That's it. I'm done with PC gaming forever.

Gary Whitta · 07-13-2009, 10:42 AM

So my PC finally died on me last night. Like, really died. It won't even power on. Admittedly I was probably asking for it, given that I built this system myself (normally I wouldn't trust myself to change a toilet roll) and was running Windows 7 RC1. Power-up/shutdown/sleep cycles had been getting more and more hinky and making me more and more nervous. I'm usually fairly good about backing up but anticipating Something Bad Happening, I did a full backup recently onto an external HDD - which turned out to be pretty fortuitous because this PC is now dead dead DEAD. I have no idea what's wrong with it, I powered it down last night and now it won't come back on. Motherboard power light indicates power is getting through but there's no response to the power button at all. I tinkered around inside for a loose connection but I doubt that's it since it hasn't been moved or taken any knocks.

Anyway, fuck it. I have work due this week and I don't have time to fart about getting this thing fixed. Later this week I'll grab one of those SATA HDD docks so I can salvage whatever else remains on the internal drives. In the meantime I've transferred all my work over to my MacBook Pro and hooked it up to my desktop monitor and keyboard; it will be my primary computer until I figure out what to do next. And I think what I want to do next is say fuck PC/Windows forever and make the permanent switch to Mac that I've been promising myself for a long time.

This isn't an over-reaction to an isolated incident; this is the final straw after years of wondering why I'm not already on a Mac full-time since I've always preferred their OS. The only real reason has been games - I've been a PC gamer for years and the Mac just can't cut it in that area - but after taking stock last night and realizing that I hardly ever play PC games anymore I realized that it's only a sentimental attachment that's holding me back. The only PC game I play with any regularity is TeamFortress 2, which I can live without. The only PC game I'm looking forward to is Starcraft 2, which I can also play on Mac (maybe not with all the bells and whistles of a ninja PC but good enough for me) and the only MMO I play is WoW, which I can play on Mac.

So that's it. I'm done. Mac for work and consoles for games. PC gaming is dead. No more fucking around with installs, system specs and CD-ROM drives that randomly decide they don't like my game discs. I feel as though a great burden has been lifted. I cast off the shackles of the past and move forward, into the bright, shiny, Apple-flavored future.

Jon Rowe · 07-13-2009, 10:47 AM

This is truly a big loss to PC gaming. I fondly remember reading your stuff in PC Gamer. This decision...You are raping my childhood!

But, you know what is awesome? When you write on a mac... there won't be games to distract you! You will no longer have that Civ4 icon on your desktop taunting you. Just a couple turns Gary... a couple turns won't hurt... you have to land on that empty island and form a colony. Gary! Stop writing and get playing!

That being said, I am prepared for a long thread.

triggercut · 07-13-2009, 10:47 AM

Fuck it! We'll do it live!!

rei · 07-13-2009, 10:48 AM

Welcome, brother!

Well...I did go back and build a supplementary gaming-only PC that was baseline in spec. As well as being silent as I could possibly make it. However, PC gaming consists of my playing the back library and fighting the new releases (see my GFWL drama) is becoming a rarer occurrence.

Actually, pay someone else to build it is more like it.

triggercut · 07-13-2009, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon_Danger

This is truly a big loss to PC gaming.

Hyperbole for $200 Alex!

scharmers · 07-13-2009, 10:52 AM

Is this like one of those teen-angst-I'm-leaving-this-thread-forever posts?

You'll be back.

Staff Sergeant · 07-13-2009, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scharmers

You'll be back.

THEY ALL COME BACK

SpoofyChop · 07-13-2009, 10:54 AM

Also...once you get a Mac just do boot camp, install XP, and play TF2 from time to time.

Win win!

Rock8man · 07-13-2009, 10:54 AM

Quote:

That's it. I'm done with PC Gaming forever.

