"dumbed down for the console gamer"

[Unknower]

I don't think console gamers are "inferior" compared to PC gamers, but you can sometimes see multiplatform game suffer from console's limitations.

For example, Thief: Deadly Shadows had much smaller maps than I and II, most likely because the game was made for Xbox too. Morrowind's user interface was easy and fast to use. Oblivion's UI on the other hand, because consoles don't have mouses and the TV screen is farther away than computer screen, was slow and complicated and required scrolling, scrolling and scrolling a bit more to find/do something.

A simple solution for problems like the console UI being a steaming pile of shit on PC and vice versa would be to make the PC version and console versions different. Of course, that's just too simple.

 

[Flamezdudes]

this is a phrase i see alot on the escapist but what exactly does it mean, i think as a console gamer its a misrepresentation, the majority of console gamers are mature but there is a loud majority that gives us a bad name.

i can understand that keyboard and mouse is more accurate and your average PC can process alot more than a console which is fair enough but when you say "dumbed down for console audience" its implying that they will simplify the gameplay to suit us and suggests that we are not as mature

so i want to know why this phrase is used, i can accept if it relates to the control scheme or the processing power but its misrepresenting to say that its because we are dumb

Examples: Oblivion only uses 1-8 as hotkeys because hotkeys on console are on the dpad, and that only has 8 directions. So the ui was designed for that. Same with borderlands that only allowed for 4 weapons unlike hl2 etc which all had a shitload^^

The worst I've seen is ME2's "consoleified" UI and control scheme.

Mass Effect was and is meant for the console market. Shooters sell well and so they changed the game a bit in ME2 because of the market.

 

[Deleted]

The major flaw in a Pc gamer's line of thinking when they say that is that they believe better controls = better game.

Of course the stereotype of PC gamers is that they're elitist anyways so maybe its just that.

You'd hear a lot of arguments about how PC is the "master race" and the biggest argument is how the controls are better. Sure they're better for genres created on the PC, but what about adventure games, or fighting games, or racing games? Arguing which controls scheme is better is pointless anyways because you're not going to play against someone with a different setup.

As for which platform has better games, its all opinion. but I'll leave you with this, the console has a wider variety of games due to its massive library of all consoles combined, but the PC can also emulate many of these games. So take that how you will.

 

[Korey Von Doom]

It's always like this, the loud section of a fandom makes everyone look bad.

Personally I play PS3 and PC.

 

[Fusionxl]

I once saw a graphics comparison of Bioshock on both PC and XBox and while, no, I'm not saying that graphics have anything to do with dumbing down, I will say that I honestly had a pretty good laugh because of the gameplay. The creator of the video fought a Big Daddy in the exact same spot in both versions of the game and the XBox one looked hilariously clumsy and...forgiving...

In the PC version the player had to maneuver, take cover and use the environment to his advantage. Every rivet hit was devastating.

In the XBox version the character soaked bullets like a sponge water. True, the player still visibly made an effort, but the combat wasn't nearly as finely tuned and complex.

So that's what I generally understand by "getting dumbed down for the console crowd". Making gameplay easier because of...hardware limitations...

 

[GotMalkAvian]

The main reason that games have to be "dumbed down" for cosoles is interface issues. A PC keyboard just has way more accessible buttone than a console gamepad. The accuracy of a mouse vs. an analog stick doesn't even enter into it.
In order to truly understand the difference in feel between some games on a console and the same games on a PC, you need to play an RPG like Dragon Age or an RTS like Command & Conquer.
I love the fact that everyone seems to think that the "dumbing down" comment is a shot at console gamers themselves. I've been both a PC and console gamer for years, and I, unfortunately, have to agree that a lot of game interfaces have to be watered-down to work on a console.

 

[The Lunatic]

That has little to do with "dumbing down for consoles," though. It's more "dumbing down for casual fans who want too much RPG in their RPG."

What's the difference?

 

[TPiddy]

To be honest, PC Gamers have no one to blame but themselves. Their constant complaints about the price of games / expansions / dlc, the rampant piracy, the graphics whores... they are what lead gaming companies to realize that the console market is where they can make their money, and as such, have targeted it as a platform.

If game developers could target PC only and still be profitable, like StarCraft II (and yes you PC elitists had to ***** about THAT too) then gaming companies would target PC only. You reap what you sow PC gamers, and your flat out refusal to financially support your game developers mean that they are seeking greener pastures elsewhere and you are left with the resulting lip service.

