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nightwraith40k

Join Date 05/2008

What do you think about LucasArt terrible excuse for not having The Force Unleashed on PC?

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Here is the original topic

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=26384807

Copied a bit for quick reading

"US, May 12, 2008 - LucasArts, once a prominent PC gaming company, decided to develop Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on every major gaming platform except the PC. Cameron Suey, producer on the game, said the game is not coming to the PC because it was hard to develop a game that would satisfy both killer gaming rigs and outdated computers. The Force Unleashed takes place between Star Wars Episodes III and IV and puts players in the shoes of Darth Vader's secret apprentice and is due out in September for the PS3, Wii, DS, PSP, PS2, and Xbox 360. Suey elaborated why there will be no PC version of the game in an interview with Videogamer.com.

If LucasArts had delivered a PC version, it would have been based on the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game, which feature new technologies that LucasArts has either licensed or helped to develop, such as the Euphoria for emotion-based character actions and Digital Molecular Matter for destructable materials.

"The PC being the gaming platform that it is, someone with a $4,000 high-end system would definitely be able to play the Euphoria, the DMM and really technical elements of the game. But someone with a low-end PC would have a watered down experience, they would have to turn all the settings down and it wouldn't be the same game," said Suey.

Gamers might wonder why the developer isn't opting for a more down-scalable game that would reach a wider install base; after all, that philosophy has worked well for Stardock's successful Sins of a Solar Empire strategy game. Suey believes that developing the game to reach a more mass market will hinder the potential of killer rigs. Therefore, no matter how you cut it, only "a select few people" can enjoy the game as it was intended.

While Suey said the team will continue to support the PC with future releases, he did cite the variance from low-end to high-end PCs as a bigger problem than it has been in the past. When asked if the game will ever come to the PC, Suey said there are currently no plans to bring the game over to the platform."

$4000 dollar rig?? Console games are less graphical intense than PC games altogether (and its on DS Wii and PSP). It doesn't need a computer with major cooling and SLI to run it. Its a very bad excuse.

Well anyways the editor did mention Sins style of reach to us gamers and why LA is not doing that. Apparently LucasArts says expanding the reach to low and high end computers would hinder killer rigs?

What do you think? I think its hogwash and they can't bother to port it properly to computers.

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I don't see the logic in their statement either. However, there have been far too many bad PC ports of console games already. Instead of making another half-assed attempt at a PC port, it might actually be better to not even try. Depends on where they see how many customers, and we don't know that.

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Hey, if they're going to release it on every major console and handheld all at once, I think after all that they can afford to say, 'PC gamers, if you want to play our game, either use your own console or find a friend.'

Not like they're going to have sales issues if they're making it available on EVERYTHING but the PC.

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Wait a minute...Suey uses as an excuse that they don't want to optimize the game for the wide variety of PC's, both low and high, and also says that they don't want to dumb down the game so people with lower spec machines can't enjoy it the way it's supposed to be enjoyed? Then they turn around and specify it's coming out for PS2, PSP, and Wii? All 3 of those platforms get eaten alive by the PC gaming market, not the general PC owner market. Hell, I've got a LAPTOP that's a couple of years old and it still outmatches the Xbox360 with ease and is on par with what the majority of PS3 games expect (since nobody has really taken full advantage of the console yet).

What a pathetic excuse. They could have just whined about piracy like everyone else. That would have at least been a little more coherent than saying you don't want to dumb down a game and immediately following it with notice it's coming out on the PS2, PSP, and Wii. But then again, I can't even remember the last time I bought a LucasArts game. Normally they're just a rental or a short borrow from a friend.

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Yeah, this definitely goes into the "stupid" category.

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If you interpret it that she's giving bogus answers, then the only conclusion to be reached is that she is saying that EVERY platform can turn a profit or is worth it EXCEPT the PC.

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CobraA1

Join Date 09/2006

+26

I can (and I have) easily build a rig that is competitive with an Xbox 360 for well under $2000. I might even be able to do it in the $1000 dollar range. A $4000 machine would completely demolish the 360.

Suey believes that developing the game to reach a more mass market will hinder the potential of killer rigs.

