[Maverick]

It's just too bad that most bigtime developers prefer to make their games for consoles rather than PCs.

I don't feel like arguing about it, but I did like to know which are these bigtime devs that neglect the pc platform.

[Lynk Former]

I didn't say "neglect the pc platform," I said they prefer to make their games for consoles rather than PCs... there is a difference. I also never suggested that there aren't a lot of developers that solely focus on making PC games or choose PC as their platform of choice.

What I did say is that the majority of developers around the world choose their main focus as console games over PC games. PC gaming still has a lot going for it thanks to a number of very popular games, but the bottom line is that most developers prefer to make games for consoles.

I also said in another thread that PC gaming is a very important part and belongs right next to console gaming as just another platform for developers to develop their games which has its own strengths and weaknesses, etc.

So don't get your panties in a twist It's the same as how most developers preferred to make games on the Playstation rather than the Nintendo 64.

[Moelman]

Many games that are developed for consoles just aren't worth the effort of porting it to the PC from a marketing standpoint.

[Lynk Former]

Pretty much... and some well known PC developers are finding that they have no choice but to develop for consoles to actually make some decent money since console games get pirated less than PC games.

[Maverick]

to actually make some decent money since console games get pirated less than PC games

I always felt that console games are generally more expensive than their pc counterparts, so that's why consoles are more profitable

[Moelman]

I agree with you when the game is developed for PC only but it seems like games that are out on both console and PC share the same price.

[Eva]

I'm also under the impression more people would own a current generation console than have a up to date computer, which can handle a game made for the PC. If you have a older computer, your computer likely won't be able to handle a majority of games made for the P.C.

[Maverick]

well, it depends on demographics too, if you're in Japan you'll play with a console rather than with a pc, in my case consoles aren't popular nor are known to most, so they are expensive and disregarded as an accessory that the spoiled kids get on their birthday. I played with a n64 time ago but my friend sold it and didn't get a gamecube or something new.

anyway I was only interested in the 'why game devs would prefer to develop for consoles rather than PCs' part of this thread, if you think about it, consoles weren't as popular as they are now, so is to be expected that devs would shift to the new emerging platform. So is more a matter that the console is a new growing market that hasn't matured yet.

[Chimasterwang]

PC has more open source and independent game developers though right? XP
Well thats something different maybe XD

[Maverick]

well, since you need to buy a development kit if you want to make a game for a console, pc is more suitable for casual devs or "indie devs", but this was about big development companies. And open source games aren't that notable even between the FOSS community.

[Lynk Former]

Uhm, Mav... consoles have been hugely popular since the days of the NES... and that was over 20 years ago... and of course videogames are far more popular than they used to be, it's the sign of a healthy industry... one that includes console, handheld AND PC games under the same banner.

Also... I have no idea where you got the idea that consoles games are "new and emerging" but... console games were popular along with arcade gaming machines before they became popular on personal computers. Atari and Nintendo made certain of that. Also, a lot of very old game developers... a lot of which don't exist or have been merged with other developers over time, started off as arcade and home console game developers. This isn't opinion, this is fact. (Before Chim says it.... THIS IS SPARTA)

Now, onto my opinion...

What you really need to do is stop separating PC games into its own little thing as if console games and PC games are so alien that they have no relation to each other. I've said this before in this thread and in other threads... PC's should be treated as another platform for videogames, the same way we have platforms like the 360, PS3 and Wii. Sure, there is some kind of small form of separation, but in the end, we're all just one big happy family of videogames and videogamers here.

Also, don't think I'm singling PCs out. I've said there are some developers who choose not to focus their attention of PC games but there are a lot of developers who choose not to make Wii games as well... I think I said that before somewhere... *looks around*


EDIT: Oh and Indie developers have begun to make their marks on consoles as well through PSN and WiiWare... though I guess not so much with Xbox Live Arcade anymore... You're right, consoles aren't free to develop for, but there is an interesting shift where they're trying to make it cheap enough for developers to start making games for their platforms.

[Maverick]

how unfamiliar are consoles to me, I wasn't kidding when I say they aren't popular here, if it weren't for this place I would assume that a nunchuk is a weapon with two sticks and a chain.

[Lynk Former]

Well it's no wonder that PC's are popular there. You yourself have said that everyone over there pirates their videogames and thinks it's strange when someone actually buys their videogames.

This is the main thing that PC developers fear and what is really cutting into their profits. The PC games that find huge success these days are the ones where the developers have control over the game in some form through the internet.

[Maverick]

Well it's no wonder that PC's are popular there. You yourself have said that everyone over there pirates their videogames and thinks it's strange when someone actually buys their videogames.

that's true, is ridiculous to the point that if you buy software you're considered an idiot. But I don't believe that's the reason PC's are popular, consoles can get pirated too.

I don't think PC devs fear piracy as much as you think, at the very least they don't act like the RIAA or MPAA

[Lynk Former]

that's true, is ridiculous to the point that if you buy software you're considered an idiot. But I don't believe that's the reason PC's are popular, consoles can get pirated too.

You're right, it is possible to pirate console games, but it's a lot harder to do it than it is to pirate a PC games. Plus, it's a lot more difficult to pirate games for the current generation of consoles. The number of pirated 360/PS3 and Wii games compared to the number of pirated DC/PS2/Xbox games of the last generation is much lower. This is because console manufacturers have implemented various ways to try to stop people from pirating their videogames on their consoles... that, and the fact that the expanded audience of console gamers isn't even aware of the fact that you are able to pirate videogames or have any interest in piracy in the first place.

A good example of anti-piracy measures which have been implemented in consoles starts with the Nintendo GameCube. That system is notoriously difficult to pirate games for... it is entirely possible, but requires way too much effort to pull off which defeats the purpose of pirating games for it in the first place...

Also, emulators for last generation consoles aren't very good at the moment... they'll be perfected in the future, but by that time it won't matter because there won't be any real way of making any real profit from those old games anyway... well that's not entirely true.... Wii Virtual Console is doing extremely well, though it's hasn't cost developers a cent to get their retro games onto WiiVC, so it's more like an extra bonus for them.

I don't think PC devs fear piracy as much as you think, at the very least they don't act like the RIAA or MPAA

That's because when it comes to videogames, especially PC games, developers don't have anywhere near as much power over their products as the RIAA and MPAA empowers music and movie studios... in fact, videogames don't have any kind of central organisations that act in that manner for them. Console manufacturers on the other hand have more power to protect their products.