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

[ohnoitsabear]

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!"

Well it's not like there's anything more to know about the game. For a while I thought that I didn't really know anything about the game because I hadn't really been following it or paying attention to it. Nope. I think today is the first day where we've gotten any substantial amount of information, and even then, some critical stuff like how the online features they've been touting actually work. There's a difference between leaving in some surprises for launch and not even being able to give us a good elevator pitch.

And you've been able to preorder the game since they first announced it. Because of course you can.

On topic: I call bullshit. I can guarantee that if they did a halfway decent pc port that it would more than make back whatever they invested into it, not to mention it would be way more likely to be successful if they released it around the same time. And there's no real reason they can't outsource the PC port if it really is that difficult to make (which I'm not convinced of). I know I would rather have the port be outsourced if it means getting a good, timely port than having to wait six months for it.

 

[Compatriot Block]

Talk about an inflammatory title. You know for a fact that it could have been worded more neutrally.

Anyway, the Escapist community seems to have decided that Destiny is going to suck, judging by the last couple of articles about a game not due out until September. So that's another forum topic I'll avoid clicking on. I personally don't get a sense of satisfaction from "calling" that a game will be bad, so I'll actually wait for reviews. I trust Bungie, because I've liked all their games so far.

 

[Asclepion]

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

"Destiny is Bungie's first multiplatform game in over a decade, and its first on a PlayStation platform."

Bungie made ONI, a game on the PS2 before they were bought by Microsoft. It arguably feels more like a Ghost in the Shell game than the actual Ghost in the Shell games.

 

[J Tyran]

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

All of that stuff generally comes with whatever engine they are using, modders and small indie studios can and do choose to add it into their games. It doesn't have to be created from scratch it just needs a UI that can access the features, you would expect for a studio of Bungies size and their experience that it would be a fairly routine task. Even in custom engines code is built into it to allow the devs to fiddle and fettle the games performance during optimisation

People often throw around the word "easy" which isn't strictly true but when you have the resources of a big studio, the depth of experience in the team and all of the hardware and money they have the task does become "relatively easy" rather than truly easy. Like when everyone said it would be easy for Microsoft to remove all the bullshit DRM and online checking crap and mandatory Kinect, Microsoft PR tried to defend it by saying "how can something like that be easy? Its a huge technical challenge, it wouldn't be easy at all", which was true but when you have so many skilled hardware and software engineers on hand that challenge can be relatively easily overcome.

I will say that Bungie do have a point though, this game is online dependant and releasing on all those platforms. Servers are going to melt as it is because we have all seen how well that usually works and its going to be hard enough to run the game and its features as it is, adding another platform would make it even harder.

 

[Clowndoe]

Why are people offended by this as if Bungie was giving the finger to each PC gamer personally? Seems like there's a myth going around that programmers work a day then take the week off. It makes absolutely no sense to say they're just being lazy. Game makers are hourly like the rest of us, and in a way it doesn't matter to them how much content is in the game. They're not putting it on PC so it can come out to their main audience at a more reasonable date and so they can focus on making it stable on a few platforms.

 

[Vault101]

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!"

I swear it's gotten worse this new gen

I mean watch dogs looks mildly interesting but this and Titanfall?

 

[Ferisar]

Why are people offended by this as if Bungie was giving the finger to each PC gamer personally? Seems like there's a myth going around that programmers work a day then take the week off. It makes absolutely no sense to say they're just being lazy. Game makers are hourly like the rest of us, and in a way it doesn't matter to them how much content is in the game. They're not putting it on PC so it can come out to their main audience at a more reasonable date and so they can focus on making it stable on a few platforms.

Hourly is putting it mildly 90% of the time. Anytime devs talk about crunch time and other-such development transitions, I genuinely feel like they're all crazy.

OT:
"Boohoo my PC can't play this game, bet it's a bad game doe, huehue" is what I'm reading a lot of in this thread. OBVIOUSLY if they're TOO LAZY to release a game on five platforms, it's going to blow massive amounts of phalli. Choo choo, hype-train off-boarding at Expectationsville.

I swear it's gotten worse this new gen

I mean watch dogs looks mildly interesting but this and Titanfall?

