Will there be less and less PC games?

[Nemeo]

Hi,

I was trying to find a way of playing Titan Quest with a xbox 360 controller (yes, it works and it's great for my back not to be crouched over my keyboard for change) and realized that Iron lore, its creators, had to close due to lack of funds.

It's a nice game and I didn't know what could have ruined them. Then I read a post of its director, talking about their misfortune and about piracy. He was talking about a report saying that Bioshock was selling 5 to 1 on console vs. PC, and Call of Duty 4 was selling 10 to 1.

He was talking about stuff which were more specific to Titan Quest but I had to admit that I agreed with any point he made.

With that kind of difference between PC and console sales, how can anyone say that PC games aren't threatened? If I was a publisher I would simply say goodbye to pc development. You have to work twice to have it work on most hardware and then 80% of people just crack it (and if you don't patch it quick you have two thousands kids a week *****ing about how you code with your feet). No need to be Einstein to figure that out.

My first video games were console games. Then I switched to PC. Yeah, modding is fun, programming is nice and all. But console games are so easier to play. You don't have to keep your hardware up to date during 3 years, you have rumble controller (yeah that counts), you can even play coop. Don't tell me console games are bull****, M&B could have been ported, I see nothing against it. FPS are great. Even some RTS did some decent job. Turn based games work a treat. My next upgrade is not going to be a graphic card or else, it's going to be a next-gen console.

The only reason I see one could possibly argue against console games, is that one uses piracy. And you? What's your point of view?

here is a link to a topic with Micheal Fitch's post about iron lore's close of business. http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=658304

 

[Redcoat-Mic]

The death of PC gaming has been sounded many times.

 

[Balduran]

What's your point of view?

My point of view is that i will never switch to a faggy console, i hate them!

 

[EasyCo506]

Didn't we already have a thread just like this? Or am I thinking about one of the many I've already read? Hmm...

PC gaming is dying? That's pretty funny. 

 

[Nemeo]

I wouldn't say dying (MMO anyone?). But it's definitely going to change.

 

[mrcrotch]

If anything consoles are heading in the PC direction 

 

[Redcoat-Mic]

I wouldn't say dying (MMO anyone?). But it's definitely going to change.

Err... Good?!

 

[Archonsod]

It's a nice game and I didn't know what could have ruined them.

The fact that the game was an identical clone of a format which is already over saturated, was given mediocre reviews and offered nothing new over any other Diablo clone? It was pretty obvious when they announced Titan Quest that it wasn't going to sell.

With that kind of difference between PC and console sales, how can anyone say that PC games aren't threatened?

Action games have always sold higher on the consoles. Bioshock and Call of Duty 4 combined haven't outsold Civ 4, the biggest selling game of all time is a PC game, and the game which has pulled in the highest revenue since launch is exclusively available on PC.

You have to work twice to have it work on most hardware

You literally have to work twice to get it on a console in the first place Publishers don't try and make it work on most hardware, they aim for a range of common hardware configurations and then patch if there's sufficient demand afterwards.

The only reason I see one could possibly argue against console games, is that one uses piracy.

Most are aimed for the half hour - hour a time play crowd, most console games lack depth to begin with and the multiplayer capabilities are rudimentary at best. Consoles are just as prone to piracy as the PC too.

 

[phbbbt107]

I don't see the big deal. So what if a small-time developer goes out of business? It happens all the time. Worse has happened to the PC games industry (Interplay, Black Isle, etc.) before, but we're still around.

 

[Sir Prince]

I notice that people will buy a game for console if they have that console becauseof one or more of a few reasons;

A) They need more games to paly on the console.
B) Justify buying the console.
C) Having bought a console, for some reason they cannot spend the money to upgrade their computer, possibly they would have to buy a whole new comptuer.

 

[Cymro]

You don't have to keep your hardware up to date during 3 years

Exept when the next version of the console comes out. If you have the SuperMegabox, and the GigaMegabox comes out, development on the SuperMegabox will dry up, leaving you with games that will stagnate. On PC, you will still be able to play new games, just with lower settings. Or, play indie games on the hardware you have at the moment.

 

[M@ster-$]

Damn, less PC games?

No, thank you. Console game are HORRIFIC expensive here. Plus, I tried to play TPS on consoles... Pathetic

There is piracy for consoles too, so it's not an excuse.

You don't have to keep your hardware up to date during 3 years, you have rumble controller (yeah that counts), you can even play coop.

Yes...

M&B could have been ported

It won't be good. No downloading, no mods, bad gamepad control...

