If you’re a hardcore PC gamer then you are used to hearing excuses as to why certain games only appear on consoles. Usually, these reasons take the form of “limited funding”, “not enough time”, or the ever-popular “PC games don’t sell like the console counterparts.” All valid excuses. So when Remedy, the creators behind the flashlight simulator Alan Wake, made it clear their game wouldn’t be coming to PC rigs, their excuse struck me as downright bizarre:
“Some games are more suited for the intimacy of the PC, and others are best played from the couch in front of a larger TV screen,” states Microsoft. “We ultimately realized that the most compelling way to experience Alan Wake was on the Xbox 360 platform, so we focused on making it an Xbox 360 exclusive. Both Microsoft and Remedy have long histories in PC game development. This decision was about matching this specific game to the right platform.”
Errr, what? All this time, I’ve been playing my Xbox 360 wrong. I have it hooked up to HDMI inputs on my widescreen PC monitor, flipping back and forth as the need arises. I had no idea I was draining the “intimacy” out of games by not playing in my living room.
Remedy’s reasoning lacks any semblance of logic. It just comes across as an utterly strange thing to say. Honesty would have worked just fine here, something like “Piracy is an issue on the PC.”
Probably doesn’t matter anyway. My gut instinct tells me Alan Wake will debut to a chorus of yawns. Has that certain stink that precedes a lackluster debut.
The Tokyo Game Show is right around the corner and Microsoft has announced what they will be showing, both in terms of playable games and game videos. Here’s the list:
Microsoft has wrapped up their E3 press briefing, wherein suit wearing dweebs read from a TelePrompTer and try their best to act hip but usually come off as uncomfortably pathetic. For those of you with short attention spans, I present an unvarnished look at the big announcements with suitably snarky commentary.
The Beatles: Rock Band is introduced. It’s like Rock Band, but with Beatles music. The graphics are like Rock Band, but with a Beatles aesthetic. It will make a lot of money, but Beatles kinda money.
Watching Harmonix programmers play fake instruments is still ridiculous.
Yoko Ono is brought to the stage to wave at the crowd for no particular reason. Considering she broke up the Beatles, this is an odd gesture. It would have made more sense to have her immolated right there on stage.
Paul McCartney and Ringo Star arrive on stage to much fanfare. Neither seems to know where they are and what they are doing there. They mumble nonsense and leave the stage to much acclaim, because you see, when you’re from a legendary rock group you really don’t need to try any more.
Tony Hawk introduces Tony Hawk: Ride, which looks like all the other Tony Hawk games, but this time with a plastic board that has built in sensors and crap. Strangely, Tony never gets on the board for a live demonstration, though we are treated to a video demonstration that fails to seal the deal.
Cliffy B and his partner in crime take the stage and talk up Shadow Complex, some platform shooter that doesn’t look very inspiring, unless you thought the original Turrican was inspiring. Fortunately, microphone trouble makes hearing half of the explanation impossible, which is just as well. read more…
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