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PCs always better than consoles, says Crytek art director

GamesIndustry.biz talks to Michael Khaimzon, the art director at Crytek, responsible for the team that produced the amazing visuals in Crysis. He talks about what he learned during the game-making process, and why there's so much talent in Eastern Europe.

GamesIndustry.biz: What's your view on the next-gen platforms now they're starting to settle down?

Michael Khaimzon: Well, that's very hard for me to answer, because I've never developed anything for a next-gen platform, and I don't spend that much time playing them. My opinion on them in comparison to the PC is that I think the PC is always better.

Because the PC you can do so many things with, and the console is just there for the gaming.

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gamesindustry.biz

[via gamesindustry.biz]

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Published: 777 days 3 hours ago | Interview | PC

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mighty_douche - 777 days 2 hours ago

1 -

couldnt agree more.

consoles are basically nothing more than a 'toy' version of a pc. i know people moan about driver updates and problems with pc's but generally thats all down to the user. personally i enjoy all that stuff, makes me feel more in control.

obviously though, value for money, console wins everytime if you want it purely for games, but then you need a HDTV to take full advantage so....

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Gamespot-equals-EGM - 776 days 23 hours ago

1.1 - PC gaming ===> Dead as a doorknob

PC gaming is a mess.

You can have 1 game, play it on two different computers and have two totally different experiences. WTF is up with that?

PC gaming is dead, it has been dead for several years now and it will never come back to life (unless you count playing solitair and Yahoo Pool as 'PC gaming').

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ulath666 - 776 days 21 hours ago

1.2 - riiiiight...

... So that must be why the PC is the largest gaming plattform?
Look it up, the PC sells more games than ANY other plattform. Here in Sweden it sells more than ALL OTHER plattforms combined.
All consoles have their sales put together the put up against PC sales since they are so much more massive than any other plattform.

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BrianC6234 - 776 days 20 hours ago

1.3 - That's a good one

PCs are better. Bwahaha. Sure, if you want to spend $3000 or more the PC is better than the PS3. Nothing under that will compete with a PS3 game if the developer knows what they're doing.

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Silvia007 - 777 days 2 hours ago

2 - I agree...

Even though my PC is a butt load more in cost wise, both my xbox360 and PS3 can't touch it. I still love my 360 and PS3 though. My Wii... that's another story.

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3 THE TERMINATOR | 777 days 2 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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mighty_douche - 777 days 2 hours ago

3.1 - hello console noob...

while yes, on paper the CELL's potential is indeed huge, in reality its not being used to its 'potentail'.

please dont believe everything you read on the internet from PR spokesmen, the most powerful CPU available is the new QX9850 (i think its called).

potentail and reality are different things, on paper ATI's new card was ment to kill the Nvidia offerings but we all know how that turned out.

lol IMO comparing a console to a PC shows you have absolutely no understanding of either consoles or PC's.

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Prismo_Fillusion - 777 days 2 hours ago

4 -

This is exactly why things like the Playstation Eye and Wii Motion Sensing are so important to console gaming. They create gameplay that can't be made on a PC system. The third part of console gaming that is yet to be implemented on a PC is split-screen multiplayer. Or even one screen for a few games. Party games will never work on a PC (You Don't Know Jack was kind of fun though). Besides that, any console game could be ported onto a PC without losing a step. Of course, how many people can afford the god-computer that can play Crysis with maxed out performance? I know I can't.

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mighty_douche - 777 days 2 hours ago

4.1 - while i agree

ps eye and wii-mote etc do set console gaming apart from the pc, all these things could easily be done on a pc, theres just no demand for them.
but your right, generally the pc is a single player afair (online obviously but i mean you dont sit round a monitor with friends), and is also far more expensive, but with gains, improved graphics/support/mods/updates/ players (32 player CoD4 anyone).

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Gantrfaxx - 777 days 2 hours ago

5 -

"Because the PC you can do so many things with, and the console is just there for the gaming."

I don't get it. We are talking about games here aren't we? And he produces games. So who cares what Pc can do. It's true that pc can do more but regarding the games Pc has no significant advantages over consoles. Infact when takling about games i think than i can enjoy on consoles even more. They are made for gaming.

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Maldread - 777 days 2 hours ago

6 - Yes and no

A PC is better, but at a (higher) price and needs to be updated more. PC is a bit of a loose term too, as it stands for personal computer, which means a huge variation in both price and performance, but the "overall PC" will probably be better than consoles anyway, even though they will also cost more. You can do more on a PC too naturally, but if you just want games i`m not sure if PC is the best choice, at least not for myself.

