Epic Exec Wants Consoles to Catch Up to PCs

[Atheist.]

A successful console will never match a computer released at the same time. Not to mention the constant progression of hardware. My laptop destroys modern games, running everything at max settings and it's a year old next month. It looks far better than any console right now.

Shit, I've heard people complain about load times in Duke Nuke'em Forever. I have no idea what they're talking about, since maps load in ten seconds or less for me. Not bragging, just making an example out of how far behind consoles are always going to be.

Edit: Also as previously mentioned, Epic screwed over their original fan base. They started on the pc, pissed everyone off, then ran off elsewhere. Plus, UT3 sucked compared to the rest of the series.

 

[TerribleAssassin]

But the problem with cramming so much into your console is that manufacturing components is most likely cheaper and it's only so long before it becomes dated.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Everytime a new console is released it closes the gap between the previous gen consoles and PC's. Why is this even news?

No, it doesn't. Consoles become outmoded often months *before* launch.
That's simply due to the need for launch titles. While the developers do get their dev kits well ahead of launch, the kits absolutely *must* include the design/limiting specs for the system which means the console's main hardware profile (processing and VGU) must be finalized at that time.

PCs have a very different set of limitations and requirements: they have gradient/variable settings within the program (high/low quality) to account for the variety of performance specs in the market.

 

[punipunipyo]

actually... I've always enjoy PC gaming over console... simply because my entry to "serous" gaming was a PC game. Though I have a PS3 now, and have been heavily relying on PS3 gaming for the past 2 years, simply because I was too poor to get an upgrade, but every time I pop in my Fallout3 GOTY, I reminded my self how much MORE fun it is to use mouse aim, keyboard control, and how specific I can tweak the game to my "favorite setting" in an era where "key config" is a rarity even when there is only around 10 buttons total on an average PS3 controller (+ D-pad and 2 logs) I missed the days when I can set up all the shooters to my own personal setting.

I, for one can tell you that no phones, pads, VCRs(that means any thing that connects to my TV), hand helds can replace a PC to my gaming experiences it's unique, and conferable with total freedom, and just for referencing, Unreal Engine gaming is the best of all, for a last gen computer, playing a game with UE3, I can still play with very little lag, I simply love this engine, it's downward comparable! I recently played "Bulletstorm" on PC, at a friend's on a crappy xeon possessor Nvida 8800, still with most spectacles on, and it rarely lag! (because I bought it for PS3 hoping that one day, epic games would make a DL patch on PSN to enable Key/Mouse like UT3) When I get a better computer, I'll surely jump back on to PC gaming!

just for refrencing, for games that plays better with pads... I use "X-padder"

 

[lord.jeff]

Why bother? PC's are just going to shoot past consoles again in a matter of months. Why not simply make games for PC and forget all about consoles?

Microsoft and Sony make money on consoles and they want you to buy them. It doesn't mean it's a good idea to do that. Consoles are exactly what's killing gaming. Think about it. This motion control crap came from consoles, advertisements in games came from consoles, exclusive pre-orders and payed DLC came from consoles. Everything we hate about gaming today happened because this generation of consoles made gaming mainstream. And what's even worse, they are slowly preparing us for cloud gaming!

First most people play on a console that doesn't sound like killing gaming. Second DLC came from computers with the use of map packs, expansion packs and farmville, and in game advertising has been with us for sometime now I don't know the first game that used it, but it's been used by both. Third cloud gaming you mean like steam.

 

[similar.squirrel]

Shouldn't there be a focus on making good games, as opposed to increasingly shiny ones? The best game I've ever played was running on an upgraded version of the Source Engine. Which is a decade old soon. The graphics didn't matter.

 

[Epona]

Everytime a new console is released it closes the gap between the previous gen consoles and PC's. Why is this even news?

No, it doesn't. Consoles become outmoded often months *before* launch.
That's simply due to the need for launch titles. While the developers do get their dev kits well ahead of launch, the kits absolutely *must* include the design/limiting specs for the system which means the console's main hardware profile (processing and VGU) must be finalized at that time.

PCs have a very different set of limitations and requirements: they have gradient/variable settings within the program (high/low quality) to account for the variety of performance specs in the market.

Ok, every new console narrows the gap temporarily. That is how I define "close the gap" actually but I can understand if you define it as "completely eliminating any gap".

