Crytek: PC A Generation Ahead of Consoles
Although the PC is a generation ahead of the consoles, multi-platform games will suffer limitations on the PC due to console hardware restraints.
In an interview over the holidays, Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli stated a fact PC gamers already know quite well: the PC is a whole generation ahead of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
While that's a big “win” for PC gamers in the PC vs. Console dispute, the victory comes with a price: developers are primarily focusing on consoles, holding back game quality of the PC versions.
"PC is easily a generation ahead right now,” he told Edge Magazine. “With 360 and PS3, we believe the quality of the games beyond Crysis 2 and other CryEngine developments will be pretty much limited to what their creative expressions is, what the content is. You won't be able to squeeze more juice from these rocks."
He went on to add that hardware limitations of the current console crop isn't the only factor keeping multi-format games locked down to a certain level of quality on the PC. He pointed to the less-than-spectacular revenue PC games generate when compared to what consoles rake in.
"I generally think it's still developers' mentality [that is to blame]," he said. "A lot nowadays don't consider PC a big issue any more; their [sales] expectations are nowhere near what they are for the console versions. Until the PC market creates comparable revenues, companies are not going to spend enough on the PC SKU of a game."
Does that mean Crysis 2 on the PC would be a better game were it not for consoles? Yerli admitted that the “creative expression” of Crytek has been limited due to their prevalence. However he also admitted over two years ago that PC gaming piracy had literally forced the developer to go multi-platform. Ultimately, if Crysis 2 on PC suffers from console-oriented limitations, it could be due to piracy.
"We are suffering currently from the huge piracy that is encompassing Crysis," said Yerli back in april 2008. "We seem to lead the charts in piracy by a large margin, a chart leading that is not desirable. I believe that's the core problem of PC Gaming, piracy. To the degree PC gamers that pirate games inherently destroy the platform. Similar games on consoles sell factors of 4-5 more. It was a big lesson for us and I believe we won't have PC exclusives as we did with Crysis in future. We are going to support PC, but not exclusive anymore.”
Crysis 2 is slated to hit the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on March 22, 2011.
"...hardware limitations of the current console crop isn't the only factor keeping multi-format games locked down to a certain level of quality on the PC. He pointed to the less-than-spectacular revenue PC games generate when compared to what consoles rake in..." due to pirating.
honest PC gamers who pay for their games get screwed by developers and the scum bags who pirate games.
"...hardware limitations of the current console crop isn't the only factor keeping multi-format games locked down to a certain level of quality on the PC. He pointed to the less-than-spectacular revenue PC games generate when compared to what consoles rake in..." due to pirating.
honest PC gamers who pay for their games get screwed by developers and the scum bags who pirate games.
when crysis came out only rich people could enjoy it and we are just getting to full playability with what.. the next generation of GFX cards to come out in 2011...
sure you can take 3 gfx cards and crossfire/sli but people like me can't afford to buy even one high end card.
you can't release a game that only 5% or less of the community can afford to play and expect it to do well, that's just insane...
I don't even think you could max it out back then with those older cards and nvidia was charging over 500 bucks if I remember per card... ouch...
Today an average game pc can do crysis at high detail, but gaming graphics havent really progressed since then. My gaming PC idles playing most new games.
As far as I am concerned, PS3 can't play hacked/ripped games.
Crytek, if you don't push another milestone with the PC version, I will surely NOT BUY IT! You can have all the Nvidia logos on the game (don't you receive a good sum from them too ?), but I won't buy a top of the line Nvidia card to play a game designed for 5 year old, DX9 7900GT-like hardware, which is what is inside a PS3, the most powerful of the two consoles.
This is completely dishonest and the same kind of thinking behind EA (Crytek's publisher) that got Crysis patches for only the first six months and is still the buggiest game I have ever played.
And that silly argument "Ohh Crysis is one of the most pirated games.." YES, but it's still one of the best selling games! It's natural! Chinese also copy Mercedes and BMW designs, because those cars sell well!
Now that they got rich from Crysis and all the accolades they won in the industry, they just want a quick buck out of the consoles. This is how they thank PC gamers.
Think about it: how much money and resources do you have to have gained in previous years to be able to make an engine that runs on two entirely different platforms such as the Xbox360 and (the admittedly difficult to program on) PS3 and adding to that the PC version ? Think about it. If they had focused on the PC version the game wouldn't have been delayed, would it ? But they have so much money and are expecting so much money, they can actually afford that, what do you know?
And more: a modern PC is TWO (at least) generations ahead of a console. Only if you factor in the average, then you could say it's just a generation.
Crytek carefully avoids this because making comparisons to a platform (PC) that can play a game with better visuals at medium settings with a budget CPU and a budget HD4670 or 9600GT than a 5 year old console is not good publicity.
People don't actually want to play the game, they just want to benchmark their brand new shiny computers. Would you pay full game price for a benchmark?
The simple truth is that the PC lacks many of these players simply because of the price of admission. I don't have anything against children playing video games, but I have to admit that most M rated titles and competitive multiplayer titles tend to suffer because of their presence. Its one of the many reasons that I wish there was a ladder type setup in all competitive multiplayer games. That way, for example, the extremely good CoD players can play with others of their skill level, and the ones who just like to pick up the game every once and awhile can play with others like them.
As for the title quality on the PC. There are very few games that are worse on the PC than the consoles, but the degree should be much greater, but I don't blame this on piracy all that much. I blame this on the adolescent gaming audience. Right now, most of the hardcore PC gamers are the original gamers, who were far fewer when they where children than the children gamers of today. In time I believe the more hardcore and older audience will expand and PC gaming will surge forth a bit more since the larger the audience, the larger the profits. Maybe I'm just hoping here though.
In terms of everything. Graphics, i/o choices, scalability, multitasking, and experience control. Comcast doesn't drop kick my PC off the net if I'm running FW on my DVD drive it doesn't like.
You can buy a Boxter and think it's great, but it'll never be a 911, let alone a GT.
If you can't afford to buy a $50-$60 dollar PC game, then you certainly shouldn't be able to afford a rig thats worth benchmarking. End of story.
Besides that, there is plenty of free benchmarking software available, no need to pirate a game for the lame reason of "benchmarking", let alone any reason.
Buy the FU**ING game if you want PC gaming to have a future.
I agree that it would be a real shame to see Crytek go from leading the PC graphics frontier, to simply port console games.
I also think it is unfair that PCs be treated as the ugly duckling of this console generation. Unfortunately, until it makes economic sense to do otherwise, why would you?
Secondly, if the game is a quality game, people will rush out and buy, i.e.Starcraft II, Civ V, etc.
I see one of the biggest issues on the PC is World of Warcraft. It has cannibalized so many other games sales, that someone or something needs to kill this game.
Sure, there are always going to be those that pirate. But then there are always going to be people willing to pay for the hard work put in. If the game is good, it will sell. Period.