Topic: Alan Wake -> Update: AW leaving Steam + GOG w/ 90% off sale (Reply 189)

[Xessive]

I feel that most of the stuff that they bring to the PC is stuff that PC people are generally uninterested in.

After playing Halo and being disgusted by Halo 2 I honestly hope Halo 3 doesn't come to PC. It would be a waste of resources for all parties involved. Firstly, they're going to fudge the port, it'll be riddled with bugs and poorly conceived "PC-friendly" implemetations. Secondly, it's gonna be so far behind its peers it'll sell poorly and they'll complain that PC sales are terrible even though they brought "a hit game like Halo 3 to PC."

As much as I love Remedy's work I've lost interest in Alan Wake. I don't care if it comes to PC or not anymore. Of course, that's not the case with everyone and it sucks, I feel for you.

[MysterD]

I feel that most of the stuff that they bring to the PC is stuff that PC people are generally uninterested in.

After playing Halo and being disgusted by Halo 2 I honestly hope Halo 3 doesn't come to PC. It would be a waste of resources for all parties involved. Firstly, they're going to fudge the port, it'll be riddled with bugs and poorly conceived "PC-friendly" implemetations.

This is the problem -- companies that do the ports really need to really take care of ports. See Fable TLC PC, Bioware's KOTOR PC and Mass Effect PC, to see a company doing a port justice.

Secondly, it's gonna be so far behind its peers it'll sell poorly and they'll complain that PC sales are terrible even though they brought "a hit game like Halo 3 to PC."

See, that's the problem: by dropping a game on the 360 first, especially if a port is planned to be released WAY later to another system, you're already likely tanking your own sales on that version getting the later port -- which would be the PC version. That's especially true if you don't add a fair amount of content on the later pot (for the PC).

I still think the best way for any company to drop a game is to drop for ALL major platforms at once. This way, you let the gamer decide which version they want. They ain't pigeonholed into saying, "Well, it's only for the X360, for now -- I guess I got no choice but to get this version, since I want this game NOW!"

As much as I love Remedy's work I've lost interest in Alan Wake. I don't care if it comes to PC or not anymore. Of course, that's not the case with everyone and it sucks, I feel for you.

I am thinking Alan Wake will probably turn out to be what Alone in the Dark 2008 could've and should've been. I still really hope it gets a PC port, down the line.

I'd hate to see Remedy stop putting their games out on the PC -- especially given how great technically Max Payne 1 and 2 turned out to be.

[MysterD]

Looks like Remedy's next game after Alan Wake might be in-the-making for a good while, as well.

[MysterD]

Alan Wake PC Version Petition now circulating around the Internet.

[scottws]

...because everyone knows these things are like bills signed into laws.  LOL!  Why do people waste their time?

[MysterD]

'Cause I got nothing better to do with my damn life.

[Xessive]

Haha wish I cared as much as you, MyD

[MysterD]

So, start caring! I want MY PC port.

[Xessive]

Hehe I can't. Like I mentioned earlier, I lost all interest in this game. Either way, I'd rather have extremely low expectations so there would at least be some opportunity to "impress" me.

[MysterD]

Remedy is thinking about withholding the ending from preview copies of the Alan Wake game so spoilers don't get out way ahead of time.

[MysterD]

Alan Wake will be getting New "Episodes" via DLC, once the original game's available (supposedly this Spring 2010 for X360) and all.

[idolminds]

If you're holding out for a PC version, you can stop now.

Some games are more suited for the intimacy of the PC, and others are best played from the couch in front of a larger TV screen. We ultimately realised that the most compelling way to experience Alan Wake was on the Xbox 360, so we focused on making it an Xbox 360 exclusive. Both Microsoft and Remedy have long histories in PC game development. This decision was about matching this specific game to the right platform.

It ain't gonna happen, and they used the "big comfy couch" as their reason.

[Quemaqua]

I'm so fucking tired of that argument.  Guess what, fucking assholes, I play all my games from the exact same chair in the exact same room.  The only difference is whether I'm wearing surround headphones and staring at a smaller LED monitor that's closer to my face, or facing the other way at a big plasma TV that's farther away... and whether or not I've got a mouse and keyboard or a controller.  Seriously, quit with the whole fucking couch argument.  I'll be honest... I don't even know anyone who plays games from a couch.  I actually don't.  All my friends (here, at least) that play games do it from the floor or a chair or whatever, and most of my friends have more comfortable, relaxed PC gaming setups than they do console setups.  Not to mention most people have more private areas where they can play around with their PC, while the TV is a communal area, and thus constantly intruded upon by other people.  Sy almost plays from a couch... but it's not a couch.  It's a futon.  And I think his PC setup is more comfortable.

So fuck you, Microsoft and Remedy.  Kiss my ass.  I don't give a fuck about your game coming to PC or not, but I'm tired of you propagating the same lame excuse just because you're lazy.  Fuck off.

[Pugnate]

Again, don't get upset over this 'excuse'. They had to say something. It is obvious Remedy wanted to release a PC version simultaneously as that was the plan for the first few years of the development cycle, but it looks like MS stopped it from happening.

