Publishers, when they even make a PC version of their game, don’t treat it as well as they do the console versions. Development of the PC version of multi-platform games is often outsourced to a third party, and the quality of the product suffers as a result. But it isn’t always a problem of outsourcing; sometimes developers are simply told to focus their foremost efforts on the console versions. Marketing of the PC version also takes a hit; it is not uncommon for the PC version of a game to be released weeks to months after the console versions. Rarely will the PC version even be mentioned in magazine and comic book ads, much less television adverts; it will just be tossed out and left up to word of mouth and the virtually non-existent retail spaces to sell it to people.

Microsoft doesn’t help matters, either. You wouldn’t know it by watching their E3 press conferences, but they’re the same company that makes Windows, the largest PC game platform there is. Why don’t they let people know? Splinter Cell: Conviction made a splash this year at E3 2009, but on the big stage it was touted as an “Xbox 360 exclusive” to the press and to retailers; it was not until after the press conference that it was learned the game would be coming to PC as well.

Another effect of publishers’ mistreatment of PC games is apparent in the way the games press covers them. Like it or not, much of what the most popular sources for game news, reviews, previews and other information chooses to cover and care about is largely driven by marketing. Members of the games press have said as much; if a game doesn’t have marketing behind it, they will not bother reviewing it, if they even know about it to begin with. As a result, games press has become increasingly console-focused. Only the most high profile PC games news is reported on, and even then, there’s rarely any editorial input as there is in posts about console games. Follow-ups are scarce. The press just does not care as much. Unless it’s an outlet that precludes console game coverage, of course, but they are few, and they are small. Being virtually unheard, they are not in a position to serve as consumer advocates as bigger sites can be.

Publishers need to be taken to task by the press for things like staggering the PC versions of their games, for not optimizing properly, not marketing them properly and for not making certain features and DLC available that are present in the console versions. Some examples of games that have had these issues in recent years include:

• Saints Row 2 – staggered release, poor optimization, no DLC.
• Grand Theft Auto IV – staggered release, poor optimization, no DLC.
• Ghostbusters – no multiplayer.
• Tomb Raider: Underworld – no DLC, needed for true ending.
• Prince of Persia – no DLC, needed for true ending.
• Mass Effect – staggered release.
• Dead Space – staggered release.
• Mirror’s Edge – staggered release.
• Assassin’s Creed – staggered release.
• Bionic Commando – staggered release.
• Red Faction: Guerilla – staggered release.
• Street Fighter IV – staggered release.
• The Last Remnant – staggered release.
• Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. – no DLC.

Granted, in certain cases, a staggered release for PC games means a more polished game with a few extra features or some extra content; this was the case with games such as Assassin’s Creed and Mass effect, but they are the exception, not the rule. And in the case of Mass Effect, I would expect that a developer create a user interface that is appropriate for the platform the game is on, though I still appreciate it. The point is that there would be a much bigger stink made about the issues surrounding the games listed above if the affected version had been the Xbox 360’s or Playstation 3’s.

I won’t purport to have all the answers to these problems, but I have an idea. Above all else: care. If you’re a gamer, whether you play PC games or not, if you care about video games at all, care about what happens to the PC platform. Care about how the games are treated, how they’re marketed, how they’re supported and how they’re covered. If you’re a publisher, care about your game and make it right, or don’t make it at all. Your poorly optimized, poorly marketed and under-supported game reflects negatively on the platform. If you’re press, care about the state of PC games. You’re opinion leaders; if you care, gamers will care. If gamers care, that will force publishers to care, and we’ll all be better off for it.

My experience in obtaining Spore inspired the message of this post. EA: I want to buy your games. Please make it easier on me.

I didn’t get Spore on release day. Since it came out on a Sunday, my pre-order from a web retailer had no chance of arriving the day-of. I also do not particularly enjoy the experience of buying games from a brick & mortar store. I abhor GameStop (a topic for another time, perhaps) and “big box” stores are a chore to endure for anything less than when you absolutely need to replace a burned out router at 6:00P.M. on a Saturday night or else you won’t get your assignments in on time. Finally, there was no way I was going anywhere near EA’s download service. I refuse to only own my game for six months unless I give them another $5 for an “Extended Download Service”. I don’t have to do that for Steam or Impulse – why would I have to with EA’s service?

The list of games that I am going to have a hard time bringing myself to purchase doesn’t stop with Spore. It isn’t that I’m holding a grudge against EA or that I hold anything against the games themselves. It’s simply a matter of convenience. In a marketplace where services like Steam and Impulse exist and are expanding their marketplaces week by week, it really doesn’t make sense that I’d have to pay extra in order to continue owning a game that I’ve already paid for. There are many EA games that are coming out before the year’s end, and I just don’t know how many boxes, manuals and jewel cases that I’m going to be able to let pile up. To give you an idea of what I am fairly confident is not my own personal dilemma, I’ll name some of the EA games that I want to buy or am going to want to buy:

• Mirror’s Edge
• Dead Space
• Mercenaries 2
• Crysis Warhead
• Battleforge
• Rage
• Burnout Paradise
• Dragon Age: Origins
• The Sims 3
• Mass Effect
• Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3

A few of the games listed above are already out, but most of them are coming out either during Q4 2008 or Q1 2009. If these were available either on Steam, Impulse, or via EA’s service without their ludicrous 6 month expiration date, I’d probably end up purchasing all of them within the first week’s release window. Throw a 10% discount for pre-orders (as is standard practice with most of Steam’s upcoming releases) and I’m yours. While we’re at it, if EA were to make available the Battlefield 2 compilation on Steam that is available at retail, I’d probably jump on it. I don’t even enjoy Battlefield 2 very much, I’m just weak for convenient bundles like that. However, EA virtually forcing me (no pun intended) to purchase a boxed retail version of these games will sadly not guarantee them sales to me until I find them on GoGamer’s 48 hour sale or Amazon New & Used section. I want cheap or convenient. Both would be wonderful, but right now I am willing to compromise.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-EA. Not anymore. John Riccitiello has been good to us gamers. But he has just a few more wrinkles in the convenience department that need to be ironed out before I can be as active a consumer of EA games as I am of Valve, Ubisoft, 2K, Capcom, Atari, THQ, Eidos, and Activision games.

