Ubisoft Developers give the reason why games are downgraded

[warmmilk]

They could potentially make more money if they just made games for PC and charged whatever anyone else was charging for their games. I personally dislike the way the Steam sales are done. If the sales happened a couple of years after a game had been released I would understand but sometimes there are games on Steam that go 75% off after a few months. I take advantage of knowing that and so do so many other people, I will wait for every game to come out on PC and then wait until  it goes on sale and then buy it so it cannot be very good for the PC gaming industry to do that. But then again I wouldn't have experienced as many games as I had otherwise. 

 

I think the whole steam sales thing is blown out of proportion... only crappy games that nobody buys go on 75% sales after a couple months, most AAA games either stay at full price or go on a relatively small sale for 6 months to a year

 

 

... at least the games I've thought of buying...

[ThreePinkApples]

I don't understand why the engineers isn't standing up. If I had worked on making a game and was told to cut down on optimizing/limiting FPS and others things like that, i would have quit, there and then. It is an insult to a programmer to tell them to dumb down something without a real reason for it.

[HippY]

Exactly!

The news here isn't about console makers pressure, it's about Ubisoft cracking to the pressure - and by pressure it's not that Sony and Microsoft threatens to ban Ubisoft from the console platform - the pressure means money lol.

Ubisoft are just sellouts. 

Like you said and well: Horrible.

The dev mentioned, that to release the game on a console, the game must be sent to the manufacturer so it can take a look

these consoles are not like PC-s, no homebrewing here, even though it made by a large company. Look at the consoles like for an iPhone:

There might be Activision with a full graphics CoD for an iPhone, but if Apple says No, it would look other games bad, Activision could not really do anything else, rather than modify it so apple let them sell it.

 

So no, it is not the devs. and please pay attention I say devs, not the PR people. The devs want to have 1080p@60fps (or higher) as they know it is the best.

But at the end PR and the Sony and MS says what can be sold and what not

 

@aerandir92

ok they quit from their presumably nicely paid job. Then what? Every other company who develop for consoles goes through the same process as this game. 

Only few PC exclusive games do not, but that market is not that large as consoles.

[kuddlesworth9419]

I think the whole steam sales thing is blown out of proportion... only crappy games that nobody buys go on 75% sales after a couple months, most AAA games either stay at full price or go on a relatively small sale for 6 months to a year

 

 

... at least the games I've thought of buying...

I have loads of really good games that are AAA that went on sale for really low prices. Crysis 3 being one of them. I think that went down to 30% ish after a month. Don't quote me on that though.

[Aniallation]

haha this ended up on Linus's fb

[Andrew48]

Thats sad 

[typographie]

"That console makers are pressuring them into doing the same thing on PC."

 

I still don't understand, what does console makers have with Ubisoft. Aren't Ubisoft only owners of their games? How others can force them things they don't want? So it means Ubisoft is in Microsoft's hand, doing everything as Microsoft says... Horrible...

 

Everything in business is just a matter of money. If Sony and Microsoft can provide enough of a financial incentive that Ubisoft gains more than they lose in PC sales, they might do it. Its no different than timed exclusive third-party games, or DLCs exclusive to platforms or Gamestop, both of which are well-established industry practices.

[ThreePinkApples]

ok they quit from their presumably nicely paid job. Then what? Every other company who develop for consoles goes through the same process as this game. 

Only few PC exclusive games do not, but that market is not that large as consoles.

 

Well yeah, that's the problem, work for someone that is forced to force you to make a bad product, or just take the chance you can get a better job? It is really risky.  I understand that many does not want to make the risk, but that no one does it? That's just weird.

This (and other examples of buggy programs etc.) is making me scared that I will end up working at some places like that when I soon start job hunting.

It makes me both mad and sad reading about stuff like this... 

[tobben]

this sounds very far fetched, it might be true but this doesn't seem to be any more proof than a random guy just throwing an idea out there. Either way i don't see how this would equate to them digging their own grave any less, in fact it might even be worse, giving into the pressure and screwing their customers. "we did it because the bullies told us so.." yeah good excuse.

