Dark Souls devs say Games for Windows discussion 'ongoing'

Namco Bandai is dropping hints that it may consider a different digital platform for Dark Souls: Prepare to Die, after fans reacted to seeing the Games for Windows Live logo on the box.

56

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die is the long-awaited PC port of the hardcore console title, but PC fans were none-too-pleased by the "Games for Windows Live" logo that appeared with the announcement. Producer Daisuke Uchiyama seems at least receptive to change, claiming that the partnership talks aren't set in stone.

"[Live] is the established server that we used for the Xbox 360 version - that's the main reason we picked it," Uchiyama told Edge. "But the partnership decision is still ongoing. We might have another announcement soon regarding the platform we'll be using."

Marketing head Carlson Choi also remarked that since the game isn't due until August, "there is still a lot of time for marketing beats." That implies more announcements to come, which PC stalwarts hope means Steamworks.

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die will add a new chapter, two new bosses and various new enemies, a PVP matchmaking system, a new NPC, and additional weapons and armor. All those fancy extras should make the game easier, so we shouldn't feel that the subtitle is foreboding at all, right?

Editor-In-Chief
From The Chatty
  • reply
    April 18, 2012 11:15 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Dark Souls devs say Games for Windows discussion 'ongoing'.

    Namco Bandai is dropping hints that it may consider a different digital platform for Dark Souls: Prepare to Die, after fans reacted to seeing the Games for Windows Live logo on the box.

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 11:20 AM

      Seriously, GFWL is TERRIBLE. A console interface on a PC, absolutely freaking redonkulous.

      Hope the dev's just make the sensible choice and put it on Steam. Long live Steam!

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 11:21 AM

        Steam and GFWL aren't mutually exclusive. What they should use is Steamworks.

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 11:24 AM

          Right, it's basically the Batman: AA/AC situation.

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 11:42 AM

          This. Steamworks please.

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 11:32 AM

        It's nothing to do with a console interface, it's the shitty restrictions, patching, authentication and other shit involved. None of which is an issue on the Xbox version.

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 3:35 PM

        How does a company with infinite money seem to fuck up everything they touch?

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 11:21 AM

      Despite a few stumbles like possible GFWL integration and few graphical upgrades, Namco/From are doing a fantastic job of listening to community feedback. They seem to have genuinely embraced the community's desires and are working hard to give them what they want. I already own the game on PS3 and hope the new content becomes available as DLC, but even if it does, I'll still buy the PC version to support Namco/From's ongoing effort to support me.

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 11:25 AM

        I'm buying it and I won't even have time to play it.

      • Ebu legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
        reply
        April 18, 2012 1:12 PM

        Seriously. Even though I have no real desire to play it on PC, I'll buy it from them if they switch to Steamworks just on principle.

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 11:24 AM

      I hope they switch to Steam and sell a ton of copies. I know I'll buy it even if it has GFWL :( .

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 11:28 AM

      This is starting to feel like a giant troll. First they listen to the nerds and port it to PC. Then they entertain the idea of shifting digital platforms because the nerds said so. WHAT NEXT?

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 11:50 AM

        Probably making shitloads of money comes next.

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 11:56 AM

        Yes, how trollish of them to actually listen to their customers!

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 1:16 PM

        Next the nerds will call it a lame console port.

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 3:52 PM

        Oh noes,
        Companies listening to their customer's feedback, is this communism??!!

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 11:31 AM

      It's in my Gamefly queue for PS3 right now. If it's any fun at all I'll pick it up on PC with or without GFWL. Preferably without.

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 11:42 AM

      I love that this is happening. This is how more companies should act (ones that want to make money, at least). Announce some shit -> Gauge potential customers' reaction -> React accordingly.

      Seems like a win-win for everybody (except GFWL!).

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 11:44 AM

        I wonder how MS feels about everyone hating on GFWL

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 11:56 AM

          Apparently they don't give a shit, since it's been out for years and still sucks.

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 12:00 PM

          Maybe they should look at why people hate it and try to fix that.

          • reply
            April 18, 2012 12:42 PM

            because it's not steam. they can't really fix that. whiners will be whiners. another thing they can't change.