UPDATE (9/13/08):

Thank you, EA and/or Crytek!

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames
In all fairness, Sokkratez was excited about this game long before I was. A recent gameplay demonstration video caught my attention, but it wasn’t until the words “coop” were uttered that I was hooked. This is a free-roaming action shooter not unlike that found in GTA or Just Cause. There just doesn’t seem like there are limits to this game. The character’s got a swiss army knife of abilities, weapons, and support. Everything in the world seems destructible. Apparently they wanted to give the player anything they’d ever think of and more. Obviously that’s not possible, but it still results in such a wide array of ways to approach the game situations that it’ll no doubt equal countless hours of fun times. Fun times, that is, with your buddies alongside for the battle. Cooperative is such a huge feature for me. Right there is enough information to get me excited, so I can’t wait to find out more and get my hands on this game when it comes out August 31st.

Quake Live
Everyone likes free, right? Last time we mentioned a free ad-supported web-integrated Battlefield game. This time you get the ultimate in deathmatch games, Quake 3, launched via your browser. So, what’s the difference between Quake 3 and Quake Live anyway? Well, I’m not really sure. Web integration is probably the biggest noteworthy difference, but this is easy access Quake 3. I’m not sure more needs to be said. Am I right, Sokk? I never really got into the game during its golden years, but I find it the most respectable of all deathmatch games in existence and I actually look forward to fragging people at blazing speeds. I’ll be able to do that this year.

Mirror’s Edge
If someone mentions “parkour” one more time in reference to this game I’m going to cry, but damn if I don’t want to play this first person courier game. Yes, you deliver messages… except you’re doing it across 30 story rooftops on foot… while being chased and shot at by cops who want to shut you down. Apparently this country’s government doesn’t respect free speech as much as others. You don’t start out with a weapon (no doubt banned), but you can pilfer them from cops you knock out with your wicked kicks. It’s said that you can go through the whole game without firing a shot, though it’s somewhat of a challenge. Oh, and did I mention the main character is a woman and the art style is unique? EA’s come a long way to fund a risky game like this. DICE has earned their due, apparently. November 11th is the date.

Project Origin
When I first heard Monolith was making another FEAR game, I thought it was a mistake. I’d have rather seen a No One Lives Forever sequel or something. I mean I liked the first one, but do I want more? Then the videos started coming. The more I see the more Monolith proves me wrong. The graphics engine actually does more than push pixels. Monolith put it to good use to create some of the most amazing and cool effects I’ve seen in a shooter, effects that actually enhance the gameplay. They seem to have improved on every aspect of FEAR so that it’s a more rich and varied experience. (time will tell) So, this game left off where the original game stopped, completely ignoring the expansions (that were not made by Monolith) to FEAR. They couldn’t use the title “FEAR” in the name, but still manage to use it in a slogan: “FEAR ALMA AGAIN”. Apparently the game’s set during that time of the month cause she’s even more freaky. Expect to wet your bed at night sometime in the fall of this year.

Natural-Selection 2
Little known fact: I’m a fanboy. Ohnoes, PK! Whatever for?! Well, once I stop talking to myself I’ll tell you. It’s for a little Half-Life mod called Natural Selection, a sci-fi FPS/RTS hybrid. You have marines. You have aliens. Both play uniquely and both hate each other, much to the benefit of gamer’s everywhere. Like any FPS game you have weapons (or pokey things, as it is with aliens) and you shoot (or bite, claw…) the other team. Like any RTS you have resources and structures to build to expand your area of control and eventually destroy the other race. Both in the same game, and done in excellent form. I have never experienced multiplayer like this since. I’m hoping its sequel will change that. Just recently they announced that they were moving from developing the sequel on the Source engine to their own proprietary engine, which is actually speeding up production. I’m still guessing that it’s going to be a 2009 game, but it’s going to be cheap… like $20 cheap. The development is mostly an open book, so check it out over yonder. You may have already seen the dynamic infestation tech video on the internets.

Beyond Good & Evil 2
BG&E has a certain charm I can’t shake. You can read more about that in my cheap games post about it. So it’s not hard to guess that when they recently announced BG&E2 with a certain trailer, I couldn’t contain my glee. The fans have been asking for it for a while now and we knew the designer was pushing to get it funded (considering the first one flopped financially… at first), but until now we didn’t know for sure it was being worked on. Right now we know practically nothing about the game other than what the teaser video hints at. So, this is probably the last game on my list to be released, no doubt somewhere in the latter half of 2009 (hopefully earlier, but it’s done when it’s done), but it’s worth including due to my enthusiasm. Hey, there’s no limit on the “future”. (maybe I should put up BG&E3 on the list for good measure.. heh) Ah yes… good one to end on.