Consoles hold back the PC? Think again.

There is a lot of talk how consoles are the "bottleneck" preventing the PC from excelling. But is that really so?

The truth is that many graphically demanding PC games do not sell as good on the PC as on the consoles.

For example Crysis cost millions to make but sold a lot less than it could if it were multiplatform. On the other hand, Halo 3 on the Xbox 360 sold more than 8 million copies.

Games like Modern Warfare 2 sell excellent on the consoles too, so it's logical that devs of these games focus more on the console versions.

Furthermore, games like Gears of War were said to sell poor on the PC, which may explain why no more Gears of War games for the PC.

Bottom line is: the consoles don't hold back the PC, but there is more profit on the consoles for a lot of action-oriented games so many devs and publishers rather focus on them.

how about letting ur other anti PC thread die then coming back to this one...

There is a lot of talk how consoles are the "bottleneck" preventing the PC from excelling. But is that really so?

The truth is that many graphically demanding PC games do not sell as good on the PC as on the consoles.

For example Crysis cost millions to make but sold only about a million and a half, which is nothing compared to Halo 3 sales on the Xbox 360 (more than 8 million copies sold).

Games like Modern Warfare 2 sell excellent on the consoles too, so it's logical that devs of these games focus more on the console versions.

Furthermore, games like Gears of War flopped on the PC sales-wise, which explains why no more Gears of War games for the PC.

Bottom line is: the consoles don't hold back the PC, but there is more profit on the consoles for a lot of action-oriented games so many devs and publishers rather focus on them.

nameless12345

Do you have links to some of your points, such as; Crysis selling only a mil and a half and Gears of War PC sales?

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

There is a lot of talk how consoles are the "bottleneck" preventing the PC from excelling. But is that really so?

The truth is that many graphically demanding PC games do not sell as good on the PC as on the consoles.

For example Crysis cost millions to make but sold only about a million and a half, which is nothing compared to Halo 3 sales on the Xbox 360 (more than 8 million copies sold).

Games like Modern Warfare 2 sell excellent on the consoles too, so it's logical that devs of these games focus more on the console versions.

Furthermore, games like Gears of War flopped on the PC sales-wise, which explains why no more Gears of War games for the PC.

Bottom line is: the consoles don't hold back the PC, but there is more profit on the consoles for a lot of action-oriented games so many devs and publishers rather focus on them.

Mystic-G

Maybe not but the relatively low sales of the original explain why it went multiplatform.

Do you have links to some of your points, such as; Crysis selling only a mil and a half and Gears of War PC sales?

lundy86_4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_PC_video_games

I have heard Gears sold poor on the PC.

how about letting ur other anti PC thread die then coming back to this one...

painguy1

From where the idea I'm anti-PC? I'm just pointing out what people like to overlook ;)

[QUOTE="painguy1"]

how about letting ur other anti PC thread die then coming back to this one...

nameless12345

From where the idea I'm anti-PC? I'm just pointing out what people like to overlook ;)

You're pointing out nothing and overexaggerating everything. :|

[QUOTE="lundy86_4"]

Do you have links to some of your points, such as; Crysis selling only a mil and a half and Gears of War PC sales?

nameless12345

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_PC_video_games

I have heard Gears sold poor on the PC.

The cited article for the sales was from 2008 :?

Since when does hearing something equate to fact? Hearsay is often distorted, a la Chinese Whispers. I'm not saying it sold fantastically well, just try backing points up.

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

[QUOTE="lundy86_4"]

Do you have links to some of your points, such as; Crysis selling only a mil and a half and Gears of War PC sales?

lundy86_4

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_PC_video_games

I have heard Gears sold poor on the PC.

Since when does hearing something equate to fact? Hearsay is often distorted, a la Chinese Whispers. I'm not saying it sold fantastically well, just try backing points up.

Well Epic themselves said so.

[QUOTE="lundy86_4"]

Do you have links to some of your points, such as; Crysis selling only a mil and a half and Gears of War PC sales?

nameless12345

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_PC_video_games

I have heard Gears sold poor on the PC.

Well Epic themselves said so.

nameless12345

A link would be nice. Also, you may wish to retract your statement regarding Crysis. Your assumption is based on faulty research.

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

Well Epic themselves said so.

lundy86_4

A link would be nice. Also, you may wish to retract your statement regarding Crysis. Your assumption is based on faulty research.

