Report – Microsoft & Sony Pressuring Ubisoft For 30FPS On PC

[Fire&Blood]

You have a point, but keep in mind that these companies regularly do things like this. It has already been stated by multiple devs that MS/Sony want the games to be the same across all platforms.

I don't think they want the games to be same, I'm pretty sure they angle for more/better features/content on their respective platforms. If Sony can't get exclusive content and/or features, then they'll "settle" for equal and MS has the same approach. I have no insider knowledge to back this up, just logic and reason.

I can only speculate just how much consoles are concerned with losing sales to PC but corporate logic dictates they want any and all competition as weak as possible and their own stuff to shine.

Looking at development costs, with multiplatform titles neither Sony nor xbox people really need to take shots at PC. From dev perspective, diminishing returns dictate that the PC gets the bare minimum. At the same time, I don't think either console has the balls to openly ask for a PC version downgrade. It may happen verbally and while they could risk the bad press they would get, they can't risk further exposing their platform weakness.

Since PC gaming doesn't have a concerned parent like consoles do to push the devs to "go all out", PC gaming relies on dev ethics, studios competition and pride on one front and hardware iterations and graphic engine improvements on the other to get the best possible experience. With this console generation being what it is, we can only hope that with time PC hardware overruns consoles so much that devs feel compelled to take advantage of it.

2018 is realistically the earliest that next xbox and playstation come out, today's top PC hardware that already beats consoles will hit bargain bins long before that. As the gap continues to widen, maybe tech will allow even more improvements, not necessarily visual, could be environment physics or audio that make the differences between PC and consoles even more apparent. I think there are studios that would jump the opportunity to stand out in the crowd.

 

[BrightCandle]

Let me flesh out my concern with this article and its source.

Assuming the original account is accurate lets look at what could be happening. Games, not the press, but gamers are ripping Ubisoft apart for its 30 fps comments. With each comment Ubisoft gets more and more hate thrown in its direction for bad decisions. The boycotts start again just like they did years ago over always online DRM.

Right in the middle of that mess as Ubisoft is getting hammered a Ubisoft employee through unconventional channels (knowing full well what happens to such things in the internet age) implies that its Sony and Microsoft pressure that is the cause. Gamers immediately turn their hate onto those companies and letting Ubisoft off the hook. So here is the thing, did he even tell the truth, he has a vested interest in lying seeing as he is a Ubisoft employee, that right there is classic deflection. Not enough to get sued but enough to change gamer opinions.

Ubisoft is literally using the corruption of the gamer media and its lack of ethical standards for articles and news it reports to potentially spread disinformation and blame other companies for its own choices. If it was really being pressured it should be suing MS/Sony or raising it with anti competitive boards around the world.

So while we all might be concerned about Microsoft's past and present practices around its consoles and Sonys behaviour also we are also concerned about Ubisoft's. It is Ubisoft games we are talking about here and they have managed to deflect. So there might very well be a genuine news worthy article in here, but it isn't necessarily in the same direction as is being reported. Its just an abuse of the system and the pre baked hate levels of PC gamers, they might hate Ubisoft but they hate the consoles and the companies that make them more. See my issue with why the media is handling this all wrong yet or are we still "Well MS and Sony probably did it". Point is we have no idea what it is, why it was said or who is actually responsible. Occam's razor would say its Ubisoft because its their game.

Anything that can be asserted without proof can equally be dismissed without proof.

 

[ImpulsE69]

I don't think they want the games to be same, I'm pretty sure they angle for more/better features/content on their respective platforms. If Sony can't get exclusive content and/or features, then they'll "settle" for equal and MS has the same approach. I have no insider knowledge to back this up, just logic and reason.

I can only speculate just how much consoles are concerned with losing sales to PC but corporate logic dictates they want any and all competition as weak as possible and their own stuff to shine.

Looking at development costs, with multiplatform titles neither Sony nor xbox people really need to take shots at PC. From dev perspective, diminishing returns dictate that the PC gets the bare minimum. At the same time, I don't think either console has the balls to openly ask for a PC version downgrade. It may happen verbally and while they could risk the bad press they would get, they can't risk further exposing their platform weakness.

Since PC gaming doesn't have a concerned parent like consoles do to push the devs to "go all out", PC gaming relies on dev ethics, studios competition and pride on one front and hardware iterations and graphic engine improvements on the other to get the best possible experience. With this console generation being what it is, we can only hope that with time PC hardware overruns consoles so much that devs feel compelled to take advantage of it.

