Tiny Diggers – An iPad Construction Truck Game for Kids Age 2-5

I am one of those rare individuals that has both the Xbox 360 and PC versions of Oblivion. I also have both versions of Halo, and when Halo 2 comes out, it is very likely that I will get the PC version of that (dependent, of course, on whether I also get Windows Vista.) I am also one of those strange people that likes to connect keyboards and mice to my consoles. I have the Dreamcast mouse and keyboard. I also currently have a USB keyboard connected to my Xbox 360.

I don’t want to delve into the age old argument of console controller vs. mouse and keyboard. Nor do I wish to debate about that crappy Shadowrun title that will allow Xbox 360 and PC players to fight on the same servers. These equine corpses have been bludgeoned beyond my ability to endure. However, ergonomics and economics, the twin “-nomics” of Our Beloved Hobby, are a couple of carcasses I will freely engage in a few rounds of bloody knuckles.

First off, slouching on my sofa, staring up at a massive HD projection, is a far more soothing and fulfilling means of playing video games than sitting in my “office” in a moderately comfortable “office chair” trying to find a correct posture that won’t cause my arms to fall asleep. Seriously, if I WERE somehow able to attain the perfect workstation posture, forget about relaxing. Forget about any kind of stretching, flailing, slouching, stooping, or leaning. I have a lot of ill feelings towards an environment that has as its optimal position a posture that would make Catholic school Mother Superior proud.

Then you have the keyboard with it’s less than optimal button arrangement. WASD was certainly a life-saver when it came on the scene, but I’ll still end up hitting my walk button when I meant to mash the crouch button. And the mouse is pretty comfortable, but it keeps getting weird gunk on the bottom, and sometimes the little pads come off. Then everything’s off kilter because the mouse is now lopsided. Ugh…

But when I pick up my wireless controller, I can put my arms wherever I want. I can hold the darn controller behind my head, Jimi Hendrix style. It doesn’t matter. I’m not tied to some annoying desk-like surface as part of my control interface.

Unfortunately, while providing the most comfortable arrangement, console gaming affords the least amount of freedom as far as what I can play, when I can play it, and what other non-game related acitivities I would want to participate in. And $60 for premium titles is getting a little obnoxious as far as price is concerned.

But the PC better not get too high and mighty when it comes to price. If you want a system that will play games at a level remotely equal to consoles, then be prepared to shell out thousands of dollars. And with companies like Ageia trying to create a market for things like physics accelerators or maybe even AI accelerator cards, the PC gaming market entry cost is only going to get higher.

Unfortunately, I can’t give up PC gaming. There’s no way. I’d miss out on games like Galactic Civilizations II and Laser Squad Nemesis. There are too many really good games on the PC that just wouldn’t work on a console. Look, I don’t care who liked or didn’t like Battle For Middle Earth II, that was one of the worst console games I’ve played in a LONG time. The interface was horrible (among other things).

There’s still a few good things happening on the PC, and I doubt any of them have anything to do with “Windows Live .NET Anywhere XP Vistatron” or whatever the next gimmicky Microsoft paradigm is going to be. No, most of the PC goodness comes in the form of strategy games and indie games, but with the advent of Xbox Live Arcade and XNA Game Studio Express, the PC is going to start losing out on being the big purveyor of indie hits.

So, that’s why I see myself spending a lot more time on console gaming than PC gaming. If only I could squeeze in a few more minutes of Oblivion on 360 around my hectic WoW schedule…