The PS4 Does PC Gaming A Big Favor

CheatCC says: "The animosity between gamers of different system platforms is a timeless source of ranting, presumed to be inevitable in the games industry. However, as more information about the next generation of home consoles comes to light, the line between PC architecture and the typical console assumption blurs."

[GiantFriendlyCrab]

keeping it still relevant,

[3-4-5]

It always had been and still is.

Not as many dumb people play computer games.

[Maddens Raiders]

I only take issue w/ two quotes and the reason is quite simple for both:

"However, despite its impressive figures, the PS4 will still be unable to trump PC development, simply because, as a console, its hardware will remain stationary while PCs continue to evolve."

and

"So, why don’t PC and console gamers shut up, shake hands, and play nice for a generation or two?

but and because...PlayStation® exclusives are PlayStation® exclusives. One important little fact the author failed to include in his analysis.

[pandehz]

PC Exclusives are PC exclusives.

I feel wiser

[FamilyGuy]

There's no such thing as a PC exclusive, if paid enough any PC game will get ported to a console, the same can't be said for console exclusives. If Sony saw something they reeeally liked and thought would sell well on their system but it was only on PC it wouldn't be PC-only for long. Lots of PSN titles started as PC-only, even portal and half-life and recently Diablo 3.

[Scrupuless]

@familyguy

Your analysis doesn't hold water, there are a plethora of games like wow, or lol, eve, dota 2, civ series that sell a ton for pc and would be profitable on any console, but for technical and business reasons never made it to consoles. So yes pc exclusives live and are some of the best games going.

[cayleee]

@familyguy

Tbh PC has such a lead on any platform now, its kind of irrelevant if PC has exclusives or not lol.

Reason being PC has literally thousands of games. More than 600 AAA games from this gen alone. If you add last gen you could easily add a 1000 more. Add in the generations before that and its even more, never mind the tons of console emulated games.

What will the PS4 or any console for that matter have? it cant even play PS3 games. So it essentially will be relying on building a library again, it will launch with a handful of games most of the time you will be wondering " oh when will the next game come out so i can play". Most games released will be multiplat anyways.

Hence really PC already covers so many genres so well, with a PC you have so many games you really dont have time for anything else.

With any next gen sure there will be couple of exclusives every year that you will like, but really its just 8 hour games that come and go, you dont ever really play them again. In comparison PC has Legendary games that just never get old Star Craft 2, Dota 2, Counter strike, Portal mods, Red Alert 3, Total war Series, Team fortress 2. The list just goes on those games are going no where.

So really for a PC gamer those few exclusives on console dont really mean much, just too many games on the PC platform.

[aquamala]

@FamilyGuy

there are entire genres that are not even on consoles

[Ducky]

@FamilyGuy
If the game actually takes advantage of the newer PC hardware, then it can't get ported without significant alterations.

An example is Planetside2, which is developed by SOE, yet is currently only on PC.
It'll likely get ported to the PS4, but it still shows the advantage of evolving hardware.

[DigitalRaptor]

@ cayleee

I agree with most of what you said. PC is an awesome platform with so much freedom for the user, but...

... even though you can increase resolution, max out all settings and all the added benefits, PC doesn't produce games with the same level of polish and optimization as games such as God of War 3, Shadow of the Colossus, Uncharted etc.

It could, if PC developers were THAT dedicated to optimizing and coding to the metal, but because most tend to provide lower spec solutions for those who don't have a GODLY PC setup, you don't really see the same results. Crytek seem like the closest to this approach, but not so many PC developers achieve this level of polish, in my opinion.

Feel free to disagree and support your opinions, I'm happy to discuss where I might be wrong. After all I'm only talking from experience.

[CheexInk]

@DigitalRaptor

"PC doesn't produce games with the same level of polish"

I'm sorry but you are flat out wrong on this point.

[kevnb]

Gamers passionate enough to comment on n4g aren't representative of gamers as a whole.

[Ju]

To be honest, I don't see anything changing. At first I can see devs going the straight route and use the standard PC tools to make a game for both - simply because it's easy to do. One process, but eventually it'll need some console specific work again same as it does now. Competition on consoles will require devs to invest into the engines again. Depending how those games will sell - on consoles vs. PC - we'll if it'll be worth going onto multiple platforms. Devs use PCs already and some games never release on PC, however. Sure, the reason not to release is maybe less justified being so close in tech. But I doubt PC will have priority and consoles will be getting the ports. That's not how the industry works. If anything the console business worked/works and now it'll be even easier to get the games on those platforms. Might rather be the other way around.

[decrypt]

Nothing will change, Devs will be even more PC oriented this time around because this time its X86 instead of PPC.

Infact with the state of the economy new consoles may have a very hard time making a consumer base at all. Check whats happening to the PS Vita, 3DS and Wii U.

Steam already has over 50million users and thats not the only service. Most PC gamers may upgrade at their leisure to play next gen games maxed out. Anyways they dont need to run out get hardware.

Every consoler will need to upgrade. If they dont they may not play the next gen games. So not only do they lose the ability to play their old games, i dont think devs will be paying much attention to consoles, not initially at all due to low base. Even eventually it just might be PC ports in the end.