Left 4 Dead and System Requirements

I read today that Valve recently revised the system reqs for Left 4 Dead - now you only need 128mb of video card memory, although you still need that hefty 3 GHz processor.  While that's certainly good news for those of use who are excited about this game, it got me thinking again about a touchy subject: system requirements.

Say what you will about piracy or DRM, but system requirements are, in my opinion, the biggest threat to the future of PC gaming.  PC's are in upwards of 85% of American homes, while only 45% have console systems.  So why do console game sales continually kick PC game sales to the curb?  While I'm sure there are many reasons, one simple fact remains: if I buy a console game, I am 100% assured that it will work in my console.  Buying a PC game requires consumers to scrutinize the box, and compare the list of requirements found there to a list in their head of what their computer can do.  If they are buying that game for a friend or loved one, they won't even know that much.  It's no wonder that many people choose to forego that process altogether!

So what can be done about this?  I think the system needs to be simplified drastically.  We need to help consumers feel more confident about their PC game purchase.  We need to help the moms, granddads and spouses buy games as gifts and feel good about it.

One possible solution lies within Windows Vista - the Performance Information Tool.  This handy little app rates your system in five key areas, all on a scale of 1-6.  Perhaps these numbers should find their way onto the game boxes, in addition to (though not replacing) the normal system requirements.  The idea isn't new - it's been floated around the Games for Windows offices in the past - but maybe it's time to revisit it.

Games will be on PC's as long as people own PC's.  But to cement the PC as a gaming platform, we need to help the consumers help us. 

Comments

[David Creech]

One thing to remember about PCs in 85% of homes is that most of them are NOT gaming PCs. Many of those are laptops for school or work, or cheap PCs that are really more internet/email access devices than gaming platforms. That also doesn't disclose how old they are. My grandmother has a PC in her room at her retirement home, but it was built in the 80's by KayPro and doesn't even have a mouse. That was billed as a portable computer, albeit not a laptop. And if you know what a KayPro is without googling it, you score bonus geek points. :)

Anyway, glad to see the new blog. Hopefully MS will get more games on the Windows Live platform in the future. Not sure if you have seen our site, but we have a dedicated PC gaming area at x360a, here is a direct link to the master thread if you want to take a look, comment, or post a comment letting our users know about your site (if you do that, please post that you are a MS employee so it doesn't get deleted as spam): http://www.xbox360achievements.org/forum/showthread.php?t=31059

[Ryan]

I see what you're saying, but I would bet a beer or two that the percentage of game capable PCs is at least 45-55%.

I checked out your thread and tried to register, but the captcha could no be displayed, so I had no chance to type in the right one :(

Looks like fun though, I'll be back again tomorrow to try it again. Thanks for the heads up!

[RR]

I don't understand why the experience index rating never showed up on the box, of any GfW titles. I thought that was the whole point of the system, and was going to be mandatory for GfW titles?

It's not an ideal or perfect solution, but the idea was sound. It's much easier to compare the number you see on your screen to the number on the box. Meet or exceed the number? You're set. Under the number? Don't bother.

Nice to see your new blog, by the way. It's about time Microsoft made some effort on the PC gaming side.

[GaSplat]

KayPro??? They belong in PC museums. :D

Problem with GfW is the compatability schtik. Got a hot nVidia rig with a great rating? Uh, yeah, but it doesn't support pixel shaders 4.1. So even a high score doesn't mean you can play.

Or maybe everything you have is good enough but your audio is not the latest and still drags your overall system performance score down. The game insists on a high performance score because of the high video requirement, but your score is too low even though your audio is good enough (remember, any low component score brings down the "one number" system score). So now publishers have to show a number that will make people who can play the game think that they can't. No way any publisher trying to make a profit will go along with that idea!

The one number rating concept only sounds good in theory. Reality is too messy for it to work. ;)

[Ryan Miller]

I think you would need two numbers on the box: Overall and GPU. I think that would still be so much easier than the current system.

[Mordenkainen]

I agree completely. Not only do devs need to focus more on the broad spectrum of PC hardware but they need to simplify the Sys Specs on the box. The Vista index would be fine but why isn't a part of the GFW programme?

I also think devs are missing out on a big part of the market by explicitely saying mobile gfx aren't supported. I know it's more trouble than desktops but laptops have a much larger piece of the PC sales cake and it will only get bigger.