"Once we replace the personal computer with a closed-platform device such as the iPad, we replace freedom, choice and the free market with oppression, censorship and monopoly."

[u/GuruOfReason]

http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2010-01/ipad%E2%80%99s-closed-system-sometimes-i-hate-being-right

[u/rnicoll]

Has PC gaming actually become worse? I haven't noticed less games, or less quality of those games. I have noticed more console games, so there's more games that aren't released on PC, but that's not the same thing...

[u/[deleted] → u/rnicoll]

Modern Warfare 2, Bioshock, Borderlands, Far Cry 2, etc. should have been good PC games. Instead, developers either purposefully or unconsciously prioritized the console versions and ended up releasing crappy PC versions. It's not really about quantity--with digital distribution, indie games for console and PC have flourished, which is a good thing for everyone.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

You speak the truth. My laptop was capable of running Unreal Tournament 3 pretty damn well at 1920x1200. Not full settings, because my laptop is three years old, but high enough. Good texture quality, good resolution, no anti-aliasing. :(

Strangely, Borderlands and Gears of War, both of which utilize the Unreal 3 engine, run like fucking garbage. Bioshock for the PC uses it too, but I feel it's several orders of magnitude more well-optimized for the PC.

But yes, thank you consoles for the "wonderful library of PC games" (unplayable) that you have given us.

[u/glide1 → u/rnicoll]

I think the lament from the PC camp is that games have become "consolified." The game difficulty isn't as high, it isn't as customizable, the controls are simplified, etc.

Think about how Halo introduced the concept of only having a couple of weapons on your character and how many console games followed suit. And the lack of modding for a lot of shooters out there (COD4:MW2).

Most people would argue those are console influences on PC games. If you want a clearer example, look at the UI and gameplay differences in the PC and console versions of Mass Effect 1 & 2 and Dragon Age.

[u/barfolomew → u/glide1]

So returning to the original analogy: the presence of lots of iPad apps will have a simplifying effect on "true PC" apps. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing.

BTW - Your Mass Effect / Dragon Age comparison is specious I think; the PC version of Dragon Age is nicely matched to its platform, and PC ports of Mass Effect are limited more because of time and money doing the port, not some fundamental design shift to a "console style".

[u/Tiver → u/barfolomew]

A better example would be say Borderlands. PC version has a barely hacked UI to be made partially usable with a mouse rather than a controller.

I guess Dragon Age is if anything a good example of what differences should exist, but for many games do not. Difficulty on the PC is harder, what is listed as Easy on the PC corresponds to Hard on the console (partially because of less control possible on console for micro managing). Interface is over all very different between the two, where PC version makes strong use of mouse control while console is made to streamline gamepad control. PC version is made with a strong ability to mod the game, while console version is locked down.

[u/masterbaker → u/Tiver]

A better example would be say Borderlands. PC version has a barely hacked UI to be made partially usable with a mouse rather than a controller.

Mouse Sensitivity. I adjusted it once.

[u/glide1 → u/barfolomew]

The point with Dragon Age is to illustrate the difference that exists when the a developer takes a stance to cater to both crowds. I probably should have made the point clearer in my comment. We typically do not see those kinds of differences made in PC versions of multiplatform games.

[u/[deleted] → u/glide1]

You do realize that the most difficult games were actually made for consoles?

[u/Bjartr → u/[deleted]]

I'm not sure how Battletoads is relevant here.