PC Gamer lures PS3 buyer with $7500 gaming rig

by Kyle Orland { Nov 17th 2006 at 9:30AM }

What would it take for you to give up your shot at a PS3? I don't just mean your shot at getting a system on launch day... I mean giving up your right to ever own Sony's newest system? For one gamer waiting outside the Sony Metreon in San Francisco, the price of loyalty was a $7,500 PC gaming rig.

In an effort to "prove that the PC is, and always shall be, the finest gaming platform available to man," PC Gamer and computer maker Falcon Northwest teamed up to lure away prospective PS3 purchasers with a top-of-the-line PC complete with 30" LCD monitor and Nvidia 8800 GTX graphics card. The catch? To get the system, you have to sign a notarized, legally-binding contract certifying that you will never, ever, buy a PS3.

Judging by the photo gallery of the night's events, PC Gamer editor Greg Vederman had no trouble finding willing participants for the offer, but a gamer identified only as "Neal" was the randomly-chosen winner. Vederman said he will be checking in on Neal "several times a year to make sure he keeps his end of the deal," an arrangement we're sure will lead to frantic "quick, hide the PS3" escapades when the PC Gamer van approaches.

[Thanks Norman]

Tags: Falcon Northwest, FalconNorthwest, Nvidia, PC, PC Gamer, PcGamer, PS3

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Rizzo @ Nov 17th 2006 9:39AM

So you have to sign a contract that you'll never buy a PS3? Can someone give you one as a gift?

crono141 @ Nov 17th 2006 9:38AM

this

is

dumb

Even I, with my loathing of all things sony, would never sign such a waiver. Sure, I regularly predict sony's ultimate destruction, but I need my FF fix, and if I'm wrong then PS3 is the only place to find it.

rockintom99 @ Nov 17th 2006 10:15PM

Very nice deal. I could totally go for the wii60 combo, and even if you do want one, just accept it as a gift. Or have a room mate/family member buy one.

dokol @ Nov 17th 2006 3:19PM

Yeah, Rizzo made the point I was about to make. 'Buying' is one thing, but 'owning' is another.

Saneless @ Nov 17th 2006 9:44AM

"In an effort to "prove that the PC is, and always shall be, the finest gaming platform available to man,""

Wow, PC-only gamers are the biggest freaks on the planet. And insecure. The PC has its place, but it by no means the finest gaming platform. I wouldn't even rank it in the top 5.

"To get the system, you have to sign a notarized, legally-binding contract certifying that you will never, ever, buy a PS3."

Soo.. if say, my parents, or a friend buys it am I in the clear?

Greg2k @ Nov 17th 2006 9:42AM

Sorry, where do I sign?

vidGuy @ Nov 17th 2006 9:50AM

"prove that the PC is, and always shall be, the finest gaming platform available to man,"

That would require that the PC could lure PS3 gamers away at the same price. I don't think a $600 PC is going to convince any console gamers to drop their controllers in favor of a keyboard+mouse.

BlindsideDork @ Nov 17th 2006 9:54AM

Wait so only ONE person got the PC?

If I was in line to get a PS3, I would only sign that if I was GUARANTEED a PC, not to be including in a drawing for the PC...pssh.

I wonder if they will do that for the Wii? Probably not cause the PS3 is dubbed as a "computer" but I know I wouldn't give up my Wii for a PC.

gameclu @ Nov 17th 2006 9:54AM

I used to be believe PC gaming was superior to console gaming, way back in 1989.

Fhaze @ Nov 17th 2006 9:55AM

Hey they are right! I am going to go start standing in line for Windows Vista right now. Then I am going to sell my copy on EBay for profit.

nootau @ Nov 17th 2006 10:00AM

Well, i think the moral of the story is pretty obvious. When money is no object, and all you care about is graphics, get a PC. If you care about unique games and unique gameplay, get a console.

fanjob @ Nov 17th 2006 10:06AM

I would sign up for this any day! There are better games on other platforms anyways, and I bet a $7500 PC can even emulate Xbox 360 games!

silkylove @ Nov 17th 2006 9:59AM

And what's to prevent him from going to his friend's house and playing PS3?:/

> @ Nov 17th 2006 9:59AM

I hope that isnt the official press photo.. at least fix his hair...

jojo29 @ Nov 17th 2006 3:07PM

"The PC has its place, but it by no means the finest gaming platform. I wouldn't even rank it in the top 5."

