Destiny Won't Launch on PC Because it Would be Too Much Work

[Steven Bogos]

Destiny Won't Launch on PC Because it Would be Too Much Work

Bungie does not rule out the possibility of a PC version of Destiny later on - just not at launch.

Destiny, Bungie's new sci-fi shooter, is launching on the PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Curiously, (especially considering that it is a shooter), it won't be available on the PC. Talking to Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-04-28-bungie-explains-why-theres-still-no-pc-version-of-destiny], Bungie explains the reasoning for this, which basically boils down to "it's too much work."

"So when I'm playtesting and I'm trying to play PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PS3, that's a lot of work. Adding another thing on there is just crazy. It's crazy to think of right now," said design lead Lars Bakken. "I think four platforms on day one is a lot, considering we've been a one platform team for a very long time," added Bungie COO Pete Parsons.

However, both men stressed that Bungie is a studio of around 500 people, and obviously a lot of them are PC gamers themselves. "What is also true is that, as you might imagine, we're all hardcore PC players ... So we care a lot about the PC," said Parsons. He didn't rule out the possibility of a PC version later on down the line - just definitely not at launch.

"I look forward to our future conversations around PC."

As for those claiming that a PC port would be "easy" considering games are built on PCs in the first place, "It is not nearly as simple as you think," explained Parsons. "It is one central world no matter what the platform, and so that requires lots of intensive thought."

"Frankly, it's not a thought we can spend time thinking about right now. Just building up the game and putting it across generations of platforms, and working on platforms we've never worked on before with the PlayStation 3, these are very big challenges. I'm thankful we have the engineering team we do."

Source: Eurogamer [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-04-28-bungie-explains-why-theres-still-no-pc-version-of-destiny]

Permalink

 

[Worgen]

To be fair, it doesn't look particularly good anyway. Graphics look great but the gameplay looks just like borderlands without the humor.

 

[Objectable]

You know, I'm finding it interesting that this is the same exact excuse that the guys at CD Projeckt is using NOT to port Witcher 3.

 

[Zeren]

You may want to re-read your title.

OT: I haven't played a Bungie game since Halo 3, so I'm not really bothered by this news.

 

[Glaice]

Lazy lazy lazy excuse to not launch for PC alongside the console ports.

 

[WouldYouKindly]

You know, you could cut your work load by dropping the platforms currently on life support instead of the one that actually is capable of playing the game without extreme programming gymnastics.

Pull a Witcher 2, release for PC and current gen, then do the harder work to code for the 360 and PS3.

Actually, I'm just sick of my particular gaming demographic being a goddamn afterthought to many devs.

 

[Klaw117]

Isn't this really old news except that Bungie's excuse last time was "not wanting to spread ourselves to thin"?

I don't expect a PC port of this game to come out at all. Activision is the publisher and it is notoriously anti-PC.

 

[SilverUchiha]

But don't you make/program your games on PC? logically speaking, shouldn't be able to run there by default? I'm not a programmer, but that's how I've always understood it, given plenty of developers will showcase a demo build of a game ON a PC prior to launch. I feel like this is just a poor excuse when I would have just as happily accepted "we don't want do" as their reason.

Truthfully, for as little as I know about the game (basically, anything beyond it's a bungie shooter set in space) I'm not broken up about it.

 

[Ympulse]

Another reason to not support them. Good to know.

 

[Erttheking]

*Head desk* Yeah, I can see this being taken well by the PC gaming community. Then again, some people are probably going to overreact to this and making it way more of a problem than it is...ugh, a mess, the whole situation.

 

[Vault101]

Considering this game looks like 59% hype ill be glad to wait

 

[BrotherRool]

Shooters are actually a lot more popular on console than PC, at least in the US. Nearly 3 times more popular on consoles even. The PC market is pretty dominated by strategy games, then casual (possibly indie?) games and then RPGs. Shooter are on level with Action-Adventure for the PC. (Surprisingly they're not the most popular genre on consoles either. That goes to Action-Adventure, but at console shooters still take up 20% of the market)
http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2014.pdf

EDIT: Actually those stats probably doesn't take Team Fortress 2 into account. The sales were just 2014 sales, so it's probably a case of PC gamers loving their shooters, but specifically loving the shooters they already own.

 

[Nurb]

It's another post-apocolyptic game from the looks of it. I really don't care.

 

[deth2munkies]

I'm torn. On the one hand I think they're incredible morons for ignoring the massive MMO community and huge FPS community on PC. Then again, nothing about this game looks particularly awesome, so we may be dodging a bullet.

 

[Ninmecu]

...*Add Samuel L Jackson English Quote here*

On topic, so, fuck pc's then, again, anyone really that surprised? We got shafted on the Halo series too, in my house we would've loved some Lan battles, but slowly, lan games are being phased out, as is couch co-op.

Shooters are actually a lot more popular on console than PC, at least in the US. Nearly 3 times more popular on consoles even. The PC market is pretty dominated by strategy games, then casual (possibly indie?) games and then RPGs. Shooter are on level with Action-Adventure for the PC. (Surprisingly they're not the most popular genre on consoles either. That goes to Action-Adventure, but at console shooters still take up 20% of the market)
http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2014.pdf

That fact is made a bit worse by the fact that shooters aren't widely available on PC, so, y'know, there's that.

 

[Caiphus]

Quickly, everyone, get those toys out of our pram!

 

[Something Amyss]

Considering this game looks like 59% hype ill be glad to wait

That's a charitable estimate. I don't even think most people know anything about this besides "from the makers of halo!"

 

[BrotherRool]

But don't you make/program your games on PC? logically speaking, shouldn't be able to run there by default? I'm not a programmer, but that's how I've always understood it, given plenty of developers will showcase a demo build of a game ON a PC prior to launch. I feel like this is just a poor excuse when I would have just as happily accepted "we don't want do" as their reason.

Truthfully, for as little as I know about the game (basically, anything beyond it's a bungie shooter set in space) I'm not broken up about it.

But there are certain things which are absolutely demanded of any PC game, the ability to adjust resolution, graphic settings, mouse and keyboard support, key remappings etc which are all surprisingly difficult to do. If they released the game as it came out of the machine there would probably be riots on the internet about it. It's not like the idea that they might not get the game at all has ever stopped someone before.

There's also trying to bug test umpteen different graphic cards and sets of drivers. That's probably not fun or fast

 

[Rozalia1]

But don't you make/program your games on PC? logically speaking, shouldn't be able to run there by default? I'm not a programmer, but that's how I've always understood it, given plenty of developers will showcase a demo build of a game ON a PC prior to launch. I feel like this is just a poor excuse when I would have just as happily accepted "we don't want do" as their reason.

Truthfully, for as little as I know about the game (basically, anything beyond it's a bungie shooter set in space) I'm not broken up about it.

For people to than complain about it being a broken mess? No I don't think just banging out a PC version last minute will do anyone any favours.

*Head desk* Yeah, I can see this being taken well by the PC gaming community. Then again, some people are probably going to overreact to this and making it way more of a problem than it is...ugh, a mess, the whole situation.

Destiny is now the worse game ever apparently.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

You may want to re-read your title.

ah, but that would be "too much work". (sorry, heee hee!)


OT: so when you design an mmo shooter...you don't think of the pc as being your strongest bet there?

hmmmm...I have no problem with multiplatform games, in fact I tend to agree that it is the best thing most of the time, but apparently bungie likes segregating itself and hates money.

oh well!