Tom's Hardware Giveaway - Valkyria Chronicles

Jsimenhoff

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General Info on How To Enter

  • ■ These giveaways now span 2 full weeks instead of 1. This means there's more time for you to enter!
    ■ There are now two ways to enter to win! Each person can only win once.

    • 1. Enter the raffle via the gleam widget. All we ask for there is a name and a contact email. There will only ever be 1 copy of the game up for grabs with this method.

      2. Take part in the discussion in this thread! A discussion prompt will be provided each time. Just answer the prompt to be eligible to win! Eligible participants will be randomly selected to receive a copy of the game.
[widget="https://gleam.io/5x1zO/toms-hardware-steam-giveaway-valkyria-chronicles-", 400][/widget]

Hey everyone! We've got another great Steam giveaway for you!

This round, we're bringing you three (3) copies of Valkyria Chronicles! As always, one will be awarded via the raffle (found below) and two will be given away to participants in the discussion.

Valkyria Chronicles was recently remastered for those console gaming peasants on the PS4. We didn't want to leave you PC gamers in the dark! The PC version is just as good as the new console version, including all of the game's DLC and is also remastered in 1080p.

Here's your prompt for this giveaway:

What are your thoughts on the alignment between console gaming hardware and PC gaming hardware? All of the big three console makers (Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony) seem poised to release new console hardware on a much faster upgrade cycle. Does this bode well for PC gaming and the PC enthusiast market?

The contest will run until 12 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 10th. The game will be awarded to the winner as a Steam gift. A Steam account is required to receive the prize and play the game.

Good luck and happy gaming!
 
Solution
Consoles are produced for specific criteria, whether it be certain games, a certain audience, or both. If either one of those changes, that console has to be ditched for a new one. As the power needed in a console increases, that gets more and more expensive. Think of VR; what console can run it, and how well? Otoh, PCs can generally be upgraded, especially if the original builder anticipated future upgrades, such as having a big enough PSU for an additional graphics card and/or more powerful one.
What are your thoughts on the alignment between console gaming hardware and PC gaming hardware?

Alignment is a huge overstatement in my opinion, since the hardware found in both, while being similar, are different enough to still make it a full "port". Even when you're using the most common frameworks out there.

In any case, I would not want them aligned either. Consoles, at least my take on them, is of "hardware oriented to make games fun and achievable" with some ease for people. Consoles have to be easy to use and all that. Computers are the more complex beasts that we love to tame and fit to our purposes. Each of them have their own rationale behind to make them different enough for me to not want them mixed.

All of the big three console makers (Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony) seem poised to release new console hardware on a much faster upgrade cycle. Does this bode well for PC gaming and the PC enthusiast market?

Yes, it does bode well. When there are new things PC achieves, Consoles must follow suit, just like when Consoles get something right, PC must follow. In this case, the VR "boom" we might be seeing is a good motivator for that. I really hope VR reaches the masses so the overall price can go down and we all can enjoy it. Plus, new process nodes can bring lower power consumption and all that, so I'm sure Console makers want to be part of it as well.

Cheers!
 

Questcraft

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I feel that for the first time in a long while, consoles are starting to match that of which a PC can, in terms of graphical ability. Does this bode well for PC gamers? I am sorta on the fence about that one. More and more we see indie games exclusive to the PC being ported to consoles (examples: minecraft, terraria, Rocket league), but it is extremely rare to see a console exclusive come to PC (examples: Destiny, the majority of the Halo games, infamous.) It is a shame that the consoles leach off of us (the PC community) because they don't make it easy to develop games for them (not saying PC game development is easy, but it is easier) and we get very little in return. Those who love PC will stick with it, and those who love console will stick with that; I don't see many people abandoning their preferred platform any time soon. On a side note though, if cross-play is achieved between all of the platforms, then exclusives might start becoming extinct.
 

cody_mckee

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I think that the consoles have to refresh more often now to keep up with the experiences a PC can deliver. This next round of console releases should be very interesting as we will see how each manufacturer is going to handle VR integration. Overall I believe the alignment is probably a good thing, as developers can hopefully produce more games with fewer bugs and less overhead. It should be good for all gamers.
 

matthew_nicho2

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I have never been able to write my ideas from my head where it is clear to paper where I smear my hand across the page. This is the unfortunate result of my musings. If you understand this you may want to get yourself checked...

tldr: Unification needed.

This generation of consoles are basically PC's. They share the same hardware and standards as PC's (x86) all be it with their own motherboard design to wrap it all together.

