Developers, I have a question

[Guest Kloaked]

Let's say Witcher 3 was for sure downgraded across the board.

Why did it have to be downgraded across the board so that the console versions would run better on consoles? Shouldn't there be some separate PC version that doesn't get messed with unless it's being worked on specifically for the PC?

Again, this is all assuming that Witcher 3 was actually downgraded.

[paprikman]

Let's say Witcher 3 was for sure downgraded across the board.

Why did it have to be downgraded across the board so that the console versions would run better on consoles? Shouldn't there be some separate PC version that doesn't get messed with unless it's being worked on specifically for the PC?

Again, this is all assuming that Witcher 3 was actually downgraded.

They actually get like 60-70% $ more from consoles, than from pc version sales.

That's why they don't really care about pc versions.

Many pc users will buy new witcher on the piratebay, I guess.

[Guest Kloaked]

They actually get like 60-70% $ more from consoles, than from pc version sales.

That's why they don't really care about pc versions.

Many pc users will buy new witcher on the piratebay, I guess.

That doesn't answer my question. Not even close.

[werto165]

Well we don't know for sure it's been downgraded, I'm not a Dev but I would imagine that it wasn't worth the resources to go all out with the PC version. Ie probably easier to develop the console version across the board. They're a business after all

[Trik'Stari]

It's more "they took the console version, pumped it up a bit, and ported it to PC" from my understanding. Where as GTA V PC version was actually built for PC, and not just ported over to it.

 

Not to mention that we've heard plenty of stories about the console manufacturers (MS and SONY) trying to force developers to limit the experience on PC to no better than console, in an attempt to retain relevancy and give them the ability to say "see! we're as good as PC!".

 

Basically, they're scared because PC game sales have begun surpassing console, and they realize they will slowly become less relevant as the average consumer becomes more discerning and intelligent.

 

 

They actually get like 60-70% $ more from consoles, than from pc version sales.

That's why they don't really care about pc versions.

Many pc users will buy new witcher on the piratebay, I guess.

 

Not true, Sony and MS take a higher percentage or revenue, per game, than PC gaming providers like Steam.

[Pugs501]

there can never be a Definitive version

If there was one all of the other platforms wouldn't sell.

Say that the PC is the only one to get TW3 and the console version is not even get it, you might end up with a better quality game but it will be limiting the amount of people buying it

[as96]

There 2 possible reasons:

• They couldn't optimize it enough to run with the full blown graphics
• They didn't want to have a large gap between pc and console graphics

[harrynowl]

Potentially because it's easier to maintain, rather than having two separate versions of the graphics libraries they've made.

[Guest Kloaked]

...

@LukaP

[LukaP]

Let's say Witcher 3 was for sure downgraded across the board.

Why did it have to be downgraded across the board so that the console versions would run better on consoles? Shouldn't there be some separate PC version that doesn't get messed with unless it's being worked on specifically for the PC?

Again, this is all assuming that Witcher 3 was actually downgraded.

Its easier to work on just one branch of the code, when applying patches, DLC and any other after release changes, than to be forced to merge branches, or write a bunch of separate patches that do the same thing, as an example. there is a lot more to it, but for the sake of my time, lets use just one word, simplicity

[SIGSEGV]

It's less work, less work=lower development costs

Going from console to PC is cheaper and less work because you can just do the optimisations first and leave them in, which is cheaper and less work than going from PC to console and having to optimise everything

[Guest Kloaked]

Its easier to work on just one branch of the code, when applying patches, DLC and any other after release changes, than to be forced to merge branches, or write a bunch of separate patches that do the same thing, as an example. there is a lot more to it, but for the sake of my time, lets use just one word, simplicity

So essentially, if the game was downgraded, cdpr isn't putting in the extra work for the PC version?

[LukaP]

So essentially, if the game was downgraded, cdpr isn't putting in the extra work for the PC version?

no. if the game got downgraded, they have already put in the work, but since they realised consoles wont cut it with that detail, they had to lower everything, and it makes sense to be working off a single branch of code for all the versions (with the consoles being x86 and running similar APIs) and not doing the work 3 times just to get the best possible looks for each version. Im not even sure the downgrade is real, but if it is, i understand the reasoning behind it from their point of view. but i also understand how it seems frustrating.

[Guest Kloaked]

no. if the game got downgraded, they have already put in the work, but since they realised consoles wont cut it with that detail, they had to lower everything, and it makes sense to be working off a single branch of code for all the versions (with the consoles being x86 and running similar APIs) and not doing the work 3 times just to get the best possible looks for each version. Im not even sure the downgrade is real, but if it is, i understand the reasoning behind it from their point of view. but i also understand how it seems frustrating.

But is it not possible to have the PC version with a different set of visuals enabled (more complicated than that I know) then used that to their PC distribution?

I'm not sure I can get with the reasoning there since the devs themselves have said Witcher is a PC first game if I'm not mistaken. Is it not possible to make it work?

[LukaP]

But is it not possible to have the PC version with a different set of visuals enabled (more complicated than that I know) then used that to their PC distribution?

I'm not sure I can get with the reasoning there since the devs themselves have said Witcher is a PC first game if I'm not mistaken. Is it not possible to make it work?

of course it is. but it would take alot more work. getting better textures is more than just using higer res textures. your memory management must be able to deal with it, your render dispatch methods must be prepared for it, etc. there is alot more work to it than just "add more pixels"

[Guest Kloaked]

of course it is. but it would take alot more work. getting better textures is more than just using higer res textures. your memory management must be able to deal with it, your render dispatch methods must be prepared for it, etc. there is alot more work to it than just "add more pixels"

 

Pixel count is just a number.

[LukaP]

Pixel count is just a number.

so is your IQ, since even small numbers are numbers

 

 

jk

[Guest Kloaked]

so is your IQ, since even small numbers are numbers

 

 

jk

 

So is my...

 

nevermind.

[T3STY]

The PC version of any (latest) PC game is not downgraded. Is simply meant to be just that. They build the games to suit consoles (suck like hell). When they make the PC version they only change the input interface code (switch from a joystick to mouse+keyboard) and then create a system internal emulator for some/all parts of the graphics engine used in the console version.

The thing they call "PC optimization" it's actually bug fixing the emulator so you won't complain that your character gets stuck in an invisible hole or falls down from the map when it dies. Graphics updates are just high resolution textures forced to be processed by and Intel 8086 -fast engine, with antialiasing set to 4x instead of 1x, but with downsampling (compressed textures).

The RAM a modern PC game takes to run it's made of: 1-2GB of graphics engine emulator, then 2 GB of compressed textures, which will later expand to 4GB of uncompressed textures, which in their turn will take some more RAM to be processed for antialiasing and other visual effects. Fortunately the newer graphic cards have at least 2GB of RAM which will offload your main RAM by the amount of memory needed to process the graphics, and the GPU will offload the CPU for that...

Basically, it's like they made PS1 games run in your PC through a Nintendo 64 emulator, with the advantage of a PS3 hardware.