Dice's Patrick Bach; Focusing on the PC is the future.

Patrick Bach interview on BF3 and PC features

Good read :D

The problem is that of course two years later and the PC's ahead. Like today we're three years past since the PCs came on par with the consoles and now the PC's so much more powerful. So to us, focusing on the PC is focusing on the future. Scaling it back to the consoles? We know how to do that. We want to create the same experience on the consoles but that doesn't mean from a technology perspective you'll get the same full-on hardware experience because the PC has more RAM, more CPU, more GPU. You can't beat that, it's impossible. Scaling that down, dumbing that down for PCs - that's just sad.

Yes, there is a risk, of course there's always a risk. I think the biggest risk is that people get scared is because it's not the sane choice when it comes to economy. We are game developers and we don't really care about that. If we make a good game we think that someone will be able to sell it. If we want to play it then other people want to play it. So us doing this is not based on a sane monetary decision, it's actually based on us being desperate to move gaming forward and you can't do that by trying to mimic the last game, no matter if it's your own or if it's the competition.

Finally someone that is not saying we want the cod audience hurr durr but just makes a game for the sake of gaming.

I hate to say this about dice but, i would love to see the game first before all the nice things that are being said. Crytek did the same , saying that the pc was great and that the game on the pc and consoles were practially night and day and we know what really happened.

I hate to say this about dice but, i would love to see the game first before all the nice things that are being said. Crytek did the same , saying that the pc was great and that the game on the pc and consoles were practially night and day and we know what really happened.

soiheardyoulike

DICE is simply a hell more honest and pc-friendly dev. Comparing them to Crytek is simply unfair

I think their priorities are fudged up.G-O-M-J

Thats not smart... the average person has zero interest in pc gaming...(real pc gaming not the regular stuff)

I hate to say this about dice but, i would love to see the game first before all the nice things that are being said. Crytek did the same , saying that the pc was great and that the game on the pc and consoles were practially night and day and we know what really happened.

soiheardyoulike

You're kidding, right?

Crysis did no such thing.

They even REFUSED to show the full PC version running. They kept showing the PC version at "console settings" or the console version. They NEVER showed the full blow PC game.

It's like they were terrified that if the consolites they wanted to lick their %^& would be put off by seeing the PC version runnign at 1080p 60 FPS.

Or that they realized the actual technical details weren't far off and PC gamers would be dissapointed.

Not the same thing at all.

I hope they do what they say they do, the idea is sound ^^

Afterall PC gaming tends to go quite well, and the lack of royalties does wonders ^^

In the long run it is a good idea for the industry as a whole, instead of spending a few years getting to learn the new console hardware when it comes out, and getting console games like we did the first years of this gen.

overall it is a sound tactic, I do not agree on the SP part, Im not sure how well itll go, but atleast it seems like it is something they want to do.

Also seems quite logical to focus on the PC when theyre based in Europe, and Europe has ALOT more pc gamers then console gamers.

[QUOTE="soiheardyoulike"]

I hate to say this about dice but, i would love to see the game first before all the nice things that are being said. Crytek did the same , saying that the pc was great and that the game on the pc and consoles were practially night and day and we know what really happened.

AdrianWerner

DICE is simply a hell more honest and pc-friendly dev. Comparing them to Crytek is simply unfair

[QUOTE="fueled-system"]

Thats not smart... the average person has zero interest in pc gaming...(real pc gaming not the regular stuff)

Kinthalis

You feeling alittle butt-hurt, console fanboy?

So sad for you.

Dont assume things next time.

How did they put more effort into their games? Maybe I'm missing something, but if anything they seem the same.killab2oo5

Also...DICE never threatened to ban from EA account (making your whole game library useless, not just Crysis 2) if you attempt to mod their game.

[QUOTE="Kinthalis"]

[QUOTE="fueled-system"]

Thats not smart... the average person has zero interest in pc gaming...(real pc gaming not the regular stuff)

fueled-system

You feeling alittle butt-hurt, console fanboy?

So sad for you.

Dont assume things next time.

You might want to try and use that "logic" of yours to see why your original statement is completely inaccurate.

[QUOTE="fueled-system"]

[QUOTE="Kinthalis"]

You feeling alittle butt-hurt, console fanboy?

So sad for you.

Kinthalis

Dont assume things next time.

You might want to try and use that "logic" of yours to see why your original statement is completely inaccurate.

then behind the scenes Dice is trying to cater to the console crowd. Even if it were true I wonder if dice is going to be surprised when their game has such a high piracy rate...

then behind the scenes Dice is trying to cater to the console crowd. Even if it were true I wonder if dice is going to be surprised when their game has such a high piracy rate...

WilliamRLBaker

Who would pirate a Battlefield game? That's like pirating TF2. Either way, the BF series as a huge fanbase on PC so that version will probably get the most sales.

