Quantum Break Is Coming To PC, Eh? Excellent Move Microsoft!

Today when I read that MS announced a PC version of Quantum Break, I was so happy but unfortunately, not many people felt that way. If you browse any article about Quantum Break being on PC, you will see many people uttering the words ‘ XboxOne has no exclusives’ or ‘ Now, I don’t have a reason to buy an XboxOne.’ And of course the clickbait articles that says putting Quantum Break on PC is not a good move by Microsoft.

I believe we should be very happy that they announced a PC version simply because this means more sales for the game and higher chance for a sequel. And how many will actually be able to run this game? By the look of the minimum requirements, i would say that not many people will be able to play it on PC because not that many have good rig that will be able to handle this game.

And tell me this, how many awesome games that you wanted a sequel for never happened? I can tell you there are many that I begged for a sequel as they had an amazing potential but never happened because they didn’t sell well because they weren’t exposed to more people...

1-Eternal Darkness
2-Jet Set Radio
3-Okami
4-Lost Odyssey
5-Blue Dragon
6-Dark Cloud
7-Sly Cooper thieves in time
8-Rule Of Rose
9-Haunting Ground
10-The Getaway
11-Vagrant Story
12-Eternal Sonata
13-Grim Fandango
14-Obscure 2
15-Jade Empire
16-Radiata Stories
17-Shenmue and Psychonauts (Yes, Shenmue 3 and Psychonauts 2 are happening but after how many years? Do you want to wait that long for a sequel?)

I can go on and on but I am sure you get the idea. Now imagine if those games were on more platforms, chances are that we could have gotten sequels as sales would have risen. All I am saying is don’t hate on MS because they put it on PC because if that means a better chance for a sequel then we should be more supportive unless you want to keep playing mediocre games that unfortunately sell well from companies like EA/Ubisoft/Activision all the time. Or do you want to only keep playing sequels after sequels from established franchises? I know i don't.

Also the fact that MS is making this a Cross buy game for XboxOne owners who buy it digitally is amazing. And in case you are wondering what Cross buy means, it means that when you buy it on XboxOne digitally, you get a download code for the PC version. And they are giving away Alan Wake and its dlc for free. And if you Pre-Order the digital version you also get Alan Wake with all the dlc + Alan Wake American Nightmare + Cross Buy feature so I don’t see any reason for anyone to complain because this is an insanely good value for people who will buy it on XboxOne because they get two copies of the game and two free amazing games. And MS is making exclusives games more than ever with titles like ReCore, Scalebound, Sea Of Thieves, Crackdown and more to come so If MS made those games available for PC in exchange for a higher chance of making a sequel and more sales then by all means they should go for it.

And if those exclusive titles get the Cross Buy feature then its a win win situation for XboxOne owners.

Also two of my favorite games this gen were Sunset Overdrive and The Order 1886 and they didn’t exactly sell well so imagine if those two games were on PC. That could have boosted the sales and maybe then we could have had a higher chance for a sequel.

So be happy this is happening folks and enjoy gaming and if you disagree with me, then sound off in the comments below. I will be happy to answer you.

And please, lets be civilized in the discussion.

[Kavorklestein]

I definitely agree that this increases the chances for sequels.

But beyond that I fail to see why it really matters if a game is also on PC or not.
As long as it stays off Playstation, the IP and it's value to Microsoft is still in full effect.

This means more people can play it, more people can buy it, more people can enjoy it.
It also means that whether someone prefers a console or a PC, they can still enjoy the game.
And Microsoft and Remedy get a bigger piece of the money pie this way as well so nobody gets a disadvantage from this.

The only people who are painting this as a bad thing is Sony fans... people who most likely would PREFER this game to NOT be on Xbox at all.
People who don't even WANT an xbox.
People who want to frolic and parade about even tho this doesn't affect them.
(Unless of course they plan to buy it on PC, IF they even HAVE a PC that can run it)

I can see how Microsoft could choose to look at it as a bad thing if the decision to go cross platform eventually leads to less consoles sold, but eventually I think setting up an ecosystem for gaming and making money off PC sales-
-WITHOUT having to worry as much about how well their console sells-
would benefit them even more than trying to move consoles and have that be their only way of making money. Don't forget, consoles are several hundred dollar machines AND exclusivity only limits how many copies of a game are sold in the long run.

