I Am Alive not planned for PC due to piracy concerns
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I Am Alive creative director Stanislas Mettra has plainly stated that PC piracy makes the financial viability of the game on the platform uncertain. Ubisoft previously announced the downloadable title was only planned for consoles.
"We've heard loud and clear that PC gamers are bitching about there being no version for them," Mettra said to IncGamers. "But are these people just making noise just because there's no version or because it's a game they actually want to play? Would they buy it if we made it?"
Mettra continued that if 50,000 PC players buy the game it's not worth the cost of putting a team of 12 on the project for three months. He continued, "It's hard because there's so much piracy and so few people are paying for PC games that we have to precisely weigh it up against the cost of making it."
Since I Am Alive runs on the Splinter Cell: Conviction engine, it could be ported to PC, but it's pretty clear that Ubisoft's relationship with PC players has become contentious, bordering on combative. It wouldn't be surprising if I Am Alive comes to PC some day, but it'll take longer than the standard one month delay.
"We've heard loud and clear that PC gamers are bitching about there being no version for them," Mettra said to IncGamers. "But are these people just making noise just because there's no version or because it's a game they actually want to play? Would they buy it if we made it?"
Mettra continued that if 50,000 PC players buy the game it's not worth the cost of putting a team of 12 on the project for three months. He continued, "It's hard because there's so much piracy and so few people are paying for PC games that we have to precisely weigh it up against the cost of making it."
Since I Am Alive runs on the Splinter Cell: Conviction engine, it could be ported to PC, but it's pretty clear that Ubisoft's relationship with PC players has become contentious, bordering on combative. It wouldn't be surprising if I Am Alive comes to PC some day, but it'll take longer than the standard one month delay.
Reader Comments (212)
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 5:46PM Shadowbender said
@BoBsS
It's hard to grasp Ubisoft's constant moaning against the PC.
I agree. Go to an old industry friend, Uncle Steam, and he'll hook you up with a nice place.
All they're doing now is excluding a large audience. And let's be frank, if others can develop for the PC, than so can Ubi! After all, they are one of the largest and most significant developer/publisher league out there. What are they doing?
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It's hard to grasp Ubisoft's constant moaning against the PC.
I agree. Go to an old industry friend, Uncle Steam, and he'll hook you up with a nice place.
All they're doing now is excluding a large audience. And let's be frank, if others can develop for the PC, than so can Ubi! After all, they are one of the largest and most significant developer/publisher league out there. What are they doing?
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 5:55PM (Unverified) said
@BoBsS steam = drm. It doesnt stop anyone.
On the other hand wii/ds is the most pirated console and nobody uses piracy as an excuse...
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On the other hand wii/ds is the most pirated console and nobody uses piracy as an excuse...
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 5:58PM Faceless Troll said
@BoBsS A tittle?
. . .
. . .
That's smaller than an "A Cup" isn't it?
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. . .
. . .
That's smaller than an "A Cup" isn't it?
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 6:04PM Shadowbender said
@Faceless Troll
I asked my parents just now, but the only reply I received was a resounding "thud!" on the mouth.
Thanks a lot.
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I asked my parents just now, but the only reply I received was a resounding "thud!" on the mouth.
Thanks a lot.
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 6:04PM Hunter141072 said
@BoBsS
maybe they should talk with the guys of the witcher 2 or ALL the guys who make money on the p.c. thanks to steam, the real question is....would they make a REAL P.C. VERSION????? WITH DIRECTX 11 SUPPORT???? AND GOOD CONTROLS??? AND NOT JUST A CHEAP PORT FULL OF BUGS THAT ARE NEVER FIXED WHICH ARE SO BAD THAT EVEN UBISOFT GIVES REFUNDS ( COF, COF.......FROM DUST...COF) if they answer those questions then we can answer theirs.........
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maybe they should talk with the guys of the witcher 2 or ALL the guys who make money on the p.c. thanks to steam, the real question is....would they make a REAL P.C. VERSION????? WITH DIRECTX 11 SUPPORT???? AND GOOD CONTROLS??? AND NOT JUST A CHEAP PORT FULL OF BUGS THAT ARE NEVER FIXED WHICH ARE SO BAD THAT EVEN UBISOFT GIVES REFUNDS ( COF, COF.......FROM DUST...COF) if they answer those questions then we can answer theirs.........
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 6:16PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
@(Unverified)
There are a lot of people (Nintendo themselves) that speak out against piracy on Wii & DS. I think a lot of it is the demographics of the user base. A game may be pirated a lot on Wii or DS but it might sell more than enough because of the wide demographic of it's install base. I'm not sure the market for I am alive on PC is as diverse as say Rayman.
