A gamer talks about Windows

Chris is an equal-opportunity gamer—he plays what he likes, regardless of platform. Still, he has a special fondness for PC gaming, partly because of its supportive communities, partly because he likes the way Microsoft reaches out to customers for help improving its products. He also enjoys the human connections that come with PC gaming’s broad appeal. "My mother might not be shooting people in Counterstrike nightly, but I can get her to play Tetris for the first time," he says. "As cheesy as it sounds, we now have a common experience."

Another advantage to PC gaming is that so many people already have computers running Windows, so there’s no need to invest in more hardware (though, of course, that's an occupational hazard for Chris). "Windows is the de facto standard for the business world," says Chris. "And if you're using a PC anyway at work or home, Windows games are the standard too."

For Chris, though, gaming on a PC is about a lot more than convenience. He has owned just about every gaming platform out there and currently games on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 consoles, and mobile devices in addition to his PC. He favors indie games, and is a big fan of all the games from Blizzard Entertainment. His all-time favorite is a PC game: Blizzard's World of Warcraft. "There's this idea right now that the console is where it's at," Chris explains. "Don't get me wrong—I love my consoles. Xbox now has video chat, which is awesome. But you've been able to do that on a PC for years." With a game like WoW, that quick communication is what propels the action.

Chris is also quick to point out that when you’re gaming on a PC, you can multitask: check your email, IM, or even video chat mid-game. And the PC is ideal for multiscreen gaming experiences.

PC gamers like to say that Windows XP was better for gaming than Windows Vista: you could tweak and overclock it to your heart's content, and although Windows Vista featured a new version of DirectX for improved graphics, there were some weird memory issues.

But according to Chris, Windows 7 was—well, a game-changer. "Windows 7 is great," he says. "It's streamlined, so games run faster. It really seems like Microsoft was listening to everyone, including gamers, to make it better."

One thing Chris really appreciates is that he can play older games on his new PCs running Windows 7. "I've played games that are three to five years old," he says. "I don't have to fiddle and fumble with settings to make it work." For Chris, that alone dispels the claim that Windows is too expensive as a gaming system. "I have a whole binder full of games that I can install and run just fine. In fact, many work better on Windows 7 than they did on Windows Vista or Windows XP."

If you play solitaire on your PC, Farmtown on Facebook, or Bejeweled on your phone, then you're already a gamer. Chris insists that gaming is not about getting the latest gear or the most current game. "We game because it's fun. It's better than paying bills or shoveling snow," he says. "You don't need to buy the latest and greatest."

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