Xbox 360 or PS3... or DIE!
By Wengistein 2 Comments
First off, before I christen my blog with my snarky commentary, I want to thank the guys for making this site. I've only been here for half an hour and I'm having a blast.
Anyway, off to the snarky commentary.
I'm a hardcore PC gamer, and I've been gaming for a while, so I know a little about the way the gaming industry works. And you know what? I'm okay with consoles. Even though I reckon Microsoft and Sony are seriously stunting the development of computer gaming in terms of graphics and gameplay (graphics mainly), I don't mind them. I do understand that they are another form of entertainment. I'm okay that they're there. I am not bashing consoles here with this blog post, but I am bashing Microsoft and Sony here.
SO.
The way Microsoft and Sony are promoting the consoles, and paying developers/publishers and popular gaming sites to either talk trash about computers or telling them to delay the release of the PC version of certain games is really annoying. It's really pissing me off that they're allowed to do crap like that, and it pisses me off that people take this stuff in as if they have to swallow every pill offered to them.
Such a perfect example would be Lucas Arts (along with other developers) saying crap about computers being too expensive to buy or whatever.
"[If we made a game for high-end PCs], someone with a low-end PC would have a watered down experience, they would have to turn down all the settings and it wouldn't be the same game. On the other hand, if we made that game for as many people as possible then it's not taking advantage of what $4000 systems can do."
Omg. Wtf. Qqt. Bbq. You know what? It's s### like that that just gets me so riled up. One, may I remind you that console hardware is in fact old computer hardware, so my newly upgraded computer (which I just upgraded last week, mind you) could easily handle Star Wars: Force Unleashed. Two, my computer isn't $4000. Really. You want a good price on my computer? With my current hardware, it's $950 (in Australian dollars). Yes. Really. I told you. And heck, I'm playing Assassin's Creed with most settings on high. Heck, I could even play Assassin's Creed on my computer when I upgraded it in 2006. Between 2006 and 2008, that would've made my computer two years old, and Assassin's Creed was released in 2008. If I could play Assassin's Creed with two year old technology and with most things on high, I'm pretty sure my computer could handle most of the latest games today as well.
The next dirty tactic I wanted to talk about was the way Microsoft and Sony are "forcing" certain gamers to buy their console in order to play a game. That is, they are delaying the release of the PC version of the game in order to boost sales of the game on consoles. This is in connection with Microsoft and Sony paying popular gaming sites to talk trash about PCs. Have a look at this article from 1up. Apparently, PC sales made only 14% of sales in 2007. It looks bad, doesn't it? But then again, the article could have considered these things:
- Sales not just in the US, but in Asia and Europe, where gaming is much stronger.
- If PC sales only made up 14%, what is the 100%? Are we pitting these PC sales against all the consoles, or just one console in particular?
- They seem to have forgotten the subscribers to MMOs. Look at World of Warcraft - over 10 million subscribers. And heck, the other MMOs out there as well. City of Heroes, Guild Wars, Neverwinter Nights etc.
- Online purchases of games, whether it be through a website or through Steam.
Now by making the PC sales look bad, and delaying the release of PC versions of games, it makes the computer gaming industry look like it's crumbling badly. And by hyping up the consoles and paying developers/publishers to talk trash about computers, it makes it look even worse.
I'm so sick of Microsoft and Sony doing stuff like this. These consoles may look profitable and all, but in the end, it's just a short-term investment. Consoles are replaced. Computers evolve. With Microsoft and Sony doing their best to get as many people over to each of their own sides, with releasing certain games as "exclusives", I personally think they are only plotting their own downfall. Console gaming peaked with the release of Playstation 2. It's only going downhill now.
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