I think this expansion to a larger idea and what it means in the future is why they aren't worried about the people who can't grasp the benefit it brings to EVERYONE.

Microsoft is broadening their vision, not shooting themselves in the foot.
People need to just grasp the simple concept that the old way of competing "console to console" is gone and that a new way of bringing good games to as many people as possible is here.

I personally think people are also forgetting the fact that if Sony did this, nobody would give two shits or be Hating on them becuase it would mean more $$$ for them and more games for everyone.

So in the end,
People can try to make it look negative, but I believe that is only because they WANT to look at it as a negative.

[christocolus]

Well said bro.

[Kavorklestein]

Thank you sir.

I think One of the reasons I feel the way I do is there are times we have heard Phil Spencer talk about Games being a passion of his and that They want the Xbox brand to be all about the Gamer and about games, games, games, and more games.

I feel like MS has made it pretty clear with the way they are doing BC, the insane amount of games we get for with Games with Gold, and now making decisions like this that give Us- the gamers, even more options to be able to enjoy games that are exclusive to the Xbox brand, is further proof that they are staying true to bringing the best games they can to table, and to as many gamers as possible.

Now don't get me wrong, I believe that things might be working a bit differently if MS was selling more Xboxes, but I have never been more glad to see what MS is doing as the underdog.

As long as Physical Xboxes keep being offered to those who prefer console, and significant support for the PC gamer stay in a good balance, then this plan is set to be beneficial for everyone.

[Sciurus_vulgaris]

There is nothing wrong with MS bring more titles to PC. This would lead to larger sales and more profit, which would further lead to more games. However a game shouldn't be marketed as an Xbox One exclusive in the manner Quantum Break was. They should be much more up front in which games are Xbox One only and which ones aren't.

[Christopher]

This is great for gamers.

This is great for MS.

This may not be so great for XBO.

That is how I'm seeing this. In the end, as a gamer, I'm happy to see more players playing the games. As an XBO owner, though, I do worry about what this means for support of the platform specifically and will wait to see how things go.

[DarkOcelet]

How is this not great for XboxOne when they literally giving you many bonuses for buying it on Xone?

I mean you get the game twice and you get Alan wake for free so that is a great value.

[Christopher]

Because moving previous exclusives to multplatform is a sign of slowing support of the platform itself. And if they slow support in the long run, that affects hardware sales. With further hardware sales slumps, will that mean more support for XBO or more support for PC? We honestly don't know right now. But I'm not going to assume the best (or the worst) and instead watch as things unfold.

And, note I said "MAY NOT be so great". Why? Because it's to be seen.

[stuna1]

But why would people buy it for Xbox1? When likely it'll be full price on the Xbox1, and more than likely be cheaper on PC's. The PC version will have the benefits of better graphical fidelity, better frame rates, and mods. Not to mention if a person doesn't own a Xbox1, who'll opt to spend $350 to play this game if they already have a PC with the necessary specs to run this game!?

Considering that already other Xbox1 exclusives are reportedly slated for release in PC's in the near future, Microsoft are in fact taking the incentive to purchase exclusives on the Xbox1 away, because everyone knows that there's no need to purchase Xbox Live to play those selfsame exclusives

Like I said earlier in an article, Microsoft IMO are pushing Windows 10 adoption over selling Xbox1's! PC's have the overall bigger fanbase when comparing it to Xbox1's.

[maniacmayhem]

*But why would people buy it for Xbox1?*

If that's the case then why would anyone buy any game that is offered on PC for cheaper?

Why is this sort of argument now only reserved for Xbox One when there has been 3rd party multiplats cheaper with better graphics, mod support and all other kinds of benefits that comes with PC?