That sad. you will have missed out on titles, that if it were not for them certain games..cough Halo cough.. would not have been possible to copy ideas from.

Heres just a small sample of games that make the PC great, in no particular order:

Warcraft Series
Starcraft Series
Diablo Series
Command and Conquer Series
Age of Empire Series
Warhammer 40k Series

Counterstrike
Counterstrike: Source
Unreal Series
Doom Series
Quake Series
Half-Life Series
Alien Vs Predator Series (im a fan of the movies)

Full Throttle
Myst Series
Guild Wars Series
Everquest Series

and countless other genres, tho mostly in the RTS, MMORPG, FPS genres. Also the PC is home to the IMMENSELY popular BEAST of a game called World of Warcraft. It's not everyone cup of tea, but you cannot deny the impact it has made in the pc gaming community, and those who own consoles as well. Over 5 Million SUBSCRIBERS worldwide playing and paying EVERY month and everyday and only more keep coming.

BlindsideDork @ Nov 17th 2006 10:05AM

#12 silkylove

nothing is preventing him...but this way he is NOT supporting PS3/Sony which I think is their goal.

strider_mt2k @ Nov 17th 2006 10:06AM

PC Gaming is vastly superior, but making people sign legal documents isn't the way to prove it.

Don't try to trump an asshole by being a bigger asshole.

BlindsideDork @ Nov 17th 2006 10:06AM

Unique games...unique gameplay, only one word comes to mind...

Nintendo

Charron @ Nov 17th 2006 8:34PM

Wonder how many of the oh-so-willing participants were scalpers looking for a better payday. Win a $7500 PC, never buy a system you were only gonna sell anyway, sell the PC for $3000, buyer gets a deal and you get a 3x payday. If you're of the mind that only wants a PS3 for profit, this probably popped into your head instantly.

steve @ Nov 17th 2006 10:12AM

"Well, i think the moral of the story is pretty obvious. When money is no object, and all you care about is graphics, get a PC. If you care about unique games and unique gameplay, get a console."

Now now. I'm pretty sure the big draw of the PS3 and 360 is HD graphics. And there are hundreds of crappy, derivative console games produced every year in addition to the unique ones. And there are also just as many unique games released for the PC too. There's also a big, truly independent games scene on the PC, though you don't need a $7500 PC to enjoy most of those.

DiahrreaMan @ Nov 17th 2006 3:10PM

They actually did this!? Wow...
Come on, why would you sign that knowing full well that KH3 is gonna come out at some in the near future, why would you deny yourself that experience is beyond me...

STILL WAITING FOR GOLDEN SUN 3 DAMMIT!

Patel @ Nov 17th 2006 6:48PM

I'd sign a contract to never buy a PS3 for a Wii, spare controllers, nunchaks and a bunch of games.

FuzzyPickles @ Nov 17th 2006 10:11AM

The PC would be the best gaming platform if it weren't for one thing... sofas are more comfortable than swivel chairs. Every game that is on both PC and console I prefer on PC, unless it's a really weak last-minute port (Sonic CD in 1996? lol).

J.Goodwin @ Nov 17th 2006 10:15AM

I built a PC recently for six hundred bucks (I actually also got a 19 inch LCD monitor which pushed it up to 800).

Two gigs of ram, 250 gigabyte hard drive, DVD-multi writer, quiet and cool. Considering that Sony allegedly pushed 800 bucks worth of parts into that box, I'm astonished at how little they got out of it.

J.Goodwin @ Nov 17th 2006 10:15AM

PCs connect to HDTVs by the way.

