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Atomic MPC > News > Game > PC Games > Kinect's creator: "Hardly anyone plays FPS on PC"

PC Games

Kinect's creator: "Hardly anyone plays FPS on PC"

More evidence of Microsoft's disconnect from PC gaming, this time from the mouth of Kinect creator Kudo Tsunoda.

"Halo did an awesome job of building a first-person shooter exclusively for the console, and now hardly anyone plays first person shooters on the PC anymore. It's all about the console."

This is what Kinect creator Kudo Tsunoda said to Game Informer in an extensive interview on Microsoft's new motion controller and the state of gaming in general. Unsurprisingly, it's already drawn a mess of angry responses - and supporting commentary. Kotaku reported it over night, and managed to draw well over 2,000 comments in no time flat.

However, in light of Microsoft's local comments regarding their view on gamers, is it a sign of a further disconnect, or just some clever marketing directive that's about the idea that any PR is good PR? It's almost impossible to guess.

Regardless, it's obviously a complicated statement. Even the most hardened PC enthusiast (*waves*) knows that the big games sell more units on console. The Call of Duty franchise, once at home on PC, is a perfect case in point. But for all that Modern Warfare 2 sold way more on console, there are also exceptions. Battlefield Bad Company 2 actually did better on PC; it's our current FPS of choice, too, and there are always many packed servers to choose from.

And that's just in the Oceanic region. A simple look at just one ISP also shows significant numbers of people playing on PC. On the recent Friday night peak on Internode's games.on.net service had just shy of 3,000 people online, the majority playing FPS games like Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2 and even the venerable Counter Strike.

All we can say is that it certainly doesn't feel "all about the console" from where we're sitting.

What do you guys think?