Why would I buy CoD, Battlefront, Battlefield for PS4? Can we apply those same answers to Xbox One?

*PC's have the overall bigger fanbase when comparing it to Xbox1's.*

Where are you getting your numbers from, especially when software on consoles is still outselling the same on PC?

[christocolus]

Awesome piece Dark. Nice write up.

[DarkOcelet]

@christocolus

Thank you for your kind words :)

[TFJWM]

I agree. I am really happy I held off of the black friday deals. If I had pulled the trigger on the One I would be pretty pissed now.

[DarkOcelet]

Why would they slow the support in the long run now that games are on PC? I think their support will now increase because they are working on two platforms combined that gives them a really good install base to work with.

So instead of just making games for the 20 million install base on Xone, they are now working on PC with millions of install base so their chances of getting much better sales has increased.

Of course time will tell if they will slow down the support but i believe they wont, i believe they will work on making more AAA 1st Party xclusives for both PC and Xone and in return the sales will give them higher chance of making a sequel.

[Christopher]

I think you might be ignoring signs, then, if you don't see how this may be a move away from XBO.

1. Support will only increase for both if they put money to both. Do we know that they have an increased budget now that won't take away from XBO? No, we don't.

2. Install base has no bearing on XBO if it comes from PC. In fact, a higher install base on PC will encourage more focus on PC versus XBO. Businesses go where the money is. Just look at the 3DS for Nintendo and the Vita. One gets more support because people are there, the other gets next to none because people aren't there. It's pretty simple to see how install base affects all of that.

3. Getting sales is great for MS, but that has no bearing on XBO unless they increase their sales of both software and hardware. Sure, current XBO users can get both versions of the game, but why would a PC owner pick up an XBO now? The reasons for picking up an XBO diminished when they announce each exclusive title as a multiplatform title. This is the same for everyone. As I've said, the only exclusive that matters is a true exclusive, because the only purpose they serve is to give a reason for people to buy your hardware over others. As it is, the majority of other features are pretty close so as to not make much of a difference to the general consumer.

[gangsta_red]

How are they slowing support when the same games are coming to Xbox One as well as PC?

I can see this true if MS announced PC only exclusives more than the one's announced for Xbox One. But this isn't the case.

I remember reading one of the benefits of DX12 is ease of porting from Xbox One to PC. So there should be no worry about budgets since the games will play exactly the same on PC and Xbox One.

Xbox One has a higher gamer install base than Win 10 PC at the moment. Software still sells more on consoles and consoles are still appealing to young adults. There is no way MS is going to shift their entire focus on PC unless the sales of PC are so massive they eclipse the Xbox One. And seeing as how a lot of desktop computers have been declining in sales I don't see that happening.

Edit:
If anything MS is trying to lure PC gamers off of other PC gaming services and convert them to using their own. And they're doing this by offering games that can only be purchased and played from the Windows store on Win 10 machines.

If this action fails to move any gamers or any sales you can best believe they'll drop this as fast as they dropped GFW and still keep continued support for Xbox One.

[Christopher]

***How are they slowing support when the same games are coming to Xbox One as well as PC? ***

Because now there is less of a reason to own an XBO than before. The support isn't to the gamers, the support is in the XBO hardware itself as a defined item that people will want to continue to buy. Is it a ton less? No. But, this decision with such a vital IP might be a sign of changes happening in the future and that can mean a refocus on the end of MS.

***If anything MS is trying to lure PC gamers off of other PC gaming services and convert them to using their own. ***

Oh, definitely. MS sees the moolah Google and Android make off of their store fronts and they want a part of that where they can get it. They were flat out stopped from having a "Windows only" storefront on their core OS similar to how they are on the phones. But, they still have their sights set on turning Windows 10 into an OS that encourages people to buy from their store so they can get a piece of every sale.

And that's where my apprehension comes into play. If they see that drive take off on the PC front, I am desperately hoping it doesn't adversely affect the potential of the XBO in any way, shape, or form.

