Category: Culture

This is a debate, and one that has very embattled views on either side, that has been going on for decades. So which side of it is right? PC or consoles for gaming? Well, here we intend to look at the reasons for and against the choice to use one or the other to help you choose which is best for you. 

What do you Already Have?

It could be as simple as which do you already own? Not only does using the system that is already in your house prevent the need to go out and have to purchase an expensive new machine. It would not just be the cost of the computer or console as you would have to repurchase any games you want to play regularly as well as the controllers or other devices such as motion capture devices such as the Xbox Kinnect or PlayStation Move. So unless you have a real burning desire to change maybe it’s best to stick with what you have.

Are the Same Games Available?

The simple answer to this is no. Certain games are exclusive to one of the consoles or PC only. So what does this mean for your decision? Well, the fact is that, more often than not, PC exclusives are for technical reasons, namely that the developers do not want to be restricted by the tech specs of the consoles. Console exclusives are more often made so for commercial reasons. For this reason, PC wins for cost considerations.

What is the Cost Involved?

The costs are fairly set for console gamers, there is a retail price set for the machine and although you can shop around for different reasons the price is going to be broadly similar no matter where you buy it. For PC gamer giving a cost for an average gaming PC is akin to the how long is a piece of string question? You can go as expensive as you like, here is the alleged most expensive gaming PC coming in at $43,000, and sooner or later every machine will need updating due to games requiring higher specs. Consoles do need updating eventually as well but this is only when a new version comes out and the current ones have been the same for almost a decade right now. If cost is your deciding factor then consoles give you a fixed cost that is also lower, a definite winner here.

Where do you Play Online?

Almost all gamers play online these days so where and how you do this is a considering factor. For the console players you are obliged to play through an official Xbox Live or PlayStation Plus membership, which can be fine if you are happy doing so, and the cost you. PC is a much more free-market and some games require their own subscriptions and some are free to play the online version. One added perk is that not being tied into Sony or Microsoft memberships means you can easily trade and even sell your online characters and accounts via something like the LoL account marketplace.  This perk gives PC the edge in this area,

Are Your Friends on the Same Platform?

Gaming is a social activity these days, and if we are being honest it always has been, multiplayer has long been a feature of gameplay. The untrue, and certainly unfair, the stereotype of the nerdy loner gaming fan is a thing of the past. So whether your friends are on the same platform as you is a reasonable consideration when deciding where you should do the majority of your gaming? 

Performance  

Many will argue over the virtues of a dedicated gaming machine vs playing on a PC and which delivers better performance? Well, like many things, the answer to this is very much an, it depends answer. What it depends on is the spec of your PC, we know that an Xbox One or a PlayStation 4 game will work on your console, no questions asked. But a PC could have a far greater spec than a gaming console or could be very basic and struggle with a lot of games, check the system requirements before buying any PC game. As we can see here in this review of the game Watchdogs the opinion is that on a good PC the performance is better than on a console.

Other Options

PC or console are not the only options these days and mobile and tablet gaming should not be neglected either.

If you’re always making your friends and family laugh, there’s a good chance that you’re often told that you should be a comedian. If you enjoy comedy, writing, and being the center of attention, it’s something you might want to seriously consider. Once you decide for certain you’re ready to make the leap and break into the world of comedy, how do you get started?

While the odds are against achieving the status of one of the world’s highest-paid comedians – Jerry Seinfeld who has a net worth of $950 million, following these steps might just help you earn at least a decent living at what you love doing.

Material

If you want to get started in comedy, you must first have original material. Being a comedian isn’t just about being funny, you’ll need to have to write a lot of material, so writing skills are a must. The most successful comedians set aside at least a few hours a day to come up with new material. Start by writing about experiences that can often be relatable to your audience. When you can relate to your audience by talking about humorous things in your life, genuine laughter is often the result. It’s also important to be very observant. You can find new jokes just by people watching too, which will also help you better deliver a punchline when you can imitate body language. Staying up-to-day with current events is important so that your jokes are relevant to current events and pop culture as well. 

