81 replies to this topic

[Catamount]

Motionless, on 04 April 2012 - 12:16 PM, said:

No, asking devs to create software compatible with certain platforms does not assume anything. It is simply a request generally intended to push them towards doing something they've been considering or considering something they hadn't. You are trying to turn this into something it isn't.

I'm not turning it into anything.

You can request anything you want, but PGI already knows people on other platforms would like to play MWO, and they already know the cost/benefit of making their game multiplatform. They probably knew long before this site ever went up.


So you can request anything you damn well please, just like I can request that PGI send me cookies and a beta invite. There's just no reason for PGI to grant either request.

Edited by Catamount, 04 April 2012 - 12:30 PM.

[Motionless]

Catamount, on 04 April 2012 - 12:30 PM, said:

I'm not turning it into anything.

You can request anything you want, but PGI already knows people on other platforms would like to play MWO, and they already know the cost/benefit of making their game multiplatform. They probably knew long before this site ever went up.


So you can request anything you damn well please, just like I can request that PGI send me cookies and a beta invite. There's just no reason for PGI to grant either request.

That's some serious butthurt, sir.

[Beaker]

Does anyone think MS will be fast to agree that one of their IPs will end up on a platform that competes with Windows or XBox?

While I'm sure the the Devs and Publishers would LOVE to get their product out to even more people, it's more likely an issue with what MS will allow their properties to be published on.

[Archtus]

True. Last I checked, MS did own the electronic gaming IP for Battletech[and everything FASA].

[Catamount]

I've never been clear on exactly who owns what. The BT franchise mostly went FASA->Wizkids->Topps->Catalyst

MS specifically owns the IP in regards to computer games, but is that just a specific line of computer games, or anything ever produced that's BT related ever released on a digital platform (that seems a little overreaching considering they don't own the overall IP)?

Edited by Catamount, 05 April 2012 - 03:11 AM.

[Archtus]

As best I understand, Topps still owns the BT IP, sold the electronic rights to MS, and is currently leasing out the rest of the IP to CGL/Cayalyst.

[Catamount]

It's a rather tangled mess, isn't it?

I guess that does mean that MS does have pretty broad rights there, so they could be pressuring Windows exclusivity, but then, that's not necessarily in their best interest. One game won't change the OS landscape in any meaningful way, nor will it hurt Windows sales of MWO (nor should they care since it won't change the OS landscape), but if they have a vested interest in the IP, it might well be in their interest to get as many people on the Mechwarrior bandwagon as possible, since greater success for MWO, and attention to the IP sets up MS for further releases of Mechassault and even Mechwarrior if they wanted (which they may if PGI proves there's a market). Just how well did the MW4 line of games sell anyways? MIcrosoft did a pretty mediocre job with them (and not even that good for Black Knight); did they sell at all? I can't seem to find any numbers.

Edited by Catamount, 05 April 2012 - 03:29 AM.

[Beaker]

As I understand it MS Bought FASA Interactive, and all Computer Gaming right that included. Smith and Tinker licenced them back again, and then they have been licenced by Smith and Tinker to PIrahna.

So MS Own it, S&T Licenced it, and Pirahna had sub-licenced it. S&T also picked up the rights for Shadowrun and Crimson Skies in the same deal. I would guess Jordan Weisman wanted his toys back so he could play with them.

I've not seen anything for Shadowrun or Crimson Skies computer games since the AWFUL (In my opinion)MS Produced Shadowrun and "Highroad To Revenge" Crimson Skies(2003) game for XBox.

[guardiandashi]

re rights.
as I understand it when FASA was reeling from the harmony gold lawsuit issue (the macross art) microsoft approached them and offered to buy FASA interactive and ALL battletech electronics rights for ~$1,000,000 which at the time was a lot of money, because the deal was agreed to, microsoft owns ALL battletech, electronic rights, and smith and tinker/ or PGI has leased the IP rights from them. This was actually specifically noted as why the MW 3015 title failed to get greenlighted because ms specifically required that it could ONLY be used to develop games for pc (windows), and xbox. in fact if my suspicions are correct, any attempt to develop a mac/unix/linux client MAY constitute a license violation and immediately kill the project.

edit on a side note Rick who makes the HM (Heavy metal) series of applications for battletech unit creation had to license the rights to do so from ms.
other similar apps are not "official" and if the developers of them charge $0.01 for their applications would likely immediately get C&D orders and/or sued by ms for violation of their rights... and ms would win.

(not I am not saying that this is the case, because I am not a lawyer, and I do not know the terms of the contract but it definately COULD be the case.)

Edited by guardiandashi, 05 April 2012 - 09:53 AM.

[Volthorne]

Motionless, on 04 April 2012 - 12:01 AM, said:

SC2 and WoW both take like nothing to run, and the very minimum is similar for both. An iMac could easily handle SC2.

Have you ever TRIED to run SCII on minimum requirements? Ultra-low everything, and if you have more than 100 units duking it out (which is incredibly easy to do and happens VERY often) it starts to lag. I have no idea why Blizzard went and listed both as having same tech requirements (probably because the support people are idiots), SCII needs easily double what WoW needs (so as not to blow up your system on the first mouse-click).

