Any pc gamers concerned with the way the PC games industry is going?

[bruce9241]

It seems like most of the PC games nowadays are all console ports (made specifically for consoles, x box, ps3, then transferred onto PC).

Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but with the lazy coding they do when transferring the game to PC, this can be a huge hassle. Some of the drawbacks of lazy console ports are: mouse/keyboard controls suck, graphics and frames per second is subpar due to bad programming, the game doesn't feel right, the controls have a split second stutter that can be maddening in action type games and more.

I'm pretty scared to buy PC games now. I've tried Grand theft auto 4 and it is atrocious! The game isn't supposed to be on PC and you can tell from the very beginning. Same with Wolfenstein. Infact the only two decent console ports I've played were Street fighter 4 and Resident Evil 5. Resident Evil 5 could have been a better port. They really could have improved the movement controls for mouse/keyboard.

 

[bakemeacookie]

It seems like most of the PC games nowadays are all console ports (made specifically for consoles, x box, ps3, then transferred onto PC).

Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but with the lazy coding they do when transferring the game to PC, this can be a huge hassle. Some of the drawbacks of lazy console ports are: mouse/keyboard controls suck, graphics and frames per second is subpar due to bad programming, the game doesn't feel right, the controls have a split second stutter that can be maddening in action type games and more.

I'm pretty scared to buy PC games now. I've tried Grand theft auto 4 and it is atrocious! The game isn't supposed to be on PC and you can tell from the very beginning. Same with Wolfenstein. Infact the only two decent console ports I've played were Street fighter 4 and Resident Evil 5. Resident Evil 5 could have been a better port. They really could have improved the movement controls for mouse/keyboard.

sure if your buying cheap arcade games on the pc. No money in pc arcade games. Most people buy strategy, mmorpg games like wow, everquest, civilization, etc. etc. Stick to consoles if u want to play arcade games with joysticks.

c

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

It seems like most of the PC games nowadays are all console ports (made specifically for consoles, x box, ps3, then transferred onto PC).

Normally this wouldn't be a big deal, but with the lazy coding they do when transferring the game to PC, this can be a huge hassle. Some of the drawbacks of lazy console ports are: mouse/keyboard controls suck, graphics and frames per second is subpar due to bad programming, the game doesn't feel right, the controls have a split second stutter that can be maddening in action type games and more.

I'm pretty scared to buy PC games now. I've tried Grand theft auto 4 and it is atrocious! The game isn't supposed to be on PC and you can tell from the very beginning. Same with Wolfenstein. Infact the only two decent console ports I've played were Street fighter 4 and Resident Evil 5. Resident Evil 5 could have been a better port. They really could have improved the movement controls for mouse/keyboard.

Blame Halo lol. This is my main beef with Microsoft; it's not entirely their fault but they sure as hell could do more to improve the situation. They're pumping billions into the Xbox brand and throwing chump change at Games for Windows. Also the main reason I want Sony to end up dominating again. Sony's game quality didn't deteriorate when they dominated the last two generations, while Microsoft is already slacking half way through this one. Microsoft could make PC gaming brilliant if they gave a damn, but instead their main focus is to "crush Sony" and give sloppy seconds to the market that made them.

Another factor is that game development is getting damn expensive. There are only a few (mostly European) devs left that are exclusive to PC. Like Razor said, MMORPG's and RTS's are what bring the most money in to PC gaming. PC exclusive FPS's are a thing of the past now too. Crytek, the company that made Crysis, is no longer PC-exclusive. The way things are going there will never be another game like Crysis. That fucker is still the most impressive looking game and will continue to be until the next consoles are out. Valve (Half Life) and ID (DOOM) also are multiplat from here on out. They will likely have good PC ports because they still at least care about the platform, but the distinction PC games used to have that separated them from the consoles is disappearing. It's foolish though for a company to shit out a half assed PC port of the latest games, because it only encourages piracy. No one wants to pay for a slapdash piece of shit, especially PC gamers whose hobby revolves around building their rigs to play the latest games.