***If this action fails to move any gamers or any sales you can best believe they'll drop this as fast as they dropped GFW and still keep continued support for Xbox One.***

And kinda vice versa, no? I mean, there's gotta be even a little idea there that this could happen considering how wide-spread Windows 10 and PC users are compared to XBO. And that's what I'm talking about.

Again, this is a wait and see game.

[rainslacker]

I feel there are two discussions to be had here, that seem to be lumped all into one conversation.

One is, it's good for the gamers and MS as a whole. That's hard to dispute or argue against.

The second is, it's not good for the Xbox console hardware. That to me is the actual interesting discussion, not because I want the hardware to fail, or gloat in fan boy revalry, but because it's a scenario that we've never seen in gaming before.

I don't really know if it's bad for the Xbox hardware itself...I just can't imagine how it's going to be overly beneficial to move hardware units. Given that the exclusives so far haven't really moved the console in any measurable way outside of speculation and assumptive reasoning, it's hard to imagine that this would have any effect whatsoever. People will simply get the X1 if they prefer to play on consoles, and like the games that MS has to offer...or for any number of other reasons.

At best, for now at least, this just changes the dynamics of the fan boy discussion on what makes each console unique, because MS has pretty much removed that from their consoles if they will put all their exclusive games out on windows as well.

I don't envy you having to moderate the changes until things normalize into whatever the accepted fan boy diatribe becomes the common vernacular.:)

It's an interesting subject for me right now, because it's a complete shift in thinking for a console provider to actually do. It's never been done before the removal of the hardware portion of a company. I'm extremely curious to see how it plays out, but I somehow think it won't be as dramatic to overall console sales as some people are putting out there, but feel it could change how MS approaches the hardware market portion of their business in the future. Will take time for that to come around though.

[freshslicepizza]

i disagree. sony advertises how the playstation vita works with the ps4 and most sony fans will tell you that is a great move. sony will also share ip's on both platforms and can also share save data.

what is also does is exploit the ip's at a time when development is very expensive. why else would they bother porting games like tearaway over? likely because they sunk a lot of money in creating that game so why allow it to go to waste if vita sales are low? this means developers like remedy have greater success by selling to two platforms often considered to not directly compete with one another. however unlike the vita situation the console market is still thriving. this allows people to still access games like quantum break for a cheap price or invest in pc gaming. all while microsoft reaps the rewards of software sales and xbox hardware and windows 10 domination.

a healthier software sales industry gives microsoft greater chances of continuing to invest in xbox. this new direction allows microsoft to dabble in both pc gaming and console gaming while still promoting windows 10. if you add up software sales for the xbox one and pc it is now equivalent to ps4 sales according to sources from publishers like ubisoft. with dx12 and windows 10 having such a huge presence moving forward with pc gaming it means microsoft offers a larger audience than just the xbox one.

what we need to consider is not much has changed by catering more to the pc. you still have a very healthy market for console gaming meaning the xbox one will not suffer because of these moves. you still need an xbox one to play games like quantum break if you want console gaming and by the looks of software sales on the ps4 for third party games why does this impact xbox one hardware sales?

[rainslacker]

Valid points. But it seems they're more centered on making the game's IP's more relevant, as well as increasing software sales, rather than pushing the console brand itself. Of course, it doesn't mean they won't help push the brand, because I still believe that PC and console are two separate markets which don't overlap as many around here would put forth.

You are absolutely correct though, if MS can manage to make more money on their software, it would be much easier, and much more likely for them to invest more money into making even more, and Spencer seems pretty willing to allow for new IP's to have their time.

I think the only thing changing on PC overall is that they can now get MS published games that were once taken away for pushing the Xbox console. Unless in the unlikely event of Steam partnering with MS happens, it also means a new marketplace where people can buy games, but I'm not going to venture into how that would effect PC gamers, or if they want/care about it.

