Quality of PC Games

[Mem]

We have to work with DRM issues plus boring ports from console games etc.. do you think quality of PC games over last decade has gone downhill in general,are software game companies to blame,whats your thoughts on the subject?

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I haven't seen a game that matched the awesome badness of super paint brawl extreme or big rig racing so I'd have to say on average the qualities gotten better.

 

[Zenoth]

It depends on so many things, what has been going downhill from what I see is the appreciation of PC gaming, and if that is due to lesser quality games then it doesn't show up much, since people keep buying them anyway. The thing is there was plenty of very bad games in the past, but most people only remember the games they liked, logically so, so they have the impression that "bad PC gaming" and "bad PC games quality" is only something recent, when it's certainly not on paper.

But there is a noticeable decrease in the number of very successful and years-lasting games (not years-lasting in terms of game-play, I mean on a more broader sense, such as how memorable it is, and how appreciated and still played it may be after long periods of time), that's one thing I did notice. If I would only have the choice to point at one single aspect of gaming for the PC platform that contributed in decreasing the games' quality and general PC gaming appreciation it would have to be the lack of proper testing prior to a game's release.

 

[shortylickens]

Am so tired of stating my position on this subject I should just keep a text file with a standard post. Instead I'll just keep it brief.

While programming quality seems to have slowly gone up over the years, gameplay quality has plummeted horribly. And I think it will take a massive change in the market to bring things back around. Perhaps the complete demise of PC gaming, followed by a dry spell of about 2-4 years, then maybe developers will come back strong looking for a new market.
But that will never happen, because console ports and MMO's are keeping the computer alive as a platform. There is no fire from which a Phoenix can be reborn, and frankly I think thats what we need to see good quality gaming come back.

Another possibility is the console market destroying itself, which might seem crazy if you dont analyze current trends. They keep taking bigger losses on their systems with each new generation, because they need powerful/expensive hardware to run the ultra-pretty games they wanna sell. So they have to bump the prices of the games to make up for it. Games keep getting more expensive on their own because they increase development costs to make them look pretty on the big, new systems. Eventually people are going to stop buying.
But that probably wont happen. They'll just change around their development to produce the games and the systems at a lower cost. We wont be impressed every year, but at least people will be able to afford video games.

I'll skip my rant on how console fanboys ended up destroying the PC gaming market, because I've said it a dozen times and its boring now.

 

[Mem]

If I would only have the choice to point at one single aspect of gaming for the PC platform that contributed in decreasing the games' quality and general PC gaming appreciation it would have to be the lack of proper testing prior to a game's release.

Its hard for them since I know they have deadlines etc..personally I find quality of the PC games has gone downhill in general,I still buy a lot of PC games but it does not feel like the old days where PC gaming was awesome due to the quality/content etc...

Am so tired of stating my position on this subject I should just keep a text file with a standard post. Instead I'll just keep it brief.

Nobody is forcing you to post .

 

[Maximilian]

Consoles are easier and have continued to get better whilest remianing easy. PC's arent easy to game on, theyve continued getting better as well but theyre still not easy to game on, in fact theyve gotten tougher to use over time due to DRM, but even if that wasent there theyre still not an easy platform to use.

Console:
Insert game - Play game

PC
Insert game - Install game - Play game
+
wonder why the installer dosent appear when you insert the cd
+
wonder why the game wont run, and what error "000x8736 serious error" means
+
wonder why the game runs with any number of miscellaneous problems, runs slow, no sound, cant reassign controls, controls suck, graphics anomalies etc
+
googling the problem and noone else has this issue, or everyone else has this issue and theres no easy fix


See all that extra guff that comes with a PC. Sure none of it will definately happen but it might happen, itll never happen on a console. Theres no reason to exclusively game on a PC anymore, its got RTS and MMO games, everything else a console can do easily all you need to do is get used to the controls.

 

[Mem]

Originally posted by: Maximilian
Consoles are easier and have continued to get better whilest remianing easy. PC's arent easy to game on, theyve continued getting better as well but theyre still not easy to game on, in fact theyve gotten tougher to use over time due to DRM, but even if that wasent there theyre still not an easy platform to use.

