Devil May Cry 4 "Pirated To Hell And Back" On PC

[Andy Chalk]

Devil May Cry 4 "Pirated To Hell And Back" On PC

Capcom [http://www.devilmaycry.com/] executive to point out that the game is being "pirated to hell and back."

In a message [http://www.capcom-unity.com/ask_capcom/go/thread/view/7371/1060221/Are_Capcom_pleased_with_DMC4s_PC_sales&post_num=2#15144889] posted on the official Capcom community forums, Christian Svensson, the company's vice president of business development, wrote, "I'm not sure how Capcom in general feels, but [Devil May Cry 4 for PC] is not doing as well as I would like in the U.S. at retail. It's such a good version and it really deserves better sales."

"I know it's getting pirated to hell and back (it was up on torrents literally the day it shipped)," he added.

When pressed about how much of an impact piracy is actually having on the game's sales, Svensson said, "Piracy's not the ultimate cause... but it's a factor." But he also went on to admit that the game's well-known console roots may also be working against it in the PC market.

"Most reviewers write it off as 'console dreck' because it's not an RTS, an FPS or an MMO," he said. "Indeed, it's content that doesn't often show up on the PC, and I think that's part of the reason we wanted to put it there. We think there is an audience for action games on the PC (that aren't FPSes), even if they are sometimes best played with a gamepad rather than a KB and a mouse."

He also spoke out in support of DRM schemes in fighting piracy, saying, "To my knowledge, BioShock [http://masseffect.bioware.com/] is pretty damn solid too from certain audit services, and their integration wasn't as deep as Mass Effect's."

"They are more effective than people think," he continued. "Part of the problem though is that Iron Lore Entertainment [http://www.ea.com].

The full conversation about Devil May Cry 4 for the PC can be read (or joined) at capcom-unity.com [http://www.capcom-unity.com/ask_capcom/go/thread/view/7371/1060221/Are_Capcom_pleased_with_DMC4s_PC_sales?num=10&pg=1].


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[HomeAliveIn45]

So when you're game doesn't sell, you blame it on torrents. I think that's just an eventuality that they never had to deal with on consoles and now that it's happening to them, they over-react

 

[TOGSolid]

It's been said many times, but piracy seems to have become the ultimate scapegoat for devs.

"My game didn't sell well on the PC"

"Pirates"

"All the developers are jumping ship to consoles"

"Pirates"

"My son's become a woman-beating crack fiend"

"... probably Pirates"

Actually I'd say that last one is probably due more to 4chan than pirates.

Lesse, you release a console port to the PC. Now, even if it's a good console port, you've already got a lot of things going against you.
As he mentioned, a lot of PC Gamers have the set mentality of "it's just console crap." After all, when you've been burned by crappy port after crappy port, you do develope a kneejerk reaction as soon as you hear the word 'port.'
Probably the biggest factor, though,is that anyone who was already clamoring for a copy of DMC 4 sure as hell wasn't waiting for a PC port. Anyone interested already owns a copy of the game. Why would I want to buy a second copy for my PC? Maybe once it drops into budgetware prices, sure, I might grab one so I can OD on DMC when I'm out at sea, but that's more due to my job keeping me away from my 360 (*sniff sniff* daddy misses you!) and definitely doesn't reflect most everyone's mentality.

 

[HobbesMkii]

"Piracy's not the ultimate cause..." (But I won't openly admit my game sucks for the platform, so I'm going to pretend like it is.)

 

[Royas]

I wouldn't expect DMC to sell well on the PC even if there were no pirates at all. This is a game that works best (I think) with a controller, a lot of PC gamers hate the idea of using a gamepad with their PC's. I'm not one of them, but many that I know are very dismissive of the very idea. Besides, as was pointed out, people who were really interested in the game already have it for one of their consoles. It's not the type of game that normally appeals to a lot of PC gamers.

I'm disturbed by how enthused he sounds over DRM that constricts the rights (not privileges, rights) of the consumers. Mass Effect and Bioshock both have lousy DRM schemes that limit the number of installations or activations possible. While Bioshock has since removed that limit, it's not one that should have been there to start with. If you buy a game, the developer and publisher should not be allowed to put limits or conditions on what would be considered normal use. Yes, limit copying and the like if you want, that's not normal use. Don't you dare limit my installs, that's like saying I have to call Saturn for permission every damned time I want to start my car. That's normal use, and I should be allowed that without interference or having to jump through hoops.

 

[Melaisis]

Doesn't he mean that its been pirated to World's End and back?

Heheheh.

 

[Joeshie]

I'm not sure how good the DMC4 port is, but if it's anything like the fucking terrible Resident Evil 4 port (it had zero mouse support), then it's no surprise that no one wants to buy it.

Likewise, DMC4 has and always will be a console game. It's associated with consoles so it's a big name for console only gamers. Many PC gamers have probably never really played a DMC game and thus have little interest in it. Not to mention, I'm sure a large majority of people didn't even know that it was released on PC.

Piracy may have played a factor in it's poor sales, but it certainly isn't the only reason for it.

 

[OverlordSteve]

I am very disappointed with these digital pirates. Nothing like the old, REAL Pirates, who stole real treasure instead of video games.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

I'm not sure how good the DMC4 port is, but if it's anything like the fucking terrible Resident Evil 4 port (it had zero mouse support), then it's no surprise that no one wants to buy it.

