"The problem with porting games"

[thilanliyan]

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming...m-with-porting-games/1

 

[zerocool84]

Problem with Porting:

Not spending enough time to make a game port good and just porting it to make the most amount of cash.

 

[Zenoth]

It's unfortunate though, that generally we associate "port" with "bad quality" almost automatically, and with reasons of course, history speaks for itself, but there's been some good exceptions, as there's always. The one port I can think of in recent memory that I thought was good was Mass Effect, and yes I am aware that issues were present for some people, but I myself never experienced anything in terms of blatant or game-breaking bugs. It was smooth, did not require a CPU that wasn't even released, and did not require SLi setup either. If there could be more such ports we PC gamers wouldn't mind at all, even if the graphics are limited by the hardware they were built for.

 

[Barfo]

Originally posted by: zerocool84
Problem with Porting:

Not spending enough time to make a game port good and just porting it to make the most amount of cash.

This. I didn't read the article but crappy ports like GTA IV can't be excused when you see how companies like Capcom do theirs.

 

[dguy6789]

Very nice article.

 

[paperfist]

The controls are abysmal !

I won't even pretend to be a programmer, but how hard is it to make the jump from controller to kb/mouse? You do it right once and you can reuse that code over and over again.

Frankly that's my only gripe with ports, locking the graphic or giving no choices doesn't really bother me.

Like Call Of Juarez, I played the demo and the controls killed the chance of me buying that game. Then I played the new Batman and the demo sold me because while it was a little console like in aiming, but overall it was good.

 

[PingSpike]

No idea why they can't get basic controls and interface shit right. If you aren't going to do that, then don't even fucking bother.

 

[Liet]

Originally posted by: Zenoth
The one port I can think of in recent memory that I thought was good was Mass Effect, and yes I am aware that issues were present for some people, but I myself never experienced anything in terms of blatant or game-breaking bugs.

I beg to differ. Mass Effect wasn't as buggy as most, and was a decent port from the purely technical standpoint. But the gameplay was a consolized fucking mess; whoever was responsible for porting did exactly that and ONLY that - they didn't bother to remove things that don't make sense for PC users, or add things that PC users can take advantage of that console gamers cannot.

Here are a few of the console things that pissed me off.

- LONG pointless elevator rides that make sense on a console where content needs to be loaded frequently, but none on my computer.

- Recycled maps and textures. There were what, 4 total types of base? I have gigs and gigs of storage space... the devs shouldn't limit me because they didn't have enough room on the game DVD.

- Painful-to-navigate inventory system. REALLY painful. I'm not sitting 10 feet away from my screen like a console user is... it's alright to give me smaller text and grouped items.

Basically, just ONCE I'd like to see a port of a game that is truly different from the console versions, one that acknowledges that my computer has more capabilities than a console and designs accordingly.

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

I want PC exclusives. We used to never get console games and we had PC exclusives (which might have had a really poor XBOX port) and that is what set the platform apart but now all games are multi-platform.

 

[Liet]

And are limited by the weakest link. This is often mistakenly thought to be hardware limitations of consoles, but in fact it is the ADD most console gamers have, which drives them to buy every new game with beautiful graphics and a shallow plotline.

I think a lot of console gamers who didn't experience "good old" PC gaming don't even know they're being shortchanged and taken advantage of.

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

Originally posted by: Liet

think a lot of console gamers who didn't experience "good old" PC gaming don't even know they're being shortchanged and taken advantage of.

Exactly. Consoles ruined PC franchises and dumbed them down so much.


Game ruined by consoles:
Rainbow Six
System Shock 2 into BioShock (one of the worst rip-offs I've ever played)
Unreal Tournament
Deus Ex
Battlefield
Elder Scrolls
Call of Duty
and many more

 

[wrangler]

Originally posted by: Liet
I think a lot of console gamers who didn't experience "good old" PC gaming don't even know they're being shortchanged and taken advantage of.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Onita]

Originally posted by: WaitingForNehalem

Originally posted by: Liet

think a lot of console gamers who didn't experience "good old" PC gaming don't even know they're being shortchanged and taken advantage of.

Exactly. Consoles ruined PC franchises and dumbed them down so much.


Game ruined by consoles:
Rainbow Six
System Shock 2 into BioShock (one of the worst rip-offs I've ever played)
Unreal Tournament
Deus Ex
Battlefield
Elder Scrolls
Call of Duty
and many more

One of my favorite PC games ever

 

[skyofavalon]

when you guys start buying games,you'll get your PC exclusives back.Till then you'll have to be content with your glorified Xbox 360.

