Piracy of PC Games, Problems of PC Games, are Consoles superior that PC
In comments of my previous blog post on Microsoft killing PC Gaming I got a comment about the problem of "Piracy of PC Games" and if so, then why develop for it.
First the facts I know first and from my own observation in my own city, and information from my own first hand friends in some other countries :-
1.) PC games are Pirated and Console games are Piracy free.
-Fallout 3 on XBox 360, leaked 3 weeks before release.
-In China, Malaysia, India, Russia and many such countries, you can get modded playstation 3 in the "Showroom of Sony itself - I can do it in my own city in India", And Pirated XBox360 DVD's that run on unmodded XBox360(It does not need to be modified to run those pirated discs which are easily available for just 2 USD.)
If Chinese hackers can make a Software(in assembly language) that just emulates a OEM PC after motherboard setup and before Windows Vista boot up, how can be anything protected. Similarly PS2, PS3 are also modified with a hardware chip and PSP too(easy game download too).
I am seeing all this around me myself and then saying it.
Anyway the point being piracy on PC(which I point it is not exclusive on PC). Better service, better games, Downloadable content is proving a good solution and sensible companies are using it.
It seems Many people are just accepting the wide spread belief on PC piracy and Console security from general news sources instead of searching the truth and questioning the news. Obviously when all this will swell up it will become news then also and everybody will know, introspect, come back to PC.
2.) You need PC only for graphics and you donot need graphics "only" for a good game.
A good game can be liked even in Quake 3 graphics(but is anyone ready to droop down to Quake 2 graphics, I am not, and if so what about Quake 1 graphics, you can play it on P1 333 MHz. Arguably Quake 1 tech cannot suport the gameplay of Gothic 3.)
But not beating the bush too much and not giving extreme arguments, I agree that "upto a point Graphics does not matter", butGraphics does matter the percentage it is required in a good game. I allocate 33% for Graphics superiority these days.
Tech matters. --- Crysis ---
Crysis itself is a greatly enjoyable game even if in Half-Life2 graphics or Quake 3 graphics. It does not suit taste of majority like Call of Duty 4,5,6 is another matter. For that matter COD6MW2 is still as much enjoyable in Quake 3 graphics, the only difference being Graphics fidelity. But now you will not want to go back. Was not Half-Life 2 and Oblivion had best graphics when they came and were also very good games.
And to point out(as already has been pointed out many times by Crytek itself) that CryEngine was meant to use hardware of upto 2010 fully, and it does. The only problem being people trying to run it above Ultra Quality on 2007 hardware. Crytek itself was latter thinking of locking Ultra mode in Crysis as better, though I would like the freedom to crank my game to Oblivion "If I want", I may not be unable to do so on 2007 hardware, but I like freedom.
Crysis performs far much faster on a scene complexity which just drags Unreal Engine 3. Frontlines Fuels of War tried to put large levels on Unreal Engine 3 and it had awful load times and very bad draw distance. Jungle Rendering is awful in any Unreal Engine game, and I am bored with only labs of Area 51 like games. Halo does not compare to Crysis or even UT3 for that matter, graphically.
And anyone who has played Crysis on Medium wil swear it look lot better than any PS 2 game(except God of War), but once you put Crysis at High no Console or any other PC game including current ones look better than it. This Crysis on High Settings which runs real smooth on Cheap GeForce 8800GT, 2GB RAM, 2.4 GHz core 2 Duo(All within sweet 600USD range). That leaves nor oom for talking abou the very high settings of Crysis, just do it yourself and decide, and donot worry it may lag on GeForce 8800GT(2007 hardware), but it will not fry your PC.
And you can play Crysis on High at 800 x 600 resolution on eve cheaper GeForce 8800GT. I have myself tried all these combinations. And Crysis Warhead performs even better.
3.) You need to constantly upgrade your PC to play latest games.
First read the "Tech matters. --- Crysis ---" section above.
If you invest wisely which is not too much to ask for a rational human being and are a bit informed on PC hardware(there are numerous blogs and forums), and can take decision on your own(Is this too much to ask, though many people waste thre whole life being puppet of others)
you can get hardware which will last you 3 years, and you will still play all games at high. And if you want to got ot Very highest tahn you are in problems as games at Ultra setting(games which are graphical showcase like Doom 4 are designed to bring SLI hardware on knees), this is not possible to do on 6 month old hardware by nature of the event itself. But this is not required to enjoy the game. Consoles shield you from upgrades but have less freedom and very inferior graphics like playing on medium settings. If one just wants ready made food he will never be able to taste good cooking.
4.) Why Develop for PC? has different reasons for different people. The major reason being PC is the only platform where you can make the most technologicaly superior game. And if technology does not goes forward it is a retrogressive mentality, like stopping a children from being growing in a adult.
Piracy can definetly be minimized, Linux gaming can definetly be made popular, Very good games can definetly come on PC, but anything requires more effort in start and then rolls smooth when wheels are set in motion.
I am ending on a hopeful note, and Game Developers are in general smart talented people, soon enough they will se the logic in PC.
Once upon a time everybody was saying that PS1 will kill PC gaming and then Jhon Carmack released GLQuake and all PS1 games start looking like shit - Gabe Newell, Valve Software.
For one atleast some people have logical, problem solving minds.
You have read all and I leave upto the rational human beng reading this post to decide for himself what is good for him.( If a retard is reading this he is advised to not waste his time and others, by asking and arguing and in the end buying only console - see how he is smart enough to stick to his decision but just as stupidly keeps trouling others for info though never using his own mind - Just go and buy XBox 360, PS3 and Wii, that is the least hassle free path:) )
Is Microsoft Killing PC Gaming
Review of Risen - a excellent role-playing game by Gothic 3 developers.
And if you like my these posts you may want to look at
Avatar the movie, being Primal or Star Wars
New Moon, the drama inherent
and
Review of Risen - a excellent role-playing game by Gothic 3 developers.
Best Graphics Engine to use for Next - Gen games, Megatexturing, Id Tech 5, Unreal Engine and Cry Engine
at my blog
www.nexon7.blogspot.com
images Show -
Crysis - a premier PC Game in Ultra Quality (released 2007)
Gears of War 2 - a Prominent Console Game(XBox360) in Maximum Quality (released 2008)
Call of Duty 4 Modern Wrafare - a Multiplatform Game(XBox360, PS3, PC) in Maximum Quality (released2007)
See for yourself
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