[Trik'Stari]

I've been saying all along that console makers are pressuring devs to nerf PC so they can get more sales. I really wish more devs would come out and say this, record the fuckers doing it and put it out for all to see, shove this bullshit right back into their faces and leave no question that the console makers only want to rip their customers off.

[brownninja97]

hey console leaders, YOU DONE FUCKED UP

[EritoKaio]

Turns out the 'next-gen' consoles cant handle 'next-gen' games huh. Good job Sony and Microsoft.

[Sharif]

Console makers are pressuring to have pc also 30 fps locked? They want to start a war lol

I want this word to spread like wild fire!!!!!! 

[Astralify]

IMMA FIRIN MAH uTORRENT at Ube$oft!

[Sharif]

Ready set FIGHT!!!!!!!!!

[hummbug95]

Without reading the coments, i'm just gonna throw in my two cents...

 

I don't see why Ubisoft would impliment a 30 fps cap on the pc version of their games. Yes, the consoles have to

choose between 980p (or whatever it's called), 60 fps or 1080p, 30 fps, but I dont see why that have to affect the pc gamers.

Chances are high that one who buys a console copy of the game dosen't have the graphical horsepower to play the game with a decent framerate on their computer anyway. So why would Ubisoft piss of the pc market just to prove that the consoles have just as good (or better) performance ingame?

 

I'm fairly shure that Ubisoft is loosing customers in the long-term if they keep using this strategy.

Hell, I would even be willing to pay a small premium (2 or 5 usd) on the pc port of the game just to remove the fps cap.

 

Sincerely

Former desktop gamer, now laptop pesant 

[Mister Snow]

Anyone who thinks that EVERYONE that develops games at Ubi is happy with these bullshit limitations being imposed on them and is completely on board with the FPS limiting has achieved a level of mental deficiency that I didn't know existed.

 

Stop trying to demonize an entire company for the choices that were made by the ones in charge.

So, Ubisoft is the only company that makes games for consoles AND PC? Poor them for being pressured so much, I'm sure that they are the only ones and all other developers are just free to do as they like no questions asked. I'm sure the devilish console makers are making them spread all those lies about 30 fps and the best possible experience of their game being on consoles. Crytek, CD Projekt RED, Roberts Space Industries and many others must be crazy for defying our console overlords, right? I believe when they say that they are pressured to make it on par with consoles but it's Ubisoft and they have been fighting a war with piracy on PC for many many years (their games are pirated the same as any other popular game out there) and claiming some ridiculous figures of loss due to it even though it is impossible to determine how many of those copies would have been actually purchased if there was no option of piracy. The point is that Ubisoft is doing everything possible to hold on to consoles and to keep them alive because there is less piracy there and on the other hand, PC gaming has become massive and is growing so they just can't let that go despite their wishes for console dominance. No other developer is making so many excuses and lies at the moment to cover up for consoles so unless Microsoft and Sony are paying them some ludicrous amounts of money there is no excuse such as "we are being pressured" for them to be consciously spreading lies. They have some really great games and a lot of talented staff but their marketing and management teams are just terrible. That's my take on it at least knowing what I know.

 

Edit: I don't think architects, artists and programmers are happy about those practices or are to blame because they aren't the ones in charge. Just to make it clear. 

[UchihaObito]

This really saddens me... seeing Nvidia and AMD competing in developping new technologies like Gsync, freesync, MFAA..... but game devs on the other hand, are trying hard to make their games looks similar on all platforms despite the fact that CONSOLES HARDWARE FUCKING SUCKS! (sorry, couldn't hold it)
Why can't we ADVANCE ? move FORWARD ? develop new technologies ? *long and painful sigh*

[Tsuki]

im not sure if r/pcmasterrace is the best source for reliable news... lol

[SpaceCore]

For a while now they've been wanting to make PC seem as limited in capability as possible so that console can still survive,.

 

Microsoft made a full port of Forza onto PC, they could have made a lot of sales if they released it, but they didn't because they want to keep the successful franchise on Xbox only.

Remember crossplatform play (online)? Microsoft scratched the project because controller vs mouse was "unfair advantage" -- so this doesn't surprise me. angers the shit out of me, but doesn't surprise me.

