rec.autos.simulators

PC
Games are cheaper.
Very easy to patch.
For most online games low ping rules, some servers laggy (ala BF1942)
You'll get the best eye candy from the PC (1600x1200 with 4xAA kinda stuff).
Sound in games is hit or miss
Team Killers and Laggers.
More $$$$
Single player in the room on a chair.

Console

Games usually cost more.
Generally no need to patch (and you can with the Xbox).
No worries about 56k laggers (Xbox Live, broadband only)
Great graphics (they can go up to 1080i and use large displays (HDTVs)).
Great sound (Dolby 5.1 in all games .. Xbox).
Online will be somewhat more controlled (read Xbox), no Team Killers,
centrally controlled and you can block players easy.
Consoles are cheap (P3-733, 64MB, 8Gig HD, GForce 3+ video, again Xbox $299
CDN).
Up to 4 Players in the room (Xbox again), you'll get to know your couch
again.

For the price of a console (almost equal to a good video card) you can have
both.

====================================================

: The PC is still the winner or can we migrate towards the console world
with
: no pain?
:
:

--
Gunnar
    #31 SUCKS#015 Tupperware MC#002 DoD#0x1B DoDRT#003 DoD:CT#4,8 Kibo: 2
                               myk, trygg og god.

-Larry

Ok, maybe it's not as good as 1600x1200, but the Xbox can display a screen
as good as 1024x768 on a HDTV w. component inputs, altho not all games
support the higher rez.  I bought a state-of-the-art 27-in. Samsung HDTV
(line doubler, etc.) for $999 that looks spectacular with an Xbox...and not
that much worse with the PS2 (which has only S-video output, as near as I
can tell).  I've spent more than that on computer monitors (21-in. Sony,
NEC).

The real killer is the lack of FF on the Xbox.  There aren't even any decent
wheels available...unlike the PS2 which not only has FF but will also accept
most USB wheels (my MOMO works fine with most racing games).

--Steve

Jason

Don Burnette

--

====================================================

: You forgot about better controllers for the PC which makes the racers on
the
: consoles seem incomplete ...
:

: > There's no winner or loser, just good games. Both have their strengths.
: > Here's my take on some of it.
: >
: > PC
: > Games are cheaper.
: > Very easy to patch.
: > For most online games low ping rules, some servers laggy (ala BF1942)
: > You'll get the best eye candy from the PC (1600x1200 with 4xAA kinda
: stuff).
: > Sound in games is hit or miss
: > Team Killers and Laggers.
: > More $$$$
: > Single player in the room on a chair.
: >
: > Console
: >
: > Games usually cost more.
: > Generally no need to patch (and you can with the Xbox).
: > No worries about 56k laggers (Xbox Live, broadband only)
: > Great graphics (they can go up to 1080i and use large displays (HDTVs)).
: > Great sound (Dolby 5.1 in all games .. Xbox).
: > Online will be somewhat more controlled (read Xbox), no Team Killers,
: > centrally controlled and you can block players easy.
: > Consoles are cheap (P3-733, 64MB, 8Gig HD, GForce 3+ video, again Xbox
: $299
: > CDN).
: > Up to 4 Players in the room (Xbox again), you'll get to know your couch
: > again.
: >
: > For the price of a console (almost equal to a good video card) you can
: have
: > both.
: >
: >
: > ====================================================
: >
: >


: > : The PC is still the winner or can we migrate towards the console world
: > with
: > : no pain?
: > :
: > :
: >
: >
:
:

Just speaking of NASCAR Thunder 2001 on XBox, it's still very arcady
compared to Papy's latest offering. In Thunder, not only is it easy to get
away with running over other cars in the race, it's practically required.
This is even with more realistic damage turned on. I think if EA keeps
working on it, they can get the sim feel up, but honestly I don't know if
that's the market they're after. Still, it's great fun playing with my 6
y.o. son. I just wish you could replay the whole race.

Tom

Bottom line, it's great visually: it has several scan-conversion modes and
one of them will work with almost any source to improve it (there's no HDTV
broadcast here yet--altho it's on HBO cable--but I've got a prog. scan DVD
player, the Xbox and a PS2 for this story I'm working on for Motor Trend,
and a S-VHS VCR).  With the DVDs, you can see detail you've missed in movie
theaters.

BUT it doesn't do Dolby 5.1, much less Dolby Digital.  I've routed the audio
LINE OUT thru a 400W amp and a couple of floor-standing Cerwin-Vegas, but
it's no substitute for real surround sound (I'm using DD 5.1 with optical
inputs on my PC).

The best surprise was how much it does for the Xbox.  To the *** eye, the
rez looks abt. 4X higher.

--Steve

The most realistic-feeling physics model on cars I can relate to is World
Rally Championship, also for the PS2, and tons (tonnes for you Euros) better
than Rallisport Challenge: the 4WD cars feel like 4WD cars in WRC, not like
the above-mentioned tail-happy Sprinters in RC's rally cars.  There's a WRC2
available in Europe, but incredibly, despite the surge in interest in the
World Rally Championship over here (thanks to Speedvision...I guess...Motor
Trend's readers favor international rallying over everything but NASCAR: F1,
CART, the IRL, etc.), Sony hasn't seen fit to bring the title to the U.S.
"We've already got too many racing titles," the p.r. guy told me.

--Steve