PC Gamers needed to help with university paper

[AndrewF022]

1) I will generally give anything a try, although I tend to have a particular preference for Shooters, RPG's and Action games. I am always cautious of Indie titles though, but thankfully there is often a demo to help make that decision.

2) Gameplay mechanics is of course top of the list... However graphics and the technical side of the experience also are big factors, I generally avoid buggy games, or games that run terribly regardless of hardware. I don't like having to fight with the game to enjoy it... unless I feel its really worth it. Multiplayer and Replay value are also nice features, but aren't integral... neither is story, character or theme.

3) Nope, I hold no allegiances or preferences to developer or publisher. I only make choices based on price and what I think of the game itself, not who made it and how much I think they care about me as a consumer. If I feel the DLC/Pre-order nonsense is not worth it, or the price is too high for what I think the game offers, I wont buy it... However if the same publisher/developer releases a game I do feel is worth the extra hoops to jump through, I'm still going to buy it. I wouldn't deny myself the experience of actually enjoying the game because I think their DLC policy is stupid or some people on the Internet think they treat their customers poorly.

4) Yes, interface problems annoy me quite a bit, although I can get used to them if the game is really good, if the game is average it can be nail in the coffin for it however. Old RPGs (both J- and C-) I find have terrible UI's, same goes for MMO's generally.. too much information on screen at once that I don't need to see. Of course this isn't an issue with all of either of these types of games, just something that I find is common. Also console ports that don't allow me to use a controller without having to resort to drastic methods. Why Oblivion would you not allow me to use a controller if your interface is clearly designed for consoles as well? why do I need to have third party software to emulate it?

5) Never bought one, only because I've never been interested in enough of the games to justify getting it. Also I don't want to support developers who make what I think are 'bad' games haha, that goes for AAA developers just as much as Indie developers. I do buy an indie games on their own quite a bit though if it looks fun.

 

[lRookiel]

Hi PC Gamers,

I'm currently finishing off the last paper for my degree. The paper is based around entrepreneurial studies and I've chosen to investigate my biggest hobby; PC Games. While industry sources and the web in general is reasonably helpful, primary sources of information are going to make the biggest difference to the quality of my research. I'm hoping to 'crowdsource' as much info as possible from three different online gaming communities.

If you have time, please read through the questions below. If you'd like to have a go at any of the questions, please feel free to reply with as little or as much detail as you'd like. Any insight you can give will be very much appreciated. Flick me a PM if you've anything else to add or have any other questions.

Thanks,
Tim Do (Massey University, Wellington, NZ).

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

1: Strategy or RPG's, I won't touch sports or driving games

2: Gameplay, Replayability, Multiplayer and then lastly graphics, what's the point of graphics if the game sucks?

3: Well I support valve alot because they actively help their customers, so yes I think I would.

4: Yes, bad UI: Dwarf fortress Good UI: Fallout NV

5: Yes, I haven't played all of the games I got, but I have given the majority a good playing. I like that it supported a good cause as well.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

I tend towards single player experiences and well told stories. I tend to stay away from the FPS genre these days due to the focus on multiplayer often at the expense of the campaign.

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

Gameplay Mechanics, Storyline, reply-ability, graphics, multiplayer.

Gameplay and Story are the big ones for me. Graphics take a back seat now that my rigs so old, multiplayer is last because it generally dries up and I prefer Co-op.

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

Yes, in this age of poor console ports any sort of Dev involvement would be welcome. Having a mod kit release is a real draw for me.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

My first thought for poor UI would be Skyrim, but that was pretty much designed for consoles. Pretty much all UI gripes involve console optimization (mainly having several often unrelated functions bound to one key). Oddly enough Half Life 2's weapon selection (two weapons tied to one number key) really bugged me on occasion.

A good example would be the Fallout 3 and New Vegas Pipboy, being in the game-world really helped with immersion and layout was simple and intuitive.

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

I've only bought one indie bundle, the one that included Bastion and Limbo. I already had most of the games, I just wanted to show my appreciation to the Devs a little more (and perhaps gift them to my brother later on).

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

I usually buy Action, Adventure, or RPG games, although unique games like Team Fortress 2 have taken up a lot of my time. I like my games non-linear except when a very good story is presented.

