In the beginning there was Space War! and Atari. Then came Doom and the SNES, Duke 3D and Playstation followed. Conflict between console and PC has always been, and will always be.

Which is greater? The compact gamepad, or the beloved keyboard and mouse?

Before, this “Next-Gen” era, the answer was easy. Keyboard & Mouse, as PC gamers would say “ftw!” There was no way that simple D-Pads, shapes, and colored circles could compare to the almighty power of “WASD” & it’s quick and accurate moving mouse companion.

Today the answer is indefinite. Rooted as a PC gamer, the KB&M are rooted dearly to my instagibbin’-headshotting heart. Microsoft’s Xbox series of consoles have defined themselves as a First Person Shooter console. Their controllers are comfortable, and surprisingly accurate, but in my opinion, no-where near as accurate as my beloved.

Though I must admit, whenever my hands take control of a Xbox controller, I never fail to achieve that stimulating headshot in Halo 1 (I choose not to mention Halo2, due to its heavy auto aim assistance - ), or squeezing off a perfect rocket exhilarating rocket, which downs that helicopter, right – in – front – of – you.

This is the end, my only friend, the end, to that question, which is better the Gamepad or the Keyboard and mouse. Or perhaps, you can say, this is the beginning of the end? Microsoft officially began is “Games for Windows” program, which has the ability to pit PC opponents against their Xbox Live friends. Opening with games like Shadowrun, Bioshock, and Halo 2? The competition between console gamers and PC gamers can finally begin.

Microsoft’s first GFW is Shadowrun, so the victor from the first PC/Console Battle? Simply put – undetermined. Why? Because Shadowrun… Has – No – Stats. No stats, no rankings. Who is to blame for this? Microsoft or the developer FASA? Who knows, but we do know is there is no clear victor right now.

Perhaps the upcoming “Games for Windows” titles will shed some light on this epic
battle.

But for now? I’m bankin’ on my Keyboard and Mouse.

Good Gaming to you. :angrygame

There were a few games that multiplayed between console and PC... Like need for speed underground for the PS2.

But that really doesn't matter, the control is easy.

I suppose a good way to do a test is to get a very good xbox gamer and a very good pc gamer together and have them play against eachother on the PC version of halo. While the sample size is small (and therefore the results not definiative) it would be a good starting indicator).

Nice write up btw, I think this stuff needs to be spot-lighted some how if you are to continue doing it.

Wasn't Quake 3 for the dreamcast able to play with PC players? And weren't they obliterated?

The gamepad is and always will be inferior to the keyboard/mouse in an FPS. I can't see a single advantage other than its large mainstream userbase and small size. I think Microsoft is barking up the wrong tree letting players go head to head, and even if a game like shadowrun might do a good job balancing it, that's a lot of effort for every developer to make up for that stubborness.

Halo is fun, yes. So was Goldeneye, but nobody's about to argue that it was the ideal setup. Keyboard and Mouse sucked when I played Psychonauts. No setup is perfect for every job, but games should be designed around the controller, especially since all the computer-like features consoles have been adapting boil it down more and more to that one little difference.

I think the real interesting contender here is Nintendo. So far FPS implementation of the wii has been a little blah, but if the sensors were really honed to work like they should, we might finally have something of the precision of the mouse. THEN I'd like to see a head-to-head

Crap in a Hat, I forgot to mention RTS's...

RTS sucks on console... last one I played was dune though.. no hot keys....

I dont know why the dreamcast players would be killed so easily, I know I was able to PWN big time on mine,

I had the keyboard, but I could never find the mouse till after I got rid of my dreamcast. I got pwned with just the kb