Poll: WOW on console

[Nieroshai]

On one hand I can't see why not. On the other, I just don't personally like the idea.

 

[LightOfDarkness]

Maybe, it depends on what the graphics and whatnot were like.

Oh yeah, another thing. WoW is a RAM hogger. You would have to make pretty huge changes to make people not hang out in the same spot, or to make the graphics of the game even shittier, because I'd bet my ass an Xbox couldn't handle more than 30 without some serious lag issues.

RAM=/=graphics

It would require a shitload of optimization, or it would be a dumbed down version.
You would only be able to have 32 hotkeys (including combinations) at easy access (RB/RT/LB/LT/L-DPAD/R-DPAD/D-DPAD/U-DPAD+A/B/X/Y or just A/B/X/Y).
On a keyboard, you have something like 35+ keys, and a WoW player will still be using all of them at endgame.

 

[Athinira]

wow is too complex to be put down to just like 4 buttons and 4 triggers

I have actually tried playing WoW with an Xbox 360 controller, and with a hunter of all classes.

It's complicated, but possible (PvE wise anyway), especially considering i had to use third party software to make the controller work.

With integrated controller support, you could use skills like the Crysis suit menu (or the ingame Addon OPie) to reduce the need for keybinds of nonimportant abilities, as well as design a healer interface that at least would work in a 5 man/10 man (25 man would probably be problematic).

Edit: To clarify, i was actually able to get all of the important abilities down onto the pad. This is done by making buttons have multiple functions: tap A for ability 1, double tap A for ability 2, hold A shortly for ability 3. Hold left trigger for Shift, which gives A another 3 functions with tap/double tap/hold. If there was support for combos (A -> X for example) it would be even more expansive.

 

[zarix2311]

Phantasy Star Online was on consoles and it's a pretty darn good game. It could work if it was built from the console up. But I think most nah sayers here are the kind of hard core PC gamer who feels consoles ruin everything.

What a nice argument, brush us all under the same target will you. Name one advantage a controller has over a mouse and keyboard for an MMO (WoW in particular here), while I'll point out the major disadvantages, just off the top of my head here:
-Inability to write anything, so chatting with your guild mates or just people round you would take an hour. Say bye to emotes.
-Lack of a mouse would make inventory management literally 5 to 10 times longer
-Up to 6 spells you can use at any given time (optimistically, usually it's just 4).
-Targeting.

Not to mention consoles are pretty weak in the computing power department.

Believe me, consoles bring in a shitload of limitations on consoles, you have to be a fool to believe their potential is anywhere near as high with hardware capability issues this serious.

For one I said a MMO build for the console up, I was not referring to WoW. If they designed it to work with a joy pad in mind it can work, I had no problem playing PSO or PSU online for my console games. And yes I will sweep you all under a bloody rug because every time a console vs PC argument comes up it's always "Consoles are ruining PC games or dumbing them down". I play both console games and PC games and if a RPG is made for the PC in mind then yes it would not work at all because of all the buttons they use. But I also play games built from the ground up for consoles and handhelds and they work just as well (To be honest I prefer TES4 on my xbox over the PC any day of the week). And it seems to me your just another member of the "console can never ever have a game as good as PC" school of thought. Do I think one is better then the other, no I like the ability to mod games (And I do a little myself) and to play online with dedicated servers where people add there own charms to the game. But I prefer consoles also cause i can just play without having to worry about PC specs or any of that crap and it is fun also.

Now back on topic, if the MMO was built with console in mind then yes it could work. But I guess people don't wanna step back and say "hey this might work", cause it seems like everyone just shoots the idea down.

I agree with you wholeheartedly. no one console is better than another and PC vs console is the same thing. on another note though I've played online games on console before and they work fine, sure fitting it all together is kind of tricky, but they still work.

 

[KalosCast]

I don't really see any reason why it wouldn't work, so I voted yes.