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50 Comments

sirtrancealot Sep 22, 2010 10:44 AM	FPS on consoles blow.. plain and simple.. i'd say the reason most play on consoles is because people generally go either a hectic PC, or a console. not both.
kikz Sep 22, 2010 10:50 AM	Who cares. this article has an image containing a cute girl wearing a bikini top.
Hawkeye Sep 22, 2010 10:57 AM	I know my audience, sadly... :P
ArcaneMagik Sep 22, 2010 11:03 AM	They are justifying to themselves why they market for console more and more. Really it's just they make more money from console games than for PC games due to piracy concerns. Thank God for Valve and Steam.
Metasynaptic Sep 22, 2010 11:09 AM	Unless Value pumps out the next Modern Warfare clone, Steam won't save us. What we need is a AAA FPS title that for some reason, pirates want to see succeed enough to not pirate it.
UberPenguin Sep 22, 2010 11:32 AM	FPS on a console is almost unplayable (mind you I just hate playing on consoles) - I do know someone that can't stand playing anything without a controller. Still I think these recent kinect statements are appalling. I cant see where they do their market research or why they think that building a game exclusively for any given platform wouldn't then make it sell more on that platform - thats like saying "I built a cat and no dog lovers are buying it".
Hawkeye Sep 22, 2010 11:36 AM	Currently most of my friends play FPS on consoles, even a couple of PC veterans. But I've no issue with that - play on the platform you feel comfortable with. But this whole competitive thing that MS seems to be embracing just baffles me. I mean... my mates and I don't argue over platform, so I don't get why MS needs to make it some kind of contest.
majestic975 Sep 22, 2010 11:37 AM	I agree with sirtrancealot, FPS on consoles do blow, big time. You simply cant use the controller as you do with a mouse, nice and fast movement and a keyboard for other things you need to do fast, FPS on a PC is way way better, control options is one of them. I have a PS3 and a PC and any strategy or FPS game, I play on PC, much better experience in my opinion. The social/family type of games we play on the PS3 in the lounge room. By the looks of things, the Kinect will need good lighting all around so the sensor and camera can see where you are. I wonder how many people will complain about the Kinect within the first week of getting it? Microsoft wont care, they made the sale. All the demos they did of it were in bright lit areas. You never see them doing it in the average lounge room late at night. Should be interesting how it turns out for them, but they're forgetting that most of their income still comes from PC users around the world.
Opy Sep 22, 2010 11:40 AM	A console is that piece between the front seats of the car where the tissue box lives. What's a console got to do with gaming?
sirtrancealot Sep 22, 2010 11:42 AM	The main difference with PC FPS's is mods and controls IMO. just look at HL2/Source and the plethora of mods and other goodies.. has any console game ever achieved this? correct me if i'm wrong but seems to me like game developers just don't like people messing with their games and would rather have a closed system.. it's all very apple like.
UberPenguin Sep 22, 2010 11:49 AM	Yeah I have to agree with Hawkeye - despite the fact that I just cant get into gaming on a console I don't think that MS needs to try to alienate any one sector of the market. Unless they figure that anyone interested in kinect is likely to believe this kind of stuff and may help re-affirm their purchase or encourage a potential buyer that they've made the right choice to go xbox/kinect ("cause that's what everyone who's cool buys")
sirtrancealot Sep 22, 2010 11:55 AM	2 simple fixes.. add wireless kb/mouse support to consoles for gaming and make the servers the same for consoles and PC. so no matter what your preference you can still play with your friends in a way thats comfortable for you. Surely that can't be too hard!
somemadcaaant Sep 22, 2010 12:47 PM	sirtrancealot: If they brought proper keyboard and mice support to any console they would have an uproar in their respective communities. Simple case in point is that they would have a huge and I mean huge advantage over a joypad player. They won’t ever upset the apple cart by doing this, they would lose sales, users and respect blah blah. It’s just a horrendously stupid comment by a hardware dev on the Microsoft payroll, they are just trying the age old technique of propaganda, they know that people are growing more and more afraid of PC tech and all the issues it can represent so they’re simply using it to their advantage. Now for the rest of us normal smarter types, we know the difference between PC and console gaming and if the same game comes out for both, we know which one will be a better experience (that’s PC for you misguided types) and will intern buy that
Jeruselem Sep 22, 2010 2:32 PM	I'm one of those people totally inept at using those console joypads/pads/etc. Consoles appeal to certain types of people for gaming but not me.
jdog Sep 22, 2010 2:40 PM	didnt mircosoft say there all for pc gaming?
Gharphield Sep 22, 2010 3:39 PM	Well people talk about Pirates wrecking PC gaming (at least that's the excuse). But doesn't SC2 buck this trend? And aren't XBOX360s easily modded so that people can download games? Yeah ... The biggest turning point for me was that a PC FPS / RTS still rocks except that MOST developers are building these for consoles then doing lousy ports to PC, where we have bugs / glitches and shitty menu systems AIMED at a controller. Or they release it on a console then wait 6 - 12 months and then release it on the PC (but same rules apply). Consoles are wonderful, but until they simply bring out KB/Mouse support, it's just not going to be anywhere near as good experience.
