Exclusive PC games

Is it just me or European developers are the only ones left creating what we’ve come to know as “hardcore” pc games that are exclusive to the platform? Over the past few days I’ve become aware that some of the most acclaimed pc games of the last few years are mostly coming from there. Let’s take a few examples:

• Crysis - Crytek - Germany
• The Wither - CD Projekt – Poland
• S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - GSC Game World – Ukraine
• Total War Series - The Creative Assembly – United Kingdom
• Europa Universalis and many other strategy games - Paradox Interactive - Sweden

The indie games are coming from everywhere, but some of the most memorable are also from outside North America.

• Zeno Clash - Ace Team – Chile
• Trine - Frozenbyte - Finland

And let’s not forget that Relic is a Canadian Developer. So what companies are creating big budget, exclusive, PC games in the US?

• Blizzard
• Valve - not exclusive anymore
• Popcap – yes as crazy as that sounds

The indie developers

• Torchlight - Runic
• Machinarium - Amanita Design
• Defense Grid – Hidden Path Entertainment
• And many others.

So based on these examples what can we conclude? Well, for me it is clear that the most interesting AND ambitious pc games are being made outside the US. I just hope that all the above companies are successful in their respective local markets, and that they continue making their games available worldwide through Steam.

[Koraboros]

What can I say, US devs are constantly being swallowed by Activision, EA and other big-name companies.

Europe does not have strong affiliations with those companies like countries in other parts of the world does.

[minerva79]

Germany has been consistently churning up adventure games pretty much where LucasArts left off.

Russia is up and coming with game development actually. Disciples 3: Renaissance is developed by them.

[Aura891]

I don't believe Blizzard should be on that list anymore....last i heard SC2 or Diablo 3 was going to consoles

I could be completely wrong though as all i remember is an article that suggested it and people were in an uproar about it, but the wiki sites for both say Windows and Mac, so who knows, we'll see when they get released

[CalmWind23]

It seems that most richest country goes for consoles and semi rich/poor goes for PC.

Overall Europe and Russia are the only one who could save PC Gaming.

[CalmWind23]

I doubt Starcraft 2 will be for console but there is chance that Diablo 3 would be for consoles.

[Nickq2007]

Valve is not exclusive, however they still focus very much on their PC releases.

Also, Tripwire Interactive is awesome.

[kaheiyeh]

You forgot Bohemia Interactive, the creators of the ARMA series.

[freibooter]

Trine was released on the PS3 as well as the PC. An Xbox 360 version was planned but eventually canned.
Zeno Clash is currently in development for the Xbox 360 as an Ultimate Edition that will feature possibly exclusive features like multiplayer, which may or may not be back-ported to the PC release.

I'm not sure if these two indie titles really help you make your point.

Generally speaking consoles are more prominent and important in the North American market than in most of the rest of the world (excluding Japan which follows its own rules entirely). Considering that taste in games also differs quite notably along with this it isn't surprising that the PC as a gaming platform is getting a bit more focus from developers with their roots outside of North America.

[Cedge]

Defense Grid is on 360, as well, if we're going to get specific.

Generally speaking consoles are more prominent and important in the North American market than in most of the rest of the world

What's your thinking behind this statement, might I ask? If you go by the number of systems sold versus the total population, the PS3 is 50% more popular in the UK than it is in the US, for instance (1 in 20 owns a PS3 in the UK, while just 1 in 30 owns one in the US). A similar statistic about the 360 is true, as well.

[mriguy]

Please add these indies...

Natural Selection 2 - Unknown Worlds - North America
Overgrowth - Wolfire Games - North America
Mount & Blade: Warband - Taleworlds - Europe

The problem occurs when past PC exclusives get 'consolized'. The usually become a shadow of their former selves. It hurts me to see a title de-evolve. Also many large publishers are starting to lock out the modding community with the hopes of DLC revenue. This is one reason I strongly support the smaller indie developer.

Self publishing is the key. The developer no longer has to limit their art due to some publisher's bean counters.