Left thumbstick represents WASD
Right thumbstick represents camera
Left-trigger is Alt (self-cast)
A, B, X, Y, RB, LB are spells 1-6
Right-trigger sets up a secondary assignment of spells 1-6
D-Pad selects other party members 1-4
Right-trigger and d-pad lets you swap through the remaining raid members

You'd only get screwed when it comes to anything greater than 10-mans, which are pretty much extinct at this point.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

It isn't that it couldn't be done on a console. That is a silly and pointless argument that misses the problem altogether. The problem is one of interface. If you want to simply port the game in it's current form, you simply need more buttons.

The solution to this problem is simply to bundle a "custom" keyboard with the game (The quotes because it is already possible to play an Xbox or PS3 game (some of them) with a keyboard with a bit of effort).

Even this isn't the real problem however. The problem is that WoW already runs on people's computers. If you bought your PC in the last 5 years or so, chances are very good it will run the game at some setting or another without problems. It is already accessible to the masses and porting it to consoles would not significantly expand the market Blizzard can access. If you want to play WoW and you have a 360 or PS3, you can probably play it right now on your PC.

 

[zarix2311]

snip

Then play games that are suited for them.

snip

I've already pointed out solid, tangible examples of how consoles dumb down the gaming scene, and not even in any complex games, such as MMOs like WoW. I'll repeat them for you, the things that are gone because of consoles:

-Complex enemy AI in FPS games. Because of the slow and inaccurate nature of the controller, games like Bioshock have to have their NPCs retarded. Now, before you say anything about "wah wah wah the controller is just as good for shooters as a mouse is", it's already been tried. There was a game called Shadowrun that was supposed to be a multi-platform multiplayer shooter, pitting xbox 360 versus PC players. Microsoft admitted it themselves, the mediocre PC players wipe the floor with the best of console players.
-Losing simple functions like jumping and/or control schemes that are basically a clusterfuck. Mafia 2 doesn't even have a jump button because of the lack of buttons, and the Assassin's Creed series is a perfect example of a game that has to use an overcomplicated control scheme because there aren't enough buttons to work with on a controller. And the combat in that game uses two buttons, I wonder why.
-The death of "more than 4 weapons". Because it's hard for console players to quickly switch between more than 4 weapons (because of the d-pad), virtually every FPS game as of late has 4 or less weapons that you can carry at any one time.
-The availability of only 4 (the magic number again) main actions at any given time in games like Dragon Age, I wonder what that has to do with.
-Consolidating and simplifying game mechanics to fit the console market, see the Crysis suit functions versus the Crysis 2 suit functions.

So there. This isn't accounting for half the problems that come with the control scheme and I basically didn't even touch upon mouse and interface, and most importantly the hardware capabilities, but you're blatantly and ignorantly wrong here. Consoles and PC are vastly different, and porting something that was originally on the PC is most of the time going to be removing features, aka dumbing it down.

Again, if you just made something for the consoles straight up, all that would change would be you not knowing about the superior version and thinking that's the best way any given game could have turned out, when none of the severe limitations of a console are magically gone. It's a plain and simple logical fallacy.

-_- here we go again, here's a breakdown. Everything you just said I already knew and have already heard multiple times from someone else like you who is desperately trying to push your own opinion on some on else, you may say it's fact, but no it's just an opinion. First of all you covered RPGs, but i never said anything about RPGs i said online and they're not the same thing, I know very well about all the limitations put on RPGs when they're on console, I play almost all my RPG games on PC so that supposed lecture segment was useless space to me. Next that whole "Now, before you say anything about "wah wah wah the controller is just as good for shooters as a mouse is"" I also know very well that the controller is not as good as a mouse thing so that line was just a condescending, offensive generalization, I don't even play that many mainstream FPS games so I couldn't care less which one is better. Just because I like console games doesn't mean that I can't recognize that the PC is better depending on the game. That whole reply was a complete waste of your time, I play video games for fun not to have stupid arguments about which kind of game system is better. If you think the PC is the best that's great go have fun on your PC, but in the long run no game system is better so we're all just wasting our time arguing about it. we should be talking about how great video games are and having fun instead, having video game arguments are only useful if they're constructive criticism, maybe polls to get opinions out in the open in a more friendly way or to get a better understanding of a game.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

In answer to your first question, no i already have a big tv.