To me the mid cycle refresh approach for console goes against what a console is supposed to be; an out-the-box ready to use device that has uniformity with every other device sold. When the Neo and Scorpio are released this will not be the case. Yes they are compatible with each other but there is a difference in power, visuals and experience. Especially if you drop VR into the conversation I would imagine they will have vastly different experiences making the divide from ps4 to neo seem even larger. Speculation, yes, but a concern none the less.

PC on the other hand; we have been doing this for years. Upgrading CPU, GPU and RAM is easy to do (in theory) when you need a bit more juice. A new OS launch is sort of like a new console launch where new hardware is released that works better and faster than what came before with the new software. Windows being an unfortunate necessity when you just want to run Steam, Origin and Uplay.

Not saying the mid cycle refresh approach wont work, there is always a group of people that will buy the newest latest best, but to me it goes against what a console is supposed to represent.

The future I dream of is that the console, as we know it now, is no more. There are still Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo boxes being sold that have their own operating systems and online stores (PSN, Live, Eshop) but inside are PC's with standard hardware that may/not be upgradeable. The operating system will be the biggest difference because you will be able to install on ANY PC hardware. Just like SteamOS where once installed you are in the Steam ecosystem as opposed to being in the Windows ecosystem just to run Steam, Origin and Uplay.

So this would mean you build your PC to your own specs/budget OR buy the company box/console, install the OS of the ecosystem you want to be part of and just play. Ideally they will all communicate with each other for cross platform purchase and play.

This seems like it would fragment the market but I imagine it as each brand/ecosystem/OS is its own circle and all the circles, although separate, all join in the middle. Each brand is the petal of a flower and the stamen is the universal connector.

My dream future in 3 steps

1. Build or buy a PC (pre built or branded)
2. Install your chosen branded OS (Playstation, Xbox, Nintendo, Origin, Uplay, Steam, etc...)
3. Play
 

ultraglorious

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I think that it will end up being an act of hubris on the part of console manufacturers. A main strength of consoles is their simplicity, and I reckon that most people interested in expensive upgrades area already PC gamers. Upgraded consoles will not have the same performance increase per dollar that upgrades to a gaming PC offer.
 

Shunbear

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I think it's good for PC Gaming as it brings hardware closer to PC levels. Should be easier and less costly to port games over to PC in the future.

As for the PC enthusiast market I think it's going to decrease as a percentage as the advantages of having a enthusiast rig decreases.
 

Irwan Sui

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I don't care about console cycles at all. With steam regional pricing, console games seemed too expensive to me.

Good luck to everyone participating the giveaway.
 
Consoles are produced for specific criteria, whether it be certain games, a certain audience, or both. If either one of those changes, that console has to be ditched for a new one. As the power needed in a console increases, that gets more and more expensive. Think of VR; what console can run it, and how well? Otoh, PCs can generally be upgraded, especially if the original builder anticipated future upgrades, such as having a big enough PSU for an additional graphics card and/or more powerful one.
 
Solution

killingdyl

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This bodes well for the PC Gaming community as it opens up the realm of stronger processing power to push the boundaries of the design space that has been limited by the weaker and outdated hardwares of consoles. The more frequent upgrade cycles will push to ensure that the consoles are on par with mid-range gaming pc.
 

apertotes

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I've been using Steam Big Picture in my TV for months. Consoles only got exclusives. They can't compete on power, accessories, options, etc. And now, with games that need to be installed and updated on consoles, and Steam Big Picture, they do not even have the accessibility advantage.

I think it can be guessed from my comment. I really do not care at all about consoles, and they only make me mad every time I try to play to a bad port on my PC. I wish they disappeared.
 

FriedSalmon_

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I believe the new potential model could push a lot of console players to PC. When I think about the reasons a console player has for not switching over generally it's something along the lines of "my friends play on console" or "PC is too expensive". Well, with this new model gamers would effectively be spending more money in shorter amounts of time to have the newest console hardware, which in theory would eliminate a reason for them to avoid PC. When more switch over it will cause a domino effect.
 

SailorArashi

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TL;DR: Look at the bottom 2 sentences.

