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LucasArts and PC gaming


Char Ell

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I know a lot of us PC gamers have been wondering why LucasArts isn't making any games for PC. I think Haden Blackman, producer on The Force Unleashed, has given us an indication of what LucasArts thinks of PC gaming at the present time.

While The Force Unleashed will be coming to higher-end consoles like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, there will be no Wii or PC versions for the time being. "At this time, we are not planning a PC release," said Blackman. He said that current PC hardware constraints would prevent the game from reaching a broad audience and added, "The minimum spec for a PC version right now is just too high."
Source: TGDaily

 

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why nothing appears to be happening on the KotOR 3 front.

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Perhaps this is one of the reasons why nothing appears to be happening on the KotOR 3 front.
Maybe, but personally I don't even care if KotOR 3 has high end graphics or anything like that. I'd like to see it use the same system that the previous games used or something similar to it.
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I'm not surprised. Most people's PCs can't support games using today's graphics, and games with today's graphics sell better.

 

It's an annoying fad, but it'll probably pass in time. People were going bananas over the previous generation of consoles, and they're all but forgotten now...

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Well, it's just a passing phase, people. Even though most games come out for the consoles these days, the ultimately best games are always only for the PC.

 

QFE.

 

Of all pc users I know, the best spec'd ones are mostly people who do *alot* of gaming :) (followed b those who use high end graphical apps)

 

and a special lolz.... If LA are "following the buck" :

 

*no wii versions....the highest selling console in many nations

*ps3 is lowest selling console...

*in asian nations(HUGE gaming market) the 360 doesnt figure as much as the ps3/wii, and nowhere near the amount of gamers on PC.

 

I think they need to re-do their surveys !! :D

 

mtfbwya

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I know a lot of us PC gamers have been wondering why LucasArts isn't making any games for PC. I think Haden Blackman, producer on The Force Unleashed, has given us an indication of what LucasArts thinks of PC gaming at the present time.

 

While The Force Unleashed will be coming to higher-end consoles like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, there will be no Wii or PC versions for the time being. "At this time, we are not planning a PC release," said Blackman. He said that current PC hardware constraints would prevent the game from reaching a broad audience and added, "The minimum spec for a PC version right now is just too high."

Source: TGDaily

 

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why nothing appears to be happening on the KotOR 3 front.

I completely agree with him. I just bought a new computer this past summer, and I do not think it is anywhere near the minimum specs. The cheapest graphics card available is at the 256 MB level. I personally cannot afford to buy a highend card, which I would need to spend more than $200. When I bought NWN2 this past fall, I knew I couldn't purchase a card to handle its recomended specs. I ended up meeting its minimum specs (barely). I think it is a wise move on Lucas Arts' part. If they believe that not enough people in their audience could meet the minimum specs, their opting out of the pc world for a while is a great economical move for them.

 

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why nothing appears to be happening on the KotOR 3 front.

Or, they see something else happening to the pc world. Who knows. After the arrival of Vista, everything pc seems to be changing. At the moment anyway, we are dealing with a very overpowering operating system, which is made up of 90% GUI and internet security. Personally I think Microsoft helped end another computer cycle, which will affect us for at least another five to ten years. We have an operating system and Dual processor that have almost no software or technologies for. I am running a computer at 3GB of RAM, and my busy light is allways flickering.

 

I think this all adds up to wise investing on Lucas Arts' part. I 100% agree with their accessment.

 

QFE.

 

Of all pc users I know, the best spec'd ones are mostly people who do *alot* of gaming :) (followed b those who use high end graphical apps)

 

and a special lolz.... If LA are "following the buck" :

 

*no wii versions....the highest selling console in many nations

*ps3 is lowest selling console...

*in asian nations(HUGE gaming market) the 360 doesnt figure as much as the ps3/wii, and nowhere near the amount of gamers on PC.

 

I think they need to re-do their surveys !! :D

 

mtfbwya

Very true man. As a graphic designer, I am allways looking for a good graphics card. From talking to several people in the Electronic Imagery major, I can honestly say that they are all having a hardtime with minimum specs for games. They do know they need the best, but they cannot afford to purchase anything bigger than 512MB.

 

What is even weird is that PS2 seems to be holding. I read an article not too long ago, which mentioned that PS2 is still outselling most of the next-generation syetems. How do they get passed that?

 

Since the prices for highend graphics cards and game consoles are out of reach, I think the average gammer (10-35) are just waiting for prices to fall. Why should I buy a card or console at $399? I can use that money to buy a new bloody computer.