I'd have little to no problem with this trend if there were separate teams for each studio each devoted to a platform, so none got the short end of the stick. If games are going to be cross-platform from now on, at least make sure each version is up to snuff. I'd be happy with that much.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

Just saw this trailer, pretty impressive what a talented developer can squeeze out of the consoles-

CryEngine 3 Video Game, Beauty Speed Interaction Trailer HD | Game Trailers & Videos | GameTrailers.com

 

[bakemeacookie]

btw: Develop games for Windows Vista+ (ahem) costs 3x as much. You thought vista was a pos, try developing high end stable games for it. You'[ll need as many c.s. reps as developers!

c

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

btw: Develop games for Windows Vista+ (ahem) costs 3x as much. You thought vista was a pos, try developing high end stable games for it. You'[ll need as many c.s. reps as developers!

c

What about Windows 7? Anyways yeah developing for PC can be more tedious when you take drivers/infinite hardware configs into consideration. It's worth the effort though!

 

[RottenWillow]

Most people buy strategy, mmorpg games like wow, everquest, civilization, etc. etc.

or mystery games. I LOVE those. All I ever play except a few old school arcade games.

 

[bakemeacookie]

What about Windows 7? Anyways yeah developing for PC can be more tedious when you take drivers/infinite hardware configs into consideration. It's worth the effort though!

The othe rproblem is - 75% of game developers train in college and at home to develop games on consoles. This is because it's easier, faster and the gaming industry is bigger.

It's hard to recruit pc developers - PC game developer jobs are always in demand. It's far more difficult, expensive in hardware and very frustrating to develop for games for microcrap's unstable o/s's. Plus companies have to hire way more customer service rep's cuz console games get no tech support calls, but pc games get a zillion.

Ever notice at any gamestop, the console games are always at the front, big placards, postrers. The pc games are the back. That's cuz they know what their money maker is.

c

 

[bruce9241]

I'm also playing Farcry 2 right now. I'm not sure what it was developed for specifically, but it runs fantastic on the PC. I didn't even know it was a cross platform game until I researched it.

I really hope games like Diablo 3, starcraft 2 and the red alert series type of games can really help the PC market with a boost. Those games I just listed just aren't the same on console systems. I remember trying to play Red Alert 1 on the playstation and it was horrendous. 640x480 resolution and lagged like hell.

Best port I've seen so far is probably Street Fighter 4. I have the game and it runs pretty flawlessly on the PC.

I believe one of the reasons most people don't and can't play PC games is because of hardware issues. Your average computer user who wants to enjoy some video games from time to time might not understand his hardware limits. If he were to purchase say Cryostasis and take it home and try to play it, it might not work on his Penitum 3, 256 meg ram machine. He can't return the game either because it's open.

What if the pc industry were to dumb things down a bit? By this I mean they start some sort of project that allows the average pc gamer to check to see if their system will run the game. I know they have the "System requirements" text on the game box, but that isn't enough. The average PC gamer can't read that shit. Maybe if they had a universal website that scanned the persons computer to check their spec and then tells them if they can run the game or not. Example: They go to the website, pick which game they're looking to buy, then allow the webserver to run a hardware scan of their system to determine how good they can run the game, or if they can even run it.

This sort of dumbing down might bring more casual gamers into the pc market. Because lets's face it, if a father buys a game for his child for Christmas, then the child isn't able to play it on the PC because their computer sucks, they're going to be pretty upset with pc games. They're going to be even more upset when they can't return an opened game. Console gaming doesn't have this issue since every game is the same. No room for customization and better graphics etc.

 

[hanselthecaretaker]

The othe rproblem is - 75% of game developers train in college and at home to develop games on consoles. This is because it's easier, faster and the gaming industry is bigger.

It's hard to recruit pc developers - PC game developer jobs are always in demand. It's far more difficult, expensive in hardware and very frustrating to develop for games for microcrap's unstable o/s's. Plus companies have to hire way more customer service rep's cuz console games get no tech support calls, but pc games get a zillion.

Ever notice at any gamestop, the console games are always at the front, big placards, postrers. The pc games are the back. That's cuz they know what their money maker is.

c

lol I hear ya loud and clear there. I can see why PC gamers are cynical sometimes. Go to PC forums and half the threads are for some technical issue. It's funny because I've really only had a couple games give me problems at all, and they were both based off dx8. Sound card issues often seem to be the sore thumb for PC gaming also. Usually a quick google search will give you an answer though.
I can see why a lot of developers are attracted to consoles, but to me the pros of PC gaming outweigh the cons by far. Microsoft could make PC gaming so much better than it is. I remember them saying a few years back at E3 that they were going to make PC gaming as simple as putting in the disc and being in the game. Where did that go lol.

I gotta hand it to efforts like Steam and D2D. Brick and mortar stores can have all the console games they want, no need to leave your monitor with digital delivery systems like these.