In answer to your second question, if there is a market demand for a console version they would make it. So if a whole bunch of people prefer a console version then they would come out with it.

I am sorry Economics doesn't work like that. You don't make something because there is a limited demand. Purely on Economics the demand would have to be massive. That is not including the fact the WoW is built for PCs not consoles. I don't care if you can use a controller to play it. I can use a keyboard to play Street Fighter doesn't mean it is good for playing or even remotely suited to playing it. For a MMO or a RTS or a RPG to work on a console they have to be built for a console from the ground up. If this is not done feature will be cut. Blizzard is not going to have special servers for XBL or PSN people either. It would have to have a seperate servers for each base. The only games that cross from PC to XBL are GWFL.

It is a nice a idea but it won't happen nor will it happen. Going back to the Demand do you really think there are enough people out there willing to pay two sets of Subs just for WoW? I highly doubt it is enough to persuade Blizzard to port it to consoles or they would done so quicker than a photon of light from the sun smacking the upper atmosphere of Earth.

OT: People aren't going to play two subscriptions even for WoW. Also despite the fact that it is possible to play with a controller a keyboard and mouse is much better for that type of game. So no I do not think it would work on consoles. I know there are ways around this as well but there is a lack of ability to type quickly.

 

[MrAkuma201]

DCUO if that works on ps3 dont see why wow will not.

 

[Fetzenfisch]

mh i dunno. But Dungeons and Dragons Online is great with a controller.
The fighting system (which is more fun than wow imho) is also more console-like

 

[Rack]

It would need to be redesigned from the ground up not to use so many redundant abilities, have more flexible powers and much less inventory clutter. In short it wouldn't be WoW. But a console MMO would be amazing if designed by the right team, I reckon ArenaNet has the best skillset to be honest, but with a bigger budget and longer dev time I reckon Champions could have been pretty special.

 

[jpoon]

Not just no but HELL NO!

 

[Krafty_Krocodile]

Well I wouldn't play WoW on a console, however it can be done with an xbox and the keyboard adaptor thing. It'll be interesting, but no point

 

[MurderousToaster]

Good luck with that. Given that any decent-level player has over 10 different abilities or spells on their hotbars at any one time, that's not going to translate to console well at all.

 

[Chunko]

In answer to your first question, no i already have a big tv.

In answer to your second question, if there is a market demand for a console version they would make it. So if a whole bunch of people prefer a console version then they would come out with it.

I am sorry Economics doesn't work like that. You don't make something because there is a limited demand. Purely on Economics the demand would have to be massive. That is not including the fact the WoW is built for PCs not consoles. I don't care if you can use a controller to play it. I can use a keyboard to play Street Fighter doesn't mean it is good for playing or even remotely suited to playing it. For a MMO or a RTS or a RPG to work on a console they have to be built for a console from the ground up. If this is not done feature will be cut. Blizzard is not going to have special servers for XBL or PSN people either. It would have to have a seperate servers for each base. The only games that cross from PC to XBL are GWFL.

It is a nice a idea but it won't happen nor will it happen. Going back to the Demand do you really think there are enough people out there willing to pay two sets of Subs just for WoW? I highly doubt it is enough to persuade Blizzard to port it to consoles or they would done so quicker than a photon of light from the sun smacking the upper atmosphere of Earth.

OT: People aren't going to play two subscriptions even for WoW. Also despite the fact that it is possible to play with a controller a keyboard and mouse is much better for that type of game. So no I do not think it would work on consoles. I know there are ways around this as well but there is a lack of ability to type quickly.

I would expect that it would be only one subscription.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

I would expect that it would be only one subscription.

Well for Sony yes. There is no way not even when Hell freezes over will Microsoft let you play WoW online unless they are getting some money out of it somewhere so yes you would be paying two subscriptions. Why do you think fee paying MMOs have never taken to consoles? Apparently even Valve has to make people for their updates.

 

[Geekosaurus]

A controller simply doesn't have enough buttons.