The features PC gamers want—an open letter to developers and gamers

SuperFranky

Hey guys. Since there are many developers here, I thought it'd be cool to have a thread about this article. It's from a great guy Durante who made fixes for bad pc ports like Dark Souls and Deadly Premonition.

The article is located here: http://www.pcgamer.com/the-features-pc-gamers-wantan-open-letter-to-developers-and-gamers/

Article by Peter "Durante" Thoman. Durante is the creator of PC downsampling tool GeDoSaTo and the modder behind Dark Soul's DSfix and Deadly Premonition's DPfix.

The PC gaming market is thriving. Hundreds of games are released every month. Some are from established studios, who have been working on PC games non-stop for years or even decades, but this is now the exception. Indie developers are changing the face of Steam. Developers who once made games exclusively for consoles are porting them to the PC for the first time—and some of those games, like Dark Souls, are finding bigger, even more passionate communities than they had before.

For developers new to the PC, there can be bumps in the road. As I’ve learned from my interactions with some developers, at times they simply don’t know what PC gamers want and expect from their games: graphics settings, keybindings, modding support, and more. Likewise, gamers often are not fully aware of the restrictions and workloads their wishes impose on developers, and why some of these features may not be included.

This article is aimed at addressing both groups—to tell developers what PC gamers expect from their games and which of those features we consider most vital, and to explain to gamers how much work it takes to meet those expectations.

PC is my only gaming platform and my favorite one. It pains me that even today many developers have no idea about what makes for a good PC version. Maybe it'll help your studio to make your customers happier? Spread the word, let's make PC gaming better

ZacD

I've always thought it would be good if there was a group that gave good PC ports a seal of approval. Bronze if it has the basics, gold if they do a great job and supports everything you'd want. Platinum if it does all of the above and supports modding or extra PC exclusive features.

SuperFranky

ZacD wrote: »

I've always thought it would be good if there was a group that gave good PC ports a seal of approval. Bronze if it has the basics, gold if they do a great job and supports everything you'd want. Platinum if it does all of the above and supports modding or extra PC exclusive features.

There needs to be such an initiative. I would really like something like this to be added to Steam.

unit187

New Steam advisors' (or how was it called?) pages are somewhat like that. You can expect, for example, totalbiscuit to recommend good PC ports. Because glorious 60 fps revolution!

ZacD

Recommendations are far from seals for approval though. I'd like to see this done by a 3rd party but then get listed in retailers like Steam. Sort of like the ESRB, but not lame.

SuperFranky

ZacD wrote: »

Recommendations are far from seals for approval though. I'd like to see this done by a 3rd party but then get listed in retailers like Steam. Sort of like the ESRB, but not lame.

I imagine it shouldn't be too hard to organize something like that. PC version's quality is objective, it just needs to be tested on a variety of rigs for performance and it needs to have all needed features there and working fine.

PyrZern

I think you can kinda do that with the Steam Curator system. You just need good rep and initial fanbase to make it a thing... Kinda like what Extra Credit did, I guess.

JedTheKrampus

If you watch the Totalbiscuit video for any game, you'll usually be able to get a good idea of whether or not the game hits all the right buttons for PCs.

claydough

ZacD wrote: »

Recommendations are far from seals for approval though. I'd like to see this done by a 3rd party but then get listed in retailers like Steam. Sort of like the ESRB, but not lame.

maybe a brutal series of hardware/driver/SLI configuration tests that garners the same prestige ( and sales ) the PSU industry is now enjoying.

80+ platinum approved PC gaming certification.

ZacD

Maybe reviewers and anyone that gets games before release should form a group like this?

Ace-Angel

Steam list is just that, a list, and sadly usually outdated. I see many 'hardcore PC users' recommending for example Black Light on Steam with the new system, but that was before Perfect World bought the shares in the company to manage it with it's much more revamped system (ei: Jim Sterling's interviews and TB's reviews don't represent anymore the current state of the game, hence outdated part).

As for more hands on approach of actually knowing what to expect out of a game (especially ports), here is a wiki: http://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Home

iniside

ZacD wrote: »

Recommendations are far from seals for approval though. I'd like to see this done by a 3rd party but then get listed in retailers like Steam. Sort of like the ESRB, but not lame.

I trust TB more than any other 3rd party.

