TechSpot en EspañolMost Popular
| Top Stories | Just in | Featured |
11 awesome applications you've never heard of featured
Microsoft to offer three-user Windows 7 Family Pack?
2K Games offers "Huge Game Pack" on Steam for $54
Fallout 3 gets 50% price cut on Steam this weekend
Apple issues advice on iPhone 3GS overheating
Firefox 3.5 breaks 5 million downloads in 24 hours
TS Community
| User Gallery | Recent Discussion |
 NanoWhite by k1n9k00p4 |  OS History - Windows Vista by lopdog |
 My new system by JimShady23 |  Kubuntu 1600x1200 by GameJunkie72792 |
TechSpot RSSGaming
GTA IV to support cross-platform gaming?
After Rockstar's announcement confirming GTA IV for PC, some speculation has arisen about how the game will function online. Given that the game is being released with a Windows LIVE logo, some are speculating that not only will you be able to play it online with other PC users, but perhaps console players as well.
Cross-platform multiplayer gaming is an interesting idea, and with the advent of modern consoles supporting Internet connections it's clearly possible. There are a lot of obstacles, however. For one, console and PC development are rarely done side by side, and keeping the games patched simultaneously could be a development nightmare. On top of that, more simplistic issues like the controls for a console not matching the PC version could inspire some to say that certain players have advantages over the other. Not to mention that people cheating in PC games online is a big issue, whereas it's rarely heard of in multiplayer consoles.
I don't see it as happening – but I hope it will, since it would tie two large pools of gamers together.
Cross-platform multiplayer gaming is an interesting idea, and with the advent of modern consoles supporting Internet connections it's clearly possible. There are a lot of obstacles, however. For one, console and PC development are rarely done side by side, and keeping the games patched simultaneously could be a development nightmare. On top of that, more simplistic issues like the controls for a console not matching the PC version could inspire some to say that certain players have advantages over the other. Not to mention that people cheating in PC games online is a big issue, whereas it's rarely heard of in multiplayer consoles.
I don't see it as happening – but I hope it will, since it would tie two large pools of gamers together.