Console:
Insert game - Play game

PC
Insert game - Install game - Play game
+
wonder why the installer dosent appear when you insert the cd
+
wonder why the game wont run, and what error "000x8736 serious error" means
+
wonder why the game runs with any number of miscellaneous problems, runs slow, no sound, cant reassign controls, controls suck, graphics anomalies etc
+
googling the problem and noone else has this issue, or everyone else has this issue and theres no easy fix


See all that extra guff that comes with a PC. Sure none of it will definately happen but it might happen, itll never happen on a console. Theres no reason to exclusively game on a PC anymore, its got RTS and MMO games, everything else a console can do easily all you need to do is get used to the controls.

I don't have any real issues with getting games to run ie normally insert DVD into drive and I'm off gaming,driver issues are very rare for me too so I feel your statement while valid is not an issue at least for me.

The main issue I have with a few PC games is the quality of content seems poor compared to the old days,its like the software companies can't be bothered to make great games anymore or with new original ideas.
Hardware and graphics have improved but thats only a small part of the game at least IMHO.

 

[Pelu]

games was fine... but around the end of 2007 they start falling apart...

 

[Fox5]

I think quality is going up (games on launch have less bugs than games used to) and in general playability is up, but everything else is down. Games are unoriginal, uninspired console ports with crappy interfaces and aren't the trend setters that pc games used to be.

 

[BenSkywalker]

I am curious where the nostalgia comes from, what is it exactly that people are missing?

The only genre I can think of that went away is Adventure games on the PC, other then that how are the old school shooters better then what we have today? Are people not happy with the direction the strategy genre has taken? Simulators aren't leagues better now then they were 20 years, or even 10 years ago?

Truly innovative games almost always suck. Once in a great while we will see one that is a blast to play(the most recent that I can think of is the 'port' Portal), overwhelmingly they are flat out awful. In fact, I think a great part of the reason why games have started losing their crispness in the gameplay segment is because developers have to try and be 'innovative' with dumb ass ideas lest they get blasted for being a rehash.

You know what, give me what has been done a thousand times before, just give it to me better then anyone else has ever done it. Give it to me more polished, refined and enjoyable. Alas, that is unlikely to happen in the PC market. Way too many elitist snobs that demand innovation while ignoring the dominant platform for innovation(the Wii- like I said earlier, truly innovative games almost always suck and the Wii has tons of examples to prove that point ).

Also, what is so 'consolized' about PC games lately? The menu? Are people just looking for a killer menu game? 50 hours plus of menu exploration! Legendary boss menu challenges!......? What is it that has been 'consolized'? Haven't played a PC game in quite a while that wanted me to use a controller for anything outside of driving, mouse and keyboard are still working quite nicely thank you.

My top list for single player PC games over the last few years, KoTOR, Bioshock, Portal- all ports. Hell, the by far biggest segment of PC gaming right now, MMOs, are almost entirely exclusive to the PC market. Perhaps people are looking for a scapegoat? The unique types of games we used to see on the PC aren't around anymore because people weren't buying them. Not saying that is anyone's fault per se, but game developers have kids to feed too, and they have bills to pay just like the rest of us. If a market isn't there, the product will go away. The last truly great PC exclusive game I really got into came out quite a few years ago and sold horribly, Anachronox. Beyond Good&Evil is another one, huge sales failure. Really some absolutely stellar games there, but quality gaming doesn't sell. Not enough innovation, pretty enough graphics, or right franchise name. Consumers made the market what it is today, the publishers simply gave the people what they demonstrated(with their wallet) they want.

 

[Mem]

My top list for single player PC games over the last few years, KoTOR

Games like that I don't understand why they did not release an expansion pack or make more then just KOTOR,KOTOR2....I know a lot of gamers would of liked to see an expansion pack or KOTOR3,4 etc....sure we have Old Republic on the way but thats a MMORPG.

They seem to stop on a good thing ,what are they afraid of?

 

[Atreus21]

I think PC gaming is evolving into something much different for two reasons: Steam and its competitors, and the deluge of webgames that are being developed. Steam's method of distribution makes it possible for indy developers to bring products to market without a big publisher, kinda like the game Audiosurf, and sell the game for a good price (Audiosurf I think is $5) and make a fortune. I think also the webgames, of which some are surprising quality, are changing the market by showing that graphics aren't everything, whereas the overall experience is.

Seriously, if anyone here hasn't tried, go to armorgames.com and play some of their higher rated stuff. You might be surprised.

 

[samduhman]

The PC as a gaming platform received multiple black eyes all about the same time frame.

