Topic: Why does the PC tend to be ignored by fighting game developers?

[VladCT]

Question because I was bored, disappointed, and curious at the same time. The only big-name fighting games that are on the PC are SF4 and Skullgirls, so I'm kinda thinking that most of the others think that the PC isn't viable. So I ask, why? Aside from the piracy, the only problem I see is that the PC is oversaturated by FPS tards fans, and yet I think there are quite a few other kinds of action games that are doing relatively well, so why not fighting games? The MUGEN community, a cesspit it may be, is still a valid example of a large fighting game community amongst the PC users.

Yes, this is partly because my older brother is dead set on buying the XBOX One (which I can't see getting a good fighting game library) for some reason. And being the older one, his words override mine by default.

[Weiss Belmont]

[VladCT]

Because it's more versatile, and due to recent developments in the next-gen consoles, less costly in the long run.
And I know a fair share of people who can kick ass with a keyboard, with one of them among us (hint: he has a Battler avatar).

[Nail_Bombed]

Also, these days, you can get XBOX controllers that are PC compatible - including 6-button pads and fightsticks. So no reason not to get Ultimate MVC3 ported over to PC - the more fighters the merrier I say.

[Weiss Belmont]

Hmm thanks guys. That does make a lot of sense. Especially given the recent clusterfucks or rather, I should say the ones that are on the way with the PS4 and the XBOX 180. Consoles don't have an advantage for developers anymore.

[Mooning Freddy]

I'll redefine the question: why is the PC ignored by classic action game developers? (FPS doesn't count)
I suppose it has something to do with classic video game companies tied up to console manufacturers. Why doesn't CV have PC ports? (don't know about LoS but most of 'em don't) Ha?

Probably because big companies make money off gaming consoles and no one would buy them if everything was ported to PC. Since some companies make most of their $$ off console games, and porting is expensive, they prefer not porting in the first place. 

[Ratty]

I can think of a few reasons. Firstly the lack of a standardized gamepad to design for could make balanced controls an issue/give some players an edge. And more importantly modding means that players are less likely to buy DLC characters or in the case of Capcom, buy a whole game again for 3 new characters. You can't have "on-disc "DLC" " if the players can just extract the files from the disc.

[TheouAegis]

I'm getting better with a gamepad, but I used to always play with a keyboard. And I can tell you the keyboard kicks a gamepad's ass by far. When we're playing on consoles, my buddy can beat me 90% of the time. When we're playing on a computer, I beat him 80% of the time. (The other 20% I rage and call him a cheater.) The only time I've had issues with a keyboard is with certain SDMs, like Musashi from Last Blade. On a gamepad, I either can't do dragon punches (just fireballs) or I can't do fireballs (just dragon punches). On a keyboard, I can pull off almost any move.

Same with FPS. I can't play an FPS for the life of me on a console, but I can do better on a PC. Used to not be that bad, but when I stopped playing Quake and moved on to Half-Life, I forgot how to aim without a mouse.

[Pfil]

I don't know about fighting games, but in recent years, most games seem to be appearing on PS3/X360/PC, that's the trend I've been seeing. I played most of my games on PC last years, rightnow I can think of DMC4, DmC, Alice Madness Returns, Oblivion, Skyrim, The Witcher 1 and 2, Wolfenstein, Modern Warfare 2 and 3, Sonic 4 Episode 2, Tomb Raider Underworld and the new one, Venetica, Kingdoms of Amalur, Bioshock 1, 2 and Infinite, La Mulana, Cave Story... There's a lot more, but right now I remember just some favourites, and I think there's a lot of variety in these titles.

[DoctaMario]

Who the fuck plays a fighting game on a PC?  I'm not being a douche, trust me I'll let you know when I am. But how, how would someone even play a fighting game on a PC and why? I can't imagine using a mouse or keyboard. If you can hook a controller up to your desktop why not just own a console?