            • reply
              April 18, 2012 12:46 PM

              Yep, branding is clearly all that is happening here.

              • reply
                April 18, 2012 1:37 PM

                When people bag on Blizzard's offering because it's not steam, it's pretty clear branding plays a big part.

                • reply
                  April 18, 2012 1:37 PM

                  There is nowhere near the universal hatred toward Battle.net that there is toward GFWL.

                  • reply
                    April 18, 2012 3:01 PM

                    Agreed. I had no problem with SC2 and Battle.net, even for a single-player game. Still, logging into Steam and THEN waiting for a weird, buggy GFWL login *after* I ran the game for Bulletstorm was a permanent black eye for me.

            • reply
              April 18, 2012 12:54 PM

              It's amazing the amount of shit you are willing to put up with.

              Why is it whining to demand that a product not suck my hairy cock everytime I try to use it?

            • reply
              April 18, 2012 1:04 PM

              Clearly that's it, it has nothing to do with GFWL being a massive piece of shit.

            • reply
              April 18, 2012 1:06 PM

              It's because it offers nothing for the consumer except a big pain in the ass. Its overlay is clunky, its updates/failures to log in siezing the game up, and I've heard of grief in that you can't use the same account on an XBox as the PC at the same time, which is an issue to some people.

              • reply
                April 18, 2012 1:20 PM

                Yeah the overlay is pretty clunky last time I used it. It wasn't too bad for DoW2. I don't understand the same account on Xbox and PC though, wouldn't you just log in as yourself? Are people watching netflix on their xbox while they play games on the PC? I guess it's possible.

                It seems like they're using it for multiplayer since the work was already done with the 360 version. Doesn't make sense to rebuild from the ground up for a PC port when the work is pretty much all done. They'd probably end up spending more than the sales they'd lose from the vocal minority that would actually stick to their guns and not buy it because of GFWL.

                • reply
                  April 18, 2012 1:23 PM

                  This sounds like a somewhat unfounded conjecture.

                • reply
                  April 18, 2012 1:26 PM

                  While unlikely, it's entirely possible that a pc gamer may have a boyfriend or girlfriend that wants to watch Netflix or play a game while they're playing on the pc without logging out of the x-box.

                  • reply
                    April 18, 2012 1:42 PM

                    I recall that this is the exact issue that popped up here one day. GFWL would lock the Xbox user out of netflix and stuff while the game was being played, or vice versa; I can't recall exactly.

                  • reply
                    April 18, 2012 8:02 PM

                    I have a family account for that purpose

            • Ebu legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
              reply
              April 18, 2012 1:12 PM

              Oh, dantastic, what will you say next.

            • reply
              April 18, 2012 2:45 PM

              I like other systems that are not Steam. GFWL still sucks.

            • reply
              April 18, 2012 8:23 PM

              They could always buy Valve and then they'd own Steam...

            • reply
              April 18, 2012 11:45 PM

              Pretty much. It's entitlement plain and simple. Look at how much slamming of Origin there still is even though it works fine.

            • reply
              April 18, 2012 11:49 PM

              that's not really the only thing that's wrong with it.

              actually of all the out steam-like services on PC, it's one of the few that has the potential to actually be a really great steam competitor if they put an effort into it. They won't, though because they're too afraid of it cannibalizing xbox software sales.

            • reply
              April 19, 2012 2:02 AM

              Why are you defending a piece of shit?

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 12:30 PM

        Yea except gauging customer reaction based on a small subset of customers that is super vocal and obnoxious on the internet does not mean they are actually catering to 95% of the people that are actually going to buy the product.

        Not that I love GFWL or anything, I'd prefer Steam. Just saying that whiners and petitioners on the internet are not a representation of a majority of customers.

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 12:33 PM

          I think marginalizing your "vocal internet minority" would have disastrous results financially.

          We're the ones who are most aware of the game. We're the most sensitive to any kind of issue hampering its release.

          I think any company that wouldn't pay attention to this kind of direct, honest feedback would be quite foolish.

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 12:34 PM

          Also, the Dark Souls petition got 100k sigs. I dunno what small subset of people you're talking about. This is the Internet age we live in now.

