Why are developers turning away from the PC?

[Sewblon]

Companies such as Epic games now view the console market as more important and lucrative than the PC market, Why is this. It perplexes me since FPSs, Strategy games and MMOGs remain PC centric.

 

[Amnestic]

Because of the eevils of Piracy.

That's about it really.

Also, please don't use such a thread title again, there's been quite enough PC vs Console threads as of late to satisfy anyone for a life time.

 

[Lt. Sera]

Take the sales figures from Fallout 3 (FPS RPG) as example: 4,7 million sales, of which only 17% on the PC. The market for consoles simply seems to be bigger, for whatever reason they might be. So it makes sense to focus more and more on console game development as a game dev/publisher.

 

[Sewblon]

Because of the eevils of Piracy.

That's about it really.

Also, please don't use such a thread title again, there's been quite enough PC vs Console threads as of late to satisfy anyone for a life time.

Sorry about the title.

Piracy has existed in some form since before the internet existed. It is logistically impossible to prevent software from being cracked and Pirated once it undergoes mass distribution yet companies such as Valve became rich by making PC games. Piracy may contribute to the PC markets suffering but it can not destroy the market on its own.

 

[Weavin]

I guess it's a market in which everybody's console can most definitley run the game as smoothly and equally as everyone else.

Also, game companies who form bonds with console producers are pretty much guaranteed future popularity whereas it is quite easy for games and game companies to be forgotten, or to flop on PC.

I disagree with the fact that FPS' remain 'PC centric', recently the console industry has taken in this genre and made it one of the most popular console genres of all time.

I feel that most strategy and MMO's are still PC based, with a few exceptions, and until game companies discover a way to release a functional and fun strategy game on consoles that actually works well then the PC will always remain the strongest platform for those genres.

 

[Logan Westbrook]

Title changed to reflect the topic.

As the people above me have already said, piracy is a issue for many developers. Epic have said that they won't be bringing Gears of War 2 to the PC for that very reason. You also have the issue of cost. Games are expensive things to make these days, so the number of cross-platform releases is increasing so that publishers can recoup the millions spent on making the game in the first place.

The example genres that you cite are a little off in my opinion. the Xbox 360 is known for having a lot of first-person shooters in it's library and Real-Time Strategy games are gaining a foothold as well. MMOs are the holdouts at the moment, but that isn't necessarily always going to be the case. You can already play Final Fantasy XI on the 360, and I believe the new Champions MMO is going to be available on consoles as well.

EDIT: Not all publishers are turning away from the PC however. Microsoft have recently revamped Games for Windows Live and are looking to make it a much more useful service in the future, including anti-piracy measures. More details can be found here. [http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/interview-pc-is-the-cradle-of-innovation-says-microsoft/?biz=1]

 

[Ace of Spades]

I really wish that things would come out at a reasonable date, not two months after the release for consoles, like what happened with Mirror's Edge (that is unless they push it back again, thoes bastards...). I love my PC, but things don't come out for it as fast as they should.

 

[Raven28256]

Plain and simple: Game developers are paranoid over piracy. Seriously, game developers now are more paranoid about software piracy than the US government was about commies during the late 1940s and 50s.

 

[Souplex]

Piracy.

The fact that every 360 (Any system but I need an example for this to work.) is equal in power.

The convenience of joystick control.

Affordability (Computers are affordable but you need a high end one to play newer games and those are pricey) means a larger market base.

Stop me any time here.

 

[Amnestic]

The convenience of joystick control.

???

Not to repeat old points, but A) as opposed to the convenience of mouse+keyboard control? and b) you can hook gamepads up to PCs, last time I checked.

 

[Souplex]

The convenience of joystick control.

???

Not to repeat old points, but A) as opposed to the convenience of mouse+keyboard control? and b) you can hook gamepads up to PCs, last time I checked.

I am entitled to my opinion and I find mice too unwieldy and keyboards too stiff and that is a very awkward combo.

 

[Amnestic]

The convenience of joystick control.

???

Not to repeat old points, but A) as opposed to the convenience of mouse+keyboard control? and b) you can hook gamepads up to PCs, last time I checked.

I am entitled to my opinion and I find mice too unwieldy and keyboards too stiff and that is a very awkward combo.

Fair enough, but that doesn't account for my B) point.

 

[Altorin]

for a game to have a strong following on PC it has to be PC exclusive. If a game can be ported to a console, and your company does so, then very few people will buy the PC version..

 

[Siuss]

I think it has at least a bit to do with that a console is much cheaper than building a rig. Also it is a lot easier for all the little kiddies to go and attain a console from any general merch. store. Perhaps if "console exclusives" were phased out and all games were released for PC as well as 360 or PS3 (The game would still only be released for one console) more PC gamers would emerge.

Let's face it though aren't you a LOT happier not having to put up with all the little pricks of Xbox LIVE? I play 360, and I know, for the most part, the community is horrid.

 

[James Raynor]

Companies such as Epic games now view the console market as more important and lucrative than the PC market, Why is this. It perplexes me since FPSs, Strategy games and MMOGs remain PC centric.

Also the fact that most people have a PC but not a console?

 

[Altorin]

Companies such as Epic games now view the console market as more important and lucrative than the PC market, Why is this. It perplexes me since FPSs, Strategy games and MMOGs remain PC centric.

Also the fact that most people have a PC but not a console?

If you play games, you more then likely have a console

 

[PersianLlama]

Because of the eevils of Piracy.

That's about it really.

Also, please don't use such a thread title again, there's been quite enough PC vs Console threads as of late to satisfy anyone for a life time.

Steam seems to work very well for Valve. Seems quite lucrative too...

 

[semaj1337]

Piracy.

The fact that every 360 (Any system but I need an example for this to work.) is equal in power.

You're just asking for a console vs pc thread.
What you've said right there is just plain wrong. A mid-end to high-end PC is light years ahead of the Xbox/PS3 performance. That is not debatable.

I think he meant that all 360s are equal in power, so they (developers) don't have to take into account a whole bunch of different user configurations, just the one.

 

[Altorin]

Piracy.

The fact that every 360 (Any system but I need an example for this to work.) is equal in power.

You're just asking for a console vs pc thread.
What you've said right there is just plain wrong. A mid-end to high-end PC is light years ahead of the Xbox/PS3 performance. That is not debatable.

I think he meant that all 360s are equal in power, so they (developers) don't have to take into account a whole bunch of different user configurations, just the one.

well, directx is basically the PC middleman that lets gmae devs worry more about making a game then making it work on every system setup.

but this thread will be locked if it turns into a PC vs Console debate.

 

[santaandy]

...since FPSs, Strategy games and MMOGs remain PC centric.

Nope. Not true.