The longer this gen goes, the wider the gap will get. It will be at it's narrowist right after a new console launch.

 

[Epona]

Why bother? PC's are just going to shoot past consoles again in a matter of months. Why not simply make games for PC and forget all about consoles?

Microsoft and Sony make money on consoles and they want you to buy them. It doesn't mean it's a good idea to do that. Consoles are exactly what's killing gaming. Think about it. This motion control crap came from consoles, advertisements in games came from consoles, exclusive pre-orders and payed DLC came from consoles. Everything we hate about gaming today happened because this generation of consoles made gaming mainstream. And what's even worse, they are slowly preparing us for cloud gaming!

First most people play on a console that doesn't sound like killing gaming. Second DLC came from computers with the use of map packs, expansion packs and farmville, and in game advertising has been with us for sometime now I don't know the first game that used it, but it's been used by both. Third cloud gaming you mean like steam.

I think he means paid DLC, not just DLC. As for the rest, I agree with you but I would like to add three more bad things console have brought us this gen:

- Locked save files
- DLC locked to a console
- Achievements (I know alot of people love these but I don't)

 

[GeorgW]

I really hope they'll show some restraint for the next generation of consoles. Games are too expensive, consoles are too expensive. There's no need to make the hardware so much more powerful, just teach the devs some moderation when it comes to the textures if they want bigger games. Yes we need another cycle, but it doesn't have to be too big of a jump. That should hold us a decade more.

 

[darkonnis]

I think a good indication that graphics aren't anyones real concern is when you look at minecraft or terrario and how well they've done. So longs the graphics are reasonable i dont much care personally.
For me, Xbox live has gone the right way allowing you to download little indie games etc a bit like steam.
As stated above i think the biggest thing needed is processing power and maybe further integration of USB devices like mice and keyboards then you could do RTS's quite well

 

[Zom-B]

I think that as gamers, and for gamers, PCs and consoles should be treated as distinct entities. PCs provide top end, upgradeable specs for pinnacle gaming experiences. Consoles provide out-of-the-box workability and consistency and the consumer knows that whatever game they purchase will work.

Developers and publishers should each decide which platform they want to create games for, and if they do want to do cross platform (pc/console) then they should just buck up the dollars to do it.

I don't see the sense in trying to converge the two worlds, just as MS and Apple don't support cross-OS programs for the most part, because they are simply incompatible. When you want to use Windows on your Mac you have to run Paralells and if you want iTunes on your PC you have to use the inferior PC version. The same philosophy should apply to gaming. You want to play Crysis on your PS3? You get the inferior version. You want Mario on your PC then you need an emulator or if you want GoW3 then you better get a 360. You can draw an analogue to porting games to handhelds. Even games that might come out at the same time on console and handheld are often made by different teams because they are making games for different platforms! No one is suggesting that console games be reduced down to handheld size and fidelity because the handhelds are "behind" consoles or less powerful. No, we get two distinct games, that while they may share a title, can have vast differences in terms of graphics, controls and gameplay.

It seems pointless to drag PC games down to console level and for devs to struggle with these problems instead of focussing in on making quality games. Make console games. Make PC games. Make both well. If you don't have the money/teams to do both, choose one and do it right.

Lots of publishers and developers still don't seem to understand that gamers ultimately care about ONE thing: fun. Graphics are great, innovation is great, sequels are great (sometimes). Bottom line is that we want games that are fun to play. (That's why iPhone gaming really took off- the games may be bite-sized, but they provide the fun people want in small chunks)

 

[Sartan0]

Third cloud gaming you mean like steam.

Nope. The true cloud would store everything there. There would be no 'local copy' or playing in offline mode. Your box would be a dumb terminal attached to the cloud. While I don't doubt valve is trying to position it's self for the future thankfully we are not there yet.

 

[mxfox408]

The only company I ever hear bitching about anything is Epic. First they say GOW 2 willnever be made to the PC because of pirating which is a load of horseshit, then they say they wont make games on android phones because androids market is too cluttered, when we have androids running more powerful specs than the iphail, and now they want consoles to catch up to PCs......hmnn only reason i can think of this is because thier too fucken lazy to make different versions for different console that differ specs greatly. They are the only company that bitches about how hard it is to port games.....which explains why they want the gap closed. Bucha douche bags epic has become to pc gamers.