FPS are great. Even some RTS did some decent job. Turn based games work a treat.

Nah, nah and nah... PC FTW.

P.S: Iron Lore is dead? No big deal

 

[Sulibres]

...Consoles are just as prone to piracy as the PC too.

No kidding. Just head over to Thailand and Malaysia, enter one of the well known bootleg malls and you'll discover that pirated console games outnumber pirated PC games.

 

[Vovolov]

...Consoles are just as prone to piracy as the PC too.

No kidding. Just head over to Thailand and Malaysia, enter one of the well known bootleg malls and you'll discover that pirated console games outnumber pirated PC games.

I haven't seen it for myself, but a friend of mine told me all about it.

 

[Worbah]

M&B could have been ported

It won't be good. No downloading, no mods, bad gamepad control...

Can't speak for the other consoles, but my 360 automatically updates the games you play. And you can download new **** too. The true problem is that most of it isn't user created, and it often costs money. As for the bad gamepad control, it's all a question of getting used to it. I know people who are much more used to gamepads than keyboard+mouse.

I notice that people will buy a game for console if they have that console becauseof one or more of a few reasons;

A) They need more games to paly on the console.
B) Justify buying the console.
C) Having bought a console, for some reason they cannot spend the money to upgrade their computer, possibly they would have to buy a whole new comptuer.

True for some, horse**** for others. There's a plethora of games out there that I'd rather play on the 360 than my PC.

And as far as piracy goes, you needn't go that far, as long as you've the internets.

 

[Nemeo]

Titan quest was not the game of teh century but it was a good update of diablo 2 with a nice setting. I've never played an arpg with such a setting. The 3D is very nice with sharp models. Gameplay was not totally cloned, the fact you could pick up two classes was quite new to me even if many powers were clone of themselves.

I don't see what you guys have against TQ and Iron Lore. Of course it's a clone, but it's not the first one nor the last one and it's far far from being the worst one. When blizzard clone their warcraft 2, they are genius, when Iron Lore clone Diablo 2 (with a different setting), they are dirty whores. It seems unfair. Iron Lore gave great support to their baby, more than any other medieval total war with their stupid 2 patch theory, or EA with their one patch one year after release theory. How could you say "No big deal" when Iron Lore closes, as if Davilex was running out of business?

After Diablo 2 I really felt a need for a new game of this genre a failed to find one. Name just one, maybe I searched in the wrong direction.


The piracy issue is a money issue. Here in Europe, piracy is more of a PC thing since cops actually do what they are paid for. Console piracy requires more hardware, which is difficult to sell here. But since they don't have a grip over the internet (yet), PC games are much more likely to get pirated.

Moreover if you still argue that pirating a console is as easy as a PC game, I could argue that then you could easily put in mods or make homebrew software too.

Buying A console device is still 1/4 the price of a PC of the same power where I live. The issue is game prices, but all you have to do is to wait for the prices to go down. That's what I do. When a game is released, I just wait 3 or 4 month to enjoy it at a low price. And Cymro, all you have to do is not to buy a console when its dying. We already know when the next one will come.

"You literally have to work twice to get it on a console in the first place Publishers don't try and make it work on most hardware, they aim for a range of common hardware configurations and then patch if there's sufficient demand afterwards."

This I have to disagree. Developping for the xbox 360 is as easy as developping for a PC, except that you only have one hardware to support. No one is going to ***** about his quad core not being supported or sli not working properly or whatever crap people are buying.


I think we shouldn't talk about the controller issue. This debate is senseless until you really tried one hard enough with a good game. All you have to do is to get used to it, really. A mouse and a keyboard have never been meant to play, and it's only a matter of time before you get all the benefit of a gamepad. (first time I played Halo I thought "wtf is this ****, no way you can play with that pad. After 2 hours of cerebral and hands work the xbox and the game were in my cart.)

 

[Sir Prince]

So if I bought Titan Quest now, where would the money go?

 

[Nemeo]

THQ I guess.

 

[Dain Ironfoot]

Console controller? Ugh.

 

[M@ster-$]

When blizzard clone their warcraft 2

The interesting thing is, the first Warcraft was a clone of Westwood's Dune II. Direct clone, I might say.

After Diablo 2 I really felt a need for a new game of this genre a failed to find one. Name just one, maybe I searched in the wrong direction.

The first not bad Diablo-clone was Sacred. Sacred 2 is coming up soon.

Console piracy requires more hardware, which is difficult to sell here.

Console pirate games can be made in other places and then brought to yours. Usual thing.