Are PC developers/ports getting lazy

[e2density]

We have our own great games. Maybe we don't like console games.

Infinity Ward/Treyarch are bad developers. And they are console developers.

ACTUAL PC developers, like Blizzard, Valve, etc, they have made wonderful games, not poorly/cheaply made bad ports of bad games that aren't optimized whatsoever.

 

[Chibz]

ACTUAL PC developers, like Blizzard, Valve, etc, they have made wonderful games, not poorly/cheaply made bad ports of bad games that aren't optimized whatsoever.

Actually, it's not really accurate to call Valve a PC developer (anymore)...

 

[e2density]

ACTUAL PC developers, like Blizzard, Valve, etc, they have made wonderful games, not poorly/cheaply made bad ports of bad games that aren't optimized whatsoever.

Actually, it's not really accurate to call Valve a PC developer (anymore)...

How?
They develop far more for PC than they do for consoles. There's a reason why Steam is a PC thing...

Just because consoles also got Orange Box/L4D doesn't exclude the fact their primary audience is PC.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

The piracy of console games will never be as easy and therefore as widespread a problem. That is, unless a console company really drops the ball with their console's DRM, like with the Dreamcast.

I take it you haven't looked at the Wii at any point the past three years or so. It's completely trivial to mod (in a brick-proof way, even, which can't even be said about Nintendo's official updates) using software only, by tossing an SD card in and pushing a button, basically. It's slightly harder on the more recently released versions, but not much. I only did it so I could run the games I already own off an external drive, because the built-in one is dying and gets read errors from time to time (and I don't use it enough to justify paying $75 to fix it), but it's just as easy to use it for piracy purposes. The DS and PSP have generally been even easier than that. The PS3 has recently become just about as easy. The 360 is a little more work, but that's about it.

 

[veloper]

Sometimes the pc version is much better (metro, games by valve, bioware), then sometimes it's crap (saints row2, gta4).

The average port is pretty much the same experience, but at a higher resolution and playable with mouse and controller (darksiders, arkham asylum).

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

In some cases yes, but generally no. There are games that feature terrible bugs that could have readily been fixed before launch that negatively affected performance (When your bug affects more than half the video cards currently in gaming machines there isn't much excuse for missing it). In most cases however the answer is no. They can only optimize to an extent: the rest is up to the hardware manufacturer and the people who write the drivers.

 

[Chibz]

How?
They develop far more for PC than they do for consoles. There's a reason why Steam is a PC thing...

Just because consoles also got Orange Box/L4D doesn't exclude the fact their primary audience is PC.

Consoles also got Half-life, Left 4 Dead 2, half-life 2 (on arcade/PSN), CS, CS: Condition Zero, TF2... They released pretty much all of their games on console. A PC company they are not.

Steam being on PC isn't really all that important. Most the games there aren't theirs.

Also, I'm pretty sure Steam is harming PC gaming with such low prices...

 

[e2density]

How?
They develop far more for PC than they do for consoles. There's a reason why Steam is a PC thing...

Just because consoles also got Orange Box/L4D doesn't exclude the fact their primary audience is PC.

Consoles also got Half-life, Left 4 Dead 2, half-life 2 (on arcade/PSN), CS, CS: Condition Zero, TF2... They released pretty much all of their games on console. A PC company they are not.

Steam being on PC isn't really all that important. Most the games there aren't theirs.

Also, I'm pretty sure Steam is harming PC gaming with such low prices...

They very rarely put on sales. And just because they released them for PC doesn't mean they were anywhere NEAR successful. Counter Strike for consoles was a complete failure, where as Counter Strike 1.6 for PC is still being played competitively today.


Regardless of how much the consoles even get the games, they still are ports, ports FROM the PC to the consoles. They aren't made for the consoles to start with. That's why Counter Strike was a failure.

 

[V8 Ninja]

Developers who specifically make their games for the PC? No. Developers that port their games over to the PC? Yes. Look at the recent Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. I should be able to run the game on near maxed-out settings, but in actuality I can only run the game at an acceptable 50 FPS with everything on its lowest setting because the game is horribly optimized.

 

[Mouldy Oldy]

Given that I have:

A) Given you an accurate industry model of what happens in developing your games

and

B) All subsequent posts managed to ignore it, and continue to spout total absolute nonsense in a small minded effort to think this forum has any kind of gravitas, or that 14 years of living allows a serious appreciation of the multi-billion dollar entertainment industry that is "Games"

I conclude:

C) EA might be right in their endevours to treat the consumers like crap.