[coolbeans]

"That to me is the actual interesting discussion, not because I want the hardware to fail, or gloat in fan boy revalry, but because it's a scenario that we've never seen in gaming before."

That's what's been more fascinating to consider about this case. While I don't care for the rhetoric, the fanboy posturing regarding this particular case does have a lot more weight to it regarding XJuan and "exclusivity."

We have to remember the context of this particular game:

-The FIRST New IP to be showcased for Xbox One at their announcement event (even though it was just a TV trailer)
-In early discussions with Sam Lake, it was pretty clear this was the PINNACLE of that TV and Video Game symbiotic relationship MS wanted to have with XOne.

So, in a way, it was trying to give the 'allure' of some unique, intangible quality that this MS console had over the competition. Now cut to the PC announcement where MS is like "oh yeah, all that stuff advertised about XOne can be totally done on PC too." And, to me, it seems a bit ill-fitting to PC in regards to the TV show aspect. It's easier to associate watching some TV episode on a couch (console) than the oft-categorized condition of watching it on your desktop. Yes, you can plug the PC tower to TV but...you get the point.

Ironically, this almost feels like the exact opposite of Alan Wake's 360 exclusivity situation. Where it's easy to see someone playing a psy. action thriller on their PC like on console but AW later releasing on PC; here, the script's been flipped.

[rainslacker]

@cool

I think it came down to the fact that MS realized that the whole TV thing didn't strike a cord with Xbox owners, or potential customers, so they pretty much dropped it. They still have their interest in non-gaming media with QB and Halo, but trying to make it a console selling point isn't as much of a priority as it was before. It went from being a major selling point of the console, to being just an added value feature of the console that some people find useful.

[coolbeans]

^

Exactly. But the thing is I, and perhaps others, anticipated this to still be some big result of that tossed-out idea. Like a remnant of the possible positives to come from this TV-Game mesh. Now it's like a final death-nail in that old mentality they had back in May '13.

That's why this XOne/PC Announcement is more affecting to the console's 'exclusive viability' than others like ReCore.

[darthv72]

MS is moving forward with their ultimate goal of creating the xbox ecosystem. Multiple ways to deliver the content to xbox devices. their Windows OS supports xbox games, their XB1 console supports xbox games and soon (most likely) their tablets/phones will support xbox games.

That has been their plan since the beginning. And with this direction they look to create a unified product. One that can be purchased and enjoyed multiple ways. Since the XB1 can play W10 games through a network, games that were omitted from XB1 would now be able to be played via connection to a W10 PC.

The next generation of consoles will be more like players that play games as opposed to individual platforms that games would be directly created for. So a developer can create one product that is supported on various hardware designs. We are no longer in a time where the differences in design and format required multiple versions of a game be made.

Taking a page from PC development that has been around for years... console games will now be part of the compatibility list on the product info. Expect to see labels saying: "This product supported on the following platforms..."

A convergence of simplicity and convenience for the consumer.

[freshslicepizza]

pretty much and anyone who thinks the pc will now cannibalize xbox one sales think again. ubisoft and ea and activision (the three biggest publishers) make more money on console software sales and will continue to. ps4 owners (and let's be honest, they are likely the most vocal about this being a bad move) will not suddenly invest in pc gaming to play quantum break. if they did it would also hurt the ps4 because most software sales on the ps4 stem from third party games.

we should also look at apple, a company everyone knows that has billions of cash lying around. they sell the same apps, the same music, and games and so forth to various devices all under ios. so of course it is in microsofts best interest to leverage windows with gaming along with the billions they have invested in cloud technology.

[from the beach]

Genuinely, who is angry about this and why?

[Christopher]

I'm not sure angry so much as really interested to see the long-term ramifications of this on the industry.

