[shinobi602]

Last week, a report suggested Dead Space 3 wasn't getting more than a bare-bones port for its PC release. While developer Visceral Games has rarely offered enhanced PC versions of its games, many other developers are taking advantage of DirectX 11 and new hardware to deliver a higher fidelity experience for PC gamers. Even publisher Electronic Arts has been aggressively pushing PC development, with Battlefield 3 and Crysis 3 being notable examples. When asked about his decision to not make a PC optimized version of the game, executive producer Steve Papoutsis went on the defensive. "It's confusing to me that this question even comes up," Papoutsis told us. "It's by no means any less important to us; it gets a lot of attention. The PC is a very different platform. As developers, you want to deliver an experience that's as similar as possible on different platforms. "In Dead Space 2, I felt we made some great strides in terms of controls, responsiveness and even the visual improvements we got into it. We continue to evolve our games as we develop them, but we certainly don't target PC as something that's going to be significantly different. We aren't trying to create disparity in the experience that our gamers enjoy; we want to make sure everyone's having that same experience. "At our studio, we've always made console games," he pointed out. "The biggest thing is we want to make sure the quality of the experience is consistent across all platforms so we don't have one userbase saying it's better on their system." On PC, Dead Space and Dead Space 2 could easily hit 50 and 60 frames per second, and featured advanced rendering options for better shadows and anti-aliasing. While we don't expect that to change for Dead Space 3, the decision to not make a fully optimized PC version nonetheless sticks out. "The fact that we're allowing you to control the game with a mouse and keyboard immediately makes the game feel different," Papoutsis said. "Working with the community, we found some people wanted to map the controls a little differently because of disabilities and we supported that [in Dead Space 2]. It's a confusing question and I hope my answer brings a little bit of light to it. We seem a little bit discredited for the amount of effort that goes into it, quite honestly. "We want it to be great on all systems, that's our approach." Source

Now everyone can be equal :)

[Psi]

Now defend it being Origin only EA.

[Dragonzord]

"The fact that we're allowing you to control the game with a mouse and keyboard immediately makes the game feel different,"

[Robot Pants]

As always, EA missing the point.

[Xater]

Shut up guys! We gave you customizable controls!

[Hehateme]

Why would you Barbones a PC port?

[Aquamarine]

"At our studio, we've always made console games," he pointed out. "The biggest thing is we want to make sure the quality of the experience is consistent across all platforms so we don't have one userbase saying it's better on their system."

What utter trash. This guy sounds like the people who made the horrid Dark Souls PC port.

[XANDER CAGE]

I'm honestly not riled up by this. The game will still look better on PC rendered at 1080p+ with a much higher framerate. Dead Space 1 was a disappointing port with its weird mouse problems, but Dead Space 2 was a-ok.

[LiK]

it's tradition, PC version of Dead Space 2 never got the Severed DLC which was pretty cool if you beat Extraction.

[AkuMifune]

Communism is the new cool.

[antitrop]

I don't really have any issues with anything he said here.

[Moaradin]

I don't see what the big deal is. Sounds like it's gonna be a decent port.

[Sinatar]

Dead Space 1 and 2 were completely vanilla ports as well, why this surprises anyone is a mystery to me.

[Chittagong]

Thank you based Visceral for fighting the fight of experience consistency despite ungrateful PC gamers

[Kifimbo]

"The biggest thing is we want to make sure the quality of the experience is consistent across all platforms so we don't have one userbase saying it's better on their system."

Basically, he is saying offering the same experience on all platforms is more important than maing the best game possible, even if it means one version is better.

[cyberheater]

Now defend it being Origin only EA.

Is it. Another no buy for me then.

[DTKT]

The real reason: "We don't believe that additional money and time to turn DS3 into a proper PC game would bring any more money than a bare-bones PC port"

[evil solrac v3.0]

ok then. won't buy it then.

[-PXG-]

"At our studio, we've always made console games," he pointed out. "The biggest thing is we want to make sure the quality of the experience is consistent across all platforms so we don't have one userbase saying it's better on their system"

Fuckin LOL

I can't believe this is a real statement.

Hey, lets not optimize our shit and take advantage of more powerful hardware.

[NotTheGuyYouKill]

This isn't an issue at all. Dead Space 1 and 2 were treated the same way.

[stuminus3]

Considering there's no way to play Dead Space 1 on PC without the controls being utterly fucking dreadful (and that includes playing with a 360 controller, the dead zone on the sticks is messed up, completely different from the console version), I suppose a bare-bones port is a step up.

Still, Steam sale it is. Oh, wait!

[shinobi602]

This isn't an issue at all. Dead Space 1 and 2 were treated the same way.

Pretty sure DS1/2 had multiple graphics options ala Post processing, depth of field, shader quality, motion blur, shadow quality, etc.

[alexandros]

The real reason: "We don't believe that the additional of money and time into a proper PC game would bring any more money than a bare-bones PC port"

Honestly, it makes sense. Since they have to sell the game excusively through Origin, they know they can't expect any meaningful sales numbers so they have to keep costs down.

[Sportbilly]

As developers, you want to deliver an experience that's as similar as possible on different platforms.