I can't find any source on Google that shows how much Gears of War sold on PC. All I found is CliffyB whining like a little girl about how anyone who has a computer that can run Gears PC also knows what bit torrent is and therefor pirates all their games. He also seemed to claim that before Gears PC dedicated video cards didnt exist and all we had were bad integrated ones.

There is a lot of talk how consoles are the "bottleneck" preventing the PC from excelling. But is that really so?

The truth is that many graphically demanding PC games do not sell as good on the PC as on the consoles.

For example Crysis cost millions to make but sold only about a million and a half, which is nothing compared to Halo 3 sales on the Xbox 360 (more than 8 million copies sold).

Games like Modern Warfare 2 sell excellent on the consoles too, so it's logical that devs of these games focus more on the console versions.

Furthermore, games like Gears of War flopped on the PC sales-wise, which explains why no more Gears of War games for the PC.

Bottom line is: the consoles don't hold back the PC, but there is more profit on the consoles for a lot of action-oriented games so many devs and publishers rather focus on them.

nameless12345

Proof?

Last I heard, it was at 3.5 million units sold.

Also your post about PC games not selling as well does not prove your point of consoles NOT holding back PC. it's a well known fact that consoles do hold back PC gamesocstew

Aren't then the devs guilty of "holding back" the PC rather than the consoles themselves? After all, nothing prevents the devs from making the PC versions a league above the console ones.

[QUOTE="lundy86_4"]

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

Well Epic themselves said so.

ChubbyGuy40

A link would be nice. Also, you may wish to retract your statement regarding Crysis. Your assumption is based on faulty research.

I can't find any source on Google that shows how much Gears of War sold on PC. All I found is CliffyB whining like a little girl about how anyone who has a computer that can run Gears PC also knows what bit torrent is and therefor pirates all their games. He also seemed to claim that before Gears PC dedicated video cards didnt exist and all we had were bad integrated ones.

CliffyB is also a tool, IMO.

Consoles are not holding back PCs.

PCs should be on their own little world.

A Game developer releases a game that's also on consoles and it turns out to be worse than the console versions. BIG WOOP! There'll be a Modded version of the game that will make the game better than the Console versions automatically because that Mod probably adds more weapons or gadgets, makes the graphics seem more real and fixes the stuff that made the PC version worse than the Console version.

[QUOTE="ocstew"]Also your post about PC games not selling as well does not prove your point of consoles NOT holding back PC. it's a well known fact that consoles do hold back PC gamesnameless12345

Aren't then the devs guilty of "holding back" the PC rather than the consoles themselves? After all, nothing prevents the devs from making the PC versions a league above the console ones.

Also, that Crysis 1.5 million stat is several years old, does not include either the maximum edition sales stats, or Warhead. Not that warhead should count, but im sure that that should add a couple hundred thousand in sales. Iantheone

Considering warhead is more of a game than say your average call of duty, I think it should count.

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

[QUOTE="ocstew"]Also your post about PC games not selling as well does not prove your point of consoles NOT holding back PC. it's a well known fact that consoles do hold back PC gamesocstew

Aren't then the devs guilty of "holding back" the PC rather than the consoles themselves? After all, nothing prevents the devs from making the PC versions a league above the console ones.

But why should they bother with the PC version that much if they can make the game mainly for consoles and sell way more?

Even if some devs would like to develop more for the PC (don't see how better graphics make better games, though), it's the publishers who make the final decisions. And for them consoles mean more money.

[QUOTE="ocstew"]

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

Aren't then the devs guilty of "holding back" the PC rather than the consoles themselves? After all, nothing prevents the devs from making the PC versions a league above the console ones.

nameless12345

But why should they bother with the PC version that much if they can make the game mainly for consoles and sell way more?

Even if some devs would like to develop more for the PC (don't see how better graphics make better games, though), it's the publishers who make the final decisions. And for them consoles mean more money.

[QUOTE="ocstew"]

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

Aren't then the devs guilty of "holding back" the PC rather than the consoles themselves? After all, nothing prevents the devs from making the PC versions a league above the console ones.

nameless12345

But why should they bother with the PC version that much if they can make the game mainly for consoles and sell way more?

Even if some devs would like to develop more for the PC (don't see how better graphics make better games, though), it's the publishers who make the final decisions. And for them consoles mean more money.

[QUOTE="gamebreakerz__"][QUOTE="badtaker"]what are the metro,Alan Wake,enslaved,Vanquish...... sales for consoles ?? Did they beat crysis sales wisebadtaker

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

[QUOTE="ocstew"] If devs made separate versions they would make much less money. So think about it this way, it's not PC sales holding the devs ambitions back, its the fact that they have to cater for all 3 platforms and it's easier to make one version for all three rather than a much better version for the PC.

