Nvidia: PC games start on consoles

[CoffeeShark]

Roy Taylor, NVIDIA's VP of Content Business Development, sees a trend in gaming: titles begin life on consoles, and are then improved for the PC.

"Today, developing a PC game means starting at a console, and console graphics are way above integrated graphics. That means the baseline is getting better. Now we're going to add to that version additional features, additional content, to make the PC version even better."

He notes Gears of War and Assassin's Creed, which, according to him, got better with their PC release.

Of course, this means fewer PC-only titles:

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Originally Posted by article

"I think we have to face the facts—the value of consoles is such that no one is going to make a PC-exclusive game in the future."

and he hits on services, which I agree on:

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"I think that we're going to see more digital authentication, and we're going to see more of an approach that says that PC games aren't products—they're a service."

I would really prefer they make it for Console/PC at release time, not Console and then later on, PC. I don't care if it's PS3 or Wii or 360, make a PC version, you can always update it.

Yeah, there are a ton of consoles out there, but there are a lot more PCs than that.

Lots more about Nvidia in the interview at Eurogamer

[joe]

the GTA games are a pretty good example of this, as all of the GTA III series games (original, vice, san andreas) had improvements in graphics going from the console to the PC...

but I think it's more of a double-edged sword, in good hands a game that was originally developed for the console can also be a success later on the PC (see GTA above and also Mass Effect)...but I think we're more likely going to be inundated with craptastic port after craptastic port of games that were developed for consoles, and then no real thought or input was put into them for the PC...

and I'm all for releasing games for all platforms (consoles and PC) at the same time...but not if it means that the PC version comes in as a steaming pile of poo (see UT3)

[CmdrTulkas]

Can't games be updated on consoles via things like XBOX Live? I think Consoles are headed to where they have such a big HD, that you just store the games on there.

Do you think they are going to design a console that you can upgrade? I remember when the N64 came out, it had a slot for some memory or graphics chip thing that you could get later on.

[joe]

I highly doubt that consoles will ever be able to be "upgraded"...one of the things that makes the consoles such a success is the closed system...game designers know exactly what the box can and can't do, and they design accordingly...

plus, there may be (this is just me hypothesizing) security issues with add-on features like that...and there's no way any of the console makers would want to introduce that to their platform...

[CoffeeShark]

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Originally Posted by joe

I highly doubt that consoles will ever be able to be "upgraded"...one of the things that makes the consoles such a success is the closed system...game designers know exactly what the box can and can't do, and they design accordingly...

plus, there may be (this is just me hypothesizing) security issues with add-on features like that...and there's no way any of the console makers would want to introduce that to their platform...

as long as you can download additional tracks/maps, I think that's as far as it will go.

[Aznsharpshooter5]

Yes tracks, songs, maps, and patches are about it and for Xbox users they have to pay 800 Xbox points (Around $10) to get things like that. PC users get to do all that for free and no monthly charge except for RPGs which is great for us =). Plus a lot of people's machines are a lot greater than the consoles (8800 GTX>ATI Xenos). I agree with joe that the consoles do have an advantage since you don't have to update your console frequently to play the latest games but there are also many limitations. I also think that some games are better on the PC than the console and that they should release on the same date. What I would like to see though is more games that can support PC vs Console in online matches.

[Bojingles]

Games on consoles are easier to design than on PC's cause they know exactly what the limitations are. Like Joe said. PC it's much harder cause everyone has different hardware and software that may interfere with the normal operation of the game. However PC's have a advantage cause the possibilities of improvement are nearly endless with the option of being able to upgrade computer components to run the games at much higher graphics and sound capabilities than that of consoles.

[Craig]

There has to be a happy medium. I'm hopeful that the next iteration of gaming consoles will be scalable at least somewhat so that devs can harness more power when needs be.

With 30" monitors sure to start coming down in price, and hardcore gamers sure to pick them up, we'll want to be able to crank resolutions up to the 2560 range. Yet our console roots may just well stick us at 1920.

I hope that we'll also see better integration between the two platforms. I mean how long has Microsoft been saying we'll be able to play PC vs XBox360 now???

[CmdrTulkas]

In the end though, it's still easier to pick up a console and go to a friends house. You just need to make sure he has a TV. Furthermore, it makes social gatherings easier. If every monitor/TV could hook up to a computer AND you could have wireless controllers or all plug into it, then it would eliminate any need for a console.

[Pale.Rider]

The last console I bought was a Super NES back in the early 90s.

I think there are some PC game developers that would argue with Mr. nVidia Hot Shot. I think the nVidia people know as much about making video games as game developers know about making video cards.