EA preps video game PCs
Buy a PC to suit the title
Electronic Arts (EA) plans to release pre-configured PCs alongside big name video game launches, in an attempt to blur the boundary between high-end PC gaming and hardware expense.
Games blogger Chris Remo recounts a conversation on Sunday at Comic-Con with an EA rep, who told him the first such PC will be launched with Crysis Warhead, a first person shooter due out this autumn.
Details are scarce, but the EA rep told Remo that gamers will be able to choose between various system configurations, with each corresponding to the quality of gameplay desired.
It’s thought prices will range between $600 and $800 (£400/€500), so the more you pay the better the gameplay, or so goes the reasoning.
It’s probable that some gamers will prefer to build their own PC in preparation for the next big title. But EA’s PC plans are likely to appeal to gamers confused by system specifications or anyone looking for an off-the-shelf PC that’s guaranteed to run the latest game.
COMMENTS
Fed up with upgrading
PC gaming will die: EA is gonna lose money trying to save a platform that will not survive the PS3, Xbox 360 and their successors.
PC hardware (and especially graphic cards) has a way too short lifecycle and at one point, users will grow tired of upgrading every 6 months. Most of the time, if you're serious about gaming and want a card that will last a bit longer, you'd have to cash out insane amounts of money (eg. the cheapest Nvidia GTX280-based cards sell for about$450), especially when compared to console which are heavily subsidized.
Giving up PC gaming is also a fantastic opportunity to regain your freedom, not being tied up to Vista or XP and explore better OS like Ubuntu or MacOSX.
The Bic PC
so these are effectively going to be throw away, title dedicated systems then.
Bet the hardware vendors are rubbing their hands with glee.
Sounds like something for people with more money than sense.
@David Webb
Wow. That game defines simultaneously defined new levels of pain, irritation, and the word "grind".
I played that game for a few months with a bunch of my friends. Worked on my red mage for a while until I unlocked one of the other classes. I can't remember which for sure, but I think it was paladin. Played with it and got to Surabaruta (or whatever that beachy area was with all the goblins). We quit when one of my friends that had unlocked dark knight was asked by the only group we could find to tank.
And that's why I don't play FFXI.
I liked the multilingual servers and the language-independent communication. I LOVED the fighting system with its' chains. I loved the FF-y environment. But I HATED the fact that there was no way to solo and even grey enemies that give no experience could hand your ass to you unless in a group, the crafting system was "for pretend", and everything was literally hours of walking apart with no means of transportation aside from the ludicrously expensive (and yet still slow) chocobos and impossibly expensive airships. At least with real jobs you get paid for the time you waste.
Hell, even Everquest had free boats (unless you started in Luclin, which was why I quit after exactly one week). Anarchy Online (my second generation MMO of choice) one upped all that with instantaneous transporters.
Worse than consoles
These will be over-priced, average spec for the game.
It pays to research and build a future proofed machine yourself rather than relying on EA (YEAH WE TRUST THEM) to build it for us.
But then, if you've got money to throw around.. pfht. Go for it.
RE: Chip Who?
Yes, it was "Trip". I met him once... he was very... tanned. Nice guy though.