DragonfireXZ95

But why should they bother with the PC version that much if they can make the game mainly for consoles and sell way more?

Even if some devs would like to develop more for the PC (don't see how better graphics make better games, though), it's the publishers who make the final decisions. And for them consoles mean more money.

What does this have to do with the post you're quoting?

Even if it sold more than that I'm pretty sure it was a lot less than Halo 3 sold on the Xbox 360.

[QUOTE="DragonfireXZ95"]

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

But why should they bother with the PC version that much if they can make the game mainly for consoles and sell way more?

Even if some devs would like to develop more for the PC (don't see how better graphics make better games, though), it's the publishers who make the final decisions. And for them consoles mean more money.

nameless12345

What does this have to do with the post you're quoting?

Even if it sold more than that I'm pretty sure it was a lot less than Halo 3 sold on the Xbox 360.

I asked you the question before. You skipped over it. And I knew it. You have no idea how many units Crysis sold.

So why did you make this thread again and lie in the OP?

[QUOTE="DragonfireXZ95"]

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

But why should they bother with the PC version that much if they can make the game mainly for consoles and sell way more?

Even if some devs would like to develop more for the PC (don't see how better graphics make better games, though), it's the publishers who make the final decisions. And for them consoles mean more money.

nameless12345

What does this have to do with the post you're quoting?

Even if it sold more than that I'm pretty sure it was a lot less than Halo 3 sold on the Xbox 360.

Giving Halo as an example doesn´t mean much,most console games don´t reach that 1.5 mark.

Also,I was under the Impression that Crysis had sol 3 million.

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

[QUOTE="DragonfireXZ95"] You don't have any credit until you find a 2010 legit source that says Crysis only sold 1.5 million units.

DragonfireXZ95

What does this have to do with the post you're quoting?

Even if it sold more than that I'm pretty sure it was a lot less than Halo 3 sold on the Xbox 360.

I asked you the question before. You skipped over it. And I knew it. You have no idea how many units Crysis sold.

So why did you make this thread again and lie in the OP?

I pasted the source (Wikipedia). If they publish outdated sales numbers, that's not my concern.

I pasted the source (Wikipedia). If they publish outdated sales numbers, that's not my concern.

nameless12345

Then simply retract that point, as it's been shown as inaccurate and misleading.

[QUOTE="DragonfireXZ95"]

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

But why should they bother with the PC version that much if they can make the game mainly for consoles and sell way more?

Even if some devs would like to develop more for the PC (don't see how better graphics make better games, though), it's the publishers who make the final decisions. And for them consoles mean more money.

nameless12345

What does this have to do with the post you're quoting?

Even if it sold more than that I'm pretty sure it was a lot less than Halo 3 sold on the Xbox 360.

and Halo 3 sales are still less tham Sims :P

Your Link

[QUOTE="DragonfireXZ95"]

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

What does this have to do with the post you're quoting?

Even if it sold more than that I'm pretty sure it was a lot less than Halo 3 sold on the Xbox 360.

nameless12345

I asked you the question before. You skipped over it. And I knew it. You have no idea how many units Crysis sold.

So why did you make this thread again and lie in the OP?

I pasted the source (Wikipedia). If they publish outdated sales numbers, that's not my concern.

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

[QUOTE="DragonfireXZ95"] You don't have any credit until you find a 2010 legit source that says Crysis only sold 1.5 million units.

Arach666

What does this have to do with the post you're quoting?

Even if it sold more than that I'm pretty sure it was a lot less than Halo 3 sold on the Xbox 360.

Giving Halo as an example doesn´t mean much,most console games don´t reach that 1.5 mark.

Also,I was under the Impression that Crysis had sol 3 million.

Actually Killzone 2 was said to sell pretty mediocre. Guerilla are Sony's exclusive devs so yeah :P

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

[QUOTE="DragonfireXZ95"]

I asked you the question before. You skipped over it. And I knew it. You have no idea how many units Crysis sold.

So why did you make this thread again and lie in the OP?

DragonfireXZ95

I pasted the source (Wikipedia). If they publish outdated sales numbers, that's not my concern.

I don't know the exact Crysis sales, but that was not the point in the first place. The point was, that the game sold less than it could if it were for consoles too.

[QUOTE="DragonfireXZ95"]

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

But why should they bother with the PC version that much if they can make the game mainly for consoles and sell way more?

