What sub menu? Its the main menu on consoles. Its as if you turn on your PC and you are already on Steam
YAPCVC Debate (usability) *spyawn
- Thread starter Nesh
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Deleted member 11852
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Frankly I'd like a sub menu to allow me to organise games but there's no such thing on PS4! Turn on, bang! There are your games.
The biggest problem in PC gaming isn't that you need to double click the Steam icon 
A much bigger issue is the wide variety of available hardware (CPU, GPU, audio, motherboard), myriad driver revisions and OS versions (both 32 bit and 64 bit). Some games just do not run properly on some hardware and/or driver revisions, and there's not much a developer can do themselves to solve this issue completely.
It is quite telling that the GPU manufacturers release a new driver synchronized with the release of every big AAA game launch. Without these drivers these games run poorly and often even have technical issues. This problem is mainly caused by the overly abstracted graphics API (such as DX9-DX11) that doesn't allow the developers to write efficient resource management themselves (or write support for multi-GPU). The GPU driver teams need to hack their drivers according to each use case. These hacks pile up and degrade the game stability and predictability of the performance.
I really hope that DirectX 12 removes the need for big bloated drivers that contain huge amount of special code paths. Developers are now able to manage their resources (and resource transitions) in an case-by-case optimal way and the developers have explicit control over the various multi-GPU setups. Stereo 3d doesn't require driver hacks either. Developer can support it directly.
A much bigger issue is the wide variety of available hardware (CPU, GPU, audio, motherboard), myriad driver revisions and OS versions (both 32 bit and 64 bit). Some games just do not run properly on some hardware and/or driver revisions, and there's not much a developer can do themselves to solve this issue completely.
It is quite telling that the GPU manufacturers release a new driver synchronized with the release of every big AAA game launch. Without these drivers these games run poorly and often even have technical issues. This problem is mainly caused by the overly abstracted graphics API (such as DX9-DX11) that doesn't allow the developers to write efficient resource management themselves (or write support for multi-GPU). The GPU driver teams need to hack their drivers according to each use case. These hacks pile up and degrade the game stability and predictability of the performance.
I really hope that DirectX 12 removes the need for big bloated drivers that contain huge amount of special code paths. Developers are now able to manage their resources (and resource transitions) in an case-by-case optimal way and the developers have explicit control over the various multi-GPU setups. Stereo 3d doesn't require driver hacks either. Developer can support it directly.
Ah, the talk of a man with no children, or children that does as they are told! My family have a game within a game, it's called 'chase the case' what you do is eject the disk from the console and find the case, once opened remove the disk that someone put in there and replace with the correct disk, then find the case for the disk you are holding, rinse and repeat. Our current record is 7, and don't get me started on the DVD edition of that game!! lol
Nope, mid-range PC, if I had a powerful PC I wouldn't 'need' software to help me save time with the settings.
If it's not a recent game on PS4 it's in a sub menu.
At the end of the day I do agree consoles are much more user friendly but that doesn't mean the gap can't continue to close and more people like my ex online buddies who all migrated to BF4 on PC jump ship.
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D
Deleted member 11852
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It's not on mine.
I actually want PCs to work like consoles. There's no real reason they can't save perhaps the hardware issues. The core UI could be console like. Heck, you could have two power-up options. Press the button on the front and boot to Windows; press the controller start button to power up into Entertainment mode with a console like interface. It's simply a lack of vision and execution keeping PCs like PCs.
It's not on mine.
I only have around 10 items to chose from, this will be everything from iPlayer to individual games, the last option is library, in there is everything not used recently - maybe it's a setting?
Me and both. PCs it's usually a hardware issue (failure or upgrade) if it's software it's odd like Win8 didn't like Minecraft...the main thing I love on consoles is the hardware (tho limited in option) is very well support and very plug and play - I just spent ages sorting out some mixing decks on PC, a right PITA but then at least I can add them to a PC. With consoles the issues are usually with licences (or primary/secondary account issues) and sometimes online related but overall consoles are definitely more stable.