I usually like the console exclusives more (there are really many great PC games too, like Cryis for example), but Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, God of War, Uncharted (seems great)etc, just appeal more to me (I know you can play MGS-games on PC as well, but it`s not the same). If you`re a fan of FPS and RTS i would recommend a PC, even though with Halo 3 and Bioshock on 360 and the upcoming Killzone 2 and Resistance 2 for PS3, the first could be debatable, even with PCs better controls with Mouse and Keyboard.

I think it boils down to what games you like. I wouldn`t play an RTS on a console over a PC, even though i`ve heard that`s got better with some recent releases. Sport, Action and RPGs i think works better on a console due to the controls. I almost never use my PC for anything more than typing anymore, hence how i`m writing this now, but i wouldn`t say it`s bad to have both a gaming PC and console in your home. It just mean more options to play on, like having more consoles.

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mighty_douche - 777 days 2 hours ago

6.1 - great post.

pretty much summed it up.

i love my ps3 and i love my PC but if one had to go i know which it would be. sorry sony....

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Azurite - 777 days 2 hours ago

7 - Depends, like many things, on...

... from what angle you're looking at it.

Really, it's just his personal opinion and view of it.
If you have a wider perspective or looking at it differently it's alright.

And you may have noticed or not but he said: "Because the PC you can do so many things with, and the console is just there for the gaming" which would mean it's not the games he thinks always will be better but rather the freedom of use.

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mighty_douche - 777 days 2 hours ago

7.1 - true.

but name a multiplat game that is better on the console than the pc.

CoD4 for example, probably the best game to be released on a console (IMO) and the pc version dwalfs it. the graphics, frame rates, texture, server support, number of players everything.

i must admit after playing the CoD4 single player demo on the pc (all on max) that i was quite 'unhappy' with how it ran/looked on my ps3, obviously both the ps3/360 versions do look fantastic its simple a different league.

why do you think we never get console/pc comparisons, its because we already know which is better.

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Azurite - 777 days 1 hour ago

7.2 -

I agree but that's an angle like mentioned in my first post.

When I think of games for consoles I think more in terms of exclusives or "console only" games which are more refined for console gaming.

Only failures of crossplatform games is if the transition from console game to PC-game was shoddy made.

But games like CoD4 and the Orange Box is more PC-centered than console(that's how I view it anyway), even if they're great games on all platforms.

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The Dark Knight - 777 days 2 hours ago

8 -

yeah hes right but he has told us a billion times this art director, hes always like its impossible to do with consoles, i hate him, yes we know PC IS BETTER , god dam he just doesnt shut up about his pc's

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BloodySinner - 777 days 2 hours ago

9 -

Always better and will always be more costly. Which is why consoles are better.

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KDash - 777 days 1 hour ago

10 - Keep dreamin Michael Khaimzon...

you're just the art director. So please...

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fermcr - 777 days 1 hour ago

11 - people complain without thinking

People complain that the pc costs more with the upgrades. It's true. But those people don't realize that consoles games cost mutch more then pc games. I have a console and a pc... but for the same game (example COD4, UT3, Orange Box, Gears of War, etc) i would go for the pc version... mutch cheaper. Practically half the price.

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Sarkamen - 777 days ago

12 - huh

*Somewhat unrelated* This is more of a PC vs. Console comment. I have always been on the PC is better than consoles side until last week. I picked up a ps3 with a couple ps2 game I always wanted and Assassing's Creed. I am using a standard def projector and haveing the time of my life with this thing. Now don't get me wrong I will always play PC fps over any console first person game. Yet playing FFXII, Shadow of the Colossus, and Assassin's creed on a projector is more enjoyable than any PC experience I have ever had. Too bad playing on a projector with mouse and keyboard sucks. (to me anyway)

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AIZEN SOZUKE - 777 days ago

13 - too bad he cant say

pcs graphics are better than ps3s, too bad

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14 Says you | 776 days 23 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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ravinash - 776 days 23 hours ago

14.1 - I'm back!

PCs better.

the only problem with PC is that you have to keep investing in it to keep it to the latest specs.
the new games will run on the older PCs but often with the graphics turned down so the game doesn't go slow.
Thats the main reason I turned to consoles...I can play the best games and know that when I get it from the shelf and put it into my machine I know its going to work.

