Garrett2112
02-07-2011, 01:29 PM
*Disclaimer: love this FiringSquad.com article (http://www.firingsquad.com/games/Firing_Points_Consolitis/) (excerpts below..) from an obviously tainted PC Gamer perspective..:p
Introduction
consolitis [kon-sol-ahy-tis] -- noun
harmful infection of a PC Game, caused by design decisions made with consoles in mind and characterized by lack of complexity and/or depth in important gameplay mechanics, sub-par graphics and controls, and over-simplified user interface; can be fatal.
Origin:
1995-2000; < Geek. See console, -itis
Ever since video game consoles rose to popularity at the end of the 20th century, PC gamers have had to contend with consolitis, the cancer of the Windows gaming platform. More and more developers and publishers have been flocking to consoles at a time when the rough economy makes it important to maximize profits by tapping into the largest market possible. This has led to most games being developed for consoles first, with the PC version often being little more than an afterthought. If we’re lucky, they may make at least some attempt to upscale the graphics or other features, which some do a better job of doing than others. In this week’s Firing Points, we’ll be looking at the impact consolitis has on games, along with on the industry as a whole.
Consolitis in games
Whenever I review a multi-platform game, I try to be aware of what aspects of the game, if any, might be a result of consolitis and reference it accordingly. It’s a vital component of a review that is based on the PC version of the game, along with citing any other differences there may be, because you might as well just read any of the other dozens of reviews based on console versions otherwise. Here are some things to look for:
Awkward controls: Perhaps the most obvious indicator of consolitis, a poor control scheme can single-handedly ruin the PC version of a game and should become apparent after a short time spent playing. Generally this has to do with auto-aim in a shooter or not being able to navigate menus with the mouse. Also, not enough hotkeys in an RPG -- that one’s really annoying.
Underwhelming graphics: All console hardware is outdated. That’s why they’re affordable to the consumer and that’s why the manufacturers can turn a profit. It also means they just aren’t capable of keeping up with the advancements in visual effects afforded to the PC by constant improvements graphics technology. Developers get around this by designing games in such a fashion that hides or draws attention away from the weakest element, be it texture resolution, polygon counts, or particle effect quality. Unless extra effort is put into upgrading the graphics when a game is ported to PC, it won’t stand up to scrutiny or comparison with native titles.
Missing features: Generally, the only way to determine a feature is missing is if the game in question is a sequel or part of a genre that is prominent on PC. Examples include: no ability to lean in an FPS, no dedicated servers for multiplayer, no access to console commands, not being able to quick save, etc. Now that I think about it, several missing features can be attributed to the game being designed to work with a controller… Usually, these can’t easily be fixed during the porting process, so they aren’t.
http://www.firingsquad.com/games/Firing_Points_Consolitis/images/03-s.jpg (http://www.firingsquad.com/media/article_image.asp/2540/03) http://www.firingsquad.com/games/Firing_Points_Consolitis/images/04-s.jpg (http://www.firingsquad.com/media/article_image.asp/2540/04)
Less complexity/depth: Also known as your garden variety dumbing-down or “streamlining,” this category is a bit more difficult to define. Like missing features, it is also more easily recognized in the case of a sequel or PC-oriented genre. More recent examples include Mass Effect 2, TES IV: Oblivion, and Supreme Commander 2, but this has been going on for a while, with older games like Deus Ex: Invisible War and Halo: Combat Evolved being among the affected. It doesn’t always mean the game is bad, but it’s definitely not as good as it could have been.
Possibly the most disastrous outcome of an industry-wide shift to console-oriented development, is that technological innovation will be greatly slowed. Though a $500+ video card is considered top of the line, a $250 one will now play pretty much any game at the highest settings with no problem. (Maybe that’s what everyone wanted?) Pretty soon, however, graphics chip makers won’t be able to sustain their rate of growth because the software is so far behind, which will be bad for gamers on consoles as well as PC. If people stop buying new graphics cards because there are no games that require more power, there isn’t much incentive for the current rate of advancement to continue.
