theyarecomingforyou wrote on Nov 16, 2012, 03:41:2nd_floor wrote on Nov 15, 2012, 20:49:Crysis 2 and Metro 2033 both included DX11 effects and pushed PC hardware. They used checkpoint-only saves but that was done for tension and I think they were better games because of it.
The latest games I've played (shooters anyway) have been mediocore console to PC ports (I would say anyway, most with checkpoint-only saves and very linear, corridor shooters): Crysis 2, Dead Island, Metro 2033, Homefront, F.E.A.R. 2 & 3, DNF, and Rage. Most of these games had VERY few graphical options for PC, and by no means are they using or pushing the limits of hardware of PCs like they used to.2nd_floor wrote on Nov 15, 2012, 20:49:While I would agree that had they been PC-exclusive they would have been much better on PC we have to also accept that had they been PC-exclusive then there wouldn't have been enough money to make them in the first place. However, we should demand that games released on PC are taken seriously. Max Payne 3, Borderlands 2, Dishonored, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Alan Wake, Battlefield 3, DiRT2/3/Showdown and Batman: Arkham City all had great PC releases, with DX11 support being included in upcoming games like BioShock Infinite, Crysis 3, GRID 2, Metro: Last Light and Tomb Raider.
" publishers are realising that they can't get away with half-assed ports" I don't think this is the case at all! I think the opposite really. The list of games above are developers getting away with half efforts for the PC, and this is a few years running now, game after game.2nd_floor wrote on Nov 15, 2012, 20:49:That's a personal decision but it doesn't reflect reality, as PC games used to ship with Analog Rights Management in the forum of: printed code sheets; code wheels; star constellations hidden behind magnifying glasses; code words hidden in the manual. Then they used to ship with draconian DRM, including: CD-checks, game crippling exe injections, etc. Services like Steam and Origin have actually IMPROVED the end user experience, as well as bringing down the price of games in real terms through sales. They are far from perfect and gamers will continue to demand more but Steam is one of the biggest reasons that PC gaming is doing as well as it is.
I think also with DRM/Online only/Steam/Origin taking so much freedom away from people to play and manage the games the way they want to (and when they want to), and now talk of developers disallowing mods. (PC gaming wouldn't be where it is today without mods, ridiculous thing to do by developers). If this continues, I've had it with PC gaming.
As for checkpoint only saves, they're a design feature - admittedly a contentious issue but one I actually support, despite being exclusively a PC gamer.
And finally, I think we can all agree that Microsoft is a pretty shitty company and its move into consoles have been to the detriment of PC.