- HDTVs brought console graphics to a new level
- Microsoft stabbing PC gamers in the back by joining the console market and cutting PC gaming support especially after the 360 was released
- Microsoft releasing Vista which split the PC developing/gaming market
- wishy washy so called ex PC gamers who jumped ship ASAP to 360 and continually troll gaming forums badmouthing the PC as a gaming platform and have convinced themselves playing with your thumbs is good enough for FPS and RTSs.
- I still think online play plays a big part in the current state of PC gaming. Why buy a new game when you still enjoy that game your playing. I played BF1942 for 2 years. WoW for 4 years. Unlike others I still bought new games regularly so I have a massive backlog.

With all that negativity guess what. The PC is still doing fine.

- I still buy just as many games as I did in the 90s/early 2000s if not more.
- The black eye of Vista is disappearing with service packs and now Windows 7.
- PC gaming hardware is cheaper than ever while console costs have approached PC
- PC gaming has gotten much more streamlined and easy to use while I have found myself banging my head waiting for my consoles to download patches or get the networking on them to work correctly. Plug and play is/has disappeared from consoles.

I feel PC gaming is on the upswing. We still have more exclusives if you willing to look for them and not expect them to be AAA titles. There's nothing wrong with C+ if you enjoy the genre. Also I'm pretty sure I've been noticing more exclusives being announced for PCs these days and also devs who used to be console exclusive now supporting PC. Capcom, Square/Enix for example.

Basically the PC just needs a dev to take chance and create the next big thing. Just like ID and Epic did back in the day, create a game that's so next gen people go out and buy/upgrade a computer just to play the game. I spent $1600 on a PC back in the day just to play Warcraft 2. Until then I'll just keep gaming. I don't mind ports as long as they aren't crappy ports. Even consoles are getting plagued with crossplatform titles, its not just happening on the PC.

 

[EricMartello]

Compared to the era of 8 and 16-bit game consoles, where the libraries were chock full of fun-to-play gems and generation-defining classics, gaming on PCs and consoles as a whole is in the shitters.

We have GREAT graphics, sound and all that stuff but it seems that eye candy is forcing genuinely fun games to take a back seat. I use to get excited about games but now it seems that years go by before there is a game that really captures my attention. The original Deus Ex comes to mind as one of those games.

I don't agree that Vista is the problem. Games run great on Vista and it is not a performance issue...it's a fun factor issue. I'd say that 99% of the big-publisher games on the market to day are overproduced garbage kinda like pop music. They churn them out to make profits rather than to produce a solid, fun game.

 

[Elcs]

Originally posted by: samduhman
The PC as a gaming platform received multiple black eyes all about the same time frame.

- HDTVs brought console graphics to a new level

- Microsoft releasing Vista which split the PC developing/gaming market

- The black eye of Vista is disappearing with service packs and now Windows 7.

Having used an HDTV in conjunction with my PC via a DVI to HDMI connection 1080i and now 1080p, I disagree with your statement there. An HDTV may have gave consoles a visual boost but they also provided it for PC gamers if they so choose. Personally, I would rather have a 1920x1080, 47" display but there are gamers here who go for a 20-30" display that does 25xx by xxxx (read: higher resolution).

Vista has also been a good thing for gaming. I do not believe there are any DX10 exclusive games and with most DX9 games now running better on Vista than XP, there has not been a better time. Vista at its release was poor at best but for some time now in a gaming market, it has been a no-brainer.

Just picking up on the feelings expressed by beta testers, Windows 7 seems to be similar to Vista but much more refined at launch, looking like it will be the gaming OS of choice within a year.

@BenSkyWalker - You mention "The only genre I can think of that went away is Adventure games on the PC". I would have to throw Space-Combat Sims into that mix.

The X-series by Egosoft is extremely good but it is not a combat and story focused game. Its real draw is the "Build your own space empire" theme. Freelancer and DarkStar One are probably our last decent sims but I would probably stretch to say we haven't had a good one since the monumental Freespace 2.

I am sure we are missing another couple of genres here but I cannot recall them.

On a side note, I hated playing adventure games and purely loathed playing UFO: Enemy Unknown (X-Com: Base Defense for the Americans) and still do.... but I loved spending time watching my dad play them on the Amiga. They are such a loss to gaming... they combined interest with puzzles and humour. Could be put down and picked up at any time.