I'm in general agreement with Macs not getting a client, because, (general hatred for Apple products aside) Macs are garbage for anything but music/video editing/processing/creating. You cannot call yourself a "gamer" while playing ANYTHING on a Mac. It doesn't work like that. It's like driving a Smartcar in an F1 race.

Edited by Volthorne, 05 April 2012 - 11:07 AM.

[JackDeth]

One of the reasons that I lke Linux is the support from all the developers.
In the past...I have had new equipment appear on the market (DVD burner) and tried to find drivers for it.
MS was no help at all...their answer was "we are looking into it...stand by).
Of course this was not the answer my customer wanted to hear (installing new network system servers).
So...I looked into Linux at that time (back in the late 80's I think) and found hundreds of people that were of infinite help.
I received a driver for the DVD unit within 48 hours and it was soooo clean and elegant!
The writer of that code was a young girl in Germany...I never was able to thank her enough.
The point I try to make is: MS plods along as the big toad in the pond....when they get around to it...they do a reasonable job...but...it is their timetable and we do NOT have any say in it.
Linux on the other hand is a fluid system...changes are made almost every hour...if you have a problem...just post it...and almost before your send key is released someone is there to help.
Wine is also a fluid package...4.1 is the latest I think...and it seems to have sped up the load and video parts a bunch.
I realise this will effect very few people....but it offers an alternative to MS.
Flames to follow...LOL.
Jack

[Vexgrave Lars]

Can't wait for the day when we get native DirectX in Linux.. any flavor. Until then, WindBlows it is.

[Catamount]

Native DirectX support in Linux? Don't hold your breath for that one, not unless MS buys and distributes a Linux distro.

I think it'd be better to shoot for games more commonly adopting OpenGL and dumping DirectX altogether, something that certainly isn't impossible as games become more cross-platform. Making a DX game on the PC and then an OpenGL game on the PS3 can't be the easiest thing in the world; just using OpenGL to begin with might be easier, but then I'm no expert on APIs.

[vettie]

Crazy question...and I know its early in the ball game so I am speaking of "in the future" terms, just wandering if the game will be eventually supported in a linux version?
I run dual boot, Win 7 & Linux Mint 12. About the only time I use Windows IS for gaming. Never been able to get MW4Mercs to work with Wine so, Win 7 it is.
Just curious.

Read somewhere a quote from Jordan W. saying he was "amazed" (paraphrased) that "all of this is running in a browser". It may not have been MWOMercs Online he was talking about, maybe one of the others, but if one of the new mecha games DOES run via a browser, then I guess (not technical here, so dont beat me up) it wouldnt matter the OS as long as the browser supported the game (as well as the hardware)? I dunno. Interesting thought tho.

Edited by vettie, 02 June 2012 - 08:17 AM.

[RECYCLEDTRASH]

Why can't the developers supply a game for all. Their are plenty of MAC users out there that would love to play. Why is it always such a struggle to get us to work and play together. I feel like the minority. Its time to make compatible for all.

[Narcissistic Martyr]

RECYCLEDTRASH, on 27 July 2013 - 10:54 PM, said:

Why can't the developers supply a game for all. Their are plenty of MAC users out there that would love to play. Why is it always such a struggle to get us to work and play together. I feel like the minority. Its time to make compatible for all.

Imagine you have finite resources and you need to use those resources to maximize your profit.

Now imagine you could spend those resources on either doing an astronomical amount of work to support an OS that has less than 8% of the market and the vast majority of those devises are lower end laptops and older imacs that can't possibly play the game whose owners are by and large not gamers.or dedicate those resources to improving playability on older PCs.

PGI has rightly (IMO) decided that it's a better use of their limited resources to work on adding compatibility with dual core systems (DX11 support) since a large number of gamers have older dual core machines who would likely give mwo a chance if they could play.

[Catamount]

Hey, I remember this thread!

[Gremlich Johns]

RECYCLEDTRASH, on 27 July 2013 - 10:54 PM, said:

Why can't the developers supply a game for all. Their are plenty of MAC users out there that would love to play. Why is it always such a struggle to get us to work and play together. I feel like the minority. Its time to make compatible for all.

Plenty of Mac users is relative. If you have a number of Mac-owner friends who want to play MW:O, of course you think that constitutes "plenty", but it does not.

Apple computers represent maybe 15% of computer market share (Laptops and Desktops combined). The population owning Macs that want to play the more demanding (performance wise) windows games is insignificant relative to the number of people on Win 7/XP only machines that currently play PC games like Bioshock, BF3, MW3 and Crysis-based games and they number probably less that the number of people who were playing a version of MW4 on a PC 3 years ago.

Edited by Gremlich Johns, 28 July 2013 - 06:03 PM.

[Cliff Landin]

The anti-Mac crowd always crack me up. A computer is a tool. It enables you to do work, play games, listen to music, watch movies, etc. Mac OS X isn't the best gaming platform it is true, but for those of us that make a living programming, a Mac or Linux machine is the best tool for the job. Sure we can go out buy a gaming computer, but if you don't need to then why should we? I used to have a dual boot Mac but it just felt so dirty having Windows on such a nice machine. It looks like a Linux/Wine solution might be the best bet.

[xWiredx]

Your first post is to necro a thread that hasn't seen the light of day in a year and a half? Oye.