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There are a lot of people (Nintendo themselves) that speak out against piracy on Wii & DS. I think a lot of it is the demographics of the user base. A game may be pirated a lot on Wii or DS but it might sell more than enough because of the wide demographic of it's install base. I'm not sure the market for I am alive on PC is as diverse as say Rayman.
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 8:53PM (Unverified) said
@Mcmax3000 PC gamers are more accepting and responsive to 15 dollar downloadable games than console gamers are. Just ask Team Meat and the Limbo guys (I thought Limbo did way better on PC, anyway). Their piracy concerns are archaic and misplaced. Yes, piracy is rampant on PCs. That doesn't mean PC games don't sell well on Steam and other DD services.
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Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 9:42PM SirUrza said
@BoBsS
Put it on Steam and people will buy it. Put it on ubisoft's assassin creed drm and people won't buy it.
As for this guy's comment about "50,000" gamers.. I'm sure Witcher 2, Battlefield 3, and Skyrim all sold more then 50,000 copies. Maybe he should be more worried about making a game 50,000 people would want to play and less about piracy?
You know.. because Amnesia has sold more then 500,000 copies and no one is worried about that game being pirated. :P
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Put it on Steam and people will buy it. Put it on ubisoft's assassin creed drm and people won't buy it.
As for this guy's comment about "50,000" gamers.. I'm sure Witcher 2, Battlefield 3, and Skyrim all sold more then 50,000 copies. Maybe he should be more worried about making a game 50,000 people would want to play and less about piracy?
You know.. because Amnesia has sold more then 500,000 copies and no one is worried about that game being pirated. :P
Posted: Nov 24th 2011 1:29AM Mcmax3000 said
@(Unverified) - All I said was that they believe it won't be cost effective, which is a fact from the article.
I wasn't commenting on the viability of smaller downloadable titles.
Though, I'm not aware that From Dust did all that well on PC and while yes, I understand that was mostly because it had a ton of problems, I can understand why Ubi would look at its crappy sales numbers (and probably still a ton of pirated copies as well) and decide it's not worry their time, effort and money to port I Am Alive.
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I wasn't commenting on the viability of smaller downloadable titles.
Though, I'm not aware that From Dust did all that well on PC and while yes, I understand that was mostly because it had a ton of problems, I can understand why Ubi would look at its crappy sales numbers (and probably still a ton of pirated copies as well) and decide it's not worry their time, effort and money to port I Am Alive.
Posted: Nov 24th 2011 1:35AM Mcmax3000 said
@SirUrza - "Maybe he should be more worried about making a game 50,000 people would want to play and less about piracy?"
I think you're missing the point of the quote. He's saying that if they only sell 50,000 copies, it's not going to make enough money to justify the extra development so if they believe that's all it's going to sell on PC (whether the number is right or wrong, if that's what they're forecasting), he's justified to not worry about making it for that platform since it will be a money losing venture.
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I think you're missing the point of the quote. He's saying that if they only sell 50,000 copies, it's not going to make enough money to justify the extra development so if they believe that's all it's going to sell on PC (whether the number is right or wrong, if that's what they're forecasting), he's justified to not worry about making it for that platform since it will be a money losing venture.
Posted: Nov 24th 2011 10:21AM lclark7034 said
@Hunter141072
The witcher 2 still has not sold over a million copies despite being one of the best rpg's period. I would bet you a mortgage payment that there were at least 2-3 million downloads of the last update. That lack of support only drives devs to create for the console first....Skyrim. I'm just sayin' these guys have to look at the bottom line when making a game. They have kids and spouses to feed. People need to stop stealing and support devs that support the PC
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The witcher 2 still has not sold over a million copies despite being one of the best rpg's period. I would bet you a mortgage payment that there were at least 2-3 million downloads of the last update. That lack of support only drives devs to create for the console first....Skyrim. I'm just sayin' these guys have to look at the bottom line when making a game. They have kids and spouses to feed. People need to stop stealing and support devs that support the PC
Posted: Nov 24th 2011 10:56AM Hunter141072 said
@lclark7034
well, according to this:
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/30/the-witcher-2-approaching-a-million-sales/
and that was in august, so i´m pretty sure that the game has reached the million mark without a doubt, also remember that not all the games sell a million copies on the consoles, even exclusive titles who are good don´t always sell a million copies, the funny thing is that when that happens on the console market everybody says " well, though luck" but when that same thing happens on the pc market "piracy!!! no other explanation" and as we have seen steam plays a MAJOR role on the pc success and of course on the success of the companies, it´s as simple as: if p.c. games don´t sell, why is steam there?? they should be broke after all this years, if ubi doesn´t sell then why they have released virtually all their games for the p.c. and keep doing it with them with the exception of this one??? out of charity?? why capcom decided to release super street even though they complained of piracy??? as somebody here said, pc is not the top pirated console, the NDS is, and guess what??? the games keep coming for it.