Consoles have a certain way of life: Simplicity. Buy one, play whatever games you buy for it, and you don't have to buy a new one until a major hardware refresh is needed, which causes another generation of consoles to be released. When you have to buy a new console, because your old one can't run the new game for hardware reasons only, it probably will cause some grief in the console market. Sony and Nintendo have been doing the hardware refreshes for years in the mobile console department, but that was because the hardware was small, and people had different price points. (For instance, 3DS, then New 3DS.) While there might be increased competition between console and PC, I just can't see that happening in the next two years. If it does, I only see PC processing power going up, and more titles being released for console. Sony had a good idea with the PSVR, but as we've all seen, NVIDIA's just now come out with a graphics card good enough to run at "more than playable" framerates with better looking visuals. I just can't see anyone switching from console to PC, just yet.
 

eruditionfish

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I don't see "alignment" as having any real downsides.

More similarities in console and PC hardware will make ports more common, as well as easier (making "bad" ports less common). At the same time, a lot of games will likely remain PC-specific (RTS, turn-based strategy, war simulators like ARMA), and a lot of average consumers will continue to find consoles an easier, cost-efficient way to play mass-market games (sports games, Halo/Gears of War, etc.)

The only *potential* downside I see is the trend towards console games mirroring PC games in that the development cycle gets shortened to the point where the release game is buggy and only fixed by patching. But that's more of a consequence of market forces and the expectation that consumers have an always-on internet connection than it is a result of hardware alignment.
 

evilpaul

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I don't see more frequent console updates hurting PC any. If anything it'll mean the console hardware is less behind the times and developers can put out less half-assed PC ports running locked at 30FPS with low res textures. I'm still not convinced that VR is going to take off...where are people supposed to demo it before plunking down $500+? Trade shows? Stereoscopic 3D (like Nvidia's 3D Vision 2 which I own) never became The Future as some people had anticipated.

@SailorArashi: A New DS is pretty much a necessity to play Hyrule Warriors (or whatever the Dynasty Warriors clone Zelda game is called on the system) at a playable framerate. The game reportedly runs at 15FPS or something like that on the original 3DS and needs the beefier specs.
 
Faster console upgrade cycle isn't going to change much for the PC gaming market. Console gamers prefer consoles for ease of use and will stick to consoles. If they offer an exchange option for the new console it won't be much of a problem for console gamers. What is rumored till now is they are targeting for higher resolution and fps and VR support. The actual graphics/AI isn't going to change. Developers effort on PC ports will still be the same.
 

mihail

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No big deal. Already games have requirements like - works for firmware 2.1 and above.
The requirements will be like "works for version 3.1 of the console, summer of 2017 with the spring controller upgrade, having firmware 3.1 and above. The user should wear a shoe size seven and jump every 5 minutes."
What is not ok and not discussed is "if you have multiple consoles - why do you have to pay for the same game for each of them ?"
 

Puiucs

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A faster release cycle is the what consoles needed to stay relevant. Having 5+ years meant that the consoles had to launch at expensive price points with expensive hardware inside them or else they would be left behind by both PC and mobile gaming in just 1-2 years.
I welcome faster release cycles for consoles because now devs will have less "excuses" for not using new technology. And with consoles being essentially PCs we should see much better PC ports and vice-versa. (hopefully)
 

Kunkuno

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consoles gonna end like prebuild pcs, it might move more people to own consoles, but it will not get the pc crowd, and it might turn into better ports for pc, since developers will have to build their games with scalability in mind, something that is a problem in pc development will turn in an advantage.
 
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I'm really torn between pc and console gaming and like many have ended up somewhere in between with multiple systems over the years.

A decade ago there was more exclusivity to gaming hitting only one console for big sales, now they are closer than ever with dependence on Internet for connectivity.

Pcs shine with the hardcore custom pc group and consoles are the opposite casting a much wider net for regular gamers.

It's great just being a gamer with all the available.
 

tgsa

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I like both console and PC gaming and use both. But if consoles are going to upgrade too frequently, the cost won't be worth it and I'd probably stay purely with PC gaming. It might have a more detrimental effect for the consoles as at that point it'd be easier to just keep upgrading only my PC, rather than my PC and a console, but would probably benefit the PC end a little more.
 

HunterKiller

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I'm going to be honest about this. I'm not really a console player. I'm a PC gamer. I can't go into depth about any of it. I just wish PC games would stop sticking us that play PC games with console type commands. I have two consoles but, all they do anymore is, collect dust.
 

Skylza

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I prefer playing games with a controller on a couch, so I traditionally have preferred consoles. However, consoles started to lose their simple appeal when they started trying to be a full computer/media system in their own right. Nowadays I have a computer connected to my TV and I play that much more than consoles. I haven't even bothered with the latest generation of consoles because I don't like losing my old game library every time the next generation comes out. That is not a problem so much for PC gaming. Plus, with steam and various bundle stores, console game prices can't really compete.