MS shut down Ensemble which were releasing the profitable Age of Empire games, and they are obviously trying their best to ignore PC gaming as much as possible. GFWL seems so bad that at times I wonder if it is deliberately so. A company with MS's resources can't turn the GFW program into a respectable service? I don't think so.

Plus, couple that with the fact that the Halo games aren't coming to PC until they are years old...  (none of us care about Halo on the PC, but I am just talking about intention here.)

Halo even years after its release (edit: by that I mean even years after it was released on the Xbox, it was still managing to be in the NPD to 10 for over a year) was on the NPD top 10 for the PC for over 16 months, so it isn't a question of profit. MS has a lot of great franchises which it could choose to publish on the PC, but it hasn't published a PC game in years.

It is obvious Remedy didn't have the leverage to get this published.

This couch comfort crap is just an excuse for the press release.

Microsoft doesn't believe it, Remedy doesn't believe it, and you shouldn't believe that that is their sincere reason.

[idolminds]

I said over on IGN, I wonder why devs don't support Linux more. OpenGL renderer and such. Its quite obvious MS doesn't give two shits about PC gaming, even though that seems to be one of the huge things keeping people from trying other operating systems. What has MS done for PC gaming? GFWL is a joke, we get ports of old console games (or sometimes not even that...Gears 2). Oh hey, we got Windows 7 so now all the minimum system requirement require twice the RAM as XP. Brilliant.

I had a look at Wikipedia for what Microsoft Game Studios has done for the PC. Its fucking sad.

# 2007

    * Shadowrun (console port)
    * Halo 2 (console port)
    * Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties (shut down the studio)
    * Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Acceleration
    * Viva Piñata (console port)
    * Gears of War (console port, sequel missing)

# 2009

    * Tinker (console port I think)
    * World of Goo (Games for Windows Live) (not made by MS)
    * Osmos (Games for Windows Live) (not made by MS)

Thats it? Mostly console ports in 2007, nothing in 2008, next to nothing in 2009.

[MysterD]

It's a really sad day in Hell here when Valve is doing way more for PC gaming than fuckin' Microsoft. I mean, seriously - WTF, Microsoft? 

Windows is YOUR OS, Microsoft.

Microsoft, most people use YOUR OS. Microsoft, you should be dominating BOTH markets of gaming. You should be doing the most that you can to keep Windows PC gaming and your X360 console gaming going strong so that both breeds of gamers are happy.

[MysterD]

Alan Wake PC Petition
Over 15,000 signatures signed on Alan Wake PC Petition.
Yes, I signed.

Hitler Is Upset About Alan Wake PC cancellation
Hitler flips out over Alan Wake PC.

[MysterD]

Alan Wake rated by ESRB
Rated T by the ESRB.

EDIT:
This Is A "Make It Or Break It" Title for Remedy Studios
Link - click me.

Matias Myllyrinne (Of Remedy): To be honest, we're very much betting the farm on this game. We've created it since 2005, and it is kind of like landing on a new continent and bringing the ships - “Guys, you'd better make do on this continent. Survive.” So Alan Wake is something that we've poured our hearts and souls into.

[Pugnate]

Rated T? Huh?

[MysterD]

Rated T? Huh?

Given how Max Payne was most definitely M, yeah...I was scratching my head, too.
I figured we'd have that kind of language and violence w/ Alan Wake.
Hmmmm....guess not, this time around.

Looks like they're going for "mass appeal" and sales here. I hope this is how Remedy conceived the game, from the start - not something Microsoft forced on them at the last sec.

[W7RE]

Wow, T rating? I guess it's possible a T game is what they were making all along, but I doubt it. The second I see T I always assume things were stripped out or reigned in to hit a wider audience. (talking about games that could have easily hit M, not stuff like Mario)

[Pugnate]

I agree with W7RE. Well, I don't assume that in every case, but in this one it looks like a certainty.

[Pugnate]

Video preview:

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/743608/remedy-project-next-gen-title/videos/alanwake_vdp_021810.html

Looks awesome...

[iPPi]

I never paid much attention to the ESRB rating system anyway.  Would a T rated game sell better than an M rated game?  I really doubt it.  That said, based on what I've seen from this game it is somewhat surprising that it would be rated T. 

[Pugnate]

Well, I think T just opens it to a wider audience.

From the video preview, I can understand how it can maintain its quality and yet maintain a T rating.

[iPPi]

Yea that video preview does make the game look fairly interesting.  Hmmm... I guess I'll have to add this along with Splinter Cell Conviction to the list of games to get for the 360.

[Cobra951]

That does look promising.  I'll have to keep an eye on this one.

[MysterD]

Remedy's "better" reason it ain't coming to the PC.

"Frankly, we're a small studio. We're 50 people, and being a small studio, it makes a lot more sense for us to focus on one platform," said Remedy's Oskari Häkkinen.

