles is that you can use them for a lot more than playing games. Furthermore, if you like to modify games or edit maps for them, a PC is essential, and you have to take a break from gaming sometime to read gaming sites.
Computer monitors look a lot better than TVs. Even with a top-notch television, console hardware is not currently designed to run games at PC resolutions.
There is a reasonable chance of extending your PC's gaming life with a component upgrade, although it can get messy and expensive.
Computer systems give gamers a variety of ways to connect to the Internet, and to each other, which aren't restricted to proprietary services or software. Different brands of computer and event different operating systems generally communicate very well with one another. This is quite different from services like Xbox Live, for example, which is the only option available to Xbox users that want to play online.
PCs are always on the cutting edge of gaming technology. With 128-bit architecture and 64 MB RAM the Xbox was pretty dreamy when it first came out. However, that pales in comparison to what a mid-range computer offers today, with 64 MB and even 128 MB video cards becoming the norm, to say nothing of motherboards that will support a Gigabyte or more of memory. Even if a console offers incredible technology upon its release, there is no way for it to compete with the rapid hardware advancements that have become a way of life in the computer industry.
PC Disadvantages
While PCs have come down considerably in price over the years, they are still quite expensive compared to consoles. Perhaps worse, we seem to be at a point where manufacturers would rather make them more powerful than cheaper, whether we need the speed or not.
Computers are also getting a little more user friendly, but eventually every PC gamer will encounter some technical complication, be it a device driver that needs updating or components that are simply incompatible.
The truth is, installing a game on your computer is always a bit of a gamble. You never really know if it's going to work until you're actually playing the game, and even then, in the back of your mind, you're expecting it to crash at any moment.
Unlike most console games, PC games have the potential to get ridiculously complicated. This can give a game depth, but it can also result in tedious arrays of keyboard commands and lengthy tutorials which one must endure to learn how to play.
PC games are often not well-suited for playing on the couch, especially given that the mouse and keyboard are the preferred PC game controllers. Unlike console games, you also won't find many PC games that support two players on one machine at the same time.
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