Suey believes wrong. It's entirely possible to create a game that scales its settings to fit the rig it's running on. Everything on a computer can be detected: The CPU speed, the number of cores, the type of graphics card, the amount of memory, etc can all be detected by the game, and it can adjust itself accordingly. Valve, Stardock, and Crytek all have game engines that will scale as needed based on the detected performance of the machine.

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"it was hard to develop a game that would satisfy both killer gaming rigs and outdated computers"

Laziness. Blizzard have no trouble making games that do just that. I am consistently amazed at how scalable their games are.

This is as pathetic as Crytek whining about piracy for poor sales of "Crysis". Yeah, sure it had nothing to do with the ridiculous system requirements locking out 90% of PC owners. (God knows I'd have bought it if I thought I had any hope at all of running it, and my PC is less than a year old.)

Last decent Lucasarts games was "Secret of Monkey Island II" anyway.

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As much as I think that the denial of the PC market is unfortunate, I would like to mention that people saying that the Wii, PSP, and DS are reasons as to why the PC would be o.k. to run it.

When I comes to the Wii, PSP, and DS, Lucasarts is developing a radically differnt game than from the PS3, Xbox version. Anyone who's played Iron Man on the Wii, and then on the 360, would know what I'm talking about.

I would think that their denial of the PC market is more of a cut and run rather than a rejection. They're already investing a lot of money making somewhat unique games for 4 radically different platforms, that trying to do that in addition to optimizing the game for PC wouldn't be feasible with the amount of resources they have available.

They also probably felt safe that by coving most all the consoles and handhelds, they'd be able to get a nice overlap in the PC market, since a lot of PC owners who play games probably own a console or handheld.

Unfortinatly, this screws over the ones the don't

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Yeah it's rubbish to say the least. I think they have some sort of corporate small man syndrome... if they don't release something that looks as flash in the boardroom as the latest $100 tech demo, they'll be seen as something other than cutting edge. Still, I think in the long run, the PC world is better off without Lucas "arts."

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Thrawn2787

Join Date 03/2007

+30

One of the advantages of having a 360 and a Wii

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guys, Lucasarts is one of those douche bag developers that don't port their games to PC. so expect Lego Indiana Jones to suffer the same fate as Force Unleashed. This is all because developers now that PC game is dying. Sorry i am not trying to be rude when i say this but **** consoles, Wii sucks ,Xbox 360 sucks and Ps3 sucks, Lucasarts can take Force Unleashed and shove it up their ass! Sorry but this is how the video game industry works.

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Sorry but this is how the video game industry works.

Not for long - its the herd instinct taking over again with little original thought and poor technology investment. That the game could go to the PC there is no doubt, it just takes a decent architecture and the correct skill base in the dev team. The latter does increase cost and Risk, and from that angle I can understand the commercial decision to stay on one platform.

The idiotic PR inspired statement however beggars belief. Eventually the Herd will stampeed back to the PC parking lot when the one over the road is full. They'll have a problem by then though, Stardock will be in all the parking bays

The whole genre saga is astonishing, its all based on short term business cases delivering maximum return on investment on a game of deliberate short shelf life, then banging out another one in a similar mode. It will not take long - another year or two - then the fan base will get very annoyed at the basic model for this, and sales will be hit hard.

Stardock will be laughing all the way to the Bank whilst this lot rumbles on.

Regards
Zy

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They're just too lazy to bother with a market that they feel will not bring them enough cash. No worries, in a couple of years when even an entry level rig can wipe the floor with a PS3 they'll remember to develop games for it... and also all the "pc gaming is dead" threads will disappear.

This is as pathetic as Crytek whining about piracy for poor sales of "Crysis". Yeah, sure it had nothing to do with the ridiculous system requirements locking out 90% of PC owners. (God knows I'd have bought it if I thought I had any hope at all of running it, and my PC is less than a year old.)

I don't get why people think Crysis has such ridiculous system requirements. I have a 2-year old rig and it runs it just fine - yeah it's not 60fps, more like 25-30fps, but it's not multiplayer so I don't need silky smooth, smooth will do just fine... and I was running it at highest everything except for the DX10 options.