SuperFranky

iniside wrote: »

I trust TB more than any other 3rd party.

He's also third party, no? Even tho he's just one dude instead of a company.

iniside

SuperFranky wrote: »

He's also third party, no? Even tho he's just one dude instead of a company.

Which makes him more credible.

ambershee

Plenty of youtubers get bought out to do content these days, TB as far as I'm aware is no exception.

Goeddy

yeah the old PC problem, noone owns it, so there are no global standards.

gues Gaben has to step in once again.

WarrenM

iniside wrote: »

Which makes him more credible.

That makes no sense. He works for himself so he's magically more credible?

blankslatejoe

ambershee wrote: »

Plenty of youtubers get bought out to do content these days, TB as far as I'm aware is no exception.

That's one of his selling points actually-when he takes paid gigs he makes it pretty obvious: written disclaimers, bumpers on the vids, talking about how the promo went on his podcasts. There are other youtubers--some very big--who try & keep that under the table. As an indie dev there have been a couple of shady YTers--some very very large channels--who have come to ME asking for money to make positive vids.

I may disagree with some of TB's takes on things, and he may or may not disclose every paid thing he does (he says he does), but he does make that one of his "selling points" as a youtuber.

iniside

WarrenM wrote: »

That makes no sense. He works for himself so he's magically more credible?

That's the point. His existence in this work, depends on trust of the userbase he have. No trust of users, no money, no living.

I can tell you for sure. One miss step from TB, like being not honest about some shady deal, and he is done as game critic.


Unlike some big organizations, where everything tends to dissolve over time, and everyone seems to forget about past or some other not necessary customer-friendly intentions.

Yes. I don't trust big organizations. The bigger you are, the more ways you have to mitigate any accusations trowed at you.

NegevPro

iniside wrote: »

That's the point. His existence in this work, depends on trust of the userbase he have. No trust of users, no money, no living.

I can tell you for sure. One miss step from TB, like being not honest about some shady deal, and he is done as game critic.


Unlike some big organizations, where everything tends to dissolve over time, and everyone seems to forget about past or some other not necessary customer-friendly intentions.

Yes. I don't trust big organizations. The bigger you are, the more ways you have to mitigate any accusations trowed at you.

That's not true at all, there are many cases where popular youtubers do some scumbag things but these people tend to have ignorant fans that eat up everything they say anyway. In fact, I'd wager it's easier to get away with being disloyal to your fanbase as a youtuber making videos than it is as a company simply because you probably won't or can't get sued for lying to the people who watch your videos, whereas if a company gets caught lying, they need to spend a lot of money on lawyers to fight off potential lawsuits.

I remember there were a lot of big video creators within the CoD community that were making near 6 figure salaries by making bullshit videos. There was one guy who even got away with basically stealing every single video he's ever uploaded from other youtubers.

TB might be fine, but there's literally nothing stopping him from lying his ass off.

As for the topic at hand, I'd say it's pretty much impossible for there to be a high quality "product check" for the PC market, there are simply too many variables that can't be controlled. If a game looks, runs, and plays smoothly on one person's machine, there's no guarantee it will work just as nicely on another person's machine, even if the game is made by a serious developer with lots of experience. There are also a lot of things that can't really be measured that can ruin a game as well, such as the amount of cheaters within the online community of the game. Considering everybody seems to be moving towards "games as a service" I'm not really sure if this will be an issue in the near future, but it does suck when you buy a $60, especially from a "trusted" developer, that doesn't work like it should.

Justin Meisse

NegevPro wrote: »

f a game looks, runs, and plays smoothly on one person's machine, there's no guarantee it will work just as nicely on another person's machine, even if the game is made by a serious developer with lots of experience.

The minimum system requirements are supposed to take care of that. A rating that says "this game has FOV settings" and the like is performance agnostic.