 

[lord.jeff]

Third cloud gaming you mean like steam.

Nope. The true cloud would store everything there. There would be no 'local copy' or playing in offline mode. Your box would be a dumb terminal attached to the cloud. While I don't doubt valve is trying to position it's self for the future thankfully we are not there yet.

So more like web based gaming.

 

[TheShogun]

Why bother? PC's are just going to shoot past consoles again in a matter of months. Why not simply make games for PC and forget all about consoles?

Microsoft and Sony make money on consoles and they want you to buy them. It doesn't mean it's a good idea to do that. Consoles are exactly what's killing gaming. Think about it. This motion control crap came from consoles, advertisements in games came from consoles, exclusive pre-orders and payed DLC came from consoles. Everything we hate about gaming today happened because this generation of consoles made gaming mainstream. And what's even worse, they are slowly preparing us for cloud gaming!

I can't even imagine what kind of shit they'll come up with for the next generation of consoles. But whatever it is it won't be good. Of course it will be advertized as the best thing since sliced bread and a lot of people will fall for that. Just so they can squeeze even more money out of people who are already paying too much. Most games are not worth $60 anyway, and you shouldn't have to pay to be able to play your games online (Xbox Live) when you already bought your multiplayer game for $60!

Adverisments and cloud gaming came from consoles? I'd like to see the examples please.

 

[Lethos]

Why bother? PC's are just going to shoot past consoles again in a matter of months. Why not simply make games for PC and forget all about consoles?

Microsoft and Sony make money on consoles and they want you to buy them. It doesn't mean it's a good idea to do that. Consoles are exactly what's killing gaming. Think about it. This motion control crap came from consoles, advertisements in games came from consoles, exclusive pre-orders and payed DLC came from consoles. Everything we hate about gaming today happened because this generation of consoles made gaming mainstream. And what's even worse, they are slowly preparing us for cloud gaming!

I can't even imagine what kind of shit they'll come up with for the next generation of consoles. But whatever it is it won't be good. Of course it will be advertized as the best thing since sliced bread and a lot of people will fall for that. Just so they can squeeze even more money out of people who are already paying too much. Most games are not worth $60 anyway, and you shouldn't have to pay to be able to play your games online (Xbox Live) when you already bought your multiplayer game for $60!

You can thank consoles for the fact that gaming has become such a big industry in modern times. I never understood the antagonism between PC gamers and console gamers.

 

[duchaked]

This somewhat upsets me because it is, once again, stirring up the idea amongst PC elitists that consoles shouldn't exist.

No matter how one feels about either in advantages and disadvantages (even with the argument that there's nothing a console can do that a PC can't), I'd much prefer to stay away from that attitude.

If I wanted to lose friends fast, I'd just punch them disregarding their console-only gaming ways (or heck, non-gaming ways) seems far too inefficient

 

[duchaked]

sorry, double post =.= and people are getting upset so I'll just step out of this one quietly...

 

[Epona]

...PCs only win in graphics (let's focus on great gameplay and story first), but people seem to forget it's a trade off
not everyone's into building and maintaining and upgrading (surprised? different people, different hobbies) computers
plus I like my couch in front of my TV with my laptop put aside for the occasional Facebook/Gmail lol

Well, I can play a console game, with a wireless XBOX 360 controller or a PS2 controller (USB adapter) on PC with better graphics and better load times while on the couch. PC's hook right up to HDTV's ya know.

Of course, I can also use a wireless keyboard and mouse too.

http://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/image?c=03AHJ_VuvLcLVH_3Uakgd6rn8TKpZEQyQUYM_M1GauUvXEOHl8Gny0xmlCP7x4sTdb0t_a_0aGeJSvq-jYwWvs2T01plECJdT9idhkGk3eyi78uJsHq321ElOJt-nolI0cDiLCIRkOtcUgqVx1BSeN3te_urwUNu34nA


How the hell can I type this?

 

[Neonsilver]

...PCs only win in graphics (let's focus on great gameplay and story first), but people seem to forget it's a trade off
not everyone's into building and maintaining and upgrading (surprised? different people, different hobbies) computers
plus I like my couch in front of my TV with my laptop put aside for the occasional Facebook/Gmail lol

It's not only graphics, PC's have more RAM than consoles. The PS3 has 256MB RAM, the XBox 360 512.