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

Gameplay Mechanics. The have to A)Work, B)Unique enough to not fall into the pile of copy paste games, and C)Be engaging to use

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

I think that the game has to work well on the PC. If the developer isn't as into the community that's fine. PC gamers have proven time and time again that they'll support a game they like themselves.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

Bad UI example: Skyrim. That was clunky and had too many menus for kind of essential things. Good UI example:Total War: Shogun 2. Everything is well laid out and once learned, easy to access.

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

I've only ever bought one indie bundle. It was the one that happened X-Mas of 2011. And in my opinion was the only good indie bundle to come out. Frankly, it was the only one where I would even consider playing all of the games. I don't give people my money just because they're indie. I find that too many indie developers are just remaking games they played in their youth and as a result the indie market is flooded with A LOT of the same genre. Indie platformers and rougelikes are way too stagnant. And now there are multiple "Dungeon Keeperlikes" in the works by indie devs.

 

[Proeliator]

Questions:

Spoiler

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

Answers:
1) I don't have any particular genre preference, the usual influence is what my friends play or what they recommend. If I feel I can spend my money, it just has to be interesting/good.

2)Replay-ability would be the top factor, as it would go hand in hand with the enjoyment the game provides. The next would be gameplay mechanics, though this is a long shot since I usually don't know what they are until I've played the game (this might also relate to "how fun the game is). The only way graphics could influence my decision would be if my computer could run it, though that did not stop me from purchasing portal 2 when my PC was incapable of running it. Lastly is multiplayer. When I'm buying a game, I'm expecting a multiplayer based (Like original counter strike or Team Fortress 2), or single player based (Half-Life Series) game. Any extra multiplayer tacked onto the game doesn't influence the decision.

3) For a single player game, especially if it was linear, I would be indifferent about developer support if I had already played through the game once, since I would feel I already got my money's worth. Though with multiplayer games, I would more likely support them; With developer support and community feedback the game keeps being enjoyable to play, as certain issues are fixed and slight changes keep gameplay interesting.

4)I never have had a bad experience with a user interface with a PC game, other than my brief stint with League of Legends in which I found the controls not very intuitive, but this and all controls could always be changed by assigning different keys. I have never had a problem with any FPS I've played, any preference being easily taken care of with the options menu.

5) If "The Orange Box" counts as an indie bundle, then yes I have (technically it was a gift I asked for) of which I have, and planned to, play every game it came with. Otherwise I'm kind of cheap and don't buy very much, and haven't seen another bundle of any sorts that's caught my eye.

Feel free to ask more questions if need be!

 

[Vie]

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

I'm quite eclectic in my tastes, I've dabbled with all sorts of different types of games over the years. But I suppose the most common ones for me would be stratergy games (both turn based and real time,) shooters with a good singleplayer campaign (don't give a flying fornication about multiplayer,) and western RPG's (Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Deus Ex & Mass Effect.)

Also, anything with a Star Trek theme - I know most of the games have been crap, but I like the universe.

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

Story > Gameplay/Mechanics > Replayableness > Graphics > How much I enjoyed the previous game in the series/by the developers > Multiplayer, which I don't give a toss about.

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

I do like to see developers contribute to the modding community, even if it's just a "Hey guys, we know your going to mod our game - and we are fine with that." It's even better if they release tools, or at least give the community a few hints as to where to get started on modding the game. A classic example of how a modding community can be of use to developers would be GTA1 - the community developed a whole bunch of tools which Rockstar went on to actually use themselves while making GTA London. I'm fairly sure a similar thing happened with the original Homeworld as well. A guy named Delphy put together some tools for models/textures which I'm fairly sure the developers then used while making Cataclysm. Though you'll need to ask him about that.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

Bad UI: Skyrim. Oblivion's UI was a little cumbersome, but it was vastly better than the Skyrim UI - particularly on the PC version. I'd go into detail on the subject, but really it's been covered so many times now by people far better versed on the subject than myself that it would be a waste of both our time.

Good UI: Endless Space. In that game they managed to pare down the normally huge interface of a 4X game into a slick and simple system with good visuals. It's easy to use without too much oversimplification of the game. Another one, which I think will confuse people, would be the Sword of the Stars interface. It's a lot busier than Endless Space, and it's colour combos are eye watering at times, but it manages much the same thing in a completely different way.

To me a good UI should fade into the background - you should forget your even using it. It should be like a good controller - you are comfortable enough with it to get immersed into the game itself rather than it's control mechanism.