Ah, yes. That completely incomprehensible feeling of generating excitement to sell something. How unthinkable and devious. Lovecraftian, even. NON-EUCLIDEAN HYPEOMETRY - the Hyper in the Dark.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

"Won't launch OF PC"

Am I the only one that noticed this?

Anyway, not too disappointed. I was planning on getting it on PS3 or maybe 360 anyway since controllers are better and I like using my big tv and not having to fuck around with HDMI cables.

 

[NuclearKangaroo]

hopefully PC gets a port sometime down the line, the PC market right now generates more revenue than the console market, so they shouldnt have put all their eggs on the console basket, specially when it comes to favoring last gen consoles over PC, not only is it more work, but it drags development down and the playerbase of those consoles is on their way out

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.

hell, why cant they avoid releasing CoD on PC and give us Destiny instead?

i think a PC port is likely, considering the kind of cash grabbing motherfuckers that activision are

 

[Sarge034]

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

Oh no. Your platform of choice is not being catered to RIGHT NOW, better go be PC elitist about it... Seriously, everyone gets the shaft at one point because their platform is not supported at all or is an afterthought. For the longest time consoles were being neglected in favor of PCs and now it has come full circle. At least they're considering a port after all this work is done, instead of just pumping out a shitty port to satisfy your gaming demographic for the short term. I wonder though, if they did just shit out a port would this same demographic be complaining that Bungie was just too lazy to take the time to make a good port...

 

[Ninmecu]

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

Oh no. Your platform of choice is not being catered to RIGHT NOW, better go be PC elitist about it... Seriously, everyone gets the shaft at one point because their platform is not supported at all or is an afterthought. For the longest time consoles were being neglected in favor of PCs and now it has come full circle. At least they're considering a port after all this work is done, instead of just pumping out a shitty port to satisfy your gaming demographic for the short term. I wonder though, if they did just shit out a port would this same demographic be complaining that Bungie was just too lazy to take the time to make a good port...

Aaactualy, just a few years (read around the time Jimothy Sterling joined us) there was all sorts of up in arms-ness over how PC gaming is dying and blah blah blah. So, yeah, there's that. Also, with regards to the whole porting thing-we tend to get the shaft on those also, be they good titles or bad, they seem to be ported wholesale bulk brand coding rather than taking the time to ensure a good solid stability and userfriendliness, which might be because lolmods, but I digress.

 

[StriderShinryu]

I really don't see anything wrong with this. First, the audience on the consoles they are going to be launching on first is huge and contains their most ardent fans. It's easy to dismiss 360 and PS3 versions of the game, but those systems have huge install bases of gamers who may already be Bungie fans and who don't have a lot of other options in the genre Destiny is going for. Second, they've basically confirmed that they will at least be looking at a PC version later unlike, say, RockStar and GTA5.

 

[iniudan]

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

"Destiny is Bungie's first multiplatform game in over a decade, and its first on a PlayStation platform."

Spoiler

Bungie made ONI, a game on the PS2 before they were bought by Microsoft. It arguably feels more like a Ghost in the Shell game than the actual Ghost in the Shell games.

Which is like 13 years ago, so still more then a decade ago you know. =p

 

[Something Amyss]

Well it's not like there's anything more to know about the game. For a while I thought that I didn't really know anything about the game because I hadn't really been following it or paying attention to it. Nope. I think today is the first day where we've gotten any substantial amount of information, and even then, some critical stuff like how the online features they've been touting actually work. There's a difference between leaving in some surprises for launch and not even being able to give us a good elevator pitch.

Huh. I thought my lack of knowledge was also due to lack of interest. They've stirred up this much hype with that little?

And you've been able to preorder the game since they first announced it. Because of course you can.

Because HALOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

On topic: I call bullshit. I can guarantee that if they did a halfway decent pc port that it would more than make back whatever they invested into it, not to mention it would be way more likely to be successful if they released it around the same time. And there's no real reason they can't outsource the PC port if it really is that difficult to make (which I'm not convinced of). I know I would rather have the port be outsourced if it means getting a good, timely port than having to wait six months for it.[/quote]

Normally, I'd disagree. We don't have much in the way of sales figures on PC because the physical market is dead and Valve doesn't disclose. PC aversion is a thing, though, and it's enough to bring the PC market into question. However, this being "from the makers of Halo," I can see it certainly being huge. I'd be shocked if it didn't sell well on PC.