Out of here - kids, your delusions only help the major corporates, but sure - keep on thinking you know how the world works, until it bites you in the ass when you actually make games.


p.s.

Yes game developers are lazy as hell when it comes to PC versions.

Mass Effect 2 had a shit ton of problems on PC, despite the fact that it uses the U3 engine, there's really no excuse other than laziness.

Here's a great example.

Are you fluffy stupid?

ME1 used the engine
ME2 used the engine


They used the initial LICENSED engine (as do... God knows how many other studios - this is how independent companies make their stand - licensing, if you'd not noticed) and heavily modded it.


This.
Has.
Nothing.
To.
Do.
With.
Produced.
Code.
Or.
Platform.
Compatibility.
Because.
All.
Major.
AA Consoles.
Run.
On.
The.
Same.
Hardware.
Produced.
By.
The.
Same.
Companies.
Who.
Make.
PC.
Hardware.*



But sure.


Hmm. I came here because I was told that I should 'check out' the forums, and a friend actually is about 1.2 steps from Mr. C in game dev terms, and so on.


Turns out, the forums are as ignorant as Fox News.


Out - enjoy the ignorance kids... just don't get drafted and wonder what is happening in the world in your cluelessness when some developing world national cuts your experience of COD into little pieces with an AK47. Top tip: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/932798.stm

People are dying over making the chips for phones and tablets - and being stupid & clueless is not a great advertisement for why the hell the industry shouldn't just whore itself out to EA. Hint: not so long ago, dev. teams were making statements about the world, not just profit margins. If you've missed that one, try out some Origin Ethics [Ultima / Serpent Isle] or many others.

Entertainment isn't codified by mindless consumption; all the best dev. teams know this, and code it in. Or did you miss the storyline to titles such as Deus Ex, System Shock, Terra Nova and so on?




*Ok, we can argue about the Wii, but to be honest - my microwave is more powerful than the vanilla Wii, so there's no reason to.

 

[mindlesspuppet]

Given that I have:

A) Given you an accurate industry model of what happens in developing your games

and

B) All subsequent posts managed to ignore it, and continue to spout total absolute nonsense in a small minded effort to think this forum has any kind of gravitas, or that 14 years of living allows a serious appreciation of the multi-billion dollar entertainment industry that is "Games"

I conclude:

C) EA might be right in their endevours to treat the consumers like crap.


Out of here - kids, your delusions only help the major corporates, but sure - keep on thinking you know how the world works, until it bites you in the ass when you actually make games.

So, you're QQing because no one paid attention to your post, where you didn't really offer anything to the conversation aside from a ridiculous sense of smugness while explaining shit that anyone who even remotely keeps up with gaming news already knows.

p.s.

Yes game developers are lazy as hell when it comes to PC versions.

Mass Effect 2 had a shit ton of problems on PC, despite the fact that it uses the U3 engine, there's really no excuse other than laziness.

Here's a great example.

Are you fluffy stupid?

ME1 used the engine
ME2 used the engine


They used the initial LICENSED engine (as do... God knows how many other studios - this is how independent companies make their stand - licensing, if you'd not noticed) and heavily modded it.

Obnoxious child like writing removed

Yes ME1 and ME2 both used the U3 engine, however that does not mean it was left on modified. It's needless to say they made improvements in the ME2 engine over the original.

Also, quite aware they heavily modded the U3 engine. It's because of these changes that the engine actually employed in ME2 has issues that a vanilla U3 engine (and those modified by countless other studios) do not. So thanks for supporting my statement here, I guess.

Moreover, many major developers, e.g. Bioware, 2k Marin, id Software, etc, handle the various versions of their games internally. This means those working on getting a game to run across various platforms are in fact Bioware employees.

If a port is shoddy, then it is Bioware's fault, again, it was one of their teams that did it.

Sure, there are plenty of instances where a publisher contracts another developer to handle ports, and in these instances the original developer is in no way at fault for the work. However, such was not the case in the example I gave.

But sure.


Hmm. I came here because I was told that I should 'check out' the forums, and a friend actually is about 1.2 steps from Mr. C in game dev terms, and so on.

Congratulations on having a friend, I'm sure they are rare for you.