Anchang-Style

The features that PC Gamers want or sometimes need...and then there is Square Enix who ignore everything for FF XIII and give you one visual option "fullscreen or windowed", nothing else no res, no details or anything. Maybe this open letter should have been translated to japanese

Goeddy

Anchang-Style wrote: »

The features that PC Gamers want or sometimes need...and then there is Square Enix who ignore everything for FF XIII and give you one visual option "fullscreen or windowed", nothing else no res, no details or anything. Maybe this open letter should have been translated to japanese

pfff japanese, they proly dont even know they are working on pc´s

iniside

NegevPro wrote: »

That's not true at all, there are many cases where popular youtubers do some scumbag things but these people tend to have ignorant fans that eat up everything they say anyway. In fact, I'd wager it's easier to get away with being disloyal to your fanbase as a youtuber making videos than it is as a company simply because you probably won't or can't get sued for lying to the people who watch your videos, whereas if a company gets caught lying, they need to spend a lot of money on lawyers to fight off potential lawsuits.

I remember there were a lot of big video creators within the CoD community that were making near 6 figure salaries by making bullshit videos. There was one guy who even got away with basically stealing every single video he's ever uploaded from other youtubers.

TB might be fine, but there's literally nothing stopping him from lying his ass off.

As for the topic at hand, I'd say it's pretty much impossible for there to be a high quality "product check" for the PC market, there are simply too many variables that can't be controlled. If a game looks, runs, and plays smoothly on one person's machine, there's no guarantee it will work just as nicely on another person's machine, even if the game is made by a serious developer with lots of experience. There are also a lot of things that can't really be measured that can ruin a game as well, such as the amount of cheaters within the online community of the game. Considering everybody seems to be moving towards "games as a service" I'm not really sure if this will be an issue in the near future, but it does suck when you buy a $60, especially from a "trusted" developer, that doesn't work like it should.

Actually there are laws, which force you, to disclose any sponsored deal you might have.

Chimp

ZacD wrote: »

I've always thought it would be good if there was a group that gave good PC ports a seal of approval. Bronze if it has the basics, gold if they do a great job and supports everything you'd want. Platinum if it does all of the above and supports modding or extra PC exclusive features.

Yes, that group are called reviewers. No need at all to elevate them to seals and all that, just write reviews and give them scores.

RexM

The issue is that even youtube reviewers are beginning to be offered money from publishers if they positively promote a game.

iniside wrote: »

Actually there are laws, which force you, to disclose any sponsored deal you might have.

Which country?

iniside

RexM wrote: »

The issue is that even youtube reviewers are beginning to be offered money from publishers if they positively promote a game.

Which country?

In US for example. In UK as well afair.

Justin Meisse

Site the law because AFAIK there are no laws enforcing ethics that I can find, it's a just a method of self policing, or really just upholding a tradition of journalistic integrity. Much like there is no law specifically enforcing the Hippocratic Oath for medical professionals.

ZacD

There was some USA federal group that did release guidelines for bloggers and YouTubers to follow when it came to free games and brand deals, but as far as I know, there isn't actually laws about it.

iniside

http://itlaw.wikia.com/wiki/Section_5_of_the_FTC_Act

Thus, an advertisement is deceptive if it includes material information that is false or that is likely to mislead a consumer acting reasonably under the circumstances. Likewise, an advertisement is deceptive if it omits material information, and that omission is likely to mislead a consumer acting reasonably under the circumstances.[7] Requiring accurate disclosure of material terms allows consumers to compare similar services offered by one or multiple providers and weigh the different terms being offered in making decisions about what services to purchase.

Sponsored deal, which in the essence advertisement, which might not contain true presentation of product, is under regulation. I think most countries have such regulations.

Goeddy

iniside wrote: »

http://itlaw.wikia.com/wiki/Section_5_of_the_FTC_Act


Sponsored deal, which in the essence advertisement, which might not contain true presentation of product, is under regulation. I think most countries have such regulations.

yeah but who gives a fuck about youtubers.
if you want to sue a youtuber with this, the best you are getting out of your attourney or a judge is a smug laugh.

Torch

This is more a selling point than actual development, but I think it would be great if we could see an end to overpriced 'Season passes'. My main gripe here is with Shadow of Mordor, beautiful game, but £20 for a couple of extra missions and 'challenge mode'? Right, so for that including the PS4 edition of SoM I would have to pay £70.... seriously?

I think I read with Evil Within (which I also ordered) that when you buy the season pass you get a couple of extra missions which I imagine will cost around the same amount as the SoM one. It would be nice if we could just pay for a game and get all of it, rather than just 'bits'. I dunno, maybe I'm blowing this out of proportion considering some DLC isn't integral to the actual storyline and is exactly that - an add-on!