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Can the PS2, PSP, or DS incorporate the graphics engine of TFU? I seriously doubt they're any better than a PC that the average PC-owner has.
That is a very good point and one that Mr. Blackman has conveniently overlooked or failed to acknowledge. I have the feeling that most PC gamers wouldn't be satisfied with a new SW game that had graphics similar to PS 2 though. :)

 

I've more or less given up on LucasArts producing any PC games for a while. I understand their position with the ongoing changes in PC hardware (dual vs. quad core) and operating systems (Windows XP DirectX 9 vs. Windows Vista DirectX 10). It seems like LA is taking the safe approach with the PC platform and is waiting for multi-core CPU's and Windows Vista to establish a broader base before they will develop for the PC platform again.

 

I probably should wait around a year before checking to see if there are any new SW games for PC. Otherwise I'll just get more frustrated with the situation.

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That is a very good point and one that Mr. Blackman has conveniently overlooked or failed to acknowledge. I have the feeling that most PC gamers wouldn't be satisfied with a new SW game that had graphics similar to PS 2 though. :)

But as I said in my first post, I would gladly trade superb graphics for the ability to play the game. Now in TFU, it might make a bit of a difference, since all the emphasis is on realistic and interactive environments, but on games like the speculated BF III, it shouldn't matter. That is, unless they completely change everything about the Battlefront series.

 

My PC has been acting up recently anyway, so I wouldn't doubt it if I had a new one by this Christmas or next. Maybe when all the hype over the next-gen consoles dies down, and all this new, advanced software starts dropping in price, more normal people will be able to buy it all, and more games will come out for PC. I can only hope though. ;)

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... and all this new, advanced software starts dropping in price, more normal people will be able to buy it all, and more games will come out for PC. I can only hope though. ;)

 

dont get too excited... pc hardware is about to jump some serious levels in price and potential to provide unparalleled visuals and performance...

 

Put these on your Xmas list for a well hung gaming pc :)

 

*Vista Home Premium(minimum)

*DX 10 Compliant graphics card with HDMI out. Heck , get a couple n SLI/Xfire em :D

*HDMI input LCD with >85Hz refresh rate

*Intel 2x Core2Duo or AMD Phenom(true quad)

*Min 2GB DDR2 or DDr3 RAM

*Blu Ray RW drive

 

now all the gaming devs need to do is stop stalling at produce stupefyingly unparalelled games for these specs. Only a few of us e-jocks have them now, but in 18months, many people will be running a basic DX10 card at least and a dual core CPU(theyre super cheap now!)

 

mtfbwya

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dont get too excited... pc hardware is about to jump some serious levels in price and potential to provide unparalleled visuals and performance...

 

Put these on your Xmas list for a well hung gaming pc :)

 

*Vista Home Premium(minimum)

*DX 10 Compliant graphics card with HDMI out. Heck , get a couple n SLI/Xfire em :D

*HDMI input LCD with >85Hz refresh rate

*Intel 2x Core2Duo or AMD Phenom(true quad)

*Min 2GB DDR2 or DDr3 RAM

*Blu Ray RW drive

 

now all the gaming devs need to do is stop stalling at produce stupefyingly unparalelled games for these specs. Only a few of us e-jocks have them now, but in 18months, many people will be running a basic DX10 card at least and a dual core CPU(theyre super cheap now!)

 

mtfbwya

 

Well, except for the cool refresh rate/monitor and blu ray, I've got everything else on a $1500 laptop. If I'd just made it a desktop, I'd probably have the rest at the same price or less, so the lower prices (relatively) are already here.

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Well, except for the cool refresh rate/monitor and blu ray, I've got everything else on a $1500 laptop. If I'd just made it a desktop, I'd probably have the rest at the same price or less, so the lower prices (relatively) are already here.

 

Jae, if you have access to a mobile series geforce 8, youd be the pin up girl of every geek in the land... :D

 

theyre on their way to be sure, but not here yet :D Many are hugely sceptical about their power guzzling and how nvidia will adapt that to a mobile platform ... the AMD equivalents are a whiles away too.

 

The DX10 GPU, monitor and Bluray are the clinchers in that setup. Quad cores are also yet to hit the notebook arena yet...having barely popped their heads in the desktop market with the Intel 'dual core sandwich' 2x C2Duo. The AMD Quads(aka Phenom) are due July-ish, we are led to believe. In a desktop alone, that setup will cost you $2k++ In a mobile >>>whoosh !! grab your wallet !!

 

But Im sure your laptop is handling anything you can throw at atm...so enjoy the ride :)

 

mtfbwya

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This made no sense. As EW mentioned, the game comes out for the PS2 too. This "excuse" to forget the PC market makes no sense whatsoever. Even if the game cannot come close to being as good looking as on a PS3 or XBox 360, it's entirely possible to run a graphically lower version for the PC.