xtort Sep 22, 2010 4:03 PM	I dont personaly dont like playing FPS on consoles because of the controlers but some of my friends love it (i still dont see how but eh whatever floats your boat) if i remember correctly you could hook up a keyboard and a mouse to the old sega dreamcast
Alien Intercourse Sep 22, 2010 4:17 PM	if they would just release a mouse and keyboard with programmable buttons and the like for a console then yes maybe consoles would be the new ultimate gaming platform. But no, they release god damn interactive gizmos that are ultimately limited in scope (wii for enthusiast gamers anyone?). a pc gives precision and customization unlike anything a console could hope for however games on consoles just work out of the box all the time patches are available for whatever minimal problems arise. so it's kind of like a surgeon vs a cook both are good at cutting stuff but one takes a lot more work to get there.
po1s3n Sep 22, 2010 4:52 PM	You can't say one is completely better then the other its fully a personal choice over which one is preferred, i know i still prefer to play games on my xbox, but the big selling point for why games sell better on consoles is the system requirements, are always going to stay the same. The first xbox 360 was released in 2005, now if anyone here can tell me they haven't bought something to help them run games on their computer within the last 5 years i will be awfully surprised. Sure to most of atomic's readers that will be irrelevant, myself included but a game doesn't NEED to look better like they do on PC to BE better the new fallout case in point, as highlighted in the latest issue the graphics are looking surprisingly dated for a new game, but that doesn't stop it from being an obvious game of the year contender. In the end i see it making more sense spending $400 on a new console that will last me years without upgrades ( a $60.00 xbox live payment is hardly a valid argument compared to the amount some people fork out on their computers) I love computers and upgrading them just for the sake of knowing how something works. However for just sheer ease of use and efficiency, consoles have and always will out do PC gaming.
oscarcharliezulu Sep 22, 2010 8:00 PM	He's (a) obviously a tool (b) trying to sow seeds of doom ( agree the propaganda comment). However, if the girl is a Kinect peripheral, I'm converting over. Consoles have a place, just like the train has a place if my car is getting serviced but like a train you can't make it go where and when you want. I was going to upgrade my console but now I'm worried it's just a funnel for my cash into their wallets.
jetbuster Sep 22, 2010 8:34 PM	I hate consoles cannot get an accurate shot off with my thumbs must use wrist, screw paying for Xbox live and screw paying for it and then getting banned for using mouse and keyboard adapters. PS3 network? get real don't even need to touch on that one less players than CS:ZC
xBomx Sep 22, 2010 9:15 PM	hate to break the news for u PC fanatics, but the PS3 title Kill Zone 2 is pretty damn good, not bad on-line too,Kill Zone 3 will be a hell of allot better! u guys dont know what your missing out on,....umm...ok a mouse and keyboard i guess but hey its a PS3!!! p.s i love my PC rig: EVGA X58 Classified M/B i7 920 @ 4ghz 6ghz of Corsair GTX Dominator 2x Asus 5870 @ Cross Fire 1t Seagate HDD Amacrox 1000w P/S Antec 1200 Enclosure and fuck all games for it, but hey thats enthusiasm for ya!
alexdtree Sep 22, 2010 10:28 PM	i dont see what the huge difference is i have all major consoles (i prefer xbox) and lets face it a console is just a computer that doesnt do as much and only lets you play with a controller. the real distinction is controller vs keyboard and IMHO some guys play better on one, like battlefield, is absolutely shit house on console but so amazing on PC, only the flipside splinter cell is so much more appealing to play with the controller just my thoughts
uthrax Sep 23, 2010 3:28 AM	Piracy has nothing to do with it. consoles are favored by game makers as it takes less work and less money to make the games due to standardized hardware and developer kits. also keyboard/mouse would be good on a console but then you have older hardware limiting how much development new games can have.
Periander Sep 23, 2010 6:42 AM	What's Halo?
gun_sl1nger Sep 23, 2010 7:59 AM	The girl is not that hot, you guys need to get out more. po1s3n: PC Donated to Friends:7900GT and Dual Core AMD Opteron + 2 GB of RAM, currently playing Company of Heroes, Oblivion, Dark Messiah, HL2 EP1 + others with no issues at 1920x1200. That's a 5 year old PC playing graphically intense games at a higher res than 1080p.So the 'no need to upgarde argument' doesn't cut it myfriend. Plus, it doesn't just play games. It is a word processor, a photo storage device an internet communications device, a telephone (via skype), an entertainment system (it's hooked up to the speaker in the family room). It also supports both an xbox360 controller and a keyboard and mouse. Also: Lets not forget what drives your consoles technology forward.
Gharphield Sep 23, 2010 8:54 AM	xBomx: I hate to break it to you but I have every console at home, and a tonne from the past. As well as a PC. FPS / RTS on consoles is crap due to the controller issues. They're good FPS's and no one is denying that, but the fact that we're using controllers to look around, etc is balls.
