Chris Roberts, creator of Star Citizen, has said that the game “will NEVER be dumbed down for a lesser platform.”
“We will NOT limit the input options or supported peripherals to the lowest common denominator. We will NOT pass on features and technology just because they will only run on some hardware configurations,” he said.
He then goes on to list his impressive PC rig which seems to have been mostly donated by AMD.
PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Star Citizen were never on the cards but Chris says his “stance remains open” for next-gen console versions, although non are currently planned and he has has a list of demands that must be met before he even considers porting the game.
IF the platform holders (Sony & Microsoft) allow us to update the code and data without restrictions and odious time consuming QC procedures, IF they allow our community to openly interact with each other across platforms then I would CONSIDER supporting them.
That essentially rules out an Xbox One version, Microsoft have never opened up their network to allow cross platform play, but a PS4 version may have a better chance.
“To their credit Sony seems to be the most eager to embrace indie games and the idea of openness, and they chased us down to give us some dev kits to play with but we’ve been very clear on what it would take to get Star Citizen onto PS4,” said Chris.
He added that he would “require a financial commitment by Sony to make it happen,” despite the game already achieving a massive $28 million from crowd funding.
I can’t quite decide if Chris simply passionate about PCs or actually just a bit self-important. Perhaps this final quote will help make up your mind.
One last thing to think about – normally developers “sell out” to a console platform (Bungie or Epic going XBox exclusive for instance) because the platform holder is funding the budget. Thanks to everyone that has backed Star Citizen we have no need to sell out to anyone! You’ve funded a AAA PC game that will compete with the biggest and best. By the time the game is officially “done”, I’m pretty sure that the final funding will be larger than most AAA console games outside the very biggest like GTA or CoD – and our money goes much further as we don’t have any corporate overhead or fancy marketing budgets
So fear not! The PC is the platform of Star Citizen. Anything else, if it happens at all, will just be after the fact.
Personally, I’m siding more on the self-important side of things, a little humility wouldn’t go a amiss. He’s certainly put me off ever wanting to play his game on any platform.
Source: Star Citizen Forums
bunimomike
He has quite the attitude, that’s for sure. I can, however, see where he’s coming from but it’s a shame he doesn’t make more effort to come across a little less arrogant and stubborn.
shields_t
I struggle to take the arrogance of the man who made that godawful Wing Commander movie seriously.
Blair Inglis
IF he wasn’t to use so many capitalised words, then MAYBE he’d come across less arrogant. But that’s NOT going to happen unless he learns how to italics.
Tuffcub
” I’m pretty sure that the final funding will be larger than most AAA console games” Not unless you raise another twenty or so million mate.
scavenga
Based on this, I wouldn’t play his game if they brought me a free copy of the game and a PC to play it on.
Starman
Way too self important. You can’t get that much control when dealing with any corporation. Wanting no QC is ridiculous. Been way too many game updates that cause data corruptions etc, and that’s WITH QC. Imagine the state of patches with no QC at all.
TSBonyman
I hope everyone who donated to this $28M will get to play the game, lol.
KeRaSh
“That essentially rules out an Xbox One version, Microsoft have never opened up their network to allow cross platform play…”
Final Fantasy XI has PC/PS2/360 cross platform play. Square Enix is running the servers. I’m very doubtful MS will make another exception for this game, though.
Chris Roberts doesn’t come across as a very likeable guy. I’m sure PC elitists are chanting his name for the stuff he says but disregarding QC and bossing around the platform holders just seems stupid.
double-o-dave
Well I have no idea what the game is, but after reading that I wouldn’t want to play it on the PS4 as it would be more like I’m paying him for the privilege of letting me play his game on my PS4 rather than paying for the game itself.
Nocure-fd
I did donate to this game. Mainly because it’s been years since I’ve played a good space flight sim, and it’s a genre that publishers and developers don’t seem to want to touch with a ten foot pole.
I do agree that his attitude seems a little corrosive here. But at the same time, perhaps a bit of passion might not be such a bad thing, considering there are no share holders or publishers to keep happy.
bunimomike
It’s interesting when a game (or genre) leaves publishers cold but community-led funding can get a game off of the metaphorical ground.
I’d read about this a few months back and thought “cool”, to be honest. I really hope it proves to be a great game as it will continue to shine a light in the direction of alternative funding.
hazelam
“normally developers “sell out” to a console platform (Bungie or Epic going XBox exclusive for instance) because the platform holder is funding the budget. Thanks to everyone that has backed Star Citizen we have no need to sell out to anyone!”
but of a PS4 version, he says “require a financial commitment by Sony to make it happen,”
are they not contradictory statements?
he doesn’t want to be beholden to a console maker, he just wants them to pay for it?
while i can understand the underlying message that the game is primarily pc, and maybe it’ll get ported to console later, it also seems to be only high end pc, and if you don’t have the right hardware, which might be out of the price range of those who actually have to, you know, buy it themselves, then you’re shit out of luck.
and i really hope the gameplay is a significant step up from the old Wing Commander games, because they were little more than skeet shooting in space.
mind you, judging by how many noses were firmly up his bumhole in the replies, if that’s the kind of response that he usually gets, it’s no wonder he might have developed a bit of an ego.
ABlokeCalledDaz
Did you read the comments under his statement, PC elite seem to rule that forum.
baggyg
Although I understand, making a judgement based upon viewing one or two quotes in isolation there is quite a bit more history here than meets the eye.
Star Citizen has beyond any other game been the poster child for crowd funding. One thing to remember is a lot of the features of the game were directly influenced by people who put their hard earned cash up front. I do not blame him for saying he would not want an inferior vision of this released.
There are plenty of fanboys for each console that have said much worse things. Its nice for the PC to have a resounding success even if that makes the guy dismissive of consoles, and a bit offensive.
Although I have followed TSA for years it was sad and a little shameful to read and article with these sort of sentiments. I respect anybody’s opinion but dismissing a complete ground-breaking game based upon a guy who was involved is a little immature. Should we really go back and analyse everything Cliff Bleszinski says and therefore be too offended to play Gears of War?