These days. So what you're saying is standards have lowered?
Console games haven't had network multiplayer very long or even splitscreen (1997?). You can't miss someone you don't or barely know.
CliffyB, UT Politics and the Future of the PC
- Thread starter PeterVenkman
- Start date
-
Two Factor Authentication is now available on BeyondUnreal Forums. To configure it, visit your Profile and look for the "Two Step Verification" option on the left side. We can send codes via email (may be slower) or you can set up any TOTP Authenticator app on your phone (Authy, Google Authenticator, etc) to deliver codes. It is highly recommended that you configure this to keep your account safe.
Console games haven't had network multiplayer very long or even splitscreen (1997?). You can't miss someone you don't or barely know.
I'm not really saying standards have lowered, but more games are coming out. What percentage would you guess are moddable? Probably not a very high one.
As far as your other point, I'm not sure where you are going with that. PC games haven't really ever commonly had splitscreen, and internet multiplayer on PCs isn't that old (1998 is when it really started taking off).
No, the point I was getting at was I remember calling modems for DooM in 93' and on console splitscreening Turok and Goldeneye until Halo came along. Multiplayer for PC and console existed before those periods but they represent a tipping point where it actually became popular. Consoles have made leaps and bounds in terms of mp over the past 4yrs but there's still a lot to catch up to. Aside from that based on the majority of console titles I really don't view the whole as very mp centric. If there were figures I imagine they'd be similar to those the pc gamer shares in the pc market. A majority just aren't interested.
Yeap. But DE made the DE bonus pack, and their level names start with prefix-DE-name. They did pretty well on GrendelKeep I should say. LavaGiant2 is nice as well.
If the most popular Unreal series game yet has "poor direction" (and note all the people complaining about the lack of Tournament in UT3), then yes, I would really like to see "what else they can screw up in it".
What, Unreal 1?
Its true that splitscreen was never an absolute standard in PC games, the real difference is, it used to exist, quite a few games had it, but thease days allmost none do, it is extremely rare.
I'll agree that around 1997/98 is about the time internet play kicked off for the PC, but we mussen't forget it was very much there earlier aswell, though before then, we usually played MP in LAN's instead of playing via Modem, i certainly used to play lots of Doom2, Quake and Blood back when thouse where new games, LAN was the big then back then
What was the ratio, you think? I would bet the ratio has stayed about the same.
Frankly, the only games I can remember having splitscreen in them were the Jazz Jackrabbit games and Wacky Wheels (though I'm sure there are more).
But beyond that, split screen gaming has mostly gone away since FPS games became hugely popular.
I played those games on LAN and stuff, too. I even played Doom 2 over a nationwide BBS that you had to buy game credits from to play on.I'll agree that around 1997/98 is about the time internet play kicked off for the PC, but we mussen't forget it was very much there earlier aswell, though before then, we usually played MP in LAN's instead of playing via Modem, i certainly used to play lots of Doom2, Quake and Blood back when thouse where new games, LAN was the big then back then
Internet multiplayer revolutionized multiplayer a lot. UT and Quake 3 wouldn't have come out if it hadn't happened. Even when KALI and KHAN and their contemporaries came out, online gaming was revolutionized (mocking the IPX/SPX stack over TCP/IP). I used to play Descent online through these for hours. But you just can't ignore the impact that widespread internet online multiplayer had on the gaming scene, along with just the better graphics in them.
That's the thing, CliffyB seems to think that consoles will become the more predominant gaming platform, yet John Carmack and Gabe Newell seem to want to save the PC's gaming lifespan. So you have a couple of gaming icons that want to see the PC survive.
ya well maybe if your GAMING pc was obsolete in a fukkin year, it wouldn't be so bad, look at the RECOMMENDED specs for UT3. Umm 2.4 Ghz DUAL core 1 gig ram, 7800GTX
I currently have a 2.2 ghz Dual care, 2 gig ram, 8800GT, and the game run about oh 40 FPS avg (1440X900), for WoW this is acceptable, for a FPS No Fukkin way.
I currently have a 2.2 ghz Dual care, 2 gig ram, 8800GT, and the game run about oh 40 FPS avg (1440X900), for WoW this is acceptable, for a FPS No Fukkin way.
I guess you where not big on racing games back then, splitscreen used to be common in them (i'd say about 1 out of 3 had it back in the day, maybe more), and they had splitscreen a good long while after it went out of fashion in other genres, but less and less, and now its quite rare.
It has never been popular in PC shooters though, infact i struggle to think of even one PC FPS that had it.. there must have been atleast one.. but i digress, racers, side scrollers and isometric-view games is where you would have found it much more.