[bogus]

The dev mentioned, that to release the game on a console, the game must be sent to the manufacturer so it can take a look

these consoles are not like PC-s, no homebrewing here, even though it made by a large company. Look at the consoles like for an iPhone:

There might be Activision with a full graphics CoD for an iPhone, but if Apple says No, it would look other games bad, Activision could not really do anything else, rather than modify it so apple let them sell it.

 

So no, it is not the devs. and please pay attention I say devs, not the PR people. The devs want to have 1080p@60fps (or higher) as they know it is the best.

But at the end PR and the Sony and MS says what can be sold and what not

 

@aerandir92

ok they quit from their presumably nicely paid job. Then what? Every other company who develop for consoles goes through the same process as this game. 

Only few PC exclusive games do not, but that market is not that large as consoles.

Don't take me wrong, but you are being naive.

Ubisoft owns several succefull franchises, they are not some random studio - just from the top of my head you have Rayman, Assassins Creed, Farcry that pulled alot of gamers to any platform - consoles or pc - for years and therefore several generations of consoles. So it's in Sony and Microsoft best interest to bring such games to their platforms.

It's not the first time Ubisoft deals with Sony or Microsoft, and they sure know what are the requirements to have a game approved by the console manufacturers. This is the reflection of their relationship:

This is paid. It's not any game that gets bundled with consoles.

Then you have another thing wich is: what does the Microsoft and Sony approval for game consoles has to do with THE PC VERSION?! That's the whole point! 

Now you can't talk about the devs alone - you have the whole game development: from the creative idea, development, design all the way up to the executive decisions. It's Ubisoft (management) who is responsible for the games, not their employees - no one ever pointed the finger at the quality of the employees, either Devs, designers, marketers, public relationships - that's just stupid. It's not the wild west where anyone does whatever they want to. What the devs want is irrelevant, just like any other position inside ubisoft surely have different oppinions and wanted to do different stuff.

What matters is the final product - because that's what we pay for.

The pressure they are talking about is something like "oh Microsoft wants to give us 5,5 millions to tune down the PC version" - how could anyone say no to this, if the projection they make confirms that it wouldn't have any significant impact in the sales? Imagine the impact is 5% or 10% of the 5,5 millions - it's worth for them. Now why is Microsoft/Sony the bad-guys because they give money, and Ubisoft is the saint that accepts it?

They don't care about the gamers bitching, they just tell the PR staff to come out with some excuses and there's that. That's what they have been feeding us. Excuses and more excuses.

Ubisoft is the face of this problem. All of this decisions are made by Ubisoft, and Ubisoft alone. Now some will point me out as a bullshitter, like they did before, and they will keep supporting such behaviors in the industry - so don't expect any changes - and this goes both ways: Ubisoft could have made way better console versions with 1080p@60 fps, and way better PC versions - yet they choose to cut around corners and release poor versions for both pc and consoles because it sells anyway.

Some of the gamers standards are so high, yet they are the ones who support this - they are already deflecting this to consoles and console hate, when they are nothing but platforms.

[Crazy Wozza]

Is it really necessary to punish pc users like this who spend 2x 3x 4x the price of a console on a gaming rig? Really? I don't know why console makers are acting like the margins in graphical quality are so important.

 

Consoles will always have the advantage of being cheaper, and less hassle. Consoles are straight out of the box, fit for purpose, no hassle. PC's may well be more capable of producing better gameplay experiences, but we, especially self builders, are faced with the potential for things to go wrong, and when they do, we have to figure out how to fix those problems. I find it hard to believe the pc will kill off consoles any time soon because pc gaming still has this air of uncertainty and mystery for people who aren't that tech savvie. 

 

Console makers, back away from our stuff, or your going to make me upset

[warmmilk]

I have loads of really good games that are AAA that went on sale for really low prices. Crysis 3 being one of them. I think that went down to 30% ish after a month. Don't quote me on that though.

 

30% is a far cry from 75%... 

[Octagoncow]

Interesting. Slightly depressing, but it's nice to hear that they didn't give stupid PR answers for the questions for the most part.

[Jacknif]

Why not ? I mean we can make MORE  money will LESS effort. 

 

Poeple are still buying it anyway.