ArmA2 - The Xbox 360 thread

[JB Time 0]

It's a WIN-WIN for everyone if they brought it to all 3 platforms.

Here is something for BI to consider, and I am sure they have....

If they bring a console version with mission editor built in, they stand a really good chance to pick up a substantial amount of market share, being all things equal with the competition. I feel the 360 version is going to do very well vs DR. due to that editor.

For example, DR vs. ArmA II w/mission editor, on a PS3 platform for my clan, I would have to support ArmA II one hundred percent, and concentrate all clan activity on it. Being able to create those COOP missions outside of normal play, would just be great. It would extend our clan play so much more. Right now it's ArmA II of the PC, and DR on the PS3. Which I am not happy about the lack of an editor from a clan owner point of view.

The replay value that a mission editor brings for CO-OP play is immense.

Really hope that the Ivan Buchta video from last year is correct and console gamers get that all important mission editor.

[Matt International 10]

OFP ELITE is still the best war game for the XBOX and XBOX 360 but most people don't know about the game. I am a handful of players that still play OFP on the XBOX we are always looking for more players let me know.

DUDE! Is OFP Elite back compatible and can you play it online....If so, I'm there!!!! I'm gonna dig it out now and try it.

[Matt International 10]

Too bad the 360 doesnt support keyboards and mouses unlike the PS3.

Erm, have you tried plugging a usb keyboard into your xbox? I'm guessing not. I use one to type messages when I have to be quiet at silly o'clock while other people sleep. I've never tried a mouse though as I haven't had the need.

And to be a little informative the plural for mouse, is mice ;)

[maxqubit 1]

^Yes, a usb keyboard works on 360. Use(d) it myself. Handy for silent chatting

[Rak 0]

I hope it'll be out on PS3 as well. It's player base much more hardcore than of Xbox 360, and the console itself is quite powerful compared to Xbox. Both are good positives to consider.

[Raphier 0]

I hope it'll be out on PS3 as well. It's player base much more hardcore than of Xbox 360, and the console itself is quite powerful compared to Xbox. Both are good positives to consider.

welcome to feeling of current pc crowd, that's exactly how we feel about PC game ports of all games out there (especially on Ubisoft's front)

1. happens is hope, we hope to get a good game, then comes reasoning.

2.We begin to give reasons why they should do it on this/that platform. But after time passes

3. we either get the game, we praise the makers, or it won't come, we begin to hope and hate the makers

4. Accept the truth.

that's how it's going for you guys here :)

Edited April 23, 2009 by Raphier

[Rak 0]

Well I'm a PC gamer for more than 10 years(1 years ArmA) and I haven't had a console nor planning to buy one, I'm just making making a suggestion for BIS.

So you could stop treating me as a "console guy" :c: I too think it won't be out on PS3 though, BIS never mentioned it. But another 22 millions of "more hardcore" population is a good thing to consider.

[Raphier 0]

Well I'm a PC gamer for more than 10 years(1 years ArmA) and I haven't had a console nor planning to buy one, I'm just making making a suggestion for BIS.

So you could stop treating me as a "console guy" :c: I too think it won't be out on PS3 though, BIS never mentioned it. But another 22 millions of "more hardcore" population is a good thing to consider.

yeah, but you still act like in 4 step rule :D

and 22 million of more hardcore.... how much did killzone 2 sell again?

it's 22 million potential customers, but it's way too much to even think about, if any other super crazy can't get more than 12 million.

[SGT_2AD 10]

Saying the PS3 player is more hardcore than 360 is a pretty opened ended statement. May be more mature? Hardware, yea I agree there.

The difference between KZ2 and RSV is night and day. Sony's support for 3rd party vendor is limited. 3rd Party are given the hardware tools to create games, but are expected to code everything themselves, with little help from Sony.

1st Party vendors like GG create exclusives to be sold only on the PS3, so the level of help is exponentially higher. KZ2 is one of the best games to date. To achieve that level, they had to have help from Sony engineers to make sure it did. R:FOM is another example. To be a release title, that game was great!

A port of ArmA II to PS3 would be great! And I hope it happens, but the PS3 BE Cell is a different beast from a pc and 360, therefore porting is not the same.

Does BI want to invest the resources required to port ArmA II to the PS3 platform, and try to capture a larger market share?

This is nothing more than counting beans. At the end of the day, do they get more beans for their effort, or less beans.

[hellasmoke 10]

The ps3 is tougher to code for, seriously alot tougher. That could be the only reason I see not to bring it to it. The consoles all work basically off the same cell processor(or core processor...i dont remember) so both are fairly similar, differences are really small, so much so that most users wont notice the difference.