 

[Direwolf750]

there are pleany of very loud idiots on the PC's, don't kid yourself. However, as both, I must admit that there are more annoying people on the console games. In my opinion it really comes down to money, and likeliness of repercussions. The people who want to be obnoxious on the internet find hard-to-regulate halo and modern warfare games a much safer bastion than games they can easily be banned from. Also, it takes a lot more money shelled out to get a decent gaming computer, about 3 times the cost of an xbox 360 for a bare bones gaming computer unless you build it yourself. laptops are even more.

 

[JeanLuc761]

To be honest, PC Gamers have no one to blame but themselves. Their constant complaints about the price of games / expansions / dlc, the rampant piracy, the graphics whores... they are what lead gaming companies to realize that the console market is where they can make their money, and as such, have targeted it as a platform.

If game developers could target PC only and still be profitable, like StarCraft II (and yes you PC elitists had to ***** about THAT too) then gaming companies would target PC only. You reap what you sow PC gamers, and your flat out refusal to financially support your game developers mean that they are seeking greener pastures elsewhere and you are left with the resulting lip service.

Man, this is one of the most -facepalm- worthy comments I've seen in a while. Let's take a look at a few assumptions you made here:

1) Most, if not all PC gamers are elitists who complain about everything.
2) Console gamers complain less, and are more grateful to developers
3) PC gamers refuse to financially support developers

Every single one of those is either morbidly exaggerated or flat-out wrong. I've seen console gamers ***** their brains out over Bungie changing a single weapon for the next Halo game. I've seen PC gamers spend thousands of dollars both in retail and digital distribution, all in support of developers. Finally, I've seen plenty of level-headed PC gamers who calmly ask the developer/manufacturer to explain their reasoning for *insert what people are mad about*.

 

[repeating integers]

Elitism ahoy!

Misconception clearing time:

1) FPS games work fine on consoles. Those who actively refuse to accept this (rather than having tried both and just deciding they like PC FPS games better - I like those kinds of people, they're reasonable) have usually been raised on a strict diet of PC FPS games, so somewhat understandably are unable to adapt to the differences and also cannot see how anyone else could.

2) Console gamers don't all have attention deficits. Getting over the ridiculous idea that the platform a person plays on completely defines their entire personality, there seems to be some sort of consensus among PC gamers that console gamers fall asleep when playing anything other than Halo or CoD. Which, I suppose, is why I - an avid 360 gamer - really enjoyed Mass Effect, both 1 and 2. Let's take this further, in fact - if one were to assume that console gamers don't have the attention span to handle any particularly deep or thought-provoking, then logically, one would have to assume that console gamers are unable to handle deep or thought-provoking books, TV series, and films. As someone who went to see and thoroughly enjoyed Inception, I can say that is utter cobblers.

 

[Mcface]

It's used because people are ridiculous. I did a blog post on this recently, and the entire notion is beyond silly. 'Dumbed down for consoles' is just the insecure PC elitist's excuse to push blame from poor development (Because they love the developer) to other, 'inferior' platforms. It's a joke.

This.

I've seen more and more shoddy PC ports, and just awful PC exclusives come out in the last year or two that have really lead to be playing my consoles more often.
Shooters on PC are almost abyssal now. With the amount of cheating, glitches, bad porting and lack of support, im almost always going to chose a console version over a PC version.

Exception would be RPGs and RTS games.

As for the XBL annoying people, I would have to disagree fully. I have hundreds of hours on XBL, and have really run into very few assholes and loudmouths (playing halo is the only exception, there were quite a few there. but mostly just annoying 10 year olds)

However while on my PS3, I've run into about as many assholes, and I've have my PS3 for less than a year, where as i've had my 360 since launch. Another annoying this is on PS3, almost half of the games i would join, there would be people who spoke a different language. (VERY annoying if you cant understand a word anyone is saying)

 

[lacktheknack]

I find that insulting.

I do a fair share of console gaming my self and I feel it's more like "made complicated for the PC gamer"

I mean, who can keep track of all those randome buttons???????

Anyone with a good handspan. Reconfiguring keys fixes that.

OT: I don't know why. It seems silly.

 

[Caliostro]

the majority of console gamers are mature but there is a loud majority that gives us a bad name.

Obvious typo aside, you, and assuming you are part of the "mature" crowd since I don't know you, really aren't the majority...

It's not true that all console gamers are hopeless brain dead retards, that's the inevitable "hyperbolization" resulting from constant fanboy conflict taking it's toll on reasonable arguments. I was a console gamer as well as a PC gamer too for most of my life (with the exception of this last generation which, honestly, was a significant disappointment in my book), but here's the thing: Consoles ARE dumbed down PCs.

