Anyone else thinks that console games are a hindrance to game development?

[Hooves]

Originally Posted by technomo12

sigh i wonder when we be able to experience virtual reality via head set >_<

*Mostly saying like the .hack series gaming type world?*

Well... We are pretty behind far behind having to get those sooner or later.

[synaesthetic]

I don't really want that much escapism. AMD's lofty goal to create a functional holodeck, or VR headsets, I don't care that much lol. I like immersion as much as the next person but I don't want The Matrix IRL version.

[Ricky Controversy]

I'll echo the sentiment that PC Gaming and Console Gaming are distinct spheres: you can't really underestimate the difference in design options inherent in a keyboard/controller dichotomy. Obviously the internal components will be different too, but I don't see that as defining the actual gameplay half as much as input method.

I will say that people who claim to be concerned with innovation and then pan the Wii for experimenting with motion control are perhaps more a part of any perceived lack of innovation than 'the casuals' or what have you. I've been a gamer all my life. I've always hung out with gamers whenever possible, and as the culture has found vibrant livelihood on the internet, I have stayed involved. One thing that's clear is that gamer culture is not particularly patient. When we talk about innovation, people are rarely talking about wanting to actually PARTICIPATE in the innovation process. Yet, we love to turn around after the fact and laud this or that innovation from games/platforms/technologies that often times, we made into failures. The trendiness of talking about the Dreamcast's homebrew culture despite gamers at the time killing it by not investing in it comes to mind.

Innovation is taking place in the gaming industry. As with any other area, innovation will be a messy process that begins with a good idea and ends up being mostly trial-and-error. Don't confuse experimentation (which is usually awkward and dismissed as gimmicky while it's happening) with craftsmanship (which looks fresh and unique, but is built up from proven foundations).

For the record: I don't really care for the Wii or its poorly executed motion control. I do, however, love the idea of anyone experimenting with something as drastic as a change in input method.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by synaesthetic

I don't really want that much escapism. AMD's lofty goal to create a functional holodeck, or VR headsets, I don't care that much lol. I like immersion as much as the next person but I don't want The Matrix IRL version.

You mean surrogates.

I thought that is fine actually. Since people like to hide behind a facade or persona when interacting with others for their own gains, why not create a real one for them?

With motion sensing technology like Kinect (which is a long delayed improvement project of the Para Para Paradise arcade machine), holograph and VR technology isn't that bad considering that nothing seems to be real anymore.

[synaesthetic]

You just brought up a great point, Ricky.

A lot of people hate on mobile phone games, mostly due to the input method. Game designers, especially on iOS, routinely try to put games on mobile phones that are not really designed to use a touchscreen. They use a "virtual stick" and "virtual buttons."

Everyone complains about them, and everyone whines and cries (to Apple, usually) to put out a peripheral that gives them a real analog stick and buttons, like an ordinary console gamepad. The developers keep putting out these games. There's no innovation here. I've done a bit of gaming on my Android phone (what few games there actually are for Android, lol) and it's a pretty unsatisfying experience when the game is designed to use an input method the device doesn't possess.

The sad thing is, the developers really could do a lot with a touchscreen input method, and I don't mean making silly timewasters and card games, either. A while back I hashed out a deep, engaging and interesting RPG idea for play on touchscreen devices (specifically smartphones, but it could be upscaled for tablets quite easily), making full use of the multitouch displays that most smartphones ship with these days. No "virtual gamepad" to be found, either.

I hope I get to put some of these ideas into practice while I go to school. I just don't have the programming chops at the moment, but I'm going to be learning that stuff, so it'll be a good exercise--especially if I can get some like-minded folks who want to try bringing a cool touchscreen-controlled RPG to life.

[Kudryavka]

I like console games tons better than PC games, because you don't have to worry about whether your video card can handle the graphics or Pixel Shader or any of that mess. It's the reason most all of my games are on consoles. I think console games are helping the industry, as it allows those who don't know how to buy a bunch of upgrades for a computer (which is a heck of a lot of people) to play good, modern games.