[Raphier 0]

The ps3 is tougher to code for, seriously alot tougher. That could be the only reason I see not to bring it to it. The consoles all work basically off the same cell processor(or core processor...i dont remember) so both are fairly similar, differences are really small, so much so that most users wont notice the difference.

PS3 is not tougher to code for, it's the complexity in scripts that need be placed, so in other works, to do same effect as in x360, PS3 needs more work from logic to do so, but ofcourse, it'll possibly also run that effect faster due to faster library.

It seems to me that PS3 is just more low-level oriented than X360, which would be an extremly hard. (something like assembly, it's freaking complex, but once done it's faster than anything on the planet)

[SGT_2AD 10]

The ps3 is tougher to code for, seriously alot tougher. That could be the only reason I see not to bring it to it. The consoles all work basically off the same cell processor(or core processor...i dont remember) so both are fairly similar, differences are really small, so much so that most users wont notice the difference.

With all due respect....

That is a little too simplistic to say they all work off the same cell processor.

It's more like PowerPC vs. Intel. There are big differences between the 2 processors. Yes they are multi-core, but thats about it. The internal architecture is completely different. And the reason "why" it is harder to port to the BE Cell. Different coding.

[Blackbird1967 10]

yea i play with avibird 1 on XB 1 - truth be told not everyone can afford a brand new pc every few months to keep up with the latest games. Avi knows alot about bohemia so id ask you all to just answer his question and to keep away from poking fun at people who care to spend the majority of their money elsewhere besides video games

thanks guys

[cnickcj 0]

What would the ppl who will be playing the xbox 360 version of arma 2 like to see in the first update or DLC ? ( weapons vehicles etc ) ..

[Red_Barron 0]

What would the ppl who will be playing the xbox 360 version of arma 2 like to see in the first update or DLC ? ( weapons vehicles etc ) ..

You are assuming that there will be DLC at all. I would think it depends on how well the game sells.

But that does raise an interesting question. Marek has made comments on how the console market is something they need to continue to tap to keep making money essentially. I'm not a console gamer myself anymore, but DLC seems to be a way for companies to continue to get revenue out of gamers after they have purchased the initial game.

Now, AFAIK, console users will not be able to develop mods like PC users can do, so the only way console users can get more content is through DLC, which I don't see BIS handing out for free (like by by let's say letting PC modders port "approved" content to XBOX360, or getting permission from modders to do it for them). Yet, if BIS creates DLC for consoles, it damn well better release it to PC gamers in the form of an expansion pack, otherwise the bitching on these forums will be endless.

On the other hand, if BIS releases a patch like the one that introduced Warfare in A1, it would seem to have to give console users the same content free.

Like I said, I'm not a console user. Are there instances of DLC that is handed out for free (other than some sort of patch/fix)?

That is a very interesting question. I do wonder what BIS will do about that.

[Chazmeister 0]

Are there instances of DLC that is handed out for free (other than some sort of patch/fix)?

That seems to depend largely on the dev or publisher. Criterion have released several good free updates for Burnout Paradise along side their premium offerings. And there's also been free map packs for Gears of War and Halo 3. However on the whole most DLC content needs to be paid for, and despite it being a couple or more years ago, we are still seeing "Horse Armour" style offerings from some companies. For instance Dead Space and Far Cry 2's offerings have been rather poor for the money asked.

At the end of the day though, I, like any other consumer will vote with my wallet as to what I think is worth paying for. As for possible DLC content I'd like to see for ArmA2; I primarily played OFP and ArmA for the co-op experience, so more good quality co-op missions are something I'd gladly stump up money for.

[avibird 1 155]

I primarily played OFP and ArmA for the co-op experience, so more good quality co-op missions are something I'd gladly stump up money for.

Why would you pay for any co-op missions when with a little time on your hands and some basic knowledge of setting up waypoints with a good

understanding how to balance a mission you could make any type of co-op mssions you want.

Just give us some of the unit MOD's from the PC community or make some new units for the game. The XBOX community will pay for this. Not new missions, that's what CODEMASTERS is all about now. Getting MONEY from us for things you should be doing for yourself.

[hellasmoke 10]

So, does this mean Arma 2 will have a editor for consoles?

[avibird 1 155]

So, does this mean Arma 2 will have a editor for consoles?

Yes it will. A game would not be OFP if it had no editor. The console editor will have less abilities then the PC but it worked just fine for the elite and the xbox community.

If you have an old xbox go get OFP elite. My group of friends still play a few times a week and it's still better then any 360 games right now if you can look passed the dated graphics the gameplay kicks ass.

[hellasmoke 10]

Yes it will. A game would not be OFP if it had no editor. The console editor will have less abilities then the PC but it worked just fine for the elite and the xbox community.

If you have an old xbox go get OFP elite. My group of friends still play a few times a week and it's still better then any 360 games right now if you can look passed the dated graphics the gameplay kicks ass.