Why? Why not take advantage of the best each platform has to offer?

[dygiT]

They're already significantly reducing their sales numbers by keeping it exclusive to Origin so why bother anyways?

[Vlodril]

Thanks for allowing us to play the game with a keyboard and mouse but ill pass...

[alexandros]

Why? Why not take advantage of the best each platform has to offer?

Because platform fanboys can't handle their favorite console having an inferior version. It's sad but it is true.

[Danielsan]

At this point I'm almost actively hoping that this game bombs incredibly hard. Most of the PR regarding this game has been downright awful.

[evangd007]

If you were truly concerned about nobody having the best version of a game, Visceral, then you'd add an FOV slider and the ability to disable mouse acceleration to the PC version. Because the lack of those features makes it the worst version.

No matter really. So long as the game is only on Origin nobody will buy it anyhow.

At this point I'm almost actively hoping that this game bombs incredibly hard. Most of the PR regarding this game has been downright awful.

That has been a theme with a good number of these Q1 2013 releases it seems: Tomb Raider, DmC, now this.

[Derrick01]

This game deserves to massively bomb and anything else that happens after it too. If they don't care about us then I don't know why I have to pretend to care about Visceral.

[scitek]

Not selling your game on Steam is like not selling the physical version at Walmart. Fuck yourselves, EA.

Also, Visceral not caring about the PC version of the game is no surprise. They're just lucky their engine runs at 300fps or people would complain a lot more.

[Dinosur]

This isn't an issue at all. Dead Space 1 and 2 were treated the same way.

The issue is his reasoning behind the "choice."

- Better graphics would make the game fundamentally different somehow and there wouldn't be experience parity between platforms.

- Xbox/PS3 players would cry themselves to sleep because PC graphics are better.

- Touting kb/m control as a feature people should be grateful for

[Zaventem]

Sound like the average PC game.

[patapuf]

I understand the dev feeling the rescources needed for a good PC port are not worth it. I will be disapointed but as long as the game performs and controls well it's ok.

Platform parity as a reason is completely lost to me though. Why wouldn't you optimise the game for the platform it's on? purposefully gimping a version seems silly.

[AHA-Lambda]

Be grateful we let you change your resolution and graphics dammit!!

Honestly, it makes sense. Since they have to sell the game excusively through Origin, they know they can't expect any meaningful sales numbers so they have to keep costs down.

Then why put the effort into a service like Origin at all?

[stktt]

I applaud Visceral's decision to create a truly authentic recreation of their original vision.

[dmr87]

We got KB/M support, I am so grateful.

[alexandros]

Then why put the effort into a service like Origin at all?

I guess because all the cool kids were doing it.

[scitek]

Be grateful we let you change your resolution and graphics dammit!! Then why put the effort into a service like Origin at all?

They haven't been. I'm pretty sure they missed their laid-out goals of features they wanted to implement in the latter half of 2012 and haven't given a fuck since.

[Blair]

I'm honestly not riled up by this. The game will still look better on PC rendered at 1080p+ with a much higher framerate. Dead Space 1 was a disappointing port with its weird mouse problems, but Dead Space 2 was a-ok.

Dead Space 2 controlled like a dream with KB/M. Preferred it to using a controller. DS1... well, it was different i guess.

[antitrop]

I feel like if Battlefield 3 hadn't been such a smashing success, Origin would have been DOA.

In some ways I'm grateful that BF3 was a fantastic game, in others disappointed that it gave a reason for EA to perpetuate their shit Origin program.

[Stallion Free]

So it's 720p on PC locked at 30 fps?

[TheExodu5]

Honestly I have no problem with a bare bones port. Added bells & whistles are great and might make me want to buy the game more, but I can't fault them for not doing so. All I ask is that it performs well and controls well. Don't make me edit an ini file to make it look and control how it should, and don't make me have to download a user fix.

[Derrick01]

Then why put the effort into a service like Origin at all?

Because like everything EA makes they're only in it for a quick and easy buck. As long as they get that 30% they were originally giving Valve.

[faceless007]

"In Dead Space 2, I felt we made some great strides in terms of controls, responsiveness and even the visual improvements we got into it.

Well, if he's referring to the utterly broken mouse look in DS1, it's true they fixed it in 2, but I wouldn't really call that a shining achievement.

For the rest, not surprising, 1 and 2 were the same.

[Air Zombie Meat]

Such bad pr. Again.

[Saty]

Tempest in a teacup. Past Dead Space games were completely serviceable and this one will to.

The philosophy of having a multiplatform game offering the same experience across is held pretty much by every 3rd party dev.

[Nerfgun]

If it's like Dead Space 2 I have no problem with their approach whatsoever. I didn't notice any "missing special sauce", the game looked and ran great.

[Kinyou]

it's tradition, PC version of Dead Space 2 never got the Severed DLC which was pretty cool if you beat Extraction.

Germany also never got the DLC.

It's big company logic. For them the project is finished. They don't care that it would take just minimal effort to release a version for germany or the pc.

[BibiMaghoo]

we want to make sure everyone's having that same experience.

WHY?

Why is it so important that every player has the same experience.

I have news for you. They never will, even on the same hardware.