Feature: Five PC games console gamers would love to play

Posted Oct 1st 2009 12:00PM by John Callaham
Filed under: Features, FPS, MMO, RPG

How many times have we been told that the PC game industry is dying? Console games get the vast majority of media attention and sales for a number of high profile console games reach millions of copies sold. However there are still a number of game franchises that have remained, at least for now, strictly for PC gamers only. We know that console gamers would love to play all of the following game titles:

Check out five PC games that console gamers would love to play after the jump

Any of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games

GSC Game World's series of first person shooters set in a post-apocalyse version of Chernobyl would certainly appeal to console gamers who enjoyed Fallout 3 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. The first game in the series, Shadow of Chernobyl, was released in 2007 with the second, Clear Sky, following in 2008. A third game, Call of Pirpyat, is due out in early 2010 but there's no word on a console release.

Empire: Total War

The long running historical RTS game series from developer The Creative Assembly has always been a PC game exclusive and that's certainly true for the most recent game in the series which is set in the 18th century. While RTS games are becoming more and more prevalent on consoles, there have been no announced plans to bring the Total War series to consoles, even though The Creative Assembly have made console games in the past, including their most recent RTS title Stormrise.

Guild Wars

Developer ArenaNet and publisher NCsoft had a major hit with their mix of fantasy action-RPG with a MMO-lite game design. The first Guild Wars title was released in 2005 with two stand alone continuations and a final expansion pack following over a two year period. The sequel, Guild Wars 2, has been announced but so far little info on the game has been revealed. There is no indication at all that NCsoft plans to turn Guild Wars into a console game.

The Witcher

CD Project's fantasy action-RPG has been a big sales success for a PC game exclusive. Since the release of the original version of the game in 2007 over 1 million copies of the title have been sold, which is impressive for a title that hasn't gotten the marketing muscle of other titles. A planned console Witcher game was canceled but it's possible that CD Projekt's upcoming sequel The Witcher 2 could be released for consoles as well as the PC.

Sins of a Solar Empire

Ironclad Games's space strategy game that combines turn-based expansion with RTS 3D combat is an example of a game that would be very hard to make work for a console. This is a pure PC game which has found a big audience since its first release in 2008. Ironclad has made one mini-expansion and a second is in the works but there are hints that there are more plans for the franchise.

For more PC games that console gamers would love to play check out Game Daily's feature today.

Tags: empire-total-war, featured, guild-wars, postal-2, stalker-call-of-pripyat, stalker-clear-sky, stalker-shadow-of-chernobyl, the-witcher

13 Comments

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Those Xbastards just got Zeno Clash :(Posted at 12:10PM on Oct 1st 2009 by Jose

@Jose

It's not a competition. One system is not superior for having one game over another. What matters is the systems that you own having the games you want to play.

The fact that another group of people will experience something you did is a good thing, not a bad thing. The developer will get more money and, hopefully, release more games that you like because they have more money to do it.Posted at 1:10PM on Oct 1st 2009 by Kevin

Well, I was only half joking, hence the awful portmanteau. But it is distressing to see games go to other systems in more polished forms than when they released (or have even been updated to since) on their original PC platform. Half-Life 2 still hasn't been updated with high res textures our 360 brethren got in the Orange Box. And Zeno Clash will have some form of co-op. Will the PC version be updated with this content, or will we have an inferior version?

With all that said, I do hope 360 owners love the game as much as I do.Posted at 1:29PM on Oct 1st 2009 by Jose

@jose
it goes both ways -- us PC gamers got a better cut of the SF4, with the alternate rendering styles. we had better controls for Res Evil 5. Our cut of Red Faction includes content that was considered DLC for the console versions.
the one major game I wish was available for PCs would be Dead Rising 1, but seeing as Dead Rising 2 is coming soon, I'm not complaining.Posted at 1:45PM on Oct 1st 2009 by moo

@jose

The new content for the XBL version of Zeno Clash is a timed exclusive, it's going to be patched into the PC game a little bit after.Posted at 2:06PM on Oct 1st 2009 by iHavepants {SteamPSN: Arkanti}

GW can actually be played with a controller with total ease and my guild actually had two guys who would play with the original Xbox controller. Its action centric nature and rapid execution of skills would be favored and I was really really surprised that ArenaNet and NCSoft did not port this over , especially considering NCSoft's tie up with Sony for PS3.Posted at 2:45PM on Oct 1st 2009 by Arnie

@moo
Your mom goes both ways.

Yes, I get it guys, I was JOKING! I love my Mass Effect, and my Bioshock.

Dead Rising looked like crap, and Dead Rising 2 looks like crap as well. I'd much rather have Gears 2 or Brutal Legend on PC.Posted at 3:03PM on Oct 1st 2009 by Jose

What? No Crysis, Starcraft, or TF2 (Updated), or even a Counter-Strike that doesn't totally suck?

Seriously... what kind of Console gamer wouldn't want to play Crysis? And witness their failingly lame console graphics?
Or Starcraft, the best RTS Ever...
Or Team Fortress 2, the game that isn't complete garbage for the PC, and has been patched >50 times since launch, compared to the console's 0?
Or even Counter-Strike... which the console version's all sucked.
Or a working keyboard controller...Posted at 7:19PM on Oct 1st 2009 by Controller4

Controller4, Starcraft has already been ported to console (N64 10 years ago). Posted at 2:38AM on Oct 4th 2009 by smi04

I have a felling that we will see Guild Wars 2 on the PS3... just because the game would be such an easy port... that reminds me maybe I should play some more Guild Wars.Posted at 9:10AM on Oct 5th 2009 by Biggie

um....world of warcraft?Posted at 2:16AM on Oct 5th 2009 by bildo

As a long time console player (who doesnt have the bling to keep up with PC gaming) my most wanted games are Crysis and Witcher.

IMO: there's little excuse for these to NOT be at least on the 360Posted at 8:54AM on Oct 5th 2009 by BlazeOneG

No way BlazeOneG, it sucks that Crysis 2 is already coming to consoles, let's hope the PC version isn't dumbed down because of it!Posted at 12:32PM on Oct 5th 2009 by RKN

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