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well, according to this:
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/30/the-witcher-2-approaching-a-million-sales/
and that was in august, so i´m pretty sure that the game has reached the million mark without a doubt, also remember that not all the games sell a million copies on the consoles, even exclusive titles who are good don´t always sell a million copies, the funny thing is that when that happens on the console market everybody says " well, though luck" but when that same thing happens on the pc market "piracy!!! no other explanation" and as we have seen steam plays a MAJOR role on the pc success and of course on the success of the companies, it´s as simple as: if p.c. games don´t sell, why is steam there?? they should be broke after all this years, if ubi doesn´t sell then why they have released virtually all their games for the p.c. and keep doing it with them with the exception of this one??? out of charity?? why capcom decided to release super street even though they complained of piracy??? as somebody here said, pc is not the top pirated console, the NDS is, and guess what??? the games keep coming for it.
Posted: Nov 24th 2011 6:01PM Mcmax3000 said
@SirUrza - No, as an employee of a company that is trying to make money, his focus should be on trying to make sure that his game makes money. If a PC port isn't going to make enough money to cover the cost of development of that port, he shouldn't make it.
Reply
Posted: Nov 27th 2011 3:58PM totalysharly said
@BoBsS you are 100% right. Steam is, in my opinion, almost single handedly keeping PC gaming alive. I buy so many games on steam when they're on sale because they are cheap and i could potentially one day actually want to play it. Lol. For instance I bought Splinter Cell Conviction on the yesterday because I always wanted to play it but didn't have the money to spend on it. Plus steam games don't have Tax on them.
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Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 5:33PM Rokenroleg said
Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out, Ubisoft. We don't need you. =)
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Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 6:07PM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said
@Rokenroleg
I suppose Its Not Alive on PC
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I suppose Its Not Alive on PC
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 6:07PM Hunter141072 said
@Rokenroleg
ooooh noooooooooo!!!! we are losing a brand new title form the company who gave us................................call of juarez the cartel?????.........ok, now i feel better........
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ooooh noooooooooo!!!! we are losing a brand new title form the company who gave us................................call of juarez the cartel?????.........ok, now i feel better........
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 6:21PM liquidsoap89 said
@Hunter141072
And all the Splinter Cells, Ghost Recons, Rainbow Sixes, Prince of Persias, and Assassins Creeds...
We don't NEED this game on the PC, but I sure as hell would LIKE to have it.
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And all the Splinter Cells, Ghost Recons, Rainbow Sixes, Prince of Persias, and Assassins Creeds...
We don't NEED this game on the PC, but I sure as hell would LIKE to have it.
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 7:09PM Hunter141072 said
@liquidsoap89
Most of those games are nothing but over hyped games, splinter cell is the same game in all it´s versions NOTHING new on them, even the last one who was supposed to be a "brand new 24-like game" was the same old crap which you could finish on very hard on a couple of hours, the only ones who are more or less funny are the assassins creed games, and they keep making those for the p.c. funny right?? those big titles are available for the p.c. but this small stupid game is not..... wonder why?????
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Most of those games are nothing but over hyped games, splinter cell is the same game in all it´s versions NOTHING new on them, even the last one who was supposed to be a "brand new 24-like game" was the same old crap which you could finish on very hard on a couple of hours, the only ones who are more or less funny are the assassins creed games, and they keep making those for the p.c. funny right?? those big titles are available for the p.c. but this small stupid game is not..... wonder why?????
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 6:04PM solidsnake8282 said
@shoan Saying Pirates would be a complement to them ..... 99% are just ...Leechers
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Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 9:50PM Mmmmz said
@shoan
Idiots must not see piracy numbers for the 360. They're so full of shit.
It seems Ubisoft is the only company that has a major problem selling games on the PC platform.
It must not be due to them having the most asinine and offensive DRM among the big publishers. No, it's because of pirates. Yup. That's it.
I blame it on them being french. It's just as logical, if not more.
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Idiots must not see piracy numbers for the 360. They're so full of shit.
It seems Ubisoft is the only company that has a major problem selling games on the PC platform.
It must not be due to them having the most asinine and offensive DRM among the big publishers. No, it's because of pirates. Yup. That's it.