Yeah, a steambox type solution should fit the bill, we just need a company to dedicate to the idea and follow through with good support. This is why I think in a couple years there's an opportunity when hardware that easily trumps PS4 will be quite cheap to produce, if the software can come close then it's possible...
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Deleted member 11852
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I have a good 50+ although it's always arranged newest (left) to oldest (right) used.
Do you have multiple accounts? I have several kids accounts also so maybe that's why it's different?
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Deleted member 11852
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Yes we have multiple accounts here. Perhaps you have this option set.
Nice post. While I buy more and more digital content each year because of my geographical location -I live in an isolated place in a mountainous region- so I don't have easy access to physical stores, I still prefer the physical media if I am given the choice.
This thread makes me think that Beyond3D SHOULD merge the PC gaming and Console forums into one. It's by far more peaceful than they think and would enrich us all. Now the lines are more blurred than they were in past times. Think of it Beyon3D!!!
(the experiment was a success in oher sites)
I think Shifty has made a good point with the Windows consoles thing -although that is a PC in disguise anyways-, but he did forgot how easy is to play a game on a console, how unified the experience is these days.
I can see clips and screenshots of games my friends took in a jiffy, comment on them, share them. It's more social than ever. You can even share things from random people in the Xbox environment. The other day a friend got an achievement in Watch Dogs, and I took the opportunity to barely mention it and began to tell him if he would like to play Diablo 3 one of these days. And I didn't even had to touch the messages interface. Now you can share and comment on everything.
Until that experience isn't on the PC -although it has been somewhat discussed- I see the PC a bit more complicated, and not only from a hardware standpoint.
I'll throw some random rambling, now that it's kind of on topic.
We need something like a PC but with a fixed hardware, robust copy protection, no agressive online DRM, good validation and Q/A for games, and a company providing years of content. Like a PS4 or XB1... eh...
The steambox is interesting in that it could have a limited number of officially supported hardware configurations, so less driver issues and better testing of performance profiles, and still offer choices for rich gamers with multi-gpu configs, but it has almost nothing else that a console provides. If you buy a 349 PC today, it will barely meet the minimum requirements of games released today, will be worse than a ps4/xb1, and will be obsolete in two years.
The games don't have the luxury of insane optimization that a console provides, nor hardware sold basically at cost. My gtx780 and 4.5ghz cpu HTPC was expensive, and it doesn't look a lot better than my PS4, even if it's a huge step up in performance on paper. PS4 will have better looking games later on, by this time I will have to spend yet another 1000+ on my PC to make it look better... Then the PS5 will come out in time for yet another PC upgrade.
It's funny because I have both, and while I play mostly on consoles, I cannot live without a PC despite it's idiosyncracies. PC is missing most of the games I want to play, and consoles are missing a few that are important enough for me to spend $1000 per 3 or 4 years to upgrade my PC. I can see a near future where I ditch my PC if these games are released on PS4, but the other way around is much less probable.
The PC camp have different gaming tastes, it shifts the game offering, as there are no first parties on PC, nor on phones/tablet. Big studios are like hollywood, they make only the most profitable genre, the synergy that happens on console cannot happen on PC. If it does, it's no longer a PC, it's an XB1.
We need something like a PC but with a fixed hardware, robust copy protection, no agressive online DRM, good validation and Q/A for games, and a company providing years of content. Like a PS4 or XB1... eh...
The steambox is interesting in that it could have a limited number of officially supported hardware configurations, so less driver issues and better testing of performance profiles, and still offer choices for rich gamers with multi-gpu configs, but it has almost nothing else that a console provides. If you buy a 349 PC today, it will barely meet the minimum requirements of games released today, will be worse than a ps4/xb1, and will be obsolete in two years.
The games don't have the luxury of insane optimization that a console provides, nor hardware sold basically at cost. My gtx780 and 4.5ghz cpu HTPC was expensive, and it doesn't look a lot better than my PS4, even if it's a huge step up in performance on paper. PS4 will have better looking games later on, by this time I will have to spend yet another 1000+ on my PC to make it look better... Then the PS5 will come out in time for yet another PC upgrade.