[Hooves]

Originally Posted by Komari

I like console games tons better than PC games, because you don't have to worry about whether your video card can handle the graphics or Pixel Shader or any of that mess. It's the reason most all of my games are on consoles. I think console games are helping the industry, as it allows those who don't know how to buy a bunch of upgrades for a computer (which is a heck of a lot of people) to play good, modern games.

This actually is true in many ways. I'm more into console games myself, but I still do love playing PC games due to the MMORPG games that are released/soon to be released. I just leave the FPS/RPG to the Console Games if I ever do find any.

[Random32]

Though consoles still have the guarantee to work while PC doesn't. Its not hard to get a decent gaming PC, games are also compatible with older hardware most of the time to maximize market.

I think people are scared of choosing parts, not unable to choose good components or stick them into a computer. there are people on internet who are willing to help and upgrading a computer is so easy a monkey could do it (proven by AMD).

[OceanBlue]

Originally Posted by Random32

Though consoles still have the guarantee to work while PC doesn't. Its not hard to get a decent gaming PC, games are also compatible with older hardware most of the time to maximize market.

I think people are scared of choosing parts, not unable to choose good components or stick them into a computer. there are people on internet who are willing to help and upgrading a computer is so easy a monkey could do it (proven by AMD).

It's still more expensive. People were complaining about the PS3 being 400-600 dollars in the beginning, and yet that's still comparable to a low-end computer. I bought a computer for around $1000 a year or so ago, and I can't even play Starcraft II on anything higher than the lowest settings without slowdowns [It's the processor], and Blizzard is known for making games playable on low-end computers.

In the end, consoles make games more accessible to more people, and I think that's the appeal.

[kenjiharima]

DL content with pay is the hindrance.

Before it was just controller button cheats. Now we gotta pay for them. lol

[Larthak]

There's several reasons why I'd prefer a PC-only enviroment:

• PC is a vastly universal tool, made not only for gaming. This fact ensures that it's worth its price (unlike consoles, imho).
• To ensure maximum profit, devs usually make their games for either PS3/X360, or all three systems. Multiplatforming makes those ports inferior to the situation if the devs actually focused on just one system.
• Keyboard/Mouse (with the occasional addition of a driver wheel, joystick or an arcade stick for those specialized in certain genres). An ages old peripheral combo, that is still unbeatable to this day. Gamepads, Wii, Move, Kinect? Why do I get the feeling that peripheral evolution goes backwards?

With that said, I still don't think consoles are some kind of evil force, that ruins PC gaming. They aren't. It's the gaming companies that dig a grave for PCs.

The whole gaming business has now become a joke. It was a passion before, now it's all about money. First came mere expansions instead of sequels, now we have DLCs that are finished on the released date, but intentionally not added into the final game to maximize profit over time or franchise sequels coming out way too fast. Need for Speed changed over time from a great racing game to an annual half-baked whore-sale (same with Call of Duty). Halo steadily destroyed its reputation. Most companies these days just don't care. They go for profits, not quality assurance.

But hey, whatever. As long as games like Diablo/Starcraft, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Half-Life/Portal, Hitman, Deus Ex, Lost Planet/Street Fighter, DiRT/GRiD, Doom/Rage or Mass Effect, games that are actually WORTH playing, are developed, I'll be content.

In Short; Bioware, Blizzard, Capcom, Codemasters, Eidos, ID Soft, Valve. These remember the old days and show it in their work. As long as they live, my passion for (PC) gaming will as well.

Originally Posted by synaesthetic

Edit: Blizzard can die in a hotel fire. Where the fuck's my Diablo III, you bastards. Delayed until 2011? Raaaaaaaage.

I share your pain. But think of the positive side. How damn awesome it is going to be if they started back in 2003, then started over just because it wasn't epic enough?

[synaesthetic]

I would really appreciate it if MMORPGs would die deader than dead. I don't want to have to play a fucking console just to play decent single-player games. I don't want to deal with "consolitis." It's not a nice thing for an old-timey PC gamer, trust me.