I blame it on them being french. It's just as logical, if not more.
Posted: Nov 24th 2011 12:38AM aea0a095 said
@Mmmmz
Most PC gamers I know, myself included have sworn off Ubisoft for good, all they do is make people WANT to pirate their games by putting the most obtrusive bullsh*t DRM in their games.
They punish the paying customers and do nothing to stop piracy and they wonder why PC gamers don't buy their games?
I have yet to even play a ubisoft game since I bought AC2 on PC, that's when I said screw it, if this is how they treat legitimate customers, then I'll no longer be one.
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Most PC gamers I know, myself included have sworn off Ubisoft for good, all they do is make people WANT to pirate their games by putting the most obtrusive bullsh*t DRM in their games.
They punish the paying customers and do nothing to stop piracy and they wonder why PC gamers don't buy their games?
I have yet to even play a ubisoft game since I bought AC2 on PC, that's when I said screw it, if this is how they treat legitimate customers, then I'll no longer be one.
Posted: Nov 24th 2011 5:49AM The StainlessSteel Rat said
@aea0a095
I baught assassins creed 2, and then I downloaded the crack and patch, and then I laugh my merry way with my offline server hack.
But, by adding all those extra steps in order for me to play its very easy to lose the most important one (BUY THE GAME) and its not my fault for adding them.
Every single game worth playing out there is cracked within a matter of days, anti-piracy DRM stops nothing. You know what does stop piracy? Steam.
It has great deals, achievements, robust friend system etc.
I'd still rather buy a boxed copy that uses steamworks.
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I baught assassins creed 2, and then I downloaded the crack and patch, and then I laugh my merry way with my offline server hack.
But, by adding all those extra steps in order for me to play its very easy to lose the most important one (BUY THE GAME) and its not my fault for adding them.
Every single game worth playing out there is cracked within a matter of days, anti-piracy DRM stops nothing. You know what does stop piracy? Steam.
It has great deals, achievements, robust friend system etc.
I'd still rather buy a boxed copy that uses steamworks.
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 9:08PM Ignatius said
@Greyze
From what I've seen, even if it was put on Steam, they have a bunch more third-party DRM just to keep it even more annoying for the legitimate customers.
I hope Ubisoft's entire PC platform disappears, maybe then they'll learn just to deal with it and just let Steam handle the DRM.
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From what I've seen, even if it was put on Steam, they have a bunch more third-party DRM just to keep it even more annoying for the legitimate customers.
I hope Ubisoft's entire PC platform disappears, maybe then they'll learn just to deal with it and just let Steam handle the DRM.
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 5:49PM Shadowbender said
@Muskie
His choice of vocabulary is more than startling as well. He's not a CEO, but he IS representing Ubisoft, in a way.
Reply
His choice of vocabulary is more than startling as well. He's not a CEO, but he IS representing Ubisoft, in a way.
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 6:13PM Hunter141072 said
@Shadowbender
Let me remember.... which one was the last person who called us their bitch and i think he is picking up garbage right now??........mmmmm..... wonder if this jackass is related to Romero.....
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Let me remember.... which one was the last person who called us their bitch and i think he is picking up garbage right now??........mmmmm..... wonder if this jackass is related to Romero.....
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 7:12PM maxwell97 said
@Muskie I'm a life-long pc gamer, and I'm willing to admit that pc fanboys are the whiniest, bitchiest fanboys out there. They're sanctimonious, they moan about every godd*mn thing, they think they're entitled to be the center of developer's attention despite making up 3% of the market, and many of them use any excuse to pirate ("I don't like the DRM, so I'm going to pirate the game! That'll show them!"). So I don't blame this guy one bit. If pc gamers want to be treated with respect, they have to stop letting the a-hole contingent be the most vocal part of the community.
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Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 7:30PM Faceless Troll said
@maxwell97 I think it's just the fact that so many of them are so fat they don't like to stray more than a couple inches from their comfort zone.
Reply
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 7:32PM jackal said
@Muskie
"*jawdrops* That is the most insulting fricking thing I have ever heard.
Well, then. Screw you, I'm not gonna buy it on consoles either. *flips bird*"
If I had the time and energy, I'd send them a void check with a letter titled, "This could have been yours. Now it's Croteam's; they at least know how to release a digital-only title on all platforms without being total dicks to their audience."
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"*jawdrops* That is the most insulting fricking thing I have ever heard.
Well, then. Screw you, I'm not gonna buy it on consoles either. *flips bird*"
If I had the time and energy, I'd send them a void check with a letter titled, "This could have been yours. Now it's Croteam's; they at least know how to release a digital-only title on all platforms without being total dicks to their audience."
