Home Gaming Why there’s no fancy FIFA for PC pundits

Why there’s no fancy FIFA for PC pundits

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FIFAPC

One of the very coolest things about the next generation of sports titles from EA is the ignite engine, which attempts to make in-game players behave more like real-life athletes, reacting to a living world. It’s really quite impressive stuff. Unfortunately, as we’ve already told you, the PC versions of these games will not be powered by said Ignite engine, and will be relatively lifeless as a result. Why? According to EA sports head Andrew Wilson, it’s because your PC’s just aren’t powerful enough.

“Even though there were some PCs on the marketplace that could run that engine, the lion’s share of PCs on the marketplace could not,” Wilson said to Polygon.  “And the majority of the gamer base that was playing the game on PC did not have a PC spec that would work with that.” It wasn’t until FIFA 11 that the PC version was brought up to the same level as consoles.

Wilson says that the majority of PC FIFA players just don’t have powerful enough machines to run it all properly – and that the Ignite engine has been built to take advantage of the next generation consoles. Which are really just PC’s. Ahh, but Wilson made a point of saying that he specifically means “how the CPU, GPU and RAM work together in concert in that type of environment.”

Could Ignite come to PC sports game in the future? Yes – but you’ll all need to upgrade your PCs first.

“Could I see the potential for EA Sports Ignite to make it to PC in the future? Yes, I think it’s possible, but a couple of things need to happen,” Wilson says. “There needs to be some adjustment in terms of how EA Sports Ignite works to facilitate the open nature of PC architecture, rather than the closed nature of console architecture.”

Honestly though this excuse – and it is an excuse – is patently ridiculous. One of the wonderful things about PC gaming is the scalability of it all – and EA could easily make its fancy Ignite work on PC’s, but lock it out for lower-end machines. Not all PC gamers, for example, are able to make use of AMD’s TressFX or Nvidia’s Physx – but the options to use them are there for those who have the hardware. On the other hand, I can’t say I know anybody who chooses to play FIFA on PC because, well…there are proper games to play.

Last Updated: June 19, 2013

40 Comments

  1. Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

    June 19, 2013 at 12:06

    That sounds like lazy development to be honest. As you said, just give the option to turn it on or off. If they can make a version that can run without it, surely the process to enable it when asked should be simple?

    Did they say exactly what kind of PC would be required to run said tech? I’d love to see what they would deem needed to run the same tech on a PC instead of a console. For science and all that.

    Reply

    • Lardus

      June 19, 2013 at 12:09

      For Science!

      Reply

  2. Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

    June 19, 2013 at 12:06

    Eina!

    Reply

  3. Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

    June 19, 2013 at 12:06

    It looks very painful lol

    Reply

    • ElNicko

      June 19, 2013 at 12:36

      thats gonna leave a mark…..

      Reply

  4. Jonah Cash

    June 19, 2013 at 12:08

    “there are proper games to play.” Really, really?????? Face it, Fifa is the pinnacle of all sport games out there!! Fifa has more than 1 140 000 people on Xbox 360 alone that has tried the online seasons, that is a hell of a lot of gamers….. If a rugby game could get half of the money that EA throws at Fifa, the sports gaming community in SA would rejoice!!!

    Reply

    • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

      June 19, 2013 at 12:10

      I’d RATHER EAT MY OWN FACE THAN PLAY FIFA. Thankfully, Gavin LOVES it, so I never have to. 😉

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

        June 19, 2013 at 12:13

        LOL @ eat your face

        Reply

      • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

        June 19, 2013 at 12:14

        • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

          June 19, 2013 at 12:21

          Too scared to click….

          Reply

      • Jonah Cash

        June 19, 2013 at 12:24

        It gets seriously addictive if played online, but it probably helps that I have a bit of a competitive side….. I have clocked more than 800 games online in Fifa 13 since I got it in September last year… And I am a rookie… The guys who are first are very close to 2000 games online!! Now that is scary….

        Reply

        • Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim

          June 19, 2013 at 12:34

          Yeah, I know a ton of FIFA nuts. all mental, the lot of you! 😛

          Reply

        • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

          June 19, 2013 at 12:35

          Good grief. That’s dedication right there 0_o

          Reply

      • Alex Hicks

        June 19, 2013 at 12:33

        I haven’t played Fifa since FIFA 08 – on my PS2. That was offline; 1v1 with a group of friends. Those evenings live long and large in my memory – right up there with the poker nights we used to hold. There is very little that can compare as competitive, casual gaming.

        Of course, now we all have kids.

