Id: The latest PC developer to focus more on consoles.

Crytek, Ensemble (now defunct), and now Id.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6207773.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;1

GS:So do you guys still consider yourself first and foremost a PC developer?

TH:Well, actually it's been a fundamental, sort of philosophical shift at the company, is that we really have transitioned from, first and foremost, a PC developer to a multiplatform developer. And so when John [Carmack] developed id Tech 5 (see below), it really was targeted from the initiation as a multiplatform technology solution.

Now, there's no question that our roots are in PC gaming. And when I play a first-person shooter, keyboard and mouse is the configuration that I want to play on. I'm devoting my gaming time right now on the PC to Quake Live. I like a little Rock Band on the console, to be honest about it. But we feel like, in terms of your triple-A, big-budget, big-market title, that you really have to be cross-platform to be successful, unless you're a first party.

So as an independent developer, we feel like we have to be on all the relevant platforms. So we don't really view ourselves as PC first. I think I would say that John says that probably the primary development platform for Rage is actually the 360.

GS:OK. Now, how do you see the PC landscape changing in the next couple of years? Do you see it becoming almost all digital downloads?

TH:Well, I think that's an interesting question. I don't know really where it's going to go. But there's a few problems you have in PC gaming right now that cause friction in the marketplace. Piracy is abigproblem. And I've gone on and on about that, so I don't think I need to underscore what the issue there is.

The other thing is, is that retailers are more focused on consoles than they are on the PC platform, primarily, I think, because Microsoft is campaigning for the 360, probably to some extent to the expense of Windows-based games. Even though they have their whole Games for Windows initiative today, it's a lot less than it was a year ago. Clearly the 360 is where their big bet is. And, of course, Sony could care less about the PC.

So retailers are devoting less shelf space to PC games than they were in the past, and there's more emphasis on the consoles. And, to get the big huge marketing budgets behind games you need to make them a huge success. If you're on PC, there's World of Warcraft, the Sims--and there's everything else, if you're not multiplatform.

So the question is, what is the solution? If you do an end run around retail, and you deliver it all digitally, is that going to be the solution? Are you going to deliver it through a browser, like Quake Live? Is it going to be a different market? Are you going to do microtransactions? I think the jury's out on all that.

I do believe that for PC games to be successful independently, as our experiment with Quake Live is, I think you have to do something a little bit different. I mean, you have to think about what your market is and where you're going and what you can deliver. Because even though they may have had critical success, games that have been PC-only haven't achieved the same sales success as titles of similar quality in the past would have achieved.

Meh.

Its not as if ID haven't been catering towards the console platforms, their titles are always ported across.

Quite frankly the biggest mark they have had of recent is Quake Live, which had a huge reception.

Which is why ID of all developers should take a hint of the digital trend, considering they are pushing their own browser based title.

They have always been multiplatform developers. Im just saying that before fanboys come in here to mess up the place.

I think this is more a case of a developer trying to broaden the number of potential customers for future games. This has been happening on all system, not just PC. Either way, at least Id aren't wasting the more powerful PC hardware with Doom 4.

They have always been multiplatform developers. Im just saying that before fanboys come in here to mess up the place.

JangoWuzHere

Who cares? The problem isn't developers going multiplat, it's developers not putting in the time/effort to make sure both the PC and console versions take advantage of their respective platforms.

Piracy, cross platform development, shop retailers favouring console games, nothing new here. Consolites playing developers favouring consoles during development to mean consoles > PC is also nothing new, they don't seem to be able to grasp the very simple concept of lowest common denominators during development.

What's interesting though is a Cow posted this despite no favourable mention of the PS3.

A developer is focusing on multiple platforms but as always it happens with pc someone else that is pc centric will take its place. In this case Streum on studios with an FPS-RPG game called EYE exclucive to pc ( dont worry is not an mmo)

Link

Link( video)

id already said Doom 4 will look vastly better on PC, and considering every single id game ever made was multiplatform, that's all I care about.dgsag

So, last-gen all their games made their way to consoles Quake 3 was excellent on the DC (for its time) and had online play too RTCW was ported to the XBOX with excellent results And then we saw Doom 3 on the XBOX which turned out to be preserve just about everything on the PC version The difference this gen is that the consoles arent outdated yetFirstDiscovery

Meh, I only ever buy their games for the PC anyways.....well, that is if I buy them.

