Cross Platform Gaming

[Gabb]

So one of my friends mentioned a game called shadowrun ( which I strangely had never heard of until now ((I think someone on the forum may have brought it up)) and how it's the only modern cross platform game that's out. I looked into it and was disappointed to find out that not only was it a not so great game, but it nerfed the PC version as wiki best explains:

• “Because of the lack of 'pixel-accuracy' with the Xbox 360 analog thumbstick, the designers have included an aim-assisting technology, which basically interpolates the player's movement and causes the reticle to stay over an enemy player like a weak magnet. In addition, FASA has implemented a feature which causes the crosshair to expand during quick movements, thus lowering the player's accuracy, making it impossible to quickly turn and maintain accuracy, reducing the potential advantage of playing with a mouse.[6][7] PC players, who have a more sensitive control scheme, are able to turn significantly faster than their controller-using counterparts and would have gained an unfair advantage. “

This got me curious as to why other canceled cross platform games were canceled ( UT3 and TF2 was planned to have cross platform play but obviously that didn't make the cut ) so I did a bit of reading through various articles and found this to be of interest although a bit dated:

PC Feature: Cross-platform play: Do PC gamers want it? - ComputerAndVideoGames.com

some interesting statements:
Unsurprisingly, the difference between traditional input devices for PC and Xbox 360 platforms is a key issue for some. Speaking in reference to Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 multiplayer shooter that's shunning cross-platform support, Splash Damage boss Paul Wedgwood thinks "there's too much disparity between the player on a analogue controller and the player on the mouse and keyboard on a PC".

Debuting with a first-person shooter, a genre notorious for heated opinion about control inputs, was a major risk on Microsoft's part. Edwards says that by featuring cross-platform play in Shadowrun developer FASA has "essentially neutered the advantages of the PC platform", with the "ultra-precision aiming offered by the mouse and keyboard lost with spammy weapons with a wide fire arc".

"PC gamers have played free online and existed quite happily for years without any Live-style rankings, leaderboards and achievements, so they'll have to be convinced to a) upgrade to Vista, b) pay for Gold account privileges and c) that their favourite hardcore titles haven't been dumbed down to accommodate 360 fans."

 

[stb1swat]

I heard from some friends that the PC players still had little challenge vs the 360 players.
But the idea of a cross platform FPS (and expecting it to work) is probably one of the most deluded ideas in gaming history.

 

[Gabb]

But the idea of a cross platform FPS (and expecting it to work) is probably one of the most deluded ideas in gaming history.

but why is that? from the quotes in my OP it seems like the developers are under the impression that PC gamer will spank the console people with a M+K combo. However still to this day, many, primarily console gamers, are under the belief that a console controller is equal if not better then a M+K combo. What does the developer have to lose by doing cross platform play except giving the people what they want, and increase the multiplayer audience and community which is a big plus now adays with online dead games like UT3 and Farcry 2.

Call of Duty 4 could have reaped the best benefits of this, with all 3 communities being huge. Can you just imagine how big the COD4 community would be if it was cross platform? the MLG tournament would have like 1,000+ teams with way more entry fee money that qualify instead of just a mere 300.

 

[stb1swat]

PC gaming doesn't need more people walking around looking at the ground or the sky. I'm not talking about the politics surrounding outcome of more cross-platform games, I'm talking about me and how I would react to myself stepping into a TF2 server and finding that I'm playing with a bunch of ppl with laggy wireless remotes.

 

[Whirlwind]

This topic has come up numerous times on different forums.....there is no way an analog joystick is going to be as accurate nor as fast as a high DPI gaming mouse....nuff said.

 

[Gabb]

This topic has come up numerous times on different forums.....there is no way an analog joystick is going to be as accurate nor as fast as a high DPI gaming mouse....nuff said.

heh, agreed

 

[Harper]

When it comes down to games like UT3 or TF2, i think i would be best if the console playiers playied on their own servers. Reason being is that you are going to have the same pin point accuracy with a joy pad as you do on a mouse.

a) upgrade to Vista,

Not true. Gears of war runs on Xp. If fact, it runs better on Xp.

b) pay for Gold account privileges and

This as got me puzzled as most of the Gold Account Advantages are for XBox 360. Unless you have XBox all ready, some thing like this would be wasted.

c) that their favourite hardcore titles haven't been dumbed down to accommodate 360 fans.

Very true. I have seen a lot of games that have been cross platformed where the control just sucked on PC unless you were using a Joypad.

Plus there is MMOs on consoles where the problem there was that most players on the consoles too a longer times reply to spoken messages. There is some set messages, however if they are doing any thing different, it will take them a lot time to type out a message as they are using a joypad and a onscrean board.
So if you are into MMO for the online social thing, forget about getting any long conversations (or flames) from the console players

 

[Gabb]

that last statement was actually a quote from someone and not stated by me, just throwing that out there and yes Gears of war does run better on xp

 

[saltynay]

You are also forgetting you can use joypads on pc's so perhaps the way to implement the game cross-platform is for anyone who wishes to play cross platform to have a joypad only during play. XBOX controllers are £20 that seems like a reasonable expense. The problem then with playing with xbox players is whether we as pc gamers would need to subscribe to the live network when we may only have a couple of games compatible. PC gamers would have the advantage of faster hardware giving more fluid gameplay but there input would still be of the traditional joypad means.

 

[Poizen22]

id like to own some console noob nuggets. sure the 360 controller may be the best paddle to date but it will never compare to mouse and keyboard. only thing i think is probably faster and offers more accuracy would be the wiimote. so far it has been my favorite form of controls for FPS games. I like it even more then my Lachesis and g15.