Dark Souls dev 'having a tough time' with PC
Dark Souls developer From Software is still "having a tough time" making the PC port, producer Daisuke Uchiyama has said at E3. Sadly, it'll be "strictly a port" and FPS issues in areas such as Blighttown will remain.
Masochists were thrilled when From Software committed to making a PC version of Dark Souls, but the news hasn't all been good since. The developer mentioned in April that, though it'll boast new content, technically it'll be the same as on consoles--FPS issues at all. Producer Daisuke Uchiyama explained a little more during E3, saying the team was still "having a tough time" with it.
"To be completely honest, we're having a tough time doing it due to our lack of experience and knowledge in terms of porting to PC," Uchiyama told Eurogamer. "First we thought it would be a breeze, but it's turned out not to be the case. We're still developing right now - we're crunching right now."
He explained that the PC isn't a very popular gaming platform in Japan, so From hasn't really had to face it before. And, sadly, the FPS issues that plagued areas such as Blighttown on consoles will remain on PC.
"Because we wanted to get the PC version out as soon as possible, it's more strictly a port from the console version. We haven't been able to step up into doing any specific optimisation for PC."
Look, just consider it more pain and suffering for you to break through. And besides, this being PC gaming, we can always throw more processing power at the problem.
The extra content coming to Dark Souls PC, 'Artorias of the Abyss,' will be released for consoles later too, publisher Namco Bandai has confirmed. It'll arrive this winter for $15.
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replyAlice O'Connor posted a new article, Dark Souls dev 'having a tough time' with PC.
Dark Souls developer From Software is still "having a tough time" making the PC port, producer Daisuke Uchiyama has said at E3. Sadly, it'll be "strictly a port" and FPS issues in areas such as Blighttown will remain.-
*sigh*, state of the industry I guess.
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Yes, the DLC will be $15 on consoles. Not the game on PC.
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oh shit.....
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It costs money to delay the development, as this team isn't experienced with PC development. Who knows they might not even be able to know how to fix it.
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YOU LAGGED
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I think we've all seen this before.
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It could mean that. They fixed the frame rate at 30fps because the frame rate is somehow bound to the game mechanics, so it may be that the slow down in Blighttown is bound to some technical inefficiency that isn't graphical and won't be fixed more powerful hardware. But who knows.
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wrong, unfortunately an un-optimized, poorly coded game will drag down the best PC
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This story shouldn't really surprise anyone. This is a port of a console game created out of pressure and not of any real desire to create it. Gamers really need to under stand that there is a places for certain types of games and that my require different requirements to play the game they desire.
So, in short if you want to play a console game get the console to play it. If there is a PC game that you want to play, get the hardware and software to play it. Don't demand or expect a developer to move there creation to a new platform to the one a you prefer.-
This is such a bizarre post that I'm not even entirely sure how to respond to it.
If FROM didn't have a desire to create it, they wouldn't. They obviously have a desire for the extra business and customer satisfaction that comes from porting to another platform or else they would not be doing it.
Additionally, acting like there is something special about an XBox 360 or PS3 that makes it harder/easier to develop for them compared to a PC is horseshit. A vast majority of games and development frameworks are able to do this with relative ease. Customers SHOULD demand or expect a developer to move a title to a platform they prefer. That is how the developer of this product gets our money and our business... by giving us what we want. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect that most people are going to have access to ONE platform, considering how expensive the level of entry is, even for consoles which are relatively cheap.-
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I don't know specifically the state of the code or framework that Dark Souls is built upon. Maybe it was written terribly and it is actually that difficult to port to PC. It seems like that is the sort of thing they would have researched BEFORE announcing and working on a port however.
Do you disagree that customers should be able to request/demand that games are delivered on the platform that they prefer?
I have never shipped a large scale game title of any sort. I am a web developer as a profession and I have shipped one small-scale XBLIG title in my spare time. I'm not an expert but I'm not completely devoid of any insight into game development either.
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Who said that any platform is"special". I didn't but you might from your response. Some how you decided to turn the post into a speech about developer creating on platforms. My post was a statement about customers and making a choice.
My statement based on the Dark Souls port which was created out demands of a web campaign to push "From Software" to port there console specific game to PC. The port campaign was created because PC gamers chose not to buy the game for the platform in which in it was intended.