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

Actually no I haven't. Usually I've got the games I want from the pack and aren't really interested in the other games. I'm all for supporting indie developers, so long as they produce a game that I actually want to play. If they are making a game I'm not interested in then power to them - but I'm not going to buy it myself. If it's good I'll happily recommend it to somebody who would be interested in it - but that's as far as I'll go.

 

[Flames66]

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

The style of game I purchase varies greatly. I go through phases of liking particular styles. I usually prefer free roaming type games as predefined stories often go in directions I don't like.

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

gameplay mechanics, replayability, multiplayer, graphics. I would put an interesting story or setting above all of these,

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

I prefer a developer to be active within it's community, but in a supportive way rather than seeking to exert any form of control. Trying to control in almost any way is worse to me that not being involved at all.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

A good UI is one that does it's job without being noticed. An example of this is Team Fortress 2 as it provides all the information required without getting in the way (except when messages appear in the center of the screen stay on the screen too long). An example of bad UI is The Walking Dead as it is often very confusing what it is asking you to do.

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

I purchased the original Humble Bundle, did not play many of the games and was frustrated by several. I have not bought one since and do not intend to.

 

[PPB]

1) I definitely tend to purchase a particular genre over another. Things were different when I was younger, but nowadays I mostly stick to RPGs and strategy games with the occasional action game.

2) Generally speaking, gameplay > replay > multiplayer > graphics, though it really depends on the game. By "graphics" I assume you mean stuff like texture size and resolution, which is really not all that important to me. The art direction of a game is far more important to its atmosphere. If you meant "graphics" to include the game's visual style and atmosphere, I would go gameplay > graphics > replay > multiplayer. Finally, multiplayer is more important in some games than in others (Diablo 3 for example).

In the end, gameplay is by far the most important aspect.

3) More or less. I do like it when a developer appears to care about its community and actively interacts with it, but I don't think it would be enough to tip the balance towards a purchase if I weren't already interested in the game. For example, I'm not a fan of first-person shooters and no amount of developer dialogue would convince me to buy such a game.


4) UI is very important; a good UI is the kind you don't really notice. Examples of good UIs would be World of Warcraft and Neverwinter Nights for RPGs and anything by Blizzard (Warcraft, Starcraft) for RTSs. Examples of bad UIs would be Skyrim and Witcher 2.

5) I've never purchased an indie bundle.

 

[Legendsmith]

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

Strategy games, including Real Time Strategy, Grand Strategy, 4x, Tactical Strategy and Turn Based Strategy are favourite genres of mine.

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

In this order:
1. Gameplay Mechanics
2. Re-playability
3. Multiplayer
4. Graphics

Games are all about gameplay It is the most important element in any game.

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

Yes, I would be more willing to support the game.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

A good UI would be Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance's ingame UI. It's excellent. It allows for adjust unit orders, giving new ones, linking orders, etc. It allows all paths and orders to be seen with the press of a button and it even gives an ETA.

Bad UI: Battlefield 3 PC spawn screen. Dwarf Fortress's everything. AI War: Fleet Command's UI also leaves a bit to be desired.

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

Multiple.
I usually have at least a look at games. If there's only one good game in a bundle I don't get the bundle. Otherwise I buy and play (almost) all the games.

 

[Mirroga]

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

I am mostly in-between about this particular side. I have favorite genres and analyze what game I favor the most in such a particular genre. But I do explore genres I have never liked when they are interesting and unique enough (loved Super Meat Boy as a pure platformer simply because it is fast paced and fairly challenging).

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

Gameplay mechanics come first. Second is replayability. Third or definitely just a perk is Graphics. I don't like Multiplayer all that much unless the whole game is based around the competition of it all like my love for DotA 2.

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

I find myself to support them simply because they show their love for the game itself as well as the community who loves it. And in return, they show their support and keep improving the game for the players. That's very rare in an age full of game contents cut or rushed out because it's spoiled by the promise of patches and DLCs.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

I usually have no examples. But I do believe in the concept that there are good UI designs and bad ones. The good examples are that it's easily accessible and doesn't meld altogether with the actual game's palette nor does it hinder gameplay by being large and unwieldy. I could probably only show the comparison when comparing the hero picking interfaces and the UI of the game itself of the old and new DotA 2.

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

I usually don't purchase indie bundles. But if I do buy those collection or saga series in the PS3 console versions, I am compelled to play the lesser favored games in the collection simply because I want to try it. Second reason is because I'm a completionist.

 

[AD-Stu]

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

Generally it's RPG and driving games for me - I think the Assassins Creed series is the only one I've played in recent years that doesn't fall into one of those two categories.