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 9:07PM Hunter141072 said
@maxwell97
Tell that to the many guys who got a refund from ubisoft for their EXCELLENT from dust game, it´s easy to say that p.c. users complain, but how many of those complains are actually true??? virtually all of them.......
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Tell that to the many guys who got a refund from ubisoft for their EXCELLENT from dust game, it´s easy to say that p.c. users complain, but how many of those complains are actually true??? virtually all of them.......
Posted: Nov 24th 2011 7:16AM Luciano said
@maxwell97
I have long favored consoles over PC for gaming and I still play games primarily on consoles, but I have to say PC gamers aren't whiny little bitches, they are tough and demanding customers who don't just swallow whatever publishers try to shove down their throats.
This generation of consoles has severely weakened piracy, and what have publishers done with their newfound control? Cutting content to sell as DLC, online pass, preorder "bonuses", insultingly expensive map packs and lots of new fun ways to nickel and dime gamers.
Of course they hate PC, on PC they lack any of the control they have on consoles, that's why they're trying force increasingly draconian DRM on gamers or abandoning the platform altogether, because they can't pull the same BS they manage to pull on consoles.
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I have long favored consoles over PC for gaming and I still play games primarily on consoles, but I have to say PC gamers aren't whiny little bitches, they are tough and demanding customers who don't just swallow whatever publishers try to shove down their throats.
This generation of consoles has severely weakened piracy, and what have publishers done with their newfound control? Cutting content to sell as DLC, online pass, preorder "bonuses", insultingly expensive map packs and lots of new fun ways to nickel and dime gamers.
Of course they hate PC, on PC they lack any of the control they have on consoles, that's why they're trying force increasingly draconian DRM on gamers or abandoning the platform altogether, because they can't pull the same BS they manage to pull on consoles.
Posted: Nov 24th 2011 9:56AM maxwell97 said
@Luciano To be clear, I wasn't speaking of all PC gamers, just the fanboy zealots. Now, I certainly agree with some of the complaints against publishers, but what it boils down to is that they can sell their stuff however they want. If the customer doesn't like the deal, they don't have to buy it, no harm done. There's no call to be constantly moaning about everything. The PC crowd also has to be realistic about the market. If a group of customers responsible for at best 5% of sales decides to be extremely tough and demanding, there's a good chance that publishers will decide they're more trouble than they're worth. This is exactly what's happening, and the more tough PC gamers decide to be, the sooner the big-budget games go away.
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Posted: Nov 24th 2011 10:29AM Luciano said
@maxwell97
That sounds an awful lot like "don't complain or the master will lash us".
I'm glad PC gamers are as vocal as they are when publishers ruin their experience with DRM and horrible ports, the problem is not with PC gamers who complain about anti-consumer practices, the problem is with console gamers who don't.
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That sounds an awful lot like "don't complain or the master will lash us".
I'm glad PC gamers are as vocal as they are when publishers ruin their experience with DRM and horrible ports, the problem is not with PC gamers who complain about anti-consumer practices, the problem is with console gamers who don't.
Posted: Nov 24th 2011 8:09PM maxwell97 said
@Luciano It's not a master and servant relationship. The publishers invest to create something, then sell it. If you don't like the terms of the sale, that doesn't make you a 'slave,' just don't buy it and no harm done to you. If you DO choose to buy it, you have little cause to complain. Nobody put a gun to your head.
As for the 'problem' with console gamers, they're not the ones getting intrusive DRM and bad ports - so why would you expect them to punish publishers over those issues? The consumers are ultimately the ones with all the power. If they keep buying games, it doesn't mean they're stupid, it means they're happy with what they're getting. If the majority of consumers want something different than what YOU want, don't be surprised when the market follows them instead of you.
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As for the 'problem' with console gamers, they're not the ones getting intrusive DRM and bad ports - so why would you expect them to punish publishers over those issues? The consumers are ultimately the ones with all the power. If they keep buying games, it doesn't mean they're stupid, it means they're happy with what they're getting. If the majority of consumers want something different than what YOU want, don't be surprised when the market follows them instead of you.
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 6:54PM Special Agent Steve said
@Vocality
The game will probably suck ass anyway, so jokes on them. Lawl.
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The game will probably suck ass anyway, so jokes on them. Lawl.
Posted: Nov 23rd 2011 5:40PM MayorMikeHaggar said
Translation: "We don't think this game is good enough to sell a lot of copies so we're not going to bother."
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