 

[Zenoth]

Originally posted by: Liet

Originally posted by: Zenoth
The one port I can think of in recent memory that I thought was good was Mass Effect, and yes I am aware that issues were present for some people, but I myself never experienced anything in terms of blatant or game-breaking bugs.

I beg to differ. Mass Effect wasn't as buggy as most, and was a decent port from the purely technical standpoint. But the gameplay was a consolized fucking mess; whoever was responsible for porting did exactly that and ONLY that - they didn't bother to remove things that don't make sense for PC users, or add things that PC users can take advantage of that console gamers cannot.

Here are a few of the console things that pissed me off.

- LONG pointless elevator rides that make sense on a console where content needs to be loaded frequently, but none on my computer.

- Recycled maps and textures. There were what, 4 total types of base? I have gigs and gigs of storage space... the devs shouldn't limit me because they didn't have enough room on the game DVD.

- Painful-to-navigate inventory system. REALLY painful. I'm not sitting 10 feet away from my screen like a console user is... it's alright to give me smaller text and grouped items.

Basically, just ONCE I'd like to see a port of a game that is truly different from the console versions, one that acknowledges that my computer has more capabilities than a console and designs accordingly.

I completely agree with the inventory system's interface, it was indeed a complete mess, but for the rest it was passable, I thought that overall there had been much worse ports out there. And for me as long as the game is fun to play, I'll be happy, I do not associate Console games to bad quality all the time, it can and certainly still is the case often enough, unfortunately, but my gripe are only about bad Console ports to PC, especially with those stupid streamlined interfaces or huge icons and cross-airs, it's painful to watch really. But give me a good Console game properly ported to PC and I'll buy it no problem. And Console ports to PC are ages old, it didn't start only two years ago (I am saying it, I'm not quoting you on this personally). To this day I still play the original Turok and its sequel on the PC, they were released in 1997 and 1998 respectively, and they both are very, very bad Console ports, and I could name many others, it started many years ago.

 

[Pelu]

PC is a falling platform... we get crap ports as mercy, every year PC sells less and less... no wonder they dont even bother changing the interface and the controls... they simply arent going to invest a single penny in PC any longer...

 

[WhipperSnapper]

<Edit> Nevermind.

 

[Pelu]

Originally posted by: Liet

Originally posted by: Zenoth
The one port I can think of in recent memory that I thought was good was Mass Effect, and yes I am aware that issues were present for some people, but I myself never experienced anything in terms of blatant or game-breaking bugs.

I beg to differ. Mass Effect wasn't as buggy as most, and was a decent port from the purely technical standpoint. But the gameplay was a consolized fucking mess; whoever was responsible for porting did exactly that and ONLY that - they didn't bother to remove things that don't make sense for PC users, or add things that PC users can take advantage of that console gamers cannot.

Here are a few of the console things that pissed me off.

- LONG pointless elevator rides that make sense on a console where content needs to be loaded frequently, but none on my computer.

- Recycled maps and textures. There were what, 4 total types of base? I have gigs and gigs of storage space... the devs shouldn't limit me because they didn't have enough room on the game DVD.

- Painful-to-navigate inventory system. REALLY painful. I'm not sitting 10 feet away from my screen like a console user is... it's alright to give me smaller text and grouped items.

Basically, just ONCE I'd like to see a port of a game that is truly different from the console versions, one that acknowledges that my computer has more capabilities than a console and designs accordingly.

Ok straight to the point... they dont care about what can be used in PC... how to justify a big ammount of budget needed to change that into PC friendly... IF!!!! PC is actually generating less than 1 billion per year since 2007 in general in the platform... and I mean 1 billion in game sells... not hardware, hardware is other story lol!!!!

 

[sticks435]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper

<Edit> Nevermind.

Heh, I can only guess what your original message was

 

[rubix]

thief 2 was one of the most awesome games ever and then that pos thief 3 came along and ruined everything. they did it with deus ex too, but i never played that one.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally posted by: sticks435

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper

<Edit> Nevermind.

Heh, I can only guess what your original message was

My original message was that "Unreal Tournament 3" also needed to be added to the list of games that were killed by becoming console ports. However, after I entered my post I saw that WaitingforNehalem already had it on his list (but without the 3 in it). Somehow I missed it the first time I looked at it.