Microsoft says: "PC gamers are better than console gamers"

Tallon

Link

A leading figure in gaming PCs has accused Microsoft of killing a project that would allow Xbox and PC gamers to play against each other, suggesting that embarrassment that console players would be consistently beaten was behind the decision.

Rahul Sood, the man behind VooDoo PC and CTO of HP's gaming business has expressed his disappointment at Microsoft's stance towards the PC as a gaming platform, and believes that Apple could be the main beneficiary.

"There was a project that got killed at Microsoft. This project was designed to allow console gamers and PC gamers to interact and battle over a connected environment," blogged Sood.

"Personally I wish it would have stayed the course. I've heard from reliable sources that during the development they brought together the best console gamers to play mediocre PC gamers at the same game... and guess what happened?

Console ftl

"They pitted console gamers with their "console" controller, against PC gamers with their keyboard and mouse," he added

"The console players got destroyed every time. So much so that it would be embarrassing to the Xbox team in general had Microsoft launched this initiative.

"Is this why the project was killed Who [sic] knows, but I'd love to hear from anyone involved --- what happened?"

Viable gaming platform

Sood believes like many major developers that the PC remains a viable gaming platform, and that encouraging cross-platform play would have rejuvenated things.

"You simply don't get the same level of detail or control as you do with a PC over a console, he added.

"It's a real shame that Microsoft killed this -- because had they kept it alive it might have actually increased the desire of game developers and gamers alike to continue developing and playing rich experiences on the PC which would trickle down to the console as it has in the past.

"Instead they wanted to keep an old business model alive, and as a result they are (all) getting attacked by the most unlikely competitor, Apple.

"..had they allowed something like this to take place then perhaps the desire to have the best platform would still be there.

"Perhaps the scale of the PC would have allowed Microsoft to get away from the hardware business and focus on their core, software. Perhaps we could have finally integrated the Xbox into the PC.

"Perhaps not, all of this is over now, there is no looking back."

Growing annoyance

It's an interesting viewpoint, and one that has been echoed several times in the past months.

Microsoft's perceived lack of interest in the PC has been met by a response from the company that the likes of Fable 3 will arrive for the platform.

But not, of course, until the Xbox version has had some time to sell.

Interesting... Thoughts?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

well... duh

Mr Bloat

I'd sell my 360 today if I could play online from my PC with my console owning friends. I can't see how Apple are the main beneficiary, though. What do they have to do with the PC and Xbox being merged online?

Kells...

I'm a console player but in FPS's that is the case IMO.
Also former PC gamer.

Paparazzo

"PC gamers are better than console gamers" is misleading. It should be "mouse and keyboard easier to use than controllers"

B00MSTICK

Can they not just add proper Mouse and Keyboard support for games on the Xbox and PS?

Helix

theyre not better, they just have more suitable tools for the task at hand

Antar Bolaeisk

For FPS then PC is hands down the best to play with but games such as Dirt should be crossplatform since it's a much more level playing field.

Hercule

This story is over a year old - there was a thread here somewhere a year ago when it was "news" - Ultimately its trying to sensationalize something which should be obvious to anyone that plays games on both platforms. However factual the story is (which is dubious at best) if this is a controller vs mouse+kb discussion (having been done to death at this stage) it should just serve to confirm what everyone should already be aware of

Add to that, I would hazard a guess that by averages there are more dumbasses/bad gamers playing console games then there is dumbasses/bad gamers playing PC games - so by averages, the consoles "average" gamer is of lower ability then the PC's

cherryghost

Benzino

If anything, console gamers could be more skilled than pc gamers. It is much more difficult to get a headshot in a console FPS than a PC FPS (assuming there is no aim assist, which there usually is). But yeah, it mainly due to the control system.

super_furry

Isn't that obvious? Anyone using a keyboard and mouse set-up is going to destroy someone using a joypad. It's not exactly difficult to work out that having more accuracy, being able to move and respond quicking and having a much wider range of movement is going to offer a massive advantage.

It's like saying that footballers in leg-braces are worse than those wearing football boots.

Seifer

Year old article is a year old.

Skatedude

As stated, the issues only really apply to first person shooters,
Other games work perfectly as there isnt any real benifit to using a mouse.

portal 2 coop for example,

DarkJager

super_furry wrote: »

Isn't that obvious? Anyone using a keyboard and mouse set-up is going to destroy someone using a joypad. It's not exactly difficult to work out that having more accuracy, being able to move and respond quicking and having a much wider range of movement is going to offer a massive advantage.

It's like saying that footballers in leg-braces are worse than those wearing football boots.

Depends on who the players are really, not the controller. I'd class myself as being a fairly good fps player with a controller (don't use autoaim) and I'm pretty sure I'd give anyone with a mouse + kb a good run for their money.

o1s1n

B00MSTICK wrote: »

Can they not just add proper Mouse and Keyboard support for games on the Xbox and PS?

I would have thought that would be the best solution. Isn't there already a keyboard and mouse adapter for the 360?

Dr Bob

Seifer wrote: »

Year old article is a year old.

