The state of PC gaming
Not all is well in the world of PC gaming. There has developed a tension between PC gamers and the game Dev's. There is a definite preference being shown to the console versions of any cross platform game. PC variants being releast in almost unplayable states. Often late and some times not at all. Sometimes missing large and obvious features. They are often full of bugs, glitches and errors. We in the PC community have witnessed a trend towards the PC gaming platform being treated as a second class citizen.
In a resent discussion on the fpsadmin sites forum about the announcement that BF:1943 was going to be delayed, I made this post. I feel it is worthy of re-posting here.
I'm not sure I know the answer. There has always been an uneasy relationship between the PC and console gaming. First the PC led the way, undisputed king of the hill. The consoles coming on strong but the PC could always hold it head above the fray.
If there was a low blow it was when the PC's champion, it's strongest advocate Microsoft, entered the console market. To make things worse MS made it console based on the a striped out PC. This means that Dev's can make a game for the MS console and easily make it run on the PC. Not to our liking but it will run, it's where the term "cheap console port" comes from.
Then Microsoft did what it's best at, turning it's product in to a cash cow. It worked out how to monetize the playing of games not just the purchasing of them. The trick if there is one is to get the player in the habit of spending money. Lots of small, repeatable payments. To rub salt in to the wound they still get their customers to shell out big bucks when they buy into a new game. One they will be then charged to play and charged for small extras.
What gets me is they are often just copying things that have been developed by the PC community. Online multiplayer, clans, forums chatrooms and voice coms. Things we have been doing for ourselves for years. They have seen how much fun we are having and said that is the model we must try to achieve, but we must be in control! so we can charge real money.
So, may be it's not consoles we should be unhappy with it's just Microsoft. They have sold us PC gamers down the river. The game Dev's just follow the money, MS has developed a cash cow. If we are having it bad in the PC community how is Sony's PS3 going? On more than one occasion I have heard PS3 players complains that they don't get the games and when they do they are not as good. Not as good as they could be for the PS3 given what it's capable of.
So if you must have a console please buy a Sony PS3.
In a resent discussion on the fpsadmin sites forum about the announcement that BF:1943 was going to be delayed, I made this post. I feel it is worthy of re-posting here.
I'm not sure I know the answer. There has always been an uneasy relationship between the PC and console gaming. First the PC led the way, undisputed king of the hill. The consoles coming on strong but the PC could always hold it head above the fray.
If there was a low blow it was when the PC's champion, it's strongest advocate Microsoft, entered the console market. To make things worse MS made it console based on the a striped out PC. This means that Dev's can make a game for the MS console and easily make it run on the PC. Not to our liking but it will run, it's where the term "cheap console port" comes from.
Then Microsoft did what it's best at, turning it's product in to a cash cow. It worked out how to monetize the playing of games not just the purchasing of them. The trick if there is one is to get the player in the habit of spending money. Lots of small, repeatable payments. To rub salt in to the wound they still get their customers to shell out big bucks when they buy into a new game. One they will be then charged to play and charged for small extras.
What gets me is they are often just copying things that have been developed by the PC community. Online multiplayer, clans, forums chatrooms and voice coms. Things we have been doing for ourselves for years. They have seen how much fun we are having and said that is the model we must try to achieve, but we must be in control! so we can charge real money.
So, may be it's not consoles we should be unhappy with it's just Microsoft. They have sold us PC gamers down the river. The game Dev's just follow the money, MS has developed a cash cow. If we are having it bad in the PC community how is Sony's PS3 going? On more than one occasion I have heard PS3 players complains that they don't get the games and when they do they are not as good. Not as good as they could be for the PS3 given what it's capable of.
So if you must have a console please buy a Sony PS3.