Likewise, DMC4 has and always will be a console game. It's associated with consoles so it's a big name for console only gamers. Many PC gamers have probably never really played a DMC game and thus have little interest in it. Not to mention, I'm sure a large majority of people didn't even know that it was released on PC.

Piracy may have played a factor in it's poor sales, but it certainly isn't the only reason for it.

Actually Capcom has learned from their mistakes, the port for DMC4 is great.

-but no one is gonna buy it if they already have it on their consoles, and there isn't really much to change with DMC4 in modability and there is hardly replay value either. Really, it's worth a rent at most and all the DMC fans have bought it at launch, so this isn't like Mass Effect or Bioshock where getting it on PC will be a huge difference if not a whole new experience, but it's just that people don't want to pay full price for a game they aren't able to trade back in >_<

ANYWAY, I don't care if people ***** about piracy as long as they have legit claims that it is being pirated.

No one wants to admit that "no one is buying my product!" so we gotta have the easiest scapegoat around and that's piracy.

For what it's worth, I bought DMC4 on PC and it's great, so there capcom, you have my support, now give me RE5 for PC god damnit!

 

[Hawgh]

Mass Effect has nice sales because Mass Effect is a good game.

Devil May Cry 4 is sold poorly because no one gives a fuck about Devil May Cry 4. Now, here are some nice statistics to back such claims:

Assassins Creed REPACK-RELOADED 112,653 downloads
Command And Conquer 3 Kanes Wrath-RELOADED 96,915 downloads
Crysis-Razor1911 67,470 downloads

Mass Effect (RELOADED, VITALITY and DETONATION) around 20000 downloads

Devil May Cry 4-RELOADED 7,916 downloads

There, you have it. Now, cry me a river for being a pirate. :'(

it's not that you're not trustworthy, but you should probably supply your statistics with some sort of backup. Like, say, a link to their source

 

[Aries_Split]

Mass Effect has nice sales because Mass Effect is a good game.

Devil May Cry 4 is sold poorly because no one gives a fuck about Devil May Cry 4. Now, here are some nice statistics to back such claims:

Assassins Creed REPACK-RELOADED 112,653 downloads
Command And Conquer 3 Kanes Wrath-RELOADED 96,915 downloads
Crysis-Razor1911 67,470 downloads

Mass Effect (RELOADED, VITALITY and DETONATION) around 20000 downloads

Devil May Cry 4-RELOADED 7,916 downloads

There, you have it. Now, cry me a river for being a pirate. :'(

it's not that you're not trustworthy, but you should probably supply your statistics with some sort of backup. Like, say, a link to their source

The pirate bay...dur

 

[stompy]

Yeh, you try playing DMC4 without a controller... it's not impossible, but I reckon that the controller, as others have stated, is better suited for this game.

 

[captain pretentious]

I bought DMC4 for the PC and use an Xbox controller. The game rocks and has some of the most beautiful visuals I've ever seen in a PC game. It's a shame the fucking pirates are ruining things.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

Yeh, you try playing DMC4 without a controller... it's not impossible, but I reckon that the controller, as others have stated, is better suited for this game.

You know you can use a controller on PC's right?

believe it or not, I'm better with a keyboard [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.62658#528325]

:\


btw I hear this will go to digital distribution stores soon (not just Steam and D2D) so the pirates won't screw it all up. If DMC3's port did good on steam then I'm sure DMC4's actual well done port will do great.

it's not that you're not trustworthy, but you should probably supply your statistics with some sort of backup. Like, say, a link to their source

You tryin' to get the guy banned? He's already on the borderline...

 

[Andy Chalk]

1. Piracy is a serious problem.

2. Not all problems with PC gaming, or gaming on any system, can be blamed on piracy.

3. I'm pretty sure that this is a case of 2 much than 1. As a die-hard PC gamer, I can say there's one simple reason why I haven't bought DMC 4 yet: The box. All I need to do is look at that shit and I know I won't be buying it. Am I missing out on a great game? Maybe. But I'll never know, 'cause I ain't playing it.

"Gamers are gamers," but I don't think it can be denied that there's console bias of all sorts, and god knows PC gamers are as guilty of it as anyone. And since DMC 4 was released for consoles, the button-mashers - who this game would appeal to the most - already have the game on their platform of choice. That means the core demographic for the PC release of the game will be the "pure" PC gamers, who I really don't see as huge, untapped market for this kind of game.

Blaming piracy for the failure of PC releases is almost becoming de rigueur, which is a problem in itself because it distracts from the very real problems caused by illegal copying. Instead of taking the problem seriously, people will just blow it off as repeated crying of wolf.

 

[Altorin]

Action games like DMC don't exist on the PC

why would you release DMC on the PC in the first place? PC gamers don't play DMC, and I think the falling sales show that.

DMC isn't the first game to get heavily pirated.

Did those other games that have been pirated even more suffer such horrible losses due to the Piracy? Nope.

Stick to Consoles Capcom.

 

[Kraj]

I am very disappointed with these digital pirates. Nothing like the old, REAL Pirates, who stole real treasure instead of video games.

... video games :are: real treasure. >_>