I have been a gamer since Zork and the original Star Trek (text-based)and I am getting so tired of bad console ports lately.

[Snixtor]

I think this is a much more constructive way to look at the state of play on PC gaming. I see too many threads complaining about developers that have switched to a console focus, or a franchise that has switched to preferential treatment for console versions. Look elsewhere and there's still some great PC exclusives or PC-focused titles.

[FK120]

Gaming itself is on a spiral downward.

The mass popularization of consoles with online connectivity is killing gaming. Gaming is no longer a source of entertainment, it's a business of who can churn out the next big hit and then capitalize on that by creating a sustained source of revenue via "DLC", a term in itself which is stupid, contrite, and the summation of what is currently wrong with gaming.

I must be the only person to forsee another gaming crash unless the market corrects itself. There is an oversaturation of games, everything is crap by old standards, games are watered down, everything is a port, developers have become complacent and lazy, and furthermore the consumers are becoming more and more idiotic in their comments, opinions and play styles.

Thankfully once something like that happens, consoles will be the only thing influenced by such a huge market correction. The PC gets so few releases and mainly those from indie developers that platforms like steam and d2d will be able to sustain themselves. The difference from the PC and console market is night and day thanks to digital distribution.

/rant

[Cedge]

Originally Posted by mriguy

Self publishing is the key. The developer no longer has to limit their art due to some publisher's bean counters.

Self-publishing is a trade-off, really and doesn't necessarily always completely free a developer from "limit[img] their art."

People seem to often forget that publishers don't just boss developers around and then put games in boxes and ship them to stores (and techincally, publishers don't always do this, either; distributors do, and that's a whole different operation). Publishers usually front most, or all, of the development budgets for the games they publish. Without a publisher, developers have to fund themselves, with some other sort of investment (unless they somehow can develop on a budget of zero).

Sometimes, this can come from some sort of investment group or lender. Sometimes, you get cases like Overgrowth, where the developer has found a way to get the community to fund the game while it's still in development. This sort of investment usually can't compare the the budgets a publisher could provide, so, the trade-off comes in that the developer is then limited by the perils of self-funding, which usually results in low budgets and limited resources.

I think indie games and self-publishing are great, depending on the game, but I just wanted to point out that it really isn't necessarily the solution for all developers, and all games.

Originally Posted by FK120

Gaming itself is on a spiral downward.

Gee, I totally haven't been hearing that for the past 15 years.

Gaming is no longer a source of entertainment,

Yes it is.

it's a business of who can churn out the next big hit

Yeah, game developers used to be charities who were eager to starve for their art. Games have only become "business" in the last few years. Riiiiight.

and then capitalize on that by creating a sustained source of revenue via "DLC", a term in itself which is stupid, contrite, and the summation of what is currently wrong with gaming.

PC games invented the expansion pack, which is all that DLC is, just in smaller form. You had to pay extra to get speech in Wing Commander II back in 1991, for crying out loud. Are you seriously going to act like paying for extra content in games is a new thing?

I must be the only person to forsee another gaming crash unless the market corrects itself.

Mind if I borrow that crystal ball of yours? There are some horse races I'd like to bet on.

...and furthermore the consumers are becoming more and more idiotic in their comments, opinions and play styles.

Except for you. You're the gaming messiah and we should all follow you. Is that it?

Thankfully once something like that happens, consoles will be the only thing influenced by such a huge market correction. The PC gets so few releases and mainly those from indie developers that platforms like steam and d2d will be able to sustain themselves. The difference from the PC and console market is night and day thanks to digital distribution.

This paragraph makes absolutely no sense.

[Snixtor]

Originally Posted by FK120

I must be the only person to forsee another gaming crash unless the market corrects itself. There is an oversaturation of games, everything is crap by old standards, games are watered down, everything is a port, developers have become complacent and lazy, and furthermore the consumers are becoming more and more idiotic in their comments, opinions and play styles.

I don't know what games you've been playing, but for me they've just been getting better and better since I started playing... late 80's?