MS trialed integrating PC & Xbox gamers online, but canned it

[fbrdphreak]

From Rahul Sood's blog, HP/Voodoo honcho:

There was a project that got killed at Microsoft. This project was designed to allow console gamers and PC gamers to interact and battle over a connected environment. Personally I wish it would have stayed the course. I've heard from reliable sources that during the development they brought together the best console gamers to play mediocre PC gamers at the same game... and guess what happened? They pitted console gamers with their "console" controller, against PC gamers with their keyboard and mouse.

The console players got destroyed every time. So much so that it would be embarrassing to the XBOX team in general had Microsoft launched this initiative. Is this why the project was killed Who knows, but I'd love to hear from anyone involved --- what happened?

Those of us who have been in the gaming business for over a decade know the real deal. You simply don't get the same level of detail or control as you do with a PC over a console. It's a real shame that Microsoft killed this -- because had they kept it alive it might have actually increased the desire of game developers and gamers alike to continue developing and playing rich experiences on the PC which would trickle down to the console as it has in the past.

Instead they wanted to keep an old business model alive, and as a result they are (all) getting attacked by the most unlikely competitor.. Apple.

..had they allowed something like this to take place then perhaps the desire to have the best platform would still be there. Perhaps the scale of the PC would have allowed Microsoft to get away from the hardware business and focus on their core, software. Perhaps we could have finally integrated the XBOX into the PC...

This is just a snippet, more of the post at: http://www.rahulsood.com/2010/07/console-gamers-get-killed-against-pc.html

I know I'm not the only one here who *ISN'T* surprised. Comparing top console and PC gamers is like taking two great race car drivers, putting one in a Mini and one in a Porsche. 😉 Both cars may be good in their own right, but there's just no comparison!

Keyboard + Mouse > Controller any day of the week, and twice on Sunday

Beyond that, I think Rahul's got some rosey-colored glasses on regarding the PC industry. Xbox + PC gaming online together would not have "saved" anything.

He seems to have some dream of a unified device that is your PC, home theater, gaming, etc all in one. Very cool concept, but just getting console & PC gamers to frag each other online would not have made that happen.

And how would that have changed them being "attacked" by Apple? How are they being attacked anyway? Apple is stealing the netbook market, they've already owned the MP3 market, but IIRC they're still small change in the computer market.

Srsly?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

I'd really like to see some companies (such as EA) allow cross-platform support on things such as sports games, so at a minimum, PS3 and Xbox 360 players could be in the same leagues. That would be extremely helpful but I know it won't happen -- Sony and MS probably would not allow it.

 

[purbeast0]

Shadowrun did this a long time ago on Xbox 360 and yea when you played 360 and PC people together, the PC people destroyed the 360 people. not suprising in the least.

however it did have filters set so you could only play vs people of your platform which was nice.

 

[R Nilla]

I don't see why this couldn't work for most of the non-shooter genres. Sports, racing, platforming, etc., as well as co-operative games shouldn't have as much of a disparity.

 

[purbeast0]

I don't see why this couldn't work for most of the non-shooter genres. Sports, racing, platforming, etc., as well as co-operative games shouldn't have as much of a disparity.

not sure if this would have anything to do with it, but in those games there are usually a lot more AI involved in the online aspect than most FPS games.

again no clue if that has anything to do w/it heh but just something that usually runs true for non-FPS games, and non-fighters too (but fighters aren't really big on PC at all, nor on consoles really for that matter heh)

 

[Malak]

If console makers spent the extra $2 to include a mouse/kb and the developers utilized them, we wouldn't have this issue and we could kill off PC's for good. So far I think Unreal 3 is the only game to use the keyboard/mouse combo on the consoles.

 

[mugs]

If console makers spent the extra $2 to include a mouse/kb and the developers utilized them, we wouldn't have this issue and we could kill off PC's for good. So far I think Unreal 3 is the only game to use the keyboard/mouse combo on the consoles.

Yeah, but we'd have a bigger issue - many console gamers who actually want to use gamepads would lose interest in playing online games where they're at a significant disadvantage.