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dieubussy - 776 days 22 hours ago

15 - The (same) old issue

PC Vs Consoles. The oldest issue in the book.

First of all, the PC isn't a gaming system. It is a system which runs multiple software, including games. For that reason it shouldn't be thrown into a competition with something as specific as a console - though the modern consoles also extend to other forms of entertainment.

Secondly, the PC is an abstract system. When you mention the PC you could be mentioning your state-of-the-art, "I bought it last week and spent all my money with it" system as well as your old Pentium MMX @ 233Mhz in the garage.

Consoles have particular hardware, even if there are several versions of a same design throughout the world. They run games, whether you know how to install them or not. They are dedicated gaming systems where the majority of games will run smoothly and without problems. If not, it's a terrible game. In a PC you may not be able to run the game you bought for silly reasons like hardware incompatibilities or the lack of proper software (drivers, updates, patches, etc.). Sometimes you never even figure out why the game you bought doesn't work, when all your system is O.K. It's great when you have the time and the know how to fix the problems. But if you just want to play the game and be done with it, the PC may become this intricate intellectual maze.

I think console gaming experience is different from that of the PC's. The PC is an upgradeable system, so it's natural you'll be getting the best sound and graphics with every passing year, should you upgrade it. But the consoles live on, because they have a design of their own, a personality... like the early PC... MSX, Amiga, Commodore 64, Spectrum, Apple II, Macintosh... those were systems with a "personality" and that got lost with DIY or cheap PCs. Consoles have other kinds of innovations and they represent that no matter the hardware limitations, creative design and programming will always get the best of it. Consider the PS2 for example, with all it's great games library... the hardware for the PS2 was obsolete even when it was launched and it made millions of people laugh and cry for 7 years. The same thing with the NES, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo and most other popular consoles.

I love playing my adventure game on the PC. It doesn't sound right on a console. But I can't imagine playing my beat'em'up on a PC either. Since when were these two systems rivals? They complete each other, in fact. So don’t go around shouting “The PC is Better” or “My console Rules” to the four winds. You play what you like and this guy likes his PC. I like my consoles.

Mind the games you play, not where you play them – I say!

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gw4k - 776 days 22 hours ago

16 - I really disagree with this...

I have a cutting edge pc, Quadcore, sli 8800gts 640 blah blah blah

I have a PS3 and the 360 as well. In the end, I rather us my computer for work and my consoles for games.

I love the easiness, the simpleness.

I don't have to upgrade my console and I know that when I buy a game it is going to run....and I don't have to worry about the virus program running. haha

consoles are the leading game machines and to be honest, it is the pc that can not keep up.

The consoles have better games, more frequently!

As for graphics, while Crysis may look awesome, this is not a cutting edge game. I have seen better! An example would be Drakes Fortune for the PS3.

BEST GRAPHICS I HAVE EVER SEEN! Plain and Simple, the PS3 holds my award for that!

In the end, I am sticking with my consoles!

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17 RudeSole Devil | 776 days 21 hours ago - User only got 1 bubble - Show

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gw4k - 776 days 17 hours ago

17.1 - Man!

You are certainly right!

Uncharted has the best graphics I have ever seen! My mouth still hits the floor!

I used to be 360 graphical fan, but after seeing Drake's Fortune, I am switching sides!

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Kareem - 776 days 21 hours ago

18 - I prefer consoles

No need for upgrading or etc, it's like plugg in and play.

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led1090 - 776 days 19 hours ago

19 - pc cost 3000$????

i got mine for less than thousand and it rocks....
and for all you noobs he is saying pc is better from a developer point of view cause it dosent have any limitations while on the consoles u have certain restrictions since they cannot be upgraded...and as far as personal opinion goes i love my pc...mainly cause i dont own a console lol....also cause of the mouse keyboard advantage...plays crysis fine....bookmarks porn sites....what else do u need in life

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Toixer - 776 days 17 hours ago

20 - Consoles for the mass

There is no question, that consoles appeal to the mass.
I think someone has to study the nature of humans for liking games to fully understand, why console companies have so much success. Nonetheless, they made wise decisions concerning a console's design, gaming hardware architecture and marketing strategies, which contributed to their success I guess.

Fact is, a pc-only owner will miss lots of wonderful exclusive console games.

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deadeyes99 - 776 days 16 hours ago

21 - well

sad but true.

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