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Crysis will work on many computers we just see "BEST GRAPHICS EVER" and run away because we can't max it. Their sales will sky rocket when mainstream computers that already can play Crysis well are bought. $ 1000 Gateway already has 8800 gt 4 gb RAM q2.5 ghz we just need to buy them and then we'll feel confident to buy higher graphics intense games like crysis.

As for Lucasarts I'll most likely not buy any of there games until they can prove they're not controller button mashing lovers.
I think they post topics on the PS3 and 360 Gamespot forums asking is making a game for PC any good.

You make a good game we follow you everywhere like Stardock and Ironclad. Even a good port will still be liked by us. You ignore me completely as a PC game consumer, trust goes poofff!! If there not smart enough to port it properly then I guess don't even try. But don't make bull excuses to us that make no sense as we know about technology thats why we are the special few in the gaming community that game play the best in gameplay and graphics.

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Heck with this game. Just give me an updated X-Wing or TIE Fighter and then we're shakin'.

-HM

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Well gentlemen. The fact of the matter is Lucas Arts is afraid of those dastardly pirates who chronically torrent major PC games like Force Unleached. They do not wish to express this opinion because not everyone torrents and they do not wish to insult every PC user. They are playing the feild like the devs at Rockstar North who also fear pirates. Lucas Arts is probably going to repeal its wish to not make Force Unleashed once they have made enough money to cover the losses via pirating.

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Or when they realize that pirates have diversified to other markets, so not even their precious consoles are safe

.

Also, who else finds it ironic that the reason the guys with the "THE END IS NEAR" signs for PC gaming (and compare sales statistics to all the consoles for no good reason) cite overly strenuous system requirements (mass effect takes how long to load textures now?), patching required for playability (now coming to a console near you now that you can be reasonably assumed to be online), installations needed to play (now coming to a console near you now that you have a hard drive), and price (okay, that's a relatively good one until you realize what kind of computer you can get for the price of the computer you'd buy to screw around on the internet plus the price of a console)? Sorry for the ridiculously long question, but it really needs to be asked.

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Heck with this game. Just give me an updated X-Wing or TIE Fighter and then we're shakin'.-HM

Yea can't they ever learn that when a game is rated good, MAKE A BLOODY SEQUEL
Just like Republic Commando and Tie Fighter they seem to just abandon good games with good ideas and start making other games that are mediocre in rating (ie. Bounty Hunter)

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Lucasarts, in the name of a quick buck, forgot who made them what they are. I bought their first games (I think it was "Eldilon" and "Escape from" something). We padded their pockets with x-wing and tie fighter. Bought their California homes with the Jedi Knight series. Now, it is "too hard". I actually think it is laziness on their part. I don't see COD4 and UE3 having issues. And dozens of other games. Piracy is an old issue, and I don't understand why more games use online generated keys like GW, Half Life and others. Piracy can be stopped, or at least reduced to insignificant levels in the US.

In short, follow the path of greed, which leads to the dark side, have they.

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Ballblazer was effectively their first game.

Ah yes, Republic Commando was good too.

-HM

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There is only one LucasArts game I'm looking forward to and its only LucasArts cause it happens to be from their universe.

the KOTOR MMO made by.......BIOWARE! Cause honestly people, Bioware knows RPG's, they know PC's, and they know their players. Why else would I still be playing KOTOR and enjoying it after knowing every little secret...seriously?

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Since the dawn of gaming Console games have always yielded extremely high profitsopposed to PC Games. On a side note, Console games are also not as likely to be subjected to widespread pirating.

Focusing solely on development for a console also elevates the time and money spent on hardware compatibility testing.

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Darth Vader's hold on the force is stronger then you think !!!

Nasty

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Why would Lucasarts want a great game such as Force Unleashed to only be for,

and why Xbox 360 with it's famous

.
Oh and why the DS oh, yeah

.
I've made my point.

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I've made my point.

Seth, the only point you've made is that consoles make a lot more money than PC games.

Makes perfect sense to me. I would have done the exact same thing LucasArts did if I were them.

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