I don't know why people think keyboards and mice on consoles is such a great idea. We buy hardware that can't compete with the power of PC hardware, and we use controls that can't compete with PC controls. Maybe this is because console gamers are looking for a different gaming experience? Maybe that's why Microsoft and Sony haven't pushed keyboard+mouse support when it would be so easy to implement?

I'm happy to play with my inferior gamepad, and I hope the playing field stays level (as level as it is now, despite the devices that let you use a keyboard and mouse on a console).

 

[Narmer]

It goes both ways though. PC gamers would never keep up with console players playing fighting, racing or platform games.

 

[Malak]

It goes both ways though. PC gamers would never keep up with console players playing fighting, racing or platform games.

That is entirely untrue. The difference is, PC gamers can use any controllers console users can. Console users are limited to what developers allow in their games.

I'm not saying the mouse/kb replaces the gamepad entirely, just with certain genres where it is clearly superior. Different controllers for different types of games.

 

[gorcorps]

It goes both ways though. PC gamers would never keep up with console players playing fighting, racing or platform games.

Your assuming PC gamers will try and play those games with a KB/M... which the majority won't. You can use the 360 controller on the PC flawlessly, and for games like you mentioned that's probably what they'd do... so at most they're equal there.

 

[mooncancook]

Not only PC gamers get the KB+M advantage, they also get smoother frame rates by fine tuning graphic setting, and better, higer res, more detailed graphics with mroe powerful hardware. And yes PCs have gamepads, joysticks, driving wheels too.

I really wish 2K sports could let pcs gamers play against console gamers on NBA2k11, I think it would really increase their sales of the pc version

 

[Malak]

Not only PC gamers get the KB+M advantage, they also get smoother frame rates by fine tuning graphic setting, and better, higer res, more detailed graphics with mroe powerful hardware.

PC's don't get smoother frame rates and graphics settings are irrelevant on consoles. Consoles, as a home entertainment system, are in a better position to reach the masses. That is why PC gaming goes downhill and Rahul is so upset.

 

[Bman123]

Console gaming FTW

 

[JackBurton]

Not only PC gamers get the KB+M advantage, they also get smoother frame rates by fine tuning graphic setting, and better, higer res, more detailed graphics with mroe powerful hardware. And yes PCs have gamepads, joysticks, driving wheels too.

I really wish 2K sports could let pcs gamers play against console gamers on NBA2k11, I think it would really increase their sales of the pc version

Oh, you forgot to mention PC gaming also has wall hacking, auto head shot hacking motherfuckers.

I'll take a level playing field console match ANY day over the bullshit cheating that goes on in PC online gaming. I'm glad they didn't merge PC gaming with the 360. If I wanted to play a PC game online, I'd go back to PC gaming.

 

[Tristicus]

Guarantee you I will destroy (would've anyways) most people with a kb/m with the PS3 controller in Killzone 2. It depends on the game, there is no fact of which is better, it is based on skill and the game and opinion.

 

[Narmer]

That is entirely untrue. The difference is, PC gamers can use any controllers console users can. Console users are limited to what developers allow in their games.

I'm not saying the mouse/kb replaces the gamepad entirely, just with certain genres where it is clearly superior. Different controllers for different types of games.

Well, the consoles are dedicated machines. Sloppy drivers, unreliable hardware, and Windows makes using those extra peripherals expensive and fragile.

 

[A Casual Fitz]

Guarantee you I will destroy (would've anyways) most people with a kb/m with the PS3 controller in Killzone 2. It depends on the game, there is no fact of which is better, it is based on skill and the game and opinion.

Maybe the noobs... the precision of keyboard and mouse is unchallenged with shooters.

 

[smackababy]

It is simple enough, just put in an option (default off) to integrate the type of control used to the matchmaking. KB/M will only play others with KB/M and those who are good enough with the controller to compete (or think they can for a bit). This "levels" the playing fields.

As far as hacking, just get a system that bans them properly and you don't have much of a problem.