        But I would love FIFA to come fully equipped for PC; because if I ever do revive those evenings; I’ll be damned if I have to buy a console just for that.

        Reply

        • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

          June 19, 2013 at 12:36

          I have that kind of nostalgia with fighting games 🙂

          Reply

          • Alex Hicks

            June 19, 2013 at 12:40

            I would probably too – if I was any good at fighting games. I tend to panic and mash and then die. Predictably horribly. Probably with kicks to the gonads.

          • Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

            June 19, 2013 at 12:41

            Hahaha. Funny thing is I can use that exact same description to describe how bad I am with Fifa/Sport games in general

        • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

          June 19, 2013 at 12:41

          • Alex Hicks

            June 19, 2013 at 13:27

            Yes, yes … I haven’t given up on gaming. I still game plenty – as you well know from our steam convo’s – just not as often, or as long. And at weird times – as you well know blah blah.

            Besides – Yolande has one littl’un and one bigger one. I have twin boys, one of whom has cerebral palsy … that’s a LOT of work.

            Not complaining mind you – it’s helluva rewarding too.

        • Jonah Cash

          June 19, 2013 at 13:07

          That is why I play online, my friends who I use to play with(sounds weird) are all back in Gauteng and my ass is in Cape Town…. Online is the only way I can play against someone else, because you learn how to beat the computer but playing against a complete stranger all the time test you over and over again… That is why Fifa with their little changes each year is worth while, because now they are really just making it closer to reality… And we can have the same team, but we don’t play the same and that makes it awesome!!

          Reply

          • Alex Hicks

            June 19, 2013 at 13:32

            yeah … amazingly, all 5 of us supported different premier league teams (Liverpool, Man U, Arsenal, City, and (oddly) Aston Villa) so we never played the same teams. But you get used to a style of play. I would mix it up purposely by playing Inter or Atletico, or (if I was feeling brave) epic match up of Bradford City vs Man U – just to try something different.

            But I have no console now. Well I still have a dusty PS2 …

  5. ElimiNathan

    June 19, 2013 at 12:20

    ” I can’t say I know anybody who chooses to play FIFA on PC because, well…there are proper games to play.” – Classic.

    But ye this is utter BS

    Reply

  6. Yolanda Green

    June 19, 2013 at 12:25

    I’m not bothered, are you bothered?

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

      June 19, 2013 at 12:28

      #NotPhasedInTheSlightest

      Reply

  7. matthurstrsa

    June 19, 2013 at 12:27

    It’s fine, we have Witcher 3.

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

      June 19, 2013 at 12:28

      YARRR

      Reply

    • Dean

      June 19, 2013 at 12:28

      Witcher 2 is the reason for my rig now. Can’t wait for 3 and the inevitable shopping spree.

      Reply

      • matthurstrsa

        June 19, 2013 at 12:31

        I was just thinking I must continue my quest in 2. Lost my saved game when I upgraded, so have to start again.

        Reply

        • Dean

          June 19, 2013 at 12:34

          I think I’m in my second play through now with all the new spanky added bits. Haven’t been on there for a while though.

          Reply

          • matthurstrsa

            June 19, 2013 at 12:36

            Spanky added bits? Witcher has always had spanky bits.

          • Dean

            June 19, 2013 at 12:40

            Sorry, extra spanky added bits.

          • matthurstrsa

            June 19, 2013 at 12:41

            But really, what extras are you talking about?

          • Dean

            June 19, 2013 at 12:44

            Other than the free DLC’s they made, got a couple new quests in the second and third area. Also seems like they added new cut scenes in certain places, such as when frequenting the… um, ladies it seems.
            Plus now they released a mod builder app so we can start getting some user created mods. Not much yet but growing.

  8. Kyle Farmer

    June 19, 2013 at 12:45

    Who cares? It’s Fifa 14 (000,000). Tired, tired, tired. Let the consoles have it, we know who’ll be on top in a year when consoles are behind again…. next gen my arse.

    Reply

  9. Happy Hamster

    June 19, 2013 at 12:56

    Fifa Who is this Fifa you are referring to ,Sounds like some norway slang word for F off or something like that

    Reply

  10. Johan du Preez

    June 19, 2013 at 13:06

    Pro Evo is better than Fifa anyhooo …. any pc owner knows this and the engine is much better optimised as well.

    Reply

  11. Slade Boender

    June 19, 2013 at 13:51

    Hi. My Name is Slade and I have never been a dudebro #winning.

    Reply

  12. hairyknees

    June 19, 2013 at 14:56

    And not a fk was given that day xD PC = not a sports toy

    Reply

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