Even if some devs would like to develop more for the PC (don't see how better graphics make better games, though), it's the publishers who make the final decisions. And for them consoles mean more money.

nameless12345

What does this have to do with the post you're quoting?

Even if it sold more than that I'm pretty sure it was a lot less than Halo 3 sold on the Xbox 360.

Regardless of how well a game sells on PC the vast majority of devs will make a console, there is no reason for them not to. Which is fine. The more gamers that get to experience a game the better imo. Devs are simply getting away with taking short cuts, and we the consumer aren't making them pay for it.

We are the problem, not the hardware.

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

[QUOTE="DragonfireXZ95"] You don't have any credit until you find a 2010 legit source that says Crysis only sold 1.5 million units.

badtaker

What does this have to do with the post you're quoting?

Even if it sold more than that I'm pretty sure it was a lot less than Halo 3 sold on the Xbox 360.

and Halo 3 sales are still less tham Sims :P

Your Link

Yes, The Sims are a graphically very undemanding game.

There is a lot of talk how consoles are the "bottleneck" preventing the PC from excelling. But is that really so?

The truth is that many graphically demanding PC games do not sell as good on the PC as on the consoles.

For example Crysis cost millions to make but sold only about a million and a half, which is nothing compared to Halo 3 sales on the Xbox 360 (more than 8 million copies sold).

Games like Modern Warfare 2 sell excellent on the consoles too, so it's logical that devs of these games focus more on the console versions.

Furthermore, games like Gears of War flopped on the PC sales-wise, which explains why no more Gears of War games for the PC.

Bottom line is: the consoles don't hold back the PC, but there is more profit on the consoles for a lot of action-oriented games so many devs and publishers rather focus on them.

nameless12345

I believe you are missing the point regarding the whole idea of consoles holding back the PC. The claim is that multi plat games tend to be build based on the lowest common denominator. This means that all platforms end up getting a game experience limited by the weakest platform. It's not just a matter of graphics even if it's the most obvious example. It also limits the core game play because of the different control types. It limits the content because consoles are far more limited when it comes to how many objects and actors you can use at any one time. Consoles tend to limit the scale and scope of the world or at least force the developers to make sacrifices and force limitations on the game play that wouldn't have been necessary on a mid range PC.

Now you are *almost* correct in that this is simply due to consoles selling better. However again you miss the point. It's not that consoles always sell better, it's that X360+PS3+PC sells better than just PC. The same is true for console games, console games on X360 and PS3 usually sell better than just X360 or PS3. This in turn means that third party developers design their games to work with both the PC, X360 and the PS3. An example is that even though the PS3 has a much large amount of storage available due to the blue-ray, most multi-plats are designed around the DVD limitations. This can affect both graphics, sounds and game play design decisions. In that sense, the X360 is 'holding back' the PS3.

While halo certainly sold well, so did plenty of PC games. Just like Alan Wake didn't sell well, neither did plenty of PC games. Almost all major third part developers are moving towards developing for multiple platforms simple because you can boost your profits by a large amount. This *does* result in limitations in both game design and graphics of the game in question since it has to be build to work on all platforms. However, at the end of the day developers exist to make a profit, not to help one side or another win 'system wars'.

[QUOTE="badtaker"]

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

What does this have to do with the post you're quoting?

Even if it sold more than that I'm pretty sure it was a lot less than Halo 3 sold on the Xbox 360.

nameless12345

and Halo 3 sales are still less tham Sims :P

Your Link

Yes, The Sims are a graphically very undemanding game.

[QUOTE="DragonfireXZ95"][QUOTE="nameless12345"]

I pasted the source (Wikipedia). If they publish outdated sales numbers, that's not my concern.

nameless12345

I don't know the exact Crysis sales, but that was not the point in the first place. The point was, that the game sold less than it could if it were for consoles too.

I've edited my original post and it now doesn't involve any specific Crysis sales numbers.

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

[QUOTE="badtaker"]

and Halo 3 sales are still less tham Sims :P

Your Link

spookykid143

Yes, The Sims are a graphically very undemanding game.

The point is that more people can play it due to undemanding graphics.

[QUOTE="badtaker"]

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

What does this have to do with the post you're quoting?

Even if it sold more than that I'm pretty sure it was a lot less than Halo 3 sold on the Xbox 360.

nameless12345

and Halo 3 sales are still less tham Sims :P

Your Link

Yes, The Sims are a graphically very undemanding game.