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 1:22 PM

          [deleted]

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 1:28 PM

          I'm not sure you know this, but Dark Souls is a videogame.

          Videogame.

          Not a coffee maker or a lawn mower or some shit.

          • reply
            April 18, 2012 1:49 PM

            I have a +10 Zweihander. I have braved Sens Fortress, the depths of Blighttown and the heights of Anor Londo. I am quite aware that Dark Souls is a videogame. A beautiful, wonderful, soul-crushing one.

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 3:40 PM

          Yeah, but if the majority of customers don't care enough to say anything then they probably don't give much of a shit either way. The vocal minority are probably the people most likely to influence word of mouth sales, for good or bad.

          • reply
            April 18, 2012 3:41 PM

            Even if they change everything to meet pc gamer's demands, it'll still get metacritic bombed because someone will fuck up and release a screenshot containing two rocks that share the same model & texture.

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 3:34 PM

        they are too busy counting money from xbx live memberships.
        they don't give a shit

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 12:14 PM

      Steam or go home.

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 12:27 PM

      i hope they use gamefly, just to make everyones heads explode

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 12:40 PM

      I'm gonna protest them if they don't port the port to the consoles.

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 1:01 PM

      Good for them! Wait, I mean, what kind of shitty company are they, who would listen to the potential sales base for this niche "Hard Game Club Approved" Japanese, non-dudebro, first PC port game.

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 1:23 PM

      These guys really seem to give into peer pressure a lot.

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 1:35 PM

      I wasn't actually that interested in Dark Souls for the PC, but I think I'll buy it just to support a dev who seems to care what their fans think.

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 1:42 PM

      This is good to hear. I will be buying the game in any case, but it is nice that they are listening and considering.

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 1:44 PM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 1:52 PM

      ENTITLED PC GAMERS

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 2:12 PM

        Yeah this game is really making us look like asshats now.

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 2:14 PM

          How is this now our fault, and not From Software's?

          When did we suggest they use GFWL?

          • reply
            April 18, 2012 2:17 PM

            Do you mean that you don't think we look like asshats, or just that it's not our fault that we look like asshats?

            • reply
              April 18, 2012 2:33 PM

              I really don't think there is anything wrong with demanding a quality product. Yes, straight up fucking DEMANDING that shit.

              What makes it seem weird, I think, is that very few companies will actually listen to their consumers like From appear to be doing.

              So no, I don't think we look like asshats at all.

              • reply
                April 18, 2012 2:48 PM

                Did you see the hubub yesterday (or day before or something) about the screenshots they released? People bitching that they didn't do enough to improve the game for PC. Plus people have been dissing them for not spending a ton of effort on mouse and keyboard. Now we're all up in arms about it using the devil GFWL. Even if it is justified, every time they release the smallest bit of info about this game, some segment of our glorious pc gaming master race throws a tantrum dwarf fortress style. I don't disagree with any of it, but to an outsider, esp. to a dirty console gaming peasant, we're really living up to the stereotype here.

                • reply
                  April 18, 2012 2:57 PM

                  Well no shit - if every bit of news they release is terrible of course people are going to be pissed about it.

                  The things people are pissed about are things that every PC port should include. No excuses. PC ports have been shoddy in the past - guess how much money they made for the company's time and effort?

                  It is in the best interest of both the developers and the consumers to be on the same page here.

                  How is it hard to understand that PC gamers aren't going to line up in droves to pay $50 for a half ass port?

                  • reply
                    April 18, 2012 3:14 PM

                    You're right, I wish they had never ported this to PC in the first place. No game is better then this turd. Hell, the graphics look like a fucking console game from 2011!!

                    I hope they lose their asses on this, hopefully it will teach them not to make PC games anymore.

                    • reply
                      April 18, 2012 3:19 PM

                      That's not at all what he was implying or saying. This kind of sarcastic post is unnecessary.

                    • reply
                      April 18, 2012 3:32 PM

                      I'm sure they're learning just how retarded the vocal pc gaming community is.

          • reply
            April 18, 2012 3:56 PM

            when did FROM suggest it? Namco is making all of the decisions.

