PC Gaming - Seriously, what happened?

[QUOTE="Metalscarz"]

When the consoles struggle to maintain 30 FPS at 720p (Sometimes 600), and MY PC is chugging it out at 60 FPS in 1080p the "pimped out console" is well worth it to me. Of course I wish that software would catch up, or developers focus more on the PC, but at least I'm still getting good games. Plus the exclusive PC games.

The notion however that my PC will still be able to virtually max any game in the next 2-3 years without an upgrade is not a bad thing. It gives developers time to take advantage of the hardware at a slower clip, holding back the rising costs of bleeding edge graphics. Plus it saves me some loot.

Just because people claim the consoles have "caught up" to PC doesn't make it true at all. Big Budget games are usually mulitplat, with the PC version looking and running much better if you have the hardware. It may not be as pronounced as it was before but everything is multiplat now because graphic tech and the work involved has gotten way to expensive.

Also to whoever claimed AC1 is better on consoles. What a crock. Maybe if you tried to run it on a Apple 2E.

JLF1

IOW, you're looking for games that PCs and only PCs can do (for example, DX11 games). My thought is why are development costs so high? What's taking up most of the moola and why hasn't anyone come up with some kind of "more for less" tactic to bring the costs back down?

HuusAsking

Well back in the day a wall was just a textured rectangle, maybe it would have some lighting. But now they have shaders, bump mapping, normal mapping, specular mapping, bloom, high dynamic range lighting and god knows what else going into it. Also not forgetting you cannot just use one wall, you have to make multiple versions to make the environments feel less repetitive, variations of textures and environmental conditions.

Clearly this increases the work load, the development time, the man power needed etc. which all adds up to additional cost. The more time goes by the more layers of detail and expected standards that are created, increasing expenses.

[QUOTE="ferret-gamer"]Microsoft likes to control everything, they cant do that on pc.tjoeb123

[QUOTE="HuusAsking"]

IOW, you're looking for games that PCs and only PCs can do (for example, DX11 games). My thought is why are development costs so high? What's taking up most of the moola and why hasn't anyone come up with some kind of "more for less" tactic to bring the costs back down?

AnnoyedDragon

Well back in the day a wall was just a textured rectangle, maybe it would have some lighting. But now they have shaders, bump mapping, normal mapping, specular mapping, bloom, high dynamic range lighting and god knows what else going into it. Also not forgetting you cannot just use one wall, you have to make multiple versions to make the environments feel less repetitive, variations of textures and environmental conditions.

Clearly this increases the work load, the development time, the man power needed etc. which all adds up to additional cost. The more time goes by the more layers of detail and expected standards that are created, increasing expenses.

first things first...bring back big PC game boxes :).osan0

[QUOTE="tjoeb123"][QUOTE="ferret-gamer"]Microsoft likes to control everything, they cant do that on pc.GTR2addict

But it makes you wonder. It's like with movies, too. We keep demanding more and more. I have to wonder if, at some point, someone will stop and say, "You're asking too much!"HuusAsking

That's what the cross platform orientation of this generation is about, it's a response to too high expectations. Sure they will provide it, but not as exclusives, they need the bigger audience to be able to justify the expenditure. The problem of course is platforms lose the ability to differentiate themselves when they all share carbon copies of the same games, hence the 1st parties supplementation with exclusive games and content.

The thing is this is a natural evolution of any entertainment media, the film and music markets couldn't operate the way gaming does, the expenses are far too big to justify keeping a product exclusive to any one audience. Think of it as growth pains, the games market is growing up into a mature business model like music and films are today, but it is struggling to let go of the old and familiar. The old console business model is obsolete, despite the interests of Sony and Microsoft; the market is demanding a unified solution like a DVD player.

The software development of games are already reflecting this, one size fits all, but hardware companies aren't interested in that future. What did they expect? That they could become as big as films while the market is segmented? Try making a blockbuster film but limiting it to only a 3rd of DVD/Blu-ray players. Not going to happen, you are going to hit a cost wall long before you reach that quality.

How are they going to deal with all this? Next generation will be interesting, I'll tell you that.

I think PC (And even Mac, since some game come out there too) need a new exclusive killer apps to life up PC gameing back, i think Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 (i hope this won't run out from PC) might be one.

... Microsoft did not make the pc gaming platform.. They provided the OS, if it were their OS pc's would be using another OS for games.. sSubZerOo

I think PC without OS should be not consider a platform (even if this theorticaly possible), he OS alone should be consider a platform, since they are diffrent API platforms to level that we talking about software PORTING between OSes.

I think PC (And even Mac, since some game come out there too) need a new exclusive killer app to life up PC gameing back, i think Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 (i hope this won't run out from PC) might be one.

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]... Microsoft did not make the pc gaming platform.. They provided the OS, if it were their OS pc's would be using another OS for games.. ShadowriverUB

I think PC without OS should be not consider a platform (even if this theorticaly possible), he OS alone should be consider a platform, since they are diffrent API platforms to level that we talking about software PORTING between OSes.

[QUOTE="ShadowriverUB"]

I think PC (And even Mac, since some game come out there too) need a new exclusive killer app to life up PC gameing back, i think Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3 (i hope this won't run out from PC) might be one.

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]... Microsoft did not make the pc gaming platform.. They provided the OS, if it were their OS pc's would be using another OS for games.. AdrianWerner

I think PC without OS should be not consider a platform (even if this theorticaly possible), he OS alone should be consider a platform, since they are diffrent API platforms to level that we talking about software PORTING between OSes.