 

[Euryalus]

"Won't launch OF PC"

Am I the only one that noticed this?

Anyway, not too disappointed. I was planning on getting it on PS3 or maybe 360 anyway since controllers are better and I like using my big tv and not having to fuck around with HDMI cables.

We all did, it was just too much work to complain for some of us.

OT: I wasn't planning on getting it for the PC anyway, so, being the self centered shit that I am, I'm not too bothered by this news.

I will say It looks like it'd be better to focus on the next gen platforms and PC then make the PS3, XBOX 360 versions, but eh.

 

[ungothicdove]

"Yeah, that big pile of money over there...with the community that would probably add a lot to our game, we're just really not interested."

-Bungie

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

So the consoles get the rushed version, and any PC version down the line would get the full attention of the company?

And it's the PC gamers that are complaining about this?

My brain is confooz.

 

[major_chaos]

Meh, gonna be getting a PS4 at some point anyway so I'm not really bothered by this. Sucks for the PC only crowd but its not like he said "No PC port evar!". And besides wouldn't you rather wait and get a better port later than get a shitty port rushed port?

 

[ecoho]

ok guys first rule of getting a PC version of a game don't ***** because you get it later, lets face it your the tougher crowed. if the game doesn't have FOV sliders and only runs at 60fps it would be (rightly) lynched by the PC community, so give them a reasonable amount of time to bring out a port and if they screw it up or don't do one after say 5 months of no news THEN you rip them a new one(that's 5 months after it releases on consoles).

 

[Strazdas]

well, he claims that the problem is not the porting but the bug-testing, so at least he claims hes taking the bug testing seriuosly, which is.... refreshingly honest.
On the other hand, your taking your time to test it on the dreadful PS3 system and life support Eggsbox 360 and you cant do it on PC? How about dropping the obsolete platforms instead of the leaders?

Though Bungie, as a "Hardcore PC fans" you should know that the reason PC people will hate you is that you delayed the launch for the main platform.

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)

the report takes only last year sales. On PC you dont have to buy new COD every year. we still play COD4 (the best one), CS (all versions), TF2, Blacklight Rettribution, Planetside, ect that simply got ommited. COnsidering that PC shooter tournaments have up to 100 times higher audience/participation i have heavy doubts about it being more popular on consoles. Not to mentino that ESA is using retailers and steam does not disclose its numbers, which is why pretty much any site reporting on sales on PC under-report it.

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

the trailers look cook. emphasis on "look". as in i expect graphics to be all there is to this game.

Why are people offended by this as if Bungie was giving the finger to each PC gamer personally? Seems like there's a myth going around that programmers work a day then take the week off. It makes absolutely no sense to say they're just being lazy. Game makers are hourly like the rest of us, and in a way it doesn't matter to them how much content is in the game. They're not putting it on PC so it can come out to their main audience at a more reasonable date and so they can focus on making it stable on a few platforms.

by not realeasing a game on PC meanwhile keeping up the life support on Eggsbox360 and PS3 they ARE giving the finger to every PC gamer.
And main market? PC IS the main market for FPS and MMO.

ok guys first rule of getting a PC version of a game don't ***** because you get it later, lets face it your the tougher crowed. if the game doesn't have FOV sliders and only runs at 60fps it would be (rightly) lynched by the PC community, so give them a reasonable amount of time to bring out a port and if they screw it up or don't do one after say 5 months of no news THEN you rip them a new one(that's 5 months after it releases on consoles).

Just because there are people that will gladgly eat shit does not mean that people who refuse to do so are "tough crowd". FOV sliders or at least decent (read: minimum 90) FOV should be mandatory for ANY game on ANY platform. Oh, and 60 FPS is the standart for PCs now so we wont complain if it runs like that. You know, these kind of graphical options that are asked by PC community gets modded into games in a matter of hours when its missing right? A single guy does it in couple hours, for free. and they have huge budgets and whole teams and cant do that? Oh, please.

And no, there is no reason why a PC version should be late (and not a PC port, PC version, because ports are just bad on any platform (remember oblivion on PS3?)).