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 4:03 PM

        My theory: Namco never expected to do much better than break even on the PC release, so they're like 'oh, you psychos still have a problem? Whatever, guess we're still figuring out what to do. We'll see. As long as it doesn't cost us any, maybe we'll go to Steam instead.'

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 8:26 PM

        PC GAMERS: "We'd like to play Dark Souls on the PC."
        NAMCO: "We'll look into it."
        PC GAMERS: "Thanks."

        (later)

        NAMCO: "We're bringing Dark Souls to the PC due to popular demand"
        PC GAMERS: "Yay!"
        NAMCO: "And it will use GFWL."
        PC GAMERS: "Oh. Is there any way you could use Steam instead? See, I don't know if you're aware but GFWL stinks."
        NAMCO: "We'll look into it."
        PC GAMERS: "Thanks."

        You can look at the petition as whiny fucks or you could see it as the PC gaming community's collective method of bringing attention to the issues they find important.

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 2:14 PM

      [deleted]

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 2:20 PM

        I did, and had zero problems with it.

        or am i just 'that guy' now?

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 2:59 PM

          It's not that GFWL never works. The problem is that when it breaks, it always breaks really bad. And it does seem to break far more often then other options.

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 3:31 PM

          5 Install limit..... Seriously. :( What the heck?!

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 7:31 PM

          i know mine crashed during a gfwl update and took me an hour or so to get running

      • reply
        April 19, 2012 2:01 AM

        Still having issues with GTA IV on Steam and savegames / profile not working on GFWL

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 2:15 PM

      oh man if they change it then all the internet people are going to believe complaining on the internet and signing petitions actually works and do it even more

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 2:20 PM

        Oh the plus side maybe we'll see a marked decline in the overuse of the word entitled.

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 2:36 PM

        I seem to be repeating myself in this thread, but I don't see it so much as 'complaining actually works'...I'd like to think of it as From Software realizing that actually listening to your customers and giving them what they want will prove to be a successful venture.

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 2:47 PM

          Exactly, what company wants to piss of their customers? Well besides EA, because they just don't care.

          • reply
            April 18, 2012 3:00 PM

            I think the conundrum is the PC audience wasn't even really supposed to BE customers... and hence shouldn't be this pissed off about basically everything...

            • reply
              April 18, 2012 3:47 PM

              Thats a ridiculous comment to make.

              Well you should be thankfull we're selling this product to you, you werent even supposed to have it. So take it as it is or shut the fuck up.

            • reply
              April 18, 2012 4:04 PM

              We won't be customers if the product sucks. Funny how that works!

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 3:08 PM

        yeah really. im just wishing theyd never ported it to pc at this point

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 3:59 PM

        How amazing would it be if their reaction to the GFWL petition and the people bitching about PC controls were simply "fuck it, you guys are too high maintenance, we're out."

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 4:03 PM

          They'll release *something*, and that something will sell good or bad regardless of how they respond to the forum monsters.

          If it loses them money, then the chances of a repeat venture onto the pc are basically non-existent.

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 4:27 PM

          Lol the PR nightmare of backing out of an announcement like that would be a wonder to behold. It would wake ancient, Lovecraftian creatures from the internet thirsty for blood.

          I could respect it eventually, I guess. The game could be so great on PC, though, it'd be a real shame for all of this not to work out.

        • reply
          April 18, 2012 4:34 PM

          [deleted]

          • reply
            April 18, 2012 4:35 PM

            I would love to see the reaction, especially if they just stood by their guns and kept saying "you guys aren't worth it"

            • reply
              April 18, 2012 4:38 PM

              [deleted]

              • reply
                April 18, 2012 4:39 PM

                [deleted]

              • reply
                April 18, 2012 4:39 PM

                Haha you're proving why it would be such an amazing spectacle

              • reply
                April 18, 2012 4:40 PM

                The port is basically free. I mean, it can't be more than, what? Four lines of code?

                • reply
                  April 18, 2012 4:41 PM

                  Yeah, I'd probably spend $50 on it, if it was done properly.