It's funny when a developer speaks like this they suddenly become meh. It happened with Epic, Crytek, and so many others.Jamex1987

Epic lost touch with their PC fanbase, Crytek are crybabies who wipe their tears with $100 notes while moaning about their Crysis sales.

With ID they never were a PC exclusive developer, so when a cow acts like them favouring cross platform means something how are we supposed to react?

They have always been multiplatform developers. Im just saying that before fanboys come in here to mess up the place.

JangoWuzHere

[QUOTE="JangoWuzHere"]

They have always been multiplatform developers. Im just saying that before fanboys come in here to mess up the place.

Whiteblade999

[QUOTE="JangoWuzHere"]

They have always been multiplatform developers. Im just saying that before fanboys come in here to mess up the place.

Whiteblade999

I find it funny how many console-only devs have transitioned to also releasing their games on pc this gen yet no one talks about those. I guess its because Hermits arent as insecure as consolites. :roll:dgsag

I was thinking that before.

Epic goes cross platform and suddenly PC gaming is dying, Capcom and Square starts targeting PC gamers and no one says a word.

If you are one of the larger developers multiplatform development is probably the only logical thing to do to stay competitive. Id has porting their games for years and is one of the pioneers engine licensing. Why is anyone surprised that they are focusing more on multiplatform development? Was this thread supposed to prove something?

[QUOTE="FirstDiscovery"]So, last-gen all their games made their way to consoles Quake 3 was excellent on the DC (for its time) and had online play too RTCW was ported to the XBOX with excellent results And then we saw Doom 3 on the XBOX which turned out to be preserve just about everything on the PC version The difference this gen is that the consoles arent outdated yetJamex1987

[QUOTE="dgsag"]I find it funny how many console-only devs have transitioned to also releasing their games on pc this gen yet no one talks about those. I guess its because Hermits arent as insecure as consolites. :roll:AnnoyedDragon

I was thinking that before.

Epic goes cross platform and suddenly PC gaming is dying, Capcom and Square starts targeting PC gamers and no one says a word.

[QUOTE="dgsag"]I find it funny how many console-only devs have transitioned to also releasing their games on pc this gen yet no one talks about those. I guess its because Hermits arent as insecure as consolites. :roll:AnnoyedDragon

I was thinking that before.

Epic goes cross platform and suddenly PC gaming is dying, Capcom and Square starts targeting PC gamers and no one says a word.

A. They've been doing it for years and

B. They've generally been crappy ports.

Thats mainly thanks to the 360 This gen its the lead platform, and we all know how easy it is to take 360 games to the PC.FirstDiscovery

Capcom's and Square Enix's in house engines are PC native designed, as in all the games are designed to run on PC then ported to consoles; even if there are no plans to release on PC.

If it were 360 native games being ported to PC; then your explanation would be more likely.

No one says a word for a couple of reasons.

A. They've been doing it for years and

B. They've generally been crappy ports.

heretrix

I wouldn't call Devil May Cry 4 and The Last Remnant crappy ports, both ran very well; better than the console versions in fact.

[QUOTE="FirstDiscovery"]Thats mainly thanks to the 360 This gen its the lead platform, and we all know how easy it is to take 360 games to the PC.AnnoyedDragon

Capcom's and Square Enix's in house engines are PC native designed, as in all the games are designed to run on PC then ported to consoles; even if there are no plans to release on PC.

If it were 360 native games being ported to PC; then your explanation would be more likely.

No one says a word for a couple of reasons.

A. They've been doing it for years and

B. They've generally been crappy ports.

heretrix

I wouldn't call Devil May Cry 4 and The Last Remnant crappy ports, both ran very well; better than the console versions in fact.

Generally is the key word here. they've gotten better, but like I said GENERALLY the ports have been crappy and they've been doing it for years.

heretrix

I know they have had crappy ports in the past but things have changed now, cross platform development is much more common and people have expectations one wouldn't expect last gen.

It's like with Quake 4 on 360 and DMC3 on PC, if it was done today the software in place for better cross platform development would have resulted in a much better end result.

That said this is before the market is flooded with cross platform native engines, there are currency very few out there like Unreal Engine 3. When more engines are introduced that were designed with cross platform development in mind, such as Tech 5 and CryEngine 3, standards will improve quite a bit more.

Capcom's and Square Enix's in house engines are PC native designed, as in all the games are designed to run on PC then ported to consoles; even if there are no plans to release on PC.