That means consoles and PCs alike won’t be providing as big of a leap in fidelity or performance as people will expect come next generation. Everybody is jumping on the console bandwagon because it’s a larger market, which leads to more short-term profits, but ceasing to innovate on the leading technology platform, i.e. PC, will bring the entire video game industry to a screeching halt down the road. It’s already started happening, with Microsoft and Sony looking to stretch their current console cycle to ten years instead of five…
Introduction
consolitis [kon-sol-ahy-tis] -- noun
harmful infection of a PC Game, caused by design decisions made with consoles in mind and characterized by lack of complexity and/or depth in important gameplay mechanics, sub-par graphics and controls, and over-simplified user interface; can be fatal.
Origin:
1995-2000; < Geek. See console, -itis
Ever since video game consoles rose to popularity at the end of the 20th century, PC gamers have had to contend with consolitis, the cancer of the Windows gaming platform. More and more developers and publishers have been flocking to consoles at a time when the rough economy makes it important to maximize profits by tapping into the largest market possible. This has led to most games being developed for consoles first, with the PC version often being little more than an afterthought. If we’re lucky, they may make at least some attempt to upscale the graphics or other features, which some do a better job of doing than others. In this week’s Firing Points, we’ll be looking at the impact consolitis has on games, along with on the industry as a whole.
Consolitis in games
Whenever I review a multi-platform game, I try to be aware of what aspects of the game, if any, might be a result of consolitis and reference it accordingly. It’s a vital component of a review that is based on the PC version of the game, along with citing any other differences there may be, because you might as well just read any of the other dozens of reviews based on console versions otherwise. Here are some things to look for:
Awkward controls: Perhaps the most obvious indicator of consolitis, a poor control scheme can single-handedly ruin the PC version of a game and should become apparent after a short time spent playing. Generally this has to do with auto-aim in a shooter or not being able to navigate menus with the mouse. Also, not enough hotkeys in an RPG -- that one’s really annoying.
Underwhelming graphics: All console hardware is outdated. That’s why they’re affordable to the consumer and that’s why the manufacturers can turn a profit. It also means they just aren’t capable of keeping up with the advancements in visual effects afforded to the PC by constant improvements graphics technology. Developers get around this by designing games in such a fashion that hides or draws attention away from the weakest element, be it texture resolution, polygon counts, or particle effect quality. Unless extra effort is put into upgrading the graphics when a game is ported to PC, it won’t stand up to scrutiny or comparison with native titles.
Missing features: Generally, the only way to determine a feature is missing is if the game in question is a sequel or part of a genre that is prominent on PC. Examples include: no ability to lean in an FPS, no dedicated servers for multiplayer, no access to console commands, not being able to quick save, etc. Now that I think about it, several missing features can be attributed to the game being designed to work with a controller… Usually, these can’t easily be fixed during the porting process, so they aren’t.
http://www.firingsquad.com/games/Firing_Points_Consolitis/images/03-s.jpg (http://www.firingsquad.com/media/article_image.asp/2540/03) http://www.firingsquad.com/games/Firing_Points_Consolitis/images/04-s.jpg (http://www.firingsquad.com/media/article_image.asp/2540/04)
Less complexity/depth: Also known as your garden variety dumbing-down or “streamlining,” this category is a bit more difficult to define. Like missing features, it is also more easily recognized in the case of a sequel or PC-oriented genre. More recent examples include Mass Effect 2, TES IV: Oblivion, and Supreme Commander 2, but this has been going on for a while, with older games like Deus Ex: Invisible War and Halo: Combat Evolved being among the affected. It doesn’t always mean the game is bad, but it’s definitely not as good as it could have been.
Possibly the most disastrous outcome of an industry-wide shift to console-oriented development, is that technological innovation will be greatly slowed. Though a $500+ video card is considered top of the line, a $250 one will now play pretty much any game at the highest settings with no problem. (Maybe that’s what everyone wanted?) Pretty soon, however, graphics chip makers won’t be able to sustain their rate of growth because the software is so far behind, which will be bad for gamers on consoles as well as PC. If people stop buying new graphics cards because there are no games that require more power, there isn’t much incentive for the current rate of advancement to continue.
That means consoles and PCs alike won’t be providing as big of a leap in fidelity or performance as people will expect come next generation. Everybody is jumping on the console bandwagon because it’s a larger market, which leads to more short-term profits, but ceasing to innovate on the leading technology platform, i.e. PC, will bring the entire video game industry to a screeching halt down the road. It’s already started happening, with Microsoft and Sony looking to stretch their current console cycle to ten years instead of five…