I'm not disagreeing, just saying "dont forgets t3h LAN!"
Had the idea years ago. There are quite a few reasons to transition to consoles only.
http://forums.beyondunreal.com/showthread.php?t=163551
Don't wanna see it myself, because above all, I don't want to buy three consoles to get exclusive titles. I don't wanna worry about mouse configuration, and keyboard compatibility. I like customizable controls, and some minor interface tweaks. From a developers standpoint, and a competitive standpoint though, it makes sense.
To preserve PC gaming it will take effort from all sides. Solid focused products, continued support, scalability, balanced game play development, end user content, functional in game community features, functional in game competitive features... At the moment, I think valve and EA are doing it better.
http://forums.beyondunreal.com/showthread.php?t=163551
Don't wanna see it myself, because above all, I don't want to buy three consoles to get exclusive titles. I don't wanna worry about mouse configuration, and keyboard compatibility. I like customizable controls, and some minor interface tweaks. From a developers standpoint, and a competitive standpoint though, it makes sense.
To preserve PC gaming it will take effort from all sides. Solid focused products, continued support, scalability, balanced game play development, end user content, functional in game community features, functional in game competitive features... At the moment, I think valve and EA are doing it better.
Who could forget TEN? That was the one that Duke 3D and Shadow Warrior made famous back in the '90s for online play.
True. My system specs are almost the same, and I get the same effects. Hint: try turning everything you can down, this includes your Graphics card control panel options, and you might see an increase in FPS... But as usual, decrease in graphics
Wait, you mean, you actually CAN play FPSs with splitscreen? But umm, you need a mouse and such? Not that much of an issue with games like Doom II where mouse control is awkward anyway, but nowadays that would be... challenging...
I remember a few small splitscreen games, but nothing much. A lot more popular is Hotseat - in turn-based games, you switch with someone else. It's in Worms, Heroes of Might and Magic etc.
Back in the late 90s there were tons of "online" multiplayer systems. Mplayer, WON, Heat.net, MS Zone, etc. They all worked fairly well but it really wasn't until 1999 that internet gaming broke it's shell and it wasn't really thanks to any of those services.
this is the reason I find going back to multiplayer middleware ridiculous. The industry HAS ALREADY TRIED THAT, and by and large they decided IT WOULD NOT WORK FOR THEM. And Gamespy, in particular, hasn't really improved from any of those either.
this is the reason I find going back to multiplayer middleware ridiculous. The industry HAS ALREADY TRIED THAT, and by and large they decided IT WOULD NOT WORK FOR THEM. And Gamespy, in particular, hasn't really improved from any of those either.
Holy,.. something we agree on?
Multiplayer middleware can kiss the middle of the lowest part of my backside. There's no reason for any of it. It's just another example of a developer wanting to outsource some of the work under the hood of a game.I remember using Mplayer to play Rogue Spear over 56k. Good times. Those were days when the game didn't start until everyone, no matter how slow, had connected and loaded the map. And then, given my terrible 56k ping, every single kill was pretty much completely random unless the guy was still.
As well, xfire seems to trump most of the other current middle ware for being better at the one thing you could make sense of using said middle ware for.
I can totally see the sense of playing something because you had a buddy playing it, but other than that, I'm picking what game I wanna play, then looking for buddies.
I can totally see the sense of playing something because you had a buddy playing it, but other than that, I'm picking what game I wanna play, then looking for buddies.
Yeah why can't they sell a gaming computer as cheap as some of these consoles. Or realistically, maybe a couple hundred dollars more.
Yeah, i recall waaay back, they where trying to market a gadget called "PC buddy" or similar, it was a little HUB you could connect a second Keyboard and mouse to, i think a second screen aswell, and they would work on one PC.
It never really went anywhere, but there where some compatible games for the thing.
Actually, they can't even sell consoles as cheap as they sell consoles.. they are loosing money on every unit sold, and hope to make it back, plus profit, on the games and services, which is why games are also more expensive for the consoles than PC.
This marketing strategy is not possible for the PC, MS and Sony can take a cut from every game sold on THEIR console (the nice term for this would be "licensing"), but no hardware vendor owns the PC platform or is in a position to take a cut from games and services sold.. they have to make their profit on the hardware itself.
Last edited:
You can build a gaming PC for fairly cheap. If you don't need absolutely bleeding-edge graphics with every bell and whistle, the cheaper it will be. If you do need total graphical quality, you'll probably have to spend a couple grand on an HDTV for the console alternative (unless mom and dad already got one), and then you've got a price tag equal to a high end gaming PC or greater anyway.