Mister Disco @ Nov 17th 2006 10:17AM

They never said your friend can't buy one for you... >_>

Hank @ Nov 17th 2006 10:21AM

With a new day dawning for the PC, it would seem that they are ready for an all out and out war with the consoles.

But with exclusive titles coming for PS3, makes me wonder, what will this person be missing out on?

swifti @ Nov 17th 2006 10:23AM

"Well, i think the moral of the story is pretty obvious. When money is no object, and all you care about is graphics, get a PC. If you care about unique games and unique gameplay, get a console."

I don't understand how unique games and unique gameplay are limited to consoles when the barriers of entry to the PC gaming market for a game developer is bar none compared to the hefty licensing fees required for the big three.

Unique games and unique gameplay are mostly found amongst the independent developers. Where are all the independent developers starting their tenure in the entertainment software industry? Answer: The platform by which no one owns: the x86 IBM-compatible.

Flit @ Nov 17th 2006 10:28AM

This is how microsoft could win the console war. I'd do it!

mietha CAG @ Nov 17th 2006 10:28AM

The 360 and the PS3 are both, in many ways, better than any PC on the market. PC gaming is dead, has been for years. They really need to get over it. If it wasn't for MMO's, it wouldn't even still be seriously referred to as a "gaming platform". Funny, that spiffy 30" LCD would work great with my 360...

steve @ Nov 17th 2006 10:28AM

"Wow, PC-only gamers are the biggest freaks on the planet. And insecure."

Yes, PC gamers are freaks. In fact, I've read dozens of stories about how they spend days waiting in line outside the offices of Intel and Dell when new Pentium chips and computers are released.

BlindsideDork @ Nov 17th 2006 10:30AM

#24 mietha CAG

Don't tell those many, MANY PC Gamers that it is dead!

mietha CAG @ Nov 17th 2006 10:35AM

One other observation: That "$7500 gaming rig" will be obsolete before the PS3 is. Simple truth of the matter.

subpop @ Nov 17th 2006 10:56AM

This choice was too easy for him. All you have to do is buy a Xbox 360, they're both generally the same darn thing, and no doubt both will have alot of the same games due to porting.

steve @ Nov 17th 2006 10:34AM

"If it wasn't for MMO's, it wouldn't even still be seriously referred to as a "gaming platform"."

And RTS games. And regular strategy games like Civ 4. And first-person shooters (which is now shared with consoles). And RPGs (different from console ones, but still with a large following). And The Sims. And Spore. And mods. And level editors. And indies. And freeware games. And Flash games. And casual games. And browser games.

Yeah, it's barely a game platform.

Nossy @ Nov 17th 2006 10:34AM

I'd glady take the PC package. My brother plans to buy the PS3 anyway.

swifti @ Nov 17th 2006 10:38AM

"PC gaming is dead, has been for years."

By your definition, PC gaming hasn't ever been alive then.

Michael @ Nov 17th 2006 10:43AM

I think that guy should hook up a 360 to that 30'' LCD. That'll teach PC gamers where the best games are! (j/k) :P

guises @ Nov 17th 2006 10:52AM

Shit, I'd do that in a heartbeat. Of course, I have no intention of buying a PS3 as it is, but I'd certainly like it if someone gave me stuff for my inaction.

edhe @ Nov 17th 2006 10:49AM

PC gaming will never die, and it will always be where the bleeding edge is. Where do you think the hardware companies compete in order to make the next best thing for consoles?

Just got to empty your wallet to keep up.

I was an avid pc gamer an enthusiast for many years, my favourites being online gaming with nice graphics...