But remember that game coders don't write games in low level assembler but higher C/C++ that main idea was cross-platform programing, PS3 also have some common C++ functions with 360, same as Windows has with Linux and same as You can't run Ps3 game on 360, you can't run Windows game (or app) on Linux without proper recodeing of some things. In practice OS is a platform.

Why you can't play PC games on pure 86x OS X Mac that is similar to PC? for exact same reason

PC sales are not extensive enough to warrent cross platform sometimes. However, I do think developers are making a mistake. PC games do sell better than developers/publishers give them credit, but not as well as hermits claim. Its in the middle.

I think PC needs more diverstiy.

heysharpshooter

[QUOTE="heysharpshooter"]

PC sales are not extensive enough to warrent cross platform sometimes. However, I do think developers are making a mistake. PC games do sell better than developers/publishers give them credit, but not as well as hermits claim. Its in the middle.

I think PC needs more diverstiy.

Ontain

[QUOTE="AdrianWerner"]

[QUOTE="ShadowriverUB"]

I think PC without OS should be not consider a platform (even if this theorticaly possible), he OS alone should be consider a platform, since they are diffrent API platforms to level that we talking about software PORTING between OSes.

ShadowriverUB

But remember that game coders don't write games in low level assembler but higher C/C++ that main idea was cross-platform programing, PS3 also have some common C++ functions with 360, same as Windows has with Linux and same as You can't run Ps3 game on 360, you can't run Windows game (or app) on Linux without proper recodeing of some things. In practice OS is a platform.

Why you can't play PC games on pure 86x OS X Mac that is similar to PC? for exact same reason

[QUOTE="clubsammich91"]PC gaming hasn't gone anywhere, but console gaming has caught up. Back in the 90s PC gaming was king with online MP and graphics light years ahead of the consoles at the time. But now it is different, now online gaming is pretty much mandatory on everything and telling a console game apart from a PC game is becoming very, very hard. What I'm saying is, the line between console and PC has become so blurred that the PC as a gaming platform is nearly at the same level as its console counterparts.heysharpshooter

A very smart point. Hermits will attack this, but its true. Really, beyond slightly better graphics and modding(which is always hit and miss), whats the difference? Its really becoming nominal.

Show me the console that runs games like Empire Total War and you can tell me it's nominal. Right now it's light years ahead.

You say Microsoft abandoned PC with games like Halo and Gears of War; but both sold horribly on the PC. Doctor-McNinja

Taken from thread of the same name on the PC Games forum:

So, some people say that PC gaming is dead. I don't think that's true. What I do think is true, however, is that the company that made the platform that most PC games are played on nowadays - aka Microsoft - has abandoned its own platform. Why?

And here's a look at Microsoft abandoning PC (almost) with some of its most beloved series:

Halo - PC, Xbox (360)

Halo 2 - PC, Xbox (360)

Halo 3 - Xbox 360

Gears of War - PC, Xbox 360

Gears of War 2 - Xbox 360

GTA IV - PC, Xbox 360

GTA IV EoLC - Xbox 360

Alan Wake - Xbox 360, PC version CANCELLED (which upsets me)

Notice how as the later games in those series goes on, the PC is thrown off the bandwagon. Now, publishers like EA actually still support the PC with games like Dragon Age (BioWare), The Sims 3, Crysis, Burnout Paradise, and more. So if people like EA still supports the PC, why does Microsoft no longer support PC gaming much anymore?

Also, I was really looking forward to the PC version of Alan Wake, too....

tjoeb123

Simply because they want their console to be profitable.

IDK how much money it cost to develope and manufactuire the 360 over the years but it has to be a pretty penny to say the least.

The problem lies with the "PC gamers" you are all too quick to hype up the new Crysis or stalker or whatever majorbudget series while throwing the small underdogs for the dogs. PC gaming has a huge treasure of brilliant and unique games but what chance does it have when even its own audience gives it the finger.

The amount of variety the PC offers will never be rivaled by a console.
When PC gamers only flock to console ****games you yourself are killing it.

[QUOTE="ferret-gamer"]Microsoft likes to control everything, they cant do that on pc.tjoeb123

LOL. srry mate but no hermit i know uses games for windows live....

The problem lies with the "PC gamers" you are all too quick to hype up the new Crysis or stalker or whatever majorbudget series while throwing the small underdogs for the dogs. PC gaming has a huge treasure of brilliant and unique games but what chance does it have when even its own audience gives it the finger.

The amount of variety the PC offers will never be rivaled by a console.
When PC gamers only flock to console ****games you yourself are killing it.

hot114

[QUOTE="hot114"]

The problem lies with the "PC gamers" you are all too quick to hype up the new Crysis or stalker or whatever majorbudget series while throwing the small underdogs for the dogs. PC gaming has a huge treasure of brilliant and unique games but what chance does it have when even its own audience gives it the finger.

The amount of variety the PC offers will never be rivaled by a console.
When PC gamers only flock to console ****games you yourself are killing it.

lowe0

Theyr not exactly raising a fanfare in the SW and general gaming either unlike the consolites that create hype threads for advertising even the worsed of thrashhot114

People have been saying PC gaming is for almost a decade; at least that long. It has changed and there havebeen things I don't like in those changes but it's not even close to dead.

[QUOTE="hot114"] Theyr not exactly raising a fanfare in the SW and general gaming either unlike the consolites that create hype threads for advertising even the worsed of thrashlowe0

Yet so many games that SW will never, ever mention.