But Gary, by going to the Mac, you'll be in a state where you don't have to miss out on PC Gaming completely, right? I'm a bit vague on the details since I've never owned a Mac, but don't they have the capability to emulate windows, or maybe setup a dualboot so you can have Windows on the Mac? And therefore, if a game comes along for Windows that you absolutely should try out, you could still try it out on your Mac.

That said, I do envy your decision. I have tried to give up PC Gaming myself a couple of times. What brought me back one time was Steam. And the other time what brought me and several of my friends back (who had already declared PC Gaming dead forever) was Supreme Commander. So I'm going to go out on a limb and make a prediction: Gary, you'll be back. I don't know when and for what game, but you'll be back.

triggercut · 07-13-2009, 10:56 AM

The switch from PC gaming to the always-reliable, never-fails hardware of the Xbox 360 cannot possibly go wrong.

ReptileHouse · 07-13-2009, 10:57 AM

<obligatory>PC gaming is d0m3d!1!</obligatory>

Welcome to the all-mac-all-the-time club, Gary. :)

And yeah, Boot Camp is a good solution for those few gotta-have-windows-for-it games. Parallels, virtualbox, et. al. might work, too, but I haven't tried any of those for gaming, so I have no first hand data on that.

Moore · 07-13-2009, 10:58 AM

Be aware, it is hard to go back if you try. I did this a while ago, and then last year bought a gaming pc again. I think I've used it for 20 hours of gaming total? Just can't do it. Trying to download and correctly install all the witcher stuff? ha! Trying to fuck with stalker mods? bleh.

I know I'll want it one day for a super modded fallout 3 playthrough, but that does not justify the cost, and the rate of DLC to my time available to play means I haven't even been able to finish fo3 vanilla one the 360 anyways.

Telefrog · 07-13-2009, 10:58 AM

There's only a few games/genres I am even interested on PC anymore.

Bethesda/Epic/BioWare games for the user mods when they support them. (For example, I bought Fallout 3 on PC because I knew it would have endlessly awesome mods even though I have a copy on the 360 already. For just straight playing, the 360 version is my preference.)

Blizzard games because they're awesome.

Turn-based strategy or RTS games, because the results so far on consoles haven't been as deep or easily controlled as the PC versions.

Gary Whitta · 07-13-2009, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triggercut

The switch from PC gaming to the always-reliable, never-fails hardware of the Xbox 360 cannot possibly go wrong.

I bought my 360 the week of launch and it's still going strong. Your mileage my vary :-)

unbongwah · 07-13-2009, 11:01 AM

First off: bummer on the PC dying, Gary - that always sucks. Good that you backed up your data first, though. Just don't go thinking your Mac is, y'know, invincible or anything. Regular backups are still your friend.

Second: good luck with the no-PC-gaming thing - seriously. I still find one or two reasons why it's still worthwhile, but I'm sure I'd save a lot of money on HW - not to mention avoid all the well-documented problems with PC gaming - if I could kick it for good.

Finally, if and when the PC gaming bug bites you again, there's always Boot Camp.

rei · 07-13-2009, 11:01 AM

Uh...don't forget I still have a spare license of VMware Fusion up for grabs. :P

copet · 07-13-2009, 11:03 AM

PC Games will never die!

Also, I hope you all enjoy the huge premium for that apple on the front of your Macs!

Who looks all the same now?! :)

Reed · 07-13-2009, 11:05 AM

This will all be moot in due time anyway, when PC gaming is done entirely through the browser... In the mean time, you can dual boot. ;)

Gary Whitta · 07-13-2009, 11:05 AM

I pay a premium for elegance and ease of use. The logo is nice, though. It lights up and everything.

Enidigm · 07-13-2009, 11:07 AM

I'm all but gone from Hardcore PC gaming. I bought a new cpu and gpu and tried to turn my box into an HTPC, but it sucks. I'm still running boot camp though with a Mac Mini though :/ (which, btw, plays most old games just fine). I do play War3/Starcraft/Spore/Sims3 on the Mac now - so much easier than Windows. I wish everything were Mac native.