It's funny because I have both, and while I play mostly on consoles, I cannot live without a PC despite it's idiosyncracies. PC is missing most of the games I want to play, and consoles are missing a few that are important enough for me to spend $1000 per 3 or 4 years to upgrade my PC. I can see a near future where I ditch my PC if these games are released on PS4, but the other way around is much less probable.
The PC camp have different gaming tastes, it shifts the game offering, as there are no first parties on PC, nor on phones/tablet. Big studios are like hollywood, they make only the most profitable genre, the synergy that happens on console cannot happen on PC. If it does, it's no longer a PC, it's an XB1.
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Just wanted to add that the quality of experience on consoles is incomparable and unequalled. Us console gamers always have the same experience wherever we are, if a game runs at 60 fps it runs at 60 fps on every console. Everything is more equal 'cos of that, and there aren't "overpowered" peripherals.I'll throw some random rambling, now that it's kind of on topic.
We need something like a PC but with a fixed hardware, robust copy protection, no agressive online DRM, good validation and Q/A for games, and a company providing years of content. Like a PS4 or XB1... eh...
The steambox is interesting in that it could have a limited number of officially supported hardware configurations, so less driver issues and better testing of performance profiles, and still offer choices for rich gamers with multi-gpu configs, but it has almost nothing else that a console provides. If you buy a 349 PC today, it will barely meet the minimum requirements of games released today, will be worse than a ps4/xb1, and will be obsolete in two years.
The games don't have the luxury of insane optimization that a console provides, nor hardware sold basically at cost. My gtx780 and 4.5ghz cpu HTPC was expensive, and it doesn't look a lot better than my PS4, even if it's a huge step up in performance on paper. PS4 will have better looking games later on, by this time I will have to spend yet another 1000+ on my PC to make it look better... Then the PS5 will come out in time for yet another PC upgrade.
It's funny because I have both, and while I play mostly on consoles, I cannot live without a PC despite it's idiosyncracies. PC is missing most of the games I want to play, and consoles are missing a few that are important enough for me to spend $1000 per 3 or 4 years to upgrade my PC. I can see a near future where I ditch my PC if these games are released on PS4, but the other way around is much less probable.
The PC camp have different gaming tastes, it shifts the game offering, as there are no first parties on PC, nor on phones/tablet. Big studios are like hollywood, they make only the most profitable genre, the synergy that happens on console cannot happen on PC. If it does, it's no longer a PC, it's an XB1.
Just wanted to point out unequaled does not mean "the same for everyone" it means "without rival or the best"
What is considered a PC? Does it have to have a discrete GPU? Does my file server that runs Linux with 20TB parity protected storage count as a PC? Does my Android Samsung 8.4 Pro tablet count as a PC?
Silent_Buddha
Legend
No, yes, yes, and yes.
What I "think" he means is a gaming capable PC. Otherwise the question would be relatively meaningless.
On a past thread related note.
As to PC versus console revenue. It's not accurate to use revenue as a gauge to determine whether one is better or worse than another for a publisher as revenue =/= profit generated. The more reliant a segment is on physical sales the less profit is generated per unit of revenue. Thus lower revenue can reflect a healthier segment than one with higher revenue. For example, a purely digital sales (greater than 80% on PC while lower than 20% on consoles) is basically guaranteed to be at least 70% margins. A software title sold physically is likely to average around 20-30% margins for the publisher. For new titles. For older discounted titles that might drop as low as 5% (physical media and distribution costs do not go down when the MSRP is reduced unlike a purely digital product).
Regards,
SB
Gotta admit that I kinda like Shifty's Windows "console" idea. It's sort of a genius suggestion. Make PC like fixed hardware, change Xbox brand for it, call it Xindows or WindowX, in honour of the Xbox, have some exclusives there, let people use it a as regular PC, but with a totally protected console "module" side.
Let Sony and Nintendo do what they are best at, build true consoles --Sony usually have great hardware, Nintendo are rich in the software department. Sounds good to me.
Let Sony and Nintendo do what they are best at, build true consoles --Sony usually have great hardware, Nintendo are rich in the software department. Sounds good to me.
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