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48.

Re: Epic on Piracy and PCs

May 17, 2010, 15:28

Verno

World Of Warcraft created the genre

No it didn't, it may have defined the idea of success in the MMORPG genre but it did not create it.

If the PC platform isn't bringing any money, which it is, why do the big publishers keep releasing games on the PC? They keep saying piracy this, piracy that, PC gaming is doomed, etc, but they still release on the PC

This is really easy to explain - some money is better than none. You'll notice many publishers have adopted a delayed PC release schedule for their multiplatform titles. The reason they do is because they figure they might as well release it after the consoles have sold most of what they will.

Put a different way, when you spent 80 million making Red Dead Redemption, do you never release a PC version at all for fear of piracy or do you play it safe and simply release a PC version a year or two later when the consoles have sold their potential maximum amount of units?

Publishers think that PC piracy costs them money on multiplatform titles at those launch dates. Whether they are right or wrong, who knows, neither of us can legitimately make that claim. They feel that piracy can't hurt them at that point because the money has already been made and anything the PC sells is just gravy. The effect is what is important anyways, not so much the cause. Regardless, their approach is problematic for many reasons but you asked for a potential why and there you go.

As an aside, I'll put down money we'll see a RDR port within a year and a half, tops despite the fact that they have said no plans for a PC version at all. It's a popular approach at Rockstar and publishers in general with regards to multiplatform titles. I would say to those publishers however that many games have great success released at the same time on the PC - Mass Effect 2 and Bad Company 2 are just two recent examples.

This comment was edited on May 17, 2010, 15:35.




Playing: Super Mario 3D Land, Tales of Graces F, Fire Emblem 3DS Watching: Hannibal, Community, Life

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