Quijano: On Stuff: How to Get Into Gaming (if you're new to gaming)

I promised last week that I would talk a bit about people who are new to gaming. They are, after all, the only logical potential consumers of the Steamboxes which were the subject of last week's post. And so, if you, dear reader, are not a gamer but think that videogames seem fun and are thinking about getting into gaming, this post is for you. And for everyone else, feel free to flame in the comments section.

So you want to get into gaming. A lot of other places will recommend whatever their personal preference of latest console is. Instead, I will give you the lowest cost gateway.

The first thing you want to do is think about the technology you have and how serious do you want your games to be. At the risk of attracting much hate, if you think that you are more of a casual gamer and you already own a tablet, then you already have everything you need to play games. Just head over to the app store and get Final Fantasy Tactics or Infinity Blade or Sonic All-Star Racing. People equate tablet gaming with Angry Bird clones and Freemium skinnerbox games. By and large that is true, but there are a few quality games out there. You just need to search for them.

Of course, if you're reading this it means that you're thinking of gaming that's a bit more serious than tablet gaming. Maybe you're thinking of getting one of those Nintendo things (as my mom calls every game console) or maybe a computer to play games on. If that's the case, then ask yourself: do you have a computer that can play games already? Look at your computer specs. If you have at least an i5 processor, a dedicated video card, and 8 gigs of ram, you have a good enough computer that will be able to run most contemporary games in mid-low settings. If that's the case, then what you want to do is check out the Humble Bundle Store or join Steam, look for games at a discount, and buy them. If they are on sale, you can buy the Mass Effect trilogy, the Assassin's Creed Trilogy, the Bioshock trilogy, and several other games such as Dust: An Elysium Tail and Guacamelee for about 30$ - 50$ total. Then, you can turn your attention to free online games such as Vindictus or League of Legends.

But maybe PC gaming isn't your thing. Maybe you'd rather sit at your living room, as I do, and play on your big screen TV. Maybe you like the idea of having actual physical games, as I do, and maybe you don't want to go through all the hassle of installing steam to install games to play. Maybe you just want to pop them in and go. Or maybe, which is the most likely case, maybe you don't have a PC and are reading this at work or at the university, or maybe your PC isn't strong enough. Maybe you want a game console. Which one should you get?

No doubt you will hear millions of people shout the virtues of the PS 4 and the X Box One from the rooftops, with an occasional person saying the Wii U is great (it is). But if you're really new to gaming, then you actually want to go with a last gen console.

Yes, if you're new to gaming, you're better off getting a PS 3 or an X Box 360. The PS 3 is a better choice. Let me tell you why.

At this point in time, a PS 4 will run you 400$, while an X Box One (from here on called the X-1) will set you back 500$. This doesn't include any games, and each game will set you back a cool 50$ - 60$. Instead, get a PS 3 bundle for 250$. Depending on your local game store, you will be able to find a PS 3 bundle that has Grand Theft Auto V, The Last of Us and Batman: Arkham Origins (I recommend this one), Gran Turismo 5, or a host of other games included. So, for half the price of an 8th generation gaming console you can get a 7th generation gaming console with a game.

Now, you will no doubt hear people say it's old tech and that the new hardware is better, and that's certainly true. However, this doesn't mean that 7th gen games are inferior. Indeed, they look a bit less impressive than their 8th gen counterparts, but as of right now the difference isn't that impressive. More importantly, while it's true that from sometime this summer moving forward games will be released on the new consoles, the 7th gen has plenty of amazing titles to give. In fact, I'm not sure that games in the 8th gen will measure up to the greatest of the 7th gen in any way but visuals.

So, you decided to buy the PS 3 Last of Us / Batman bundle. What do you do with the other 250$ left over from what would have been the purchase of a gameless console? First, you want to join PS+, which will give you an instant library of games. For the fee of the yearly membership, 85$, you will get access to all the features and discounts and a new library which right now includes Bioshock Infinite, DMC, Borderlands 2, Resogun, DYAD, Binary Domain, Drake's Uncharted 3, X Com Enemy Unknown, Little Big Planet Karting, ibb obb, Poker Night, and the most amazing HD Remakes of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, with Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons joining the lineup soon. Next, go to Amazon and buy the three Mass Effect titles, which will run you a whopping 5$ each on average used. Then buy the first two Bioshock titles which together should set you back some105$. Next, buy 25$ worth of Assassin's Creed games, the first Uncharted titles (about 10$), Far Cry 3 (about 10$), and Tomb Raider (10$).

If you feel in the mood for some good RPG fun, you can try Ni No Kuni (15$), Skyrim (10$, but don't get the legendary version as it freezes too much), the Fallout titles (10$ each), or some NIS America titles (15$ on average, avoid Time and Eternity). If you want to give sports games a try, get the ones from last year. They're just like the ones from this year but with last year's roster. They will run you for about 2$ each. Fighting games including the Street Fighter, Tekken, and Blazblue titles will run you for about 10$ each, while every Call of Duty game that's not the latest one will cost you about 5$. They're just like the new one minus the dog.

You can mix and match from that list until it adds up to 250$, and in the end, for the same 500$ that you would have spent on a current gen console you will instead have a last gen console with an amazing catalog. I know, I know, old tech and whatever. Say what you will. The truth is that the catalog of the current generation, with the consoles being so new, is lackluster, and with the announcements they have made so far they will continue to be for a t least another year or two.

Of course, if you have the money and the patience to wait for better games to be released and you want bragging rights you can go for the PS 4. But if you're like most of us, just get a PS 3.

I should note that I think the 360 has some great games that the PS 3 is missing, like Lost Odyssey and Tales of Vesperia, but PS + is much too superior to the X Box Live to give up its benefits for a few exclusives, awesome as they are (Lost Odyssey is my favorite game of the 7th gen).