 

[JackBurton]

It is simple enough, just put in an option (default off) to integrate the type of control used to the matchmaking. KB/M will only play others with KB/M and those who are good enough with the controller to compete (or think they can for a bit). This "levels" the playing fields.

As far as hacking, just get a system that bans them properly and you don't have much of a problem.

Oh, and what "system" would that be? Cheating online with PC gaming is still a problem. So they are going to magically fix it when they open up XBox Live! to PCs?

If people want to play PC games online, get a PC, but keep it off of XBox Live! I don't need that crap polluting a great online gaming system (XBox Live!).

 

[Fingolfin269]

I would love to see cross over efforts done by EA for PS3/360 sports games. I ended up buying FIFA 2010 on PS3 recently mainly because the guy who I would end up playing it against is on a PS3. I would have preferred 360 mainly for the online component but it sure would be awesome to have the best of both worlds.

 

[QuikWgn]

Oh, and what "system" would that be? Cheating online with PC gaming is still a problem. So they are going to magically fix it when they open up XBox Live! to PCs?

If people want to play PC games online, get a PC, but keep it off of XBox Live! I don't need that crap polluting a great online gaming system (XBox Live!).

This probably wouldn't be as much of an issue as the servers would be MS/XBL servers. It would force everyone to be on the same patch and could implement sys file checking to make sure there aren't any illegal mods etc. We all know "MOST" of the PC cheating that goes on is in private server games.

 

[zerocool84]

PC's don't get smoother frame rates and graphics settings are irrelevant on consoles. Consoles, as a home entertainment system, are in a better position to reach the masses. That is why PC gaming goes downhill and Rahul is so upset.

Of course PC gamers can get smoother framerates, they just have to pay more for it but you forget that 720p is a tiny resolution for a PC gamer and most console games don't even run at native 720p and many console games still have slowdown as well.

 

[Bman123]

. We all know "MOST" of the PC cheating that goes on is in private server games.

I played MW2 on pc and I got thrown into 3 boosted servers playing team deathmatch. These weren't private servers either it's what I got thrown into. I saw numerous ppl wall hacking and numerous people with aimbot hacks and I never played in a private match/ server it's what I got put in.

I got so tired of that shit I sold my pc, bought a 360 and a laptop and I havent seen a cheater yet on xbox live other then the occasional douchebag with a modded controller firing a FAL full auto and they still get owned lol.

 

[mooncancook]

PC's don't get smoother frame rates and graphics settings are irrelevant on consoles. Consoles, as a home entertainment system, are in a better position to reach the masses...

PC do get smoother frame rates and there are 2 ways to achieve it. Lower the graphic details or buy more powerful hardware. I'm just pointing out another advantage PC gamers have over console gamers in FPS in addition to kb+m. No need to bring in the old PC vs console argument here.

Oh, you forgot to mention PC gaming also has wall hacking, auto head shot hacking motherfuckers.

I've been only playing the BF series online and I don't find cheating to be a problem so I almost forgot about it. Cheating definitely ruins the fun. I think what the experiment suggests is that a console gamer playing against a pc gamer in a FPS feels almost like a honest pc gamer playing against a cheating pc gamer, it just doesn't work. I don't care much about cross-platform in FPS though, but I really like to see the feature in sports, racing, and maybe fighting games like SF. It'll be nice for PS3, XBox, PC gamers to be able to play against each other, and a filter so that if you hate playing against gamers on other platforms you can filter them out.

 

[smackababy]

I played MW2 on pc and I got thrown into 3 boosted servers playing team deathmatch. These weren't private servers either it's what I got thrown into. I saw numerous ppl wall hacking and numerous people with aimbot hacks and I never played in a private match/ server it's what I got put in.

I got so tired of that shit I sold my pc, bought a 360 and a laptop and I havent seen a cheater yet on xbox live other then the occasional douchebag with a modded controller firing a FAL full auto and they still get owned lol.

MW2 is a horrible example. It was very poorly handled, thus has massive amounts of cheaters.