"Saying that Alan Wake is best played of a sofa with 5.1 surround and a big TV screen, I think is more of a preference than anything else," head of the Alan Wake franchise Häkkinen stated, rejecting Microsoft's flimsy explanation. "We're not going out there to say that PC gamers can't enjoy it from their own PC set-up. We're certainly not saying that. We have a strong heritage in PC gaming as well."

"Currently we're fully focused on the Xbox version, and [as for] what the future holds, we haven't got anything to announce, and we haven't thought that far right now," he said.

[iPPi]

I've heard that making a game for the Xbox360 and the PC are fairly analogous.  They are almost the same platform and from what I understand, development costs to port a 360 game to the PC and vice versa is in the realm of about $10000.  However, I could be completely wrong since I'm not in the gaming industry and this is information that I've just heard of from friends that are or close to the gaming industry.

[W7RE]

Doesn't the PC also come with all the problems of testing against thousands of different hardware configurations and dealing with tons of bugs and inneficiencies that come from that? Wiht the 360, you know what every person's hardware will be like and just code for that. I'm not sayign that's an excuse, but I can imagine it makes the Pc a little more of a headache than it would be otherwise.

[Cobra951]

I've heard that making a game for the Xbox360 and the PC are fairly analogous.  They are almost the same platform and from what I understand, development costs to port a 360 game to the PC and vice versa is in the realm of about $10000.  However, I could be completely wrong since I'm not in the gaming industry and this is information that I've just heard of from friends that are or close to the gaming industry.

Internally, the 360 is close to a 3-core CPU, Radeon GPU game PC from 4-5 years ago.

[MysterD]

Remedy says Alan Wake will have at least two DLC's this year.

[MysterD]

Rumor is, AW is only at 520p.
Remedy is refuting this claim, saying it is 720p.

Alan Wake Graphical Jiggery Pokery Defended
Apr 19, 2010 at 9:50 AM - Andrew Burnes - 2 Comments

Word on the street is that Alan Wake only runs at 520p, a full 200p below the standard required for something to be classified as running in 'HD.' Remedy has refuted this accusation, claiming that their graphical doodads complement one another to create a 720p image:

    "Modern renderers don't work by rendering everything to a certain final on-screen resolution, but use a combination of techniques and buffers to compose the final detail-rich frames, optimizing to improve the visual experience and game performance.

    Alan Wake's renderer on the Xbox360 uses about 50 different intermediate render targets in different resolutions, color depths and anti-alias settings for different purposes. These are used for example for cascaded shadow maps from sun & moon, shadow maps from flashlights, flares and street lights, z-prepass, tiled color buffers, light buffers for deferred rendering, vector blur, screen-space ambient occlusion, auto-exposure, HUD, video buffers, menus and so on. In the end all are combined to form one 720p image, with all intermediate buffer sizes selected to optimize image quality and GPU performance. All together the render targets take about 80 MB of memory, equivalent in size to over twenty 720p buffers."

[beo]

so does the final image have 720 lines or not? given the long winded answer, i'm guessing not.

[idolminds]

Modern renderers don't work by rendering everything to a certain final on-screen resolution, but use a combination of techniques and buffers to compose the final detail-rich frames, optimizing to improve the visual experience and game performance.

Translation: you're right, its not 720p.


edit for beo:

The final output is 720p, but its upscaled from what the original res was (guess its 520p in this case). Don't know why they want to try hide the fact. Halo 3 and a bunch of other games do the same thing. The problem is this generation wanted to both make a big graphical jump and at the same time do HD resolutions. Doing both is taxing as fuck and the hardware isn't really up to it.

[gpw11]

The problem is that people make a huge deal out of it, but I don't know if they'd even notice in a lot of cases.

[MysterD]

The problem is that people make a huge deal out of it, but I don't know if they'd even notice in a lot of cases.

I think people make a big deal b/c they plaster right on the X360 what it supports - and it doesn't support that truly. It says the game is 720p on the box, so - yeah, HDTV nuts and graphics-lovers will throw a fit if they find the numbers finagled with to scale-up to maybe try to look like it could be 720p. when it really isn't even such.

If Remedy was upfront about it - people might not like it, but they'd probably get over it very quickly - especially since the X360 is now an aging piece of hardware. I doubt anybody would be complaining too much if Alan Wake X360 said on the box it supports 520p - b/c at least Remedy wasn't lying and twisting things here.

This is why I think a PC-release of this game - which was going to require Win Vista - would've been interesting, just to see how much better the DX10 version of this would've looked when compared to the DX9.0-based X360 version. Hell - who knows; maybe a PC version could've supported DX11 on Windows 7, as well. *shrug*

[Cobra951]

The problem is that people make a huge deal out of it, but I don't know if they'd even notice in a lot of cases.

That.

[Pugnate]

The problem is that people make a huge deal out of it, but I don't know if they'd even notice in a lot of cases.

I don't know... I find it noticeable.

Now I will pull a D and do a: *shrug*

[MysterD]

Pug, us hardcore gamers here on OW will likely notice something like that - but will the mass audience of X360 gaming notice it?