Houngan · 07-13-2009, 11:07 AM

Stupid windows, making the motherboard not turn on.

H.

p.s. Somebody had to say it.

Shadarr · 07-13-2009, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by triggercut

The switch from PC gaming to the always-reliable, never-fails hardware of the Xbox 360 cannot possibly go wrong.

I'll be filling in for Gary while my XBox is away in rehab.

WarrenM · 07-13-2009, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Welcome to the all-mac-all-the-time club, Gary. :)

Yes, welcome brother! Gaming is for consoles.

Acosta · 07-13-2009, 11:11 AM

Why don't you work on Mac if you want (it´s not invincible, or flawless but if you prefer the OS and all that, go for it), and have a PC only for gaming? That way you keep your options open.

By the way, that problems looks a lot like a power supply problem, try to change it, it may work.

Enidigm · 07-13-2009, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EpicBoy

Yes, welcome brother! Gaming is for consoles.

I like how i can play UT3 fine on the PS3 online, but i try to play Demigod on the PC (with three!! antennas for it's wireless card) and it's so laggy i have to take out the case and set it on the coffee table. Literally.

Tim James · 07-13-2009, 11:12 AM

Bye!

Can I have all your stuff?

Acosta · 07-13-2009, 11:13 AM

Why don't you work on Mac if you want (it´s not invincible, or flawless but if you prefer the OS and all that, go for it), and have a PC only for gaming? That way you keep open your options.

By the way, that problem looks a lot like a power supply problem, try to change it, it may work.

Rob_Merritt · 07-13-2009, 11:13 AM

I was wondering when you were going to post this thread Gary. I figured it was only a matter of time when you started having issues with the DVD drive.

Well good luck. Remember Sims 3 runs on a Mac!

Wallapuctus · 07-13-2009, 11:18 AM

I don't get all the Mac love. They're ridiculously expensive, and how great can that OS be? I mean, really? This is the company that made iTunes. Fucking iTunes. I wish software was a real guy so I could strangle iTunes.

Tim James · 07-13-2009, 11:20 AM

I sometimes shake my head at these threads, but on the other hand I occasionally feel like swearing off eastern European gaming and checkpoint saves.

One day in a few years' time I will be broken and shattered and we can all look back at this post.

07-13-2009, 10:42 AM	#1
Gary Whitta How To Go Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Francisco, CA X360 & PS3 gamertag: Whitta Posts: 11,677	That's it. I'm done with PC gaming forever. So my PC finally died on me last night. Like, really died. It won't even power on. Admittedly I was probably asking for it, given that I built this system myself (normally I wouldn't trust myself to change a toilet roll) and was running Windows 7 RC1. Power-up/shutdown/sleep cycles had been getting more and more hinky and making me more and more nervous. I'm usually fairly good about backing up but anticipating Something Bad Happening, I did a full backup recently onto an external HDD - which turned out to be pretty fortuitous because this PC is now dead dead DEAD. I have no idea what's wrong with it, I powered it down last night and now it won't come back on. Motherboard power light indicates power is getting through but there's no response to the power button at all. I tinkered around inside for a loose connection but I doubt that's it since it hasn't been moved or taken any knocks. Anyway, fuck it. I have work due this week and I don't have time to fart about getting this thing fixed. Later this week I'll grab one of those SATA HDD docks so I can salvage whatever else remains on the internal drives. In the meantime I've transferred all my work over to my MacBook Pro and hooked it up to my desktop monitor and keyboard; it will be my primary computer until I figure out what to do next. And I think what I want to do next is say fuck PC/Windows forever and make the permanent switch to Mac that I've been promising myself for a long time. This isn't an over-reaction to an isolated incident; this is the final straw after years of wondering why I'm not already on a Mac full-time since I've always preferred their OS. The only real reason has been games - I've been a PC gamer for years and the Mac just can't cut it in that area - but after taking stock last night and realizing that I hardly ever play PC games anymore I realized that it's only a sentimental attachment that's holding me back. The only PC game I play with any regularity is TeamFortress 2, which I can live without. The only PC game I'm looking forward to is Starcraft 2, which I can also play on Mac (maybe not with all the bells and whistles of a ninja PC but good enough for me) and the only MMO I play is WoW, which I can play on Mac. So that's it. I'm done. Mac for work and consoles for games. PC gaming is dead. No more fucking around with installs, system specs and CD-ROM drives that randomly decide they don't like my game discs. I feel as though a great burden has been lifted. I cast off the shackles of the past and move forward, into the bright, shiny, Apple-flavored future.