... now i'm a 360 lover *because* i can have these things, and not have to follow an upgrade cycle or track multiple programs or worry about virii/malware.

mietha CAG @ Nov 17th 2006 10:49AM

There may be "many, many PC gamers", but they sure don't buy many games. Check the sales charts for PC games. Other than WoW, how many games have sold a million copies in the last year? I guarentee it's less than the PS2, and it's on the way out the door. As to #28. I'll give you mods. That's about it. RTS is present on consoles just in a smaller number. Most RTS games are crap anyway, and most of the good ones will be on the 360, and probably the PS3 as well, over the next few years. Turn based strategy is well represented on consoles, just with a different style. And consoles fully have FPS now. Any PC FPS worth anything will, and is being, ported to consoles, and the consoles have several that the PC doesn't. RPGs... Neverwinter Nights 2 and Titan Quest... Anything else worth a crap in the last year that didn't also come to a console? Sims are also present on consoles, just in a different form, and besides, the gameplay has barely evolved from the very first one. In fact, the only real innovation in the Sims franchise has been on the consoles and handhelds. Spore will be on the 360. Level editors are more and more common in console games. Indies are getting more exposure on the 360. Flash games and browser games, for the most part, are barely games. The 360 could use some more casual games, but they are getting there. And besides, other than RAM, the 360 and PS3 could both be converted to play PC games. I will give you that PCs dominate in the "Tycoon" genre, but seriously, you can keep that one. The 360 even has the potentional to steal the MMO crowd, if they do it right. PSU and FFXI are good examples of how not to do it...

Ratchet the Lombax @ Nov 17th 2006 10:55AM

I would sign the paper and then ask my dad to buy him one so I can just play it every once in a while. Technically I would not have bought it and it would be my dad's and not mine. Or what if you had a little brother that lived with you would he have to do without too? I think that document has more holes in it than Swiss cheese.

steve @ Nov 17th 2006 10:57AM

"One other observation: That "$7500 gaming rig" will be obsolete before the PS3 is. Simple truth of the matter."

This is a common misconception about PC gaming, usually spread by hardware nuts. Videocards become obsolete; the machines, not so much.

Everything in a 3-4 year old PC is still good for gaming right now, assuming you buy a $200 videocard. And a 3-4 year old videocard like a Radeon 9600 is fully functional in all games today, you just can't run ever game with Xbox 360-level eye candy. It'd be closer to Xbox level.

But PC gamers expect high frame rates at higher resolutions than most consoles run at. If you have a 20-inch LCD, you expect every game to run at its native 1680x1050 resolution, not at 480p or 720p (which is 640x480 and 1280x720). That's a lot more pixels to move, so it requires more hardware.

Still, a 2-3GHz CPU--which is standard in even $400 PCs--matched with a $200 GeForce 7600--the equivalent to the PS3's video--will handle this kind of workload for all but the highest-end PC games.

mietha CAG @ Nov 17th 2006 10:58AM

#34 is making my exact point in a much more concise form. And as to #31: yes, it most certainly was. For many years PCs could offer games that consoles couldn't dream of. The SSI RPGs, the Fallouts, Wasteland, EQ, etc. However, that era has passed. Nothing will be released on a PC anytime soon that can't be converted to the 360 or the PS3. How can a format survive when you have to shell out thousands of dollars just to be on the level with a $400 or $600 console. Not to mention that PC costs will rise as console prices drop (at least for the next 4 years.) My statement that PC gaming is dead is that more and more people will come to the same conclusion that #34 did. People are always going to play solitare on their PCs, but when it comes to serious gaming, more and more people are going to turn to the new wave of consoles. I've been gaming on a PC since 1988, and before that an Apple IIe, but since the 360 came out, I've probably not played 10 hours worth of any PC game. Now if Trackmania would be ported to the 360...

KaneRobot @ Nov 17th 2006 11:01AM

"PC Gaming is vastly superior,"

Yeah, and I bet your pound of bricks is heavier than my pound of feathers, too.

PC gaming is USUALLY BUT NOT ALWAYS better for RTS, massive online RPGs, and FPS games, among others. It offers benefits that consoles cannot.

Console gaming is USUALLY BUT NOT ALWAYS better for platformers, action games, and sports games, among others. It offers benefits that PCs cannot.

Both are solid platforms. If you ladies what to geekslap each other until the end of time over it, go nuts.

And you can bet your ass I'd take this deal, even though my current PC is quite nice. Take the PC and buy a 360. You won't miss much outside of Metal Gear and Final Fantasy, if you're into those games.