 

A very decent computer, without using SLI or Crossfire, is not that expensive these days. You can be smart about it and save a lot of money. Still much more expensive then a PS3 or XBox 360, but so much cooler :)

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*HDMI input LCD with >85Hz refresh rate

*Intel 2x Core2Duo or AMD Phenom(true quad)

 

1) LCD's do not have refresh rates. Instead they have a native resolution. CRT's on the hand, do have refresh rates.

 

The Kentsfields are still considered to be Quad Core even if there are two dye packages on the chip. With each dye having two processing packages. The Yorkfields will continue this when when they are released. I am not sure about the Penryns.

 

I've more or less given up on LucasArts producing any PC games for a while. I understand their position with the ongoing changes in PC hardware (dual vs. quad core) and operating systems (Windows XP DirectX 9 vs. Windows Vista DirectX 10). It seems like LA is taking the safe approach with the PC platform and is waiting for multi-core CPU's and Windows Vista to establish a broader base before they will develop for the PC platform again.

 

The amount of code difference between a dual core machine and quad core machine is very small compared to the rest of the code need for a game. DX9 vs. DX10 is a another ball game. However since Vista is not a favorite of gamers, yet. I don't see why they could not do something for XP.

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1) LCD's do not have refresh rates. Instead they have a native resolution. CRT's on the hand, do have refresh rates...

 

yes, this is a very interesting one actually :)

 

Indeed LCDs theoretically dont have a refresh rate as per the definition for a CRT...

from Wiki:

"phosphor on a CRT will begin to dim as soon as the electron beam passes it, LCD cells open to pass a continuous stream of light, and do not dim until instructed to produce a darker color"

 

However, manufactured LCDs of different varieties support different uses at different refresh rates indeed. eg. many samsung LCDTVs only support PC input at 70Hz, but composite, component inputs at a more varied range.

 

Why ??

 

When used as a computer monitor...the LCD is bound by a output of the graphics card.... we really do need a new term for it, as its a different entity from response time and input lag. Maybe "enforced refresh rate" ??

 

Here's a super article on it:

http://www.tweakguides.com/Graphics_8.html

 

"The simple fact of the matter is that LCD monitors have to work on the basis of receiving new frames of information from a graphics card's frame buffer like a CRT would: i.e, during the VBI. So when VSync is disabled the graphics card will sometimes race ahead and when the LCD monitor indicates it is ready for a new frame during the blanking interval, the graphics card may provide a partially new frame overlapping an older one, just like it would for a CRT. An LCD monitor will then display this just the same way a CRT monitor would, resulting in visible tearing. The alternative of enabling VSync can resolve this, but in turn can reduce FPS to a fraction of the refresh rate. The lower your refresh rate, the greater the performance drop, which is why a 60Hz refresh rate on an LCD may be problem.

 

Therefore LCD monitors, despite not actually physically working on the same basis as a CRT, wind up being bound by the same limitations and problems - minus the flicker - because they operate in a software environment originally designed with CRTs in mind."

 

JVC are releasing an LCD with 120Hz refresh rate support. Imagine how pretty games would look on that, if the GPU can keep up !

 

so whatever the cause, an 85Hz upwards available or enforced refresh rate would be nice for outputting games to a PC.

 

mtfbwya

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The amount of code difference between a dual core machine and quad core machine is very small compared to the rest of the code need for a game. DX9 vs. DX10 is a another ball game. However since Vista is not a favorite of gamers, yet. I don't see why they could not do something for XP.
I'm no programmer so I don't know all the nuances between programming for single core vs. dual core vs. quad core. I'm just saying that I'm disappointed LucasArts is releasing The Force Unleashed, the next big chapter in the Star Wars saga, on two of the current generation consoles, one of the previous generation consoles, and the two handheld consoles but decided to pass on PC because "The minimum spec for a PC version right now is just too high." I really would like to know what LucasArts came up with as a minimum spec for TFU on PC so I could decide whether or not I agreed with their assessment.
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I'm no programmer so I don't know all the nuances between programming for single core vs. dual core vs. quad core. I'm just saying that I'm disappointed LucasArts is releasing The Force Unleashed, the next big chapter in the Star Wars saga, on two of the current generation consoles, one of the previous generation consoles, and the two handheld consoles but decided to pass on PC because "The minimum spec for a PC version right now is just too high." I really would like to know what LucasArts came up with as a minimum spec for TFU on PC so I could decide whether or not I agreed with their assessment.

 

This is the million dollar question for us PC gamers that like Star Wars.

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