07-13-2009, 10:47 AM	#2
Jon Rowe New Romantic Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Madison, WI Gamertag: Dr JonDanger Steam: Jon_Danger Posts: 7,354	This is truly a big loss to PC gaming. I fondly remember reading your stuff in PC Gamer. This decision...You are raping my childhood! But, you know what is awesome? When you write on a mac... there won't be games to distract you! You will no longer have that Civ4 icon on your desktop taunting you. Just a couple turns Gary... a couple turns won't hurt... you have to land on that empty island and form a colony. Gary! Stop writing and get playing! That being said, I am prepared for a long thread.

07-13-2009, 10:47 AM	#3
triggercut New Romantic Join Date: May 2003 Location: Washington DC Posts: 5,668	Fuck it! We'll do it live!!

07-13-2009, 10:48 AM	#4
rei New Romantic Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Edmonton Posts: 5,760	Welcome, brother! Well...I did go back and build a supplementary gaming-only PC that was baseline in spec. As well as being silent as I could possibly make it. However, PC gaming consists of my playing the back library and fighting the new releases (see my GFWL drama) is becoming a rarer occurrence. Actually, pay someone else to build it is more like it.

07-13-2009, 10:52 AM	#6
scharmers Social Worker Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: I love this thread so much Posts: 3,824	Is this like one of those teen-angst-I'm-leaving-this-thread-forever posts? You'll be back.

07-13-2009, 10:54 AM	#8
SpoofyChop New Romantic Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 5,652	Also...once you get a Mac just do boot camp, install XP, and play TF2 from time to time. Win win!

07-13-2009, 10:56 AM	#10
triggercut New Romantic Join Date: May 2003 Location: Washington DC Posts: 5,668	The switch from PC gaming to the always-reliable, never-fails hardware of the Xbox 360 cannot possibly go wrong.

07-13-2009, 10:57 AM	#11
ReptileHouse Mad Chester Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cupertino, CA Posts: 1,126	<obligatory>PC gaming is d0m3d!1!</obligatory> Welcome to the all-mac-all-the-time club, Gary. :) And yeah, Boot Camp is a good solution for those few gotta-have-windows-for-it games. Parallels, virtualbox, et. al. might work, too, but I haven't tried any of those for gaming, so I have no first hand data on that.

07-13-2009, 10:58 AM	#12
Moore New Romantic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: S. Carolina Gamertag: fulci zombi Posts: 8,945	Be aware, it is hard to go back if you try. I did this a while ago, and then last year bought a gaming pc again. I think I've used it for 20 hours of gaming total? Just can't do it. Trying to download and correctly install all the witcher stuff? ha! Trying to fuck with stalker mods? bleh. I know I'll want it one day for a super modded fallout 3 playthrough, but that does not justify the cost, and the rate of DLC to my time available to play means I haven't even been able to finish fo3 vanilla one the 360 anyways.