Edit: Blizzard can die in a hotel fire. Where the fuck's my Diablo III, you bastards. Delayed until 2011? Raaaaaaaage.

[Sides]

Originally Posted by Komari

I like console games tons better than PC games, because you don't have to worry about whether your video card can handle the graphics or Pixel Shader or any of that mess. It's the reason most all of my games are on consoles. I think console games are helping the industry, as it allows those who don't know how to buy a bunch of upgrades for a computer (which is a heck of a lot of people) to play good, modern games.

I used to think the same, when console games didn't have patches for games, online gaming, accessory addons, firmware/OS upgrade, new revisions every 3-6 months, etc. Console gaming has become a joke.
PCdevs should stay being PCdevs and stop trying to put their games on consoles or try to sell their engines has cross-platform tool kits, it just makes both pc gamer and console gamer sad.

[Cub-Sama]

I don't know why PC Gamers are complaining without consoles you wouldn't have a lot of your games, why? Because console gaming is what made games popular enough that more gaming companies opened up because it began to seem like a viable investment back then games were a huge risk due to the relatively small market compared to now. Good ol' days? Not everything was great in the good ol' days no matter what point in gaming history you go to there will always be piles of shit its just your nostalgia for the great games of that age making all that shit seem shiny and good.

Keyboard and mouse? I would prefer my controller much more thank you, button mashing is more appealing to me than mouse bashing, also as it has been mentioned not everyone has the cash to buy constant upgrades or the know-how on how to pimp out their PC.

Console gaming has done a lot for the industry and if PC gaming was that great it wouldn't be dying.

Also when people mention the good ol' days of gaming I constantly see the same games being repeated when there must have been like 100s of other games but I barely ever see them getting mentioned, why? Probably coz they were shit.

No matter what industry you go to you're gonna get carbon-copies, shit, sellouts etc...

[Kusa-San]

Consoles are made for video game that's not the case for PC. That's why console will always be the number one plateform when it comes to video games. And it's not surprising at all that video games are dying on PC.

[Kudryavka]

Originally Posted by Random32

Its not hard to get a decent gaming PC, games are also compatible with older hardware most of the time to maximize market.

It may not be hard, but it sure is expensive and somewhat confusing for the less enabled. Today's PC games demand high standards to run at optimum performance, and not everyone can shell out thousands for a computer that delivers for those games, or hundreds for tons of upgrades for their existing computer. I bought Sims 3, and I have to buy a new display chip, buy a new processor, and update all of my drivers in order for it to just run at minumum. I don't like having to dabble in areas that I know nothing about to play games.

[Irenicus]

Originally Posted by Cub-Sama

Keyboard and mouse? I would prefer my controller much more thank you, button mashing is more appealing to me than mouse bashing, also as it has been mentioned not everyone has the cash to buy constant upgrades or the know-how on how to pimp out their PC.

Do you really want to play Starcraft on some pitiful pad?

[Random32]

PC Gaming isn't expensive (anymore)

My current setup was built for $500, upgrades have made the total cost slightly north of $700. I also don't have to buy another computer for day to day usage. I don't get to max settings and resolutions, but it has graphics far better than any console, mouse+keyboard>controllers imo, and if I wanted a controller, I have the option to plug one in.

[Cub-Sama]

Originally Posted by Irenicus

Do you really want to play Starcraft on some pitiful pad?

Well I sure as hell don't want to play shooters, fighting games, hack-and-slashs or action-adventure games using a keyboard

Also I hate most RTS's so I wouldn't be playing starcraft anyway

Like when I play MMORPGs when I notice I have been sitting down for about an hour clicking on things but barely doing anything myself, I delete the MMORPG and go play something where I have a bit more input. (I'm talking about an MMORPG where I click the monster I want to kill then my character goes and kills it).

I would much prefer tapping buttons until that things dies deader than roadkill.

However people have different preferred methods of gaming.

[Gin]

How can consoles be hindering gaming when they're the only reason gaming is still around? The video game industry would have died a long time ago if PC games were the only things around.

Has anyone brought up the Wii yet? Seems pretty innovative to me.