14 DAY TRIAL // Saints Row 3 developer Volition is still adamant that the PC platform is a great one for large, triple-A games, not just for the small, online-only titles that have been popping up on it.
The studio has taken a new stance on the PC versions of its various projects, including upcoming releases like Saints Row 3 or Red Faction: Armageddon, as it is developing the versions for that platform complete in-house.
"Some people say PC is dying. Some people say PC is the future. PC is the most variable, because it depends on what you've got under the hood. For us, the key thing was making sure the PC version was done in-house,” said Volition Studio Manager Eric Barker.
The PC editions of Saints Row 2 and Red Faction: Guerrilla were outsourced to other studios, and the results were lackluster, especially when it came to Saints Row 2.
With the new games developed by Volition, things will be much better, according to the executive.
“We definitely believe PC games are great and if they're done right and done well by a studio, they're phenomenal,” said Barker. "There's a lot of debate and discussion. I can't predict the future, but I'm really happy with how Red Faction: Armageddon looks on PC. It's beautiful."
He also tackled the piracy issue, which has been plaguing the PC platform for quite some time and is driving off many developers from releasing games for it.
According to Barker, it's important to make interesting games first, and then worry about piracy and how to prevent it from happening.
"I don't think [piracy] is something at the forefront for us," he said. "First and foremost, we want to make sure we're making a game people would want to pirate. Let's make a game that's worth stealing, and then we'll worry about making sure they don't."
Volition is currently putting the finishing touches on Red Faction: Armageddon, set to appear on May 31, and Saints Row 3: The Third, which is going to be released at the end of the year, before the holiday season.