It's like saying "majority of the Wii demographic are kids or people who are to games what ICP fans are to real music". Yes, it's always a gross exaggeration, but it IS based on truth, because that's exactly who the Wii targets.

This isn't to say the PC is perfect, or that sometimes it isn't needlessly complicated (if you ever even looked at an EvE online screenshot you know they can be), but Consoles ARE dumbed down PCs. That's exactly what they were built to be. Cheap, relatively hassle free, "gaming computers" for people who can't be bothered to learn to deal with a "proper" computer. This, obviously, reflects on it's target demographic, and consequently, the games.

Just think of your average console controller if you're in doubt. It's insanely less practical or useful for most genres. Your perfectly average PC setup has the standard Windows keyboard with around 104 keys + 3 keys from the mouse + mouse wheel + mouse for precise directional input. An xbox 360 controller has around 8/9 buttons, 1 directional pad (accounting for 4 more buttons), and 2 clumsy and horribly inaccurate analogues for directional inputs. It's made to be the most practical it can be, while remaining as non-threatening and easy to use as physically possible. The Wii takes that to the extreme, being about as precise and accurate as painting details with a cow's entire ass but easy enough to use that even a functionally retarded 8 year old child wouldn't feel threatened by it.

So yes, hardware limitations AND target demographic do mean that games are generally dumbed down for consoles. Which isn't to say that ALL console gamers are mouth breathers, or that all console games are MW2 (i.e: pile of cancerous shit)... But most are... That's who they're targeting...

 

[Ewyx]

1. Play BioShock
2. Play System Shock 2
3. Realize how terrible BioShock is compared to what it could be
4. Realize that certain UI elements are hard to effectively implement on the console controller scheme.
5. To the forums!

 

[Irridium]

Well I'll point to the example I used in the blog post I made: Dragon Age. Dragon Age is very very different on the PC as it is on the console. The PC version gets higher resolution graphics, a totally different camera angle, and a completely different control scheme. The console version gets lower resolution graphics, and a controller-friendly control scheme. Both parties get what they want and get to play the same game.

That's proper multiplatform development.

And what sucks is that it seems Bioware's treating the PC and consoles the same with DA2's development. This frightens me because instead of playing to each platform's strenghts, as they did with Dragon Age, they're just making it all the same, which could negatively affect all platforms.

I thought that Bioware had stated that they were making the console version of Dragon Age 2 more action-oriented, but keeping the PC version more strategy oriented. Where did you hear any different?

In a Game Informer from a while ago. In it it stated that Bioware will try to make sure the game is exactly the same across all platforms. Whether or not they were referring to graphics, gameplay, or anything else is unclear though. However usually when thats said it usually ends with a shoddy PC/console port.

Plus it makes me worried about mods. The first game was moddable, very moddable. So far we haven't heard anything on it for DA2.

 

[Get_A_Grip_]

I really hate this phrase.

I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. But I'm far from being classified as dumb.
Just because I can't afford a gaming PC doesn't mean I should get a very inferior version of a game.

Bethesda. I'm looking at you!

 

[Arehexes]

Its probably because you have ruined every awesome franchise, EX: look at Fallout 2 compared to 3. One was awesome, the other was a dumbed down buggy piece of trash. Just please play Halo Wars, and leave the rest of the RTS's alone.

Logic issue, the devs of fallout 2 didn't make fallout 3. Nice try

 

[Atmos Duality]

Personally though, I don't really believe this sort of stuff anymore. If Devs aren't willing to work properly on cross platform development then they aren't good devs! Blaming other gamers is just childish.

Hating the gamers is childish; however, the market sets the standard.
How? Sales performance and test group results. Popular = sales.

Right now, that standard happens to strongly favor console design; for a multi-platform title, PC isn't profitable enough to warrant putting the extra effort to convert or adapt it.
"Git er done and get paid."

So yes, console gamers are to blame. There is no other logical conclusion.
But don't hate console gamers.

 

[Kurt Horsting]

I don't want to interrupt this mildly amusing flame war, but as a player of both consoles and pc's, I think it comes down mostly to the games themselves. I simply cannot play a shooter on console. I need a mouse and keyboard. It is frightening and confusing to me to use the analog stick to aim. The mouse is just that much better (to me anyway). And Starcraft 2 is pc only, and should stay that way.

I also play fighting games competitively, so I have to travel to different venues with my equipment (sticks, console, games, cloths, luggage, etc), It would be really hard for me to bring my rig everywhere I wanted to game. And bringing my console and games is usually optional, or if i want to play casuals in someones hotel or something. They just are more convenient. If I see a pc at a fighting game tourney, its usually a laptop with roms or something on them.

So ya, thats about it for me.