Interesting article is interesting.

Anyone remember the Shadowrun FPS a few years back?
Other than being a complete waste of a brilliant RPG franchise, it was cross platform PC and Xbox game.If I remember correctly the PC controls were slowed down and nerfed into the ground to allow a level playing ground for Xbox (controller) users.

D

Mouse and keyboard > pad. Yes there is a mouse/keyboard for the 360. I think Tallon is just trying to troll all the console gamers.

super_furry

luas_dublin wrote: »

Interesting article is interesting.

Anyone remember the Shadowrun FPS a few years back?
Other than being a complete waste of a brilliant RPG franchise, it was cross platform PC and Xbox game.If I remember correctly the PC controls were slowed down and nerfed into the ground to allow a level playing ground for Xbox (controller) users.

Nope, not having that. Shadowrun was a deeply brilliant online FPS within it's own right. While it took a lot of leads from Counter Strike, was a great class-based refinement of the game. It still plays brilliantly on PC where a sizeable community remains.

People despised it before it was even released because of what it wasn't, rather than what it was.

It did however, have cross-platform play, but it was a mess and was quickly abandonned. I believe it still works today, but there's only a handful of people still playing on Xbox.

Kells...

D wrote: »

Mouse and keyboard > pad. Yes there is a mouse/keyboard for the 360. I think Tallon is just trying to troll all the console gamers.

o.O He IS a console gamer.

o1s1n

super_furry wrote: »

Nope, not having that. Shadowrun was a deeply brilliant online FPS within it's own right. While it took a lot of leads from Counter Strike, was a great class-based refinement of the game. It still plays brilliantly on PC where a sizeable community remains.

People despised it before it was even released because of what it wasn't, rather than what it was.

It did however, have cross-platform play, but it was a mess and was quickly abandonned. I believe it still works today, but there's only a handful of people still playing on Xbox.

No matter how good a game it was, as luas_dublin said, it's still an absolute waste of a brilliant rpg franchise.

Why didn't they just make a stand alone game? Why even call it Shadowrun? It was pointless.

'Wooh! I got my hands on Command a Conquer IP rights, now, to make an animal simulator in the style of Nintendogs!'

Anyway, I digress. Anyone else remember when people started playing Quake 3 on the Dreamcast against PC players?

Wossack

used to be cross platform play for quake3 too iirc (dreamcast v pc)

/bah Oisin.. :P

Dr Bob

super_furry wrote: »

Nope, not having that. Shadowrun was a deeply brilliant online FPS within it's own right. .

Shadowrun was a fantastic pen and Paper RPG , and an excellent series of console RPGS (SNES/Meg and MegadCD in japan if I remember rightly).
It would have made a great modern RPG or even better an MMO.
Microsoft bought FASA (its creators) and produced one game , an FPS, with a rehashed Shadowrun storyline on top of it.

It'd be the equivalent of Konami ditching the Metal gear solid stealth games and bringing out "Solid Snake Kart racing" .Even if its the best kart racer in the world it's still a waste of a franchise.

Kiith

DarkJager wrote: »

Depends on who the players are really, not the controller. I'd class myself as being a fairly good fps player with a controller (don't use autoaim) and I'm pretty sure I'd give anyone with a mouse + kb a good run for their money.

Someone who is brilliant at a FPS using a joypad will never be as good as someone who is brilliant using a mouse/keyboard. And i don't mean that they aren't as good players. I just mean that the mouse and keyboard is a much more intuitive control method for the genre.

And this isn't a dig at consoles. I probably use a joypad on my pc as often as i use the mouse/keyboard.

ShadowHearth

Lol, I only now realised it's talons thread.

Are you doing same thing as with vrs in motors forum m8?

Chairman Meow

i didnt have anywhere to post this (GTA forum is dead as a dodo), but i guess a pc vs console debate means its somewhat on topic, but messing about with GTA 4 PC over the weekend proves how superior the games are once theyre on PC!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSapjNVr1aA

predator picking up streetwalkers = win

Randomer.

DarkJager wrote: »

Depends on who the players are really, not the controller. I'd class myself as being a fairly good fps player with a controller (don't use autoaim) and I'm pretty sure I'd give anyone with a mouse + kb a good run for their money.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.


Sounds like someone needs to plug a 360 pad into his pc and join a quake 3 deathmatch server for a wake up call.

With a pad its not just aiming, your entire range of movement is limited. The speed at which you can turn around and so forth. With a mouse your only limitation is your own reaction speed.

Theres a reason we're not using controllers to use windows.

BopNiblets

Kiith

Someone was always going to post that

Let's not turn it into another one of 'those' debates (flamewars) though.

Mr E

Threads like this are ticking time bombs and troll magnets.
Tread carefully folks.....

jaykhunter

Mr E wrote: »

Threads like this are ticking time bombs and troll magnets. Tread carefully folks.....

Any chance of moving it to the PC forums? I hate getting harangued about how awful my gaming system is. I don't care, please leave me alone. Nothing positive can come out of a trolling title like that.