Ill look into that. Man, CM really is hurting themselves with that huh.

[avibird 1 155]

This was a debate from a different post from a member called The. D

HIS Quote:

(The following contribution is rated "S" for satire.) Avibird, I like consoles as long as they stay out of my way when it comes to complex, versatile game concepts really. There are some great console games out there - just not always my cup of tea, so to say. Anyways:

MY Quote:

"Hey not to start a fight with you and the rest of the PC players ( I am a old PC player myself) but, the truth be told the console market is overall bigger and it's way easier to fix a bug on the console then the PC.

HIS Quote:

Erh...? The console market is bigger, yeah, mostly due to more lucrative prospects and a more easily influenced target group ("Mom, buy me that game, there's a soldier with a funny hat on the cover!") - not to mention the lack of flexibility (which also provides easier customer surveilance, a.k.a. copy protection).

As for fixing bugs in console games - It's the other way round, right? May I remind you of Oblivion and its "savegame / difficulty" bug? Ah, the fun we had! Seeing how dedicated BIS is when it comes to community support and patch releases, you have to admit, this is an absolute PC tenet. I bet you're not writing your BIS forum post with your X-Box controller, either.

MY Quote:

"Bohemia is doing right by it's old community by making the PC first but once mainstream console players get a taste for this game and see what this game can play like it's all over.

MY Quote:

Holy Jebus, no! You can't play a simulator with 5 coloured buttons and a fidgety thumb stick. Crysis, which isn't even 1/100th as complex as ArmA was a hilarious example of just how much worse console controls for extended gameplay concepts are. Some servers there even tried to enforce gamepads for PC players in order to join in. I couldn't help but smile.

As long as it helps BIS, let the console players spend money on a new game, alright - as they usually do every three weeks or so. But I'd hate to see the controls being vastly deteriorated due to a console lobby.

MY Quote:

The console market is continuing to grow each year but they don't know any better then COD/BF/GRAW/GEAR/HALO and RB6 games.

HIS Quote:

Not to start a discussion about how good or bad these games are but console game developers shouldn't know any "better", so to say. A simple arcade game for a nice evening with friends and beverages - that's what makes consoles great! There are many highly original (yet very simple!) games for consoles out there, and this is where the refuge of the market lies, should the average console users suddenly decide to be weary of the same old schemes over and over again.

MY Quote:

BOHEMIA will show them with this game and the gates will open!

HIS Quote:

I understand BIS' decision to release ArmA2 for consoles - and I presume it's a solely monetary one. I don't think they suddenly decided "Hey, let's make a super smart game and release it on a vast market whose primary target group distinguishes itself through playing overpriced, repetitive games that pretend to have good graphics for about three weeks and then buy the next one."

Well, that I had to get off my chest :-D

(I own a console myself, by the way)

This is my statement back to him and all other PC players and lets be nice and have a good debute on this subject please.

First if you ever played the elite then you would know that the games played almost the same with a few small control differents ie fix crosshair and not having the F keys. The way the units moved were the same and the controls worked great for the xbox.

Yes some developers make console games first and then port it over to the PC making limiations for the game. BOHEMIA makes the PC first and then they find a way to make the controls work for the console game just like they did with OFP ELITE.

You PC players who never played the elite have nothing to worry about I know, I am a old PC player of OFP and the game plays just like the PC and some people feel the overall graphics was better then the old PC version.

We all need to be one community. BOHEMIA will not sell out, they know the core players are still the PC market but if they can get 1/3 of the console market from the crab games of BF/COD ect games this would be good for all of us.

Many console players want this type of game and many more don't know it yet. The console market is the future of gaming this is a fact.

Edited April 29, 2009 by AVIBIRD 1

[NxSEALz 10]

Amen to the AVIBIRD! people dont understand how important the consoles are! Yes PC overall are more power full and can handle more but consoles are overall a bigger market!

[JB Time 0]

There was a thread earlier, which is now closed, about a website reporting that the console version of ArmA 2 has been cancelled. I realise that this is probably incorrect as it was just a translation error/sensationalist journalism etc.

My question is about a comment that Placebo made just before closing the thread. He hinted at a reason for why BIS are silent on the issue of a console release;

"That remains the answer to the console question. If you look hard enough you'll find the reason from Ondrej as to why there's no elaboration from us on the subject."

I tried searching on Ondrej's name to locate the post, but it said 'sorry, no matches'. Do any of you guys know what reason Ondrej gave?

[W0lle 1052]

I don't have the link with the reason at hand either but you need to search for Ondrejs nickname (Suma). Alternatively check his profile to find his posts.

[Sniperwolf572 758]

I believe that this is the post Placebo was referring to.