Every platform a developer decides to create for adds cost. More platforms, more risk on all levels of development. Studio rise and fall with these decisions.
How a developer gets our money is not by giving in to demands or wants it's by doing there best at what they know and want to present to projected customer. If they created a product or service that is appealing to that customer base they will find what is necessarily/required to purchase and use it.
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This is crazy and not customer orientated at all its more like being a elitist and saying "if you don't like my way then fuck you, your just shit out of luck deal with it"
Sorry man I don't agree at all, if things where this way we really be in the shits. Right now is a prime example where practically everything comes to all three platforms this is the way it should be.
I don't know about you but I like to make people happy, especially my customers or potential customers. To me this is something that many people and companies have forgotten to focus on all around you really have to please your customers and listen to them to a certain degree.
That's my view, I am sure not everyone is going to agree.-
I'm definitely going to pick this up to support them. They actually listened to the PC fans and hopefully it will lead to more of their games on PC in the future with better polish after their experience.
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Hmmm I really don't understand this exactly. I know there are some of you here that are Xbox 360 devs so I hope you can clear up some stuff.
So my question is what the hell do you guys use on the Xbox 360? Are you not just using regular C++ and DX? I am a PC dev and have no idea what the 360 scene is like and really would like to know.
If yes then what the heck is their issue, I would of thought it be way easier actually then the 360 and PS3? I would really like to know what the deal is, I wish they had said what the problem is. -
This will be scary when it is released, I have a feeling that even if the company wants to support the release, it won't be able to.
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Probably they are dumb enough to try to port it from PS3 to PC, instead of from Xbox 360 to PC...
What makes me think this is the case is that they are chinese, and they tend to favor / like Sony.
And the other thing is that the way of programming for Xbox 360 and PC, its not a lot different. But there is a huge gap in programming for PS3 and PC.-
didn't they make this game first for PS3, then use that to port to XBOX? (I have heard that the ps3 version is better)
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This will only end badly. I love Dark Souls and Demon Souls but honestly they are nitch games and anyone in that nitch has already played it on consoles.
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unfortunately.....not everyone :(
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haha. this is what 90% of the guys stuck porting a game probably want to say. there's no way you should tell the public though. huge mistake.
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Lol no shit. What is the point of even releasing info like this? Are they trying to prepare us for the inevitable shitshow?
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Contrary to a few opinions in this thread, I think it's cool that FROM is being so transparent about the ups and downs of porting a console game to the PC. From the moment they caught wind of the Internet petition to bring DARK SOULS to PC, they've been nothing gracious to and open with the gaming community.
Gamers wanted a PC version? Done.
They wanted the game available on Steam? You got it. (Too bad about GFWL usage, but this is FROM's first attempt, so I'll go easy on them.)
They seem determined to give gamers their best effort, and they seem genuinely frustrated that it's posing a bigger challenge than they originally thought. They could have kept this news under wraps and unleashed a horrid port, but instead they're choosing to talk openly about their problems and, it seems, garner some support and helpful tips from the community.
Even if the PC version of Dark Souls ends up as nothing more than a 1:1 port of the console version, I'll buy it to support FROM. By showing interest and support, maybe they'll give thought to building the next Souls game from the ground up for the PC, alongside a console version. -
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If it does come out to be at least a 1:1 port, ill be happy, since my PS3 died and I haven't decided if I want to bother picking up another, but always wanted to play this, now I will :)
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The framerate issues aren't new. They were in the console version.
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I think that based on what Uchiyama said, they are trying, but they are facing hurdles that they haven't encountered before. I'm hoping that they can made a decent port.
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In a month some guys will add a bunch of features the developer couldn't.
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Wasn't the Witcher 2 a difficult port with a.bunch of delays? Sure it was going the other way PC -> 360 but porting between platforms must be almost like rebuilding the whole game. Anyway Microsoft shoud make PC <-> 360 porting easier, they probably shouldn't be the same code even though it'd be nice to have a PC/720 game in one but the piracy would be hell.
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im pretty sure Witcher 2 was pretty well optimized for the 360 and not just a direct port. otherwise i dont see how itd even run..
my pc specs 5Ghz quad core
8gb ram
680 direct cuII TOP and i get 25 fps with witcher 2 maxed..
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