Practice

A successful comedian is always practicing his jokes on friends and new crowds. Sign up for as many open mic nights as you can and never turn down a gig. If you are new to the scene, there is no gig too small that won’t help you perfect your skills and delivery. Comedian Sam Greenberg has been on the scene since he was 14 years old, and even though very experienced, he still does a variety of shows from basement clubs to well-known venues like The Laugh Factory and Second City.

Learn

You can learn a lot of comedy tricks, including delivery and timing, by watching other comedians perform. When you aren’t performing or writing, watch and learn from others. Go to clubs and take notes. Watch your favorite comedy movies at home and YouTube videos of stand up acts to see what works and what doesn’t for other comedians. There’s a good chance it will spark at least a few ideas for new material.

Don’t Do It For The Money

If you truly love comedy and do it because it makes you happy, you are going to be more successful than someone who just does it for the potential to make a lot of money. Unless they’ve made it big in Hollywood like Seinfeld, most successful comedians don’t get rich – opening acts often earn $50 or even less per show while headliners get around $200.

Being a teen has never been easy. The teenage years are fraught with hormones and stress. Few people feel at home in their teenage bodies or at ease in teenage social situations. And, in our modern world, things are only tougher on teens: Added threats like cyberbullying and a horrifying nationwide opioid crisis are making it in some ways more difficult — and more dangerous — to be a teen than ever.

As a parent, you always want what is best for your teen. “But what is that?” asks Common Cents Mom. How can you help your teen without making things worse for them? The decisions won’t always be easy, but you should know some things to make things as easy and as effective as possible.

Help your child protect their privacy online

Social media began as a benign and fascinating way to connect with others online. Today, it’s in many ways a troubling thing. Social media posts can divide friends and family, destroy career opportunities, and reveal personal information to the wrong people. Burglars, for instance, use social media to determine when their would-be victims are out of town. There are also less criminal, but still disturbing, uses of social media for violating privacy. For instance, an embarrassing photo can all too easily go viral.

Parents have a role to play in protecting the privacy of their children. That’s particularly true early in life, when parents should consider the ways in which their posts may someday affect their young child’s life. But it remains true later on, when parental Facebook posts can mess up a child’s social life or even expose them to criminals and other dangers.

Keep your family’s social life secure. Use social media privacy settings to protect your posts, and be very wary about what you share. You can find better and more secure ways to store and share family photos. Use secure online photo storage boxes from trusted cloud photo storage brands. That way, you can access your photos from anywhere and even share them with others over the internet, all without having them hit Facebook, where they’d be viewed by your many followers and perhaps compromised by Facebook’s often lax security measures.

Monitoring your teen’s mental health

Mental health is a big issue, particularly among teens. Experts are finding more and more incidents of depression and anxiety among young people. Perhaps numbers are on the rise, or perhaps we’re getting better at diagnosing the troubles that have plagued teens for generations. It’s likely a bit of both. But the bottom line is this: You need to be aware of your teen’s mental health state.

This can be tough, say the pros at Polaris Teen Depression Center. After all, many teens don’t seem to want to communicate with their parents. But you need to be on the lookout for warning signs such as shifts in your teen’s social life, changes in habits, and other alarming developments, particularly those that seem to mirror depression symptoms, including a lack of energy and interest in activities.

Talk about the difficult stuff
Some of the biggest dangers to teens are subjects that can be difficult to talk about, particularly between kids and their parents: stuff like drugs, alcohol, and sex. If you want to protect your teen, you need to arm them with knowledge — and, above all, you need to make sure that you can talk to them about these difficult subjects. You want your teen to be able to come to you with problems without fearing that you’ll overreact. It can be difficult to balance this with discipline and with your desire to instill the right values. But if you pick your battles and emphasize two-way communication, you’ll make it easier for you and your teen to unite against threats to your teen’s well-being.