07-13-2009, 10:58 AM	#13
Telefrog Social Worker Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Washington State, XBL: Telefrog Posts: 4,313	There's only a few games/genres I am even interested on PC anymore. Bethesda/Epic/BioWare games for the user mods when they support them. (For example, I bought Fallout 3 on PC because I knew it would have endlessly awesome mods even though I have a copy on the 360 already. For just straight playing, the 360 version is my preference.) Blizzard games because they're awesome. Turn-based strategy or RTS games, because the results so far on consoles haven't been as deep or easily controlled as the PC versions.

07-13-2009, 11:01 AM	#15
unbongwah New Romantic Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Somewhere sekrit near Washington, DC Posts: 7,924	First off: bummer on the PC dying, Gary - that always sucks. Good that you backed up your data first, though. Just don't go thinking your Mac is, y'know, invincible or anything. Regular backups are still your friend. Second: good luck with the no-PC-gaming thing - seriously. I still find one or two reasons why it's still worthwhile, but I'm sure I'd save a lot of money on HW - not to mention avoid all the well-documented problems with PC gaming - if I could kick it for good. Finally, if and when the PC gaming bug bites you again, there's always Boot Camp.

07-13-2009, 11:03 AM	#17
copet Spinning Toe Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Nebraska Posts: 848	PC Games will never die! Also, I hope you all enjoy the huge premium for that apple on the front of your Macs! Who looks all the same now?! :)

07-13-2009, 11:05 AM	#18
Reed Neo Acoustic Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: SF Bay Area Gamertag: Reedx Posts: 1,767	This will all be moot in due time anyway, when PC gaming is done entirely through the browser... In the mean time, you can dual boot. ;)

07-13-2009, 11:07 AM	#20
Enidigm New Romantic Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 7,337	I'm all but gone from Hardcore PC gaming. I bought a new cpu and gpu and tried to turn my box into an HTPC, but it sucks. I'm still running boot camp though with a Mac Mini though :/ (which, btw, plays most old games just fine). I do play War3/Starcraft/Spore/Sims3 on the Mac now - so much easier than Windows. I wish everything were Mac native.

07-13-2009, 11:07 AM	#21
Houngan New Romantic Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Louisville Posts: 6,621	Stupid windows, making the motherboard not turn on. H. p.s. Somebody had to say it.

07-13-2009, 11:11 AM	#24
Acosta Hustle Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Spain Posts: 319	Why don't you work on Mac if you want (it´s not invincible, or flawless but if you prefer the OS and all that, go for it), and have a PC only for gaming? That way you keep your options open. By the way, that problems looks a lot like a power supply problem, try to change it, it may work.

07-13-2009, 11:12 AM	#26
Tim James New Romantic Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 9,544	Bye! Can I have all your stuff?

07-13-2009, 11:13 AM	#27
Acosta Hustle Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Spain Posts: 319	Why don't you work on Mac if you want (it´s not invincible, or flawless but if you prefer the OS and all that, go for it), and have a PC only for gaming? That way you keep open your options. By the way, that problem looks a lot like a power supply problem, try to change it, it may work.

07-13-2009, 11:13 AM	#28
Rob_Merritt New Romantic Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Baltimore, Maryland Gamertag: Baron Calamity Posts: 9,754	I was wondering when you were going to post this thread Gary. I figured it was only a matter of time when you started having issues with the DVD drive. Well good luck. Remember Sims 3 runs on a Mac!

07-13-2009, 11:18 AM	#29
Wallapuctus Neo Acoustic Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Boston Posts: 1,808	I don't get all the Mac love. They're ridiculously expensive, and how great can that OS be? I mean, really? This is the company that made iTunes. Fucking iTunes. I wish software was a real guy so I could strangle iTunes.

07-13-2009, 11:20 AM	#30
Tim James New Romantic Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 9,544	I sometimes shake my head at these threads, but on the other hand I occasionally feel like swearing off eastern European gaming and checkpoint saves. One day in a few years' time I will be broken and shattered and we can all look back at this post.

		Quarter To Three Forums > Quarter to Three Boards > Games
That's it. I'm done with PC gaming forever.