Would you pay extra for an easy PC gaming experience?

[mashakos]

See the part that is bolded? That part is false. We have companies who specialize in nothing but gaming machines, with all the bells and whistles. Hell, even standard name-brand manufacturers bundle games with new machines.

As for tech demos, have you seen the software nVidia cards come in? Half their shit is basically that.

You have to convince me here. Haven't seen a gaming PC with anything other than windows installed. Which is great for people who prefer to customize or format and start from scratch. What if you are new to PC gaming? What bells and whistles do you get?

[Nalano]

You have to convince me here. Haven't seen a gaming PC with anything other than windows installed. Which is great for people who prefer to customize or format and start from scratch. What if you are new to PC gaming? What bells and whistles do you get?

I'm beginning to think that the last time you were on a computer pre-assembly site was back in '96.

(Hey look: Joysticks and other gaming peripherals! And free copies of Sleeping Dogs! Borderlands 2! Hitman: Absolution!)

[Velko]

I would pay for this. The best part would be pre-configured settings for all games. I always forget what, say, SSAO means and whether or not I should turn it on or off for this particular game etc etc.

[mashakos]

I'm beginning to think that the last time you were on a computer pre-assembly site was back in '96.

(Hey look: Joysticks and other gaming peripherals! And free copies of Sleeping Dogs! Borderlands 2! Hitman: Absolution!)

"to get game X you must buy hardware model X"

what is this nonsense? Pay for everything outside of the main case and hardware? Game coupons for inferior hardware?? Not my idea of a great starter pack. Where is the cool software? The experience of a complete package?

[Finicky]

Someone's trying to justify just having spent 1500 euros on a mac.

Nonononono NO NO, just NO.
The whole point of an open platform is that it doesn't come with any of this stupid bloatware.
The game settings one is especially stupid.

For old games compatibility there is already good old gaming.
Sega made sure to kill off any chance for fully legal emulation, else we'd have had an independant service for that too instead of only indy enthusiast stuff.

MS needs to stay the fuck away from all software that I put onto my pc except for the bare minimum to get windows to work and remain open.

If you meant OEM manufacturers like dell, why are you even suggest anyone ever buy an OEM pc-.-

Mashakos of all people sounding like some console peasant or Apple's babbys first pc fanboys pretending that it's hard to game on a pc.

[Moraven]

See the part that is bolded? That part is false. We have companies that specialize in nothing but gaming machines, with all the bells and whistles. Hell, even standard name-brand manufacturers bundle games with new machines. This all is beginning to sound like acute research failure on your part.

As for tech demos, have you seen the software nVidia cards come in? Half their shit is basically that.

Yah, this is the same impression I have. There are already gaming PC makers. Some provide additional software to tweak the system easier. Some will have it overclocked already. Falcon NW looks like they provide overclocking and will warranty it.

No one is going to provide emulation, to much of a grey line. Providing obscure drivers for something is really niche and not worth the money. Someone else can provide that solution.

Apple provides of lot of the basics and some cool programs people can get into easy but do not provide niche programs that only hundreds of people will touch. Does everyone need/want Garageband?

[Moraven]

SteamOS, Bundled with HL2, L4D, some random indie game!

[mashakos]

Nonononono NO NO, just NO.
The whole point of an open platform is that it doesn't come with any of this stupid bloatware.

It's sad that you've been conditioned to think that any kind of pre-installed software package is bloatware. Can't blame you if you started out on Windows, I'm sure your first family PC must have sucked ass.

[Nalano]

"to get game X you must buy hardware model X"

what is this nonsense? Pay for everything outside of the main case and hardware? Game coupons for inferior hardware?? Not my idea of a great starter pack. Where is the cool software? The experience of a complete package?

Not ten posts ago you said that you didn't want to dumb down choice.

That is what choice looks like, buddy.

[mashakos]

No one is going to provide emulation, to much of a grey line. Providing obscure drivers for something is really niche and not worth the money. Someone else can provide that solution.

this is a non-issue: if you're buying a console game with free stuff bundled with it (emulator + config), what possible objections could be made to that?