 

[Mouldy Oldy]

- usual bollocks by PR Marketing Shill

So, you're QQing because no one paid attention to your post, where you didn't really offer anything to the conversation aside from a ridiculous sense of smugness while explaining shit that anyone who even remotely keeps up with gaming news already knows.

Really?

If you've had a job in your short life, please do a show-n-tell. I'm happy to list my CV in exchange for yours. I'm suspecting mine will be longer.



You missed the part where Microsoft [the AA Corporate owner] pays for their version of the code to work the best on their platform, and really suggests heavily that it shouldn't work better on other platforms. You can mix in "firing 70% of dev team at beta" and "moving dev team to next project before 1st major patch" if you want.

The rest of your post is worthless.




Muppet.



p.s.


Oh, wait - just caught your Avatar name. How's working for 2k games going? Or are you not a Corporate shill?


:roll:

Also, quite aware they heavily modded the U3 engine. It's because of these changes that the engine actually employed in ME2 has issues that a vanilla U3 engine (and those modified by countless other studios) do not. So thanks for supporting my statement here, I guess.

Do you realise how stupid that sounds to a professional coder?

You made an invalid claim (we're all lazy)

I point out that engines are licensed and you cannot judge stability of a licensed engine because each and every time it is used it is heavily modded for the project you're working on.

You point out that "the changes the dev team made" make it unstable, when ported from XBOX standard to PC standard, which was the same for ME1.

I say... er. Are you on acid?



Ok, sorry. Yes. I have better things to do than be trolled by a 13 yr old kid.

Ciao.

 

[Hiphophippo]

i follow a pretty simple rule.

1-play ports on their intended system
2-revel in the joys of real pc gaming, ie not the ports

 

[mindlesspuppet]

- usual bollocks by PR Marketing Shill

So, you're QQing because no one paid attention to your post, where you didn't really offer anything to the conversation aside from a ridiculous sense of smugness while explaining shit that anyone who even remotely keeps up with gaming news already knows.

Really?

If you've had a job in your short life, please do a show-n-tell. I'm happy to list my CV in exchange for yours. I'm suspecting mine will be longer.

Hey, screw CVs, why not just whip out our dicks and see who's is bigger? amirite?

You missed the part where Microsoft [the AA Corporate owner] pays for their version of the code to work the best on their platform, and really suggests heavily that it shouldn't work better on other platforms. You can mix in "firing 70% of dev team at beta" and "moving dev team to next project before 1st major patch" if you want.

So why is PS3 getting the best version then?

Also, last I checked, Windows was Microsoft's platform as well. Though, I know that's not what you meant, so we'll put that aside. It's one thing for a game to run better on other platforms, but the idea of developers sabotaging their own game to make it run poorly just doesn't seem to click, they have their image to protect after all.

 

[mindlesspuppet]

I point out that engines are licensed and you cannot judge stability of a licensed engine because each and every time it is used it is heavily modded for the project you're working on.

You really don't see how your own words here are backing up what I've been saying?

 

[Mouldy Oldy]

Hey, screw CVs, why not just whip out our dicks and see who's is bigger? amirite?]

No.

My CV will show which AA titles I've worked on.

Your CV will show you've not left school yet.

Challenge stands.

So why is PS3 getting the best version then?

Of which title?

Lost me there.

Also, last I checked, Windows was Microsoft's platform as well. Though, I know that's not what you meant, so we'll put that aside. It's one thing for a game to run better on other platforms, but the idea of developers sabotaging their own game to make it run poorly just doesn't seem to click, they have their image to protect after all.

Hmm. Ok.

OS =/= gaming
Microsoft OS profit =/= gaming
Microsoft gaming platforms = XBOX.

Total "Brand loyalty > $ profit" = 0

Do you even know how much $$ Microsoft sunk into the XBOX? It took the PS3 3 years of sales to pay off the investment in the machine, marketing and so on to break even. Have you even seen a XBOX contract with a major publisher / dev team?




No.

You haven't. Now piss off.


p.s.


Kid, they spent $500,000,000 on the launch of Xbox alone. That's the launch. Not the subsequent 5 years of dev time, OS upgrades and XBOX 360 - $500 mil on the kinetic alone.



Now, if I were Microsoft, and I'd spent over 2 billion dollars on my gaming market I wouldn't give a flying fuck about PC sales.

Guess what?


THEY DON'T