Tribes: Ascend Becomes PC Exclusive

[Andy Chalk]

Tribes: Ascend Becomes PC Exclusive

Tribes: Ascend [http://www.tribesascend.com/] developer Hi-Rez Studios has put the Xbox 360 version of the game on indefinite hold so it can focus solely on the PC release.

Tribes: Ascend has GameSpot [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/111334-Tribes-Ascend-Gameplay-Trailer-Brings-the-Sexy-Heat] that while the PC release of the game remains on track, the Xbox 360 version has been "back-burnered." It's not an outright cancellation but for now the studio is working exclusively on the PC release.

"An eventual XBLA version - and even PSN version - is not out of the question but neither will be this year," a Hi-Rez representative said.

The rep didn't specify the reasons for the shift but according to reported in April [http://www.next-gen.biz/news/tribes-ascend-dev-shifts-focus-pc] that free-to-play games could come to Xbox Live sometime in 2012, but that's not soon enough to do the initial release of the new Tribes game any good.

Tribes: Ascend is slated to come out later this year, exclusively [for the moment, at least] for the PC.


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[Vibhor]

Fine by me but seriously, I am curious what kind of strategy they have behind this move?

 

[unacomn]

It's a free to play, micro-transaction based sequel to a PC only franchise, so it makes sense. This is the first time I've heard about it being announced for another platform.

 

[Galaxy613]

Why report it as "Exclusive" when other platforms are already planned and in the works!? Businesses have a very very loose meaning of "Exclusive" nowadays.

 

[Korey Von Doom]

Why report it as "Exclusive" when other platforms are already planned and in the works!? Businesses have a very very loose meaning of "Exclusive" nowadays.

According to the article it self they are not "In the works" but may later be made. Thus for now it's exclusive.

 

[Ralen-Sharr]

now all they need to do is add some proper HERC's and I'll be happy

 

[uppitycracker]

Good for them. I always love to see a developer focus exclusively on a platform that is far too neglected these days. I'll definitely give it a try, hopefully it can keep me hooked!

 

[Murmur95]

hells yeah! I was totally disappointed when I saw it was coming for xbox. There is no way a tribes game can have really good gameplay on console...

Now I am getting pumped.

 

[Keith Reedy]

hells yeah! I was totally disappointed when I saw it was coming for xbox.

Now I am getting pumped.

Why would you be disappointed that more people can play something fun, seems like a undeserved sense of entitlement

 

[LC Wynter]

hells

Why would you be disappointed that more people can play something fun, seems like a undeserved sense of entitlement

That's PC Gamers in a nutshell. We're all so horribly elitist.

On topic? I'm looking forward to this. I'm not fussed about the micro-transactions so long as they stay micro and unimportant if I want to play the game I bought. There's still a thriving Tribes 2 and Tribes: Vengeance community out there, so it's not like people have forgotten the franchise.

 

[Atmos Duality]

If the previous Tribes games are any indication, a mouse is required; the slow response of a thumbstick just can't hack the break-neck pace.

Without hit-scan weapons and relatively slow movement speed, depth (as in the third dimension) actually matters a LOT.
In Tribes 2, there was no Wunder-Pistol/Quickscope exploits. There were only two hitscan weapons; one of them sprayed badly, the other took a minimal of two shots to kill with AND drained your entire energy bar; hit or miss.

 

[ImprovizoR]

I could swear I read this a couple of weeks ago. I don't actually support this, even though I'm a PC gamer. I'd rather buy the game like a normal person and have everything the game has to offer.

 

[TheComedown]

Why would you be disappointed that more people can play something fun, seems like a undeserved sense of entitlement

In this case I think its more that this should guarantee that the game will be built for PCs rather then consoles. This way everything is more optimized for PC rather then having one platform suffer for design decisions that where made to benefit another.

And this for the most part is why the PC gamers get fed up with consoles and cross platform titles that have relatively consistently just left PC gamers with poorly functioning half arsed after thoughts of games. Don't get me wrong, I don't really have anything against ports, provided they take the time to actually get it right.

 

[TheComedown]

I could swear I read this a couple of weeks ago. I don't actually support this, even though I'm a PC gamer. I'd rather buy the game like a normal person and have everything the game has to offer.

Yeah read the article again. It is not about how the game is FTP, we knew that ages ago. Look again.

 

[Aetherlblade]

Why would you be disappointed that more people can play something fun, seems like a undeserved sense of entitlement

In this case I think its more that this should guarantee that the game will be built for PCs rather then consoles. This way everything is more optimized for PC rather then having one platform suffer for design decisions that where made to benefit another.

And this for the most part is why the PC gamers get fed up with consoles and cross platform titles that have relatively consistently just left PC gamers with poorly functioning half arsed after thoughts of games. Don't get me wrong, I don't really have anything against ports, provided they take the time to actually get it right.

Precisely this. Go you for explaining it well without starting a flame war!

 

[ImprovizoR]

I could swear I read this a couple of weeks ago. I don't actually support this, even though I'm a PC gamer. I'd rather buy the game like a normal person and have everything the game has to offer.

Yeah read the article again. It is not about how the game is FTP, we knew that ages ago. Look again.

I drew a conclusion that it isn't coming to consoles when I read their plan for FTP a while ago. It was logical. I guess that makes me a genius since no one else saw it coming. And I would still prefer it to be multiplatform without the silly micro-transactions. I hate micro-transactions and DLC. What happened to good old expansion packs that added tons of stuff to games...

 

[teh_Canape]

PC only franchise

actually, I think there was a version of Tribes released for PS2
though I'm not sure if it was a legit one or a spin off

Spoiler: yep, Aerial Assault

but like I said, I'm not sure whether it's canon or spin off

 

[fanklok]

So wait it's getting a good PC release and the consoles are going to get the shitty port? Is this the twilight zone?

 

[koroem]

HUUUUZZZZZZAAAAAA!!! Another developer working to focus on the quality of a PC release over consoles! Fantastic. Even if this game sucks balls it scored points with me.

Let the trend continue.