[mashakos]

Not ten posts ago you said that you didn't want to dumb down choice.

That is what choice looks like, buddy.

there's choice and there's pay through the nose for every little thing. That config page is nowhere near balanced for a first time user. The cpu and mobo are way too expensive and frankly overkill without overclocking. Go a bit lower on that cpu+mobo combination and you can get a gtx680.

[mashakos]

Some provide additional software to tweak the system easier.

sounds like useless bloatware, so maybe you're not picturing what I have in mind.

Some will have it overclocked already. Falcon NW looks like they provide overclocking and will warranty it.

Falcon NW, Origin and others provide amazing PCs. Thing is, you pay a ridiculous premium for what they offer. These boutique builders are not catering for the average user at all.

[Nalano]

there's choice and there's pay through the nose for every little thing. That config page is nowhere near balanced for a first time user. The cpu and mobo are way too expensive and frankly overkill without overclocking. Go a bit lower on that cpu+mobo combination and you can get a gtx680.

That config screen has thirteen options for motherboards alone, and is only one of thirty-six different configurable setups in that section. Add the other sections on that site, and you have well over one-hundred different base configurable setups which you can tweak for any type of machine between $500 and $5,000, and all the compatibility issues and configurations are done by the company.

There are many, many companies like this. What more could you ask for?​

[mashakos]

That config screen has thirteen options for motherboards alone, and is only one of thirty-six different configurable setups in that section. Add the other sections on that site, and you have well over one-hundred different base configurations which you can tweak for any type of machine between $500 and $5,000, and all the compatibility issues and configurations are done by the company.

There are many, many companies like this. What more could you ask for?​

all of them are either much more expensive or cheaper by $5-$15 i.e not much choice there. Same goes for the selection of cpus. Variety is great as long as it's fair to the end user.

EDIT: I should also mention that the Asus P9X79 is crap for overclocking. Any non ROG Asus motherboard is a pain to overclock properly.

[Finicky]

It's sad that you've been conditioned to think that any kind of pre-installed software package is bloatware. Can't blame you if you started out on Windows, I'm sure your first family PC must have sucked ass.

I never bought an OEM pc, I built my own from the start.
Anything software on a pc that you pay extra for that is available independantly is bloatware. It doesn't belong on an open platform.

edit: I can't believe people here are actually even discussing OEM pcs.. jesus christ. Pay the extra 30 bucks at your local pc shop to have your parts put together and install an OS if you are such a technophobe.

[Nalano]

all of them are either much more expensive or cheaper by $5-$15 i.e not much choice there. Same goes for the selection of cpus. Variety is great as long as it's fair to the end user.

Take, oh, ten minutes to look over the site. I just picked one configurable setup at random. There are over a hundred​ on that site alone.

Seriously. Take ten minutes. I'll wait.

[mashakos]

I never bought an OEM pc, I built my own from the start.
Anything software on a pc that you pay extra for that is available independantly is bloatware. It doesn't belong on an open platform.

the end goal would be to offer free software, for free.

[mashakos]

Take, oh, ten minutes to look over the site. I just picked one configurable setup at random. There are over a hundred​ on that site alone.

Seriously. Take ten minutes. I'll wait.

my point is that you would need a few years of PC building experience to end up with a balanced rig out of that site.
As it stands, it's either sites like these or OEM crap.

[Nalano]

my point is that you would need a few years of PC building experience to end up with a balanced rig out of that site.
As it stands, it's either sites like these or OEM crap.

You didn't take ten minutes.

It's okay. I'm a patient man.

[mashakos]

You didn't take ten minutes.

It's okay. I'm a patient man.

just did a quick config here:
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/C...7_Configurator

$1423 with Win8 x64 and zero additional software. Had to settle for the crap 3770k and the proper ROG maximus V mobo, as well as a 660ti.
Not exactly a bargain....