Negotiator Sep 23, 2010 9:08 AM	I spent a good amount of cash on an entire new build after the 7 year old pc didnt cut it anymore with games, so I had to upgrade which I had no problem doing. The only reason I bought a PS2 was for GranTurismo, thats it and the only reason I'm buying a PS3 is for the new GranTurismo as I find its the best driving sim I have ever come across plus it has all my favorite cars in it. All other games are just add ons for fun
taichi Sep 23, 2010 9:25 AM	This guy is out of touch with everything except his own body.
t1k Sep 23, 2010 10:48 AM	This article just tells the truth, plain and simple.
somemadcaaant Sep 23, 2010 12:00 PM	More propaganda infected console drones... "t1k". Quick the smelling salts lol.
t1k Sep 23, 2010 12:23 PM	I've been gaming for over 30 years pal, and I don't care what you say, I speak the truth. Seen the shelves in EB recently ? Played COD4, MW2 recently etc ? T1k
Electr0 Sep 23, 2010 4:19 PM	This guy [Tsunoda] has no idea. Someone stab him in the face with a soldering iron.
somemadcaaant Sep 23, 2010 4:40 PM	T1k: Yeah and your point being? I think I rest my case at any rate 8)
wraith676 Sep 23, 2010 5:47 PM	What i believe is we are about to enter into the Second Golden age of gaming. What i mean by this is all of the major production houses are paying for mass fabricated cookie cutter games, for the largest possible demographic. We also have the powerhouse development houses working on very big selling sequels to games that make a lot of money. However there is very little new content in terms of gameplay mechanics. Yea sure there is always a new story to tell but its being told fundamentally the same way. What i think we will see in the next 1-3 years is a very big surge in modded/small indy developed games, catering for niche markets. Games like, for instance Dwarf fortress, or minequest. Generally sandbox games that let the players make a world for themselves and their friends. Let them tell the story and participate in making the game fun. Interactivity in gaming is going to change as we start to see new concepts and ideas starting to mature from the same mindset of people who developed Daggerfall, Warcraft, and Dune. Sure "Most" people play fps games on console, thats because consoles are practically in every home. However the really juicy gaming is going to come home to the pc via small indy developers, and i for one am going to do my darnedest to support every good unique and fun game, like Minecraft with a small payment. Because we all want to see more of this good content, leave the mass produced carp(wont name names:P) to the mass produced masses. They would never understand a good game if it bit them on their proverbial's.
xBomx Sep 23, 2010 7:06 PM	Dear Gharphield, I probably have way alot more then you dude, starting from my collection of classics, Sega SC 3000, Atari 2600, Nintendo famicom and onwards to every little console's, handheld's and PC's u can think off, i even have every single Game 'n' Watch handheld by Nintendo. Yea enough of whos got the biggest PENIS in the gaming arena (me of course and i do have a big PENIS), in the end its about adaptation and co-ordination. p.s and no its not ROM base, its actual hardware and software of actual systems owned, but then otherwise i would have all the arcade collection as well, but thats cheating.
Ranson Sep 24, 2010 12:29 PM	I have PC, Xbox350 and PS3 - But I don't mind playing on all three types. I do prefer the Xbox 360 controller then the PS3 controller but that is the weight and shape. I can use all three systems.
GeekyTalon Sep 24, 2010 3:25 PM	Ohhh that guy who said those sinful words wont know whats coming to him . hehe
magstheblue Sep 24, 2010 5:08 PM	there will always be Consoles and PC Games. Consoles are for your TV and infront of every TV is a Couch. for anything none serious and laid back you kick your feet up on the coffee table and play console games. soon as something get serious like pvp wow or sc2, you cant even considder having a keyboard on your lap now. no, your gonna be sitting at your desk in a chair where with a nice firm surface. most people are not going to rearrange their house to play serious games on consoles. as other people stated consoles are for casual gaming and watching movies, usually when servers are down or you dont wanna sit in your chair anymore.
Suxsuxsux Sep 25, 2010 7:59 PM	Quote:"The Call of Duty franchise, once at home on PC, is a perfect case in point. But for all that Modern Warfare 2 sold way more on console". That's because perhaps that game have no idea of what PC players expect from MP server support or they didn't care. Most discerning PC players ignored it with the contempt it deserved. Will be interesting if PC sales pick up with Black Ops. Quote:"On the recent Friday night peak on Internode's games.on.net service had just shy of 3,000 people online, the majority playing FPS games like Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress 2 and even the venerable Counter Strike". All games by Valve who still care and support what PC player want and probably doing quite nicely from it.
xBomx Sep 26, 2010 9:03 AM	one can argue that PC user's made COD4 what they are, until they realize that they could have made more $ on consoles by charging them for downloadable content and so they got a little greedy wanted more and shove it up our alley with COD-MW2. and now activision realize they've fucked up on the pie chart/graph of PC shares, and think that they can get us back for their profit gain? i honestly think that it is wrong from the beginning and refuse to even consider its purchase/support and for those who support them would love the abused and are coming back for more.
xBomx Sep 26, 2010 9:08 AM	/\ oops wrong thread