[jb227]

Honestly this is the best potential for a sequel, but there are a few gaps to cross. First that the title warrants or needs a sequel. Even the best of devs are capable of a misstep from time to time & while I don't think QB will be one of those instances, it could be a scenario where most fans would rather have a new ip or sequel to Alan Wake. Also, I personally got the vibes from the most recent comments by Sam Lake that the team would like to work w/ their own IP, which would ultimately be more beneficial to Remedy in the long run than cranking out games for MS on a work for hire basis. Seemed to me like Lake really wanted to do a sequel to Alan Wake but that they settled on doing QB in order for MS to retain the license. Also we could look at the manner of the recent PC announcement, it's late nature essentially boils down to benefitting MS by squeezing the mileage out of pushing Xbox consoles, but I don't see how it benefits Remedy to be forced to reveal a game a month from release in anyway. Great that it will exist to push more units, but less great that it has been hidden for 3 years now years in which Sam Lake has been forced to be less than forthcoming w/ Remedy's fanbase. Gotta remember they are still a third party dev & their number one most important boss is the gamers themselves. They obviously wouldn't hurt for financiers considering the breadth of their talent.

I personally think the next game from Remedy will be their own new ip or most likely a sequel to Alan Wake, and it'll be a multiplat. Unless MS throws obscene amounts of cash at them, they've had their time w/ MS & they risk becoming irrelevant to a large swath of the gaming community if they keep this partnership up indefinitely. Insomniac tested the waters w/ competing consoles & they got their very own IP out of the deal, might be best for Remedy to branch out as well. Either way I look forward to the future of the devs wherever they may be.

[MachuchalBrotha316]

Yeah Alan Wake 2 will be multiplatform, as in Xbox One and PC only.

[T1ttyMunch3r]

Article was a good read

[Christopher]

TotalBiscuit has a good video overall on the thought of this:

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[Errorist76]

The problem in this case, again, is not what was communicated but the fact HOW! I'm sure they knew for a long time already they will do it like that but instead of telling the truth from the get go they again used some shady practices. I am certain they knew they'd do this for a year already!

[DarkOcelet]

I honestly expected this to come to PC in the end because Alan Wake did. I just didn't expect it to come at the same time, but will it make a difference to you if they both came at the same time?

[Errorist76]

It does make a difference to me since I as well will be playing it earlier than expected. I simply can understand people who are upset because of that late announcement. Same as with the strange 'holiday exclusive' deal with ROTR. It simply leaves a bad taste...like MS is not being 100% honest, don't you think?!

[DarkOcelet]

@Errorist76

Maybe they decided to put it on PC at the same time later on.

About that ROTR deal, its different because unlike ROTR, MS owns Quantum Break so they can do with it whatever they want.

[Picnic]

It is an excellent move, just one that probably should have given Xbox owners at least a day or few grace for them to actually have it as a full exclusive as promised.

By the way, Jet Set Radio had a sequel (or remimagining) Jet Set Radio Future on Xbox and it didn't sell well so they bundled it with Xboxes. It remains one of my favourite games of all time. Although the Dreamcast game actually has some better details in some places than the Xbox one, I prefer the Xbox game because it is much faster (yet, ironically, much more laid back as there are no police chases in the main parts of the levels) and it is much more of a platformer, and enjoyable for it, than a chase game.

I also didn't mind Grabbed by the ghoulies.

But Rare overcomplicate matters - Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts looks beautiful but if you don't want to make cars then you don't want to make cars and there's no getting over that.

It is a both a blessing and a curse that Microsoft studios don't knock out sequels to some games as quickly as Sony studios sometimes do. Remedy gets about 5 years per game- they make a new engine every time. As a result, I am highly anticipating Quantum Break as a technical marvel.

[DarkOcelet]

"Jet Set Radio Future on Xbox and it didn't sell well so they bundled it with Xboxes. "

You see, that proves my point. Now if that game was Multiplatform, chances are we could have seen a sequel.

" just one that probably should have given Xbox owners at least a day or few grace for them to actually have it as a full exclusive as promised. "

They dont give them full exclusivity but they give them something better if they Pre order it.

They give them the game for free on PC and they give them Both Alan Wake games with all the dlc. So i think thats awesome enough.