2018 is realistically the earliest that next xbox and playstation come out, today's top PC hardware that already beats consoles will hit bargain bins long before that. As the gap continues to widen, maybe tech will allow even more improvements, not necessarily visual, could be environment physics or audio that make the differences between PC and consoles even more apparent. I think there are studios that would jump the opportunity to stand out in the crowd.

There is the piece that you pointed out which I don't quite agree on. You say the consoles have no reason to ask for PC versions to be downgraded to console quality. I would say the opposite. They have all the reasons and motives, while the devs have less. Sure, maybe it wouldn't be worth their effort, except it is their name that gets drug through the mud, not the consoles. Sony and MS risk losing customers if everyone flocks to the PC versions, while the devs win either way via sales.

I'm not saying devs have no accountability here, because I think Ubi has proven time and again, they aren't real customer first in their business decisions, I just think that between the two MS/Sony have more motive. Look at how much money MS supposedly throws out to get exclusives. It really is no different to their end goal if they were to push to make a PC/or even Sony version worse.

I'm not really basing these thoughts off of this particular article, but past articles and known issues in the industry.

 

[Fire&Blood]

Let me flesh out my concern with this article and its source.

Assuming the original account is accurate lets look at what could be happening. Games, not the press, but gamers are ripping Ubisoft apart for its 30 fps comments. With each comment Ubisoft gets more and more hate thrown in its direction for bad decisions. The boycotts start again just like they did years ago over always online DRM.

Right in the middle of that mess as Ubisoft is getting hammered a Ubisoft employee through unconventional channels (knowing full well what happens to such things in the internet age) implies that its Sony and Microsoft pressure that is the cause. Gamers immediately turn their hate onto those companies and letting Ubisoft off the hook. So here is the thing, did he even tell the truth, he has a vested interest in lying seeing as he is a Ubisoft employee, that right there is classic deflection. Not enough to get sued but enough to change gamer opinions.

Ubisoft is literally using the corruption of the gamer media and its lack of ethical standards for articles and news it reports to potentially spread disinformation and blame other companies for its own choices. If it was really being pressured it should be suing MS/Sony or raising it with anti competitive boards around the world.

So while we all might be concerned about Microsoft's past and present practices around its consoles and Sonys behaviour also we are also concerned about Ubisoft's. It is Ubisoft games we are talking about here and they have managed to deflect. So there might very well be a genuine news worthy article in here, but it isn't necessarily in the same direction as is being reported. Its just an abuse of the system and the pre baked hate levels of PC gamers, they might hate Ubisoft but they hate the consoles and the companies that make them more. See my issue with why the media is handling this all wrong yet or are we still "Well MS and Sony probably did it". Point is we have no idea what it is, why it was said or who is actually responsible. Occam's razor would say its Ubisoft because its their game.

Anything that can be asserted without proof can equally be dismissed without proof.

Personally I don't trust the source, it's some kid on reddit who can paint the wrong picture with or without intention. There is far too many idiots out there for me take for granted info from someone who just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Recently some analyst predicted xbox to outsell ps and I saw that old pic of Truman holding the papers that announces Dewey's win, someone photoshopped the pic to show PS executive and the xbox>ps headline. Immediately someone decided to inform him that the headline was wrong. Not relevant to the topic here but just the most recent example of stupidity I can think of.

There is the piece that you pointed out which I don't quite agree on. You say the consoles have no reason to ask for PC versions to be downgraded to console quality. I would say the opposite. They have all the reasons and motives, while the devs have less. Sure, maybe it wouldn't be worth their effort, except it is their name that gets drug through the mud, not the consoles. Sony and MS risk losing customers if everyone flocks to the PC versions, while the devs win either way via sales.

I'm not saying devs have no accountability here, because I think Ubi has proven time and again, they aren't real customer first in their business decisions, I just think that between the two MS/Sony have more motive. Look at how much money MS supposedly throws out to get exclusives. It really is no different to their end goal if they were to push to make a PC/or even Sony version worse.

I'm not really basing these thoughts off of this particular article, but past articles and known issues in the industry.

Fair enough. I still think, at least for the moment, there is no need for MS or Sony to interfere, devs let the PC down all on their own if you ask me. I can't be 100% certain that they haven't interfered already but as this gen ages, the odds of them doing so will increase over time.