A leading figure in gaming PCs has accused Microsoft of killing a project that would allow Xbox and PC gamers to play against each other, suggesting that embarrassment that console players would be consistently beaten was behind the decision.
Rahul Sood, the man behind VooDoo PC and CTO of HP's gaming business has expressed his disappointment at Microsoft's stance towards the PC as a gaming platform, and believes that Apple could be the main beneficiary.
"There was a project that got killed at Microsoft. This project was designed to allow console gamers and PC gamers to interact and battle over a connected environment," blogged Sood.
"Personally I wish it would have stayed the course. I've heard from reliable sources that during the development they brought together the best console gamers to play mediocre PC gamers at the same game... and guess what happened?
Console ftl
"They pitted console gamers with their "console" controller, against PC gamers with their keyboard and mouse," he added
"The console players got destroyed every time. So much so that it would be embarrassing to the Xbox team in general had Microsoft launched this initiative.
"Is this why the project was killed Who [sic] knows, but I'd love to hear from anyone involved --- what happened?"
Viable gaming platform
Sood believes like many major developers that the PC remains a viable gaming platform, and that encouraging cross-platform play would have rejuvenated things.
"You simply don't get the same level of detail or control as you do with a PC over a console, he added.
"It's a real shame that Microsoft killed this -- because had they kept it alive it might have actually increased the desire of game developers and gamers alike to continue developing and playing rich experiences on the PC which would trickle down to the console as it has in the past.
"Instead they wanted to keep an old business model alive, and as a result they are (all) getting attacked by the most unlikely competitor, Apple.
"..had they allowed something like this to take place then perhaps the desire to have the best platform would still be there.
"Perhaps the scale of the PC would have allowed Microsoft to get away from the hardware business and focus on their core, software. Perhaps we could have finally integrated the Xbox into the PC.
"Perhaps not, all of this is over now, there is no looking back."
Growing annoyance
It's an interesting viewpoint, and one that has been echoed several times in the past months.
Microsoft's perceived lack of interest in the PC has been met by a response from the company that the likes of Fable 3 will arrive for the platform.
But not, of course, until the Xbox version has had some time to sell.
Your comments (13) Click to add a new comment
lovlid
July 23rd 2010
13. Okee doke. Came late to the party:-)
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smokemonster
July 23rd 2010
12. aha, it's been updated! :)
Thank you, that's genuinely good to see
Two thumbs up
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patrickgoss
July 23rd 2010
11. @lovlid - in defence of smokemonster, he was commenting on an original article that was overwritten due to inaccuracies.
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lovlid
July 22nd 2010
10. @ smokemonster.
"What a cr@p article.
You've identified the issue in the piece; it's the controller NOT the gamer."
Isn't that what he's saying?. The "gamer" is at a disadvantage "because" of the controller.
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mombasa1969
July 22nd 2010
9. What I've always known, I just hate the one size fits all... consoles.
PC = freedom, identity.
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wozzax
July 22nd 2010
8. @paulczar my point is that you dont get controllers as standard with a PC, therefore certain games would favour the console user.
I was meant to say in my last post 'If' the PC gamer could only use a keyboard and mouse.
Racing games have always been better on consoles in my opinion as well.
I do think though that FPS games have come a long long way on Xbox and PS3 to get the popularity that they do.
If you would have told me and my mates 10 years ago that we would be playing First Person Shooters on a console we would have laughed in your face.
Turns out it evens the field of play if everyone has the same hardware.
I for one agree with MS that cross platform just wouldnt work.
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paulczar
July 22nd 2010
7. @wozzax: You can get controllers for the PC as well. There is even a 360 controller for the PC.
With games like FIFA there probably wouldnt have been a difference. But in FPS a mouse keyboard combo will always win.
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jdnewsamis
July 22nd 2010
6. mircosoft have windows live so that you can play a limited number of games with people playing the same game on xbox live why would they want any compatition!!!!
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wozzax
July 22nd 2010
5. I wonder if playing cross platform FIFA would have the same affect.
PC gamer can only use keyboard and mouse.
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rimscar
July 22nd 2010
4. i`m completely useless with a game controller and can't hit anything; give me a mouse and keyboard though and it's a different story!
But then i don't play the same games on consoles as i do on my pc--i tend to do the serious stuff on my beast! :)
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patrickgoss
July 22nd 2010
3. @smokemonster completely agree. The article has been altered entirely
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smokemonster
July 22nd 2010
2. What a cr@p article.
You've identified the issue in the piece; it's the controller NOT the gamer.
If there are any flamings to be had it'll be against Adam Hartley for deliberately writing this piece in such a way that it will irritate console gamers.
Grow up.
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caimbeul
July 22nd 2010
1. I am both a PC & Console gamer. I dontn think it is that console gamers suck per se but for FPS they do have drastically inferior input ie: no mouse and keyboard.
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