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

What, no story? From that list, gameplay mechanics and replayability, then graphics. Don't really care about multiplayer.

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

I feel like I should say yes, but the honest answer is no. There's an awful lot of EA boxes on my games shelf, and they're hardly "active" in the community - at least, not in a good way.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

In general I don't think about the UI unless it's getting in my way. For example, NFS: Shift would have to be one of the worst examples that comes to mind. Seriously, who makes you press "8" to go back a level in the menu any more? Why do I have to put down my gamepad and go back to the keyboard just to work the damned menus? Lucky the in-car experience made up for it.

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

Again, I feel bad for saying this but the answer is no, I've never purchased one. The genres don't tend to interest me.

Though if there were one game in a bundle that I wanted to play and I did buy it I could absolutely see myself ignoring the other games (I've got a bunch of gift games on Steam that I've never played either - never had the time!)

 

[sanquin]

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

I mostly buy rpg games. Any type of rpg really. Though I sometimes mix it up with adventure or action/hack and slash games as well.

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

Gameplay mechanics is number one for me.

Replayability doesn't really play a role for me. Rather, just the total amount of hours I keep interest in the game. This can be through replayability, but also just because it's a long game.

Graphics are semi-important. I like good graphics, but poor graphics but excellent gameplay works just as well.

Multiplayer hardly plays a role in games for me. I have mmorpg's for my multiplayer, other games I usually prefer single-player.

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

A developer being active with it's community would give me slightly more incentive to buy a game, but not much.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

I do think about it, but only a little bit. Now that I think about it though I find the Witcher and Witcher 2 UI's kinda bad. They should be easier to use. An example of a good UI...I think I'll go with Mass Effect 1. I'm not sure if it's a port. It didn't feel like they just ported the console UI for me at least.

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

Never bought indie bundles. I do have indie games though. And I buy the game if I think it's a good game, and thus that the developer needs to be supported. Developers that make good games need to be supported after all, so they can hopefully make more good games.

 

[Spitfire]

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

I tend to prefer FPS and RPG/MMO games over most other genres, though I make exceptions.

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

In order:

1.Gameplay mechanics
2.Replayability
3.Multiplayer
4.Graphics

Depending on the style of the game, I would also consider narrative to be another very important element, possibly as important as the gameplay mechanics.

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

If I'm interested in a game, and the developer is known to listen to, and act upon, feedback from its consumers, then that definitely represents a plus.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

In recent memory, I thought that the default UI in Tera was badly designed, and very counter-intuitive. UI elements and fonts are not scaled correctly per resolution, the Menu is awkwardly placed, and the mini-map is for all intents and purposes, useless, as it doesn't indicate terrain, forcing you to use an additional map to actually guide yourself with.

One of my favorite UIs in any game, is the one in the original Unreal Tournament. It's clean looking, it's customizeable, and it serves its function really well.

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

No, I haven't purchased an Indie Bundle.

 

[Bertylicious]

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

Prefer RPG & Sandbox overall, though will play most any title. Apart from sports games.

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

Replay-ability

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

Yes I would. Egosoft have a great relationship with their community and that is a contributing factor in my repeat business.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

The best UI I've ever experienced was in Freespace 2; it was revolutionary as it displayed all the information and even assisted your spatial awareness. There have been plenty of bad UI's but the one that immediately leaps to mind was... I was going to say Fallout 3's clumsy Pipboy mess but that was a console port. Can't think of one.

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

Yes and yes

 

[TheDrunkNinja]

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

The most I specifically look for would probably be RPGs of the Western variety. Whether it's Mass Effect, Skyrim, the Witcher, Oblivion, Dragon Age, any of the new Fallouts--I honestly can't see myself playing these games on the console for some reason.

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

I've never really thought about it before, but now that I have, I'd have to say the lastability of the game seems to be a big factor for me. When I think of games I would play on my console, they are generally games I would play and beat once then keep in my collection to pull out the next time I'm in the mood to play that specific game. With PC games, however, I find them to be my go-to games, the ones I play when I just want to play a game or abnegate from life. I'm much more likely to load up Skyrim or Dragon Age during the week than any other games on my consoles.

