Crytek Going Multi-platform, Cites PC Piracy as Reason

[CSN NewsBot]

PC Play and Crytek president, Cevat Yerli, had a little tete-a-tete recently to discuss what lies in store for the company. A major note of the interview is the news that the company will switch to a multi-platform format due to the rising costs of piracy in the PC market.

We are suffering currently from the huge piracy that is encompassing Crysis. We seem to lead the charts in piracy by a large margin, a chart leading that is not desirable. I believe that’s the core problem of PC Gaming, piracy. To the degree PC Gamers that pirate games inherently destroy the platform. Similar games on consoles sell factors of 4-5 more. It was a big lesson for us and I believe we wont have PC exclusives as we did with Crysis in future. We are going to support PC, but not exclusive anymore.

If you'll remember, a major reason for the downfall of Ritual was due to piracy. Hopefully this won't be a growing trend amongst PC game developers.

[Ryosuke T]

that's bull. it's because their game engine is so out of work because it requires 2015 pc to run everything on high smoothly.

[pwnedbyIbanez]

Crysis is a game that has tried to ensure people have the highest quality in graphics and hardware, but it's a shame that people can't just pay for a game. What a shame for PCs.

[LMN8R]

Crytek going multiplatform is no different from how the vast majority of developers are multiplatform these days. Did Crysis make EA/Crytek a profit? After going platinum and exceeding expectations, probably. But could they make even more money? For sure.



Most games aren't a Halo 3, millions of copies on a single platform, or even a Call of Duty or GTA, selling millions of copies across multiple platforms. Even Vegas 2 at 2 million across both platforms in a short time is quite the accomplishment. A PC exclusive doing a million in a couple months? No less impressive than those console sales numbers.



But just like most developers going multiplatform, they want more. The PC isn't "dying" due to this news any more than the 360 is "dying" because the PS3 is getting so many of its titles.



Also, the argument that "no one can run it" is just as stupid today as it's always been. There are millions upon millions of graphics cards out there capable of running the game on high settings. Millions more at medium. Just because you don't have the computer or no one you know has the computer doesn't mean very few people have it.

[Diamond Dust]

now i'm just as guilty as most people pirating games/movies/music, but I have to say I've never downloaded something that I would have bought if I didn't dowload it. At least thats how I sleep at night :p

[PseudoKnight]

I can't stand software developers that cry about piracy. There's a number of factors that can play into a game selling poorly, but it's almost always "piracy".

[ALT+F4]

Perhaps the fact that PC software is almost universally non-returnable once opened, combined with a high price tag and even higher system specs, persuades would-be customers curious to see just HOW poorly a product runs on their system to sample it in a way that doesn't leave them with a $60 coaster.



Piracy is an all-too-easy scapegoat. The important factor is WHY a game is being pirated instead of purchased.

[kalabalana]

Edited by [user="98598"] @ [time="1209655738"]

It's a shame some devs still aren't realizing the REAL problem.

If you want to make a game, and you want people to buy it, first make the online/multiplayer aspect, THEN as an afterthought, the actual game.



Most people won't drop $50 or so for a 10-20 hour game, that they will most likely never play again.



PS There's only one game I EVER would've bought rather then pirate it, and that's Oblivion. I tried to play farcry and crysis, but the games had such horrible gameplay, I couldn't play long. If I had paid for them I'd be pissed at crytek.

[LMN8R]

Talking about how "most people" won't buy a game that went on to sell a million - a great number no matter what platform it's on - is quite short-sighted.

[ALT+F4]

kalabalana wrote..

It's a shame some devs still aren't realizing the REAL problem.

If you want to make a game, and you want people to buy it, first make the online/multiplayer aspect, THEN as an afterthought, the actual game.



Most people won't drop $50 or so for a 10-20 hour game, that they will most likely never play again.

Speak for yourself. I literally couldn't care less about online/multiplayer. I haven't even played CS online since the advent of intelligent bots. I want a story, a goal and a satisfying resolution. Online play is too often little more than a juvenile circle jerk.

[FAF]

Games are now a money maker first and foremost. If a company ignores the console market, where piracy has a negligible effect, and instead focuses on PC, where piracy has a massive effect, then they will soon go bust. It doesn't matter if a game sells a million....if they work out that another million copies are pirated, the CEO will see that as "well, if it had been on PS3 then we would have had 2 million sales". It makes no sense to program for PC any more when console is safer.

[ALT+F4]

FAF wrote..

It makes no sense to program for PC any more when console is safer.

For now....