The Comedy of PC Elitism

Today, Deus Ex: Human Revolution will be released for xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Currently, it's being heralded as a fantastic cyberpunk experience that combines elements of games like Mass Effect, Metal Gear and even a little Borderlands. And while this multi-platform release has resulted in popular praise, it has also once again illuminated an ugly side of gaming: PC elitism.

For those of you who don't know what PC elitism is, it's basically a belief held by many gamers that games are ALWAYS better when played on the PC, and that consoles are weak platforms akin to "toys." The odd thing is that, even when a game doesn't have a PC version, PC elitists will contend a PC version would be better, regardless.

Now, before anyone gets bent out of shape, there is, of course, some logic behind this line of thinking, not the least of which is the obvious advantage: PCs are customizable, allowing performance enhancements an out-of-the-box console does not allow. If his performance lags, a PC user can slap in a new processor any time he feels like it, but a console gamer must be satisfied with the processor his system shipped with. Such is the nature of consumer electronics.

However, what PC elitists fail to realize is that, that inherent lack of modification is what makes consoles such a viable platform: When everyone is playing with the same hardware, it results in several advantages PC's don't always have: A standardized development environment, equal footing in online interaction between gamers, and accessible entertainment for people who cant afford the expense of gaming PCs/enhancement. Additionally--and to the dismay of gamers--piracy is a tad easier to prevent on consoles than among the PC community.

That said, this is not about which platform is "better." The point here is that judging one platform against the other is, at best, an unfair and illogical battle. Game developers will develop their games for the audiences they want to reach, and the audience that will provide the most profit--that's simple business. Unfortunately, many PC elitists don't accept that fact, and continue to troll PS3 and Xbox forums daily telling the world why consoles "fail." GTA is better on PC because it can be "modded." Black Ops is better with a keyboard and mouse. Never mind that both of those games became the cultural icons they did based mostly on console sales.

To be completely honest, when the PS3 and Xbox were released 5 years ago, PC elitists actually had a bit of a leg to stand on. Since these "next-gen"consoles were actually next-gen, the comparisons to contemporary technology held water. The problem is, half a decade later, PC elitists can't grasp that current comparisons only result in making them look desperate and stupid--like the ones currently existing in forums devoted to Deus Ex: Human Revolution these past weeks.

The argument is, for lack of a better word, ridiculous now: Of course a PC you bought yesterday and had built to your specifications is going pack more of a wallop than hardware purchased 5 years ago that could never be modified, and that cost half the price. Would you compare a 2011 Lexus to a 2006 Camry with a permanently locked hood? Would you compare an iPhone to a 2005 LG flip-phone that was state of the art when it was released? Apparently, PC elitists would.

There's no denying an Alienware powerhouse with 80gigs of RAM is going to be a technical beast next to an Xbox. The point is, who cares? The two are exclusive of each other. Does anyone really think game developers are competing with themselves? Are Eidos Montreal (The developers of Deus Ex) employees hanging around their water cooler mocking the Xbox? Of course not. They want to reach as many people as possible, and a game like Deus Ex is one of the rare titles that can appeal to every platform. Excluding one would be ridiculously bad for business. Judging the validity of one version against the other is just as ridiculous.

The point of all this is that PC elitism is comical at this point. Consoles are not built to compete with the liquid PC marketplace. They can feasibly match the tech specs of the average PC the moment they roll of the assembly line, but within months, they'll be behind the curve. What PC elitists don't realize is is that that's the idea: Consoles are made for everyone. Not just for people who can successfully install a motherboard. Not just for people who can afford a $2,000 desktop. Not just for people who want to spend hours finding players with comparable hardware to play online with. Not just for people who want to download an unofficial mod that makes their cars shinier in GTA. Those people are welcome to enjoy the PC gaming world, and companies like Eidos Montreal will--and should-- happily cater to them. But they'll also cater to console gamers. PC elitists simply need to accept this fact and move on. Going into a Deus Ex Xbox forum and saying, "I guess those next gen consoles aren't so next-gen anymore" just makes you look stupid.

One has to wonder... Maybe the PC elitists are just getting this all out of their systems before the advent of "cloud computing" - when we're all using standardized terminals instead of modded tower computers? When that day comes, they may have to go back to trolling Apple forums like the old days.