[QUOTE="killab2oo5"] How did they put more effort into their games? Maybe I'm missing something, but if anything they seem the same.AdrianWerner

Also...DICE never threatened to ban from EA account (making your whole game library useless, not just Crysis 2) if you attempt to mod their game.

I wonder if dice is going to be surprised when their game has such a high piracy rate...

WilliamRLBaker

Oh like the way BC2 was pirated or the way it outsold both console versions? DICE has proved if you build it with the pc in mind people will buy it.

Thats not smart... the average person has zero interest in pc gaming...(real pc gaming not the regular stuff)

fueled-system

That's why we are called Elite, above average.

Thats not smart... the average person has zero interest in pc gaming...(real pc gaming not the regular stuff)

fueled-system

If we are going by what the average person wants there should be no other games but cod, wiisports and wifit

I think their priorities are fudged up.G-O-M-J

Thats not smart... the average person has zero interest in pc gaming...(real pc gaming not the regular stuff)

fueled-system

[QUOTE="WilliamRLBaker"]

I wonder if dice is going to be surprised when their game has such a high piracy rate...

NanoMan88

Oh like the way BC2 was pirated or the way it outsold both console versions? DICE has proved if you build it with the pc in mind people will buy it.

Dice is just gassing it's PC fanbase trying to ease the pain that will be inflicted once B3 is released and it's once loyal PC fanbase realizes that it's beloved once PC exclusive francise has been consolized. Look at COD series, Crysis series, look at warhammer series(once an RTS is now a TPS and is releasing simultaneously on all platforms). It's going to happen with every PC exclusive eventually because the console fanbase will obviously bring devs more $, which is needed to compensate the high cost in making and marketing a game.

Lol @ all the cansole fanboys crying :lol:millerlight89

Ah!! Finally see you hermits smiling. I was afraid there would be a massive suicide among you guys, but there it is... consolizashun isn't ruining PC, see?? Have a happy life at least you have DICE left :)

It all pr talk, they didnt even talk alot about pc during bc2 release, regardless, focusing on pc does t equal ignoring other platforms, dont expect exclusive gameplay options or maps.

I don't get why people are all against Dice. All they're saying is they'll do their best for both the console and PC version. Since the PC version obviously has better hardware supporting it of course they're going to use the best of it.

Back in Oct 2010, a thread was made titled "DICE: Battlefield 3 PC 'won't be consolized.'". My response was this:

Yeah, whatever... I'll believe it when I see it, DICE.organic_machine

It all pr talk, they didnt even talk alot about pc during bc2 release, regardless, focusing on pc does t equal ignoring other platforms, dont expect exclusive gameplay options or maps.Sandvichman

They'll have to change around the maps if they want to make the player limits make sense. The PC maps will have to be bigger, and the consoles smaller, in order for the player limit of each version to feel natural. If they simply made everything the same, either the console version will have maps that are too big and therefore the game boring, or the pc version maps be too crowded.

Back in Oct 2010, a thread was made titled "DICE: Battlefield 3 PC 'won't be consolized.'". My response was this:

[QUOTE="organic_machine"]Yeah, whatever... I'll believe it when I see it, DICE.organic_machine

It all pr talk, they didnt even talk alot about pc during bc2 release, regardless, focusing on pc does t equal ignoring other platforms, dont expect exclusive gameplay options or maps.Sandvichman

They'll have to change around the maps if they want to make the player limits make sense. The PC maps will have to be bigger, and the consoles smaller, in order for the player limit of each version to feel natural. If they simply made everything the same, either the console version will have maps that are too big and therefore the game boring, or the pc version maps be too crowded.

Dice has said there will be no exclusive maps or gameplay options, there wont be a pc exclusive map pack, or vice versa, thaty wishfull thiking.

I don't get why people are all against Dice. All they're saying is they'll do their best for both the console and PC version. Since the PC version obviously has better hardware supporting it of course they're going to use the best of it.

klusps

Consolites can't take that.

They're like the fat brat kid who won't let go of his toy.

In their mind if the PC version is better (due entirely to the hardware) then the console is "not as good". Nevermind that it's as best as it can be on that outdated hardware.

They WANT the PC version to be dumbed down. They can't handle it otherwise.

[QUOTE="klusps"]

I don't get why people are all against Dice. All they're saying is they'll do their best for both the console and PC version. Since the PC version obviously has better hardware supporting it of course they're going to use the best of it.

Kinthalis

Consolites can't take that.

Their like the fat brat kid who won't let go of his toy.

To their mind if the PC version is better (due entirely to their hardware) then the console is "not as good". Nevermind that it's as best as it can be on that outdated hardware.

They WANT the PC version to be dumbed down. They can't handle it otherwise.