Suxsuxsux Sep 26, 2010 2:13 PM	PC gaming will not die off from lack of interest from gamers, it will be developers like Activistion that will kill it off if other developers follow their MW2 practices. I read somewhere that the average gamer is about 31 and has played for 10 years,that being so then they know what they can expect from a PC shooter. You buy the game,play its multiplayer, then try its mods ,look for /make new maps and share them with friends, host games at the LAN, be able to change mouse sensitivity etc on the fly from the concole, get patches that come with free map packs. Some developers are trying to dumb down that experience to console level and stitch the game up so you have to pay for every new morsel they care to offer you. I am one of those gamers that has been playing since Quake1,Unreal and Half Life1, I have seen game changing mods like Counter Strike arrive, I've had hours of fun making Unreal maps and sharing them to a world community of gamers, I've visited the fan websites for the game and learned it inside out. A game like that is no longer a throw away purchase it is a hobby in itself and that should be encouraged by developers who want a loyal fan base. I will continue to shun games like MW2 and embrace developers who are equally enthusiastic about the PC community. If new PC games die either though nothing being released, or its all a console based experience on PC, then I am sure a retro base PC community of multiplayer games will spring up to take its place. My fondest gaming memories are from early FPS games on line. Hands up if you can run around Quake2, The Edge map in your head and remember some awesome gaming moments from it.
xBomx Sep 26, 2010 4:44 PM	a little off topic, lets leave FPS on the side for a moment. Has any one ever wondered what happened to F1 games (about time for F1 2010 to arrive) and games like dog fight flight sim, the last decent one was F22 lightning 3 which was almost 12 years ago. the point is where is all the bloody innovation for PC's simulators? its all gone to FPS by the seem of it. i ask my self, what the fuck had happened?, what on earth had gone wrong? so many FPS yet few decent ones, we need more then just fucken FPS!!! For fuck sake we need more simulators especially classics like F22 Lightning 3 and more varieties of other mechanical sims. Im seroiusly sick of palying Ace Combat titles on xbox 360's and PSP, even Tom Clancy Hawk does not cut it for me, its all too arcade style play. sometimes i wish the current direct x API were backward engineered for older games or the least for that particular title to operate on an updated direct x features.
Suxsuxsux Sep 26, 2010 6:50 PM	PC sims have it seems moved from a staple of car racing and fast jets to Trains and there is a demo out now for one on ships. Go figure, must be a market for them though. There has be a lot of joy sticks and steering wheels out there in moth balls. Last sim I bought was F22 Air dominance fighter by DID (1997). Games like that require a high degree of commitment to learning them and a great deal of research by the developer to do properly. I think that gamers have moved on to other things and developers were not getting the returns on all the work that went into the game. I still have the 190 page book they boxed with the game giving a detailed description of all the modern era jet fighters and support craft. You don't get that any more in the age of downloaded retail games.
xBomx Sep 26, 2010 11:45 PM	its not that complex really to fly a jet plain, allot more complicated to fly classic plains though, and the physics for air motion is actually not as complicated as driving physics especially rally driving.
xBomx Sep 27, 2010 12:11 AM	oh and one last thing, the only rational reason i can speculate on that matter, the reason could be in the interest of national defense agency to prevent information on air tactical and technology involved in air crafts and air defense. Also on allot of the missions found in F22 Raptor and Lightning series's, they were based on actual combat/events. Mostly it is to keep air craft technology classified because the craft systems are updated regular with new technologies and functions, it would be foolish to expose such a weapon to a foe. Hence in that regards, it is a possibility for national defense interest to conceal such information.
t1k Sep 27, 2010 7:26 AM	Suxsuxsux, great post mate. My FPS gaming runs back to Wolf 3D, Doom, Quake etc and they were indeed golden times. I'm finding that the once stripped down/dumbed down/shallow console attitudes by developers are now starting to shift ... Many console games now have a surprising amount of depth, cases in point, Battlefield 2: BC, Splinter Cell Conviction. It's starting to shift I think. 1000
jdog Sep 27, 2010 2:17 PM	a new Dx11,up to date version of Mircosoft Flight Simulator will make me a happy Chappy!! this may happen...i can only dream...
Suxsuxsux Sep 27, 2010 8:12 PM	Thanks t1k. Back to Wolf 3D, that's a long gaming history there. I remember my first accelerated graphics card was a Orchid Technology Righteous 3D from 1996 and required jumper leads to a standard 2d/2d card. Also rail gunning with a 250- 500 ping on dialup. You tell that to the young people of today and they won't believe you. Ah happy days. Any way that's this topic about again.......ah yes PC multiplayer dieing off. Well I go to all the yearly Adelaide Reloaded LAN's and the attendance figure go like this: 2006 160 attendance 2007 500 attendance 2008 650 attendance 2009 750 attendance 2010 990 attendance Notice a pattern emerging there Mr Kudo Tsunoda or should I say Mr Don't know S***.

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Issue: 137 | June, 2012

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