The games usually look better and have better netcode on PC. I can get good lag-free games of SF4AE on PC more often than I can on my brother's PS3. And I have a HRAP3SA arcade stick that works flawlessly on my PC.

With Xbox development being pretty similar to PC, it's going to be more cost effective for companies to put out a PC version of a game already being developed for Xbox, especially as just a digital download over Steam. I've heard a rumor that KoFXIII is supposed to come to PC along with KoF 98 & 02, and it's a strong possibility that the new Guilty Gear game might see a PC release too (actually I think that last part has already been confirmed but I can't recall.) 

[Pfil]

You can play most X360/PS3 games in their PC versions with the 360 joystick, or the PS3 joystick using a bluetooth adapter and a little software, and the experience is, in almost all cases, far better than the one in the console.

[Lone Wolf]

When it comes to mind... >>> MUGEN

Well, i recently played The Black Heart, an indie fighting game for PC and it seemed pretty good. Putting that aside though, i don't think there are many fighting games for PC. At least, i never saw them. Big matches like Street Fighter and Tekken always come in mind, but they're both for consoles.. Anyway, i don't think i can say much about it, i'm not a big fan of fighting games, nor know much of the subject, really sorry. always lost in my childhood, so i stopped playing x|

[DoctaMario]

You can play most X360/PS3 games in their PC versions with the 360 joystick, or the PS3 joystick using a bluetooth adapter and a little software, and the experience is, in almost all cases, far better than the one in the console.

Yeah actually my stick is a PS3 stick, but it's worked great on the Mac I used to have and the PC I now have.

Actually there was a discussion about this very topic over at Shoryuken and one of the things I recall someone saying was that it would be difficult to make sure everyone's controller worked if one were to have a PC fighting game tourney. With Windows becoming a bit more user-friendly I don't know that that would necessarily be as big a problem, but it could be for some more obscure controllers.

Honestly though, I'd love to see PC get more fighting games. I'm at the point where I'm over consoles and would prefer playing as many games as I can on PC.

[son_the_vampire]

Fighting games on PC works (somewhat) ... MUgen is testament to this.... open a ton of options for match-ups that you want to see. I honestly believe that all fighting needs to be done in an arcade with a line of people but then i would be living in the past. Preference wise, i would rather them continue focusing on consoles. It truly sucks we are in DLC age but even the best can submit. When fighting games got widely popular.... Lets say Dreamcast era, lots of places around where i live would hold tourneys to bring the competition together. I felt that was possibly the best way to show people what you were capable of. Evo is the greatest adaptation of this, and they even implement a B.Y.O.C. policy (bring your own controller). I just feel that competition is greater next to an opponent. Not shooting any rounds at the PC gamer but any true fighting game connoisseur knows true competition comes next to your opponent.

[DoctaMario]

Fighting games on PC works (somewhat) ... MUgen is testament to this.... open a ton of options for match-ups that you want to see. I honestly believe that all fighting needs to be done in an arcade with a line of people but then i would be living in the past. Preference wise, i would rather them continue focusing on consoles. It truly sucks we are in DLC age but even the best can submit. When fighting games got widely popular.... Lets say Dreamcast era, lots of places around where i live would hold tourneys to bring the competition together. I felt that was possibly the best way to show people what you were capable of. Evo is the greatest adaptation of this, and they even implement a B.Y.O.C. policy (bring your own controller). I just feel that competition is greater next to an opponent. Not shooting any rounds at the PC gamer but any true fighting game connoisseur knows true competition comes next to your opponent.

If anything the MAME version of Third Strike was better than the SF Anthology version that came out on PS2. Third Strike Online is possibly the best home translation of the game, but the FBA/Mame versions are onlhy different in speed. Fighting games work just as well (if not better) on a PC than they do on consoles.

Sure competition is best offline, but consoles are exactly the same in terms of the number of people playing online vs. offline. If anything, the PC versions of fighting games I've played have better netcode than the same game on a console because PCs can be tweaked. So unless you're playing offline, or an ArcSys game, chances are, your experience will be better on a PC than on a console.