[QUOTE="klusps"]

I don't get why people are all against Dice. All they're saying is they'll do their best for both the console and PC version. Since the PC version obviously has better hardware supporting it of course they're going to use the best of it.

Kinthalis

Consolites can't take that.

Their like the fat brat kid who won't let go of his toy.

To their mind if the PC version is better (due entirely to their hardware) then the console is "not as good". Nevermind that it's as best as it can be on that outdated hardware.

They WANT the PC version to be dumbed down. They can't handle it otherwise.

Dice has said there will be no exclusive maps or gameplay options, there wont be a pc exclusive map pack, or vice versa, thaty wishfull thiking.Sandvichman

I don't think there will be exclusive maps either, but my point is that they need to make the maps a bit different for each version in order for it to make sense. Like I said, they can still screw this up and either ruin the console version with maps designed for 64 players, or ruin the pc version with maps that are designed for 24 players.

[QUOTE="klusps"]

I don't get why people are all against Dice. All they're saying is they'll do their best for both the console and PC version. Since the PC version obviously has better hardware supporting it of course they're going to use the best of it.

Kinthalis

Consolites can't take that.

They're like the fat brat kid who won't let go of his toy.

In their mind if the PC version is better (due entirely to the hardware) then the console is "not as good". Nevermind that it's as best as it can be on that outdated hardware.

They WANT the PC version to be dumbed down. They can't handle it otherwise.

I completely agree. Console gamers get jealous of PC and say all kinds of crazy stuff to invalidate the platform.

Fact is PC dominates consoles in all ways except one (see sig). BF3 will be a revelation on PC, and mediocre on console, and they hate that.

^ smart console gamers are realizing this and moving to PC, so I agree with Patrick here - PC is growing, console is decreasing.

[QUOTE="Kinthalis"]

[QUOTE="klusps"]

I don't get why people are all against Dice. All they're saying is they'll do their best for both the console and PC version. Since the PC version obviously has better hardware supporting it of course they're going to use the best of it.

haberman13

Consolites can't take that.

They're like the fat brat kid who won't let go of his toy.

In their mind if the PC version is better (due entirely to the hardware) then the console is "not as good". Nevermind that it's as best as it can be on that outdated hardware.

They WANT the PC version to be dumbed down. They can't handle it otherwise.

I completely agree. Console gamers get jealous of PC and say all kinds of crazy stuff to invalidate the platform.

Fact is PC dominates consoles in all ways except one (see sig). BF3 will be a revelation on PC, and mediocre on console, and they hate that.

^ smart console gamers are realizing this and moving to PC, so I agree with Patrick here - PC is growing, console is decreasing.

I think their priorities are fudged up.G-O-M-J

myself think DX9/10/11 and PhysX visual differences are minimal at best, but atleast DICE bothered to support them. .killab2oo5

focusing on what makes cash should essentially be the highest priority.

It might be the future in some ways like pushing limits etc but it takes something like starcraft to really shift in the PC gaming world.

Thats not smart... the average person has zero interest in pc gaming...(real pc gaming not the regular stuff)

fueled-system

[QUOTE="killab2oo5"] myself think DX9/10/11 and PhysX visual differences are minimal at best, but atleast DICE bothered to support them. .AdrianWerner

Yeah I support this. I played through Mirrors Edge on my Xbox 360 and I thought it looked really good, had some great textures, lighting, and some great vistas to take it all in.

Then I bought the PC version. The difference was night and day. Tons more AA completely killed the nasty jagged edges that the 360 had, the textures were even higher resolution, and the higher screen resolution made everything look better. The game looks photorealistic on more than one occasion.

Sounds like a smart non-lazy dev. Consoles are maxed out and the pc is not. When consoles upgrade all the lazy devs will be left behind and dice will be way in front. Crytek tried the porting from console to pc and crysis 2 sucks because of it. I get that devs want to make the most money possible but the quality of games have suffered because of it.

The irony in this thread is when PC gamers complain about devs catering to consoles we are said to have a sense of entitlement, however console gamers don't seem to have that stance when they are complaining about a dev catering to PC over consoles.

focusing on what makes cash should essentially be the highest priority.

It might be the future in some ways like pushing limits etc but it takes something like starcraft to really shift in the PC gaming world.

razgriz_101

I'm not sure I understand what you mean.

they are maxing out both console and PC(BF3) instead of just maxing out console (Crysis2)

How could any gamer be against this?

I don't see why developers get so much flak for saying this sort of common sense. It's pretty much a given that the latest products of a competitive industry are going to be far far more powerful than 6-year old affordability-oriented hardware. There's nothing wrong with developers exploiting that power advantage to improve the experience. If a developer can make you boycott their game by using a different platform that you don't own to its full potential, you probably have some growing up to do. The world doesn't run on fantasy.