If it were 360 native games being ported to PC; then your explanation would be more likely.AnnoyedDragon

Its not that simple, games are built on PC, but not exactly MADE. Its like for example drawing the outline of a painting and then colouring it in. Bad explanation but you get my point Square have been building games on the PC since FFVI IIRC, but that doesnt mean they are immediately PC compatible.

FirstDiscovery

Hence why I said even if they don't plan to release on PC. Right now Final Fantasey XIII is up and running on PC, but there is a lot more to making a game on PC than in that state. However even if a game doesn't get released on PC; it doesn't change PC was effectively the lead platform during development. Something isn't a 360 to PC port if PC was the lead platform to begin with.

I think people miss my point when I say these companies are now targeting PC. Of course they have been porting to PC for years, but a cheap and poorly thought out console cut and paste isn't taking the platform seriously. This generation both Capcom and Square Enix have said they will take PC gaming more seriously, which can be seen with the PC versions of some of their games being better than the console counterpart. They may have been releasing titles on PC for years, but now they are targeting the platform seriously rather than for cheap milkage ports.

Does that mean consoles position is weakening so developers have to look to PC? Of course not, it's just with today's development costs going cross platform has more appeal. Many console gamers seem incapable of recognising that and look for some hidden message in a cross platform decision that allows them to bash a platform.

The reason however as to why they are doing this is simple Both 360 and PS3 are similar in power, and while behind the PC are still capable machines that can play the games with very similar fidelity. And to top it off, 360 and PS3 software is now selling at a similar level but also, the 360 is VERY much alike a PC (or at least in comparison to the PS3 to PC).

FirstDiscovery

What's this regarding? It has already been stated ID has never been a PC exclusive developer, at most you could say they have gone from favouring PC to cross platform.

I don't understand how being multiplatform = focusing on consoles.

I don't understand how being multiplatform = focusing on consoles.

Espada12

Some people just cannot tell the difference between console orientation and targeting the lowest common denominators I suppose.

I find it funny how many console-only devs have transitioned to also releasing their games on pc this gen yet no one talks about those. I guess its because Hermits arent as insecure as consolites. :roll:dgsag

As long as they make quality titles for all platforms, I don't really care.

PC gamers complain about PC developer changing sides mostly because their multiplatform PC title suddenly sucks arse in the porting department (being unoptimized, bugged piece of crap).

But Rage looks incredible, and if id manages to make a flawless PC version, I couldn't care less about them being a multiplatform developer.

They have always supported the PC platform, but they have never been only PC focused. Nothing new here move along.

They just released a free, improved version of the best multiplayer FPS ever...

Id Software haven't been great since Quake 3. They have always been about technology, but they completely lost it when they released Doom 3. They created an engine that is incapable of high speed gaming, runs poorly over network and is generally not nice to look at. They screwed up badly and you know what? They are completely incapable of ADMITTING IT!

Since Doom 3 they have been pointing fingers at pc gaming at how much it failed compared to their console counterparts and even going as far as using Halo as an example of what they could have achieved(like that is ever going to happen). Wake up Id you had your glory in the 90's, but unlike Epic you guys can't back up your words.

Id Software haven't been great since Quake 3. They have always been about technology, but they completely lost it when they released Doom 3. They created an engine that is incapable of high speed gaming, runs poorly over network and is generally not nice to look at. They screwed up badly and you know what? They are completely incapable of ADMITTING IT!

_Pedro_

Mainly because Tech 4 looks great (whoever says Wolfenstein is ugly needs his eyes checked) and is used for a great multiplayer game - Quake Wars. They'll port Quake Live on T4 in a few years.

id Tech 5 is amazing.

[QUOTE="JangoWuzHere"]

They have always been multiplatform developers. Im just saying that before fanboys come in here to mess up the place.

Whiteblade999

[QUOTE="_Pedro_"]

Id Software haven't been great since Quake 3. They have always been about technology, but they completely lost it when they released Doom 3. They created an engine that is incapable of high speed gaming, runs poorly over network and is generally not nice to look at. They screwed up badly and you know what? They are completely incapable of ADMITTING IT!

Baranga

Mainly because Tech 4 looks great (whoever says Wolfenstein is ugly needs his eyes checked) and is used for a great multiplayer game - Quake Wars. They'll port Quake Live on T4 in a few years.

id Tech 5 is amazing.