PC Version of Portal 2 Outsells Console Brethren

[Logan Westbrook]

PC Version of Portal 2 Outsells Console Brethren

According to Valve, PC users dig portals, while console gamers are more into zombies.

In the modern gaming landscape, a multiplatform release usually does better on consoles than it does on PC, but according to Valve founder, Gabe Newell, the opposite was true for the eagerly awaited Portal 2, which actually found the most success among the keyboard and mouse crowd.

Newell used the game as an example of why Valve doesn't pigeonhole its games into "console" or "pc" focused brackets. He said that it was impossible to predict where the strongest reaction to a particular title would come from. He said that Left 4 Dead, another recent Valve title, had been a bigger hit with console games than PC games. Ultimately, he explained, Valve just tried to make good games and then see who liked them.

"We've never had a situation where we said, 'We really, really want to build something that is more popular for the console guys,'" He explained "Because usually we have a bunch of other higher priority problems we want to solve. So we're glad that people want to play our games wherever they want to play."

If Valve really doesn't ever discuss lead platforms and optimization, then it's probably unique among developers in doing so - or indeed, not doing so. Of course, it doesn't hurt that it makes games that translate so well to different platforms; if it made hardcore historical turn-based strategy games, it might have a little more trouble.

Source: Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6471/the_valve_way_gabe_newell_and_.php?page=4]



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[octafish]

If Valve made hardcore historical turn-based strategy games, that would be AWESOME!

 

[John the Gamer]

Pc gaming is a zombie now. Coming back from the brink of destruction. Or not. I'm going back to Deus ex: HR now. On the PC, obviously.

 

[Fasckira]

I imagine this mainly because of having a mouse and keyboard. The idea of trying to do some of the trickier tests with a joypad is horrifying!

 

[Zhukov]

And to think some people are confused about how Valve have garnered such a loyal following over the years.

Silly sausages.

 

[Low Key]

I played the original Portal on both the PC and the console and found it was much more enjoyable on PC. But I always like a controller for military style FPS games. It's just not the same clicking a mouse button instead of pulling a trigger.

 

[Bobzer77]

Pc gaming is a zombie now. Coming back from the brink of destruction. Or not. I'm going back to Deus ex: HR now. On the PC, obviously.

PC was never dying, Consoles just grew faster.

 

[Hamish Durie]

duuuuuh consoles are aimed at a younger age group case in point mine 14-18 and most 14-18 year olds don't want to do puzzels, no they want to PWN dey frnds in COD

why yes I did like portal 2

 

[thenumberthirteen]

I suppose the PC version being cheaper than the console one (Portal 2 is £20 on Steam now) also helped.

 

[HavoK 09]

I suppose the PC version being cheaper than the console one (Portal 2 is £20 on Steam now) also helped.

Agreed, and add the summer sale aswell.

Those are things tht make a game sell hundreds of copies in a blink of an eye

 

[Sgt. Dante]

I suppose the PC version being cheaper than the console one (Portal 2 is £20 on Steam now) also helped.

And the fact that everyone who bought it on the PS3 got a steam copy too...

Might skew the results a little.

 

[castlewise]

Pc gaming is a zombie now. Coming back from the brink of destruction. Or not. I'm going back to Deus ex: HR now. On the PC, obviously.

PC was never dying, Consoles just grew faster.

This. Its annoying when people say something is dying just because something *else* is growing faster.

 

[Astoria]

I prefer playing on the 360 but something about Portal makes it easier to play on PC. A controller is just too touchy for it. Also it's much cheaper on Steam than it is to buy the disk.

 

[brunothepig]

I suppose the PC version being cheaper than the console one (Portal 2 is £20 on Steam now) also helped.

And the fact that everyone who bought it on the PS3 got a steam copy too...

Might skew the results a little.

It's possible, although I think they'd go by sales figures, for that reason.
OT: I actually find it kinda surprising Left 4 Dead sold better on consoles, but eh. There were likely more factors for Portal 2 selling more, Steam sales and it being $30 on Steam for a while now chiefly among them. Still, it's nice to hear that Valve aren't going to design for one platform. Of course, this is probably just one more reason their games take so long, but I'm always willing to forgive that.

 

[EBHughsThe1st]

That's...um...cool.

I guess.

This won't change the industry but I guess it's good news if you're both Pro-PC and anti-console.

But I play on a Mac and Nintendo consoles.

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

If BF3 mimics this I hope we see a shift in how developers treat the PC platform.

I think you mean MW3. EA has already screwed-over any chance of BF3 having good PC sales with all the Origin bullshit they've been pushing lately. Not to say I think it will absolutely tank on PC, but it certainly won't out-sell the console version.

 

[Woodsey]

Oh look, the company that doesn't treat its customers like shit is rolling in money, and has higher sales on the PC on a multi-platform release.

Strange that.

I'd be interested to see if they're saying the PC sold more than the consoles separately, or combined actually. Because whenever someone says two platforms sold more games then one platform, I do kind of thing... well, fucking duh.