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

I support any proactive attitude within a community. Even developers of games I generally don't play like Lion's Head studio, I still love listening to Peter Molyneux go on his spiels and read what he has to say. Seriously, I would share a beer with that guy if I had the chance. So no, this isn't specific to PC game developers.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

As I've said, I play a lot of RPGs, so the interface is extremely important. A bad interface would have to be Skyrim, which I modded as soon as I could to be more fluid and better designed. It was clear Bethesda was trying to create a UI that was applicable in both PC and console controls, but they failed in that respect. Technically, a "good" and "bad" UI depends entirely on how it is used in the game and how the design emphasizes that use. The power/weapon wheel in the Mass Effect series was perfect for what it needed to accomplish in that specific series, and with each game it only kept improving. However, I would not think that this UI would be ideal at all in a game like Skyrim or Fallout or even Dragon Age despite being a Bioware game. Different games require different mechanics, and thus different interfaces.

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

No, I've never purchased a bundle, but I've purchased a few individual games every now and then for that specific reason. I'm a type of gamer who knows what he's looking for, so bundles aren't something I look out for unless I know I like everything. Who knows, I might be depriving myself of a great experience with this attitude, but that's just how I am.

I hope I've helped. Good luck with your paper, man.

 

[mirage202]

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?

I tend to prefer RTS and RPG games. Almost always for singleplayer content. Multiplayer only anything is a no buy.

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability

Gameplay, Replayability, Mechanics, Graphics.

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)

Usually I try judge a game by it's individual merits, though when seeing a developer that is heavily involved with it's community, it greatly increases the odds of actually buying a game they make, even if I may not normally have been interested. CCP (Eve Online) are actually a great example of community interaction at work, when they slipped, the backlash forced a major rethink, and they acted on it.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?

I must admit I rarely give the UI much thought, unless during gameplay it becomes more of a hindrance than a help. A good UI to me personally is one that offers clearly vital info, and in RTS especially, useful shortcuts. Due to rarely thinking much about them, I can't offer any specific examples.

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

Several times, personally I believe indie developers are one of the last remaining hopes to keep the industry as a whole moving forward and bringing out new ideas. Often times I do check for at least 2 games in a bundle that interest me, I will always try them all out in the end though.

 

[Charli]

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another? Or will any PC game do as long as it's good or at least looks interesting?
Not going to lie, unless I'm met with a game that has advertised itself extremely well and alot of my friends are going to be playing I tend to go for the cheap and cheerful Indie

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability
I expect the game to last. Large sprawling RPG's. Addictive Multiplayer, MMO's. I tend to look for bang for buck time-wise. If I feel like I'll be playing it over and over, then it's on the list

3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care? (any further comments or experiences here would be great)
Customer service does make an impression on me. Both Blizzard Entertainment (fun, quirky, know when to be serious and when to crack a joke with the customer, VERY involved with consumers via forum and social media) and Steam (straightforward, bend over backwards to sort out any mishaps and quickly, are also polite and active with young interested gamers with aspirations) have left very good impressionsm while EA (for fable 3, they pretty much just told me to shut up and play the game I was unable to play, and that was 'end of conversation' apparently) and Xbox Live (their refund department could use work) have screwed around with me substantially, and thus it has made a difference on my purchasing habits.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?
Good UI: World of Warcraft
Bad UI: Black and White 2
So yes, I could. Weather you believe those are valid examples is up to you.

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.

4 Indie bundles to be exact. They're fantastic value for money and supporting the developers of them is nearly always deserved. And if I double up, I give them to friends/family to help spread the love. I've played most of them, a few of the codes though I gave to my brother because he barely had any games and I thought he'd enjoy them. One of which I had purchased previously Super Meat boy, and it turns out he's a platformer child prodigy. Who knew?

 

[Scarim Coral]

Just to be clear, I only got into pc games recently so I don't have wider range of pc games yet.

1) Do you tend to purchase a particular style or genre over another?
Nope. I buy any games I want to play.

2) All things considered and with the price being equal, what is more important to you personally when making a PC Game purchasing decision (list in order if you like!): gameplay mechanics, graphics, multiplayer or replay-ability
Replay


3) Would you tend to find yourself more likely to support a PC game if the developer was more active with its community, or would you not care?
I guess so as it's the only platform where I'm starting to buy my games for now these day.

4) Outside of obvious console ports; do you ever think about the user interface while playing a game? Could you easily name an example of a bad UI and a good UI off the top of your head?
N/a

5) Have you ever purchased an 'indie bundle'? If yes, do you actually play all the games in the bundle or are you just supporting the developers and/or cheaply buying an individual game.
Nope.