                  • reply
                    April 18, 2012 4:41 PM

                    That $50 pays for like, a billion years of a billion developers, too!

                  • reply
                    April 18, 2012 4:42 PM

                    Probably overpaying for hitting the resolution switch and pressing the 'MAX GRAFX' button. at the same time

                • reply
                  April 18, 2012 4:41 PM

                  [deleted]

                  • reply
                    April 18, 2012 4:47 PM

                    I'm basically enamored with the news cycle of pc gaming at this point.

                    The dude from From said they weren't adding additional graphical features & options. This statement wasn't well explained, but was picked up by the blogs where people commenting on it took it to mean they were locking the game at 720p resolution and 30 fps. The blogs then reported on the conjecture from their own comment sections saying the game was 720p and 30 fps locked. Other news sites then started reporting the "rumor" that the game was 720p locked at 30fps.

                    This devolves into some of the backlash we see today. If it comes out that the game isn't going to be fps or resolution locked then it'll likely be spun as a huge win for the pc gaming community against dumbass greedy developers, whether they had any impact or not.

                    • reply
                      April 19, 2012 4:45 AM

                      Is it really a rumor? Someone on a Gaf linked an interview with famitsu and writes:

                      i{- Miyazaki says that the base game is intended to be a straight port with no change in resolution and he specifically says not to expect 60 fps. This is probably his most controversial statement, because it does seem to suggest that it will run at a locked resolution and framerate. Until he clarifies further, I do feel that is the intended message to manage expectations.}i

                • reply
                  April 18, 2012 4:46 PM

                  [deleted]

                  • reply
                    April 18, 2012 4:48 PM

                    Dude, I once ported something from Windows XP to Windows Vista. Didn't even need a recompile.

                    Based on my experience, you could easily just drop the 360 disc into the pc and have it work if they didn't call the disable_pc_support() function in main.

                  • reply
                    April 18, 2012 8:12 PM

                    dude, i play PS3 games on my PC by holding down Shift when the disc spins up

                  • reply
                    April 18, 2012 11:58 PM

                    one time I farted on a commodore 64 and automatically source ported quake 3 to it

                  • reply
                    April 19, 2012 12:36 AM

                    [deleted]

                  • reply
                    April 19, 2012 4:02 AM

                    open ps3 demon's souls
                    please run on windows
                    please run on mac
                    compile

                  • reply
                    April 22, 2012 3:54 PM

                    uh, yeah, porting hello world doesn't count.

            • reply
              April 18, 2012 5:08 PM

              I agree. it would be a netflix style reversal. full project cancellation, namco puts on shades and goes... DEAL WITH IT .

              plus, simply thinking about switching from GWFL isn't going to placate the audience for long. they opened the pandoras box of shitheel PC folks. we see texture whining, controls, pretty much everything. I'm sure people will want quicksave as well and wonder why that wasn't included!

            • reply
              April 19, 2012 5:25 AM

              The problem with that (hahaha, our customers suck!) is that this is not From Software's position. They've said, clearly, that they want to do this well. The requirements are coming down from their publisher (Namco) who does not want them to put in the effort.

              It would be the equivalent of Volition saying SR4 will be locked to 30 FPS and only 720p because you guys (Take Two) forced them into it.

              You guys would look like complete tools, just as Namco does right now. Luckily for us you (take two) know better.

        • reply
          April 19, 2012 12:32 AM

          how big would your boner be

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 4:58 PM

        [deleted]

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 8:07 PM

        At this rate it'll become Episode 3

      • reply
        April 18, 2012 8:08 PM

        How is this any different from people complaining until bioware did free ME3 ending DLC?

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 4:03 PM

      GFWL has a reputation for being crap and is largely avoided in the PC gaming crowd. They'd be seriously harming their sales to release on it.

    • reply
      April 18, 2012 11:09 PM

      After trying to get Batman: AC to run last night, I don't want to spend the same amount of time with every GFWL game... fuck that noise.

    • reply
      April 19, 2012 2:30 AM

      And now they are saying that they are going to cap the resolution, and cap the game to 30fps too.
      With the excuse that they are keeping the experience true to what it was in console.

      Sigh.

Hello, Meet Lola