 

[sactoking]

Not only are games unoriginal, buggy, and lame, but 50% of them have to be FPS games. I think I'd rather play pretty much any genre over a FPS.

 

[EricMartello]

Originally posted by: sactoking
Not only are games unoriginal, buggy, and lame, but 50% of them have to be FPS games. I think I'd rather play pretty much any genre over a FPS.

True dat. I am sick of every game choosing FPS as the format. This isn't 1994, it's no longer "revolutionary" and the format is only good for certain types of games. For instance I can say that I would have enjoyed Fallout 3 a lot more if it had a better third person top-down perspective.

On a side note, what do you all think about Shadow Complex? It's a 2D platform-style shooter with 3D graphics and "3D elements" mixed in...and it's a download on Xbox Live Arcade.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Originally posted by: Mem

My top list for single player PC games over the last few years, KoTOR

Games like that I don't understand why they did not release an expansion pack or make more then just KOTOR,KOTOR2....I know a lot of gamers would of liked to see an expansion pack or KOTOR3,4 etc....sure we have Old Republic on the way but thats a MMORPG.

They seem to stop on a good thing ,what are they afraid of?

Totally agree about KOTOR3. Glad others still want the single player game to continue and come to a conclusion. Very disappointed that they turned it into an MMO. KOTOR 1 was probably my favorite game. I dont understand either why the didnt make a third single player game. I am sure there are many people who would buy that along with on in preference to an MMO. TOR may be a good MMO, but I refuse to play any MMO.

 

[ChaosDivine]

Give me adventures (Indy Jones, DOTT, Sam 'n Max, Full Throttle, etc.) and space sims (Wing Commander, Freespace, Descent, etc).

 

[zerocool84]

What pisses me off with most modern games is that the single player element is only like 5-10 hrs and they substitute multiplay for "replayability". I want a great singleplayer experience which most recently released games lack.

 

[OCGuy]

There are plenty of great games. It is just cool to come on the internet and bash everything.

 

[Mem]

Originally posted by: OCguy
There are plenty of great games. It is just cool to come on the internet and bash everything.

It's not that, as I have already posted previously I still buy a lot of PC games and have noticed the quality is not like the old days.

It's one thing to think some people are bashing PC games but when a lot of gamers have seen the decline of quality PC games compared to the old days they wonder why?

 

[nitromullet]

As the gaming population has grown, I think that game devs have traded game depth for accessibility to a wider audience and implementation on more platforms. I think the "quality" is still there, but they are making what sells.

What I'd like to see is games taking more advantage of different levels of depth for different types of players. For instance, say you have a squad in a shooter type game... Maybe they have options to let you command a squad directly as the leader, be the leader and let AI control the squad, or be a member of the squad and have the AI take the leadership role. Say you have an RPG with leveling/stats/gear, and you have the option to build your character by assigning points into skills on your own, or just selecting the type of character you want and let the game assign skill points based on your choice (or maybe even based on your play style). I think tailoring games to different types of players will see a return to perceived quality/value for more players. Some people enjoy getting into the technical details and playing meticulously, while others just enjoy blowing stuff up. The problem is that a game that appeals to one generally doesn't appeal to the other.

 

[JoshGuru7]

You remember the good games and not the bad ones.

How many great games can you really list from a single year? 1994 stands apart for me for having a lot of *amazing* games (tie-fighter, doom II, lords of the realm, warcraft, x-com: ufo defense, ultima viii) but if you compare the average year to 2009 I find it hard to say that modern games are that much worse in comparison.

2009 PC Games:
Saints Row II
Mirror's Edge
Burnout Paradise: Ultimate Box
Fear II: Project Origin
Dawn of War II
Tom Clancy's EndWar
Empire: Total War
World in Conflict: Soviet Assault
H.A.W.X.
Wheelman
Godfather II
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
Company of Heroes: Tales of Valour
Braid
Demigod
Sims 3
Prototype
Anno 1404
Overlord 2
Battlefield Heroes
Arma 2
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
Tales of Monkey Island Chapter 1

Is this list really that much worse than Jan-August of say 1992 or Jan-August of 2002? Or is that you only remember the handful of games that you liked and ignore the five hundred that you didn't?

 

[tokie]

JoshGuru, the only good game in that list is Mirror's Edge. Fear 2 should have been aborted with a coat hanger...