It's not about PC vs. Console, it's about the $$$

(hozz) #21

[QUOTE=DarkangelUK;269919][B]Seems like a lot of effort for a miss-understanding of PC gamers concerns. It’s fully understandable the reason for catering to consoles, the part that confuses PC gamers is the half-assed approach to the PC version where it turns into a copy/paste of the console version when they’re clearly different platforms with different needs.

No one said “don’t develop for console”, they said give the PC the attention is requires.[/b][/QUOTE]

Quoted and bolded because that leaves nothing say.

(Ajax's Spear) #22

I don’t see why anyone would be confused about that, though. The more they have to alter to better fit a different and less popular port, the more time they have to spend, the more money they lose. It’s better than not getting a PC version at all, isn’t it?

(DarkangelUK) #23

Sales are sales, regardless of platform. Why piss off a platform and cause even less sales when it all it requires is a little more attention?

(Ajax's Spear) #24

Because you’re buying it anyway, and being the smallest market you’re the one they can get away with spending the least time catering to. I’m not even trying to be a dick. It’s not like it’s some market failure. That’s just the way it is.

(DarkangelUK) #25

They risk alienating a platform to a point where they could lose sales. They may buy it this time, but burning that platform potentially causes future lost sales for any new releases. If a company can risk losing even 100,000 sales and just not cater to PC, then they either have money to burn or they’re being funded by a publisher that can afford it. it’s such a simple concept that it can only be done on purpose.

(Ajax's Spear) #26

Look at it this way. If it costs more money to produce an entirely separate version that can take full advantage of the PC’s capabilities than it does to just port it over and risk losing a few customers, than which do you think they’re going to do?

Also take into account that not even all PC users have a great rig, so they’d still have to trim it down some to make sure that their PC customer base can meet the min. requirements.

(DarkangelUK) #27

The standard min system requirement these days are more powerful than a console, scalability should be a given to any engine created for 5 year old console hardware and not an excuse to not cater for it. There’s very little components needed to actually fulfill requirements for a PC version, it’s not like a whole new version of the game has to be created, ping display, server browser, bindable controls (for the most part, it’s created and probably tested on a PC to begin with anyway). Even 10,000 sales of a game could result in $300,000 of revenue if they charged $35 (rest for overheads) for the PC version… do you think it costs that much to implement the features?

I’m not denying that the most revenue is garnered from console sales, I just see absolutely not reason to burn bridges with another income source that clearly want games to play… and are willing to pay with hard cash if it meets the simplest of needs.

(Ajax's Spear) #28

I honestly have no idea, dude. But I do know that if it were cost effective, there’d be no reason not to. It’s silly to think that they’re trying to piss you off.

I’m not denying that the most revenue is garnered from console sales, I just see absolutely not reason to burn bridges with another income source that clearly want games to play… and are willing to pay with hard cash if it meets the simplest of needs.

Well, when either of these two things happen: the PC base grows to rival the size of the combined console base, or enough people start making their gripes heard with their wallets- then you’ll get your way. I mean it. If it pisses you off that bad, stop buying it. I’ve seen you personally dole out the same advice to the chumps that pay 10 bucks for 3 maps in a DLC package. You were right then, and I’m right now.

(DarkangelUK) #29

It’s the lack of trying that pisses us off :wink:

Well, when either of these two things happen: the PC base grows to rival the size of the combined console base, or enough people start making their gripes heard with their wallets- then you’ll get your way. I mean it. If it pisses you off that bad, stop buying it. I’ve seen you personally dole out the same advice to the chumps that pay 10 bucks for 3 maps in a DLC package. You were right then, and I’m right now.

I don’t, that’s why I’m grateful for demos and reviews… and barely ever buy a game on release day. Unfortunately it’s the masses that decide actions, and as you say, not enough people are voting with their wallets.

(LyndonL) #30

Why do people think that the pc version won’t have server browser and ping etc? Or am I getting a generalisation misinterpretted as directed at Brink?

(DarkangelUK) #31

This is more a general debate on games and platform rather than Brink specific.

(Bridger) #32

Public companies do not care about the future. Their investors demand a ROI next quarter. If you tell them that “yes well we may have spent a little more on the PC version than we needed to, but it will help us make money later” they will fire you and choose somebody else to get them their short term gains.

It’s a screwed up system :\

(DarkangelUK) #33

Well obviously it makes money now as well, word of mouth can damage a game if it doesn’t cater for certain needs. A perfect example is Bulletstorm… I know a few people (including myself) that haven’t bought it because of its severe lacking. This will also put me, and those who bought it, off the next PCF game. And sorry but that’s a load of crap if they don’t look at future releases as well… every retailer looks at long term revenue.

(Ajax's Spear) #34

I’m certain they do. They’re probably looking more at the customer base projections than anything else. It seems to me that companies that produce mainly console titles have been starting to get more involved with PC community.
PC has always had it’s exclusives, and so has console, but I’m sure you remember the days that even if a multi-platform game was made on the PC as well, it came out months if not years after the console port. They’ve at least stepped it up in that aspect.

I think you’ll start to see some of these problems solve themselves as technology starts to become more and more integrated. The lines are already starting to blur with Microsoft and the Xbox.

(RumRunner) #35

that is not necessarily true. you are giving people far too much credit in the common sense department.

for instance: at one period of time a relative of mine had bosses complaining to him about having too much inventory (this inventory was required to meet orders on time), so the inventory was cut back… this of course led to sales going down and shipping costs going up, leading to… you guessed it, the same people complaining that there wasn’t enough inventory to meet the demand in orders…

oddly enough when it comes to the people who look at and manage the money in large corporations they lack any sense of long term perspective and any semblance of common sense.

also those devs that focus more on the pc and then port to consoles… generally don’t have as much piracy as those who port to pc from consoles… why? because actually taking time to make a quality product gets customer loyalty. and in any long-term business, especially videogames, customer loyalty is invaluable.

(brbrbr) #36

in short: topicstarter PR-backup attempts for gamedev [forced]shift toward consoles developing/publishing is groundless and fail both commercially and technologically.
those who sold his souls never get it back. “no rest for wicked”[“consoles” game developers] ©

(Bridger) #37

This is not because they lack the sense of long term perspective. The problem is that their performance (bonus, not being fired, etc.) is judged by the accounting books of THIS quarter, not a future quarter. There’s a huge amount of pressure to cut unnecessary costs, to the point where they start sing necessary things as useless.

(DarkangelUK) #38

Any business case presented for funding also has to highlight future prospects as well, it’s not just a case of “give us money to make a game please” “ok”.

(Ajax's Spear) #39

I think some of you guys have been watching too many Michael Moore movies. Gaming developers and publishers are not American Banks.